If a fight didn’t break out soon, I was going to take it out on this stupid pink couch.
Something moved in my peripheral vision, but when I looked, I saw nothing. I was too jumpy for my own—
Wait a second. Something IS moving. What is that? I sat up and leaned forward. It wasn’t an object, but the air itself. It was like it was solidifying and rolling across the dark carpet like a wave.
Hold up. I frowned and looked around.
This house didn’t have carpet. It was light hardwood floors throughout. But the entire floor of the living room was blanketed in a thick black-like smoke— OH SHIT. I jumped up on the couch and got to my feet.
I leapt onto the coffee table then onto the other couch like I was playing ‘the floor is lava.’ I climbed over the back of the couch and leaned across to grab my talisman sword from where it was hanging on the wall next to my leather jacket. With my weapon gripped firmly in my hands, I spun around to fight…what? There was nothing but thick black smoke. My blade wasn’t going to stop it—whatever it was.
My mind flashed with memories of my childhood home being flooded during a hurricane. This felt exactly like that, and it had my heart rate pump hard. I swallowed a lump of anxiety and glanced around me. The smoke was rising higher and spreading through the other rooms. Screams echoed from the kitchen, and then metal pots and pans clanked against the tile floor.
“GET OFF THE GROUND!” I shouted, even though I had no idea if that was good advice.
“What is this?” some girl shrieked from the library down the hall.
My pulse quickened. Think, Warner. What spells use black smoke? THINK. I jumped to the end of the couch I was standing on and tried to look out the glass front doors, but there was a wall in my way. All I could see was black smoke seeping through the cracks.
Ear-piercing shrieks ripped through the second floor.
I gasped and spun around. My jaw dropped. The black smoke had slithered up the stairs. Room by room, I heard screams of panic.
Shit. Shit. Shit. “GET OFF THE FLOOR!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
I had no idea why I was ordering that, but I was working on pure instinct. And whatever this smoke was I knew we wanted nothing to do with it.
Think, Warner. No spells I knew of used black smoke. Emersyn had smoke powers, but it wasn’t black. It didn’t make sense. This kind of magic wasn’t my strong suit. I usually turned to Jackson or Trey— I gasped.
Trey.
Oh no.
No, no, no.
I jumped onto the coffee table then leapt across to the other couch, then I hopped over the back and onto the bench seating behind it just under the massive bay window taller than me. I pushed the drapes open just enough to peek outside…and my heart sank. My stomach did flips like an Olympic gymnast.
On the front lawn, about twenty feet from the window, stood Trey.
And Joseph.
His father.
I knew I needed to call The Coven, but I was afraid to move or they’d see me. This was not a battle I wanted to face by myself with only the help of scared evacuee witches who’d never held a weapon a day in their lives. Because somehow not a single Sword student had been shipped to Dallas with me.
“Why would she hide it HERE?” Trey snapped and gestured toward the mansion like it was a cockroach.
“I told you. This locket was her most prized possession. She would’ve hid it somewhere important to her!” Joseph snarled. “Her father was the Major here. She grew up here—”
“But she didn’t DIE here!” Trey huffed and threw his arms up.
The black smoke in the living room shot up off the floor and slammed into the ceiling. The fan snapped off and plummeted to the floor, then smashed into pieces. The bookshelves wobbled and toppled over like dominoes. Something heavy upstairs crashed to the ground right over my head, and dust rained down on me.
My heart skipped. All the screaming wasn’t helping.
Joseph roared outside, and the black smoke pulsed. “It’s not here.”
“Damn it, Dad. How would she have gotten it all the way here that day and gotten back to Eden?” Trey tugged on his hair. “It’s got to be in Eden at her house!”
“FINE!” Joseph waved his arm, and they both vanished in a cloud of smoke.
All of the smoke in the house disappeared in an instant. I threw the drapes wide open, but there was no one out there.
Shit. Shit. Shit! I fumbled with my sword as I dove into my pocket for my cell phone. I had to try and warn them.
