Chapter Two

"You can look at my palm and see the storm coming."
- Mary J. Blidge

Every year, they did the same thing.

Cindy would force her to pick a cute dress for her birthday. Jazmine would pretend to be oblivious, insisting she only wanted a slumber party with her girls. Then, Alyx would swoop in with the real fun.

It was a ritual that never got old.

Jazmine, Cindy, and Alyx would get together and gossip in her bedroom, nestled between mountains of blankets and shoes. Then, they'd order plenty of junk food and prank call people in Woodcrest, primarily Ruckus, after playing a few rounds of truth or dare, and then, on night two, they snuck out to do something crazy for Jazmine's actual birthday. It was tradition.

In sixth grade, they'd snuck out to the hill and stargazed all night, too nervous to wander far from Jazmine's house. In seventh, they'd gotten bolder, sneaking to the other block so that Cindy could finally get her first kiss from Wesley Payne. In eighth grade, they'd evaded city limits and headed to Chicago in Cindy's first car, attending party after party, dancing until they'd nearly dropped from exhaustion.

After getting over the fear of being caught, Jazmine felt something in her shift. Instead of checking to see if her parents were walking past to kill her, she'd begun looking for people to dance with, and sometimes on, instead. She made memories with a cute guy or two by chatting them up, getting a few numbers, and then squealing about it with her friends in her dad's car, rushing home to return it before her parents woke up.

No matter how much she protested, Jazmine loved it. She'd been half-hoping to get into her first bar tonight, courtesy of Alyx, the milk chocolate queen of fake IDs.

Her birthday was the one time a year that she let loose, and lately, she'd been trying to do more of that every day, instead of waiting for the week of her birthday to pop out.

That's why she was standing in her bedroom with her birthday dress on, her silver platform heels in her hand. She needed to get out now more than ever. After everything that had happened yesterday morning, Jazmine needed to feel normal, to forget everything that had just happened.

And thinking about being a witch with crazy powers? It was anything but normal.

"Girl." Alyx gave her a onceover and handed her a purple monogrammed robe. "We're really just doing the sleepover thing this year. That party stuff is so played out. By the time we get to college, we'll be sick of clubbing!"

Jazmine blinked, surprised to see both her friends laid out with their robes on. "Wait, really? We're not going out for my sixteenth birthday? Then, why did that makeup lady give us full glam mode looks earlier? And what was with all the shoes and outfits? I thought you two were planning something big, honestly."

"Nope. Just a trial run for prom next year. Plus, you'll need those dresses whenever you do get with Vince." Cindy shrugged, flipping through the channels until it paused on The Craft. "You said you wanted to stay home, so that's what we're doing. We'll look at Nancy walk on water and shit."

Jazmine flinched at the selection and shook her head. "Uh-uh. Pick something else."

"I forgot you hate scary movies!" Cindy laughed. "But this one isn't that bad. It has makeovers, powerful women, and a dope ending. It's fun."

"It's Jazmine's birthday." Alyx snapped her fingers. "So, turn the station."

"Snap at me one more time, and you won't live to see the rest of Jazmine's birthday!" Cindy quipped, flipping to the next station and lighting up when Deliver Us From Eva started. "This better?"

"Pause it!" Jazmine jumped off the bed, running into the bathroom. "Just let me change out of this dress!"

Alyx and Cindy smirked at her and removed their robes.

"SIKE!" They screamed, laughing aloud.

"We got you good!" Alyx did a silly dance in her black, short-sleeved bodysuit, flipping her long brown ponytail behind her. "You thought friends as good-looking as yours wouldn't go out in the summertime? Psshhh, please!"

"Right!" Cindy admired Alyx before striking a pose in her black, form-fitting dress. "We look good."

"We really do." Jazmine nodded approvingly as she smoothed her dress down. "So, where are we headed this year? I heard Hiro's having a cool house party, tonight."

Cindy shook her head with a grin, her beach curls bobbing behind her. "You'll see. Let's go!"

"Jazmine!" A voice hissed loudly, jolting her out of her good mood. She glanced around, but there was no one else in the room.

It seemed worried, desperate for help. But what could she do for a spirit without her powers?

She slid into the center of the room and snatched her heels from the closet, choosing to ignore the hidden ghost while dancing and singing on her way down the stairs. "Cuz ima' bad bit! It's my birthday! Gonna have to act up in the worst way!"

"You gon' drive Vince fine ass crazy!" Cindy joined in, following behind her.

