Pledge (Witches of Coventry House Book 1)

by Christina Garner

  Eden was turning to come back in, and Sarah felt bad for her. But then Quinn said something, and Eden looked back.

  Sarah had to admit Quinn was cute, and his eyes were downright beautiful. So why didn’t he do anything for her?

  In high school she’d told herself she was just being chaste. But by junior year she’d begun wondering what was wrong with her. Even her mother had questioned why she wasn’t dating.

  “The Lord admires virtue,” she said. “But turning away from boys can lead to the sin of homosexuality.”

  Sarah decided that if she just got it over with and finally kissed a boy, everything would be fine. Cam Murphy always smiled at her, and he smelled nice, so at the next bonfire party she sat next to him.

  They talked about Chem class and Mr. Trooby’s bad toupee. Then he asked her if she wanted to go for a walk. He held her hand, which Sarah thought was sweet. Eventually they’d taken a seat on the shore of the lake, far enough from the bonfire not to be seen.

  Things moved quickly from there. His tongue felt foreign in her mouth, his touch too strong as he pressed himself against her. She tried to go with it—she was supposed to like this. Why didn’t she like this?

  “Ow,” she said when his stubble scratched her face.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled and kissed her neck. His hand slipped between her legs, and she jumped up.

  “I-I want to go back,” she said, her face flushed with embarrassment.

  Cam looked at her, his face a mix of confusion and annoyance. “Sure, okay.”

  He didn’t hold her hand on the way, and when they reached the bonfire he went to sit with Marcy Patterson.

  Soon after she’d asked her mother how she’d known she was in love with her father.

  “I just knew,” she’d said. “When it’s the right one, you just know.”

  That had made Sarah feel much better. There wasn’t anything wrong with her—she just hadn’t found the one yet.

  But that had been a year ago, and now Sarah wondered what was taking the right one so long.

  Eden stopped fake texting and started real texting her parents, letting them know she was safe and doing well. Her father asked if Coventry House had a security system, and even though Eden had no idea, she answered that yes, it did. She definitely didn’t mention that her room was on the ground floor.

  She’d given up on her original mission of talking to Quinn and was turning to go back inside when a voice called to her.

  “How was the coffee?” Quinn asked.

  “Good,” Eden said, turning back. “Definitely lived up to the hype.”

  “Glad to hear it.” Quinn flashed his eye-crinkling smile—the one he didn’t give every customer. “Getting settled in?”

  Her cheeks got hot. “How could you tell?”

  What about her screamed freshman?

  Now it was his turn to blush. “I just would have remembered seeing you before.”

  She bit her lower lip to keep the smile from splitting her face. “Oh.”

  “I’m Quinn.” He stepped forward.

  “Eden,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”

  “You too.” He was still smiling when the timer went off on his phone. “I’ve got to get back, but I’ll see you around, okay?”

  “Yeah,” Eden said. “See you.”

  Quinn disappeared back into the coffee shop, and Eden gestured for Sarah to come outside. Definitely better to leave now and go out on a high note. She was only willing to push her newfound luck so far.

  When they returned home, she and Sarah learned that in addition to Talia, three more girls had been asked to leave. Hannah gave the news in hushed tones, even though they were behind closed doors.

  “Do you think they saw the wrong number?” Eden asked.

  “Or none at all,” Hannah said.

  Who couldn’t have seen that?

  “They are not kidding about a strict selection process.” Jules sounded nervous.

  “Apparently not,” Sarah agreed. “They’re dropping like flies.”

  “Is anyone else completely clueless about just what any of these tests have to do with being in a sorority?” Hannah asked.

  The others were nodding when Courtney popped her head in. “What do you guys want for dinner? Pledges’ choice.”

  The girls looked at each other, and finally Sarah said, “If I say pizza, am I getting kicked out for choosing wrong?”

  Courtney cocked her head to the side. “I can’t confirm or deny.” Her words hung in the air until she smiled and added, “So far it’s a popular choice so I think you’re safe.”

  Courtney marked their votes for pizza, but Eden no longer had an appetite.

  Chapter 4

  Pledges’ choice didn’t apply just to dinner—they got to choose the movie too. Hannah’s romantic comedy pick lost out to a horror movie, but she still found herself having fun, even as she squealed and shut her eyes.

  She’d have preferred another frat party, but given how well that had worked out last night, she was content to stay in.

  The sisters had cleared out of the common room completely and let the pledges take over. If she was honest, it was the most fun slumber party Hannah had ever been to, and she didn’t even have to sleep on the floor.

  Even the girls she didn’t like were being cool. Paige had vodka and went around spiking each girl’s drink, and when it was time for ice cream, Rebecca volunteered to serve.

  Heads swiveled in shock, causing her to respond, “What? I’m not a bitch all the time...”

  As Hannah scraped the last bit of her sundae, she realized why this all felt familiar to her. It was how she used to feel as a kid when her parents were still together—like she was part of a family.

  “Want some more?” Jules asked, proffering her half-full bowl.

  Hannah waved her off. “God, no. Thanks, but I’ve eaten way too much already. Pretty sure I just gained the freshman fifteen.”

