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Orla could feel Blue’s anger emanating at her like a heat wave. Aside from the fact that, as an empath, Orla could quite literally sense Blue’s feelings - disgust, rage, embarrassment - Blue wore her emotion on her face in the daggers that she was staring at Orla. Not that Orla wasn’t used to it. All their lives, Blue had acted like their being cousins was an unfortunate circumstance of genetics, like bad teeth or an unflattering facial birthmark.It wasn’t like Orla wanted to be here either. She’d only tagged along because Mara had asked her to. Blue had been spending more and more time with those Raven boys, and when she announced (not asked, mind) that the five of them would be camping in the mountain for a night, Mara had been understandably concerned. But of course, it would be an affront to Blue’s unshakable sense of independence if she didn’t get her way. She was, fundamentally, a house cat: temperamental, easy to offend. If she even know that someone in the house was worried about her, she was liable to shriek and then run off for half a day.So, Orla had to pretend that she wanted to insert herself into whatever coming-of-age movie romance Blue struck up with that gaggle of pretentious academy boys and here she was.“You doing alright back there?” asked Richard Gansey III, one hand on the steering wheel, the other perched against the open window. A soft breeze blue tousled his already perfectly tousled hair.“Fine.” Blue said, glaring at Orla with an expression that read I’d be a lot more fine if she weren’t here.“It’s a bit hot.” Orla said, wiping her palms on the brown corduroy shorts she’d found after hours of scouring flea markets. Like Blue, Orla’s wardrobe was carefully curated and passionately selected, but somehow that just resulted in further competitiveness rather than common ground. Sometimes, Blue felt like a math puzzle that Orla was just a little too ignorant to know how to solve.“That’ll be the AC,” replied Adam, from the front seat. “It went out the other day and I haven’t had a chance to fix it.”“That’s the Pig for you.” Gansey laughed. With his free hand, he stroked the side of the car lovingly, like someone petting an ancient crotchety pet cat that bites everyone and pees everywhere.When Gansey spoke, Orla got a brief reprieve from Blue’s psychic assault. She wondered if Blue had realised yet how soppy her expression got when she looked at his handsome features. Did Gansey know?As though sensing she was thinking about her, Blue glanced over at Orla and scowled when their eyes met.Orla shrugged and began peeling off her oversized knit sweater. Cute with its bell-bottomed sleeves and mint-green stripes, but far too warm for a Virginia summer. The spaghetti strap crop top she was wearing underneath was far better suited. A gust of air blew against her sweaty shoulders and she let out a sigh of relief. In the rearview mirror, she caught a glimpse of Gansey’s gaze wandering over her. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he blushed, then looked away.She didn’t even have to look at Blue to sense what she was thinking. Judgement, jealousy, discomfort. The word slut skimmed the surface of Orla’s mind. If someone felt something strongly enough, they began broadcasting their thoughts in short bursts of phrases. Orla couldn’t help reading them, the way she couldn’t help reading words if they were written on a page.Orla leaned out the window, her long brown hair tangling in the breeze, and glanced back at the car following them: a sleek black shell with tinted windows. Because Orla had decided to tag along, there wasn’t enough room in the Pig for all of them. Ronan had seemed more than happy to drive himself and Noah, who had jumped at the chance to ride shotgun and blast furious metal music rather than be crushed into a backseat for upwards of four hours between two dissenting cousins. Orla could hear muffled guitars thrashing from Ronan’s closed windows.Gansey turned the Pig off the highway onto a bumpy dirt road. The hot sun had baked cracks into the ground that looked like a giant had taken its anger management issues out on the earth with a rusted knife. The Pig’s suspension was not gentle, leading Orla to feel like she was riding the world’s jankiest roller coaster.“Almost there,” Ganset grinned at the mirror, “Bit of a bumpy one.”Blue, who had been looking a little green, smiled softly at him. He was so good at managing the emotions of a room, Orla might have thought Gansey was also an empath. But no, that was just the effect of being rich and learning the art of schmooze.They passed through a narrow gap in the trees that didn’t look like a path and came out into a small clearing. Gansey brought the car to a halt and they all poured out, desperate to stretch their legs. The air outside was still hot, but at least it wasn’t stale. Cicadas hummed and small bits of cottony fluff floated in midair. The moment of peace was quickly destroyed by the arrival of Ronan’s car screeching into a parking space unnecessarily close to where they were all standing.The car’s music switched off, and Ronan popped out of it with a dangerous look on his face. He always had a dangerous look on his face. Of all the Raven boys, Orla found him the most intriguing, though she could never tell whether that was because he gave off a strong aura of magical power, the undercurrent of sadness that painted everything he did, or the fact that he was incredibly hot. His short-cropped hair suited him and his face was made up of harsh lines: strong jaw, thick scowling eyebrows. His tattoo, which looked different every time Orla saw him, was geometric and pointy today, made up of interlocking triangles. There was power in three. It was a grounding number. Orla wondered what he was trying to ground himself to. She couldn’t help glancing at the scars on his wrists and feeling a wince of remembered pain.