“Oh. Right, of course.” Mona smiled and nodded, then turned to me. “Go ahead, Bettina.”
Thankfully, I sat in the front row, so I couldn’t see the entire class gawking at me. It made it easier to ignore. I nodded and shoved my stuff in my backpack. Then I got to my feet and slid my bag over my shoulder. Tegan stood silently and patiently at the door, with her thumbs hooked in the belt loops of her black skinny jeans. She was the picture of calm. I wondered if anyone knew we were best friends, because nothing in her posture or expression suggested it. Which was probably the point. She was the High Priestess, and this was her job.
Unless we aren’t best friends still?
I almost froze in place at the unexpected and unwelcomed thought. Of course we are. Why wouldn’t we be? My brain took that as a literal question and began going down a list of reasons why my lifelong bestie might’ve found other best friends.
As I approached Tegan, she nodded her head to me once, then turned to smile and wave. “Thanks, Mona.”
I followed Tegan out the door, down the hall, and out the side doors of the building. The afternoon sun shined down on us, chasing away the chill in the air. She didn’t speak to me, or even look at me. She just kept walking. Her long, purple-tipped black hair whipped around in the breeze.
I waited until we were a few feet away from the building, then cleared my throat. “So, uh, what questions does The Coven have for me?”
Tegan glanced over her shoulder and pursed her lips. “Do you think I should change out the purple in my hair?”
“Wait, what?” I frowned and shook my head. “That’s what you got me out of class for?”
“Well, it’s important.” She strolled up to a wooden picnic table nestled under some massive oak trees then sat down on the tabletop. “I mean, this purple was the color of rebellion. And it served me well these last few months, but I really feel like a whole new woman, and therefore I need to switch it up.”
I opened my mouth then shut it.
“Lennox gave me hair envy.” She leaned back on her hands. “I need to step my game up.”
“Are you serious?” I chuckled. I plopped down on the bench. “You know this is a serious abuse of power, right?”
She wagged her eyebrows and grinned like the Cheshire cat. “We all have our faults.”
I shook my head. “So like what? Turquoise?”
Her grin turned crooked. “You mean like the color of Jackson Lancaster’s eyes?”
I groaned and dropped my forehead to the table.
“Spill it.” Tegan slid off the table and sat on the bench beside me, sitting sideways to face me head-on. “The last time I saw you—”
“I thought I was human.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Did you know I wasn’t?”
She scoffed. “I wish. I’d just learned I wasn’t human. Trust me, I’m as surprised to find you here as you are. Which is why I busted you out of class. I can’t wait another minute to find out how the hello you got here. So start talking.”
I took a deep breath…then told her everything. From the party at Dean’s with the Ouija board and meeting Jackson to Timothy’s death. I didn’t know how long it took me to get all the details out, but I spared none. It was such a relief to finally tell her. I felt the weight lift off my shoulders with every sentence. Tegan listened in riveted silence. For the first time in months, I felt like me again. This was us. This was our normal. I dished while she listened, and then she’d ask eight million questions.
When I finished, Tegan shook her head and whistled. “Damn, B. I wish I’d have known. Tenn told me he asked Dean to keep an eye on you right before we left because he sensed magic in you. He just didn’t tell me that until today because he knew I wouldn’t have been able to focus on my job knowing you were here.”
I groaned. “I’m just a distraction for everyone, I guess.”
Her smile widened. “Bettina, you’re a distraction for me because you’re my very best friend and I love you. Now I’m not saying Jackson is in love with you, but he must feel something in order for you to tear him up like that.”
My jaw dropped. I hadn’t thought about it like that. “You think?”
“I know. Constance says he defended you like crazy, and he snuck you food.” She winked then sobered. “The Book of Shadows is filled with spells from the Lancasters. I don’t think you realize just how important to our race they were. The Coven has been adamant that we must assist him in any way possible, including training him properly. We need that bloodline back. And it’s not going to be easy for him when that time comes.”
