Pledge (Witches of Coventry House Book 1)

by Christina Garner

  She wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy; tension rolled off the other girls in waves.

  “Who will be the next woman to join?” Courtney asked.

  Hannah was about to speak up—she’d made her choice, better to just get it over with—when Sarah stepped forward.

  “I am.” Her voice almost cracked.

  Sarah squeezed Eden’s hand then stepped into the darkness.

  Hearing the word coven had chilled Sarah to the bone. Hadn’t she just told herself that she wanted nothing to do with paganism? This was about as pagan as you could get. And yet here she was, stepping through the door.

  She didn’t like even thinking that witchcraft existed. It opened a Pandora’s box filled with questions that flew in the face of everything she’d ever been taught to believe. But no matter how uneasy it made her, her gut—the one that had never been wrong—told her it was true. And that was the thing about truth—it existed whether you liked it or not.

  Sarah was swept up in fate, and it pulled her deeper into the darkened depths of the basement. The chanting reached a fever pitch, and she was about to plug her ears when several hands grabbed her, clawing at her clothing.

  She screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the rest of the noise. She’d opened Pandora’s box, and now she would pay.

  Eden stepped into the basement, the darkness so oppressive it had weight—pressing into her chest and making it hard to breathe.

  Deep-throated chanting vibrated her skull, tangling her thoughts. Instinct took over, and all she knew was that she had to get out of there.

  Hands gripped her on either side, and she gasped, unable to make out who—or what—had ahold of her. She struggled, but they dragged her deeper into the darkness.

  Eden kicked, and a very human, very female voice cried, “Ow!”

  “Chill out,” another hissed. “This is part of it.”

  Eden’s heart still pounded, but she ceased her struggle. It was all just for show.

  Assholes.

  A hand reached into her pocket and yanked out the dagger. A second later the tip of the blade was pressed to her clavicle, and her breath caught. This might be for show, but it was very convincing. One by one the dagger plucked the buttons from her shirt and then someone was pulling it from her back. Rough hands undid her jeans and slid them down, fingers flicking her calf when she didn’t step out of them quickly enough.

  A shudder passed through her, and it was all she could do not to bolt from the room. Things had gone from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds.

  Cold air made her flesh pebble, but not as much as when someone undid her bra. Instinct almost made her slap the hands away, but she forced her arms to stay at her sides. Someone slid her underwear down her legs, and Eden stepped out of them before being reprimanded. She was suddenly grateful for the dark but felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with her nakedness.

  Did she really want a new life this badly?

  For an agonizing moment she stood there, wondering what would happen next, and then warm water cascaded down upon her. The stream became a trickle, and then the hands were back, this time with washcloths, bathing her skin in a soap that smelled of jasmine. Gentle strokes caressed her arms, her legs, and her back, then wiped the soles of her feet. There was another cascade of water, this time washing away the soap.

  Something about their movements calmed her, making her feel like they were washing her clean in a way that wasn’t strictly physical.

  She was dried with fluffy towels, and then a thin slip was placed over head and tugged down around her. They led her away, and when she glimpsed a flicker of light, Eden realized she was behind thick tapestries. A hand moved one of them aside, and Eden stepped forward, bathed in the glow of a thousand tiny orbs.

  A ring of salt surrounded a large, red pentagram on the floor, and inside of it stood Carolyn with the pledges who had already completed the ritual. Eden tried to catch Sarah’s eyes, but they were closed.

  The remaining sisters formed a semi-circle outside of the salt ring. All of them wore thick, red robes except the pledges, who wore green. The chanting grew softer until it was nothing but a low hum.

  Now illuminated, Eden could see that one of those who had bathed her was Courtney, and she hoped she wasn’t the one she’d kicked. Courtney stepped to the edge of the salt then used Eden’s dagger to cut the air in the shape of a large archway. Nicole led Eden forward, pausing at the edge of the salt.

