The Rebel Witch

by Chandelle LaVaun

  I nodded and flexed my fingers. The coins responded immediately, hovering a few feet in the air. My magic sizzled with the need to use it. “In theory.”

  “Tegan, remember?” Saffie asked from behind me.

  A dark, black cloud rose from the ground. The earth trembled under my feet. Warm, salty wind whipped up my back then wrapped around the courtyard. Thunder rumbled above our heads, and lightning cracked across the black sky. The water in the fountain turned to solid ice.

  Tegan held her left hand up, and her II Mark stood out against her fair skin. The golden wave ring glistened. Her magic coiled around her fingers. It was a rainbow mist of menace and fury, just waiting to be released. She twirled the dagger in her other hand. She looked back over her shoulder, and her eyes sparkled like diamonds. “Oh, I remember.”

  Chapter Two

  Tegan

  “Em, are you okay?” I narrowed my eyes at my twin and waited for her to respond. Then I waited some more. “Emersyn?”

  My sister seemed to be functioning on a different wavelength this morning. Wherever her thoughts were, I certainly wasn’t getting through. Normally, my twin talked my ear off our entire drive to school. Yet she’d parked our car in the student parking lot a solid two minutes ago and still hadn’t spoken. Not that I was in a rush to get to class, but something was off with her.

  “Earth to Emersyn.” I took my seat belt off and spun to face her. Except all I got was her profile. The morning sunshine made her hair and eyes look like liquid gold. I frowned. Maybe I had to try a different approach. I focused my energy on my twin, then spoke to her with my mind. All right, what’s going on in that head over there?

  Emersyn jumped. She pressed her hand to her chest. Her wide eyes found mine. “What?”

  “Finally. Damn.” I shook my head and laughed. “What is happening in the driver’s seat right now? We parked like an hour ago. Talk to me.”

  She cursed and dropped her forehead to the steering wheel.

  “I love it when you curse. Did you know that? So feisty. But seriously. Start talking.”

  “I was trying to get our story straight,” she mumbled against the steering wheel.

  I frowned. “Our story?”

  “Yes.” She turned her head to look at me without picking it up. “Our story, for why we went to the park last night. You know Mom told Uncle Kessler, which means everyone else knows. Which means they’re going to ask us why, and we need to be ready.”

  I reached over and pulled the keys out of the ignition. “We didn’t do anything wrong, Em. We don’t need an alibi.” I threw the keys in my backpack then climbed out.

  “But what are we gonna say?”

  I leaned down into the open doorway. “The truth, obviously.” I winked and closed the door before she could panic any further.

  Once out of my twin’s sight, I sighed and eyed the surrounding parking lot. The beach was just close enough for me to smell the hint of salt in the air. The sky was vivid blue without a single cloud. The sun beat down on me in all its awful glory, burning against my chest. I squinted and slid my sunglasses into place. The air was wet and sticky. I’d only been standing in the heat for mere seconds, and sweat dripped down my spine. Every time the wind blew, it felt like someone was breathing down my neck.

  I turned around—and froze in place. My heart climbed up my throat. Tennessee stood behind our car with his tan arms crossed over his muscled chest. His glare was hot and filled my stomach with butterflies. Damn it, he looks good. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the sight of him or the effect he had on my body. His black hair grazed the bottom of his jaw. The waves were wild and tangled, like he’d run his hands through the strands all night. His mismatched eyes narrowed and looked up and down my body. I shivered and licked my lips, then took a tentative step closer. That was when I noticed belatedly the rest of our Coven standing right behind him…with the exact same expression.

  Cooper’s nostrils flared, and I knew if he had fire magic, he’d be breathing smoke like a dragon. His shoulders rose and fell as he breathed heavily. The muscles in his arms flexed. Beside him, Royce’s sapphire eyes were bloodshot and glaring at me like I was his enemy. As a matter of fact, they all glared at me.

  Emersyn’s door opened behind me. “For my own sanity can we—” She gasped.

  Don’t say it, I whispered to my sister’s mind.