Sharp pain shot through my chest. “So I need to get over him?”
“If getting over him is that easy, then yes. Otherwise, you just gotta be patient. Focus on you for right now.” She tugged on the crystal hanging from her necklace. “I’m going to look into this problem with your magic, see what I can figure out.”
“If I even have any magic,” I grumbled.
Tegan frowned. Then she gripped my hand and squeezed. “You have magic, Bettina. I’m not like everyone else. I’m the Aether Witch. And I can feel your magic. I just can’t access it. Let me go through my Books. I will not give up on this until I’ve exhausted all my options.”
“Who’s Myrtle? That spirit told me to seek Myrtle.”
For the first time, a worried look crossed her face. “Myrtle is the Lead Crone. She’s over three hundred years old and incredibly wise. She’s the one who unblocked Emersyn’s and my magic back in August… She…she’s done a lot for us.”
I watched her closely, and there was a wistful expression I didn’t understand. “You know her well, though?”
She chuckled, though it sounded sad. She went on to detail everything that went down, and when she finished, I had no words. It was too much to process at once. I’d thought my autumn had been rough, but it was a walk in the park compared to hers. It really put my problems into perspective. Time travel is real…just wow.
“I know, it’s a lot to take in,” she whispered. “That’s why I wanted to hear your story first because the rest of mine doesn’t get any easier.”
I shook my head. “I just can’t believe you were at the heart of all of this. Since I got here, I’ve been hearing about y’all, and all along it was you. I mean, you were there when the twins closed the Gap— Wait…oh my God. You’re one of the twins? How? Is it the woman who looks like you?”
“No, that’s Devon…my mother.”
“I’m sorry. Say what?”
Tegan chuckled and nodded. “She’s my biological mother, and a total badass. Cooper is my older, fully biological brother. Bentley isn’t my half brother, but full as well…and Emersyn is my identical twin.”
I blinked then stared at her. There was no way I’d just heard her right.
“I know. Trust me, I know.” Tegan held her palms up. “My parents were happily married and living with my brother Cooper, and then they gave birth to twins. They were both Coven-members, so they knew the prophecy better than anyone. When we were like a year old, The Coven then decided that Emersyn and I had to be separated and have our magic blocked.”
“What about Cooper? What happened to him?”
“Cooper switched between houses for a long time, though I can’t recall any of those memories.” She pulled her hair up into a messy bun then leaned back against the table. “Then my parents decided to send Cooper to live with Uncle Kessler.”
I whistled under my breath. “Dude, my mind is so seriously blown right now. You need to back up and start from the beginning. From that night at the Gathering and on.”
Tegan smiled and ran her fingers along the lines of her glyph. “I met my identical twin sister and my soulmate on the night of my sixteenth birthday. That should’ve been a sign for just how crazy things were about to get…”
Chapter Nineteen
Jackson
They told us to go back to our normal class schedule after lunch.
But my normal meant training with Timothy in
the afternoon. Somehow, with everything going on and that moment with Bettina in the hallway, I’d forgotten. I’d actually forgotten that my mentor, the man who was a second father to me since I was six, was gone.
It was like being kicked when I was already down. A scab being torn away. It was all I could do to collapse on the benches and not weep. I sat there in the empty training center for a long time, letting the weight of the silence crash in around me.
Warner wasn’t even here. I’d lost him, too.
Just then, the side door opened, and a huge man lumbered inside. I recognized him immediately. Kessler Bishop. He was the Strength Card, and he looked every bit the part. At six foot five and what had to be near three hundred pounds of solid muscle, this guy was intimidation walking. It was different than his son, Tennessee. This was just plain physical.
He glanced around the room then spotted me on the benches. His amber eyes were warm and friendly, as was the smile on his face. “Hey, Jackson.”
“Hello. I didn’t know you needed the room. I can leave.” I started to stand when his big palm landed on my shoulder and pushed me back down.
He sighed and sat down beside me. “I was looking for you, actually.”
