Winter's Awakening (Light Coven Chronicles Book 1)

by Alessandra Jay

  “You're finally here. Julian is still missing. But we have killed thirteen demons already, and it’s only 12:30,” Derek whines. “Thirteen? Here? At Syracuse?” I ask them. Lucas nods his head. “I think they were all searching for Scar, Evan,” he says, with dread in his tone. Derek rolls his eyes. “Luke thinks he heard one of them saying the word ‘angel’,” he explains, not entirely believing his brother. “I know I heard one of them say it.” Lucas defends. “Look, I don’t think she’s safe here,” he says, full of seriousness.

  “I'm going to have to agree with you, Luke. We shouldn't be here with all of those demons roaming around,” I tell them. “We’ll just have to put in our temporary leave of absence over the phone,” I decide. I take a look over my shoulder to see what the girls are doing. And the moment I turn my head, Scarlet is looking at us. “I agree. I shouldn't stay here. But the girls are going to freak out if we tell them we’re leaving already,” she says in my mind. “Why don’t you go tell them the situation privately.” I say trying to help. Scarlet sends me a sweet smile, as she leads her roommates out of the kitchen. It took a total of five minutes for the girls to react. “No way! We just got her back! Y’all are not takin’ her away from us already!” Mack storms into the kitchen chastising us.

  “It’s for her safety, Mack,” I say calmly. “I know. But it’s just not fair!” She says, on the verge of tears. “Maybe you guys can stay with my sister for the night, and I’ll go back to spend time with you all tomorrow?” Scarlet says, coming up with a solution. “That would be awesome,” Charlie says, gaining excitement. “Okay. Let me call her so she can prepare a room for you guys. You two go get a bag packed,” Scarlet says, as the three of them walk out of the kitchen, going in separate directions.

  “They can’t go through a portal, and we don’t have time to drive. Scar and I will have to take the portal and meet you there later,” I tell my cousins as they nod. I retreat to Scarlet’s room to tell her the plan, which she was more than happy with it and eagerly pushed me out of the door to be on our way. I take Scarlet to another part of the forest, where a universal portal stands, in a tree that looks as old as the university. “Since you haven't been to the portal by your house, I'm going to have to take us there this time. But you can do it on the way back,” I tell her as I begin the cast. The elevator dings, and the doors open. We walk out into an alleyway, and Scarlet instantly recognizes it. She flicks her wrist, casting two skateboards and leading me down the block to her dad’s house.

  When we reach the doors, Scarlet hesitantly places her hand on the knob. I give her a moment to gain courage. And after only a few seconds, we walk in. The smell of burning food smacks us in the face with Spanish music filling the house with its hard pounding beat. “What the hell?” Scarlet says, as she runs to the kitchen. I stay close behind her as we round the corner to see Dimitri sitting on a kitchen stool, staring at a lively woman who is smoking up the room with her cooking. He looks weak, like he is losing weight. His cheeks look slightly sunken in, and there are bags under his eyes. He doesn't even notice us walk into the room. But the woman does. She snaps her fingers to silence the loud music.

  “Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Scarlet Winter,” the woman says, as she sashays her way to stand in front of Scarlet. Her dark hair is pulled up in a high and tight bun. Her face structure is sharp and well defined, making her features seem aggressive, and her brown eyes look mischievous and daring. She’s wearing all black, from her long dress to her nail polish. And she pulls Scarlet in for a quick hug. “How nice to finally meet you. I'm Lenora,” she says, dragging out every word with a thick Spanish accent. Scarlet doesn't reply to her. She simply runs to her uncle’s side. “Dimitri? Are you okay?”

  Lenora slithering up to my side, says, “And you must be Mr. Evan White.” She runs her pointy nail down my arm and pulls me in for a hug that was a little too touchy. She walks away, ruffling my hair then returns to her burning food. I walk over to stand by Scarlet and hear her whispering to her uncle. “Dimitri, please tell me what is going on. Since when do you not do the cooking?” She asks him quietly. “Oops. Lunch is burnt.” Lenora laughs dramatically. She shrugs her shoulders and snaps her fingers. The entire mess that she had lying all over the counter has completely vanished. “Oh, Dimitri?” She lilts his name with her accent and immediately Dimitri stands. He disregards Scarlet completely as he sloppily saunters over to Lenora's side. “Yes, my darling,” he says, lust thick in his voice.