  “Your sanity? Your sanity?” Cooper said through clenched teeth. “I’d love to know where the hell your sanity is right now. Or should I say where it was last night?”

  I cleared my throat and pushed my sunglasses on top of my head. “We had perfectly sane intentions last night.”

  “How the hell do you figure that?” Cooper yelled, his face flushed bright red.

  “Don’t yell at us like we’re children,” I snapped back.

  “Then don’t act like children!” he shouted.

  “What’s the matter, Cooper, don’t like when people keep secrets from you?” I said through clenched teeth. My voice came out low and rougher than I’d ever heard it. I pushed my shoulders back and took a step closer to him. My magic pulsed under the surface, begging to be used. “The audacity in your hypocrisy is laughable, big brother. You lost the right to scold us when you lied to our faces. Don’t make the mistake of thinking I forgot.”

  Emersyn stepped up beside me and wrapped her hand around my elbow. It was both a sign of support and a warning to back off. Had anyone else pulled that, I might’ve flipped out, but my twin had my back. I knew we messed up by going by ourselves to the park, but how dare he speak to us like that.

  “You don’t get to choose when to be our brother, Cooper,” Emersyn snapped. “Perhaps if you lived with your own family, we could’ve had this conversation last night.”

  “Unless of course you’d like to see sibling rivalry take a magical turn.” I arched my eyebrow.

  The air around us shimmered like glitter. In my peripheral vision, I saw Willow in the back of the group, holding her hands in the air.

  Easton jumped in between us, forcing us to take a few steps back. He shook his head and cursed. His silver, magical armor covered both of his arms and shoulders, like he was afraid one of us would strike him. His sky-blue eyes were missing their usual playful sparkle. “Same team, guys. Same. Damn. Team. You have family drama, then you handle it at home, like the rest of us.”

  Lily walked up behind him, her black hair a stark contrast to the two blonds in front of me. “Back off. All of you.”

  I glanced to Tennessee, but he stood frozen like a statue, still glaring at me. He hadn’t spoken a single word. I wasn’t even sure he was breathing. I had to look away. My emotions and my magic were too on edge to be near him without giving us both away.

  “We came here to talk,” Larissa said from my other side.

  “What were you thinking?” Cooper said in a calmer voice, though his face was still red.

  I sighed and threw my hands in the air. “That Henley needs our help and may not have time to wait for Kenneth to figure it out! We just went looking for clues.”

  “Why would you go by yourselves?” Braison asked. He scratched the back of his red head. “You know exactly what lurks in the park, so why not ask us to go with you?”

  Because I’m trying to stay away from him. I bit my lip to stop myself from saying that out loud. I hated that it was the reason. I hated that he affected me so much. I hated that my brain turned to slush because of him. I hated the stupid law that said we couldn’t be together. Now that I knew he was my soulmate, I wasn’t sure how to act around him. Or more specifically, how to act around him in front of other people.

  “We didn’t do it intentionally, y’all,” Emersyn said with a soft voice.

  I did. My gaze flicked up to Tennessee without my permission. He loomed over me like a thunderstorm waiting to strike me down.

  Emersyn groaned. “It’s just… It’s my fault Henley was taken. I couldn’t sleep, so we went.”

  Paulina flinc
hed like we’d slapped her. “No. No, no, no. That was not your fault. We all played a part in that, even if only by not telling you how the gaps work.”

  “Besides, its plan may have always been to leave our realm,” Chutney said as she walked up from behind Cooper. She rubbed his back. “We can’t start blaming each other.”

  Royce scoffed. “I’ll blame myself enough for the rest of you.”

  My throat burned. “Royce…”

  “Royce, don’t say that,” Emersyn cried.

  “I knew something was off with her, and I did nothing.” He shook his head and looked down at the ground. “You both knew going there alone was a terrible idea, yet you did it anyway. Looks like we’re all idiots.”

  “Royce…”

  “Why didn’t you at least ask me? It’s my sister who was possessed. My sister who’s in another realm right now.” He slammed his lips shut and blinked his eyes, like he was losing control of his emotions. He waved his hands in the air then stormed off toward the school.