Alyx closed it out, already at the front door, holding it open as she waited on her friend. "And soon he gon' be calling you babayyyyy!"

"One time for the birthday bih!" They all hollered, dancing on their way out the door. "Two times for the birthday bih! Three times for the birthday bih! Fuck it up, cuz it's your birthday bitchhhh!"

The girls were so busy laughing that they didn't notice the book flying behind them, then dragging itself under Jazmine's bed.

Nor did they feel the crackling in the air, the warning of a change that was soon to come.

Riley slammed the illustrations for Huey's newsletter on his desk.

"Aight, nigga!" He glared. "I'm done with the strip! Yo' ass takin' me to Jaz's party or not?"

"Give me a minute, damn!" Huey knew better than to agree with Riley before looking at his work thoroughly. Normally, he reviewed the strips, picked out what spoke to him, and added a few funny punch lines to it. "Just let me think for a minute."

His latest editions of the digital paper highlighted unsolved cases in Maryland. More specifically, cases connected to the mass murder of African American Woodcrest citizens and their partners sixteen years ago.

The case was a complete anomaly. Over two hundred people had been transported from Woodcrest to Sedona in minutes, with no known survivors, and no concrete evidence to tie the murders to anything significant.

His research had made a world of difference.

Black Ramblings had developed a loyal audience over the years, so much so, that over eighty percent of the cases he'd looked into had been reopened after nonstop radio silence from police about potential leads.

He couldn't take all the credit for that, despite how many people reached out and asked for his assistance. It wasn't his doing.

Their spirits had reached out to him first.

Huey had seen ghosts all his life. Hell, he'd even predicted Stinkmeaner's return in a dream. So having the ghosts of men, women, and their female babies come to him, begging for help as the anniversaries of their deaths approached, wasn't exactly weird.

Not for him at least.

He'd come to accept that it was just another thing that made him, well….him. And he appreciated the leads they gave him, even if he did have to fact-check them often.

Still, he couldn't help but feel as though he was dealing with something different than the other cases he'd solved. Because instead of just seeing their spirits, he was hearing and seeing several in addition to theirs, and he had no idea why.

"Ay nigga!" Riley barked, staring at his brother like he'd lost his mind. "Bring ya ass on! A deal is a deal nigga! Brainstorm on your own time!"

Huey glanced up from the paper he'd zoned out on before taking a glance and pretending he'd been reviewing it all along. Riley had drawn an African American man with a long, dark leather jacket, fangs, and blood red pupils, the detail so lifelike Huey couldn't believe it, even down to the nails.

"Dope villain." Huey grabbed his keys. "What made you think of him?"

Riley shrugged his shoulders, glancing back at the paper. "I dreamed it."

Huey nodded, zeroing in on the man's eyes. It was odd, almost as if he recognized him from somewhere. "Got a name for him?"

"Nigga, do you?" Riley grabbed his snapback and headed for the door. "Tryna exploit a nigga's efforts for free and shit! Hell nah, I ain't got no name! Make up one right fast."

"Riley, holdup!" Huey frowned as the air took on a sudden chill. "I gotta change real quick!"

"Good idea, nigga!" He heard some shuffling downstairs, and then Riley's voice echoing from the other room. "I don't wanna be seen witcho ass dressed like that. Just hurry up! I'm tryna get behind Dana's fine ass tonight."

It didn't take long for the ghost to appear, her sad brown eyes eyes shifting from left to right before staring down at the comic strip and gasping.

"It's okay, Devyn." He put a hand up, not wanting her to scream. "Is it him? Is he the one that did this to you?"

"I think so." The woman nodded, her short bob bouncing up and down. "He's the guy we saw that night, before the murders started."

"And you still don't remember anything else?" Huey raised a brow. "Everything is fuzzy after that night? You don't remember being kidnapped or murdered?"

"I don't." She frowned, sighing. "My story is like all the others. We went to meet The Council, and then the rest is fuzzy." She pressed her hands to her temple and frowned. "I wish we had more time, but I have to go. It'll make sense soon, I promise."

"Let's make it make sense, now." Huey objected, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're dead. Where else do you have to be?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The woman shrugged, leaning forward. "My case has been reopened because of you, and I'm eternally grateful for what you've done. Your next venture will be even more rewarding. You'll see."

"Rewarding how?" Huey shook his head, gazing at the spirit wandering around, as if looking for something. "Why are you talking like you're not coming back?"

