The Rebel Witch

by Chandelle LaVaun

  For the last four or five hours, I’d searched every surface imaginable for any kind of clue to help us save Henley. I came up empty-handed.

  “Hello, my friend!”

  I recognized her voice in an instant. Saffie. I smiled and turned to find her sitting on a low-hanging oak tree branch. Her fiery red hair was tied down behind her head, which was unusual for her. The pink translucent wings on her back fluttered lazily.

  “Hi, Saffie.”

  She pouted. “I missed you, Tennessee.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. My father wouldn’t let me come. I missed you, too.” I sighed as I stepped up to her branch and rested my hand on it. “I’ve been looking for you all day.”

  She grinned and it made her lavender eyes sparkle. “Last night scared me, so I didn’t sleep. So I nap today. Then I was with Tegan.”

  “She’s here now?” What the hell was she doing back? Did she not get the message this morning?

  “Yup. Yup. Yup.” Saffie nodded and picked flower petals out of her red hair.

  My pulse kicked into overdrive. Relax, dude. You’ve been here for hours. There’s nothing here.

  I licked my lips and tried to keep my voice calm and casual. “Can you show me where?”

  “Yup. Yup. Yup. Let’s go, friend.”

  I smiled. Friend. I couldn’t believe I’d avoided her for all these years. My Coven-mates were all afraid of her. Knowing her now, I felt awful. I knew in my gut Saffie was a good person. Her soul and heart were pure. Whatever had happened to her… Well, I was going to find out and make it right. Somehow. I owed it to her.

  I followed her between the trees and off the paved pathway. Her little pink wings fluttered as she zipped over and under thick branches. Every few seconds, she looked over her shoulder to make sure I was there.

  The sun poked through the sprawling oak trees in little patches. Twigs and fallen leaves cracked under my boots, but the dirt was a welcome cushion after all the cement. It was impossible to block the sounds of the theme park around me, but with every step deeper into the forest area, the smell of nature grew stronger. There was also a hint of maple syrup in the air. Demons. They weren’t out now during daylight, so I pushed those thoughts away. I had to keep my head on straight if I was about to see Tegan. In public. Where anyone could see us.

  Saffie spun around to face me and smiled, holding her thumbs up. “Almost there.”

  I loved that she took me the back way. It was more proof we were meant to be friends. I hated taking the path the Sapiens did. None of my friends shared this interest. I wonder if Tegan will? Heat spread across my chest and into my left shoulder. It burned deep down into my bones, like it came from inside me. Then again, I supposed it did. It meant Tegan was close by. I clenched my teeth and breathed through the pain. When is this part going to stop?

  Saffie made a sharp left turn and waved me along. “They’re right here.”

  I frowned. “They?”

  “Yup. Yup. Yup.” She nodded and flew ahead of me. When I caught up, she’d stopped along the edge of the forest. She pointed. “Tegan and new boy.”

  I stood straight. New boy? What the hell? The sun was so bright it took my eyes a moment to readjust back. I spotted her in an instant, like my eyes had a built-in GPS for her location. She stood beside the fairy fountain, the same one she’d blown up a few days ago. Her legs looked a mile long in those leather leggings. Her combat boots were filthy. Even from thirty feet away, I saw the mud and demon blood caked on the soles. She looked entirely out of place in a Florida theme park, surrounded by fanny packs and cargo shorts. And it filled me with the warm-and-fuzzies. I loved that she was different from everyone else.

  Her black hair was tied up on top of her head, for the moment at least. It looked like one good gust of wind would knock the bun over. Should I? Yes, yes, I should. I held my hand in the air and pushed a strong breeze across the courtyard. It slammed into her from the side and knocked her hair down. Those purple tips I loved fell down to her waist and whipped around in the wind. I chuckled and leaned against the tree next to me.

  She reached up and rolled the short sleeves of her white T-shirt almost all the way up to her shoulders. I wondered what she’d wear if she wasn’t hiding our soulmate glyph. I longed for the day we didn’t have to hide. She turned to the person beside her, and that was when I saw him.

  The new boy.

