The Ravens (The Ravens #1) - Kass Morgan Page 0,59

as protection charms.” Scarlett pointed to the herbs dangling from the ceiling. “Everything has energy within it. Certain herbs and crystals lend their particular energy to spells you’re performing, making them stronger.” She gestured toward the cauldrons. “Ritual items help focus your intent. They make you a stronger witch.”

This was a mandatory Big-Little activity. It had been a few days since someone had burned the witch scarecrows on their front lawn, and they needed more supplies to fortify their protection spells, but Scarlett had to admit that shopping with Vivi was kind of fun. She was completely without shame. She gaped at every new thing like a baby tasting sugar for the first time. It was sort of amusing.

She also had to admit that her Little was a lot more powerful than she’d realized. According to Sonali, Vivi had nearly caused an earthquake in the tunnels. That kind of power was rare—and, in the wrong hands, dangerous. But Vivi was working hard at control. Just that morning, during a lesson, she had managed to glamour the entire greenhouse to look like a rainforest.

“So is this what we’re low on?” Vivi held up a bundle of juniper.

“Yup. Grab at least five. We go through it like nobody’s business.” Scarlett held out the basket. “It’s kind of a catchall cleansing or smudging herb. Anytime a spell calls for bay leaves or cedar, you can substitute juniper.”

“How do you know all this?” Vivi asked as she piled the dried branches into the basket.

“My mother taught me.”

“You’re lucky,” Vivi said wistfully. “My mom never even told me I was a witch.”

“I’m not sure lucky is the right word. I mean . . . don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I’m a witch. But it comes with a lot of expectations . . .” She paused, unsure how much to reveal. “My mother puts a lot of pressure on me.”

“I think I would’ve preferred that.” Vivi ran her hands over a row of crystals. “My mom never explained any of this to me. We used to just move on a whim. Like when we were living in Vegas, I came home one day to find all my things packed in the car. She said we were heading to San Diego that very moment because she saw ‘a wickedness’ in her tea leaves.”

“And you didn’t wonder if you might be a witch?” Scarlett said pointedly.

“Touché.” Vivi laughed a little. “I mean, I guess the signs were all there. But I spent most of my childhood assuming my mom was a fraud. And maybe she is? I’m still not quite sure whether she knows any real magic or if she’s just really good at telling desperate women that their deadbeat husbands are about to have a lucky turn.”

Scarlett’s eyebrows rose. She hadn’t expected that. For some reason, she’d been imagining Vivi’s childhood as . . . well, normal. Free from all the pressure of the magical world. Free from the constant need to be the best, the smartest, the strongest. “She’s probably a real witch. Magic like yours doesn’t skip a generation.”

Vivi tilted her head, considering. “So she hid it in plain sight my whole life? Somehow that seems worse.”

“You think that’s bad? In the middle of my high-school graduation party, my mom gave a speech about how proud she was . . . of my sister.”

“Whenever I fell behind in class, my mom always turned it around on the teachers. She claimed she knew things about them from the cards. Once, she even took on the principal and announced that he was part of a pay-to-play for college admissions. And she decided to do that while I was onstage for the talent show.”

Scarlett laughed. “I’m sure you were super-popular after that.”

“Positively drowning in friend requests. Of course, I guess Mom was probably right about every single thing. I just didn’t believe her,” Vivi said. “And hey, look at me now—about to join the most powerful sorority on campus. If you let me in,” she amended quickly.

“Stranger things have happened,” Scarlett said, selecting a few more crystals for the house’s general supply. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t have much confidence in you at first.”

“This is a really rousing pep talk, Big Sis.”

Scarlett shot her a look. “Let me finish. I was lucky. I didn’t have just my mom growing up. I also had Minnie, my nanny.”

“Of course you had a nanny.”

“She was much more than that. She was with my family through two generations. She was a