"Because I'm not." Devyn nodded. "There are other spirits who need help crossing over. You're needed elsewhere, to usher in a new era of truth."

"I'm gonna need a lot more than that." Huey scoffed, frowning. "I've always known what I came here to do. How does you leaving before the other cases are opened help anything?"

Devyn's laughter rang around the room. "It helps a lot more than you think. You just don't know it, yet."

Before he could ask any more follow-up questions, she faded away with a contented expression until she was gone.

"Sure. Tell me I don't know what's going on yet." Huey rolled his eyes, glaring at the spot she'd been standing in. "That's helpful. I didn't know that before."

He pulled out a black tee-shirt and his Jordans, quickly tossing his silver chain over his head before throwing his shoes on and dashing down the stairs, headed to the car his brother was already in.

"Get your ass out of the driver's seat!" He yanked Riley out and slammed his door shut. "What is wrong with you?"

Riley eased into the passenger's seat next to him. "Shit, I figured I would drive mahself since yo ass was up there talking to yourself and shit!" He leaned back and reached for the radio. "I ain't surprised you a schizophrenic ass nigga, though. Just keep that weird ass shit to yoself when I'm at home."

"Interesting." Huey smirked. "Since you're the one who set half the town on fire last year."

"Aye, nigga! Nobody got hurt!" Riley frowned, folding his arms. "I did this place a favor. Those old ass houses needed to go. I just saved our curb appeal, nigga!"

"That's not how it works." Huey sighed and pulled up the GPS on his car screen, no longer interested in bothering with his brother. "What's the address, so we can go?"

"616 Birchwood Lane." Riley told him, leaning back in his seat. "Should take about twenty minutes."

Huey nodded, reversing out of the driveway and pulling onto the street, still wondering exactly what Devyn's words meant.

Jazmine's legs wobbled in her silver heels as she felt her way through the dark. Alyx and Cindy were holding her steady, moving with her so she wouldn't fall.

"We're almost there." Cindy told her with a grin. "Just a few more steps."

Her words sent another picture through her brain, like a short film playing in her head.

The infant clapped her small hands together, her wide gummy smile directed towards a beautiful woman, with pale skin, light ginger hair, and eyes strikingly similar to Jazmine's own.

There was a man beside her, similar in complexion to her father, with a low fade, brown eyes, and a tall, serious stature, looking at the child with so much pride and love she could feel it, almost as if it had been around her all along.

"That's right, Jazmine!" The woman told her. "You're a natural with astral projection. Soon, you'll be able to orb like Daddy. It's in your blood."

"Yup." The man nodded, lifting the giggling baby into his arms. "She's definitely an Arceneaux."

She gasped when she was jolted out of the vision abruptly, alerting her to the staring crowd in front of her. She hopped back, taking in all the streamers and decorations in the distance, including a huge banner with her name and face on it. "Whoa! Where'd you guys come from?"

As if relieved, they all laughed aloud.

"SURPRISE!" The crowd shouted. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAZMINE!"

Alyx grinned at Cindy, laughing. "Got her so good, she froze up with the Raven Baxter face for a second."

Both girls froze and stared off into space with their hands up.

Jazmine blushed. "Sorry, guys. There are just a lot of people here. I don't even think I know everyone in here."

"You don't have to." Cindy placed an arm around her shoulder. "Trust me, it'll be fun. I've been planning this for months. You just worry about stunting on everybody in here."

"What she said." Alyx smiled as she motioned towards Vince, easing inside to talk to a few classmates Jazmine actually recognized. "Besides, Morris Chestnut's twin is here, and Mariah Carey's finer, sexier twin….that would be you, by the way, is here. Two fine, single MCs in one night? That's destiny."

"I wouldn't call that destiny…." Jazmine's jaw dropped when she noticed a huge table with a giant cake, taller than all three of them combined. "The dessert table, however, is calling my name. How many people did you invite?"

"Almost everyone." Cindy smirked evilly. "I might have left Brooklyn off the list, though."

"Cindy, no!" Jazmine groaned. "Brooklyn's nice once you get to know her. She could've come. I don't mind her."

"Hell no." Alyx frowned, leaning onto Cindy's shoulder. "Brooklyn was cruel to Caesar when we were kids. She only stopped because Huey put his foot down once they got together. She's a stubborn brat."

"And that's putting it nicely." Cindy waved at one of her teammates from the girls' basketball team. "I'm happy Huey finally dumped her ass."

