You’ve got this, Tegan whispered into my mind.
“Max, I think I can help you, but I have to do some research first, okay?”
OKAY. THANK YOU.
“But…Max, before I can do that…I am trying to contact another spirit—”
THE ONE WHO INTERRUPTED LAST TIME?
I gasped. “Yes. Yes, exactly. Max, is that spirit nearby?”
YES. SHE’S THE ONE WHO TOLD ME TO COME HERE FOR HELP.
Tegan’s eyes lit up, and I felt her excitement.
I licked my lips and tried to keep my voice steady, despite my racing pulse. “Do you know where she is now?”
DOWNSTAIRS.
Hunter and Jackson sat up straight, but they didn’t let go of the planchette.
I’LL GO GET HER.
There was another gust of wind, and then the room fell silent.
“No one move,” Tegan whispered. “And we have to save Max’s soul when this is all over, okay?”
All three of us nodded.
I sighed and my breath came out in a white cloud. The windows frosted over until they were solid ice. The hardwood floor vibrated. Salt rose in the air, hovering around our bodies. My whole body trembled. OH SHIT. This is it. It’s happening again. I gasped and my teeth chattered together.
Tegan grinned and nodded.
“Spirit, are you here with us?”
The planchette moved to the word YES.
“Are you Max?”
It moved to NO.
“Are you the spirit I spoke to before? The one who warned me that they weren’t dead?”
YES.
To my surprise, excitement rushed through my body.
“Can you tell us your name?”
NO.
“Okay. That’s okay. Thank you for warning me about Joseph.”
The air in the room pulsed with electricity. Ice-cold wind slammed into my face then whipped around the room like a tornado.
DID YOU SEEK MYRTLE?
My stomach flipped. “Y-yes. Yes, I did.”
JACKSON IS HERE.
His eyes widened. He nodded.
YOU FOUND MICHAEL’S SWORD?
Jackson’s face paled. “Yes, ma’am.”
All at once, the candle flames turned a bright, vivid blue. The walls rattled and groaned, like someone was pounding on them from the outside.
GOOD. HIS TIME HAS COME.
“Michael’s time?” Jackson asked with a wild expression. “He didn’t take his sword back yet. Tennessee has it.”
Silence. But we weren’t alone. I still felt her presence all around us.
I MUST GO.
“PLEASE, don’t go!” Tegan shouted and closed her eyes. Her rainbow mist spilled out from under her fingers on the planchette. Golden light spilled out from under her knees. There was a flash of light around her head, and then her black hair turned white as snow. She opened her eyes, and my heart sank. They were white and gold again. Except this time, she didn’t pass out. “Spirit, stay. Please.”
The blue flames on the candles turned a metallic, shimmering gold and grew a few inches taller.
TRICKY, TRICKY, AETHER WITCH.
Tegan smiled but it looked creepy with those eyes. “Please, we are desperate. Joseph is winning. Lives have been lost. We don’t know how to beat him.”
ASK TIMOTHY.
My heart screamed in agony. “Timothy is dead. Joseph killed him.”
NO.
YOU LIE.
NO.
“I wish I was lying,” I whispered.
The windows in the room shattered. The candle flames turned dark, dark purple. The walls swayed and the floor trembled. Drops of water dripped down the walls.
Oh, she’s strong, Tegan said into our minds.
Golden light erupted from Hunter and filled the room. It took a few moments, but the shaking finally stopped. The air grew thick and dense, and it weighed down on my shoulders.
“Please help us,” I heard myself beg.
FIND LOCKET.
“Who are you?” Jackson whispered.
FIND LOCKET.
“Please tell us who you are?” Jackson asked again.
There was a moment of silence, and then she spoke again.
FIND LOCKET.
We all sighed. This spirit had just shut down on us.
I exhaled and shook my head. “Do you know how to defeat Joseph?”
FIND LOCKET.
“I don’t understand.” I shook my head. “Please, tell us something else. We don’t know where the locket is.”
KESSLER FOUND.
I gasped and sat up straight. “Kessler found the locket??”
NO.
