Ominous (Private 13)

My blood froze in my veins. No one moved—not Missy, not Ivy, not even Noelle. I felt as if there should have been an ominous rumble of thunder outside the window, but when I looked outside, all I saw were lazily swirling snowflakes and a dark blue New York City sky.

“At least, it’s real to some people. Real enough for those people to be causing problems,” Mrs. Lange continued. She walked over to the buffet table and poured herself a glass of sparkling water. She took a long sip before turning around again, cradling the crystal tumbler in both hands. The last time I’d seen Mrs. Lange she’d been all business in a suit. Today her short white hair was pushed back with a tortoiseshell headband, which made her sharp features seem softer. She wore a striped button-down shirt, a navy blue cashmere cardigan, and gray wool pants. But even in casual weekend wear, she commanded everyone’s attention and respect.

“The Billings alumnae have long fallen into two categories,” she said. “Those who believe in the curse, and those who do not. For the past fifty years or so, there hasn’t been much evidence that the descendents of Eliza Williams, Theresa Billings, and Helen Jennings were actually cursed.” She paused and gave a laugh. “Most of us have done quite well for ourselves. But those who believe happen to think that Reed has brought the curse to fruition by her presence at Easton.”

My throat felt prickly and tight as I turned to face her. “What?” I said. “Why me?”

Mrs. Lange walked toward me, her eyes shining. She placed one hand on my wrist. Her fingers were cold and moist from the glass, but her grip was strong.

“Because, my dear, you are not just descended from Theresa Billings, but from Eliza William

s as well.”

The room around me grew stiflingly hot, and everything blurred. Suddenly I saw Eliza’s face in my dream. The curious way in which she’d looked me over. Her sad eyes so much like mine.

“The thing is,” Josh had said in my ear as we stared at the annual, “she looks like you. A lot like you.”

She’d had a foretelling dream, and now I’d had foretelling dreams. Her crazy, possibly psychic, possibly witchy blood was in my veins.

I took the water glass right out of Mrs. Lange’s hands and chugged it, then choked on the bubbles.

“Reed,” Noelle said, grabbing my arm. “Are you all right?”

I nodded as I coughed. The water fizzed up my nose and tears stung my eyes. Noelle led me over to the cushioned bench at the end of her bed. For a long moment I sat with my head between my knees. I could feel my friends staring at me and wished they would all go away. Wished that I would wake up from this nightmare like I’d woken up from all the others.

Except I hadn’t really woken up from any of them, since they were all coming true.

“How?” Noelle said finally. “I don’t understand how this is possible.”

“Reed’s mother’s grandmother was Eliza’s daughter, Catherine, named after Eliza’s old friend,” Mrs. Lange said. “Catherine disowned her daughter, Lea, when she decided to run off with a steel worker—someone Catherine saw as beneath the family name. After that Eliza’s line fell out of wealth … but not out of spirit or strength,” she said with admiration in her voice. “That’s evident in you, dear. This is why the alumnae have taken such interest in you from the beginning: As both a Billings and a Williams, you could have a unique amount of power.”

I looked down at the locket, warm as always against my chest. It had once belonged to Eliza. It had once belonged to my great-great-grandmother.

“This is ridiculous,” Missy said with a sneer. “She doesn’t have any power.”

Suddenly I heard Sabine’s words from my dream the night before. She has no power here. She never had any power.

I stared up at Missy, my chest clenching. Was she was connected to all this somehow?

Mrs. Lange turned to look at Ivy, who seemed startled by the attention. “You said the incantation, didn’t you?”

Ivy looked timid for the briefest moment but then shook her hair back and lifted her chin. “Yes. We did. Just the two of us. How did you know?”

“I can see it in your eyes,” Mrs. Lange said with a smile. “It worked. You two girls have summoned the power.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head, wishing this all away. “You need to have eleven girls for the incantation to work … right?”

Mrs. Lange sat down next to me and placed her hand on mine. “Don’t you see, Reed? The fact that it worked just proves the theory. With both Theresa’s and Eliza’s blood in your veins, you can summon the power almost on your own.”

A fizzing sensation began at the back of my skull and spread down over my shoulders all the way to my toes. Just like that, I knew. She was right. This was why I’d started having the dreams—dreams just like Eliza had. Because I had said the incantation that night in the chapel and summoned this … whatever it was. And Ivy … she’d moved objects without touching them.

Was this really all because of me? Because of who my great-great-grandmothers were?

“Ugh! I can’t take this anymore,” Missy spat. “I am so sick of hearing about the great Reed Brennan!” Her face was red and her eyes narrowed into angry slits as she glared at me. “You don’t have unique power, Reed. Not magical or any other kind. Billings is going to be rebuilt without you, and you’ll never set foot inside it again. And if you ever even set foot on the front walk, I’ll be the first person to slam the door in your face.”

She shot Mrs. Lange a withering glare and turned around. “If this insanity turns out to somehow be true, it doesn’t mean you have double the power. All it means is you’re doubly cursed!” she shouted back over her shoulder.

When she was gone, the only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire. Mrs. Lange took a deep breath and shook her head slightly, as if shaking off a small but irritating fly. Then she stood up and looked at the rest of the girls, all of whom were frozen, as in a tableau, around the fire.