"Speaking of Huey-" Jazmine lifted her phone, about to ask why he'd airdropped her his number the other day, but someone else approached, sending her senses into overdrive.

"Ladies." Vince nodded, before stepping over to Jazmine with a bright smile. "Hope you don't mind me stealing the birthday girl for a sec."

"Absolutely not." Alyx twirled away with Cindy, smoothly pushing Jazmine closer to his side before heading off to the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the room. "We'll be over there if you need us."

Jazmine nodded shyly, her mouth dry. Vince's chocolate skin, his perfect white smile, and his height were all major reasons why she liked him so much, in addition to his calm and caring personality. Everything about him was gorgeous.

"You look really beautiful tonight." Vince smiled at her, his eyes lingering on hers. "N-n-not that you don't always look beautiful. Because you do. It's just that I, I um, I've been watching you."

Jazmine's eyes widened. "Wh-"

He nearly fell to the ground, his legs wobbling like a wild giraffe's.

"Not like that!" He pushed his hands out, placing them lightly on her wrists, steadying himself. "My bad, okay? I'm just nervous. I really wanted to impress you tonight."

Jazmine's jaw dropped. "You were nervous?" She laughed. "How do you think I feel?"

She was relieved when he laughed in response and grabbed her hand, causing her entire face to flush red.

"Well, let's be nervous together, then." He smiled, motioning towards the dance floor, where Cindy and Alyx were cheering behind his back, falling to the ground dramatically as they watched their matchmaking attempt go exactly as they'd planned. "Wanna dance with me?"

Biting back the urge to tell him 'Hell YES!', she managed to play it cool. "I like that idea. Let's go."

"A kiss will change everything." A voice hissed into her ear. "And nothing will be as it was from that moment on."

She focused on tuning it out, but this time it wasn't working. It kept on talking to her, as if she hadn't pushed away its voice in her head.

"You won't be able to stay for long." It said. "You have other things to do."

Jazmine didn't plan on leaving anytime soon, not with Vince finally talking to her while she was in the perfect dress, at the perfect party.

Whatever it was would just have to wait. For now, this was where she wanted to be.

Vince wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling at her while she smiled back, turning her head away from his to smile gratefully at Cindy and Alyx. "So, you're sixteen, now. How does it feel?"

"It's everything I wished for." She said honestly, amazed by how much effort Cindy had put into the party. There were giftbags for everyone, a stage upfront for people to have a talent show, soft fairy lights hung up on the walls, and purple streamers with violet balloons near the buffet. "I'm glad you're here."

Vince laughed and motioned towards a grinning Alyx and Cindy, who had moved closer with their camera phones. "I think they are too."

Jazmine threw her head into his neck before she could think about it. "I'm sorry about them! They just-"

"They're just good friends that care about you." He murmured into her ear. "It's okay. I like that they're recording." He moved closer. "I never want to forget this."

"Me neither." Jazmine admitted, inhaling deeply. "You smell good." She paused when he blinked at her in surprise, wishing she could disappear. "And I should not have said that. Excuse me while I die of embarrassment."

She turned to walk away, surprised when Vince gripped her arm.

"You smell good too." Vince nodded, leaning towards her. "I hope you don't mind me asking this before taking you on an official date, but I gotta ask…."

Jazmine leaned her head forward too, somehow finding the words without even trying. "Ask what?"

"I'm not sure if it's too much." He admitted, his eyes drifting to her lips.

She thought about what Cindy and Katherine told her yesterday, about getting out of her head.

"It's not." She shook her head, nodding as her eyes drifted to his. "Ask me."

To her delight, he leaned even closer, his lips just a head tilt away. "Can I kiss you?"

There was a parade going off inside her head. This was actually happening. Best. Birthday. Ever!

Jazmine didn't even need to think about it. "Yes." She nodded, leaning closer. "You can kiss me."

The ghost hadn't been lying when it'd said a kiss would change everything. The moment his lips pressed into hers, Jazmine felt everything slip away; the noise, the awkward couple pushing past them, the worry about her recent discovery.

All that mattered was the fact that Vince was kissing her, and she was kissing him.

And in that moment, everything was just like she'd hoped it would be. Well, almost everything, anyway…

A loud, piercing shriek ruined the moment. She immediately knew it was a woman, around twenty-five. She was screaming in agony, as if she needed help. Caught off guard, Jazmine tore away from Vince's lips and surveyed the room. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" He smirked, leaning down to kiss her again. "I didn't hear anything."

