The Promise (The Coven Series)

by Baker, Apryl

  “I know you’re hurting, CJ. You loved Ethan, but don’t close yourself off from love because of that pain. That boy right there loves you more than life itself. I think he’s more than proven that.”

  He had proven it, over and over again. Truth was, I realized something when I saw him fall in the woods, when I didn’t know if he was alive or dead. My dad was right. Love did creep up on you when you least expected it. Over the last month, I’d gotten to know Jeff really well and had seen him for the person he was. I loved him. Not like I did Ethan, but I loved him nonetheless. I just wasn’t ready to deal with it yet.

  “I know, Dad. I just need a little while to think, okay?”

  He nodded. I pulled away from him and started walking away from the clearing. Once everyone was out of site, I ran. Hard and fast. I ran from the screaming in my own head, from the shattering of my heart. My world had cracked into a million tiny pieces.

  I ended up falling to my knees under the tree in the park I thought of as mine and Ethan’s. It was here the tears finally came. My shoulders shook and I shoved my fist into my mouth to keep from screaming. Ethan was gone…my family torn to pieces…I’d lost everything.

  “No, little sister, you haven’t lost everything.”

  My head snapped up. I blinked several times, but she didn’t disappear. Emily. She stood not a foot from me, smiling.

  “How…”

  “Samhain,” she grinned. “The night when the veil is at its thinnest. I was able to cross over for a few minutes.”

  I jumped up and threw myself at her. I passed straight through her body and landed on my face.

  She laughed herself silly. “Oh, that was a Kodak moment if ever there was one.”

  “I thought you were like Ethan…”

  Her face sobered at that. “No, Ethan was different. He was made whole to make sure the curse was fulfilled.”

  “He’s gone, Ems,” I whispered, the sob coming out despite my best efforts. It felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer and punched holes in every part of my body. I hurt everywhere. This was worse than when Emily died. I didn’t know if I could bear it.

  “You really love him, don’t you?” Emily asked.

  I sat up and wrapped my arms around my knees. “More than anything in this world.”

  She smiled. “Well then, you’re gonna love my birthday present, little sister.”

  “Birthday present?”

  She pointed to the edge of the trees. I saw the same silver light I’d seen in the clouds. Ethan stepped through it. He looked confused and more than a little shocked. But alive. My heart stuttered. Alive. He was alive and here.

  “Ethan?”

  He heard my whisper and his eyes met mine. We stared at each other for the longest time. Then he smiled that devilish smile of his and started toward us

  “Happy birthday, Cassie Jayne,” Emily whispered into my ear.

  “But how?”

  “It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. I have been arguing for days with the other side. He was made flesh and blood so he could fulfill the curse. The only way to do that was to kill you, but he wouldn’t do it. They told him in order for you to live, he had to give up his life. The sacrifice would taint the dark magic and ruin the ritual. The man died for you, CJ.”

  “I know.”

  “Anyway, I wasn’t about to let you lose the one person who made you happier than I’ve ever seen you when you were about to lose everything else.”

  “What did you do, Ems?”

  “She threw the most god awful fit you’ve ever seen,” Ethan laughed as he reached us. “And quoted old laws I didn’t even know existed.” He pulled me up and wrapped me in his arms. He spun me around in a circle before kissing me soundly. He was here, alive. Ethan was really here. I couldn’t believe it.

  “Yup,” she grinned. “Sacrifice yourself for the greater good and They owe you.”

  “They?” I asked.

  “Sorry, can’t tell you. It’s against the rules.”

  “Rules?” There were rules in the afterlife?

  She nodded. “I have another reason for coming back, CJ. I came to warn you, little sister.”

  “Warn me?”

  “Before I died, I was having dreams of a darkness coming.”

  “I know. I read your diary,” I nodded. “I thought you meant this, the curse.”

  “No,” she shook her head. “What I saw is still coming. It’s dark and truly evil. That’s all I’m allowed to tell you.”

