Coven

by Lacey Weatherford

  Once all the items were transferred back to the circle and set up, we stood aside and surveyed everything with deep appreciation—well, at least I did. I assumed the others were doing the same.

  “I like it,” I said, feeling the same peaceful ambiance that originally drew me to the place.

  “I do, too,” Jett said from my left, casually draping his arm around my shoulders. “This was a good idea.”

  “I can’t wait to use it.” Immediately my head began filling with supplies and things we would need for this place. I hoped it would be all right to store them in the cabin.

  “Tomorrow,” Seth said with a laugh. “It’s getting late and I promised your dad I’d have you home on time.”

  Reluctantly, I cast my gaze around the secluded space once more, before looking up at the moon. “You’re right. I guess we should probably go.”

  Walking back toward the car, Jett kept his arm draped loosely around me and Seth held my hand, all the while rubbing the back of it in a lazy circle, first three times in one direction and then three times in the other.

  “Why are you doing that?” I asked, nodding toward our clasped hands.

  “No reason. I just like feeling your silky smooth skin under mine.”

  “Oh.” I like that he wanted to touch me.

  “Yeah, I like feeling you up, too,” Jett added and I almost choked.

  Reaching the car, he held the door open and Seth climbed into the back, pulling the seat into place after him so I could sit in the passenger side. Glancing at the cabin, I realized it was all dark and closed up, once again, looking as if it had never been disturbed.

  “Thanks for bringing me out here,” I said to both guys, once Jett slid into the driver seat. “I had a really great time.”

  Leaning forward Seth wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind the seat, his face briefly appearing as he kissed my cheek.

  “Hopefully this is just the first night of many.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Are you kidding me? This place looks like a zoo!” Standing in the middle of historic Salem, I couldn’t believe everything I was seeing. It was like Halloween had thrown up all over the town and people.

  Wild decorations covered the streets and alleyways. Businesses and residential homes alike, were completely decked out with spooky décor—all meant to entice those who made a pilgrimage back to the place of the historic Salem Witch Trials.

  I wondered if those who lived during the famous trials realized what would happen to this area as a result of their judgment. In their effort to destroy witches, they simply succeeded in turning the town into one of the most well-known witch meccas of the world. People came from all over—some were actual witches, mixing with tourists who wanted to celebrate the magical beings. I’d never seen so many costumes in my life. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t actually October 31st, yet.

  “Shoot, this is nothing,” Seth said, holding my hand as we walked down the sidewalk. “Wait until you see it in a couple of weeks, on Halloween day. You can hardly walk through the streets because of all the tourists.”

  “I guess I didn’t realize it was such a big deal. I mean, I’ve seen it in movies and stuff, but it’s not like there’s a lot of places to trick-or-treat when you live in the middle of nowhere. Our closest neighbor was at least thirty miles away.”

  “Then we need to make sure you get the whole experience,” Jett interjected, his elbow casually brushing against mine as we walked, sending sparks every time we touched. “What do you want to dress up as?”

  I didn’t hesitate. “Definitely a princess. Maybe Cinderella?”

  “Seriously?” Jett sounded disappointed. “I thought for sure you’d want to be a witch. I mean, this is Salem, after all.”

  Laughing, I shook my head. “I’m a witch in Salem every day. I want to be something else for Halloween.”

  “Hmm. I didn’t think of it that way.”

  “If you’re serious about dressing up, there’s a masquerade ball coming up at school,” Seth said. “Do you want to go?”

  Feeling uncomfortable, I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “What’s wrong?” Jett asked, sounding concerned.

  “Well, I figured I wouldn’t go because I didn’t want to hurt either of your feelings. I want to go with both of you.”

  “If that’s what you want, then we will make it happen,” Seth added, not sounding upset in the least.

  “You don’t think it would be weird for Cinderella to show up with two Prince Charming’s?”

  “I think it sounds like a twisted fairytale if you ask me. Twisted could be fun.” Leave it to Jett to put the naughty spin on everything.