My fingers trembled as I hit Jackson’s name on my speed dial. “C’mon, Jackson. Pick up, pick up, pick UP!”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jackson
“So…which do you prefer…” Bettina strolled across the porch steps in front of me. “Bettson or Jackina?”
I frowned. “What?”
She grinned so wide it made her eyes twinkle and my heart flutter. “Well, Tegan and Tenn have become known as Tennegan. So, I figure it is inevitable for us. But if we get in front of this thing and pick which name we like better, then we can make it happen.”
I chuckled. Warmth spread through my body. I knew things were scary right now with Joseph, but right here in this moment, I was so damn bloody happy. And it had everything to do with the lavender crystal glyph sparkling in the moonlight on Bettina’s chest.
“Well?” She wagged her eyebrows at me.
I reached out and grabbed her wrist, then pulled her down into my lap. She giggled and leaned her back into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her tight.
“Bettson,” I whispered in her ear, then kissed a trail from her jaw down the side of her neck.
“Bettson it is, then.” She giggled and turned her face up.
I didn’t know if I kissed her, or if she kissed me—all I knew was our lips crashed together. She tasted like cinnamon from the gum she’d been chewing a few minutes ago, and she smelled like wildflowers. The combination was intoxicating and overwhelming. Like moonshine. We were supposed to be patrolling while everyone else got some rest, but I just needed to hold her for a bit. I needed to feel her for just a minute.
She moaned against my mouth then twisted in my lap so her legs straddled my hips. I gripped her thighs and pulled her closer to me. Heat rushed through my body, setting my veins on fire. But I couldn’t get enough. She attacked me with her kiss. Her tongue slid between my lips, and my pulse skyrocketed. It pounded against my ribs like it wanted to break free. I slid my hands over her hips and onto her back, pressing her into my chest. She fisted my hair and tipped my head back.
Sharp, hot pain shot through my chest and down my arm. I gasped and pulled away.
She frowned and squeezed her right arm. “What was that?”
My eyes widened. “You felt that, too?”
She nodded.
I reached up and pushed her long-sleeved shirt up—and my breath left me in a rush. The glyph, our soulmate glyph, had grown down to her elbow. The dark lines swirling over her pale skin was stunning. I traced my fingers over the lines, and goose bumps broke out under my touch. She shivered and gently pushed the sleeve of my shirt up.
“I still can’t believe it,” she whispered with a smile as she traced the lines on my arm. “We’ve come a long way since you threatened this Barbie to not blow up your school, Lancelot.”
I groaned and hung my head. “Oh, Moonshine. I’m so bloody sorry for the way I behaved when we first met. You affected me in a way no one had ever done before, and it terrified me. I tried to push you away. If I had known you were my soulmate—”
“Don’t.” She pressed her fingers to my lips. “Life is too short to worry about the what-ifs. The shoulda, coulda, wouldas. We can’t change how we got here. I’m just happy we are here. So all I want to do is focus on the future and make sure we stay together.”
I looked up into her royal blue eyes and sighed. “I love you.”
Her grin spread wide across her face. “I love you, to
o.”
She pressed her lips to mine just as a loud, shrill sound blared from my pocket.
I groaned and pulled my phone out. Warner’s face and name lit up my screen. My stomach tightened into knots. I slid the bar and held my phone to my ear. “Warner, you o—”
“JOSEPH IS COMING!”
My heart stopped. “What?”
Bettina’s eyes widened. She dove for my phone and hit speakerphone.
“He’s coming, mate. He is coming. For Eden!” Warner shouted. In the background, a car engine roared and a bunch of people screamed. “He’s coming right now!”
Bettina jumped off my lap, and then I leapt to my feet.
“Warner, what happened?”
Warner cursed. “Joseph and Trey showed up here! They used some black smoke and shit. Man, they’re looking for some locket? I don’t know. I was hiding so they wouldn’t see me, but I heard that prick Trey say they were going for Eden.”