“Bet it drove you nuts, having to follow behind,” Gansey grinned at Ronan.‘“You drive slow” Ronan gruffed.While the boys debated how many miles over the speed limit was too many miles, Noah slipped out of the car from the back seat. He made almost no sound as his feet touched the dirt, and it took several moments of his staring at Blue for her to realise and then smile at him. The look on his face was startled. Shock, nerves, discomfort. Orla frowned, unsure what was ailing him. It could have been her presence - he’d always seemed shy around strangers- but she didn’t feel it directed her way.Then the passenger door was flung open by a heavy black boot. Gansey’s face fell, and he stumbled midsentence. Orla caught the smug look on Ronan’s face as Kavinksy emerged from his car.His white sunglasses gleamed in the sunlight. He inspected the group of them like a lion assessing its prey. His moves were slow and methodical; he was aware he was being watched. “Hope you don’t mind me crashing your little camping trip.”“It’s not a camping-” Gansey coughed, then regained his composure, “I wasn’t aware Ronan invited a guest.”“Well, I figured if Blue did,” Ronan said, raising an eyebrow.Blue shot an evil look at Orla. Your fault.Kavinsky noticed Orla standing there by the car and a look of wonder crossed over his face. He’d grown his hair long since she’d last seen him, but he was still unfortunately handsome. His face twisted into a wry smile that twinkled danger. “Well well well,” he took a step towards Orla, “Long time no see. You’re looking good.”She felt his gaze crawl over her. It was invasive, but not altogether unpleasant. She remembered that about him. When he looked at you, it was like you were the most fascinating thing in the world.She caught a wave of jealousy pointed at her and looked over at Ronan. Ah. Well there went her plans to eventually seduce the hottest Raven boy.“You know each other?” Gansey asked, his voice polite and conversational, as though he was hosting a dinner party.“You can say that,” Kavinsky picked up a strand of Orla’s hair and let it fall over her shoulder. The worst part was that, under his little presentation, Orla could feel the desperation leaking off him. He didn’t look at Ronan once, but his approval was aimed directly at him.She rolled her eyes and batted him away, “We dated for like a month last year.”Cicadas roared in the silence that followed. Orla felt a swirl of emotions pollute the air; it was like standing in the perfume aisle of a department store. Rage, jealousy, disgust, disbelief, sorrow, pleading.“Of course you did.” Blue rolled her eyes.Orla felt a flicker of anger. It was the very beginning of the trip and she was already sick of Blue being snide at her. Before Orla could say anything, Gansey cleared his throat. “Shall we get our supplies? We need to make camp before sunset.”
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“No wait, not that one.” Adam cried out, but it was too late. Orla pulled a string and the tent they’d spent the last thirty minutes trying to set up crumpled into a heap on the ground.Adam stared at the pile on the ground, rage and disgust beating off him like a drum. Pointed internally, which was interesting. Orla couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.“I’m sorry - I suck at this.” She held out her hands in defeat.“It’s fine.” Adam’s voice was steady and cheerful. The rage remained, but hidden. He glanced at the other two tents, which stood tall as though mocking them. “Have you never been camping?”“I have” Orla sighed, “But we never use tents.”Adam’s eyes widened, “But… mosquitos.”Orla shrugged, “I know a spell to keep them away. You just have to mix peppermint oil and rosemary sprigs, and sleep on top of a red heliotrope. I actually brought the ingredients with me.”“Huh,” Adam nodded, “That sounds really useful. Can I try it?”“Sure!” Orla said, “Although I do have to warn you: it only works if you’re completely naked.”Adam went bright pink, thought about it a moment, and then went even pinker. He tried to stammer something but Orla began to laugh. “I’m kidding!”“Adam, Orla, how goes the tent building?” Gansey called at them.“Uhh.” Adam responded. He blushed again when Gansey got near. Orla almost laughed out loud. Were they friends because they were all in love with Gansey, or was that just the effect he had on people?Gansey glanced over at their tarp and rope pile, “Adam!”