He was right.

Nobody seemed phased by much of anything but the loud bass drumming inside the house, sending the walls vibrating. Whatever it was, it couldn't be real, probably just her nerves. She grinned, allowing him to kiss her some more, when all of a sudden, she heard it again.

This time she tore away, jolting backwards to cover her ears when the screeching continued, growing louder and louder every second. "Sorry! I…I gotta go!"

"Outside!" The voice popped in with a convenient excuse. "Say you've gotta go outside!"

"Outside!" She yelled suddenly, her heart sinking when Vince lurched back as if he were afraid of her. "Um, yeah. I um, need some air. But, thanks! I had fun. Not like this was just fun for me. You know?"

To his credit, he snapped back to his regular self and nodded. "Yeah….sure. I'm sorry, Jazmine. I didn't mean to-"

Jazmine turned to call over her shoulder in the middle of rushing out the door. "It was great, really! Thanks for the kiss!"

At least the humiliation would help her move faster. "Thanks for the kiss?" She muttered to herself, wishing she could turn back time. "You're such an idiot!"

She glanced at the full moon in the sky and strode forward, nodding at the shrieking woman. "Um, hi? How can I help-"

Jazmine blinked, whirling around.

The woman was gone, but there were two people in the distance, running into the woods.

The same people from her vision.

"Wait!" She ran towards them. "Please! I need to talk to you!"

The party was in full swing by the time Huey and Riley arrived.

Caesar had insisted that Huey stay and mingle, bribing him with the vegan caterer that Cindy had hired for the party and reassuring him that Brooklyn was nowhere to be found tonight.

Plus, as Caesar had pointed out, the party was too overcrowded for him to run into Jazmine, which had sounded genius when they were outside and he'd been starving, but now, he saw Caesar's logic for what it was.

Ridiculous.

There was no way he wouldn't run into Jazmine on her birthday. Everywhere he looked there was a reminder of her somewhere. Her name, her birthday presents, her giant cutouts standing everywhere.

He felt annoyed just looking at it.

On the bright side, the food had been even better than Caesar had described. It had been ages since he'd had a decent vegan dish prepared for him, and even he had to admit the party Cindy was throwing wasn't bad.

The crowd was having fun, dancing on each other, socializing without their phones, eating and all.

"I know right?" Caesar smirked, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "My baby did that."

Huey shook his head and took another bite of his jackfruit nachos. "Anything is possible with filthy rich parents. She ain't that impressive."

"Uh huh." Caesar managed, shaking his head at a girl dancing on top of a table already. "If you say so."

"So." Huey turned to his friend. "Why aren't you with the birthday girl?"

Caesar stared over at Jazmine dancing with Vince, grinning widely. "Let's just say she's on official, birthday business right now. I wouldn't want to get in her way."

Huey frowned. "I guess."

"Don't be mad now." Caesar smirked at him, grinning. "She was sweating you hard when we were kids. Now she's on to the next one. It's the circle of life."

"Interesting that you're so invested, considering she's not your girlfriend." Huey made a face at the strong spiked punch and set it down, reaching into the cooler for a couple bottles of water. "Besides, maybe now that she's dating him, she can stop bickering with me every time we run into each other."

"Emphasis on with." Caesar took another sip of his punch. "It's not like you disengage when it happens, which isn't often might I add."

"Anyways, I guess what I'm saying is, despite everything, I'm happy for her." Huey shrugged. "I'm not the type to hold grudges so-"

"HA!" Caesar spat out his punch, clutching the side of his stomach to hold it in. "I'm sorry, man. That's funny."

"What's funny?" Huey raised a brow. "I can't be happy for a former friend?"

Caesar just shook his head, staring at him. "You like her."

"I don't like her!" Huey scowled, glancing back at him. "It's like I said yesterday. She was acting weird, and I checked on her. Drop it."

"Aye, dude." Caesar threw up his hands, glancing back at Jazmine locking lips with Vince. "I'm just saying. If you want her, you'd better stake your claim fast."

They both stared as Vince pulled her closer, practically swallowing her face whole.

"Because ole boy ain't playing." Caesar whistled. "He is down bad."

Something else whisking by caught Huey's attention, almost as if he could hear a muffled scream from far away.

"Yeah." He eyed someone in the distance, running out of the door leading to the backyard. "I'll be back."