  I’d spent nearly every free spare moment I had with these two guys over the last month and a half, and it had done nothing to clear up my feelings. If anything, it made them even more muddled. The closer we grew together, the more our lives intertwined, like vines swirling, tangling and knotting together until I wasn’t even sure how we’d ever operated as individuals. It never seemed exactly right unless both of them were with me. Something about each of them filled a special kind of need inside me.

  I’d done as Jett suggested, casually bringing him up to my parents as I tried to find a way to introduce them. Being a cheerleader had helped because they came to watch the games, and my dad had been impressed with the way both Jett and Seth played. Still, that didn’t mean he was ready for Jett to date me—not to mention I was pretty sure he’d freak if he knew I was dating them both.

  “Hey, check this out,” Seth said, dragging me closer to a vendor table with several jewelry pieces spread out on display. The artistry and craftsmanship was fabulous on several of the pieces, and so was the price.

  “How beautiful! Did you make these?” I politely asked the woman at the table, peering closer as I looked at several different colored pendants.

  “Oh no. These are pieces I’ve collected from all over. Some of them are quite rare.”

  A beautiful purple pendant caught my attention. Scrolling silver filigree surrounded the stone. My hand moved as if it had a mind of its own. “How much for this one?” I asked, running my fingers over the tarnished silver chain.

  “You have good taste,” the woman said. “That’s the most expensive one in the bunch. It’s one hundred and fifty dollars.”

  I didn’t have that much with me. “I only have one hundred. Will you take that?” Staring hopefully, I wanted this necklace so badly.

  “I’m afraid one twenty is as low as I’m willing to go.”

  “Will you hold it, then, while I go get more money?”

  “Here’s a twenty,” Jett said, dragging his wallet out and retrieving some cash.

  Relief flooded through me and I flashed a grateful smile at him. “Thank you so much. We can go to the ATM and I’ll pay you right back.”

  “You don’t have to pay me back.” He smiled. “I don’t mind helping to buy you something pretty.”

  “It’s not for me,” I rushed to explain. “It’s for my mom. As soon as I saw it, I knew she needed to have it.” I paid the woman, feeling a strange excitement rush through me. She wrapped it up and handed it to me in a small plastic bag.

  “Thank you for your purchase,” she said with a smile. “Feel free to drop by again. I’ll be out here every weekend this month.

  “Thanks. Have a nice day.”

  “Where to now, boss?” Seth glanced at me.

  I shrugged. “I’m following both of you. You know all the good places to go. Of course, if there is somewhere we can get cash so I can pay Jett back, that would be great.”

  “Seriously, Kenna. Don’t worry about the money.” I loved the way my name sounded on his lips. It was just so yummy. I wanted to ask him to say it again. Whenever either of them spoke my name, it did funny things to me. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the attraction, or because of the way our magical abilities heightened around one another.

  Ever since we’d been practicing toge
ther in the woods, it was undeniable that something powerful was going on between us. Our magic was off-the-charts strong when we acted together, much more so than when we did feats separately.

  “Oh, look!” I pointed, already distracted, drawing their attention to a large sign that read: Madame Palmeroy Tells Your Fortune. “A fortune teller. I’ve always wanted to get my fortune told.”

  “I could try and tell it,” Jett offered and I snickered.

  “What?” he asked, frowning. “Are you doubting my premonition abilities?”

  “No. I just imagined you in a gypsy costume.”

  His laughter joined mine. “I’d be the hottest damn gypsy you’ve ever seen.” He was probably right. His longer hair and dark, sultry looks combined with that perfect trimmed facial scruff—he’d be a heartbreaker, for sure. I’d probably need to beat the women off him with a stick.

  “I want to go see this Madame Palmeroy—see if she’s legit.” Moving toward the tent, I practically dragged Seth behind me.