  I look over at Scarlet and take her hand in mine. “Are you okay?” I ask her in mind speak. “Not really. This is all wrong. I just feel it,” she answers shakily. I rub my thumb along hers in show of support, as we continue to watch the awkward display of affection in front of us. Lenora giggles and runs her hand down the side of his cheek. Dimitri moans, and I feel Scarlet squeeze my hand. I clear my throat to get their attention and, thankfully, it works. “Dimitri, we have company. Let’s save that for later. Greet our guests, why don't you,” Lenora says, as she plays with Dimitri's hair.

  He turns our way, and his eyes light up. “Scarlet! I'm so happy to see you! You look incredible! Must have had your ceremonies. Sorry I couldn't make it. Lenora had something special planned for me, and I didn't want to disappoint her by not being there,” he says. He should have been there for Scarlet. Beginning to feel myself get worked up, I take a deep breath and attempt to convince Scarlet to leave. But she responds to her uncle almost instantly. “You didn't want to disappoint her? What about me, Dimitri? Scar, your niece, best friend, and sous chef? I really needed you there,” she says, getting teary. “Ah, you're a busy caster now. You don't need your uncle anymore, pal,” he says, walking away from his niece and back to his girlfriend.

  I turn my head to see tears begin to fill in her eyes. “Why don't we go, love? We met her and saw how deep in it your uncle is. Let’s go to your sister’s.” I connect with her mind and try to get her to leave. She nods her head and turns to walk out without saying goodbye. We reach the door, and Lenora calls out to us. “Nice to meet you two. Please, come again soon,” she says, as the Spanish music returns with its loud and rumbling beat. I shake my head and lead Scarlet out of the door, snapping my fingers to bring skateboards to our hands that she quickly takes and rides through the park. When we come up to the entrance of her cave, she slows down. Instead of going in, she slowly rides past it, mind speaking me at the same time. “I miss this place so much. But I miss my nieces more. Let’s go,” she says, surprising me.

  We rode along in silence until we reached the front door of her sister’s house. Unlike the hesitation she felt going into her childhood home, this time she ran inside. With her angel speed, she went in much faster than I could keep up with. I hear giggling straight ahead and follow the voices to the outside deck. Scarlet has both of her nieces in her arms and is spinning them around in a fast twirl. Demi walks up to me and pulls me in for a loving hug. Now, that is how you hug a guest, unlike Lenora. “So have you guys met her yet?” Demi asks, as we watch Scarlet play with Layla and Violet. Until she hears her sister ask the question, she immediately stands and walks over to us.

  “Yes, we met that bitch. She is NOT right for Dimitri. I don't even know who he is anymore,” she says, blowing off some steam. “I hate her, too. So does dad. He stays here most nights or in your wing in Eden. He would rather be anywhere else but there, with them,” Demi admits. Scarlet looks taken back. “What? He stays in Eden?” She says, beginning to get angry. The area around us begins to get shady, and I look up to see the growing clouds forming above our heads. They begin to turn a dark gray, and it is then that I realize it’s Scarlet making that happen. “Scar, breathe, love,” I say, to try and calm her down. She looks me in the eyes, and I see her stunning eyes turn cloudy with rage.

  “Auntie Scar, you okay?” Layla’s sweet and squeaky voice breaks through to her aunt. Scarlet bends down and looks Layla in the eyes. “Yes, bug. I’m okay. I apologize for being such a grump,” she playfully says, gett
ing the giggles she hoped for. She picks her up and stands facing us. “We have got to get to the bottom of this,” she declares sadly, leading us to bake her way back to calmness as we await her roommates’ arrival.