“Oh my Goddess, they’re looking for her locket,” Bettina mumbled and tugged on her hair. “They know the box was a decoy.”
“Warner, did they say where? What exactly did you hear?”
“‘It’s got to be in Eden at her house.’ That’s what Trey said right before they vanished.”
“Shit.” I sprinted toward the house and threw the front door open. “Thanks, Warner. Got to go!”
I jumped over the threshold and slammed my hand on the quartz crystal embedded in the wall. Lights flashed and an alarm rang through the house. Instantly there were heavy sounds from upstairs. Footsteps came running without hesitation. Bettina and I stood in the foyer, and I felt her tense energy against my spine. The backdoor slammed shut, and then Kessler, Hunter, and Mona sprinted into the living room. The Coven rushed down the stairs like one giant stampede.
“What happened?”
“What’s going on?”
“Joseph?”
“Where?”
Kessler pushed to the front. His eyes were red and stone-cold serious. “Talk to us.”
“Warner called. Joseph and Trey showed up in Dallas looking for Ruth’s locket. Right before they left, Warner heard Trey say they were going to Ruth’s house in Eden.”
Kessler cursed violently. “CAR. NOW!”
“Wait, we can’t all leave!” Emersyn shouted from a few steps up. “What if it’s a trap?”
I shook my head. “Warner said he was hiding so they didn’t see him. I don’t think it’s a trap.”
Her golden eyes widened. “But what if it is?”
“I’ll stay here.”
I gasped and spun around to face her. My heart caught in my throat. “Bettina…”
She shook her head and held her ice-covered hands up. “I can hold my ground, trust me. But my gut tells me we can’t all go.”
Kessler cursed again. He gripped my shoulder. “She’s right. And the house isn’t far. We can get back in minutes if we have to.”
“I’m not leaving her here by herself—”
“I’ll stay with her,” Emersyn said.
Kessler nodded and pointed toward the door. “Everyone else, OUT! We gotta move!”
I stood still like a statue as my Coven-mates rushed by me. Bettina was a badass. I knew that. I’d seen that. But it wasn’t that. Leaving her went against every instinct in my body. I’d only just gotten her. I couldn’t lose her. Yet the look in her eyes told me I wasn’t going to win this one.
“Damn it, Butterberry.” Deacon dragged Em’s face to his and kissed her hard, then jumped away and ran for the door. “Burn it all if you must!”
Em chuckled and shook her head. “Love you, too.”
I looked to Em, then to Bettina, then to the open doorway. Everyone else had gone. I needed to hurry, but my feet didn’t seem to want to cooperate.
Bettina took my face between her hands. “They need you. Go. Fire and ice got this.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jackson
“THERE!” Kessler shouted and pointed to a small house on the left side of the road. “End of the cul-de-sac. That’s their house.”
“I don’t see him,” Constance growled from the back seat. I’d never heard her voice sound like that before. “But we can’t let them get inside. Goddess only knows what kind of spells and stuff Ruth left inside.”
I pulled up to the house and threw my truck in park. The street was dark and quiet. All of Eden had been evacuated, not just the school. So this quaint residential street was empty of everyone but us. I frowned and opened my door, then climbed out. My Coven-mates jumped out of the bed of my truck and my back seat. Willow slammed the door, and the sound echoed down the empty street.
Cooper scowled and glanced around. “I don’t see him.”
“I’m giving him sixty seconds to show, and I’m going back to Em.” Deacon cracked his knuckles.
Royce bounced on the balls of his feet. “Maybe we all better get b—”
“He’s coming!” Chutney pointed to the forest at the edge of the cul-de-sac then charged forward. A bushy brown squirrel sat on her shoulder, and two cardinals hovered over her head. “Now, now, now!”
I yanked my swords from their slot on my truck door then sprinted after Chutney. The others chased after us, hot on our heels. We made it five feet down when Joseph and Trey emerged from within the trees.