  The flap to the tent was open, folded back, and the three of us stepped inside—almost immediately into a wall of red fabric that draped the length of the small tent. A couple of folding chairs were shoved against a wall, and the soft music playing from somewhere barely covered the murmur of voices still evident from behind the curtain.

  “I guess we just sit down and wait our turn?” I asked, glancing between Jett and Seth.

  “Works for me. Pick a seat,” Seth said, gesturing to one of the two.

  “I’ve got a better idea,” Jett said, sliding into one of the chairs and pulling me onto his lap. “Now we can all sit down.”

  I giggled and Seth smiled as he sat in the vacant one beside us, not seeming the least bit upset over the fact the Jett had just snatched me away from him.

  “You need to be careful,” Jett whispered into my ear, loud enough for Seth to hear. “Don’t offer any information to the woman. The fakes try to lead you and they are trained to look for tells. A real seer, or fortune-teller, won’t need those things.”

  “Okay, but you’re coming in with me, right?”

  He shrugged. “If you want.”

  “I want,” I replied, glancing at Seth. “You, too. It’ll make me feel less antsy.”

  “What’re you antsy about?” Seth asked, rubbing his hand in a comforting gesture against my thigh—only I was pretty sure comfort wasn’t what he was causing inside me with his action. Having Jett’s arms around me wasn’t helping matters, either.

  The curtain parted suddenly, revealing a costumed woman. I’d guess she was around sixty, wearing a heavily patterned gown of reds, yellows, and purples. Her red hair, which was clearly not natural judging from the shade, was peeking out from beneath a turban containing a large fake jewel and a feather. Her loosely draped clothing made a swishing sound as she gestured toward the three of us. “Next?” she said, arching an eyebrow as she stared us down. I wondered if she was trying to appear intimidating.

  “I’d like a reading,” I replied, standing. “But I’d like for my friends to join me.”

  “Come along,” she replied. With a dramatic twirl of her fingers, she disappeared behind the fabric, once more.

  Seth stood and parted the curtain, allowing me to enter the darkened space, lit only by three pillar candles on a small table. Instantly I was overpowered by the smell of burning incense—so much so that I felt completely robbed of oxygen.

  Sitting down across the round table from the woman, I began coughing. At that moment, a cool breeze swirled through the tent, causing some of the thick claustrophobic air to diminish. Casting a grateful glance toward Jett, I knew he was the one responsible for it and I wished I could thank him.

  “I’m Madame Palmeroy. Thank you for coming to see me, today. Do you have the payment for your session?”

  Nothing like jumping straight to the chase, I thought. I dug into my pocket and then remembered I still owed Jett for the necklace and I was out of money. Apparently he remembered, as well, because he retrieved another twenty-dollar bill from his wallet and plopped it down in front of her.

  She made quick work of gathering it up and disposing it into a padlocked strongbox with a slit on the top. Then she turned her attention back to me. “If it’s all right, I’d like to take a moment to ask you a few questions before we begin, just to ascertain your energy, of course.”

  Jett and Seth each took up a position behind my chair, almost as if they were standing guard. I felt Jett lightly squeeze one of my shoulders, warning me, again, to be mindful of revealing too much.

  “What would you like to know?” I responded with a smile.

  “Let’s start with your name.”

  “Kenna,” I replied, seeing no harm in her knowing my first name. She had introduced herself to me, after all. It was the polite thing to do.

  “And how old are you, Kenna?”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be able to tell things like that?” Jett asked, obviously a skeptic in spite of his own slight ability toward premonition.

  Madame Palmeroy stared at him pointedly. “Very well, then. May I see your hand, Kenna?” She didn’t take her eyes off Jett until I slid my hand across the table.

  Glancing down, she took it in hers and ran her long, wildly painted fake nails across my palm, giving me goose bumps, but not in a good way. Unable to help myself, I leaned forward, as if trying to discern what she might be seeing, as well.

  “Interesting,” she said mostly to herself. “Very interesting.”

  “What?” I asked, eager to hear her assessment.

