Winter's Awakening (Light Coven Chronicles Book 1)

by Alessandra Jay

  Ava nods to me, encouraging me in my training. So I take a deep breath and repeat the steps in seeing the aura. I close my eyes and collect my power and cast it out to Ava's aura. Hunter was right. You definitely get lightheaded feeling another caster’s power. Ava’s power felt like a pulse. I could feel her strength, her courage, her kindness, and her intelligence. It’s incredible. I could hardly breathe. I felt like syrup. Like if I take a step, it would be in slow motion. I hear someone clap and instantly the feeling vanishes. Everything returned to its original state around me, like nothing ever happened.

  “We’re going to have to work on your focus,” Hunter says, with a little sarcasm. I gently shove my elbow into her arm and she laughs at me. “Ow!” She exaggerates. “You owe me another dessert now.” She squints her eyes and walks over to where Ava was just standing. Ava comes back by me and places her hands on my shoulders getting back to the lesson. I repeat the same thing to all Sisters, one Sister at a time, until I could feel it without falling into a trance. Nova’s aura was the last one. And when she pulled it back to her, she clapped her hands excitedly.

  “Finally! Now we can feel your power! I'm so excited!” She says, as she jumps in place. This is actually the most excited I’ve seen Nova. But I didn't understand why they didn't feel it already. I wasn't hiding it, not intentionally. “Why can’t you guys feel my power now?” I asked them, as I stepped across from them, like they’ve been doing to me. Ava answers, “Evan and I both unlocked a portion of the power within you. But for some reason the majority of your power is still suppressed within. You have to be the one to release it, all of it.” She says, simply. Now I'm even more confused, and they can all see it on my face. “Close your eyes and take deep breaths, clearing your mind. And listen to my voice. Reach inside of yourself for that spark, like you're going to cast. When you feel your power inside of your heart, instead of quickly casting it out, leave it there. Be open to it. Embrace it. Let it know you're there, but also be firm and let it know that you're in charge. Then open your heart and release the power. Lead it out of your body, completely unlocking its true strength. Set it free.” She coaches, simply.

  I do exactly as she says. My mind is clear. I'm focused on the spark of power I feel in my chest, and I mentally go there strong and confident. With everything inside of me, I peel back the metaphoric layer that is locking the power away. When the layer is gone, I open my heart to all new possibilities. I feel my power inching its way out like molten lava rising out of a volcano about to erupt. The feeling is addicting. I can feel everything, the pureness of it, the innocence, the strength. I will it to come out fully. And I internally smile when it obeys. I embrace it with every fiber of my being, and now I cast it out for all to see. With my eyes still closed I could hear gasps and shouts. I peek one eye open, and every Sister is standing an inch away from me. They all have wide eyes and trance-like stares. “Um, guys?” I nervously say as I back up, but no one responds.

  I slowly begin to pull my power back inside and when I do, Jade and Nova fall to the floor with tears running down their faces. Belle and Hunter are standing frozen, with their mouths open. And Ava has gone completely white as she has her hands over her mouth. “What in the world happened? Did I do something wrong?” I ask them. But no one answers me. “Hello!” I say a little louder. Ava turns her head to look in my eyes, and I see her pupils dilate. She gasps and rushes over to me, grabbing both of my hands in hers a little too hard.

  “Scarlet, you must keep your power hidden at all times, unless you're here, on the grounds of Eden, please. You have to promise me you'll do that. Please, assure me you won’t ever let it out in the mortal world. Please, promise me!” She says with a tone of authority. “Okay, I promise. But you have to tell me what happened, Ava. Why am I making all of these promises?” I'm scared out of my mind as she leads me over to the couch. She gracefully claps her hands, and the other Sisters come out of their stupor. They all look dazed and confused. Hunter locks eyes with me and quickly averts them to look down at her feet. What was that about?