I frowned and sat up straight. “Me? Why?”
“A few reasons…” He ran his hand through his blond hair. “For starters, Timothy talked about you a lot since you got here. He and I both suddenly found ourselves caring for young boys, and we were able to lean on each other. I know how hard this has to be for you, more than you can imagine. Timothy and I… We vowed to look after the other’s if something ever should happen. You may not have lived with him, but he thought of you like a son.”
Well…bloody shit.
I must’ve made a noise or a face, because Kessler nodded. “I’m only telling you this because I want you to know I intend on fulfilling my oath to my friend. I’m going to be keeping a close eye on you, and I want you to know you can come to me for anything. Okay?”
I nodded through a rush of emotion and a hot lump in my throat.
“Great.” He cleared his throat and rubbed his palms together. “Now, the other reason is I am the new Sword Leader. At least for the time being.”
My eyes widened. The Strength Card as our Sword Leader? “You are? What about Hewitt? Not that I’m not honored to have you here.”
“Hewitt replaced the Commander you lost last week. The Knights have been seriously depleted.” He turned toward me. “I know you’re the Sword Major, and from what I’ve heard, you basically run this joint…”
“And you want to change that?”
Kessler laughed. “Goddess, no. I want to work with you. Hewitt explained in detail how you guys run training here, but I was wondering how you’d feel about changing that up?”
“Oh…” I frowned. “Well, I suppose I’d ask why, and what you had in mind?”
“The world is suddenly a different place. I want to get my Swords trained for real combat.” He cracked his knuckles and shrugged. “I’ve been training The Coven for the last decade, and I’ve got some cool tactics and methods that involve a lifelike simulation.”
“That…that would be brilliant, actually. I’m game for that.”
“Perfect.” Kessler clapped his hands then stood. He turned to me with a smile. “Now, my last reason for looking for you… I know about your deal with Michael, and that he’s coming back soon to test you. I know Timothy had been training you privately every afternoon, so I wanted to ask if you’d like me to continue that with you?”
I opened my mouth then closed it. Warmth filled my body. I cleared my throat. “You’d do that?”
“Absolutely,” he said without hesitation.
I smiled as a wave of relief washed through me. “Thank you. That…that would be…great.”
“It’s a plan, then.” He rolled his neck. “Would you like to start today or tomorrow?”
My emotions were a bloody mess, and that made me want to stall, but I didn’t have time to waste. Michael could show up at any moment. If I couldn’t push through this moment, then I’d never pass his test. “Today would be good.”
“Great.” Kessler pointed toward the door behind me. “Go next door to my new office. On my desk, there’s a few sandwiches wrapped up. Grab two. Then eat them.”
“You want me to eat?”
He arched one eyebrow at me. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Tennessee. If you don’t eat, you won’t survive. Go on, go get them. Then we’ll get started.”
I jumped up and walked out to the hall like he’d asked. The office he spoke of was Hewitt’s, and I knew it well. I went in and found the food right where he’d said it would be. With three sandwiches in my hand, I headed back to the training center. My gaze swept over the windows on habit alone. Except then I saw her, and my feet froze. My heart fluttered. Heat raced up and down my body…and she was thirty feet away. Bettina sat at a picnic table under the oak trees with Tegan, the High Priestess. The two were huddled close together and talking rather animatedly. Bettina threw her head back and laughed, and I sighed. I actually bloody sighed.
She was beautiful, and brave. And stubborn. She was everything I needed. Smart, calm, tough, funny. She didn’t buckle and cower in front of me. In fact, she had no problem giving it right back to me. I’d never given much thought to what kind of girl I wanted to be with because I’d always been so focused on my mission: pass Michael’s test.
But right now, standing here watching her laugh and smile, I’d never hated my bloodline more. I wanted to hate Michael, too, but I almost couldn’t blame him for what he did. It just wasn’t fair to me. I’d had nothing to do with that incident. It was several centuries ago. Why does it have to be me?
