Three…
two…
one…
I opened my eyes…then hissed and squeezed them closed again.
Ow, ow, ow. Holy shit, that’s bright. What the hell? Is a spotlight pointing at my face? I groaned and covered my eyes with my hands. I rolled onto my left side and uncovered my eyes. It took a few hundred blinks for the room to come into focus and the light to not sting the ever-loving shit out of my eyeballs. When my vision cleared, I sighed with relief.
I was awake and alone. The room was just as I expected. A bed shoved in the corner of an average-sized room with a comfy-looking lounge chair and a fuzzy rug. The wall opposite me had a sprawling fireplace, and the flickering flames kept the room nice and cozy.
Time to get up, D.
It took me a few deep breaths to work up the energy, but I finally pushed myself up and off the bed. My legs wobbled a little for a second, then I was good.
I grinned. “It’s alive!”
I was still chuckling at my own bad joke as I walked across the room and pulled the door open. The hallway was silent and empty. Another good sign. I stepped out into the hall and strolled toward the stairs. My chest wasn’t burning, so I assumed Emersyn had to be downstairs. The hardwood floors were a little cold against my bare feet, but I wasn’t about to go back to find shoes. I didn’t even know where my clothes were. The last ones I’d had on were from 1692.
The room next to mine had the door half open. There was no noise coming from inside, so I tried to tiptoe by to not wake whoever was in there. The floor creaked under my weight and I froze. The door swung open.
Hunter appeared in the doorway, towering over me despite being only three inches taller. He was just a massive kind of dude. His golden eyes lit up like pure sunshine when he saw me. “Deacon!” His voice was a soft whisper of relief.
Devon slid into the doorway with a grin on her face and wide pale green eyes. Her dark brown hair was messier than I’d ever seen it. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the kind of Mom hug I hadn’t had in far too long.
When she stepped back, she eyed me with concern. “How are you feeling?”
“Good. Finally. Where’s Em?”
Devon pointed down. She opened her mouth to speak, but a yawn slipped out.
Hunter smiled, his eyes tired. “She was too anxious for a healing room, so we sent her to the kitchen to cook.” He shrugged.
I narrowed my eyes and looked them up and down. My magic prickled and whispered in my ear. I felt their longing to lie down, to sleep for several days without being disturbed. Then it occurred to me. The house was pretty much empty. My magic told me that much. Which meant everyone else was out trying to save the world…because of me.
“Thank you for watching over me. I’m okay now,” I said softly. I let my magic slip into my words and carry over to them like a lullaby. “Why don’t you guys get some sleep. I’ll wake you if you’re needed.”
They blinked, yawned nice and wide, then nodded and turned toward the room.
I smiled and continued my search for my soulmate. It wasn’t that I wanted to surprise her…but I wanted to surprise her. My feet had just hit the foyer when I heard her curse from the kitchen. That’s my girl. I chuckled and walked through the living room to the door that led into the kitchen.
When I pushed the door open and slipped inside, I found my soulmate half inside the refrigerator. Her blonde hair was a tangled hot mess. Half of it was up in a bun, and the other half had abandoned ship. She had on light wash jeans and a soft pink long-sleeved shirt. I leaned against the kitchen counter and watched her throw an entire bag of apples onto the ground. They landed with a thud. White liquid splashed across the tiled floor. Ah. Spilled milk.
I cleared my throat and tried to hide the laugh in my voice. “So, how do I look?”
She gasped and spun around. Her golden eyes floated in a sea of white as she stared at me wide-eyed. Her jaw dropped and her face paled. I smiled and let myself soak in the beautiful girl standing in front of me. A wet rag slipped out of her fingers and plopped to the floor. I waited.
Her eyes filled with tears, then she was charging at me. I braced myself. There was fire in her eyes that I usually only saw when she was killing demons. Goddess, is she mad at me? She threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her lips crashed into mine and I sighed.
FINALLY.
Everything else in the world melted away. Demons could’ve ransacked all of New England, and I wouldn’t have known or cared. All I knew was Emersyn’s lips on mine. My heart skipped a few beats. Butterflies bounced around in my stomach. I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her up. My body was on fire from the heat in her skin. Her lips were soft and tasted like strawberries. Her kiss was sweet, like we’d done this a million times.