  “Woman of beauty and strength,” Carolyn called, her voice sounding otherworldly. “Woman of light and of dark, you stand now on the edge of two worlds. Have you the courage to die and be reborn?”

  Eden’s throat went dry. Was she really going to be...a witch? She’d seen things she didn’t understand, but that didn’t mean there weren’t logical explanations. She looked at the other pledges—Jules looking rapturous, Hannah just shy of stunned, Rebecca and Paige with their usual cool expressions. It was Sarah who gave her the courage—eyes now open. Her peaceful smile told Eden everything she needed to know.

  “I do,” Eden said. Was she supposed to step into the circle?

  Courtney and Nicole put their hands on her shoulders and spun her around, putting her back to Carolyn. Courtney wielded Eden’s dagger, placing the tip of it to just above her left breast. This time Eden knew it was a ruse and didn’t show fear.

  “Prepare to die,” Courtney said.

  Eden’s eyes widened in shock as Courtney plunged the dagger into her heart.

  Blood poured from Eden’s chest. She convulsed, which only made the blood flow faster, staining her white slip crimson and running down her legs.

  She tried to ask why, but the words wouldn’t come. She fell, her knees slamming against the cement. She was losing consciousness—losing her life—and the last thing she saw was Sarah’s smiling face.

  Chapter 6

  Eden’s eyelids fluttered open. Sarah no longer smiled; she was mouthing something. Eden strained to see—to understand.

  Everything.

  Everything is...

  As her eyes closed for the final time, Eden made out the last of it.

  ...a test.

  Her head hit the floor, rattling her brain, but what was left of her consciousness repeated the phrase.

  Everything is a test.

  Her eyes flew open, and with a gasp, she bolted upright. Her hands flew to her chest to stop the blood, but when she looked down, there was no wound, no blood.

  She looked up, bewildered, to see that everything around her glowed. Not just the orbs or the candle but everything. Carolyn glowed, so did Sarah, and even Rebecca—each bathed in an otherworldly light. Eden was awash in it too. She couldn’t see it, but she could feel it pulsating through her, could feel her connection with every sister—every atom—in existence.

  When she stood, it was as if she was being carried into the circle, where Carolyn greeted her.

  “Thus are you invited to pledge,” she said then kissed her lips.

  Carolyn turned her so that she was facing the circle of sisters, and Eden found herself face to face with Alex.

  Her eyes blazed. “Thus are you invited to pledge.” Then she, too, kissed her.

  One by one, each sister stepped forward, Courtney going last.

  Then Carolyn said, “Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, powers of air and invention. We invoke thee and ask that you hear this one’s pledge.”

  A ripple of cool air blew through the circle, caressing Eden’s cheek and feeling like a blessing. Carolyn led her clockwise and continued.

  “Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, powers of fire and feeling. We invoke thee and ask that you hear this one’s pledge.”

  The torches that lined the wall flared and sent a shower of sparks that burned out before touching her skin.

  A few more steps and Carolyn said, “Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, powers of water and intuition. We invoke thee and ask that you hear thi
s one’s pledge.”

  Carolyn dipped her fingers in an ornate bowl and sprinkled cool water above Eden’s left breast, soothing the area that still throbbed as if wounded.

  She then led Eden to a small mound of packed dirt.

  “Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, powers of Mother and earth. We invoke thee and ask that you hear this one’s pledge.”

  Carolyn guided Eden to step on the dirt, and when she did, she felt herself held in the most loving, perfect embrace. She wasn’t just connected to life—she was being held and loved by it. If she could have stood there forever she would have, but soon Carolyn tugged on her arm.

  Eden stepped off, the loss of warmth immediate.

  Carolyn led her to the point of the pentagram that held an altar. It was layered with colored scarves and held crystals and candles in varying hues as well as a bell, a chalice, and small statues of deities Eden couldn’t identify. Carolyn gestured for Eden to kneel on a cushion placed before it.