  “He’s pretty. Like a sunflower.” Saffie giggled.

  I frowned. He was pretty. And standing way too close to my girl.

  His stupid blond hair was the same color as beach sand. I couldn’t see under his obnoxious blue sunglasses, but judging by his sharp jawline and perfectly shaped eyebrows, I had a feeling his stupid eyes were pretty too. He said something to her, and she threw her head back and laughed.

  A weird growl-like noise came out of my throat, and I didn’t try to stop it. My magic swirled inside me, and the ground trembled.

  Mister Pretty Boy raised his arm and pointed—

  I gasped. My stomach dropped like I was on a rollercoaster.

  There on his left arm was the Mark of the Devil.

  No. No, no. This can’t be happening. Not already. It’s too soon. I didn’t know why I was shocked. That was how the process worked. When a Card died, a new witch was chosen immediately. I scrambled for my cell phone tucked in my back pocket. I’d put it on Do Not Disturb when I’d left school. When I pulled it out, I had dozens of missed text messages. I cursed. Of course the one day I hid away, I missed something big. I scanned through the texts. Most were from the Coven group chat but my brother and father also. One word stuck out like a thorn.

  Deacon.

  My heart sank.

  No. No, no, no. Not him.

  Why him??

  Deacon English.

  Of all the people. Of all the witches in the world, why had She chosen the hot-headed, party-boy, never-suffered-a-day-in-his-life Deacon. Heat shot down my spine as my power raged to the surface. He was our replacement for Libby? I call bullshit. We weren’t getting the better end of the bargain. I’d only met Royce’s cousin once, back when we were kids. He’d come down for a two-week vacation, and Royce’s parents had shipped him back after only a few days. He’d been impossible to handle. Zero discipline. He never listened to anyone. He didn’t care if he got me, Cooper, Royce, and Henley suspended from school for his actions.

  But yeah, let’s make him the Devil.

  I hadn’t seen him in almost a decade, so there was a chance he’d grown up into a decent human being. But he also lived a cushioned lifestyle on the Upper East Side, with hired help to brush his teeth if he didn’t feel like moving. Besides, I’d heard stories about him from his cousins over the years. Particularly the last few. It didn’t sound like he’d changed.

  Tegan said something to him then turned and walked away. I followed after her without hesitation. A group of foreign tourists with matching neon-yellow shirts cut in front of me, blocking my path. I snarled and released some of my magic. Everyone around me jumped out of my way like I’d physically put my hands on them. I dashed across the courtyard and into the women’s restroom I’d seen Tegan walk in.

  In the back of my mind, I knew I shouldn’t have been in there. It was all kinds of inappropriate. Except all of my focus was on my soulmate. A few girls shrieked and sprinted past me, but I didn’t pay them any attention. I slammed each stall door open as I walked to make sure they were empty. I knew where she was. I could feel her aura pulsing from the back of the bathroom. With every step, my glyph seared my skin. A toilet flushed in the handicap stall all the way at the end. Tegan. I paused outside the door, waiting. She may have been my soulmate, but I wasn’t going to invade her privacy. When the sink water turned off, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I pushed my magic out, and the stall door flew open.

  Tegan gasped and spun around. Her face was white…until she saw me. Her cheeks flushed pink, and her pale green eyes dilated a tad. She shook her hands, and the water evaporated.
/>
  She narrowed her eyes. “Where have you been?”

  “Stay away from Deacon English.” That was not what I’d intended to say. I meant to answer her question, but the words slipped out before I could stop them.

  Tegan arched one black eyebrow. “Feeling jealous, Tenn?”

  “You don’t know him like I do. You don’t know the kind of guy he is,” I snapped, ignoring her question yet again. “He’s trouble. Reckless. Selfish. He’s a rich brat with more notches on his belt than—”

  “I’m gonna stop you right there, gorgeous.” Her fists balled at her sides. “First of all, I can’t even wear a tank top in this God-awful heat because of you, so don’t you dare finish that sentence like his love life is of any concern of mine.”

  “That’s not—”

  “Important?” She stepped closer to me. “Relevant?”