She tightened her arms around my neck and pulled herself closer. Our kiss deepened and became hotter. She slipped her tongue against mine, and my body turned to liquid fire. I slid one hand up her back then fisted her hair between my fingers and pulled. She gasped against my mouth, and I was lost. I tilted her head back and deepened our kiss. We stumbled back and slammed into something. Glass shattered on the tile floor, but I didn’t stop to look. Each of her moans unhinged me a little bit deeper.
Her nails dug into my shoulder and neck, then down my back. I didn’t care. I wanted her to put her mark on me. It told me I wasn’t alone in this. I cupped her face and kissed her as hard as I could. Except it wasn’t enough. I needed to be closer.
“Hey, Em— Oh, shit, I’ll just…yeah,” Katherine’s voice faded out, then the kitchen door slammed shut.
We’re in the kitchen, dude. Put it on ice.
I pulled back and looked down at her beautiful face. Her lips were puffy and red from our kiss, and parted as she gasped for air. Her golden eyes were locked on mine. Tears spilled over onto her long, dark eyelashes then poured down her flushed cheeks. I cupped her jaw and swiped the tears away with my thumbs.
“You look beautiful,” she half whispered, half sobbed, answering my question.
I grinned and felt my own face heat up. “Hey, that’s my line.”
She sniffled and the tears kept coming. Her hands slid down to my waist. “I hated that I’d never kissed you…”
I glanced around and noticed we’d somehow kissed our way all the way across the kitchen. “Well, I’d say you took care of that nicely.”
Her cheeks turned bright red, and she bit down on her bottom lip, which made me want to kiss her all over again. But then her eyes narrowed. She cocked her head to the side, and her lips smashed into one line.
Uh-oh. My pulse stepped up a notch. I dropped my hands. What did I do?
With both hands, she shoved me right in the chest. I stumbled back. My bare feet stepped into the cold milk on the floor.
“DON’T YOU DARE DIE ON ME AGAIN!” she screamed.
I didn’t mean to…but I laughed. I knew she was dangerously lethal and could’ve doused me in flames with the flick of her wrists, yet I still thought she was absolutely adorable. Like a baby tiger. I shook my head and kicked apples out of my way as I walked back up to her. She didn’t fight me as I cupped her face again and pressed my lips to hers.
I pulled back just enough to whisper against her mouth, “As you wish, Buttercup.”
Chapter Thirty
TENNESSEE
My phone vibrated in my hand. I gasped and looked down, expecting to see Tegan’s beautiful face smiling up at me. Instead, I saw Braison. Damn it.
I frowned and answered the video call, holding my phone up so he could see my face. “You okay?”
Braison’s emerald green eyes were wide and his cheeks were flushed. He pushed his ginger red hair off his forehead. “Dude. I don’t know. Something is going down.”
“What’s going on?” I asked while resting my hand on the hilt of my sword hanging from my hip. “Something wrong?”
Like…where the hell is Tegan? If she thought she could just disappear on me like th
at without saying where she was going or why, then she was sadly mistaken. She was going to hear about it as soon as I found her.
Braison waved his hand in front of his phone. “Dude, are you listening?”
I cursed and shook my head. “Sorry. What’s wrong?”
“Paulina’s been talking to the spirits here.” Braison shook his head, his gaze bouncing around. “I don’t know what they’re saying. She said to call you so I did.”
My stomach turned. This can’t be good. “Turn the camera and let me see her.”
“Okay, hold on.”
The pictured wobbled and spun. When it stopped, I saw Paulina sitting cross-legged with her hands on her knees. In the setting sun, her skin looked like rich caramel. Her long brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and the ends swayed through the air. Chocolate-brown eyes darted around, never landing on one thing too long. She was definitely seeing something we couldn’t. Behind her, I recognized a few gravestones, and my heart sank.
Paulina groaned and shook her head. “What are you trying to tell me?”
I waited, my magic at the tips of my fingers ready to be used. Henley, Royce, and Cooper peered over my shoulders to watch with me.