“It’s not my fault!” Adam insisted.“Wow. Right under the bus, huh?” Orla clutched her heart.“Maybe you should stick to spells.” Adam teased. The rage had melted away, although he was slightly tense now with Gansey nearby, like a soldier standing to attention.“Hmm.” Gansey picked up a loose rope like a veterinarian assessing a sick snake, “Okay; new plan. Orla, you go help Noah and Ronan carry supplies from the car. I’ll help Adam with the tent.”“Demoted. Got it.” Orla said, “I think I should be able to manage carrying a can of beans.”“They’re dent resistant.” Gansey grinned at her. He really was good looking, his smile winning: teeth perfectly straight and alabaster against honey-tanned skin. He looked like an ad for a jet ski.Orla gave the boys a thumbs up and headed off down the brambly path towards the car. Her sandals slapped against the dry ground, sending small plumes of dust around her ankles. The sun was mercifully starting to dip, but it was still hot enough that by the time she reached the clearing, her hairline dripped with sweat. She didn’t know how Blue stayed cool while wearing three tank tops simultaneously.Orla was walking towards the Pig’s open trunk when she saw them. Mashed up against Ronan’s black car, seemingly unbothered by what must have been burning metal, Ronan and Kavinsky were locked in a passionate, almost violent kiss. Ronan hadn’t noticed Orla approach, but Kavinksky opened his eyes and gave her a challenging stare. His hand detached from the car hood where it was pinning Ronan in place and landed on Ronan’s chest, creeping steadily downwardOrla coughed loudly. The boys broke apart. For a single moment, Ronan had the good grace to look embarrassed. That quickly melted away for a carefully crafted whatever I don’t even care expression. Orla could still sense mortification emanating off him like a low bass note.Kavinsky raised an eyebrow, “Can we help you?”Orla didn’t like the way he said the word help. “Gansey wants to know why it’s taking you so long to unpack the supplies.”The tips of Ronan’s ears turned red but Kavinsky just scoffed, “That guy has no idea how to have fun.”A flicker of protective anger flashed off of Ronan. He shrugged his shoulders “Come on. He won’t let it go until it’s all finished.”“Funny,” Kavinsky said, grabbing a cardboard box from the trunk, “I guess we do have something in common.”He winked at Orla, then disappeared off down the path. Ronan slumped after him, arms full of firewood.“Oh my god, thank you.”Orla jumped at Noah’s voice. He was standing in the shade of a tree by the front of the Pig.“Have you been standing there the whole time?” Orla asked.Noah shrugged and shuffled closer, “People sometimes forget that I’m there.”Orla assessed him. His shoulders were lean and rounded, but he kept them slumped forward. It made him look shorter than he was. In fact, his entire frame was incongruous. The arms were long and lanky, but muscular. His face handsome, but downcast. He was like an athlete recovering from months long illness, or an ex-extrovert suffering a bout of anxiety. Her heart warmed.“You’re a ghost, right?” She grabbed a supermarket bag full of tins from the trunk. She had no idea why they had so much stuff for what was basically an over-nighter but Gansey seemed like the type who liked to be prepared.Noah nodded. He attempted to pick up an extra-large bag of marshmallows but it slipped through his hands.“Sorry,” he stared at his feet, “it’s harder if I’m not on the ley line.”“You know I can probably help with that.” Orla added the marshmallows to her grocery bag and began walking back to the campsite. “There’s a grounding ritual we can try.”Noah shrugged, trailing behind her, “It’s fine. Blue’s here so I’ll be fine.”They emerged to the campsite, where Adam and Gansey had miraculously finished setting up the third tent in record time. Orla pursed her lips, “It might be nice to not rely on her.”Blue popped her head out of the tent, giving Adam and Gansey a serious thumbs up. Noah’s form turned more solid. There was a rosiness to his cheeks, “I like relying on her.”Blue noticed Noah and Orla and waved gleefully. Without looking at Noah, Orla could feel the smile on this face, and the vague sense of wanting. Orla hoped Blue’s cheeriness was a good omen for the rest of the evening.
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They’d set up camp outside the ley line, along a section of shady woods. Gansey frowned at his spectrometer, which bleeped enthusiastically. His eyes were shiny and when he looked up, he grinned.“Blue, you are brilliant.”Blue looked like she’d smacked in the face with a uniquely handsome frying pan. “Duh,” she sputtered, a moment too late to seem nonchalant.For years, Persephone had told them all about extended fairy rings, circles of tight magic built over years of weaving together certain types of tree and mushroom. The one that Blue had led them to had, allegedly, been cultivated by Persephone’s great great aunt and her coven.“So now what?” Ronan asked, glancing around sceptically. Like ley lines, extended fairy rings didn’t feel any different, imperceptible to dull human senses. Orla glanced over at Noah, who looked a little brighter than usual. Okay, maybe they felt different if you were a ghost.