“We don’t understand,” Jackson groaned.
FIND LOCKET.
“Where is it?” I begged again.
I’M SORRY.
“For what?”
FORGIVE ME.
Jackson cursed. “We forgive you, but tell us where to find the locket.”
I sighed and pushed my magic into my hands. I didn’t know why—it just felt like the right thing to do. “Help us.”
FIND LOCKET.
PUT TOGETHER.
FIND LOCKET. PUT TOGE—
The door to the room flew open and slammed against the wall.
Tenn stormed in wearing a menacing face and gripping Michael’s sword. The glyph on his chest was emerald green. He pointed to it with his free hand. “What’s wrong?”
The lantern over our head flashed bright white light. The candles turned back to golden flames, and they were about as bright as the sun and as impossible to look at. The ground rumbled, and electricity pulsed through the air. It cracked like lightning. Red flames appeared in front of us again.
TENNESSEE.
We all gasped. Tenn’s eyes widened. He gripped Michael’s sword tighter.
Tegan cleared her throat. “Spirit, is there something you’d like to say to Tennessee?”
There was a long minute of silence, so long that I started to worry she’d left us.
“Spirit? Are you still there?” I asked. “Did you want to talk to Tenn?”
Last time she’d had a message for me and for Jackson, and they turned out to be quite fortuitous. I wanted to know what she had to say to Tennessee.
The planchette moved to the word YES.
Tegan nodded. “What do you want to say to Tennessee?”
The planchette moved back to the letters, and then flaming words appeared.
I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK.
Tennessee turned sheet-white. “Mom?” he whispered.
YES.
Tennessee made a strangled kind of gasping noise, one I’d never heard come out of him. He stumbled back and crashed into the wall. Candles fell over. “Mom?”
YES.
I glanced over to Tegan and found her eyes tearing up. The glyph on her chest was a dark purple. She stared up at her soulmate, and I knew she wanted to run to him. My heart was pounding. Oh my God. This spirit…is Tennessee’s mother??
The fiery words appeared again. HOPE IS NOT LOST.
“MOM?” Tennessee said with a strangled voice.
I’M SORRY.
Tenn’s eyes widened. “Don’t go,” he whispered, staying by the wall.
I MUST.
“Please.”
I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON—
“And back,” Tenn whispered and sank to the floor. His eyes looked haunted and broken.
TEGAN.
“Yes?” she asked with a shaky voice.
TAKE CARE OF HIM FOR ME.
Then, before we could speak again, the planchette moved to GOODBYE.
Tegan leapt to her feet and rushed over to Tenn, her hair already back to black. She dropped to her knees then pulled him into her chest. Her arms wrapped around him and squeezed. His body seemed to be shaking. Tegan had tears running down her cheeks.
I sat there. Frozen. Numb.
I wanted to go to him. To help comfort him. I couldn’t imagine what he was feeling. Bu
t I was no one to him. I wasn’t someone who could offer him support like this. He had Tegan, I knew that. Yet, it didn’t feel like enough. I reached out and grabbed ahold of Jackson, then held on tight.
Hunter stepped in front of us with sad eyes. “Leave him,” he whispered and ushered us out the door.
Chapter Sixteen
Bettina
About twenty minutes later, Tegan and Tennessee still hadn’t come out of Dean’s house. We hadn’t wanted to stay inside. We were making the evacuees nervous—because we were all completely and totally shook.
That spirit was Tennessee’s mother. I couldn’t believe it. Why didn’t she want to talk to him more? Why did she say she was sorry? Why did she get so upset about Timothy? My head hurt from all the questions bouncing around in my head.
Jackson and Hunter leaned against the wrought-iron fence at the edge of the property. I paced like a caged lion and chewed on my thumbnail.
Why is Tenn’s mom lurking around Charleston and talking to Ouija boards? Why does she know who I am? Or Jackson? Or Tegan? She’s been dead for over a decade. It didn’t make sense. Oh my Goddess. Max said she was downstairs. Tenn was downstairs. I bet she was standing next to him, and he didn’t even know it. But why wouldn’t she talk to us in Eden when we called her? Was that too far away? Did it work like that?
