Tennessee held his hands up, and a gust of wind slammed into my back. The force of it pushed me forward, but I grabbed ahold of Tegan’s arm and the wind suddenly vanished. Hurricane-force winds whipped down the street, blowing orange and red leaves off the trees and pushing recycling bins down the pavement. It swept people off their feet and carried them into their houses. My eyes widened. He dropped his hands then flicked his fingers…and every single door slammed shut. All of them. On the entire street. My jaw dropped.
Tegan beamed up at him. She tugged on his shirt and pulled him closer to her. “Deacon will tell them to stay inside. Let’s get back to Headquarters and devise a plan.”
He nodded.
I started to take a step toward the portal—and then we were in the middle of the same living room Tegan had tried to pull my magic out in. I gasped and spun around. I’m never gonna get used to that.
The living room was full of people and tension. Deacon, Emersyn, and Tegan’s parents were missing. As were that red-haired boy, Braison, and his girlfriend, Paulina. But everyone else was here. Even Headmaster Daniel was present.
“Oh, thank the Goddess, you’re back!” Gen sighed with obvious relief.
Harlan shook his head. “We were so worried when you didn’t follow us.”
“Long story short…we killed a Kraken.” Royce shook his head. “Now we’re back.”
Jackson leaned against the doorframe in front of me, but I refused to look at him.
I needed an invisibility spell that I could put on him so I wouldn’t have to see his stupid pretty face until this…crush…went away. I needed to smother the life out of it. I sighed and scrubbed my face with my hands. He was too close. I could smell him. Without another thought, I moved across the room and sat on the floor in front of the fireplace. I wasn’t cold. In fact, my whole body was warm and tingling from being near him. But no one else knew that. I hoped.
“I don’t like this, boss.” Easton cracked his knuckles, his legs bouncing.
The hardwood floor creaked, and then Constance walked around the corner. She sighed with relief when she saw us. “Oh good. You’re back.”
Tennessee ran a hand through his unruly black wavy hair, the strands blending in with the glyph lines on his skin. “Constance, do you have any provisions for putting Edenburg on lockdown? The last thing we need is to lose other people’s kids.”
She grimaced. “As a matter of fact, yes. We do. Timothy wrote it himself. Daniel and I just pulled those notes out.”
Timothy. I cringed and tugged on my hair. Everything seemed to just be getting worse. Warner got lost. Erin got hurt. Timothy died. Jackson got a soulmate who wasn’t me. Now we had to use a plan that was Timothy’s. Just kick me when I’m down.
“We’ll put that in place in a minute.” Tennessee began pacing the length of the living room while everyone else watched him, waiting for guidance. He groaned and shook his head. “Tegan, please tell me you’ve got some thoughts on this.”
She frowned. “I do, but they’re nothing good. Based on the reports of these incidents and what these five told us they saw, both in the Old Lands and when Timothy— I’m thinking it has to be one in the same.”
“Dammit. That’s what I was thinking, too.” He stopped pacing and turned to face the room with his hands on his hips. “Whoever killed Timothy is behind this.”
Timothy. Pain swelled in my heart. That horrible moment replayed in my head without my permission. I saw it all over again…from the bone, to the blood, to Timothy’s last words. He’d known who his murderer was—he’d said the guy’s name. And so had the spirit that spoke to me through the Ouija board.
“Joseph.” I pushed my hair back out of my face. “Joseph killed him. Timothy called him by name. Joseph must be behind these incidents…so who is he?”
Constance hung her head and stared at the ground. “A mistake’s casualty.”
Chapter Forty
Bettina
“What does that mean?” Chutney scowled.
Royce raised one finger in the air. “Yeah, you’re gonna need to explain that one.”
To my surprise, most of the room turned to me. My eyes widened. I shook my head and held my hands up. “I have no idea. I’ve told you everything I know.”
Tennessee groaned. “Constance, perhaps it’s best if you tell this one?”
