Salem Falls

Evelyn’s stomach churned as she stood outside Louis’s enormous house – one of the biggest in Salem Falls, no doubt. There was no guarantee that he would even be inside, as it was mid-day on a Wednesday, but Evelyn knew his patterns of skipping class well enough by now to assume. And just as she had her hand on the doorbell, she withdrew. She could be wrong. It had been days since she and Louis had spoken, at any rate.

She could hardly focus on anything with all the worries swirling in her head. Liam was depressed, so deeply depressed like she’d never even seen before. Niall was hanging around a madwoman. There had been a murder in her normally peaceful hometown. And now, perhaps worst of all, Louis refused to talk to her. Because he thought she was in love with Niall, because he had seen her do magic, because he thought she was a monster.

With a deep, resolute breath, Evelyn pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Louis’s number. She didn’t expect him to pick up, as he hadn’t picked up the last billion times she called him. But it seemed so much less daunting than knocking on his door and ending up with one of his rich parents on his hands, wondering why she would ever think Louis was at home on a school day.

“What do you want?” a voice finally answered, much to her surprise. The words escaped her at the sound, leaving her at a loss for a moment.

“Seriously, what do you want?” Louis stated flatly once more. “Are you in an emergency or something?”

Her heart skipped a beat. Louis was worried for her, he still cared. Some shred of him still cared, however small that shred may actually have been.

“I-I’m outside your house,” Evelyn floundered awkwardly through a stutter. “If you’re in there, please come outside. I want to explain everything.”

The line was silent for a moment.

“I miss you,” she murmured, biting down on her lower lip and glancing up at Louis’s bedroom window, hoping he could see her. “I may not have all the answers to all your questions, but I’m willing to try.”

There was another long pause before Louis responded. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

And suddenly Evelyn was left in a panic, forgetting all the things she’d carefully planned to say over and over in the last couple of days. The thought of being presented with an opportunity to fix things was overwhelming, to the point where she worried if she would even be able to speak when she saw Louis. Her stupid, human crush, Louis.

He appeared in the doorway in his denim jacket over a black hoodie, the hood thrown up over his head and allowing for only a tuft of his brown hair to peek out across his brows. Evelyn’s heart skipped another beat. It should have been illegal for someone to be so attractive, even with the half-glare he was giving her.

“I’d appreciate if we could make this quick,” he muttered, turning his gaze to the ground. “I have stuff I should be doing.”

Evelyn knew that wasn’t true, but wasn’t about to argue with Louis when she was trying to convince him to be her friend again.

“I’ll be as quick as I can,” she replied softly as she rocked back on her heels, the loose fabric of her skirt brushing around her thighs. “I’ll drive.”

“I’d rather take my bike and you drive, thanks,” Louis countered suspiciously. And it was those words that made Evelyn lose patience with Louis and his bad-boy attitude, all a cover up for the fact that he was scared.

“I’m not fucking dangerous, Louis,” she quipped angrily, causing him to raise his eyebrows. “I’m trying to prove that to you. I’m trying to explain this all to you, okay? Now come on.”

Louis did eventually get in her car, allowing her to drive him back to her house. With a low level of confidence that this would actually work, Evelyn pushed forward, leading him to the woods behind her house where the Lunar Circle held their nightly rituals. Past the small clearing was an alcove where she spent much of her time with Niall and Liam, messing around underneath a giant, hundred year old tree. A babbling brook could be heard nearby, smatterings of colorful wildflowers all around them. Louis looked around in wonder at the place, clearly full of magic.

“Sit down,” Evelyn instructed, gesturing to a well-worn spot beneath the tree – normally Niall’s spot. He did, and she sat next to him, carefully tucking her legs to the side.

“What is this place?” Louis asked breathlessly, letting his amazement get the best of him.

“This is a sacred place to my people,” Evelyn hummed softly, examining the field of wildflowers in front of them for the best specimen. “There is a lot of magic here, as you can see.”

“Magic? Your people?” Louis questioned, more impatiently this time. “Ev, cut the mystic shit and explain to me what the hell is going on.”