"Okay, dude, imma…." Caesar trailed off, grabbing a few paper towels when his cup tipped over and splashed punch all over his face. He sighed. "Imma clean up and watch these nachos for you. Maybe take a bite or two, make sure it's still warm and all that."

"You can have them." He managed, before darting towards the exit, the shriek suddenly getting louder. "Make sure Riley doesn't spike the punch."

He peeked outside the door before Caesar could respond to him, watching as a white woman with long, ginger hair and a short blue dress darted across the yard with a caramel complected black man, holding her hand in his.

There was a girl running behind them, with long, ginger-colored hair, her curls bouncing on the back of her pink dress.

The same pink dress he'd seen Jazmine wearing with Vince while they were dancing.

Inside.

He stared back at the dance floor for a moment, and sure enough, there she was, still slobbering all over Vince, which come to think of it, wasn't necessarily her style.

Which could only mean one thing.

The Jazmine in the house wasn't real. But the Jazmine running into the woods was.

"Jazmine!" He ran into the woods behind her. "Stop!"

He pulled out his phone to text Caesar, telling him he'd be back soon.

Because if this was what he thought it was, his neighbor was in grave danger.

Now that she thought about it, following ghosts into the woods wasn't the smartest thing to do, even if she thought that she knew them.

Jazmine was surrounded by tall pine trees, the sounds of the party long gone as the light from the full moon beamed down on her in the clearing. She took a step back, listening to the sounds of the branches crackling underneath her feet.

"Stupid heels." She reached down to take them off, undoing the straps. "I knew I should've brought some flats."

"You know." Leilani appeared behind her, grinning at her loud shriek of shock. "You really should have."

"Whoa, chill!" Jazmine fell on her ass, frowning up at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Says the girl in the woods." Leilani snorted, motioning around them. "You're supposed to do the Great Igniting Ceremony tonight, remember?"

"My friends will notice I'm gone, remember?" Jazmine lightly thunked her head before turning around, preparing to walk back.

Katherine appeared in front of her, blocking her from leaving. "They won't. Vince thinks you're with him as we speak. The Regime has taken care of that for the night."

"And what if there's something else?" Jazmine found the courage to pose the question. "What if I still don't want to do this?"

Katherine and Leilani frowned, listening to the loud clanging surrounding them.

"You don't have that choice, unfortunately." Katherine's voice was soft. "But I promise you, you'll look back on this later, and you won't regret it."

It sure didn't feel like it. Outside of hearing mysterious ghosts every now and again, nothing too crazy had happened.

Maybe if she made a run for it….

"Honey, don't." She heard an oddly familiar voice speaking to her. "Do exactly as they say. Trust me. They're right about this."

She didn't have to wrack her brain to figure out who the voice belonged to. It was her mother, reaching out to let her know that this was a good thing. That she needed to do this.

"Fine. I guess I don't have much of a choice, anyway." Jazmine met Katherine's eye, frowning as her voice echoed through the trees. Something in the air had twisted, had begun convulsing around them like a snake watching its prey. "I do have one condition though."

Leilani stepped forward, nodding. "What is it?"

"I want to summon the flames myself." Jazmine said, moving closer to the center of the forest, her eyes on the moon. " I think I can do it."

Katherine looked bewildered. "Jazmine, honey. I don't think so. Your power isn't-"

"Lift your hands and push out." Another voice commanded. "Embrace the gift."

"Embrace the gift." Jazmine repeated the ghost's words with a whisper, squeezing her eyes shut as she lifted her hands into the air. "And push out."

With one move, the trees disappeared. They all watched, staring at the bright wall of light that emerged from the ground, creating a magical green forcefield around them.

Katherine and Leilani exchanged a stunned look, amazed that Jazmine knew exactly what to do.

She stepped forward, slowly walking into the center of the grass and setting her heels down beside her. Jazmine focused on the dirt, trying to focus all her energy onto the ground.

"Jazmine..." She could hear the warning in Leilani's voice, trying to get her to stop. "Don't-"

Her eyes narrowed.

"I, Jazmine Dubois!" She called into the night sky, raising her hands above her hand. "Hereby summon the flames of hell from the pits!" She spoke louder, her voice whipping around the trees. "Reveal it to me!" She could feel the air begin to hum, as if something big was coming. "Ignite!"

She blinked for a moment, breathing heavily as she waited for something, anything to happen.

"Ignite!" She repeated herself, staring up into the night sky, only hearing the whir of the forcefield around her. "Ignite, ignite, ignite!"

