I’d thought Sam’s magic was powerful, but this one packed a punch. And so far, only Coven members carried that kind of energy. And since I was new to The Coven and this radar system, it was painfully obvious to me.
I was a little distracted by that long drive with Sam and her interrogation skills, so I didn’t realize I was nearing the room until a wall of energy slammed into me. I stumbled back a step or two and shook myself. Paulina had given us the room number—2216.
Which was ironic since there were twenty-two members of The Coven and the Tower was number sixteen. I didn’t think that was a coincidence. The Goddess had her ways of lining things up. I followed the hallway until I spotted her room up ahead.
There were people standing inside. Two middle-aged people and a teenage girl with soft, cotton-candy pink hair. They turned toward the door so I spun around and pretended to read some pamphlets on the nurses’ counter.
“Excuse me, Sylvia?” a man said from next to me.
I glanced up and found it was the people from the room.
A nurse with bright red curls smiled. “Mr. LeVeau, please tell me you’re going to go get some dinner finally,” she said with a thick southern accent. “Taking Miss Elizabeth, too?”
“Yes.” The man, Mr. LeVeau, sighed and gave a sad smile. “We’re just going across the street, though, so please, if anything—”
“I will call your cell.” Sylvia smiled and nodded. “I promise. Anything at all, and I will call. Now go on. Go eat!”
“Thank you,” he breathed, but his voice was tight and his eyes were sad.
With that, he turned and led the woman and the young girl down the hallway toward the elevator. Before Sylvia spotted me standing there, I spun away and went right for the girl’s room. I hurried inside and pulled the door shut behind me, then I yanked the curtains over to cover the glass wall. I figured I didn’t have much time before Sylvia came investigating, so I spun around—and choked on a gasp.
The girl was covered head to toe in thick white bandages. The only parts of her that were visible was her hot pink hair spread out over her pillow, and the fingertips of her left hand. Her fingernails were painted black but chipped. That was it. That was all I could see. I would’ve suspected it was a girl based on the hair and nails, but more because I’d been told.
I walked to her side then cursed. Tenn had said the girl was in a coma, but this was something worse than that. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought maybe these were burn bandages—though I prayed I was wrong.
She was definitely a witch. Her energy hovered around her body like a force field. According to the machines in the room, her pulse was perfectly normal, although I sensed her steady strength the second I walked in the room. She was suffering, but she had a tough spirit. This girl was fighting her way back.
I didn’t try to wake her. Tenn said Katherine had put spells on her, and I sensed them in the air around her. Katherine was the best there was in our entire species, so it wasn’t my place to doubt her.
But there was one thing I needed to check.
Because just sensing her power and strength didn’t tell me enough. It wasn’t proof. It wasn’t even an answer. I knew she was going to pull through, but we needed to know if she was the person we were looking for.
I reached down to her left arm and gently unwrapped the bandages around her forearm. It took me a few seconds to get down to her bare skin—and then I gasped.
Her skin was raw and red, but right in the middle of her left forearm were three bold black letters—XVI.
The Tower.
I pulled out my cell phone and snapped a few pictures of her Mark and her general appearance. Then I carefully fixed her bandage back up. I looked up and spotted a row of greeting cards and flowers sitting in the windowsill. I went over and peeked inside. They were each addressed to a Frankie. It was an uncommon name for a girl, but something told me it was a nickname. All of these cards gushed with love and words of strength and faith. There were hearts drawn in red and pictures of a pink-haired girl with various people.
The door opened behind me and I cringed.
“OH. Oh dear. Sorry,” Sylvia said. “And who are you?”
I forced a friendly smile on my face then turned. “Sorry to scare you, ma’am. I’m a friend of Frankie’s. I was in the area and just wanted to stop in and see her.”
“You just missed her parents and her best friend—”
“Elizabeth?” I interrupted with the knowledge I’d inadvertently learned to make this nurse more comfortable. “I’m glad she’s staying close.”