Constance cringed and dropped down onto the couch. She pressed her fingers to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, her eyes were strained and red. She shook her head and stared at the floor. “As you know, when the surviving Coven members fled Salem in 1692, they arrived in the Smoky Mountains. Very near here. They unknowingly settled on a local tribe’s land, and a war broke out. We won, but at a horrible price for both sides.”
Tegan frowned. “The Gathering, right?”
Constance nodded. Daniel squeezed her shoulder, and she took a deep breath. “The spirits of the tribe we slaughtered still haunt that forest, right where they were slain. Flash forward to twelve years ago. It was a few years after the Uprising in Tampa that killed most of The Coven. There weren’t many of us left, at least those of us old enough. Me, Timothy, Kenneth, Evaline, Hunter, Devon, Cassandra, Kessler, and Julian—the Emperor.”
“Except I was in Salem…and Cassandra was in England…” Evaline’s voice was soft and flat.
“Hunter and Devon were living separately, in hiding with the twins.” Kessler shook his head and sat on the bench next to the stairs. His eyes looked far away. “The rest of you were so young, in diapers for the most part. And you were all in Tampa. It left only five of us here to deal with…everything.”
“Is that how you and Timothy became Leaders?” Willow asked softly.
“No. Julian, the Emperor, was already Leader… Of the three of us women, Cassandra was a teenager and Evaline had a job to do in Salem. So, I was the only option.” Constance gave a soft smile, but it didn’t look happy. She cleared her throat. “Anyways, there was an incredible witch… She was one of our dearest friends… Everyone called her the Spellmaster.”
My pulse quickened, pounding in my ears. This is the story Tim told me. “Ruth.”
Everyone jumped and looked to me.
I shrugged. “Timothy’s sister.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “Wait, is this the story Tim told you that day?”
“Yes, it is,” Constance answered for me. “Timothy’s sister was remarkably talented. There wasn’t a spell she couldn’t make. When The Coven had taken a hit and new Cards were being Marked, we’d all been surprised she hadn’t gotten one. She was that good.”
“We sure did learn why,” Kessler whispered.
“Ruth and her husband Micah were good people. They cared deeply, but also to a fault. They went to the Gathering once as teens and couldn’t shake it. They were determined to try and save the souls of that tribe. Ruth had made a spell, one she claimed would allow them to find peace and pass on.” Constance closed her eyes and cringed. “Timothy told them it wouldn’t work, that they didn’t have enough magic. He’d always thought he’d gotten through to her. He’d thought she’d listen to him. After all, he was her big brother who was also a Card.”
I shuddered as I remembered Timothy telling this story…the pain in his voice.
“What Timothy didn’t know was that she had listened, but got the wrong message. She went out and convinced other witches to help them, to give them the extra magic they needed. They’d managed to get like three dozen witches on board…and Joseph was in that group. He was their biggest supporter.”
Constance took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. “We didn’t know they were going to do it. We were shorthanded. Ruth had always listened to Timothy’s advice, so he had no reason to suspect she’d ignore him then. By the time we found out they were doing it…well, we didn’t have anyone to portal us. When we got there…it was too late.”
“The spell went horribly wrong,” Kessler said in a thick, gruff voice. “Everyone—everyone was kil
led…except Ruth and Micah. I mean, everyone. Joseph, Julian’s sister…all of their followers. Everyone. Gone. In the snap of a finger. When we got there, we found Ruth and Micah half unconscious and injured, but alive…and three dozen lifeless bodies.”
“And the spirits,” Constance added softly. “They were still there. Not only did the spell not save their souls, but it took all the others. It was awful.”
Willow scratched her head. “How did Ruth and Micah live?”
“We never found out,” Evaline whispered.
Because they died. Because Julian lost his mind and killed them, and their two children. But for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. It didn’t seem relevant to the conversation. We needed to focus on Joseph. I tried to remember if Timothy had told me any other details that could be of help to us, but I was coming up blank.