  I grabbed her by the jaw and dragged her lips to mine. She gripped the front of my shirt and pulled. We stumbled back with our lips locked until we collided with the cool tiled wall. The metal door rattled against the lock. I pushed against her and angled her chin to deepen our kiss. She was everywhere, invading all of my senses at once. She was everything I needed. The rest of the world slipped away. Her fingers tangled in my hair, drawing a tortured groan out of my mouth. My chest burned from lack of oxygen, and I didn’t care. All of my stress and worry melted against her lips.

  “Tegan?”

  The real world crashed back into my brain at the sound of Emersyn’s voice. I pulled back, but Tegan’s teeth sank into my bottom lip and pulled me in. A low growl escaped around our lips as I took her face between my palms and kissed her with everything I had. With all of my pain, with all my torture. I let it all pour out of me with every brush of our lips.

  “Was that a growl?” Emersyn’s voice grew closer, too close. “Tegan, are you okay? Is there a monster in here?”

  Yeah. Me. I dropped my hands and jumped back from my soulmate. I didn’t look at her before I turned away. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to say no. My heavy footsteps echoed around the bathroom.

  Emersyn’s aura filled with anxiety. I threw the stall door open, and it slammed against the wall.

  Emersyn stood just on the other side. Her golden eyes widened. “Tennessee.”

  “Emersyn.” I nodded my head in her direction then sprinted for the door.

  Chapter Six

  Tegan

  Bloody hell.

  I’m not cut out for this kind of torture.

  The second Tennessee was out of sight, I dropped. The only thing preventing me from sitting my butt on the nasty theme park bathroom floor was the conveniently located handicap sink. The cold porcelain against my fingers did nothing to simmer the fire raging out of control inside me.

  That boy made me a mess.

  “What...just happened?”

  I groaned and rested my forehead against my arm. “Euthanize me, Em. I can’t take it.”

  Her boots clicked closer on the tile. “Where did Tennessee come from?”

  A chuckle escaped my mouth. I shook my head. “Girl, I’ve been asking myself that for weeks.”

  “I mean, was he already in the park? Or did he follow us here?”

  I used the sink to pull myself back to my feet. My gaze immediately latched onto my reflection in the mirror. Dark eyes, pink cheeks, and puffy lips. My hair was disheveled and wild. My skin tingled everywhere he’d touched me.

  “Tegan?”

  I met my sister’s stare in the mirror and shrugged. “I have no idea, Em. He didn’t say.” I turned the handle and let the water rush out of the faucet.

  She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “He didn’t say? What were y’all doing in here? Making out?”

  I stared at her without speaking.

  She gasped and a light flush covered her cheeks. She glanced around us then moved closer. “What happened?”

  I hung my head and focused my attention on the cold water running over my fingers. “I came in here to use the restroom, then boom. There he was. One second we were arguing, the next…well…”

  “Arguing? Why?”

  If other people entered the bathroom, I couldn’t tell over the pounding of my heart in my ears. Energy ran through my body like raw electricity.

  I sighed. “He just started yelling at me to stay away from Deacon because he’s awful and a total player, though not in such nice words.”

  “Playboy?”

  I willed the water off, then stared at the droplets on my skin. “He’s trouble, evidently. Reckless, selfish, rich brat who sleeps around—according to Tennessee.” I turned away from my reflection and headed for the door.

  “Oh, lovely,” Emersyn whispered behind me.

  “Come on. Let’s get what Bentley needs and go home.”

  Chapter Seven

  Tennessee

  I needed answers. My life was now full of questions and uncertainties. I hated it. I hated not knowing. I couldn’t prepare for unknowns. I was flying blind, and it made my skin crawl. I used to think I was like a cat, that no matter how far I fell, I’d always land on my feet. But after losing two of my closest friends within days of each other, I wasn’t so sure of those nine lives. What if this was my last life? What if the next battle got the best of me? What if it got the best of Tegan?

  My stomach turned. Don’t think like that. Tegan was the Aether Witch. She had more power than any other witch. Ever. Or at least in many, many centuries, if not longer. Every day her control got stronger, her behavior more confident. She’ll be fine. She will.

