Mercy had to get her anger under control. Spellwork could be volatile—unpredictable—if the witch doing it wasn’t calm and focused, so she forced her steps to slow and shifted her concentration from how pissed off she was to how much she loved the way the fringe that hung around the hem of her short jeans skirt felt brushing against her thighs. She shook back her hair and her lips actually lifted in a small half smile as the beads on her hoop earrings jingled musically with her movements. Mercy drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was still pissed, but her mind had calmed enough to work through the angry haze that colored her thoughts.
Jax was full of shit.
But her sister’s best friend’s words haunted her. The blowjob and the … other stuff. Her cheeks went hot. Okay, so, Kirk had said something to them—or at least to Jax. But it couldn’t have been like Jax was making it out to be. It couldn’t have been bad.
Kirk’s voice seeped seductively from her memory, overpowering Jax’s stupid words. You are a goddess. My goddess. I love you. Kirk had probably just wanted to tell Jax about the amazing thing that had happened between them—had been trying to be actual, real friends with him—and Jax was making a big deal out of it. Sure, Kirk could’ve sounded kinda douchey. No big surprise. It’s not like he had any kind of a decent role model at home to show him how to treat a girlfriend. That’s why Mercy had to practically teach him how to be a boyfriend—not that she minded. When they were alone Kirk was the sweetest guy ever. He just didn’t know how to make that guy public.
Well, she sure as hell did. And he’d thank her later, after everyone saw the real Kirk Whitfield. The Kirk she knew and loved so much.
Mercy slowed as she approached the spot at the very end of the practice field where the varsity cheerleaders had set up a big table that held a giant cooler full of sports drinks and ice. It was tradition that the cheer squad practiced along with the football team, breaking at about the same time so that everyone could share the cold drinks before the boys jogged into their locker room and the cheerleaders flitted off to theirs. Mercy tended to agree with Hunter’s ongoing assessment that the whole thing was a misogynistic ritual that needed to end, but the football and cheer coaches thought it was good for morale.
Giggles mixed with deep voices drifted to her on the breeze. Mercy thought what almost everyone else did—that the morale it built by the cheerleaders basically playing the role of glorified water boys caused more touchdowns in the backseat of cars than on the football field, but whatever. Today the archaic ritual was perfect for what she wanted to, needed to do.
She saw Hunter walking slowly to Jax, who—along with the rest of the varsity team, minus their quarterback—was downing a bottle of something that looked like it had way too much red food coloring in it to be healthy. Hunter glanced at her and Mercy motioned sharply for Hunter to join the group. Even from that distance she could see that Hunter’s shoulders were bowed and her face looked pale and drawn. Mercy’s stomach tightened. She hated to see Hunter upset. For years she’d been messing up anyone who hurt her sister.
And look how she paid me back today—by siding with Jax against me. She was a bitch last night when I tried to reason with her about Tyr, and she’s still pissed. That’s all it is.
Mercy lifted her chin. She’d show Hunter. She’d show all of them.
The fence that ringed that end of the field and the track surrounding it was lined with Thuja trees that grew side by side in pyramids of concealing evergreens, easily ten feet tall. Several yards beyond the trees and the fence the cheerleaders clustered with the football team—and her sister, who was standing beside Jax, silent and uncomfortable.
Mercy approached the wall of trees. From where she stood she could hear the sounds of voices, but was too far away and too shielded by the living wall to make out actual words.
Kirk would think anything he said to her would be private. In the shadowy protection of the evergreen hedge they couldn’t even be seen, let alone heard.
But Kirk didn’t actually know anything about her witchy powers, so he had zero clue what she could coax the trees to do. Well, Hunter had just decided—all on her own and against what Xena had said—to spill a bunch of stuff about them and the gates.
Now it was Mercy’s turn.
She knew the perfect spell. It was simple—one of the first Green Witch spells her mom had taught her before she was even a teenager and had first shown an affinity for plants and trees and the earth. Abigail had taken her to the huge grandmother oak in their backyard and explained to her that each tree was a living being, and because of that the right witch, using the right kind of power, could ask trees for aid.
It had been a super easy spell for her to learn. She’d already been able to feel the big oak’s inhalations and exhalations against her hands, and she’d been listening to the sweet whispers of the crops that surrounded their home for as long as she could remember. So, when Abigail had shown her how to focus, how to pull energy from the ley lines and be the conduit that sent that energy into the oak so that she could beseech the tree for the help she needed—it felt as natural as breathing to young Mercy.
She looked up at the wall of evergreens. They loomed above her and made her feel safe, strong, powerful even. Mercy smiled and lifted her hands, stroking the spiky, sticky upside-down Vs that were the Thuja’s leaves. It was then that her mother’s voice tickled across her memory. Well done, Mag! Abigail had said when Mercy had executed the spell so easily. But remember, sweetheart, never use your powers for vanity or any self-serving reason. Always keep in mind the words we live by: An ye harm none, do what ye will.
Mercy ignored the spark of intuition that all of a sudden made her palms sweaty and her stomach sick. I’m not harming anyone. I’m showing everyone they’re wrong about Kirk. I’m doing a good thing!
