“We’re having a mandatory coven meeting in twenty minutes,” Boris said. “Go inside and tell everyone.”
Rosella grabbed her mug and duffel bag and headed into the house, leaving the door ajar.
Hesitating at the front door, I looked back at Boris. There was no way he was working with the vampires and faking being distraught over Orla. I wished I could tell him his daughter was still alive.
“Will this meeting take long?” I asked. “It’s just that I’m training with Carter in an hour, and I don’t want to be late.”
“I thought your training finished last week.” He wiped his brow. “I voted against you training with that wolf. Who’s ever heard of a wolf training a witch? Such nonsense. I tried convincing the High Council that he’d kill you within days, but I can see I was wrong. You survived being attacked by three vampires, and I’m sure you saved Rosella. She’s not as strong a witch as Ava says. I guess it’s a good thing we got outvoted.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t help Orla that night. She’s strong like you. I know she’s alive,” I insisted. “It’s my fault. I should’ve…”
“Don’t go blaming yourself.” He looked away with tear-filled eyes. “Get inside. I need to cast a protection spell on the house.”
I nodded, took one step inside the house, and stopped. Boris had said ‘we got outvoted,’ not ‘I got outvoted.’ Someone else on the High Council hadn’t wanted me to train with Carter. Had Calandra voted against it? She hadn’t seemed thrilled at the idea, and she’d thought I’d give up after the first week.
“Who else voted against me training with Carter?” I asked.
“Votes are private,” Boris grunted before raising his arms in the air and mumbling inaudibly.
“Find a seat,” Ava shouted as she entered the Great Room. She joined Calandra and Boris at the front of the room and sat in one of the golden chairs.
Everyone wandered in, some still wearing pajamas and yawning as they searched for a place to sit. Rosella found empty seats near the front and made several witches move to make room for our group from Hale House. No one dared argue with her.
I sat, keeping my gaze on the doors at the back. Although Garrett hadn’t arrived yet, his friends sat directly across from us, and it looked like they were saving him a seat. After the meeting, I needed to confront him and demand that he talk to me. Of course, that would make me even later for training, but this was too important.
“Quiet down.” Calandra walked down the aisle, clapping her hands. “Everyone needs to find a seat. It doesn’t matter who you sit next to. This meeting will be quick.”
Clasping his hands together, Boris stared at the floor.
“Sienna, this is for you.” A girl handed me a folded note. “It’s from Calandra.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled as I opened the note. It read: ‘Stay after the meeting. We need your help.’
Great. Just what I needed. And who did the ‘we’ refer to in her note? I hadn’t seen or talked to any of the High Council witches since that night in the Healing Place. What about my training session with Carter? Had Calandra forgotten about that?
My gaze drifted to Calandra, who now stood next to Boris, talking to him. Appearing uninterested, he ran a hand through his hair and sat up straighter. Still no sign of Julius or Grace.
“Anyone know why we’re here?” someone asked.
“I bet it’s because of that party last night,” another witch replied. “I hear it got out of hand.”
“Maybe they found Orla dead,” someone else said.
“Show some respect,” Rosella scowled as she folded her arms. “Her father’s sitting just over there.”
Julius entered the Great Room, ushering a group of young witches. He led them to a row of empty seats while Ava shouted at everyone to sit down and rang a bell. As Julius walked to the front, he nodded at me before standing in front of one of the chairs.
“We need to get started.” Ava rang the bell again. Her eyes narrowed when something at the back of the room caught her attention.
“Oh. My. God,” Rosella said.
Garrett stumbled through the door, wearing a pair of blue jeans and no shirt. With a big grin on his face, he strutted over to his friends, who cheered and whistled.
I folded my arms and glared at him. He had to look my way at some point since I was sitting almost directly across from him. When his gaze finally met mine, his grin faded and he turned to the girl beside him.
“We have several announcements,” Julius said as the High Council witches stood with their heads held high. “It’s important you listen, so please quiet down.”
“Let’s start with the most important announcement.” Calandra cleared her throat. “Grace is missing.”
Loud gasps and whispers erupted, making it difficult for Calandra to continue.
I stared at the empty chair up front, thinking about the last time I saw Grace. When she’d wiped the blood off my neck at the Healing Room and reassured me that everything would be fine. She’d said she wanted to talk to me privately, but I hadn’t seen her since.
“We know you have a lot of questions,” Ava shouted, shaking the bell again. “But you must settle down and let us speak first.”
The room grew quiet.
“As Calandra was saying, no one’s heard from Grace,” Boris said. “She left the coven on Sunday, and we’ve been unable to reach her. If you know anything, please remain in the Main Hall’s foyer after we dismiss you. We have no news yet on Orla, and the vampires have claimed they didn’t attack our witches at the county fair. There’s been no ransom demand, but we’re not giving up. She’s out there somewhere.”
“Those damn vampires,” Rosella muttered. “Orla better be okay.”
“She’s fine.” I gritted my teeth as Boris slumped back into his chair. I should have made Devlin tell me where they’d taken Orla. Made him bring her back to the coven. “We’re getting her back. I don’t care who we have to hurt.”
