“Elizabeth?” Monica yawned. “What’s wrong?”
“I had a dream,” I said quickly. “A dream about Ligeia and Henrik.”
Monica was silent for a long time after I told her.
“Well?” I asked. “What does it mean?”
I heard a voice in the background and frowned.
“Monica? You there?”
“David, hold on,” Monica said, muffling the mouthpiece. “Give me a second.”
My heart sank.
“Sorry, Elizabeth,” Monica said. “I’m with David, he just wanted to know what was going on.”
I sighed. “What do you think? I woke up sweating,” I said. “What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know, Elizabeth,” Monica said. “I…” She trailed off.
“What?” I bit my lip. “Don’t you think this is a big deal? I mean, don’t you think we have to do something?”
“I have to do something,” Monica said. “You have to stay out of it.” She paused and I could tell she was thinking hard. “Look, something’s…not right with them right now, okay? I can’t really say anything else.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What does that even mean? Like, did they lie about something?”
“Not exactly,” Monica said. She sighed loudly into the phone and I pulled it away from my ear for a second.
“Then what?”
“I don’t know, Elizabeth, I told you – I need some time to figure this out on my own.”
“That’s not fair!” I whined. “I don’t get it – look, I joined the coven in the first place, just so I could help you! You can’t keep shutting me out, not if you want to come on top. This is a lot, Monica, you can’t handle it on your own.”
“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” Monica said darkly. Something about her words chilled me to the bone. “There’s a lot you don’t understand, and I’m still trying to figure it out myself.”
I groaned in exasperation. “But if you don’t tell me, then maybe you won’t figure it out at all! Have you ever thought about the fact that I’m trying to help you?” I asked sarcastically. “You’re my best friend, and we’re in this together! I want to make sure that nothing bad happens here!”
“Something bad has already happened,” Monica said. “Look, I’m sorry – if it were anything else, anything in the world, you know I’d tell you. But I can’t – I don’t even know the words to use, okay? You’re going to have to trust me.”
I flopped against my pillows, shaking my head. “I hate this,” I said quietly. “I hate how this is driving us apart. Next thing I know, you’re going to disappear and then you won’t come back and I’ll never know!”
Monica was silent for a long time before she replied.
“I know,” she said. “I know that’s how you feel, but I promise I won’t abandon you, Elizabeth. I swear it, okay?”
I sighed. “Fine,” I muttered angrily. “I guess this doesn’t mean anything to you, after all.”
I hung up before Monica could reply, but when I lay back down in bed, I found that I was suddenly wide awake.
Chapter Four
Monica
“Hello, Elizabeth?”
David frowned. “What did she say?”
“She hung up on me,” I said slowly. I blinked. “I can’t believe she’d do that.”
David shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, you know how moody she is.”
“Yeah, but I know she’s angry with me,” I said. And she has good reason to be, too.
David’s dark eyes turned soft and he pulled me against his lean chest. “I don’t know how anyone could ever be angry with you,” he said.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax. You don’t know the half of it, I thought grimly.
“Monica?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
I sagged against David’s body. “I love you, too,” I said quietly.
The next morning, I got up early and made breakfast for everyone – David, Jamie, and Brian. When my parents came downstairs, they gave me a surprised look.
“This is nice,” Jamie said. She narrowed her eyes. “Is there coffee?”
“Yup, already on the table.”
Jamie smiled. “What’s the occasion? I can’t remember the last time you’ve cooked for me,” she said. “Did you get a bad grade?”
I forced a laugh. Oh, nothing, Mom, I thought sarcastically. Just about to go into the woods and possibly never come home, but you never know.
“No reason,” I said finally. “I just wanted to do something nice.”
“Well, this is great,” Jamie said. “I know your father’s going to be happy, too. Did David stay?”
“Yeah. He’s in the shower. He’ll be down in a few.”
“I’m so glad you met a nice boy, Monica,” Jamie said. She rolled her eyes. “When I was in high school, all the guys were such creeps.”
“Yeah, that’s why you started dating your college history professor,” I cracked dryly.
Jamie shrugged. “And then we got married and had you, what difference does it make?”
Something about the way Jamie said that made me sad. I could tell she was thinking of the future – where I was older, maybe married with grandchildren. I could almost picture her sitting by the fire and telling my own kids how she and Brian had met.
I shuddered.
“Honey? You okay?”
I nodded and grabbed a piece of bacon from the table, barely tasting it as I wolfed it down.
“Yeah,” I lied. “I’m fine.”
After breakfast, I walked with David out to his car. I felt profoundly sad in a way that I’d never really thought myself capable of. All of this, I thought as I looked at him. For nothing.
“You’re quiet this morning,” David said as he pulled me into a tight hug. “Everything okay?”
I shrugged. “Yeah,” I said. “I don’t know. I guess I’m worried about Elizabeth,” I lied. “She seemed so upset with me last night. I should probably talk to her.”
“Girls are so moody,” David said, teasing me. He leaned down and kissed me. I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to his, trying to get lost in the moment. But I couldn’t relax around David like I could before.