Rage exploded inside me. I knew Joseph was our main target, that his son was just a tool, but my vision tunneled on the guy I used to call a best friend. I dug my heels in and pushed my legs harder, faster.
Trey and his father exchanged a glance, and then they charged toward the house.
“Easton, the house!” I pointed ahead as I ran.
I felt a rush of energy slide over my shoulder, and then Ruth’s old house was covered in shimmering silver body armor. I jumped forward and landed on the front sidewalk. I looked up at Trey, and our eyes met.
The smug bastard had the audacity to smile. As if we were still friends. As if he hadn’t gotten innocent people killed. As if he hadn’t tried to kill me.
I clenched my teeth and charged for him with my swords drawn and ready. His eyes widened, and he slid to a stop. We both knew he couldn’t beat me in a fight. Kessler and Hunter flew up beside me and went for Joseph. Trey took a few steps back, but I was on him in a flash. I swung my swords as fast as I could without stopping. Each time he blocked me, I went for the next shot.
There was a roar, and then two dozen shadow-creepers leapt out from the forest. Joseph shouted and his shadows dashed toward us. Joseph cackled then vanished into smoke. Trey spun and fled back to the tree line. I started to follow then stopped. My Coven-mates were more important than my need for vengeance. With a curse, I pushed off my feet and charged headfirst into the fray.
These shadows were next to impossible to fight since they could vanish in a split second. Even still, my Coven-mates were doing a damn good job. Easton and Willow were up at the front door of the house, throwing up their magic if anything moved too close. Paulina, Braison, and Devon were off to the left showing no mercy. Cooper was fighting off three shadows on his own. Lily and Chutney were to the right being absolutely incredible. Lily was shining her sunlight into the shadow’s eyes, and then a flock of cardinals dive-bombed them.
Red lightning flashed across the sky in front of me. I slid to a stop. Two shadows popped up in front of me. I swung my sword, but they vanished and reappeared a few feet back. Thick green vines shot up from the ground. I raised my swords to keep their eyes on me. Royce’s vines coiled around their ankles and yanked them off their feet. Red lightning lit up their smoky forms as Royce dragged them away.
I spun in a circle. Where are you, Joseph? Trey? I know you’re still— I gasped.
MONA? DANIEL?
They were off to the side, closest to the truck, with daggers in their hands. A few shadows circled them like vultures.
“KESSLER!” I screamed and pointed to where his soulmate was quickly losing her ground. Kessler was closer than I was.
I growled and barreled across the lawn, slicing my blades through shadow after shadow. Each one exploded into the smoke then reformed nearby.
But that didn’t matter. I wasn’t looking for them. Where is he? I know he’s here. “TREY!”
I stomped through the grass toward the tree line. “TREY! Show yourself!”
Something ice cold slithered over my feet and wrapped around my ankles. I froze and looked down. It was black smoke, rolling toward the house like waves. It turned colder and rushed by faster and faster. The river of smoke rushed toward the house, slipping over everyone’s feet unnoticed. I cursed and leapt for the house. I had no idea what this smoke was, but we needed to stop it.
Stop it?
I ducked down and sliced my swords through the backs of two shadows, but they vanished.
Wait, what am I saying?
We can’t stop smoke.
I slid to a stop. I needed to cut it off at the source. Three more shadows popped up. A cluster of golf ball-sized quartz crystals ripped through their chests, and they exploded into dust. I looked up and spotted Constance in a wide stance by the front door of the house with both arms out to her sides. Crystals of every color flew around the house like an asteroid belt. Light flashed from behind her. I leaned to the side and found Bentley sitting on the ground doing…something. I had no idea what—it was well beyond my paygrade.
I spun around, and my gaze landed on Trey cowering behind his father by the trees. His eyes widened, and he took a step back. I growled and sprinted for him as fast as I could. His face paled. Joseph snarled something under his breath, but they were too far away for me to hear. Trey narrowed his eyes and jumped out in front of his father with his own weapons raised. He shouted, but again I couldn’t hear it.
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 118