"It's okay." Katherine spoke up, obviously stifling a laugh. "The force field you created was very impressive. Try it again, and if you can't get it, Leilani and I will step in, okay?"

"Fine." Jazmine grumbled, closing her eyes again. "I-"

"Arceneaux." The voice whispered. "You are the child of Dina and Julian. You are the powerful one we've been waiting for. Summon the flames."

Her eyes popped open.

"I, Jazmine Arceneaux-" Jazmine turned to face Katherine and Leilani, her eyes boring into theirs as she lifted her hands, her voice commanding and powerful as the hum returned, causing the air around them to vibrate. "Daughter of Dina and Julian Arceneaux!"

"Summon the blue flames from the pits of hell!" She embraced the power, feeling something inside her come alive, something she hadn't known was there. "Ignite the flames! Reveal them to me! Show me my fate! My destiny!"

Leilani stared back in awe as the ground started shaking, her jaw dropping as Jazmine recited the rest in Latin. "Gehennae flammas accende. Omnia mihi revela."

Katherine shook her head and grinned. "I knew it."

"Gehennae flammas accende!" Jazmine repeated it again. "Omnia mihi revela!"

The trees combusted into a searing inferno, until everything was blue.

The hellfire consumed everything, it's crackling beckoning Jazmine, who stepped into the flames without a second thought, amazed when she wasn't burned instantly.

Three black women, with old leathery skin, stood on the other side of the flames. They wore long black, dresses, all of them different somehow, as if they'd come from another time.

Each of them was covered in orange flames, staring back at her with warm smiles as they walked together, speaking in unison.

"Jazmine Marie Dubois." The women smiled. "What a pleasure to speak with you again."

They morphed into the golden orbs she'd seen earlier, zooming over to her side before materializing into regular, solid humans. "We were wrongly accused in our lifetime, forced to abandon our ideologies for self-preservation. Do you know who we are?"

"The Charmed Ones?" She squeaked out, terrified they would kill her.

"Not quite." They all laughed, moving closer, until the one in the center stepped forward. "I am Tituba, this is Mary, and this is Candy. All of us were alive during the Salem Witch Trials. We were forced to defend ourselves due to-"

"Being black, a slave, and a woman, right?" Jazmine finished her sentence. "We learned all about it in class last semester."

The women laughed again as Tituba nodded, smiling at her. "Precisely."

"In that respect." Mary frowned, approaching Tituba's side. "Know that this rich history is yours to uphold, even when its challenges are incomprehensible. Be unyielding in your pursuits, be wise, and above all else, be brave enough to uphold hope above all else."

"I will." Jazmine vowed, staring at Candy as she walked forward, feeling the strongest connection to her. "What about you? Do you have a story? Maybe some advice?"

"There's nothing more I can add." Candy sighed. "We led you to the book. It is your guide to the answers you seek."

"Oh." Jazmine tried not to look disappointed. "I see."

"There are, however, two people who asked if they could see you." Tituba smiled, nodding at Candy and Mary before they turned into orbs again, whirling around her. "Until we meet again."

Jazmine gasped at the two people in front of her, both solid and alive in the flames, as if nothing had happened to them all those years ago.

"Hi, honey." The woman from her vision introduced herself. "I'm sure you don't know who we are..."

Jazmine shook her head and threw herself into their arms, smiling at both of them. "You're my parents! My birth parents, I mean...not that you're not my parents...because you are!" She grimaced, struggling to put her feelings into words. "It's just that I have two real….I mean two other…not like that. It's just-"

"It's okay." Dina nodded. "You don't have to explain. We're just happy you were taken in by good people who love you."

"Even if they go about in questionable ways." Julian grumbled, his disapproval of their negligence clear to Jazmine. "They genuinely do love you."

Jazmine snorted, frowning herself. "I guess."

"Two words." Julian grinned, shaking his head at his daughter. "I think I heard you say more than that the last time I saw you."

"Well excuse me." Jazmine tried to ignore Julian's excitement, but it was hard, especially when she could feel the pain hidden beneath it, the regret of missing so many years with his daughter. "But there's not much to share in the first place, Dad. I'm only two days in! You guys have been doing this for literal ages!"

"You called me Dad." His eyebrows rose as he stared back at Dina, a wide grin on his face. "Baby! She called me Dad!"

Dina just shook her head, laughing softly.