  “Scarlet, you are so much more powerful than any of us, more than me, more than your dad, more than Evan, the strongest of our time. And your power is completely pure, untouched and filled with divinity. Since you're the first ever hybrid of a caster and an angel, none of us knew what to expect. You surpass every caster that exists or who has ever existed with your power. You even surpass any angel who is fallen. That’s why you can’t let out your power in the mortal world. It’s too dangerous.” She says sternly as I nod my head frantically. “I won't. I promise.” I say, in all honesty. But I can’t help but wonder what the Sisters saw in my aura.

  “Did you get to see my aura?” I ask shyly. Belle comes over and kneels on the ground in front of me. “We did, Scarlet. And it was the most intense aura that I’ve ever seen. No light caster has ever had black in their aura without performing dark magic. But you do. And there’s not a trace of dark magic in you. You're the light to everyone’s darkness.” She looks star struck. And the way she’s kneeling on the floor, looking up at me, is making me feel uncomfortable and somewhat royal. Jade comes and kneels right next to Belle. Great. This feels even more peculiar.

  “She’s right, Scar. It was incredible. There was black, and red, and gray, and the last white one. Ugh, it was just so remarkable. In all my years as a caster, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” Struck, I numbly ask, “Black? Red? Why are the colors in my aura so dark?” I’m slightly disappointed. “Because you're special, Scarlet. It’s the angel blood in you that makes you unique from other casters. It really is a sight to behold,” Ava says, as she slowly sits on the couch’s armrest. “Can I see what my aura looks like?” I ask seriously but Jade giggles. “No, silly. No one can see their own aura.”

  Hunter finally comes over to us and sits next to me, instead of kneeling in front of me like the other three, thankfully. She looks down at her hands as she softly speaks to me. “I bet you can do it, Scar. You're strong enough. It won’t hurt to try. Look down at your hands and focus on your aura like you did ours.” She nicely offers her advice, but I'm skeptical. She’s acting so different. I look over at Ava and she simply shrugs her shoulders. I guess I’ll never know if I don't try. I am training, after all.

  I look down at my open hands and focus on the power that is now freely roaming every single part of me. It easily comes to me as I will my aura to come out, casting the power out to its fullest intensity, causing everyone in the room to gasp. I look up to see the Sisters get to their feet. They take a step back to get a better look, and they all look like they're about to start drooling. I take a deep breath and look back down at my hands. Going speechless as I begin to see my aura fuzzy at first, but then it starts coming into focus until it is sharp and clear. They're right. My aura is different. And it is definitely clean of dark magic. I stare at the colors as they go from grays to reds and reds to black. The colors go so well together that it pulls you in.

  My stream is fast but not as fast as Hunter’s. The pure, bright, white power band that closes it all in is what puts you in a trance. I feel relaxed, like I don't want to stop looking at it. I rapidly blink my eyes. And with difficulty I pull them away from my aura. It’s then that I realize how unbelievably incredible it is to let my power out to its full extent. I feel light as a feather but heavy with power. I get the sudden urge to see what I can do when my power is out like this, and I momentarily forget about the Elders that are in their hypnotic state. As I'm walking up to the closest wall, I realize how much clearer I can see.

  I place my hand on the light green wall and close my eyes. The first thing that comes to mind is my favorite flower, snowdrops. Casting my power out, luscious green vines grow from my fingertips as it attaches itself to the wall. The vines don't stop growing until it reaches the ceiling and the floor. When the wall is covered in the beautiful greenery, I remove my hand and just where it was is an empty space of my handprint, engraved into the wall. I look down at my han
ds and see that a faint design has begun to etch itself underneath my nails. It looks like a light shade of gray and can’t detect what the design is. But I can already tell it’s going to be really beautiful.

  I snap my fingers as I imagine the snowdrops growing healthy and alive. And when they do, I stare in awe and watch the wall as the snowdrops begin to sprout out of the vines. Then they fall and hang, like white bells. It looks enchanting. I subconsciously raise my hand to touch one of the snowdrops. And when my fingers come across its velvety petals, I can’t help but run my hand down the line of them, so I can feel their soft surface over and over. Turning back towards the Sisters, I decide to pull my power back inside. Ava steps back and places a hand over her mouth again. In fact, each Sister has that dazed look on their face, like before.