  “But…”

  “No question. You have to figure it out yourself.”

  “That’s not fair, Ems. You can’t give me some cryptic warning and expect me to not ask questions!”

  “You’re a smart cookie, kid. You’ll figure it out,” Emily smiled. “I have to go now, Cassie Jayne.”

  “Now? You have to leave now? But Dad…”

  “I already saw him for a minute. He’ll be okay.”

  “I miss you so much, Emily.” I couldn’t stop the tears. “All the time.”

  “I miss you too, little sister,” she whispered. “I love you, Cassie Jayne.”

  “I love you too, Emily.”

  She smiled at me one last time and walked away and into the silver light Ethan had come through.

  I buried my head in Ethan’s chest and cried.

  “Shh, Cassie, it’ll be okay,” Ethan soothed.

  “I know,” I hiccupped and looked up into eyes the color of the fog after a rain. They were so serious, but full of joy.

  “I’m sorry, Cassie. I know you were scared, but I had to act like I was going to let them kill you. If I’d taken you and run, it wouldn’t have helped. They would have tracked us down. There was only way to stop the curse. I had to taint the ashes. The only way I could get near the ashes was to let Martin believe I was on his side and for that to work, you couldn’t know I was working on a way to save you. It almost killed me to let you think I didn’t care, that I wanted you dead.”

  I shivered, remembering the look of ice in his eyes, remembering how he hadn’t moved to help me when Mr. Martin hit me. I understood he only acted that way to try and save me, but it would be a long time before I forgot it.

  “Don’t you ever try and keep me safe by not telling me something again,” I told him. “I will forgive you this time, Ethan Matthew Warren, but never again. Do you understand me? I won’t go through that ever again.”

  “Cassie, you heard your sister. Something is coming. I’ll do whatever I have to if it means keeping you alive and safe.”

  “Never again, Ethan. I mean it. I’ll leave your ass sitting here right now. I have to be able to trust you.”

  “Cassie…”

  I glared. This was not something I was going to back down from.

  “No more lies, Ethan…or should I say Matthew?”

  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Call me Ethan. Matthew died a long time ago.”

  “The night Sara died?”

  He nodded.

  “Why didn’t you stay with Sara?” I had to know.

  He sighed. “I loved Sara, avenging her death became my soul purpose in life. It gave me strength, but it filled my heart with hatred. When you came along, Cassie, you made me feel something other than hatred. You made me feel alive and whole. You gave me strength through your love. I loved Sara, I did, but I don’t think I was ever really in love with her. You taught me what it means to be in love with someone. I have lived hundreds of years, and was never truly alive until I met you.”

  “How did that happen anyway?” He wasn’t a ghost, but he was something.

  “The curse basically gave me immortality. I’ve been alive since that night.”

  Immortal? The air left my lungs. Immortal?

  “I’m not anymore,” he said in a rush. “I’ll age and die just like you. I gave up my immortality to save you.”

  “Thank you,” I smiled and leaned into him. “For saving me, but you still have to promise never to lie to me again.”


  “You haven’t forgotten that, huh?”

  “Nope.”

  “Fine, I’ll try to never lie to you again.”

  “Try?”

  Ethan tilted my face up to his. “I love you, Cassie Jayne Bishop.” He leaned down to kiss me and as always, I was lost, my doubts flying out the window in the face of his kiss.

  The Fates had smiled upon us. At least for now.

  *** If you liked this book, please leave an honest review on www.amazon.com and/or on www.goodreads.com. I appreciate everyone who reads my works! ***

  About the Author:

  So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friend Chazz laughs at me when I scare myself watching them and tells me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.

  Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama you were seen kissing a particular boy on a particular day just a little too long. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters.

  Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol.

  I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

  You can reach me at any of these places:

  Blog: http://apryl-baker.blogspot.com/

  Twitter:@AprylBaker

  Goodreads: Apryl Baker