My Secret, My Bully, My Mates by Miss L

I wake up to a finger stroking my cheek and someone is playing with my ponytail. I take a deep breath in, they are all still here with me. I sit up and look out the window. It doesn't look any different than when we were here the other day. It's a clearing similar to the one behind the packhouse that the students use, but the twenty foot circular patch of wolfsbane lies in wait. The tall plants are deceivingly beautiful with their long pointed leaves scaling up each stalk meeting up to brilliant purple trumpet shaped blooms. Even with the pointy leaves the plant looks soft and unassuming as it sways in the breeze blowing off the ocean a few miles away.

"Gentry needs us, are you ready?" Cam asks softly.

at me as we climb out of the truck. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of

are evenly spaced around the circular plot. Ava, Brett, Kyle, and my dad make a second circle behind them. For the first time I wish that Gwen was here in this mess too, but she is helping with all of our pack members in the Royal pack. Gentry and Elena motion us forward and I see stones and bundles of different herbs on the ground all around the circle. We walk up and Gentry positions me inside a ring of clear stones. She places Cam to my left and Dakota to my right, but a step behind my position. Oliver stands directly behind me so we form a diamond. They are each only about a foot away from me. If I wanted to I could reach out

behind us, completing the second circle. "Skylar, there is nothing for you to say or repeat, but you will be our conduit for the spell. Everyone needs to maintain their positions at all times, you will be tied to

as if I am not here and I am actually okay with the whole thing. I am trying to tune her out. If I don't have to say anything or repeat anything then I am going to stand here and just let her do her thing and try to

on the packhouse it is like a mist or more like dust particles floating around. Little motes you can see when the sun hits them just right. Each lazy mote just sways with the flowers, not floating up or down, just hovering through the plants. I can feel my eyelids getting heavy again, but before I can fall asleep a sharp pain rips up my spine and