“Well, we still have quite a few hours until midnight,” Gansey checked an expensive-looking wristwatch (what kind of seventeen-year-old wore a wristwatch?) “Let’s take advantage of the daylight and find the edges of the ring.”“Oooh or how about instead we do literally anything else?” Kavinsky asked, “That sounds boring as fuck.”Gansey’s eye twitched. He continued as though Kavinsky hadn’t said anything, “We’re meant to do the ceremony at the dead centre for maximum potency. Fairy rings are always perfect circles, so as long as we map out a few points of the edge, we should be good to go.”Kavinsky rolled his eyes, “Yeah… you enjoy your team-building exercises or whatever. I’m gonna be in the tent.” He put an emphasis on tent that made Orla roll her eyes. Kavinsky grinned devilishly at Ronan before sauntering off.“Wow, I’m so glad you’re here.” Gansey muttered, just loud enough for Orla to hear. “Okay. Well. That’s good. Now we’re three groups of two. Easier anyway. Adam you go with Noah. Ronan can go with Orla and Blue, you come with me.”The wave of jealousy that stormed out of Ronan almost made Orla hiccup. Ronan’s lip curled, “Actually - it’s a bit too hot to hike right now. Count me out.”Gansey frowned, “Wait, but you-“Ronan was already disappearing into the tent.Gansey sighed. He said the word Okay long and slow, like a meditative chant. “Orla, why don’t you come with me and Blue?”“What! Why?” Blue whined.“We’ll just have to move fast.” Gansey glanced up at the sky, “Noah, Adam, mark the boundary on your map and we can cross examine them later. Meet back here in two hours.”***“So, what’s this ritual anyway?” Orla asked, ducking under a low branch.They wove through a tightly packed cluster of trees. The air hummed with insect song, and the setting sun painted everything with a rosy glow. Gansey looked particularly fetching in the sunset, his skin taking on the healthy bronze cast of an adventurous vacationer.“It was Blue’s idea.” Gansey said.Blue smirked at Orla, looking like she’d just won a match point. Orla shook her head and picked a stray leaf out of her curls. How could Orla know exactly what Blue was feeling and still find it impossible to actually talk to her? Even now, her pity was being won over by a general annoyance.Gansey paused to look at the map, then checked his spectrometer. “We’ve been relying on instruments like these to find the ley line, which is great if you know where it is, but difficult if you lose it, or are somewhere new. Over the last few months, I’ve been trying to find a way to be a little more… self-sufficient. I was at a dead end until Blue told me about this seeing ritual. It’s like learning how to see, but with magic. It’s to do with our third chakras.” Gansey made a small mark in pencil then folded the map up.“Oh, where did you hear about that?’ Orla asked Blue, raising an eyebrow. As far as Orla knew, no one in the house had dabbled in chakras, although Persephone was a passionate and ever-changing student of magic. She’d spend months in deep research learning to thread spells as intricate bracelets and necklaces of multicolor beads and then just as soon forget about them, leaving her projects strewn around the house.Blue coughed, “Neeve left a book.”Orla opened her mouth to say something but caught herself. No one in the house had dealt with the emotional fallout of Neeve yet, and Orla wasn’t about to start that particular conversation in front of Richard Gansey III. Orla knew Maura spent her evenings checking mirrors and pools of waters for signs of her sister, but no one was brave enough to tell her to stop. The worst part was that the residents of 300 Fox Way hadn’t stopped talking about Neeve. They would sometimes refer to her casually, like it was nothing. It was like she was away somewhere on vacation.People always seemed to forget that she and Orla were close. Neeve was the only other person who used eromageia. Love magic. It sounded so manipulative and horrible, that awful, terrifying veil placed over the unwitting, ensnaring them. Neeve taught Orla that there was no such thing as “good” or “bad” magic, that Orla being attuned to eromageia didn’t make her some sort of horrible temptress. Orla hadn’t realised how much shame she carried until Neeve helped her cut it loose.And yet, no one, not even Calla, thought to ask Orla how she was holding up now that Neeve was a traitor.“What?” Blue raised her chin defiantly. She was reading Orla’s silence as judgement.