  “I see a tall, dark, handsome man in your future. He will be your soul mate in every way.” Seth immediately stiffened beside me.

  “Who is he?” I wasn’t sure that she was actually hitting on anything, so I needed her to clarify more.

  “His name begins with an M.”

  “An M?” Confusion swirled through me as I tried to remember if I’d met any guys with an “M” name, recently.

  “It could perhaps be an inverted W,” she continued on. “It’s hard to see.”

  Sighing, I immediately lost faith in her ability. She couldn’t possibly be reading me if she was already guessing. “What else is there?”

  “I see happiness in your future. Education, marriage, and children.”

  “How many children?” I asked, having never really considered the possibility for myself.

  “Hard to see. It’s very cloudy. Maybe two, or even five.”

  “Which is it? Two or five,” Jett said in an irritated tone. “That’s kind of a big difference.”

  “The spirits are often hedgy. A lot of fortune telling is left up to interpretation.”

  “So, in other words, you don’t have the gift. Is that what you’re saying?” I could practically feel the disgust oozing off him. His fingers dug into my shoulder and I winced. He was getting angry.

  “How dare you speak to me that way? Don’t you know who I am? I come from a long line of respected psychics.”

  “You just don’t happen to be one of them,” Jett lashed back. “That’s why you’re sitting here on a street corner trying to sucker honest people out of their money.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me giving people a bit of fun during the festivities.”

  “There is if you don’t state that this is for entertainment purposes only,” Seth spoke up. “That’s false advertising.”

  Jumping from her seat, Madame Palmeroy stared between them both, her eyes glittering like ice. “Get out, before I throw you out.” I was pretty sure she’d forgotten she was still holding my hand. “Get out now!” she yelled again, lunging toward Jett and grabbing him by the sleeve.

  “Back off, bitch!” he yelled, sending a slight burst of magic that made her tumble back into her seat. I grabbed at her with my other hand in an attempt to keep her from falling all the way to the ground.

  Immediately she stiffened, her face draining completely of color.

  “Madame Palmeroy?” I questione
d, sounding slightly hysterical. “Are you okay?”

  Woodenly staring, her eyes appeared to look right through me. “You need to run,” she spoke, her voice too strong and deep to be that of the woman we’d just been speaking with. This was one hundred percent real. I could feel it. “Danger is coming,” she droned on. “Big danger . . . in fact.” She paused and her grip tightened painfully on me. “It’s too late, the danger is already here.”

  “What danger?” I asked, noting for the first time that everything around us was shaking violently, as if we were caught in an earthquake. Fear shot through me.

  Instantly, her gaze snapped to Seth. “She’s coming for you—the death bringer. She makes monsters of men.”

  “Who?” I asked again, trying to get more information.

  Eyes settling back on me, she snarled. “You.”

  “Enough!” Jett yelled, jumping in between us and severing the connection. Grabbing my hand he dragged me from the table and toward the exit. I reached behind me, connecting with Seth’s arm and hooking onto it and pulling him along with us.

  Stepping outside of the tent, we were greeted with the same cool, but sunny October air. Patrons still roamed around freely—laughing, eating, and gawking at each other without a care in the world. It was plainly obvious that no one had just experienced what we had.

  “What the hell was that?” I asked, rubbing my hands as if that would remove the feel of her. It was like she was still clinging to me, branding me.

  “I have no idea; but she was definitely tapped into some bad mojo,” Jett said, checking me over as if he expected to find my hands slashed open or something. I thought it was sweet of him.

  “I wish I could’ve found out more. If something bad is coming, I need to know how to stop it.” Glancing at the tent, I wondered if I was brave enough to go back in there.

  “She said you were the evil that was coming. We all know that’s impossible. I think she was pissed and was simply grandstanding. Don’t pay any attention to the things she said.”

  “I don’t know, man. With the energy she was putting out, there’s no way she could’ve faked that. I think she was tapped into something else,” Seth disagreed.