  I parked my Jeep in the front of the lot then jumped out. The salty ocean air rushed by my face. Something about being at the beach chipped away at the tension inside me. I took a deep breath and tried to rein in my thoughts. Deacon’s initiation had to happen right at midnight. I glanced down at my watch and sighed. I only had twenty minutes until everyone else would arrive. My Coven didn’t need to know what I was doing. They didn’t need to know my confidence was a flimsy façade.

  Okay, here goes nothing. I pushed my shoulders back and stepped onto the beach. My boots sank in the sand with every step, but I trudged forward. The waves crashing onto the shore comforted me like a lullaby, and not for the first time, I wished I could curl up in the sand and sleep. When I got to the shore, I willed the ocean to harden under my feet. If it had been daylight, I would’ve walked under the surface, but at night it would be pitch-black down there, and I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself. The demons were playing a new game with us, except we didn’t know the rules yet.

  I pulled George out of my pocket. The crystal responded to me immediately. The purple and blue mist spilled into the air like it was stretching. I thought it might’ve sighed, then I thought I might’ve been losing my mind.

  “Good evening, George,” I said to my pendulum without slowing my pace. “Care to help me out?”

  Energy shot up the chain and into my fingers, sending tingles up my arm. YES.

  I chuckled. “Well, okay then. Do you know what I’m doing?” I’d gotten over the weirdness of talking to a crystal like it was a living, breathing person a long time ago. Somehow, George always knew what was going on, and he felt real.

  Yes.

  “Perfect.” I nodded and glanced at the horizon in front of me. In the dark, I only knew it was there by the shimmer in the waves under the half moon. “Do you know where the best place will be to send it?”

  Yes.

  I loved when my pendulum knew what I was thinking. “Am I there yet?”

  NO. If a crystal could roll its eyes, it just did.

  “Show me?”

  It swung to the right, veering my path a few feet over. I kept my eyes on the pendulum until it spun in a tight counterclockwise circle. I frowned and stopped walking. “Here?”

  YES.

  “All the way to the ocean floor?”

  Yes.

  I narrowed my eyes and pushed my magic out. “George, are there any demons near me
right now?”

  No.

  George had never led me astray before, so I had no reason not to trust him. Regardless of how many times I’d seen demons at this very beach. Then again, the demons had been quiet ever since Henley was taken through the Gap. I sighed and pushed thoughts of her away. One step at a time, Tenn. Now, focus.

  The water moved at my command. It split open and formed a staircase. The first few steps glistened in the moonlight like glass, then it was nothing but darkness. It was a staircase into a black hole. I willed my body to glow then began my descent. About twenty steps later, I got impatient and turned the stairs into a slide. Gravity took over. My boots slammed into the ocean floor mere seconds later.

  With George still gripped tightly in my hand, I stood and looked around. I saw only more darkness, but my magic sensed life force nearby. The water rippled over me in small, gentle waves. Whatever was there, it meant me no harm. The glow off my body lit up a ten-foot radius of sand and saltwater.

  I cleared my throat. “George, is this the right spot?”

  Yes.

  “Is this going to work?”

  Yes.

  “Leyka is going to get my note?”

  YES.

  “Is he going to respond?”

  I don’t know.

  Well, that was expected. I nodded. “Thanks again.” I tucked my pendulum back into my front jeans pocket where it would be safe from harm. If it was on my body, then the water wouldn’t hurt it.

  Now that I’d found the right location, I willed the ocean to cover me. It was like someone just wrapped a warm blanket around my shoulders. Once the water calmed, I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the note I’d written up for Leyka.

  Cooper had been dreaming about our angel friend Leyka for days. I knew we needed to reach out to him somehow. With the help of the New Book, The Coven’s replacement for the lost Book of Shadows, we’d found this method of communication. We didn’t want anyone knowing we were communicating with him. If he’d wanted people to know, he wouldn’t have gone through all the measures he had. The pig. The Sirens. Keltie. No, we had to be discreet.