“First time she’s left this room in weeks.” Sylvia looked down at Frankie and smiled. “She’s doing so well, we can’t believe it.”
“What is the prognosis?”
Sylvia shook her head. “We don’t know. She shouldn’t have survived that crash. She should’ve burned to a crisp when it exploded, but here she is. Even her burns are healing up. It’s a blessing.”
It’s magic. I grinned. “That’s wonderful news.”
She nodded. “Okay, now listen, this is ICU, and I don’t know who sent you up here, but this area is closed for visitors. I’ll give you one more minute, then I’m coming back to kick you out, okay?”
“Thank you, and I’m sorry to intrude.”
She winked then slid out the door and closed it behind her.
I sighed and strolled back over to Frankie’s left side. I smiled and wrapped my hand around her Mark. “If you can hear me, stay strong. The magic is working, so just sleep it off for now. Your family is here with you. Don’t be frightened by what happened or by the Mark on your arm. We will come back and explain everything. Good luck, Frankie. I hope you heal soon.”
Without another word, I turned and hurried out of her room. Sylvia had been nice, but I didn’t want to push it. I needed to fly under the radar here until Tenn could come back for her. Plus, I needed to be gone before her family returned. I moved swiftly down the hall toward the glowing red exit sign then pushed the door open and flew down the stairs.
The second fresh air hit my face, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Tennessee’s phone number. It rang several times before it went to voice mail. After the beep, I said, “Okay, I checked the girl in the coma. Her name is Frankie, and she is our Tower. I saw her Mark. I’m going to start driving back to Eden now.”
I ended the call then climbed into my truck. The engine roared to life, and the radio station I’d left on played some country song I didn’t know. I took a second to text the pictures of Frankie’s Mark to The Coven group text, then entered Eden into my GPS.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Bettina
A branch snapped under my feet and I froze. The sound echoed through the dense forest. I glanced around, but night had fallen since we’d entered the forest and darkness lurked in every corner. The waxing crescent moon was just a sliver of gold hanging high up in the sky. It provided just enough light to silhouette each leaf and branch over our heads, but none of it reached the ground.
Fog clung to the earth, hovering a foot off the ground. It was thick and damp, like walking through a creek. The wetness seeped through my jeans and Converses. I looked down and stared into it, trying to see through to the dirt. A strong breeze ripped through the trees. The fog wrapped around my ankles like snakes. Leaves rustled and sounded like raindrops. I glanced around, but my eyes were playing tricks on me. Everywhere I looked, shadows lurked behind trees, watching and waiting to attack.
I took a deep breath then exhaled, and a white cloud billowed out from my mouth. The air was crisp and freezing cold. Lily shivered and zipped her jacket up higher. Easton rubbed her arms with his hands. Thanks to my new brand of magic, the temperature no longer bothered me, but my friends weren’t as lucky. I wanted to try and help ease the cold, but we were all reducing the amount of magic we used because we didn’t want Trey to sense our presence.
A cold chill slid down my spine and I shivered. We weren’t alone out here. I felt foreign
energy tingling down my arms.
Cooper turned to face the rest of us. His pale green eyes were narrowed and sharp. “Feel that?” he whispered.
I nodded. So did the others.
Cooper frowned and pulled his other dagger out so he had both in hand. He met each of our eyes, then whispered even softer, “Be ready.”
My stomach turned.
“Do you think I could have a venomous killing kiss?” Royce whispered. “Ya’ know, like Poison Ivy?”
Everyone turned to stare at him.
Henley gestured between herself and our path behind us. “Is that what you’ve been thinking about this whole time?” she deadpanned.
Royce blinked then shrugged. “It would be deadly.”
Henley closed her eyes and shook her head. She turned away from him. “Let’s just carry on.”
It was only the six of us. Tenn wanted everyone else to stay back in Eden just in case this was another trick. But he didn’t want us to be on a suicide mission if trouble went down.