She wiped her damp palms against her jeans skirt, closed her eyes, and centered herself—and found that her anger worked for her as she easily found the potent ley line that bisected the football field and ran directly under where she stood. Mercy reached down and tapped into that vein of power as she pressed her hands against the trees—ignoring the fact that their sticky leaves scratched her palms.
“I greet you, gentle giants,” she murmured to them.
Instantly she felt their combined inhale and exhalation against her hands.
“I ask a favor of you, and for that favor I will draw the power beneath you up into your roots, your branches, your beautiful, lime green leaves. You will swell with health and grow taller, ever taller. Will you grant me a favor?”
From the trees rushed excitement that teased her palms and made her smile.
“Good. Here is what I ask of you…” Mercy bowed her head and pressed her forehead against the Thuja as she whispered her request to the line of trees.
Again, her palms tingled with excitement that was so real it reminded her of wriggling puppies. She didn’t speak her thanks. Instead, she pulled the pulsing power up through the earth. The heat of it rushed into her body and through her hands to cascade into the wall of trees. They swayed as they accepted her offering like ballerinas tethered to the earth.
She stroked the thick, leafy Thuja branches and murmured, “Thank you, my friends,” exactly as Abigail had trained her to do. The wall of trees swayed once more in response.
Satisfied the spell was set, Mercy rubbed her hands on her jeans skirt and headed to the break in the fence and tree line, just in time to see Kirk jogging away from the coach and the JV team, as he headed for the refreshment stand. Mercy lifted a hand and waved at him.
As soon as he saw her he grinned and changed direction, running straight to her.
“Babe! You stayed! Damn, you look good.” He bent to kiss her, but she pushed against his chest with both hands—this time actually keeping him from getting close to her.
“We need to talk,” she said firmly.
Jarod Frazier, the Mustangs’ senior linebacker, leered at them as he crushed a Gatorade bottle in his meaty hand. “Oooh, damn! Trouble in paradise? You need some help handling her, bro?”
Mercy didn’t wait for Kirk to respond. She spun on her heels and marched back through the break in the fence, leaving Kirk to jog after her—much to the jeering delight of the rest of the team.
Mercy turned to face Kirk when she reached the exact spot she’d stood earlier, hidden by the wall of trees from the view of anyone on the football field.
“Mercy, what’s—”
She lifted her hand, stopping his words.
“You told Jax about what we did yesterday!”
Kirk frowned. “What the hell did he say?”
Mercy put her fists on her hips. “How about you tell me what you said instead?”
“Nothin’. Really. Just locker room talk. You know.” He reached for her and she sidestepped him.
“You talked about me—about us—in the damn locker room? You mean the whole team knows our business?” Mercy felt her cheeks flame. Her anger was so intense she felt dizzy.
“Mercy. Babe. All us bros talk about our girlfriends. It’s, like, a compliment.”
“A compliment? Telling the ‘bros,’” Mercy air-quoted, “personal and private things about our relationship is only a compliment to douchebag misogynistic pigs like your father! To normal guys—decent guys—it’s a betrayal—an invasion of privacy.” She shook her head, super pissed that tears had started to leak from her eyes down her cheeks. This really wasn’t going the way she’d planned. To herself more than Kirk she said, “I’m such a fool. I thought you were different.” She cried brokenly. “I can’t believe I was so stupid.” She wiped at her eyes and started to storm past him, intent on touching the trees and ending the spell, but Kirk surprised her by grabbing her wrist. As he stopped her he dropped to his knees and stared up at her.
“You gotta believe me,” he begged from his knees. “I didn’t mean nothing. I promise. Just—just tell me how to do better and I will.”
Mercy looked down at him. His blue eyes were huge. His face had paled and he was truly upset. Had she overreacted? Kirk seemed genuinely sorry. She wiped her eyes and shook her head. “Kirk. What you did was really bad.” She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to make it right—for him to be the guy she believed he was.
“Babe! Like I said, I just didn’t know. But I totally get it. I’m not gonna say shit about us again. Seriously.” He reached out for her and Mercy let him take her hand. He kissed it and smiled up at her. “You know I’m an idiot about this kind of stuff. Sorry, my witchy woman.”
Relieved, Mercy pulled her hand from his as she started toward the line of trees. All she needed to do was to touch them to close the spell and then she and Kirk could—
But before she could reach the trees Kirk had snagged her wrist and pulled her around to face him. “No, please, don’t walk away!”
Mercy meant to shake off his vise grip and touch the trees, but when she looked down at him what she saw had her frozen with shock.
He was on his knees again.
Oh, shit! He totally misunderstood!
And he was crying.
Really sobbing.
“Kirk.” She spoke as softly as possible. “It’s okay. We can talk about it.” Her eyes darted from him to the trees as she tried to shift her body to bring herself within reaching distance of one of their sticky branches.
“Mercy, I mean it! I didn’t get what I was doing. I was just happy! I wanted to tell everyone so they’d know how much you love me, and how much I love you.” On his knees, he lurched forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed his cheek against the softness of her stomach as his sobs made his voice hitch. “Y-you know h-how much I n-need you.”