  “Royce, wait! Please!” Emersyn shouted and ran after him, her platinum blonde hair flying in the wind behind her like a cape.

  “That was foolish. Reckless. Downright stupid.” Cooper put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “You’re a lot of things, Tegan, but none of those. Try to remember that.”

  Without another word, he turned and followed after Royce and Emersyn.

  I sighed and looked at the rest of my friends. “Guys, I didn’t mean anything by it. We just…got an idea to go look for clues, and it was stupid, okay? I’m sorry.”

  Easton nodded and his magical armor vanished. “You just scared the shit out of us, ya’ know? We’re a Coven, remember? We care about your well-being. That was hella dangerous.”

  “Come on, we better get to class.” Lily took Easton by the hand and pulled him toward campus. “At lunch we’ll discuss what happened last night.”

  One by one, the rest of my Coven walked off for class, leaving me alone in the parking lot. Well…not alone. The heat off Tennessee’s stare was hotter than the sun. I wondered if anyone else noticed he hadn’t moved a muscle, or perhaps no one else was as attuned to him? Tennessee wasn’t the most talkative guy, but he always had something to say in conversations like those. Usually the others looked to him for direction. Yet somehow his stony silence went undetected.

  I licked my lips and glanced around us. There were only a few straggling groups of students lingering by their cars, but none of them were paying any attention to us. A Mustang convertible and a fancy Porsche 911 pulled into the parking lot in the back, but I knew no one in my Coven or witch community drove those.

  I cleared my throat then finally turned my gaze to meet his. “Tennessee…”

  He reached out, grabbed me by the back of the head, and dragged my lips to his. His kiss was hot and rough and everything I needed. I sighed and sank into his chest. All of the stress and fear inside me dissolved against his lips. But then he broke away and pushed back.

  “Don’t ever do that again,” he growled, then stormed off.

  Chapter Three

  Deacon

  “Deacon, I just don’t understand why you had to move down there.”

  I rolled my eyes and pulled into the parking lot at Gulf Shores High School. There wasn’t a sign for where students parked, but I followed a convertible Mustang full of teenage girls. I assumed I was in the right spot.

  “Deacon! Are you even listening to me?”

  I scoffed. “I’m honestly trying not to, Mother.”

  “Not humorous.”

  “On the contrary.” I chuckled. “Do you hear yourself? I was Marked, Mother. I’m a Card now. A member of The Coven. Whether you approve or not, I no longer belong in Manhattan.”

  “You don’t belong in Florida either. Why didn’t you go to Salem or Eden? At least there’s some prestige.” She made a hissing sound. “Like you’ll fit in down there.”

  I sighed and pulled into an open parking spot near the back of the lot. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing but Porsches in the parking lot.” There wasn’t. Mine was the only one. I asked for a truck or something casual, but no. When I got off the plane in Tampa, my parents had a brand-new Porsche 911 waiting for me. Not that I was complaining. It was just... Were they trying to set me up to fail?

  “Deacon.”

  “Mother.”

  “Why didn’t you go to Eden?”

  “Because most of The Coven lives here.”

  “Says whom?”

  “Royce and Henley Redd. You know, my cousins who’ve been acting members of The Coven for fifteen years.”

  She sighed. “Well, have they at least been welcoming to you?”

  I opened my mouth then shut it again. I’d called Royce and Henley several times since my Mark appeared thirty-six hours ago, but I hadn’t gotten ahold of them yet. It wasn’t unheard of to not hear back from them for a few days. However, I’d hoped to stay with them. Kessler Bishop, the Card in charge of all the underage ones, was welcoming though. He’d let me drop my stuff at his house then ushered me off to school, promising we’d all get together afterward. He also told me where to find my Coven-mates at lunch.

  “Deacon.”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m trying to have a conversation with you. Can you resist ogling the girls down there for a moment?”