Okay. Focus. What DID she tell us about Joseph?
She said to find the locket, but we already know that. OH— She’d said ‘Kessler found.’ That had to mean something.
Jackson and Hunter jumped up off the fence with wide eyes. I spun around toward the house just as Tegan and Tennessee came strolling up the sidewalk. Tegan had both arms wrapped around one of Tenn’s and his one hand between both of hers. Every other step, she glanced up at him. He stared at the ground, but I still saw the redness of his eyes. The soulmate glyph on his chest was still dark purple.
I frowned and met Tegan’s gaze, then pointed to my chest and nodded to Tenn.
Tegan’s face fell. Dark purple means…heartbreak.
Shit. I blinked and searched for the words to say, but came up with nothing.
As they joined us at the end of the sidewalk, Hunter cleared his throat. “So more proof we need to find this locket.”
Tegan nodded. She opened her mouth then shut it. I can’t think when he feels like…THIS.
He needed a distraction. Something else to focus on.
I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to mind. “What about George?”
Tenn looked up at me and frowned. He looked absolutely devastated.
I shrugged. “George seems to know where things are, so maybe we should ask him if he knows where the locket is?”
He stared at me for a long second then sighed. “Worth a shot.” He dug into his front jeans pocket and pulled out the bluish crystal. He cleared his throat as it dangled from his fingers. “George, do you know where Ruth’s locket is?”
YES.
I gasped. “Can you show us?”
NO.
Tenn scowled. “Why not?”
I DON’T KNOW.
Tegan cursed. “I’m sure Ruth put a spell on it. To conceal and hide it. And knowing what she was capable of, I’d guess she was strong enough to—” Her eyes widened. She stared into space for a moment, then shook herself. “Strong enough to prevent magical tools from finding it.”
Hunter squeezed my shoulder. “It was a great idea, B.”
Jackson sighed and rubbed his temples. “Now what?”
Tegan snapped her fingers, and her white portal box appeared next to us. “We need to talk to Kessler.”
“Hey, wait!”
We all jumped and spun around just as Dean came sprinting toward us.
He slid to a stop then smiled. “I know I’ve said this before. But please, please let me help if possible. Anything at all. Just call me?”
Tenn held out his left hand. When Dean took it, they shook hands.
“Will do, Dean.” Tenn nodded. “For now, keep our people here safe.”
“Thanks, Dean,” Tegan said with a smile.
There was a flash of light, and then we stood on the porch of Coven Headquarters. Hunter winked at his daughter, then walked inside. Jackson took my hand and pulled me through the door with him. My mind was a mess, and so was my heart. Which made no sense. It was Tennessee’s mother. Not mine. I wasn’t involved in that, yet it hurt more than it should have. I’d never been an overly emotional person. I wasn’t the empath type who absorbed other people’s pain. Except…now, I was.
When we got into the living room, I found the rest of our Coven sitting right where we’d left them in the living room. They were all fidgeting in some form or another, and I totally understood the feeling.
Kessler jumped up from the dinner table with sharp eyes. He frowned—and then his face paled. “His mother?”
I froze. “Tegan tell you?”
He nodded, then raced across the room toward the front door. He made it about halfway across when the front door swung open behind me, and Tennessee stepped inside. His mismatched eyes scanned the room, then he stopped. I knew he’d spotted Kessler because his arms dropped to his sides. He looked defeated.
“Tenn,” Kessler whispered then pulled his adoptive son into his chest. He wrapped his massive arms around Tenn’s shoulders and held him tight.
Tenn didn’t fight him.
Tegan stepped around them and wiggled her fingers—and they vanished. She tapped her temple and glanced around the room. I heard gasps and curses, and I knew she was filling them in.
I leaned into Jackson for strength. Cooper wrung his hands together.
A few moments later, the air behind Tegan shimmered, and then Tennessee and Kessler were visible again. Tenn took a few steps then collapsed on the bench against the wall and put his elbows to his knees. He didn’t meet anyone’s eyes. Tegan went over to stand beside him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.