Paulina gasped and her eyes widened. She looked up at the phone and shouted, “They’re saying hurry, danger at the Fey line!”
My face fell. My pulse quickened. Someone was in trouble, and the spirits were trying to warn us. Tegan’s face flashed in my mind immediately. Fey lines…fey lines… I know where that is. Where is it? I cursed and tried to run through the map of Salem in my head.
“Fey lines?” Henley groaned. “We saw the Fey line when we were in 1692. Why can’t I remember where?”
TENNESSEE! Tegan’s voice screamed into my head.
Everyone else flinched and jumped into fighting stance, so I knew they’d heard her too.
Tenn! HELP. FAIRYFLIES, FAIRYFLIES! NOW. Hurry!
Paulina jumped up on her knees. “Was that Tegan? Where is she?”
Oh my Goddess. Shit. Shit. Shit. “Get back to Headquarters! We’ll get the Fey lines!” I hung up the call and shoved my phone in my pocket as I sprinted into the woods. I had no idea how to explain to Paulina where the Fey lines were, and they’d never make it. They were all the way across town.
“Fairyflies?” Cooper asked as he ran beside me. “Like…Saffie’s fairyflies?”
“Of course!” Henley groaned right behind me. “Her spot was on the Fey line!”
Royce cursed. “We’re way too far from that right now.”
Hang on, Tegan, I’m coming. For the millionth time, I wished I was telepathic.
On our way to find Tegan, we stumbled into my father, Timothy, Easton, and Lily. Fortunately, they didn’t stop to ask questions. They unsheathed their weapons and charged after us. They had to have heard Tegan’s call for help.
“Tennessee,” my father yelled as he caught up to me. “GO!”
I nodded and took off. I hadn’t wanted to leave my friends in the dust, but with every passing second, my fear for my soulmate’s safety unhinged me a little.
By the time I found Saffie’s old spot, I found Tegan surrounded by an army of Fae warriors. I gasped and skidded to a stop. It was an ambush. There had to be a few dozen of them and only one of Tegan. They all had massive, barbaric-looking bows and arrows strapped to their backs. I dropped to my knees and hid behind a tree. Without my own army for backup, I needed to fight from out of sight.
But Tegan was incredible. I’d seen her dissolving trick numerous times now, but every single time, it blew my mind. I couldn’t wrap my head around how she turned herself into little floating balls of water then reformed fifteen feet away. It seemed to be the only reason the Fae hadn’t overcome her yet. They had no idea how to fight her. They’d shoot their arrows, but she’d be gone before they hit her.
TENN. I feel you! she screamed into my head. I can’t keep this trick up. It’s draining me!
I slammed my left hand to the dirt and pushed with my magic. The ground trembled and wobbled, sending each of the Fae to their knees. Dirt shot up off the ground and flew into their evil eyes. I channeled huge gusts of winds to keep them down.
Tegan reappeared at the far edge of the fairies with a dagger gripped in each hand. Her long black hair whipped around. None of the Fae seemed to notice me, which was good because the rest of my gang hadn’t caught up yet.
The sun was setting too fast, and we were losing visibility. Fairies were known for their night vision. If the sun set before we got rid of them, we’d be in big trouble.
A handful of Fae got back on their feet and charged at Tegan with their swords drawn. She ducked and sliced her daggers across them like a pro. I didn’t wait to see if they fell. That was my opening. I leapt into the clearing with both my weapons and took down six Fae before they even realized help had arrived.
A fairy with snow white hair spun toward me, and my heart stopped. It had black eyes. Black. Eyes. Oh Goddess, no. These were Unseelie warriors. I slammed the fairy with my lightning and sent it flying backwards. Without a second of hesitation, I swung my sword like a baseball bat, letting it fly free from my hands.
“Tegan!” I shouted as it sailed through a line of Unseelie warriors.
She glanced over then dropped like she was doing the limbo. My sword flew right over her and sliced through a redheaded enemy beside her. Tegan kicked her legs and flipped back onto her feet, then charged back into battle. I ducked, dipped, and diced my way through pointy-eared warriors with haste. I needed to get over to her. She didn’t know who she was fighting. We’d never taught her how to identify an Unseelie, or what that meant.