"If you're in the flames too, can't you guide me?" Jazmine pushed down the guilt and smiled back at him, not wanting to ruin the moment. "What can you tell me?"

"Well, for starters." Julian folded his arms across his chest. "You could definitely stand to focus more on your education and less on kissing boys." He frowned, his energy calm and strong. "Things can get messy when it comes matters of the heart, so if there your feelings change for Vince, promise me you'll be honest with him."

"I promise to be honest with Vince, even if my feelings change." She droned the words out, crossing her arms over her chest as well, her shoulders tensing as she felt an uncomfortable prickling run across her shoulders. "But for the record, they won't. Nothing between us will change anytime soon."

Julian stilled, staring at her for a moment. "Everything will change for you, soon."

"That's why it's important for you to control your emotions." Dina nodded, her voice soft and shy. "Work on meditating, on focus."

"Meditation?" Jazmine blinked. "How is that gonna help me?"

"As an empath, your other powers are directly linked to your emotions." Julian stared at Dina, who nodded stoically. "If you don't control them, a darker force will. Give yourself a fighting chance. Even if it's only fifteen minutes a day, you need to do it. Otherwise, you'll struggle with controlling your powers."

It was Dina's worry that came through to her this time, the anguish of not being able to protect her the way she wanted, the pain of watching a daughter she'd never truly know, not nearly as well as she wanted to.

"Okay." Jazmine's voice was soft, barely escaping her lips as she glanced at her mother, her sweet, soft eyes staring back at her. "I'll do it."

The flames began to dwindle as the prickling started around her fingers and crept up to her elbows. Her parent's solid forms gave way to translucence, already beginning to fade away, to leave her alone with the lump forming in her throat.

"Wait!" She called out to them, her eyes sad. "Who killed you?"

It was Dina who answered her. "We don't remember." She sighed, dropping her head down. "Nobody remembers what happened after our final meeting with the Council, not even in the afterlife, unfortunately."

"For now, just focus on learning magic." Julian nodded, a playful grin on his lips. "After all, I'd hate to trip another boy tonight."

Jazmine's jaw dropped. "You tripped Vince?"

"And spilled a drink on your dreadheaded friend, too."

"On Caesar?" Jazmine's brow furrowed. "What did he do?"

But he was already fading, laughing aloud.

"He knows what he did."

In an instant, the flames were gone, and everything was back to normal.

She glanced around at the trees, jolting back when she noticed Leilani and Katherine, sitting quietly in the branches.

The cloaked figures of The Regime surrounded them, all waiting for her to do something as they floated around her.

"Lift your hands, child." The one in the middle spoke to her. "Show us the gifts that were bestowed upon you in the flames."

Jazmine did as she was told and lifted her hands, but nothing happened, not even a hint of magic apparent in the air.

What had she done?

"What's going on?" She could hear Leilani in the branches. "Why isn't it working?"

"Because she wasn't granted anything." The Regime turned their back, fading away. "Her powers are no more."

Jazmine blinked, trying to absorb what they were saying. "That's not true, right?" She asked Leilani and Katherine. "I summoned the flames! I talked to my parents and those women from the Salem Witch Trials! That's not for nothing, right? It means something. It has to mean something."

"It's over, Jazmine." Leilani's frustration with her hurt the most. "You'll get to have a normal summer after all." She began to fade away, her voice dull. "Congratulations."

Katherine smiled, seeming to put a brave face on for them both. She lifted her hands until the trees parted, and Jazmine was back outside the outskirts of the woods, blinking at Huey Freeman.

She heard him say something smart, but at the moment, she could care less.

She whirled around, gasping at the abrupt change of scenery, studying her surroundings. "Where'd they go?"

"What?" She heard Huey behind her, felt his eyes inspecting her back. "Jazmine, what are you talking about?"

"Two women." Jazmine stalked back towards the trees, inspecting them. "They were-"

"There's no one here." Huey shrugged, frowning at her. "You shouldn't be out here by yourself, anyway." He shook his head. "C'mon, I'm sure everyone's looking for you by now."

She froze when it clicked. He had no idea what she was talking about. Leilani and Katherine were dead, and even though she could see them, Huey wasn't like her.

He couldn't see dead people.

Hell, at this point, she wasn't even sure if she could.

"You okay?" Huey asked her, staring at her with worried eyes. "Did something happen out there?"

"No." Jazmine shook her head, biting her lips together to keep from crying. "Nothing happened at all."

Thanks for reading!