Since I’d cast a spell on him, everything had changed. The things about David I’d loved – his sullen wit, the way he said whatever came into his head – had all changed. Now, he was a shell of a person, someone who followed me around like a puppy and bent to my every whim.
This is why Elizabeth doesn’t want Steven anymore, I realized as I broke the kiss and pulled away. She knows it’s not real.
“Hey,” David said. “I wasn’t done yet.”
“I’m not feeling well,” I said. “I’m sorry – I think I’m just going go to lie down or something. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“I know,” David teased. He pulled up his shirt, showing me a row of faint blue bruises on his pale white chest. “You were tossing and turning all night.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I really am sorry, David.” Sudden tears sprang to my eyes and I blinked them away, wiping at my lids with both hands.
“Hey,” David said slowly. He put his hands on my shoulders and tried to pull me close. “What’s all this, huh? What’s the matter?” He frowned. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry before.”
“Allergies,” I lied, wiping my nose on my sleeve. “You’ll be okay for the drive home?”
David nodded. “Yeah. When can I see you again? You think you could come up and stay with me for a while?”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Sorry.”
“Too much school work?”
I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “I really am sorry.”
David gave me a weird smile. “Stop apologizing,” he said. “Come on, Monica. This isn’t like you.”
“I know,” I said. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
David nodded. He pulled me into one last hug, squeezing me tightly.
When he let go, I stood outside and watched him pull away until I couldn’t see his car anymore. With a heavy heart, I turned and walked into the woods.
I found the coven in almost no time. Part of me wondered if Ligeia and Henrik had been expecting me. I wondered why they’d sent Elizabeth that dream, and not me – was it because they’d wanted her to contact me?
Or was this all just part of a huge plan that I was only just starting to discover?
“Hello, child,” Ligeia said pleasantly. She was sitting in the middle of the clearing, dried herbs scattered around her. There was a pleasant smell in the air – lavender and sage – and I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
“I think you know why I’m here,” I said.
“Yes. Because of Prudence,” Ligeia said. “Well, I have good news – Henrik and I have already begun the process of splitting her soul. She will no longer torment anyone, here or on earth.”
“And…what exactly does that entail?”
Henrik stepped out from behind the trees, startling me.
“Unpleasant things,” he said. “Things that cause damage to one’s own soul.”
“Don’t do this,” I said. “Come on – you know she doesn’t pose a threat. She’s fine, she’s right here.”
“Yes, and I’d rather her not be,” Ligeia said unpleasantly. “What are you doing here? Have you come to break your vows?”
“Why do you need her soul?”
Henrik laughed. “Because as soon as she is a part of us, we will share her power.” His eyes gleamed and I shuddered. I’d never been able to think of Henrik as evil, he’d always seemed kind of like an ornery old grandfather. But now that I was here, now that I could see what Henrik and Ligeia were really plotting, I felt like The Fool, striding off the edge of a cliff, just like in the tarot.
“And we will begin a new reign,” Ligeia said. She stood and walked over to me, putting her hands on my face. I shrieked as my mind was filled with horrific visions – whole towns aflame, people screaming and groaning in pain.
“Why?” Shoving Ligeia’s hands away, I stepped back. “Why? Why do you want to cause such evil, such destruction?”
Henrik gave me a hardened glare. “I have already told you,” he said. “These people, these people whom you claim to know and value – these are the same people who persecuted us, who made our lives hell.” His lips widened into a smile that chilled me to the marrow. “And now it is our turn. Now we will make them suffer, we will make them pay.”
“But things are different now,” I protested. “People have a…much more liberal view of witches! It’s not considered a crime!”
“You saw what havoc Prudence brought to your town,” Ligeia thundered. “I have no reason to believe you, child. I see no reason to think for a second that our kind would be accepted.”
“Maybe not in Jaffrey,” I shot back. “But in bigger cities, like Boston? I know you could find a whole new tribe of admirers! And isn’t that what you want, after all? Don’t you just need approval?”
“It is too late,” Ligeia said in a sing-song voice. “The process has already begun!”
“Now, child, best for you to go home,” Henrik said. He smiled unpleasantly. “Prepare yourself, prepare Elizabeth. And if you cooperate, we will save you both.”
“I’ll tell her,” I threatened. “I’ll go home and tell her right now.”
Ligeia snorted. “Even if you did, do you really think you’d be able to defeat someone as powerful as I?” She burst into laughter.
“I know she’s not dead,” I said hotly. “I can feel her spirit, she’s here!”
Closing my eyes, I tried to sense Andrea. All I could catch was fear, panic, and a wounded heart beating slowly.
I pulled away from Ligeia and broke into a run. My heart was pounding as I darted and dashed through the coven, avoiding the huts and other witches. As I ran, they looked up at me with surprise. I pitied them – did they know? Did they care?
Or, like Henrik and Ligeia, were they all too eager for a world ready to bow to them and kiss their feet?
“Andrea!” I shrieked loudly. “Andrea, where are you?”
There was no answer. I stumbled and nearly tripped over a tree stump, but kept myself upright.
“Andrea!” I screamed. “Where are you? I want to help you,” I added, screaming until my throat ached.