Easton raised his hand. “Hold up. So…Joseph didn’t die, clearly. That means the others probably didn’t either.”
“They are not dead. They are coming. That was what the Ouija board spirit told me,” I said.
Jackson cursed.
“If they didn’t die, then where did they go?” Royce glanced around the room. “And what happened?”
“They’re those shadow creatures,” I blurted without thinking. When everyone’s gazes turned to me, I shrugged. “They have to be. That’s why Timothy recognized Joseph and why the Ouija board spirit told me what it did.”
Chutney twirled her curls around her finger. “Tegan, what are you thinking?”
Tegan and Tennessee exchanged glances, and then Tegan shook her head. “Nothing I’m ready to speak on yet.”
“Dad, can you check on Deacon and them, see when they’ll be back? Chutney, see if you can talk to any of the animals. Maybe they’ve seen or heard something. Constance, get me Timothy’s plan. We’re putting this school on lockdown now.” Tennessee walked over to the front window and looked out. He shook his head and spun around. “But that’s for The Coven. You five go get some sleep. Be at the gate for the Old Lands at sunrise. Don’t make me drag you out.”
“I’ll portal them back.” Tegan waved her hands, and her white glowing portal appeared.
“Fine,” Tennessee growled. “But if you’re not back in sixty seconds, I will lose my shit. No one takes this matter lightly.”
Then he looked to the five of us. “Get inside your dorms and stay there.”
Chapter Forty-One
Bettina
The common area of the Swords dorm was quiet. In the back corner, a few guys sat with a handful of books open and cups of steaming coffee in their hands. I knew them—they were First Years like me, and this was study group night. I was supposed to be there preparing for our exam on Friday in Ancient Language class. I wasn’t ready, and it didn’t seem like I was going to be.
I longed for the days when life was simple. When it was just Tegan and me being our regular, weirdo selves. My life had been unrecognizable ever since I played with that stupid Ouija board. The memory of the planchette moving over each letter sent a cold chill down my spine. I shivered and tried to push those thoughts away.
The common room was cold and dark, and there were candles flickering with soft light everywhere. Music and laughter echoed through the ceiling, from where the other Swords students were continuing on with their lives. It reminded me exactly of that night at Dean’s house.
Tegan spun in a circle, her pale green eyes inspecting everything around us. Finally, she stopped and faced us. “I have to go before Tenn loses his shit. But just be careful. Keep your eyes open. We don’t know what Joseph’s deal is yet, so we don’t know how to protect everyone. Stay in your rooms.”
“What about everyone else in here? I mean…” Gen pointed toward the sound of a bass vibrating through the floor. “Shouldn’t we tell them to get in their rooms, too?”
Tegan hesitated, but I saw something in her eyes. There was something she wasn’t telling us, and I had no idea what that was. “I read the reports, and if you’re inside, you should be okay. But…I do believe you’re more involved in this than you realize. Just stay inside.”
Harlan cleared his throat. “Um, this isn’t my building…”
Tegan cursed. “Right, okay, let’s get you back to yours. C’mon.”
She gripped his elbow, and they both disappeared through her bright portal box. Then it was just us four.
You’re more involved in this than you realize. My stomach turned. She meant me. I knew she did. It was me who got the warning from the spirit. It was me who saw Joseph and the others attack us and kill Timothy. It was me who had their magic blocked so some stranger could hide something inside it. I was the one who had angelic runes hiding inside me that we had to hunt down on some unknown object—and then find some mysterious angel.
It was all connected…and it was connected to me. Tegan knew it. She just didn’t want to tell me. But I saw. I knew her. I knew her poker face. And something inside me told me she was counting on that.
I sighed. Why me?
“I’m going to plug my phone in and call the infirmary to check on Erin.” Gen started for the stairs, then yelled over her shoulder, “I’ll let you know what they say.”
“I know dining is closed for the night, but I’ve got snacks in my room.” Trey turned and walked backward. “Come on up if you get hungry.”