Evelyn gave him the most serene smile she could muster, reaching out and plucking a wild daisy that had yet to unfurl its petals.

“A long time ago, as I’m sure you know, this area was home to a magic kind of people,” she explained slowly, raising her vision to check Louis expression. He was watching her with cautious eyes, lips pressed into a thin line.

“The Salem Witch Trials,” he murmured. “I thought that all was a myth.”

Evelyn shook her head. “This was once a place where magic could be practiced freely, until the witch trials happened,” she clarified, gesturing out to the woods in front of them. “A lot of good families died in those times, and the ones that were left decided to go into hiding. There aren’t many of us, but we are here. There are magical people in Salem Falls, Louis, and I’m one of them.”

Louis looked like he was going to be sick.

“Look,” Evelyn murmured, holding out the budding plant in her palms between them. And then she murmured one word, the one spell she knew she could always perform, “Floreo.”

And just like that, the petals began to slowly unfold in her hands, revealing a beautiful daisy between them. It was the same way her mother had once explained to her that they were a magical family. Louis’s eyes bulged in their sockets, glancing between the flower and Evelyn in disbelief.

“What you saw in the shop the other day….” Evelyn began, trying to ever explain to Louis what he saw, what was going on. “I was practicing magic with Niall, who is like my brother, by the way – not my boyfriend. I’m not very good at it. In fact, I’m really underdeveloped compared to the rest of my peers. The spells you’ve seen are some of the only ones I can successfully complete. So I’m not really a danger to you by any means.”

“Evelyn, I…” Louis tried to speak, his voice trailing off in confusion and disbelief. “This is a lot to swallow. Magic is real? You can do magic? You and Niall aren’t dating?”

Evelyn couldn’t help but fall into a fit of laughter. “No, we’re not dating!” she confirmed, shaking her head. “I can’t believe that’s really still a concern through all of this!”

Louis cheeks turned a little pink at her words, clearly embarrassed at persistently revealing his true concerns with the situation. Evelyn smiled softly, preparing herself for the hardest part of her speech.

“But yes, magic is real, and yes, I am one of the few left who can perform it, even if just barely,” she hummed, locking her gaze with Louis’s pristine blue eyes. “And this is the most important part and I need you to listen to me Louis, okay? I need you to listen carefully.”

Louis nodded gravely, leaning in a little closer as if they had to keep their voices a secret in the vast and empty woods.

“There are mages who don’t believe that magic should be used for good, the way I do, the way my family and friends do,” she murmured. “These people are capable of bad things, very dark things. And they hate humans – oh god, do they hate humans. It’s dangerous for you to know any of this, and I need you to swear on your life that you will never speak of it to anyone. Because if any dark mage were to find out that you knew, you could be in grave danger.”

They were quiet for a moment, the only sounds coming from the heart of the forest – the brook, the birds in the trees, cicadas buzzing in the distance.

“Why tell me then?” he asked. “I know I saw, but why not just let me go?”

Evelyn heaved a deep sigh, turning her gaze to the green grass beneath him. “I wanted to tell you Louis because… well because I care about you. I like you. A lot, as a matter of fact. And I don’t want you to think I’m a monster. I couldn’t just let you go.”

“Evelyn…” Louis breathed, moving closer to her with a soft look in his eyes. “I don’t think you’re a monster. I don’t think you’re a monster at all.”

With a small smile, Evelyn then took his hands and pressed the now fully blossomed flower into his palm. “Then prove it.”

And in an instant, the gap was closed between them, Louis lips pressing delicately against hers. His hands cupped her cheek, pulling her into him as her lips began to match his. Evelyn’s heart was skittering out of control at his touch, at the fact that she was kissing the human boy she’d come to like so much. That despite the fact she had turned his world upside down, he was still holding her closer than ever before. His lips on hers.

Everything about the kiss was so entirely what Louis tried to hide, the tender kisses and soft brushes of skin and the whispering gasps of breath in between. It was everything about Louis that Evelyn loved, and that’s what made it perfect.

And even though everything had suddenly become so much more complicated, when Louis’s lips grazed hers, Evelyn forgot to care.