“It was a good idea, checking her library.” Orla’s voice cracked. Blue frowned slightly and for a second, Orla felt like her cousin was actually seeing her. For another, horrible second, Orla felt like she might cry.Then, Gansey gasped, and spoke in a soft whisper of awe, “Oh hello. There you are.”Whatever was between Orla and Blue broke. They joined Gansey where he was hunched over, staring down at the ground where the soil was the rich brown of the deep earth. Cropping up among the fertile soil were the rounded caps of dozens and dozens of mushrooms. Gansey’s eyes twinkled with delight. The vast collection of fungus, grouped together as though trying to touch, was varied and colorful. Feathery yellow chicken-of-the-woods, round white buttons of the common puffball that looked almost like they could blow away in the wind, poisonous red amanita muscaria, bradleys and chanterelles and king boletes. Orla was taken back to her childhood, foraging in the woods for spells and dinner. She’d never seen a collection quite like this. She took a step back, following the mushrooms with her gaze. The trail snaked along the ground like a foamy river, disappearing into the trees.“The edge of the fairy ring,” Blue reached out to touch the gill of shaggy mane with the tenderness of someone petting a kitten.“Look.” Gansey pointed up. Orla followed his finger to find that all the trees along the fairy ring had knotted their branches together, like friends interlocking arms.Orla felt a tug in her stomach that told her she was in the presence of ancient magic. All at once, the late afternoon sunlight seemed to burn golden, painting the flecks of dust and dirt in the air so that the warmth of the day was almost visible. Orla sighed. The peace she felt was not only hers. Blue was the surface of a lake set in perfect silence while Gansey was the wide maw of a valley. Stillness triangulated between the three of them; there was power in threes. Orla was suddenly filled with a certainty that their ritual would work. She glanced at Gansey and Blue, trying to discern who was the cause. They were staring at each other, sharing a wordless thought. Ronan’s look of jealousy flashed in Orla’s mind; she couldn't’ help feeling bad for him. Especially when a sewer rat like Kavinsky had managed to sink his creepy little rat teeth into him.***For the next hour, they walked along the edge of the fairy ring, pausing periodically for Gansey to mark down their position on a map, or for Blue to bend down and admire a particularly gnarly mushroom. The shadows of the trees were long and black by the time they turned back. Gansey chattered energetically as they returned to camp, like the words couldn’t help but bubble out of him. His giddiness was infectious, and Orla was shocked to see Blue giggle.Not even Kavinsky, lounging in a blue camp chair and smoking a spliff, could curb Gansey’s mood.Kavinsky took a long drag, the spliff crackling orange, and watched them with the careful indifference of a reptile. “Have a fun hike?”“It was very productive,” Gansey marched towards the tents, “Are the others back yet?”“Nope.” Kavinsky flicked the still-lit stub onto the ground.“Hey,” Blue rushed over to stamp it out, “Be careful. It’s still fire season.”“Maybe I like to live dangerously.” Kavinsky raised an eyebrow at Blue. Even though it was fast getting dark, he was still wearing his white sunglasses, so it was impossible to see exactly where he was looking.Blue looked completely unimpressed. She rolled her eyes and marched off to collect firewood. Deprived of his prey, Kavinsky turned his attention towards Orla.“We missed you,” he muttered huskily, soft enough that only she could hear. He reached out to grab her wrist, his fingers long and curious. She shuddered, but didn’t pull away.“You’re back.” Ronan emerged from the tent, voice thick with sleep. He blinked as though surprised at how dark it was. Even in the low light, Orla could see several purple hickies lining his neck and collarbones. He scratched the side of his head, and Orla couldn’t help but think of the way a peach bruises when you drop it.“Yep.” Noah said, appearing behind Orla. She jumped. There was a coldness in the spaces Noah occupied, something like an absence, but she hadn’t quite yet learned to discern it yet.
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Gansey led the way through the dark forest, shining the world’s brightest flashlight through the cragged trunks of the trees. No one spoke, except the occasional instruction from Gansey. Their footsteps were soft and muffled against the hard-packed dirt. Noah walked beside Orla, looking somehow both more solid and less human, like a fey creature rather than a ghost. A heavy coldness clung to him like wet wool. She wondered what he’d been like when he was alive.The deeper they delved, the more quiet the forest grew. It was unnatural, the footfalls of foxes and birds dying away to nothing. The seven of them formed a strong front; seven was a safe number.Gansey stopped suddenly, and Blue, who had been following close behind him, stumbled into him. She looked slightly put out, like a housecat trying and failing to jump smoothly onto a bookshelf that’s just a little too high.“We’re here,” he spoke softly, like people sometimes do in churches. The others gathered around him. There was no question they’d reached the centre of the fairy ring. The trees gave way to a small, perfectly round clearing ringed with dark green moss. Pomegranate-sized stones lined the inner circle of the moss ring, spaced at regular intervals.At the very center, there was a smaller fairy ring made up of red capped mushrooms with white spots. It formed a perfect circle just large enough for three people to sit in. In fact, there were three logs placed in a triangle inside the ring, the lichen on them purple and shimmery. The air smelled of dirt and cinnamon.