  I looked out my windshield and around the parking lot. There were a few dozen girls hanging around. I leaned forward and did exactly what my mother just told me not to do. There was a group of bleach blondes standing in a circle, all wearing ripped-up jean shorts far shorter than any dress code would allow. They wore flip-flops and tank tops. They looked like they were headed to the pool, not school. I glanced around, but I found more of the same. I mean, sure, it was hot as hell outside. The thermometer in my car read 105. But surely that didn’t mean everyone ignored fashion…did it?

  Don’t I sound like a pretentious ass. I wasn’t expecting Tyra Banks or Kim Kardashian, but I was accustomed to Manhattan girls who dressed with pizazz and style. So far, everyone in Tampa just looked sweaty. I’d never seen so much workout clothing outside the gym. Everywhere I looked, the students were all so…unimpressive. Was this what the rest of the world was like?

  I sighed and leaned back in my seat, but then my gaze landed on something interesting. Standing on the other side of the parking lot beside a little green sedan was a girl with purple-tipped black hair. She looked taller than average, with long legs covered in black leather pants. They were probably leggings. Whatever. She looked fantastic. Instead of rubber flip-flops or sneakers, she had on black combat boots with little studs. Those are badass. She turned toward me and I smiled. Her white T-shirt had Tom Petty on the front. Maybe there was hope for this town after all. This girl was hot. I couldn’t see the details of her face under her black aviator sunglasses, but she looked pretty, and her style was awesome. I need to meet this girl.

  “Oh, for Goddess’ sake, Deacon.”

  I chuckled. “Sorry, Mother. You said ogle girls, and I got distracted.”

  She mumbled something in our ancient language under her breath.

  “If you wanted to continue to use our ancient language in conversation, you should’ve done a better job teaching it to me, Mother.” I told my parents I couldn’t speak it. I lied. I should’ve felt guilty about it but I didn’t.

  “Deacon. The world isn’t what you may think. There are serious demon problems and witches who dabble in dark magic. I need you to not be so blasé about this.”

  I looked down at the black XV etched into my left forearm. “I’m the Devil now, Mother. The rest of the world needs to worry about me, not the other way around.”

  Chapter Four

  Tegan

  “Royce, I thought you were mad at me,” I said before I could stop myself. When he didn’t respond right away, I gripped his arm. “Please don’t be. I couldn’t handle it.”

  He smiled, but it only lasted a
fraction of a second. “No, I’m not. I’m sorry I snapped at you this morning. You just scared the hell out of us. We can’t lose anyone else.”

  My stomach twisted into knots. “Henley isn’t gone.”

  “Yet,” he whispered.

  “Royce...” I needed to tell him what I saw in my Tarot reading, but I didn’t want to.

  He sighed and shook his head. “Where’s Emersyn?”

  “Talking to a teacher— Hey, no changing the subject!” We stepped out from under the covered hallway into the grass and I hissed. The midday sunshine was the worst part of Florida. Why is it always so damn bright? I raised my hand to shield my face from the attack and groaned.

  “Oh no,” Royce whispered. He flipped my hair over my shoulder and poked my throat. “We’re too late! The vampire process has begun already!”

  I smacked his arm away and stormed toward our picnic tables. “Why do we sit outside?”

  “Because we’re witches, and witches love nature.”

  “Who said that? I can’t see you.” I looked up and squinted through the bright assault on my eyes. The sunlight dimmed down a few notches, then darkness swept over me. I sighed with relief and blinked. I looked around and found my Coven sprawled out over two picnic tables under an oak tree. Our usual spot. They laughed and it was definitely at me.

  “That better?” Braison asked with a dimpled smile.

  “I could make the sun set if you’d like,” Lily said with a laugh. “Only like seven hours early. I doubt anyone would notice.”

  I shook my head and laughed along with them. Being a witch was still a new and awesome thing to me. I took my tray and plopped down on the bench then dropped my backpack to the grass. My stomach growled, like it somehow knew it was about to get food.

  “Better, little sister?”

  I snarled in my older brother’s direction. “Depends what we’re discussing, big bro.”