  When she did, Carolyn placed a hand on her shoulder. “Do you pledge yourself to this coven, vowing to keep secret all that you are taught as well as its very existence?”

  Eden’s eyes caught on the silver chalice and her own reflection. “I do.”

  The vow settled deep within her, and she knew that it was more than words.

  “Do you come as a supplicant, knowing you have much to learn and that the path may be difficult?”

  “Yes,” Eden said. It felt as though something ancient was speaking through her.

  “Then rise.”

  When Eden stood, Carolyn was ready with a dark green robe. She looked like a proud mother as she draped it over Eden.

  “You are welcomed to this circle as a pledge. May you have the strength and courage to know the truth.”

  Then she took Eden’s right hand and turned it so that her palm faced up and placed her own just above it. Eden’s palm began to pulse and grow warm. A moment later, a ball of light materialized above her palm. It looked exactly like the orbs that floated throughout the room.

  Eden gasped. It wasn’t just some trick—she’d felt the light being pulled through her.

  Carolyn removed her hand, and the light above Eden’s palm winked out. But it had done its job—removing any last traces of doubt that magic was real.

  Carolyn wrapped her in an embrace. Eden’s skin tingled, and her blood hummed with a divine ecstasy.

  This wasn’t just a new life. It was hers.

  When the ritual finished and the final girl had pledged, Sarah found herself back in her room with Eden, Hannah, and Jules. At first no one spoke, but then Sarah broke the silence.

  “That was...something.”

  In the circle everything made sense, but now Sarah felt wary of the choice she’d made.

  “You could say that,” Eden replied, her eyes still looking reverent and far away.

  Watching Eden as she thought she was dying had been horrifying, and Sarah wondered if that were a necessary part of the ritual or if Carolyn was part sadist. Her own mother always said, “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” but she never seemed all that broken up when she used the rod.

  What she found odd was that Eden had been fooled—to Sarah it had been plain as day even when it was happening to her. Courtney hadn’t plunged the knife in her chest, just swiped it gently to the side. What she really couldn’t believe was that they’d stripped her naked. To Sarah that had been the most terrifying part of the whole thing. Even in gym class she’d been teased for changing in a bathroom stall. It wasn’t only modesty—it just didn’t feel right to be naked in front of other girls.

  “I’m so sad about Lexi,” Hannah said. “I went to her room before I came here, but she was already gone. Why don’t they let us say goodbye?”

  None of the others had a good answer. Finally Jules said, “Why do you think she took the rose?”

  “Maybe she didn’t see the daggers,” Hannah said.

  “Didn’t see them?” It was Eden who spoke, but it was clear the rest of them had the same question.

  “I think it was another test,” Hannah side. “If so, I passed by the skin of my teeth.”

  “Well, thank God.” Jules clapped a hand on her knee. “I’d be lost around here without you.”

  The two shared a smile, and Sarah was glad that Hannah was helping Jules to come out of her shell.

  “We’re witches now,” Eden said. “Aren’t we supposed to thank the Goddess too?”

  Eden was grinning, but the question made Sarah uneasy. She didn’t share her mother’s fire-and-brimstone attitude, but she wasn’t ready to go that far.

  “Guess we’ll find out,” Hannah said.

  “When do you think we get to actually do stuff?” Eden’s eyes were bright with anticipation. “I just want to get started already.”

  “It’s only been a few hours,” Sarah said.

  “I know, but there’s so much to learn,” she said. “So much we’ll be able to do now.”

  A yawn escaped Sarah’s mouth before she could stop it. She hated to be a buzzkill, but it was well past midnight, and she had a lot to do tomorrow.

  Hannah and Jules took the hint.

  “See you in the morning, wiotches,” Hannah said with a sly grin.

  Even Sarah had to laugh at that, but as soon as they left she collapsed back against her pillows.

  “How can you be tired?” Eden said. “I feel so alive—like I might never need sleep again.”

  “Mmm.” Sarah was already half-dozing. “Be alive quietly, please. I have to be awake in seven hours.”