“Look,” Adam touched one of the trees at the edge of the clearing. Gansey shone a beam of light to the bark, revealing hundreds of runes etched into the surface. Orla examined another tree to find just as many markings. Magic hung in the air like static electricity. Blue stepped into the clearing and Orla felt the magic amplify, filling her with lightness. Her senses sharpened. She could feel the flow of magic around her, leading out of the fairy circle, past the woods, into the wider world, like the arteries of the universe.“We’re meant to only do the ritual three at a time.” Blue said, examining the log triangle.“Sounds good.” Gansey said, “Who wants to go first?”No one spoke for a moment. Trepidation like standing at the edge of misty precipice flowed through them all. Then, Blue stepped up.Gansey smiled, “Our first volunteer. I’ll go as well.”Ronan stepped forward without a word. Kavinsky raised an eyebrow at him, but he kept his gaze firmly on Gansey.“Perfect.” Gansey said. “Come on in.”Blue, Gansey, and Ronan sat on the logs, facing each other.“Give me your hands.” Blue instructed.“Ew no.” Ronan said.Blue rolled her eyes, “Don’t be weird. We need to form a circle.”Ronan wrinkled his nose, “You better not have sweaty palms.”“Oh, they’re the sweatiest,” Blue said, grabbing his hand. Then she held her hand out to Gansey, who took it gingerly, like someone handling a baby bird. The two of them turned bright pink, and Orla felt a wave of pleasant nerves tingle in her chest. After a moment, Gansey also grabbed Ronan’s hand, who scowled. The roller coaster feeling in Orla’s stomach grew stronger.Blue closed her eyes and began to recite a spell requesting aid and vision. It was a common mantra, the kind of spell you used in seances, or before mirror hopping. Magic pulsed between the three like a lava lamp. Orla shuddered. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Noah shudder as well.She sidled over to him. “You feel it, too?”Noah nodded, his pupils so large you almost couldn’t see the brown of his irises, “I feel like I could climb a mountain.”Orla smiled, “It’s like waking up feeling good after you’ve been sick for a long time.”Noah nodded, breathing deeply.Blue repeated the spell, again and again, until there was the sense of a balloon expanding, then a pop. Blue fell silent. A bird in the distance cawed, the white light of the full moon bearing down on them.“Did it… work?” Adam asked.Blue’s face fell as she glanced around, “I don’t know.”At the same time, Gansey’s face lit up, his eyes roaming the forest as though searching for something, “Yes!”“Oh,” Ronan took his hand back, “Well, would you look at that?”“What?” Blue asked, head swivelling.“Just look at that” Gansey wandered to the edge of the fairy ring, touching what looked like empty air, “It’s like I’m seeing a smell.”“Or touching a sound.” Ronan kicked at something invisible.“I don’t see anything,” Blue’s voice rose in pitch. Panic fluttered off her.“They’re ley lines.” Gansey said, wonder dawning.“Why can’t I see them?” Blue stared hard at the empty dark.“Maybe it’s because you were the speaker?” Adam offered.Blue’s eyebrows knit together and she began to pace, “But the book said it would work the best for the speaker. It’s why-” Her voice caught, her misery floating towards Orla like the sickly scent of violets.Gansey took Blue’s hand and said, in a gentle voice, “Maybe it’s your magic resistance.”Blue stared at him, then snatched her hand back, “Of course,” she laughed, “If living at 300 Fox Way didn’t let me sense magic, there’s no ritual that can help with that.”“Blue-” Gansey started.“It’s fine.” She shook him off, “Who’s next? I need to teach you the words.”Orla wanted nothing more than to hug her cousin, a feeling strengthened by both Gansey and Noah. But she could also feel the tension in her, like a guitar string wound too tight.“There are four of us left,” Kavinksy said, “How does that work?”“Maybe someone can just run the ritual twice?” Ronan said, staring intently at something beyond the trees.“No,” Blue said, too quickly, “I mean, the book warned against that. It takes a lot of energy so you really can’t do too much magical stuff for a while after.”“How long is a while?” Gansey asked.“The book suggested three days.”“Oh.” Gansey sounded surprised, “So what do we do? By then, the full moon will be gone and we’ll have to wait another month.”“One of us will have to sit it out, I guess,” Adam said, glancing at Kavinsky.“Well it’s not gonna be me,” Kavinksy said, “I didn’t drag myself through miles of dark and mud just to watch other people get superpowers.”“They’re not superpowers,” Gansey groaned.“Whatever,” Kavinsky said.“I think it’s obvious who should sit it out,” Blue muttered, as if to herself, but loud enough for everyone to hear.Orla felt something snap. As sorry as she felt for her, she was sick to death of being Blue’s punching bag, “We get it: you hate me. Get off my dick.”“Oh fuck off.” Blue siad, “It’s not as if you need more magical affinity.”