  “Ava?” I attempt. Belle gasps as she notices the wall I covered with snowdrops. “Oh, heavens,” she says, as she slowly walks up to them. I turn back to the others who are still struck and looking at me, so I attempt to mind speak Hunter since I’ve felt closest to her. “I’ll bake you something right now if you tell me what’s happening.” I go for bribery, and I'm glad it worked because I was beginning to lose my mind. “What’s happening is none of us have ever seen an aura like yours. And we most definitely have never felt a power like yours, either.” She snickers to herself as she mumbles the rest of her explanation out. “Wait until you show Evan.” Her cheeks get red while Jade and Nova turn away to join Belle, in admiring my snowdrop wall. I meekly look at Ava and see her thankfully coming to. She is trying to compose herself, and I can tell she isn't used to feeling this way. I try again. “Ava? Can you tell me what just happened?” I ask softly.

  She clears her throat and gently takes my hand as she leads me back to the couch. “Scarlet, what just happened was only a taste of what you're made of. I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to be victorious in this war with you leading us. With your power we can make sure this never happens again. You are so immensely important to us all. And with your coven at your side, the Dark Coven will be in for a big surprise. I have never been caught off guard by a caster’s aura before. Every one of us is going to have to retrain our focus,” she says, as she begins to ramble. I politely cut her off.

  “It felt so great Ava, like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I felt free and weightless. And casting with it like that is just wonderful and effortless. But I don’t want to do that to you guys every time I release my power.” Ava shines her beautiful smile as she tries to be supportive. “I know what you mean. And with power like yours, I can only imagine. But until this Dark Coven is taken care of, you must be careful. And I must remind you your power is only going to continue to grow. We still have to welcome you into the council. You still have to go through the caster’s traditional ceremony and your Anima Partem ceremony. And if you acquire your Nephilim abilities, that is a whole other power source.” She trails off, amazed, as if even she can’t believe how much more my power will grow.

  “No pressure,” I joke as she rubs my shoulders. “This is new for us all, dear. I apologize. You are an unbelievable soul, Scarlet. That’s enough training for the day. I know you're returning back to college tonight. Just promise me that you will keep your eyes open for anything and anyone suspicious. When you return in a few days, I should have more answers for you,” she declares. “Thank you. When does my dad and Dimitri leave? And when should I prepare for my ceremony?” I ask, trying to change the subject. “They leave in the morning. As for the ceremonies, we’ll have them after the Caster Matches are over. And you can choose to do your Anima Partem ceremony when you both are ready,” she says, as she stands, walking to the wall of snowdrops and feeling their petals. “Fascinating,” she whispers as she leaves the room, shaking her head, amazed.

  Hunter comes over to sit by me, finally back to her normal behavior. “You okay?” I nod my head and hook my arm in hers as I lead her out of the room. I'm slightly stressing, so I know she’ll want to be there when I bake something. Walking up the stairs, I find the courage to ask her about what she said. “What did you mean when you said wait until Evan sees my aura?” I ask, catching her off guard. She snickers, and I almost regret inquiring. “Seriously? You don't know?” She acts surprised when I shake my head. “Well, you saw how we got back there when you released your power? Being that Evan is the other half to your soul, he is going to melt, literally.” I feel my cheeks get hot. “Well, now I'm afraid to show him, if you're telling me he’s going to pounce on me.” I attempt to make light of it. In my very own kitchen, as I begin to collect the ingredients I’ll need for my cake. I remember to ask Hunter about the marks that are beginning to show under my fingernails. “Do you think you could explain this?” I skeptically push my hands in front of her.

  She gently takes them in hers, nodding her head. “That must be your Elder Mark. When you did the snowdrop cast in the training room, we were all present. You sort of fed off of our power as you did the cast. You must have begun the transformation on your own. The gray will darken to black. And by the looks of it, it’s going to be bad ass,” she says, as she turns around and lifts her shirt. On the lower half of her back, right where the top of her jeans are, is an intricate design of a hypnotizing pattern moving in swirls and loops. “Now, that is bad ass.” I say, as she returns to her seat. “I’ll let Ava know you've begun the process.” she says. I'm thankful I'm about to bake, so I can keep myself clear-headed.