  Scarlet

  By the time the brownie bites were coming out of the oven, my roommates were just pulling into the driveway. I had to silence the Gene Vincent song we were jamming out to when I heard Mack's southern and peppy voice. “Is that Scar’s bakin’ I smell?” They round the corner to the kitchen. “It sure is! Glad to have you back, girls,” Demi says, greeting her guests. “Yes! Perfect timing!” Charlie says, hopping up on the stool. “Thanks for letting us stay here, Demi. It’s really cool of you. We miss Scar so much.” She gratefully and honestly tells Demi. If only they knew how much I missed them, too. “That’s very sweet of you, Charlie. It’s not a problem. I'm sure I’ll find something fun for us to do while we await Scarlet’s return,” Demi replies, with a mischievous look in her eyes. Both Mack and Charlie laugh in excitement. I know I'm leaving them in good hands, but I can’t help but get slightly jealous. I miss being able to just hang out. “Well, I hate to have to leave, but we have to get back to the Village,” I say regretfully. Evan nods sadly, confirming my thoughts.

  We say our mushy goodbyes and anxiously await the next day until we can all be together again. But the fact is I have to stay focused. The sooner we fight this Dark Coven, the sooner I can get back to my normal and mortal-living life. Huh, what a difference in such short time. I remember when I thought I was mortal, and I wished to feel power. And now I have more power than I could ever have wished for, and I wish to have my simple life back. I'm taking ‘being thankful for what I have’ to a whole new level of appreciativeness. Evan takes my hand as we walk towards the alley where the portal is. “I can’t wait for this to be over.” I admit sadly. “I know, love. I promise, that day will come. Let’s go have dinner and train with the coven for an hour or two. Then, when we wake up in the morning, we can come straight here,” he says, always making me feel better. I nod my head and step into the portal. When Evan gets inside, I don't even wait for the door to close behind him. I close my eyes and think of the portal by the Village. I want to get through dinner, so I can physically take my anger out on something.

  “I feel like kicking some ass. Do you think we can fit that into training later?” I ask him. Evan looks at me with a proud desire, as he takes my head in his hands and leaves a gentle kiss full of his undying love. “Anything for you, my love.” Melting my heart, I cast a piece of my love to him, so he knows how much he truly means to me, always and forever.

  Chapter 41

  Acceptance

  Having to wait an hour after we ate was a true test of patience. I almost jumped up off of the couch when Evan said we were finally leaving to get ready to train. He told our coven where to meet us as we shut the door. Dinner was delicious. Chloe and Victoria cooked food from both of their countries, and I was pleased that they knew how to cook so well. Having that in common with them is something that I’m grateful for. At a moment like this I wish there was more of me to go around. As happy as I was to see my roommates and my family, a part of me would have liked to have been here with my Coven helping them cook dinner and, of course, dessert.

  “You know we’re going to get through this, love,” he says to me, as we make our way inside of his suite. He can always read my emotions so easily. I feel like I keep hearing everyone tell me those exact words over and over again. It must be overwhelming for them to be constantly trying to cheer me up. At this exact moment I decide to woman up and focus on what needs to be done. The chosen caster of a prophecy should not need so many encouraging words. I have to stop dragging my feet, and I have to start getting closer to success. “You're right. I'm ready to be the caster that our realm needs. Let’s go,” I say with confidence.

  Evan looks at me for a moment too long, but then nods his head in support. I snap my fingers as black and gray spandex leggings are now on my body with a matching black sports bra. My hair is in a high messy bun, and my running sneakers hug my feet. I instantly feel the adrenaline fill my veins. Excitement was now the emotion I felt, excitement to take my anger out on something. Evan could sense my change of heart and decided to go with it. He snaps his fingers, and his outfit changes to something comfortable. He takes my hand and rushes me out of the door. We get to the elevator, and he hurriedly pushes a button on the massive wall of different sized buttons. The elevator moves, and he jogs in place while punching a few jabs in the air.

  “What are you doing?” I ask him amused. “Getting ready,” he says simply, as he continues to jog in place. He cracks a playful smile, and it’s enough for me to let out the laughter I have been trying to hold in. The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. Evan jogs out of the door, still punching the air. I walk out, shaking my head with laughter. “You're going to hurt yourself.” I try to convince him to stop the embarrassing display of exercise. “Who? Me? Yeah, I could see that. With these guns I could hurt anyone,” Evan says, as he kisses his biceps.