I smiled and nodded. Or at least I thought I did. It felt wonky, so I might’ve grimaced at him. I was tired and confused, and my heart hurt in ways I couldn’t even put words to. I’d been at the Gathering. I’d seen those spirits. It wasn’t something I would ever forget…and neither was the pain in Timothy’s voice when he’d spoken about his family he lost. So much hurting and suffering. It made me want to call my parents and forgive them for lying to me, for hiding the truth of who I am from me. I didn’t want those kinds of regrets. I hadn’t spoken to them since I left, and I needed to change that.
Lennox has a phone. I can call them now.
But then I turned and saw Jackson. He hadn’t said much since we got back to Eden, and he definitely hadn’t spoken at all since Tegan brought us to our building. His aquamarine eyes didn’t hold that sparkle I was used to—they looked gray and full of pain. His face was all scrunched up, his cheeks paler than normal. The muscle in his jaw flexed and popped.
I stepped forward and took his hands in mine. They were warm and soft. I leaned into him, and our chests touched. I tugged on his fingers, then laced them through mine. “Talk to me, Lancelot.”
He smirked at the sound of my nickname for him, but just barely. His gaze traveled over my face. “Moonshine,” he whispered then pressed his lips to my forehead.
For a moment, I just stood there reveling in the heat of his skin against mine. My eyes fell shut. Everything else disappeared except for the heavy beating of our hearts. I took a deep breath to soak in his Christmassy scent. His fingers tightened on mine. Unable to stop myself, I leaned forward and pressed my face to his chest. His skin was burning hot, scorching my cheek. I frowned and pulled back—and my gaze landed on that glowing white mark on his chest.
My heart sank. My stomach rolled. Chills filled my veins, turning my body into a giant block of ice. Bitter cold seeped deep inside me, into my very soul. All I could do was stare. I’d forgotten. Somehow…for those few minutes…I’d forgotten.
Jackson had a soulmate, and it wasn’t me.
I couldn’t have him. I wasn’t supposed to hold him like this, to touch him like this. My kiss wasn’t the one he wanted, the one that was meant for him.
Oh my God. I’m Julian. I leapt away from him, my back slamming into a wall.
Hurt flashed across his beautiful face. He stepped toward me with his hand out. “Bettina, what’s wrong?”
Tears filled my eyes. I shook my head and pointed to his chest. He frowned and looked down—and then his face fell. A wave of cold energy slammed into me. He opened his mouth then shut it again.
I can’t do this. To him. T
o me. To whoever the lucky girl is. Had Timothy somehow known what was coming? Had he heard from the Hierophant about Jackson’s future? Maybe that was why he’d told me his story. Perhaps I was supposed to learn from Julian’s mistakes. Or maybe it was a complete and horrible coincidence, but I was going to learn from it. I had feelings for Jackson, more than I dared to even think about, and I wanted him to be happy. Even if it couldn’t be with me.
More importantly, I wanted me to be happy. I deserved that. I was never going to be his. The universe had spoken. There was no point in not listening. His soulmate might not have been present, but she would be some day.. I had to let him go…for both our sake’s.
I shook my head and turned, then sprinted for the stairs. I didn’t look back at him. It was time to get over Jackson for good. I just needed to make myself get over him. Fake it till I make it. Cooper’s face flashed in my mind, and a game plan started to form. Cooper was hot and a nice guy. My best friend’s brother. I was going to try and like him. I had nothing to lose…because I feared my heart was already lost to the boy downstairs.
Chapter Forty-Two
Jackson
I climbed the steps to the library while that nagging voice in my head screamed that I wasn’t supposed to be out here. I wasn’t. I knew that. But there was absolutely no bloody chance I was sitting in my dorm room tonight…alone.
I’d been struggling to be in there at all since we came back from the Old Lands without Warner. Every time I saw his empty bed, it was like someone had stuck a knife in my back and twisted it. I’d failed him. All the years he’d supported me, stood by my side, was the brother I never had…and I’d failed him right when it mattered most.
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