“The vampires aren’t our only issues.” Calandra glanced over at me. “Five Rocklin wolves are in town, searching for their alpha. He’s gone missing, and he’s not the only one. The Kingsley alpha’s missing too.”
Carter’s father was missing? Did he know? Surely the High Council must have told him.
“That’s why we’ve put protection spells on all the houses and we’re reinforcing the coven’s barrier,” Calandra continued. “Starting today, you’ll have an eight o’clock curfew every night. This is for your safety, and anyone caught out after curfew will be severely reprimanded.”
Groans rippled around the hall. Mostly from older witches, who had more parties to attend.
“No one’s allowed to leave the coven,” Julius said. “No exceptions whatsoever. Our goal is for you to remain together in your houses as much as possible. The library and gym will be open, but with limited access. Please don’t go anywhere alone.”
“We need volunteers to patrol the grounds and monitor the main gates,” Ava said. “You’ll be in teams of three at all times, and there will be several shifts. If you’re interested, put your name on the paper posted in the foyer. This is only a precaution for a few days.”
“Also, we’ve postponed all meetings and training sessions until further notice.” Julius glanced at his watch. “Any questions?”
Hands shot in the air as people waved eagerly to be called upon. Most of the questions were about the upcoming Mabon Ball, and Julius reassured everyone they weren’t canceling the celebrations.
I sat in silence, processing everything the High Council had said. Definitely no more training with Carter. He must be on his way back to the Kingsley pack and would no doubt tell them about the prophecy. The alphas from two bloodlines were missing already. Did the other three alphas know they were in danger? Somehow, I needed to warn the Norwood wolves.
“We want everyone to return to their houses,” Julius said after he’d answered the last question. “Don’t forget about curfew, and please don’t worry;
you’re safe here at the coven.”
Some people walked toward the doors while others lingered behind to talk. Several girls surrounded Julius, but Ava and Calandra urged everyone to leave. Boris was the only High Council witch who joined everyone else and left the Great Room.
“Do you really think Orla’s okay?” Rosella asked.
“Yes.” I got to my feet, hoping to catch Garrett, but he and his friends were already heading out the door. “I have to stick around to see Calandra.”
“Okay. We’ll see you back at Hale House.” Rosella and the other girls followed everyone else down the aisle.
I sat again and waited patiently for Calandra.
“Sienna,” Julius said when he’d finally freed himself from his adoring fans. “I’m sorry I haven’t come by to check on you. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” I replied.
“Is everything okay between you and Garrett? I notice he didn’t sit with you, and he left with his friends.”
“We’ve had a minor disagreement.” I glanced over his shoulder, wishing Calandra would hurry. Talking to Julius about Garrett was weird. “It’s no big deal.”
“I hope he’s treating you right, or he’ll have me to deal with.” Julius smiled. “I’d better go help Boris with the volunteers.”
I watched Julius leave as I tried to imagine him working with the vampires. He’d been protective of me since I arrived at the coven, but was that just a ploy?
“What did Julius want?” Calandra asked.
“Nothing much. He just asked about me and Garrett.” I looked around, wanting to change the subject, especially with Ava standing only a few feet away. “You said you needed my help?”
“Yes. Ava and I need your help to reinforce the coven’s barrier spell,” she replied.
“Me?” I glanced over at Ava, not quite believing I’d heard Calandra correctly. “I’m sure there are other witches more qualified to help.”
“Don’t be silly.” Calandra took hold of my arm and led me toward the doors. “I hear you’ve invoked the fire element, and that means you’re capable of casting a barrier spell. It’s a powerful spell, and you might need it one day, so I want you to pay close attention.”
I groaned. I’d forgotten how fast word traveled around the coven. “It just happened. I didn’t mean…”
Calandra stopped in the doorway, her eyes widening as she released my arm.
“Is everything okay?” I silently cursed myself for letting her pry into my mind. When I’d finally mastered blocking Grace, she’d warned me to always keep my guard up. I’d forgotten, and Calandra had definitely seen something from my past. What the hell was it?
“Everything’s fine. I was just thinking about Grace.” She waved to Ava, who now stood in the foyer next to Boris and Julius. “Let’s go. They’re waiting on us.”
I took a deep breath, trying to figure out what she might have seen. Whatever it was seemed to have caught her off guard, but she didn’t look upset. Had she seen me with Devlin? Did she know I’d unlocked Marie’s grimoire?
Chapter 31
I stared at the marshmallow on the bamboo skewer, commanding it to catch on fire. Invoking the fire element was proving difficult, although I had set a piece of paper alight a couple of hours ago. “It’s no use. Maybe we should call it a night and try again tomorrow. It’s been a long day, and I’m tired.”
“It’s only eight o’clock,” Rosella said as she glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. She set the bamboo skewer on a plate. “Why don’t we take a break, and then you can try it one more time?”
“Fine.” I sighed, trying not to sound ungrateful. With the High Council busy protecting the coven, no one else was available to assist me with mastering my skills. Garrett was still keeping his distance and partying with friends.