  “Okay, Derek.” I call Evan his cousin because it’s something he would have said and done. Evan chuckles and comes to a stop, taking my hand in his again as we walk through a pair of double doors. Walking in, I look around in curious awe. A long hallway filled with casting tools, and gadgets occupy the entire wall space. On both sides there are wands and satchels and candles of all colors. Evan grabs two large-sized satchels and hands one to me. As we pass the smaller and safer tools, the objects on the walls begin turning more dangerous. Guns of all sizes hang next to axes and swords. There is a whole section of just knives and a whole section of just ammunition.

  I look over at Evan to see him grab a sword off of the wall. He begins putting it inside of his satchel and I stand frozen, watching him push it all the way in. He then grabs a large hammer-like weapon, and he pushes it into the never-ending space inside of the satchel. He turns to see me staring and smirked when he remembered my lack of knowledge with the caster world. “These satchels are enchanted. As long as you remember everything you put inside of it, you can fit as much as you want inside. When you reach in, think of the object and it appears in your hand,” he explains, turning back to filling his bag.

  Slowly I turn towards the knife area, and I pick up two matching stiletto daggers the size of my hands. I throw it in the satchel and look inside and see them resting on the bottom of the bag. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I move to grab a weapon that is bigger. I walk to the guns and reach to grab a sniper rifle. I’ve never shot one, but I’ve always wanted to. I place it in the satchel and gasp when it disappears inside. I look in and still only see the two blades I put in. The rifle isn't visible. I place my hand inside and focus on the rifle, and my hand gets heavy as the gun appears back in my grip. Oh, my Ava! I place the sniper rifle back on the wall because I don't think there is anything I would use it for in today’s training session. Instead, I grab a pistol that looks easier to use. I place it inside of the satchel and move along the wall, grabbing brass knuckles, a whip, and a pointed staff. The satchel doesn't even feel heavy. Amazed, I follow Evan through the door at the end of the hallway and had to do a double take as we enter a circular room with at least a hundred doors.

  I gaze around at the variety of styled doors. There is one light bulb over each door and only a few of them are lit. “This floor is my favorite,” Evan tells me, looking around the room with new eyes for my sake. He turns to the right and walks to the fourth door. As I look from that door to the others, I immediately realize it is bigger than the rest. This door is twice the size of the other doors. Even the knob is over-sized. I look up to see the light bulb is off as Evan raises his hand to an incline in the wall, getting his hand scanned. The door unlocks and slowly creaks open as the light bulb above the door shines its bright light, signifying the room in use. With everything being so new to me, I can’t help but see everything with wonderment and curiosity. Hunter told me that it could be da
ngerous for me to lose focus so easily. But for now, it’s not something I can control. I'm too fascinated with what has been kept from me for so long. Evan drops his satchel on a long wooden table in the corner of the room, and I survey the enormous area. One entire wall is a long and gigantic mirror. There are workout tools, props, and equipment placed in the furthest corner. And in the other is a refreshment area. I walk over to Evan and place my satchel down next to his. The door opens, and our coven walks into the room.

  Owen runs towards us with his own satchel. “Dude! That hallway is epic!” He says, with his boyish excitement. “It was pretty awesome,” Chloe agrees, coming to our corner. Victoria twirls a miniature double-bladed ax in her hands like it’s no big deal. She pops her gum, throws the ax up in the air and catches it like an expert. “Show-off,” Oliver says playfully. She nudges his arm and takes a stance next to me, throwing her arm over my shoulder and pulling me in for a side hug. “Ready to begin?” Evan says, coming up to my side. I nod my head, and he awaits everyone else’s agreement. “Good. As we all know, Scarlet is newer to our world and needs us to help her attune herself to battle mode. We’re going to use this day to practice our physical attributes. Since we had Fight Box both days in the Caster Matches, then we don't need to test any of your skills.” Evan snaps his fingers, and six files appear in his hands.

  “They're all right here. Tonight, we’re simply going to improve your combative strategy. I won’t be the official trainer for our sessions. But since tonight was sort of planned at the last minute, I was instructed to do the training tonight. Ava asked me to bind our coven as soon as we got the chance. And I think now is the best we’ve got. We will do the binding ritual then begin training. Yes?” He asks, to see if everyone concurs with his proposal. Evan takes the lead to stand in the center of the room. The rest of us follow him and take our seats in a perfect circle. With a flick of his wrist, a chalice and a dagger appear in the center of our circle.