“I think maybe we should-” Gansey began, but Orla cut him off.“I’m not gonna play nice just to spare your feelings.”“It’s not about my feelings,” Blue sputtered, “It’s about how you think you have the right to take away someone’s chance to-”“Everything is about your feelings!” Orla shrieked, “My weekend plans. When I work. Neeve. For once stop making everyone about yourself.”“Fuck you,” Blue whispered, then stomped off into the forest. Orla couldn’t see them, but she could feel Blue’s tears, stinging and hot.For a moment, the boys stood stunlocked, unsure what to say. Then Gansey cleared his throat, “I’m gonna go make sure she gets back safely.”Orla crossed her arms, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. She heard Gansey slink away, and felt like curling up in a little ball, too overwhelmed to pull apart her own feelings of utter mortification at letting herself explode like that in front of other people, from the mix of awkwardness and pity that surrounded her.“And then there were five,” Kavinsky gave a low whistle. “Girls always know how to bring the drama, huh?” He put an arm around Ronan and tugged him close, “You look stoned.”Ronan blinked up from the seemingly empty space he’d been staring at. “Hmm?”Kavinsky shoved Ronan playfully, and a little too hard, “It’s a pity we wasted a slot on Blue.”“Do you ever fucking shut up?” Orla stomped over to Kavinsky, the disappointed wail in her chest boiling to pure rage.“Hey, don’t take your little cat fight out on me.”Orla’s hand was halfway towards smacking the smirk off Kavinsky’s face when someone caught her wrist. Noah’s skin was cool to the touch, and soft as icing sugar. He felt only partially substantial.“We should draw straws.” Noah cleared his throat and let go of Orla. “To decide.”Kavinsky raised an eyebrow at Orla’s raised hand, then looked disappointed when she let it fall to her side.“Fine.” she said.
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Adam seemed more annoyed that Kavinsky got to do the ritual than that he had to sit it out. Orla held out her hands, feeling annoyed for him. Kavinsky’s hand engulfed her fingers. He wasn’t much of a hand holder even when they’d been amicable, but she remembered the sensation, equal parts comforting and suffocating. Noah shyly grabbed her other hand, and she began to recite the chant that she’d known from memory since she was six.As soon as the first words left her mouth, she was filled with a sense of stillness. It was powerful to say these words here, in a place so carefully constructed to let magic flow. She felt as though the entire forest was a clear pool into which she, Kavinsky, and Noah began to dissolve. The edges of her self came undone and, even as she spoke, her voice became a disembodied entity, separate from her. The little ring of fungus around her seemed to glow, not with light but with magic, something purplish-green and impossible. It reminded her of the feeling of seeing a face in a dream.Orla’s skin began to feel as though it was made of light as the chanting, her chanting, got louder. The air was thick now, like gelatin or honey. The auras of those around her flashed like faerie fire: Noah’s deep purple, thick as tar. Kavinsky’s sharp like glass, blindingly white. In the periphery, Ronan was something bitter as dirt while Adam’s fluctuated like a lava lamp. Even further out, she could feel Gansey (citrus, mint, and orange light) and Blue (the same sound and color as the forest). She interlaced her fingers with Noah and Kavinsky, the tactile sensation sending shivers up her spine, reminding her of the presence of her body. There was power in three. The mushrooms flickered mysteriously.She looked into Noah’s eyes and felt, with a sudden shock, the sensation of another person entering her mind. Her emotions poured from her like music. Noah nodded along, his own sense of certainty blending with hers. Kavinsky’s grip tightened, and she realised that the chanting had dropped to a low murmur. She glanced at Kavinsky and smiled through her speech. In her smile was one word: peace. Kavinsky’s face twitched, and he jerked as though to move away, but she held him tight. After a moment, his shoulders relaxed, and his lips began to move. A low voice joined her murmur, knowing the words because she knew them. The contents of her mind were laid out like a collection of jewels. A third voice joined them, Noah, and the moon overhead began to hum, high and tinny, like electricity.“Orla.”The voices sang louder and the physical edges of everything burned away, painting the world entirely in emotion and magic. Orla could feel it all: distantly, sorrow followed by desire. Close by: clarity, energy, joy, lust. She glanced at Noah, at a mouth with lips as red as blood. She leaned in and he met her halfway, his breath hot on her mouth. Twin sensations: the suffocating blackness of eternity; the ephemeral fire of a need to touch. Hunger.