Cooper sighed and turned to me. “Which way does George say to go now?”
I looked down at my hand, to where Tennessee’s pendulum dangled from my fingers. The blue crystal glistened with light of its own making. Faint purple mist swirled around it. Tennessee had loaned George to me to help us track down Trey. Bentley’s spell only gave us latitude and longitude points, but George said he could show us the way.
Except while we’d been talking, he stopped swinging. I focused my thoughts on the crystal. Sorry, George. Are you still with us?
The crystal swung away from me then back. Yes.
I sighed with relief. Great. Thanks. We’re ready to continue whenever you’re ready to show us the way again.
The crystal hung in a straight line for a moment then swung in a diagonal line to our left. We all nodded then began following his direction. Cooper was on my right side next to me. He didn’t want me ambushed because I was focused on the pendulum. Royce and Henley were behind us, with Lily and Easton in the back.
It was difficult to stay calm while walking through the pitch-black forest knowing that if this led us to where we thought it was, there was a good chance it would end in a fight. One I wasn’t so sure we could win.
George had us take a series of turns, and I wasn’t sure why. But I was relying on his wisdom, since everyone else in this Coven did.
“So…were you planning on kissing demons just to kill them?” Easton whispered through the silence.
Everyone froze and spun around. I knew we needed to concentrate, but Easton had asked a very legitimate question and I was dying to hear this answer. I was also trying not to laugh.
“Hey, Poison Ivy had a deadly touch, not just in her lips,” Royce whisper-shouted. “She also had power of charm that put people under her influence.”
Easton frowned. “That’s the Devil’s job.”
“And the Devil is my cousin!” Royce threw his hands out. “Means it should run in the family.”
Cooper sighed and put his hands on his hips, the blades of his daggers sticking out. “That’s not how that works.”
Henley opened her mouth then shut it. “Actually…it kind of is.”
Royce’s eyes lit up like his sister had just given him the best present.
“I mean, have you met Deacon’s mother, our aunt?” Henley smirked. “I don’t wanna say she’s manipulating but—”
“So you’re saying there’s a chance!”
Lily narrowed her lavender eyes. “Remember that night we were on patrol at Hidden Kingdom back in June, and I caught you hugging that demon—”
“It didn’t work.”
Lily covered her mouth and laughed.
Henley smirked. “Before you ask baby brother, no, there’s no spell for that unless you want to dabble in dark magic. Which I know you don’t.”
“Hey, maybe Bettina can make you one!” Easton grinned and pointed to me. “These Bishop girls are crazy, man.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “She’s not a Bishop girl.”
Cooper scoffed. “Yes, she is. She’s just as bad as my sisters.”
That made my whole body get all warm and tingly. I giggled. “Thanks?”
He rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. “Can we move on now? Please? Before Trey is gone.”
Trey.
My heart sank. I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. If I hadn’t been there to witness his betrayal myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. Trey. It hurt my heart to think about. I hated that Jackson wasn’t here, but I was glad he wasn’t here. If my best friend turned out to be a murderous traitor, I didn’t know if I could attack her.
I couldn’t think about it. Thinking about Trey as a friend was now a weakness, something that could cost me or my friends their lives. From now on, that version of Trey was dead. And if I got my chance, I wouldn’t hesitate to make this version of him that, too. He’d tried to kill us all in the Old Lands. I’d caught him trying to kill Erin before we interrupted him. Right from under our noses, he’d betrayed us.
He killed Timothy. I knew it with every fiber of my being. Trey had been our leak, the traitor who gave away our plans to Joseph that day that Timothy died. For that alone, he could never be forgiven.
Even before he sold us out to Joseph’s entire army in the Old Lands.
Even before he kidnapped Warner and Lennox.
Even before he blew up half the school.
Even before he killed innocent humans and civilian witches.
Even before he tried to kill Tegan.