Mercy felt the beginnings of panic. She’d expected him to apologize—to have a good excuse for what he’d done—to reassure her and react like a sweet guy who’d made one stupid mistake.
She hadn’t expected him to be so clueless, and then to fall apart and cry.
Mercy tried to break the hold he had on her waist so she could get around him and be close enough to the trees so that she could close the spell, but Kirk was too big, too strong. The harder she tried to pry away from him—the tighter he clung to her.
“Okay, okay,” Mercy tried to soothe. She stopped pulling at his arms and instead stroked his sweaty hair. “I—I overreacted.” Her eyes darted from him to the trees as she tried to shift her body closer.
Through streaming tears he looked up at her. His eyes widened as he misread her worried expression.
His arms tightened around her.
“No, you can’t do this!” Tears flooded his voice with desperation. “You know how much I love you.”
“Kirk! It’s okay. I forgive you!”
“I need you! You can’t leave me.”
“Kirk, shh.” Mercy pressed her fingers against his lips, physically trying to dam the tide of his words. “It’s hard for me to listen to you if you won’t let me go.”
Abruptly, he released her. She staggered backward until she touched the trees and surreptitiously stroked their sharp leaves. They quivered once more in response, and then stilled. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to Kirk.
He’d remained on his knees, hands held out as if he beseeched her blessing while he continued to snot cry. “H-how do I fix this? Want me to kick Jax’s ass?”
Mercy shook her head, ready to tell him—not for the first time—that he couldn’t blame other people for his bad choices, when Jarod’s sarcastic voice came from behind Kirk.
“Dude! Are you seriously crying?”
“Right?!” Derek, the varsity center, a big, meaty kid who looked like a chubby Hitler youth, mimicked Kirk as he scrunched up his fat pink face and pretended to cry. “Babe! Don’t leave me! Babe, I love you!”
Kirk rocketed to his feet and whirled around. The entire varsity football squad, and cheerleaders, had poured through the break in the fence and were laughing at Kirk. Jax and Hunter stood a little apart from the group, speechlessly staring from Mercy to Kirk.
Mercy narrowed her eyes and glared at the gawking group. She knew her words were hypocritical. It was because of her spell that the trees had amplified everything she and Kirk had said and broadcasted it to the varsity football team and the cheerleading squad, but she was too panicked to think of anything else to say—anything else to do. “Oh, shut up! This is between Kirk and me, and none of your damn business.”
“Uh, if it wasn’t our business the two of you shouldn’t have been yelling like that,” quipped Jarod.
“Yeah, you were super loud. We heard everything,” added Derek.
Kirk wiped violently at his face. His shoulders were slumped. He fisted his hands by his sides and for a moment Mercy thought he was going to stand up for her—stand up for them—and take on the mocking team. But his body language changed before he faced her. He put a hand on his hip and slouched like he was oh, so cool. Then he turned to look at her and his cute, full lips—the lips she’d kissed so, so many times—twisted in a sneer.
“Well, shit. I guess the cat’s outta the bag now—or I should say the pussy’s out of the bag.” His laughter was cruel, and this time Jarod and Derek joined in, laughing with not at him. His voice was hard and cold with sarcasm. “Can’t blame a guy for tryin’ to get more than a bj, though, right?”
Mercy felt frozen. She swallowed hard before she could form words. “Kirk? What are you saying?”
Hunter took a step toward Mercy. Her blue/green eyes looked old and tired as she spoke low in a tight voice. “Come on, Mag. Let’s go home.”
Kirk sneered at Hunter. “For once I agree with the dyke. Go home, Mag.” He made her nickname sound like an insult.
Mercy couldn’t move. The coldness inside had frozen her to the earth. “But you love me.” Even to her ears she sounded like a stupid little girl.
Kirk laughed. “Love you? It was fun for a while, but you’re too damn much work.” He jerked his chin at the gleefully watching team. “Ask any of them. After what they just heard they know it’s true, too.” Then his brows lifted into his hairline. “Wait, they shouldn’t have been able to hear us. It was you, wasn’t it? You did some witch shit—like your sister did at your house the other night. You set me up, you bitch!”
Mercy stared at Kirk—at the cruel stranger he’d become. No, he’s always been this person. I just chose not to see it.
Hunter ignored Kirk. She gestured at her sister and repeated, “Come on. Let’s go.”
Thawed by her twin’s voice, Mercy nodded jerkily, and started to make a wide circle around Kirk. But he stepped up to block her.
“What’s wrong? Don’t want your precious freak of a twin to hear the truth?” He shot Hunter a mean look over his shoulder before he continued. “Too late. She already knows about the bj. But her bff probably didn’t tell her the rest—how you humped my hand like the bitch in heat you are. You came all over me, you slut.”
Shocked gasps erupted from the cheerleaders to mix with uncomfortable chuckles from the football players.
Mercy couldn’t move again. Her entire body was flushed with heat and even though her whole being was screaming run she kept staring at Kirk like she’d never seen him before.
Then Hunter was there, stepping between them. She seemed to grow in height as she faced down the quarterback.