I raised my right hand, and my sword slammed into my palm. An Unseelie turned and aimed its black-eyed gaze at me. He raised his bow, so I sliced my sword through the bowstring then kicked him in the chest. He dropped to the dirt, but before I could put my blade into him, the ground exploded under my feet. I flew backward through the air. I clenched my teeth and braced for impact, except the pain never came. I landed with a thud and slid across the dirt.
Two fairies pounced on me and slammed their daggers into my chest. Metal clashed against metal. The fairies growled and tossed their bent daggers to the side. I glanced down at my body only to find myself covered in metal body armor. Easton!
A massive shadow the size of a tree swooped in and picked the two Unseelie warriors up by their necks. Their heads slammed together over and over until the purple blood of Unseelie splashed onto my boots. They were tossed aside, and then my father’s face hovered over me. He was dressed in full body armor except for his head. He reached down and yanked me to my feet.
I searched the clearing for Tegan and found her twenty feet away from me surrounded by ten Unseelie warriors. No! I tried to run toward her, but my father wrapped his arm around my waist and held me off the ground. NO! Let me go! There was a flash of light, then a cold breeze swept over me. The metal of my body armor kept me warm, but little icicles covered my arms. I looked up as the ground turned to solid ice. The fairies slipped and slid across it, spinning out of control in circles. Tegan stood strong and sturdy. Rainbow magic swirled around her legs and hands.
The trees swayed and groaned. Branches swooped down low and flattened a bunch of fairies to the ice. White lightning shot through the trees, striking them in the chest one by one. The others spun and aimed their bows toward where I knew Henley had to be standing, but bright midday sunshine slammed into their faces. They hissed and covered their eyes. Thick vines broke through the ice floor and wrapped around their necks.
“Tegan!” I screamed.
I didn’t like her so far away, not against these warriors. We had the element of surprise, but that would fade too fast. We’d taken half of them out, but there still had to be two dozen armed and ready to kill.
Tegan blasted two of the fairies to dust then spun on her toes and sprinted for me. I summoned a gust of wind to her back, and she slid across the ice.
A dark o
bject swooped down out of nowhere. It plucked Tegan off the ground with its talons and flew into the air. A roar I’d never heard myself make slipped out of my lips. I pulled my arm back then threw my dagger as hard as I could. My black blade sailed through the air and buried into the monster’s spine. It blew up in a cloud of black smoke.
Tegan dropped, but then the air around her shimmered with rainbow mist and she vanished…then reappeared on her knees on the ice. She raised one hand in the air and narrowed her eyes on me. Her magic coiled around my body then dragged me forward. I slid across the ice to her side in the flash of a second. The rest of our gang crashed into me.
“You don’t belong here,” Tegan growled and raised both hands. She curled her fingers then flicked her wrists. An evil laugh slipped out of her mouth, and her green eyes flickered with light. “Die.”
Bright orange flames shot out of her palms. Fire drenched the clearing, melting the ice under our feet. The flames swallowed the Unseelie fairies whole, and their cries echoed through the forest.
I cringed and looked away. When the screams faded a few seconds later, I looked up, and we were alone in the forest. Nine Coven members and piles of ash.
Chapter Thirty-One
TENNESSEE
“Girl, what did you do?” Royce laughed and shook his head.
“That reminded me of your queen of darkness days.” Timothy placed his hand to the ice, and it vanished under his touch. He chuckled and looked up at Tegan. “Not going to lie, freaks me out a bit.”
“I was hoping we’d see more of her, just on our side this time.” Lily sighed and lay back against the ground. “Easton. Don’t.”
Easton threw his hands out. His aquamarine eyes widened. “What? I didn’t say anything?”
Lily arched one black eyebrow. “I will let her burn you.”
“I’ll let you burn me, baby.” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned down at his girlfriend.
Tegan chuckled and shook her head. She ran her fingers through my hair, pushing it back off my face. She looked down at me with a soft flush on her cheeks and a smile on her lips. “I’m sorry I ran off by myself.”
The Aether Witch (The Coven: Elemental Magic Book 6) Page 17