  Jules turned back to the movie, happily eating her ice cream.

  Hannah was starting to really like Jules. Yes, she was a little strange—and a complete fashion disaster—but Hannah got the impression that neither was her fault. She’d tried to get a little of her story, but Jules seemed guarded, and Hannah didn’t want to pry.

  She’d waited patiently while Hannah had chosen a new coat—not trying anything on for herself, which wasn’t a big surprise. If Jules had money for shopping, she wouldn’t be wearing clothes that were practically falling apart.

  That was the real reason Hannah had needed a new coat—so she could give Jules her old one.

  The movie ended, and some girls were getting up to go back to their rooms when Carolyn entered.

  “I hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves today,” Carolyn said. “But break time is over. Today started with a test and ends with one.”

  Some of the girls groaned. Hannah was tired, and, in spite of herself, had started to care if she got in. Why couldn’t Carolyn let them have this one night?

  Carolyn made a placating gesture. “It’s painless. Not even any temperature changes.”

  So that was one of the tests. It seemed like a week ago.

  “One by one, you will pass through this room.” Carolyn gestured to the door behind her. “At the far end there is a note. Read it, do what it says, and exit out the second door. Lexi, why don’t you go first?”

  Lexi stood and took a tentative step toward the door. She opened it and stepped inside, swallowed by darkness.

  Eden’s palms grew sweaty as she waited for her name to be called. She’d seen how dark the room was. If it was also small...

  “Eden,” Carolyn said. “It’s your turn.”

  She stood, wiping her palms on her jeans, and crossed the common room. She paused with her hand on the doorknob.

  “You’ll be fine.” Carolyn placed a hand on her shoulder. “Trust your instincts.”

  Eden twisted the knob and walked into the darkened depths. She had a moment of vision, and then Carolyn shut th
e door, plunging her into darkness. Eden’s heart raced, and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing them to adjust. Trust my instincts.

  When she opened her eyes, her jaw dropped in awe. No longer in the dark, she was surrounded by glowing orbs of light, each a miniature sun orbiting the room. Joy bubbled up inside of her—a joy like she’d felt as a child and witnessed a magic trick. She looked for the wires but saw none. She raised her hands, feeling for them, but the orbs danced just out of her reach.

  A giggle escaped her lips. How long had it been since she’d seen something she couldn’t figure out? Something good, anyway.

  She knew that she wasn’t supposed to stay this long, but she couldn’t help it—couldn’t take her eyes off of the spheres as they drifted and bobbed around the room.

  “Any day now,” Alex barked from the other side of the second door.

  Eden cast a glance around, looking for the note Carolyn had mentioned. She found it on a table between two trays. One held exquisite, long-stemmed white roses, the other, ornate daggers. Eden reached for the note, and several of the orbs flowed to her, surrounding it with enough light to make out the words.

  Dagger or rose. Choose the rose, and you resign your place at Coventry House. Choose the dagger, and you will undergo the pledging ritual. Choose wisely. Whichever you pick, there is no going back.

  She recognized a handful of the gems that encrusted the hilts of each dagger: quartz crystal, onyx, and moonstone. Some of the others were ones she’d never seen: green flecked with red, blue flecked with gold.

  To her the choice boiled down to this: take the dagger and keep moving forward into her new life, or take the rose and end up back at home.

  Eden made her choice and smiled. The blade felt good in her hand.

  Hannah stood mesmerized by the lights as they danced above her. She tried to touch them, but every time she did they bobbed away.

  She moved to the table and found the note Carolyn had mentioned next to a tray, half-filled with white roses. She picked up the notecard and read the words, Take a white rose and go back to your room.

  Well, Carolyn hadn’t lied; it was certainly painless enough. Hannah reached for the rose but then stopped, remembering the number test and how she almost hadn’t seen what was there.

  She picked up the notecard again and squinted, trying to see the trick. At first there was nothing, and then... The words flickered.

  Hannah strained to focus. Not only did the words on the paper change, but another tray—this one with daggers—slipped in and out of view.

  She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, the words and the tray were solid.

  She’d been telling herself she could always bail, but this had a feeling of finality about it. Definitely if she chose the rose, but even if she chose the dagger. Her gut told her that once she pledged it might not be as easy to leave as she thought. And did she want to leave? Yesterday she would have said yes, but now...?

  Her hand hovered over the daggers and then the roses. She’d gotten what she came for. Did she really want more?

  Sarah stood in front of the table with the two trays and contemplated her choice, her mind snagging on the word ritual.

  She’d heard about fraternities like Skull and Bones—how they locked two pledges in a coffin overnight together and made them tell each other their darkest secrets. Did “ritual” mean something like that? Sarah didn’t scare easily, but she knew for sure that she didn’t want to be locked in a coffin or doing anything even remotely paganistic. Although that would be ironic—her Baptist mother insisting she join a sorority only to have it turn out to be a bunch of devil worshipers. It would almost be worth it just to see her mother’s face when she told her on Thanksgiving break.

  She wondered idly about the golden spheres that floated around the room, but parlor tricks weren’t important. What was important was the choice.