There was no path to redemption for Trey, and I was going to make sure he went down for what he did.
My thoughts exploded with heinous ideas, things I never thought I’d ever consider. But he did this to me. He brought out this darkness in me. No one hurt the people I cared about and lived to tell the tale. Dead men tell no tales; that was a saying for a reason. I pictured in my mind all the ways I could take my vengeance. He’d make a nice ice statue. But Royce’s idea floated around, and I wondered if that would be possible.
And then words flashed in my mind.
I gasped and slid to a stop. The others continued a few steps until I was in the back, then they spun around to face me.
Cooper arched one eyebrow and held his daggers out. “B, what’s wrong?”
“Blood in vine, root and key, Blind them, bind them, now to me. Stalk and petal, bud and tree, Give my touch thy killing plea.”
Royce’s jaw hit the ground.
Lily threw her head back and cackled. Easton covered her mouth with his hand and buried his face in her shoulder. His shoulders trembled so I knew he was laughing, too.
“What have you done?” Cooper whispered in horror.
Royce turned wide eyes to his sister.
She shook her head. “Be careful with it. You’ll be really upset if you accidentally kill the wrong person…or have you never seen Rogue in X-Men?”
Royce rubbed his hands together and did a little dance. “I can handle it.”
I bit my lip. “You have to recite the spell right before you want it to work.”
Cooper shook his head. “How does he turn it off? Because this crazy mofo likes to hug.”
Royce grimaced. “He’s got a point. I do like hugs.”
Cooper looked to me. “Well?”
I frowned. “Um…how about Growth and blossom, life of thee, Conceal my poison till I decree?”
Royce grinned like the Joker in Batman. “I like her. I’m glad we get to keep her.”
Lily wiped her eyes. “You were right. She is a Bishop girl.”
A bolt of electricity zapped my fingers then shot up my arm. I flinched and cursed, then looked down at George. The purple mist was brighter and wrapping tighter around the crystal. My pulse skipped. It swung faster and faster.
“We need to get moving. Run!” I whisper-yelled then hightailed it through the trees.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Bettina
Their h
ushed footsteps followed behind me as we ran through the forest. I didn’t know what had just triggered George to get my attention, but I didn’t like any of the theories bouncing around in my head. I just wished I knew where we were heading, I hated flying blind. I couldn’t even stop to ask George if we were close.
All we could do was run.
Finally, after what felt like a football-field-long run, I saw the edge of the forest. Light poured in, peeking around trees. The air shimmered and sparkled like glitter. And George was leading us right for it. I dug my heels in and pushed my legs harder.
At the last second, something in my gut told me to slow down, that we didn’t want to barge into the open like we were about to. So I slid to a stop, my feet dragging through the dirt for a few inches. I threw my hand out and shot out a wall of ice right behind me to catch my Coven-mates. But as I glanced over my shoulder, I found that wasn’t necessary—they were clearly far more trained athletes than I was. I nodded and waved my hand, and my ice wall vanished.
I held my finger up to my lips for them to stay quiet. They nodded. I pointed to Easton then pointed to my chest. His pale blue eyes sparkled as he nodded and gave me a thumbs-up. I turned to face the edge of the forest. We were still about ten feet away so I couldn’t see what lay ahead. George still swung in a straight line.
George?
It stopped.
Is our destination beyond these trees in the clearing?
Yes.
Should I put you away now?
YES.
Thanks, George. Talk to you soon. I scooped the blue crystal up into my hand then carefully placed him in my front pocket. Then, just to be sure, I froze the seam of my pocket closed so George couldn’t accidentally fall out. I couldn’t lose Tenn’s beloved pendulum.
Cooper cursed and adjusted his grip on his daggers. He looked to me then nodded. Then he gestured for the others to line up with us. Once we were all in place, together, the six of us walked through the last row of trees and into the clearing.
The moonlight was significantly brighter out here in the open…and that was how I spotted him so fast.
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