“ORLA”Kavinsky’s hand snaked up Orla’s arm, the fingers leaving trails of fire they reached the tender skin where her neck met her shoulder. She shuddered. All at once she was a girl and she was the ground and she was thin tendrils of fungus the width of a forest. Orla felt Noah’s tongue trace around her ear.A pair of hands pulled her violently backwards, out of the circle, and it was like emerging from icy water. Orla gasped, choking for air. It took her several moments to come to. When she finally did, she found herself curled up in Adam’s arms. He was shaking her, calling out her name with increasing urgency.“I’m alright.” her voice was heavy in her throat, like something she hadn’t used in many years. Adam sighed with relief. Orla could see Cabeswater through him now; how had she ever missed it? In his pupils, there were vines, flecks of gold. She grabbed his hand, examined the calloused fingers. They smelled of moss, felt like the soft underbelly of a leaf. She pressed them to her lips and breathed in. Without looking, she could feel the exact position of the moon. Adam stood stock still.“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling not only his emotions now - fear, trepidation - but every emotion he’d ever felt, “He will never love you like that. Not you. Not Ronan.”Adam snatched his hand away, “I - what… I don’t-”Orla reached up and gave him a soft kiss. “Thank you for stopping me. I think if we’d stayed there any longer, we would have been lost entirely.”There was a shuffling to her left and she glanced over to see Ronan and Kavinsky furiously making out. Kavinsky clutched to Ronan like he was a life raft. To her right, Noah sat with his knees drawn to his chest, staring at the world around him like it was suddenly unfamiliar.She crawled over to him. “You’re here.”“Yes.” He said, dragging his hand through a small pile of crunchy leaves. His presence no longer felt like an absence. This was one hell of a grounding ritual.Orla laughed at the tinkling sound of the stars, which she knew Noah could hear too, “You’re free.”“I suppose.” The look on Noah’s face was dissatisfied, a desire for more. Orla felt her heartbeat quicken. Next to them, Kavinsky let out an audible moan.Adam cleared his throat, staring at them all in mild horror. “We should go.”Ronan pulled himself free of Kavinsky, panting. Kavinsky’s hands shook. He stood up and brushed himself off. The white sunglasses remained on the ground, but he didn’t stoop to grab them. He looked lost, unmoored.“Come on,” Orla stood up and held out a hand for Noah, “It’ll be warm by the campfire.”
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Orla was the last one out by the campfire when she heard a rustling from one of the tents. She was staring at the orange coals, watching little sparks flit off and fizzle in the soil. The intensity of magic had subsided, but she could still see a whole new world overlaid on the one she knew.“Hey.” Blue sat heavily next to her, her messy hair messier than usual.“Hi.” Orla didn’t look at her, the shame broiling between them feeding on itself.For a few minutes, the only sound was the crackle of a dying fire.Blue spoke first, “I don’t mean to be a bitch.”Orla frowned, “I didn’t say you were-”“No, but I am. To you at least.” Blue sighed and leaned her chin on her knees, “It’s just… everyone at Fox Way has something. And, when your something is being useful for others, it’s just not the same. Then I met the guys and it was like… I mattered as me. You know?”Orla scuffed the dirt, “I wasn’t trying to take them from you.”“I know.” Blue stared up at the sky, awkward. After a moment, she murmured, almost to the stars, “I really wish it had worked for me.”Orla watched the magic of warmth and light disperse into the purple night, “Me too.”Cicadas hummed, their song vibrating to the tune of the ley lines.“You know, it’s not easy for me either. It’s not like there’s heaps of people lining up to be friends with the weirdo psychics.” Orla looked at Blue, “I wouldn’t mind if - IS THAT A HICKEY?”Blue’s eyes went wide as her hand clamped around the side of her neck to hide the reddish mark, “NO.”Orla’s jaw dropped, “Not such a bad night, then.”“Shut up!” Blue screeched, without malice.Orla cackled, “Has that been going on a long time or -”“SHUSH” Blue turned the color of a tomato.Orla tried to not let the accidental second-hand embarrassment ruin her fun. “Well, I hope you kids used protection.”Blue shot up. “I’m going to bed.”“Yeah you are.” Orla leered.“Ugh. You’re as bad as Kavinsky.”Orla laughed. Blue laughed too. They let their laughter die out into a comfortable silence. Orla felt something akin to the stillness of earlier tonight settle within her.“I set up a sleeping bag for you.” Blue said.“In your sex den? Thanks.”Blue kicked a pinecone at Orla, “It’s that or the forest.”“So thoughtful,” Orla said, turning back to the fire. “Thanks though. I’ll be right in.”“Okay.” Blue disappeared off into the tent, leaving Orla back to her musings and the fire.A twig snapped in the forest. Orla looked into the dark and saw the vague outline of Noah leaning against a tree. His gaze met hers.“Hey.” she called out.“Hey.” He called back shyly, and she could feel everything else he wanted to say in the Hey. She stood up and sauntered over, the cold almost inviting. Exhilaration, hunger.She put her arms around his neck, “Now, where were we?”