I also had more important things to do—like figuring out who on the High Council was working with the vampires to bring back Vadoma. I’d already ruled out Boris because there was no way he’d have let them take Orla for the Samhain ritual. But I wasn’t sure about the others, including Grace. Maybe she wasn’t missing. Perhaps it was all part of an elaborate plan.
Rosella grabbed her tablet off the counter and returned to her seat at the kitchen table. “Which dress do you prefer?”
I looked down at the tablet as she showed me two dresses in an online store. One was purple with a frill along the bottom. The other was teal and had a white sash at the waist. White beads ran around the hemline and neckline, giving the dress an elegant look. “Definitely the teal one. You should order those shoes too.”
“I know. Aren’t they cute? I hope they have my size.” She touched the tablet screen and selected the items before tapping on the cart icon. “Hey, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
I gazed at the fire extinguisher on the table, grateful we hadn’t needed to use it. I should never have agreed to invoking the fire element in the kitchen, but Rosella had insisted we had no choice. What if I’d caught the house on fire?
“Sienna, did you hear me?” She touched my arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” She closed the cover on her tablet. “There’s a rumor going around—”
“If it’s about Garrett and some girl, I don’t want to know.” I got up and took a carton of coconut water from the refrigerator.
Although I didn’t want to admit it, somewhere during our fake relationship, I’d grown fond of Garrett. I missed hanging with him and hated that we’d have to fake a public breakup in one week. Was that why he was acting like this? It would be easier to break up if everyone knew we were having problems, but that still made no sense. Not when he knew I’d planned on talking to Carter and learning more about the vampire.
“This isn’t about Garrett. It’s about you and Julius.”
“What?” I spun to look at her, almost dropping the coconut water. “Me and Julius?”
“Listen, I’m not mad even though you and Garrett haven’t technically broken up. Everyone knows he’s being a jerk, and Julius…well, Julius is hot. And he’s nice,” Rosella said. “Tell me the truth. Are you seeing him?”
“Are you serious?” I laughed. “Everyone thinks I’m romantically involved with Julius? He’s, like thirty years, older than me.”
“He comes to see you, and you’re always talking to him at the library.”
“That’s because I study at the library, and he just stops by to say hello. He talks to lots of people.”
“No. He talks to you every day, and his interactions with everyone else are random,” she said. “If something did happen between you and Julius, everyone would understand since you’re having problems with Garrett. I just want to know the truth.”
“Nothing’s happened, and nothing is going to happen with Julius. He and Cyprian were best friends.” I shook my head, feeling grossed out at the thought of kissing Julius. “Julius is like an uncle. He’s been answering my questions about casting spells and creating potions. I think he blames himself for Cyprian’s death, and that’s why he’s been keeping an eye on me. Trust me. He might be hot, but we’re not having a secret romance, and we never will.”
“What about that red dress he brought over yesterday? Everyone’s saying you’re going to break up with Garrett and go to the Mabon Ball with Julius.”
“It’s just a dress.” With a groan, I dropped into the chair. How could everyone think Julius and I were romantically involved? “I told Julius I’d changed my mind about the ball. I didn’t have a dress, and your brother’s ignoring me. Julius didn’t want me to miss out, so he bought me a dress and made me promise I’d go to the ball. He said something about rites of passage, how it was important for me to go. I’m so embarrassed. What if Julius hears the rumors?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll clear it up with some of the gossipy girls, and soon everyone will know it’s not true.”
“Thanks,”
I mumbled. “I still can’t believe they’re not canceling the ball. It doesn’t seem right to carry on with it when Cindy’s dead and Grace and Orla are missing.”
“They can’t cancel. The Mabon Ball this year’s a huge event for our coven. They’ve invited other coven leaders to join us, including ones who used to be High Council witches. They arrive tomorrow.” She looked at me. “My offer’s still open. Let me talk to my brother. He might tell me what’s wrong, and you two can straighten things out.”
“No. I don’t want you getting caught in the middle or feeling like you have to pick sides. I’ll give him two more days, and then I’ll make him talk to me.”
“Well, I know he’s going to the Mabon Ball. He asked Mom to buy him a suit.”
A loud commotion came from the front of the house. I could hear raised voices; it sounded like the girls who’d been watching a movie in the living room. Then someone screamed my name several times.
“That sounds like Garrett.” Rosella jumped to her feet and hurried toward the front door.
I followed, realizing she was right as he yelled my name again. Something had to be wrong.
Five girls stood at the door, blocking Garrett from entering the house. They were yelling, saying I didn’t want to see him. That he shouldn’t be here. That if he didn’t leave, they’d cast a spell, and he’d regret treating me badly.
“Garrett, what the hell are you doing here?” Rosella asked. “Are you drunk?”
“No. I…” He attempted to straighten his posture as he propped himself up with an arm against the doorframe. His jeans and T-shirt were disheveled, and his cologne smelled like whiskey. “I came to see my girlfriend.”
“I’m right here,” I said, standing behind Rosella and not quite sure what to do. Garrett had finally turned up, but he’d been drinking and was definitely not of sound mind. Had he come to break up with me?
Romani Magic (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 3) Page 19