  After making a red velvet cake, Hunter and I hung out for a few hours, talking about everything she’s seen in all of her years as an Elder. I was truly beginning to look forward to the journey that lies ahead. Finally, Evan came through the doors, back from his day at Syracuse. Hunter winks at me and takes half of the cake. As she walked past Evan to leave, she bumps her hips to his and tells him, “Have fun!” As soon as she closed the door, I ran and jumped into his arms, happier than ever to see him again. He lifts me up and kisses me full of passion. I can feel how much he’s missed me, too. He slowly pulls away and runs his hand down my cheek. “What was Hunter talking about, love?” He asks in my mind.

  I avert my eyes, and he sets me down on the floor. “Now I'm intrigued. What happened today?” He says, pulling us both down onto the couch. Smiling, I excitedly tell him the news. “I got to see the Sisters’ auras today. And I showed them mine. I released my power out for them to see. And I even got to see my own aura.” I quickly laid it all out, eager to catch him up. His eyes grow, and he sits up a bit straighter. “What do you mean you saw your own aura?” He asks stunned. I shrug my shoulders. “Hunter told me to try, and it worked.” He stares at me blankly, as if he can’t believe what I'm saying. “Could I see yours, Evan?” I ask as he kisses my forehead, standing to be across from me. I see him shake his shoulders as his aura gradually shows itself.

  My heart grows more for him as I see his bright colors shine. His aura is all shades of green and gray. His power band looks like mine, bright, white, and pure. Even the speed is almost exactly the same, and I can feel how strong his power is. I can feel its pulsing matching the beat of my own heart, causing my desire for him to expand. “It’s beautiful,” I say, as I walk up to him, placing my hand on his chest and looking up into his eyes, like I know he likes. “Would you like to see mine?” I ask quietly.

  “More than anything, love,” he says, unprepared for what I'm about to show him. I gently push him towards the couch as I stand across from him, focusing on my power. Leaving my eyes open this time, I cast my aura out and fully extend my power for Evan to see and feel. He slowly stands and stares at me like he is going to devour me. Hunter was right. He does look like he wants me. “Evan?” I quietly ask, afraid he is in a trance, like the Sisters were earlier. But surprisingly, he is fully lucid. With my power still out, Evan takes my face in his hands and he kisses me. Softly at first, and then it turns heated. Pulling himself away, he brings me to the couch and sits me on his lap. “You are a beautiful rarity, my love. I am honored to be your Anima Part
em.”

  Chapter 30

  Julian Jett

  Before Evan and I left Eden, he brought me to the wand room. There was only one of these rooms in the entire estate. There has to be thousands of wands there. The walls were circular, and there was a pedestal in the center of the room. Evan guided me to the center and instructed me to focus on my power with my hands open, palms facing the ceiling. “The wand will come to you, love,” he said, as I looked at him with wide eyes. I was eager to retrieve my very first wand. Quickly I cleared my mind and concentrated on my free roaming power, willing it to my fingers and thinking of the wand that is meant to be mine. A wand that is meant to complement my magic. The perfect fit for my hands.

  I casted out my power and instantly heard a box rattling in one of the hundreds and hundreds of shelves. I turned my head to my right as I saw a box slide out of a shelf. It stayed afloat as a wand levitated out of it. The box slid back into its place on the shelf, and the wand slowly floated into my open hands. When it gently landed, I instantly felt a spark vibrate from the wand to my hands. When it mimicked the rhythm of my beating heart, the vibrating ceased. I took the end of the wand in one hand, and I held it up to admire it. Made of a light white oak, it points at the top that’s shaped like the end of a rose vine. Following it down, the entire wand is engraved with wild vines interconnected from the tip. It reminded me of the vines of the snowdrop wall I created in the training room. A single fully bloomed rose is engraved at the bottom, where it’s thick.