  It would be easy to pick up the white rose. Several other girls already had, she could tell by how empty the tray was. She could leave and rush one of the other sororities, and if she didn’t get a bid, she’d tell her mother there was always next semester.

  She willed herself to pick up the white rose. There was something happening at Coventry House that made her uneasy. If she was honest, it downright scared her. Yet she couldn’t make her hand obey the command. The feeling in her gut mocked her, already knowing what she would choose.

  Something important depended upon her picking up the knife. Doing so would set in motion Sarah’s destiny, a destiny she wasn’t sure she wanted. Not knowing what that destiny was didn’t make it any less true.

  Her hand trembled as it hovered over the white roses. She wouldn’t let fate decide her destiny. That was for her to choose.

  Eden followed Nicole down a long corridor until they came to a thick, wooden door that looked so old it might have been part of the original house, built two centuries ago.

  Nicole turned the knob, and the door creaked open, the sound all the more ominous in the deathly quiet. She handed Eden a small torch and motioned for her to descend the stone steps.

  Eden placed one foot in front of the other, all the while praying that her flame didn’t go out.

  The stairs led down to a foyer of sorts, and Eden arrived to find Rebecca and Paige as well as a few other girls. She was surprised to realize Lexi had chosen the white rose.

  Eden placed her torch in a notch on the wall next to those of the other girls. Nerves twisted her belly as the time stretched. Would Sarah choose the dagger?

  The door creaked open, and she looked up expectantly, only to see Hannah descending the stairs. She did her best to mask her disappointment—Hannah was nice enough, just not the person she’d hoped to see.

  “Don’t you feel sorry for the girls who didn’t pass?” she whispered.

  Before Eden could ask her what she meant, the door was opening again, and relief flooded through her when she saw Sarah, looking grim and clutching her dagger.

  “You look freaked,” Eden said under her breath once Sarah had placed her torch.

  “I am. And I don’t care what I grabbed—if they try to lock us in a coffin, I’m out of here.”

  A what?

  Jules was descending the stairs, positively beaming.

  “Mark my words,” Sarah said. “Something creepy is about to happen. It might be actually creepy or just-to-scare-us creepy, but creepy.”

  “So marked.” Eden’s lips twitched into a smile.

  Something about Sarah being nervous gave Eden more confidence. They couldn’t both freak out.

  A minute later the sound of chanting made Eden jump. It wasn’t in English—wasn’t a language Eden had ever heard before. She wasn’t the only one startled. One girl’s knife clattered to the floor. There were thirteen of them now, all waiting in the antechamber in front of an arched door made of thick, wooden planks.

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention, and a shiver passed down her spine. The sound grew louder—to Eden it almost sounded like it was coming from inside her own head.

  She didn’t know how they were doing it, but one thing she did know: if anyone tried to lock her in a coffin, they were meeting the pointy end of her new dagger.

  Sarah had been half-kidding about the coffins, but none of this seemed the least bit funny anymore. The chanting had tipped things from might-be-fun scary to full-on frightening, and she wanted no part of it. She wasn’t devout, but she definitely wasn’t interested in Satan worship, and that seemed to be the way this was going.

  It’s just for show, she told herself. To see if you’ll crap your pants. Everything is a test.

  But when the nonsensical chanting grew so loud it buzzed in her brain, it was all she could do not to make a break for it.

  All the girls looked scared except for one—Rebecca. She wore an open smirk.

  “Seriously, ladies,” she said. “How dumb can you be?”

  “What do you mean?” Jules asked, barely audible above
the noise.

  “I mean, haven’t you figured this out yet?” She turned the blade over in her hands.

  “The rest of us aren’t legacies,” Hannah said, her arms folded. “So why don’t you fill us in?”

  “Okay, I did grow up hearing about this place, and my mom does always light candles and lock herself in her bedroom on the full moon, but think about it, geniuses.” Rebecca looked at their blank faces and rolled her eyes. “It’s called Coventry House.”

  Chapter 5

  Eden’s mind raced. Were covens even a real thing? And if so, was she actually going to pledge herself to one?

  Believing in magic seemed crazy, but it did explain a few things: whistles only some people heard, bats not everyone saw. Plus whatever Nicole had done to her face at the party.

  The lock clicked, and the door opened. Brianne stepped out wearing a hooded robe the color of blood. Eden glanced back hesitantly at Sarah, who raised an eyebrow. Whether it was an “I told you it was going to be creepy” or “there better not be coffins” look, Eden wasn’t sure.

  “It is time,” Brianne intoned. “Who steps forward to pledge?”

  Now all of the girls exchanged glances, none wanting to be first. All except Jules.

  “I do.” Her voice sounded bolder than Eden had ever heard it. Jules walked toward the door, and Brianne laid a hand on her shoulder.

  “Courage,” she said then opened the door just enough that Jules could enter.

  Like the others, Eden tried to get a peek at what was going on inside, but all she saw was darkness.

  Courage?

  She checked her pocket for the knife.

  Hannah’s heart pounded. Two more girls had entered after Jules. One of them was Rebecca. Was she right? Was Coventry House an actual coven? Twenty minutes ago she would have laughed at the notion that they even existed—now here she was, possibly about to pledge herself to one.