As I ran towards the edge of the woods, the sound her heartbeat grew louder in my ears.
“I know you’re still here,” I called. “Let me help you!”
They locked you away, I thought angrily as I pushed into the woods and leapt over a fallen tree. They thought I wouldn’t be able to find you, Andrea. But look, here I am. And we’ll figure out something together.
I ran into a clearing. The grass was freshly cut and manicured and the smell of herbs hung heavy in the air. Sage and thyme mixed with an unpleasantly human smell – soil, and sweat, and blood.
When I saw her, I shrieked in fear. My feet felt rooted to the spot and I covered my mouth with both hands, forcing myself to stop screaming.
Andrea was lashed to a tree, her head sagging on her neck. She’d been stripped of her clothes and dressed in a robe that had once been pure white. But now it was covered with stains – blood and excrement and black smudges over her chest. Her hair was a tangled dirty mess of knots, hanging in her face. Her heartbeat was so weak that I could barely feel it, even standing right in front of her. Worst of all, her bare arms faded into a deep black by her wrists. Her fingers looked shriveled and dead, like they life had been sucked from them.
“It’s okay,” I said softly, stepping forward. “It’s all right, I’m here.”
Andrea made a sound – a guttural low keening that set my hair on end. I stepped closer and closer, examining her bonds. She was lashed at the ankles, knees, hips, and chest with leather straps that were all woven together. Whoever had bound her had meant for her to stay on the tree for a long time.
Possibly until she was dead.
“I see you’ve found her.”
I whirled around at the sound of Ligeia’s voice.
Ligeia, Henrik, and four other witches from the coven were advancing on me. Ligeia held an athame, pointed right at my chest.
“Do not even try,” Ligeia warned in a deep, cracked voice. Her blue eyes were glowing and she looked alive, young – more powerful than I ever could have imagined.
“Welcome to your new home, child,” Henrik said. He stepped forward and snapped his fingers. A red spark leapt from his hands. I watched in horror as the spark unfolded into a long, gleaming ribbon of light. I cried out as it sailed towards me, wrapping around my arms and legs until I fell helpless to the ground.
“You shall never return to your world,” Ligeia said. She smiled, stepping closer and kneeling by my side. She pressed the tip of the athame to my chest. “You will stay here, protecting us.” She smiled. “Do you understand?”
When I tried to open my lips, I found that I couldn’t speak.
Ligeia pulled a flask from the folds of her robes and pushed my lips open. Dribbling liquid into my mouth, she moved her hand over my throat until I felt myself swallow.
“You will remain alive,” Ligeia said. “Although I’m sorry to say your life will be rather…diminished. Guarding a soul is hard work, after all.”
They’ve won, I realized bitterly. They’ve finally taken me.
Chapter Five
Elizabeth
I tried calling Monica every day for a week.
But it was no use.
She was gone.
And this time, I had a feeling that it was for good.
Weeks passed and the chill spring turned into a real spring, a lush green spring that reminded me of the coven. Not that I ever thought about anything else. Ever since Monica had gone, she and the others were all I thought about.
The day I turned sixteen, there was a memorial service held for Monica. It wasn’t at the church – Jamie and Brian wouldn’t have liked th
at very much – but at a Quaker meeting home on the outskirts. I went with my family, expecting a low turnout. But I was shocked – as soon as I stepped inside, I saw that the place was packed.
“Wow,” I muttered.
“What’s that, honey?” Mom touched me on the shoulder. “Did you say something?”
“Nothing,” I said softly. “It’s just…there are more people here than for the town thing, at church.”
“Oh,” Mom said.
Steven spotted me and waved, pushing through a huge crowd of other kids. He pulled me into a tight hug and I stepped back, blushing hotly. My mom was giving us a curious look.
“All of my friends came,” Steven said. He raked a hand through his hair and sighed. “They’re all really upset, you know. Monica was a really cool girl.”
I narrowed my eyes and peered over Steven’s shoulder. He was right – a huge group of the most popular kids in town were all seated up front. Some of the girls were weeping.
I frowned.
“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy that everyone came,” Steven said. “I mean, isn’t that what Monica would’ve wanted?”
No, I thought. She’d rather come back from the dead and call all of these people losers, because they never gave a fuck about her when she was alive.
“I guess,” I said lamely. “I don’t really know.”
“Come sit with us,” Steven said. “I’m sure everyone will be glad to see you.”
I frowned. Steven took my hand and squeezed.
“I know this must be hard,” Steven said. “You guys were best friends.”
“Do…do you remember anything like this happening before?” I asked tentatively. “Like, do you ever remember Monica going away before now?”
Steven shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess not,” he said. “Why? What do you mean?”
“Nothing,” I said darkly. “Let’s go sit down.”
Steven led me through the room – it was circular, with lots of wooden chairs all turned to face a large picture of Monica. Jamie and Brian were nowhere to be seen, although it was so crowded that it was hard for me to really make anyone out. Everyone was dressed in black and most people looked devastated – the same way they’d looked when Andrea had vanished.
The Coven Series: Books 1-5 Page 40