  She sensed Eden’s disappointment, felt her friend’s restlessness. Sarah turned over to face the wall and snuggled deeper into her covers. They would be talking magic for the next four years; there was no need to rush.

  “I felt something,” Hannah said as she and Jules settled into their beds. “Not just the magic, which was awesome, but I felt a strong connection with everyone in the circle. Does that make sense?”

  “Totally,” Jules said. “It felt real—like we were an actual family. And like...like I belonged in it.”

  Hannah had always wanted a sister. And then she got a step-sister, which turned out not to be the same thing at all. Chelsea and her mother went out of their way to make Hannah feel unwanted when she visited her father, but here she felt welcome—even by the sisters she suspected didn’t like her. But that’s what it was to be a family, right? You didn’t bail on each other over trivial BS like working late or any of the other things her mother had complained about when she’d divorced Hannah’s father.

  She felt herself drifting off.

  “Hannah?” Jules said, and Hannah opened her eyes.

  “Yeah?”

  “You feel like family too.” Jules seemed shy about saying it, but Hannah smiled.

  “Thanks, Jules. You do too.”

  Hannah fell asleep wondering which she was more excited about—learning magic or having sisters.

  Eden lay awake, staring at the ceiling. It wasn’t how dark the room was or the way the house creaked and groaned that kept her up. It was eagerness for it to be morning.

  She looked over at Sarah, marveling at her still form. How could she sleep when so much lay ahead of them?

  Eden’s mind spun, thinking of all the ways she might use witchcraft to do good in the world. As much volunteer work as she did, she always felt so powerless—like it was just a drop in the bucket.

  But what if magic could amplify her efforts? What if, instead of passing around petitions, she could put a protection spell over the whole rainforest? Or end droughts with her mind—or even war?

  Maybe with magic she wouldn’t feel helpless in the face of so much pain.

  Eden rolled over and tried to shut off her mind. Maybe Sarah was on to something. The sooner she fell asleep, the sooner she would wake and start her new life—as a witch.

  Chapter 7

  Eden woke feeling more refreshed than she had in months. She reached for
her notebook, planning to mark last night’s regimen as extremely effective when it dawned on her that, for the first time in months, she’d completely forgotten to take a pill.

  Die and be reborn is right, she thought excitedly. The stabbing thing hadn’t just been a test—it was a new beginning. The very one she’d come to college halfway across the country to find.

  Eden bounded from bed feeling invincible. She had been reborn and was ready for anything.

  There was a loud knock on the door.

  “Practice session in thirty minutes,” Alex barked.

  Eden grinned. Perfect.

  Carolyn led the pledges across the wide expanse of lawn. Eden lifted the hem of her robe to keep it from scraping the grass as she walked.

  No wonder we live on the tallest hill in town—no prying eyes to see us running around in robes.

  When all thirteen pledges were seated in a circle, Alex handed Carolyn a bag.

  “I’ve got a question.” Paige raised her hand like she was in class.

  “Go ahead,” Carolyn said.

  “If magic is real, what else is?” Paige’s words caught Eden off guard. Good question. Terrifying question. Paige went on. “I mean, are there vampires or shape shifters or—?”

  “Paige.” Rebecca rolled her eyes. “No matter how many erotic fantasy books you read, you are not having a shifter threesome. Let it go.”

  A few of the girls snickered, and Paige blushed scarlet.

  Carolyn cleared her throat. “Disturbing imagery aside, it’s not a silly question. Both light and dark do exist. We focus on light first because it’s easier. But true power lies in balance. Which isn’t to say that evil doesn’t exist.”

  Eden’s skin prickled, and her breath caught.

  “Read the news, and you’ll know—there’s evil. But people didn’t need to be monsters to be monstrous.”

  Eden’s therapist had said the same thing, explaining that she’d made him into the boogeyman as a defense against an even more horrible truth—he’d been just a man.