I took a deep breath. Michael was coming, within two years or less. I just had to get through that, and then I’d be free. It was too bad I didn’t know when it would happen. Although, that Ouija board sure had made it sound soon.
I frowned. I’d never told Timothy about that spirit who spoke to me, it had shaken me up too much. I’d only told Warner and Trey, and neither of them were around to talk about it. Trey was in the infirmary nursing the flu and Warner was lost in the balefire. I needed to talk about it. And The Coven clearly knew about my predicament, which meant there was a chance they knew more about it than even I did. It was time to push my pride aside and actually talk to someone about it.
When I walked back into the training center, Kessler was standing in the middle of the mats and staring. He turned. “I was thinking about— What’s wrong?”
Just tell him. “Can we talk about that Ouija board for a minute?”
Chapter Twenty
Bettina
“You did not—” Tegan’s words were cut off by her laughter. She bent over and gripped her stomach. “You did not tell them you got your moves from Black Widow. You didn’t.”
My cheeks warmed. My jaw burned from how hard I was smiling. “Iron Man 2 and Civil War…to be exact.”
Tegan gasped for air between laughs. “This…this is…is why we’re best…we’re best friends.”
I grinned. Some of that pain and fear inside me faded away at that.
“Oh, Goddess.” She shook her head and wiped under her eyes. “I can’t believe it worked.”
I snorted. “Me either!”
She clapped her hands and broke into another fit of laughter. I chuckled along with her, but most of me was too busy enjoying this moment. We were still sitting outside, at the picnic table under the sprawling oak trees. I’d known I missed her, but now that she was back, I realized just how much.
I opened my mouth to speak when I spotted her father strolling across the field. I frowned and watched him. The Hunter I knew would’ve yelled at us for ditching class, but this version of him seemed much more laid back. Although I now understood why Hunter was the way he was. He walked over to the oak trees then stopped. After a moment, he inspected the trees.
The air around me shimmered with rainbow swirls
. I jumped and glanced over to Tegan, only to find her grinning and wiggling her fingers. “Hey there, Papa bear.”
Hunter narrowed his eyes on his daughter’s magic still lingering in the air. “Can you control the strength of that cloaking spell?”
I scowled. “Cloaking spell?”
Tegan shrugged. “I was enjoying myself and didn’t want to get caught, so I put up a cloaking spell. And yes, Dad, I can. Which is why you felt me instead of seeing me.”
Hunter chuckled and shook his head, his champagne eyes still sparkling. “Well, I hate to break this moment up, but Tegan, I do believe you forgot about dinner.”
Tegan cursed and leapt to her feet. “I did. Sorry. Are they there already or—?”
“Yeah, they drove.” He grinned mischievously. “Kessler thought it would be good for them.”
“Oh, well, good thing he’s not here right now, then, eh?” She wagged her eyebrows and jumped over to take her father’s arm. Then she looked to me. “C’mon, we’re late.”
“For what?”
Tegan rolled her eyes. “Dinner. Duh.”
“You want me to come to your family dinner?” I bit my bottom lip.
“Bettina, you’ve had more meals in my house than in your own. You’ve always been family.”
“Now, get your ass over here so we can leave!”
I jumped to my feet then leapt over to where they stood. The second my hand hit Tegan’s, the world around me flashed bright white…and then I was airborne. But the moment faded as soon as I landed. I blinked and looked around, only to find we were in the lobby area of an Italian restaurant. The people in the tables closest to us flinched and cowered away, but no one ran away screaming.
“Thanks, trouble.” Hunter smiled at Tegan. He turned down an aisle between tables and headed for a group of people seated by the window.
Tegan bounced after him, completely ignoring the way the entire restaurant had stopped eating and was openly gawking at her. She skipped over to the table…and right into Tennessee’s arms. Her soulmate wrapped her up and hugged her tight to his body. They stared into each other’s eyes with dreamy smiles on their faces.
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 34