Kessler sighed and shook his head. “I don’t have the locket, nor have I ever found a locket of any kind.”
Tegan pursed her lips. “This spirit was Tenn’s mother… Maybe she means where you found him?”
Tenn’s head snapped up, his eyes blazing with emotion.
Kessler paled. “Oh, Goddess. I don’t know what we’ll find there, if anything, but I can take you there.”
Tegan stepped forward. “Picture that exact location in your mind, and nothing else. I’ll bring us there.”
Kessler squeezed his eyes shut. Tegan took his hand and concentrated. Then her eyes lit up, and I knew she’d gotten the location. Her white portal box opened up behind her, and then they were flying through it. My feet slid me into it on their own accord—or Tegan’s accord. I gripped Jackson’s hand and pulled him through the portal with me. At the last second, I glanced over my shoulder and spotted the rest of my Coven-mates diving into the portal with us.
When the light faded, we all stood in the middle of a forest. Trees towered over our heads like skyscrapers.
Cooper cursed. “This is where you found each other?”
Kessler nodded. “I was coming down the mountain,” he whispered. His eyes were far away.
Devon groaned and shook her head. “What were you doing out here, Tenn? All alone.”
“I don’t know.” Tennessee stumbled forward a few feet then stopped. He lifted his left arm then pressed his hand to his Emperor Mark. “This is where I was Marked.”
My eyes widened. I’d heard Tenn’s story. Tegan had told me. He’d been five years old when his mother sent him running into the mountains alone. Then his Mark appeared, and Kessler showed up. Tenn had no memories of his life before that moment, besides a fragment from his mother right before.
Tegan sighed and dropped her arms. “I don’t feel any magic here.”
Easton frowned. “So?”
“So, this locket contains a ton of magic, so I’d be able to sense it was here.”
“I thought you said Ruth would’ve cloaked
it from magical tools?”
“I’m a figurative tool, B. I meant a literal tool.” Tegan winked.
Deacon chuckled. “I feel like I might be both.”
“Of course you would.” Royce rolled his eyes. He glanced around. “So, you’d be able to feel it, T?”
She shrugged. “I’m pretty positive, yes. Granted, that may not help us locate it. But I’d sense its presence at least.”
Henley ran her hand along some branches. “So why send us here?”
“Maybe she hid it up here somewhere and knows that Tenn passed it?” I shrugged.
“I remember running here,” Tenn said softly.
Everyone turned toward him but didn’t speak.
Kessler moved closer to him. “Where did you come running from? I’ve never gotten that out of you.”
Tenn stared at the ground and shook his head. “I couldn’t figure out how to tell you…plus it was all fuzzy memory.”
Kessler nodded. “Do you remember now?”
Tenn looked up at Kessler and nodded. Then he turned and walked into the forest. The rest of us hurried to follow him before he got too far away to track. None of us spoke as he led us down the side of a mountain and through the trees. We walked for what felt like an hour but was definitely less. My legs ached and my feet throbbed, but I wasn’t about to whine.
Finally, Tenn stepped between a row of trees and into a clearing that overlooked a river. And I recognized every part of it. My heart raced. We’d been here before…to track Trey.
Chapter Seventeen
Bettina
“Why does this look familiar?” Royce asked from a few trees over.
“Because this is where we tracked Trey.” I pointed down to the riverbank. “That’s where we found him digging up that random wooden chest.”
“OH.” Royce cursed. “That’s got to be important—”
Tennessee charged forward, practically sprinting down the little hill toward the riverbank.
There was a moment of silence, and then we all leapt after him at the same exact time.
Tenn slid to a stop at the base of the hill. He froze and stared at the ground. Then he turned and looked up at us, but his eyes were far away. He spun back around and stumbled like a drunk person. I’d never seen his steps so out of rhythm and faltering. He stumbled over the river and walked into the water about a foot. His beat-up combat boots were completely covered by the rushing water. He turned to his left, then spun to the right. His eyes were wide. The energy rolling off of him was panicked. He kept spinning in circles.
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 113
