The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series

by Chandelle LaVaun

  Jackson beamed down at me. He pressed his big palm to my chest, and my pulse went nuts. The tips of his fingers grazed over my collarbone, and the base of his palm rested between my cleavage. It was a little awkward, for him to be touching me like this in front of everyone, except no one was making any jokes or smirks. The heat radiating off of his skin warmed my entire body like I was sitting in front of a fireplace.

  My cheeks were burning. I had to be bright red.

  I cleared my throat. “Okay, now what?”

  “When we close the circle, Jackson will need to read that spell out loud.” Uncle Timothy pointed to the little paper and smiled as he backed away. “Each spell to complete a soulmate glyph must be specific to that pair, and only the Goddess herself can give it. This spell is the one requesting Her to give you the one you need. When She does, simply read it out loud. You’ll know when it’s over.”

  We nodded as he stepped out of the circle Bentley had made. Bentley made quick work to close the circle he’d drawn in salt. The second we were closed in together, the air around us changed. It pulsed with electricity and warmth. A gust of wind whipped around the circle. Energy seeped up from the ground and into my feet. Noises, lights, smells…all of our surroundings vanished.

  It was just us.

  Me and Jackson.

  My Lancelot.

  Finally, after all this time. After all the heartache and crying. All the wishing and praying. My dreams had come true.

  Jackson stared down into my eyes and his sparkled. I felt his love for me pouring out of him. His cheeks flushed a deep pink.

  He smiled. “We call our Goddess here and now, bless us with this special vow, to bind two souls as forever one, please show us how this can be done.”

  Energy pulsed out of his chest, tingling against my palm. My magic poured out of our hands. For a moment, all I saw was a kaleidoscope of colors. But then the air crackled and popped, and little flashes of light sparkled together until words appeared written in the sky.

  My breath left me in a rush.

  “I hear you now this blessed hour, to bind two souls of Heaven’s power,” I heard myself say. “A spell for roses as red as blood, and an Angel’s gift born of the bud, thy love shall be an eternal flood.”

  Bright white light pierced through the back of my hand. I saw the same flash shining up from my chest. My pulse skyrocketed. My whole body tingled. The black lines of the glyph covering my hand and fingers twinkled like stars in the night sky then glowed a bright gold. Inch by inch, the glyph vines changed from black to gold.

  My palm grew hot and tight. The white light got so bright I had to squint. I was about to look away when light erupted in the air between our bodies. The wind in the circle vanished. The cold slammed back into my bare skin. That pulsing energy disappeared. Instead, I felt each and every one of my Coven members’ magic nearby. I heard their whispers and giggles.

  Our friends cheered and clapped. I bit my lip and glanced around at them. They were so supportive. Unconditionally. I’d never known this kind of love and support could come from so many people. And right now, they were just happy for us. It filled my heart with so much warmth I was afraid it might melt my ice powers away.

  Uncle Timothy stood next to Haven with his arm around his shoulders. They were smiling and laughing, and it made my heart happy. I still couldn’t believe they’d been right in front of me that whole time. All those private training sessions from both of them. Looking back at those moments took my breath away.

  Jackson’s hand slid up my chest then wrapped around my neck. His thumb brushed over my jaw. I grinned and looked up into his eyes. Mine. Forever. I felt the heavy thud of his heart pounding against mine, through our glyph. I liked knowing that from now on, I’d know how he was feeling even if we were thousands of miles apart. Just like Tegan and Haven had known the other was in trouble or hurting from opposites sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Now that would be us. No more wondering and worrying. All I’d have to do is look down. Maybe not even. I could already feel the flutter in his pulse.

  I smiled and looked down at my hand still pressed to his chest. There on the back, twinkling up at me, was a vibrant lavender, heart-shaped crystal that was identical to the one on my chest. Our crystals weren’t pink like Tegan and Haven’s; it didn’t represent a deep, profound mutual love of divine connection. But lavender did symbolize true love. It meant even though we’d had a rough start, even though the beginning hurt like hell…we made it. He was mine and I was his. Forever. I didn’t need some rare, profound, inexplicable love. I just needed Jackson and to know his heart was mine.

  His thumb brushed over my bottom lip, and heat exploded inside me. I fisted his shirt and pulled him closer just as he dragged my mouth up to his. Our lips met…and the rest of the world melted away.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Bettina

  “Um, question before we go.”

  We all turned to Warner.

  Haven arched one eyebrow. “Yes, Warner?”

  He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. “Just wondering…we’re going to the Gathering site, right? But, like, is it gonna be as traumatic as it was before? ‘Cause if so, I mean…” He shuddered.

  Emersyn groaned and closed her eyes. “Don’t put that out into the universe.”

  I bit my bottom lip and looked to my best friend and my brother. “Is it bad that that night still haunts me?”

  “No, not at all.” Tegan sighed. “That was our first taste of this world, so naturally it would’ve had the most impact. And it was terrifying.”

  “But that shouldn’t matter for today. First of all, it’s daylight.” Haven rolled his neck to stretch. “Secondly, tonight is not the night it went down. Which is when the spirits are at their worst.”

  “But let’s keep our heads on straight, just in case.” Uncle Timothy glanced around. “Got your weapons?”

  Everyone nodded and held their weapon of choice up.

  “All right, Tegan.” Haven gestured in front of the group. “We’re ready when you are.”

  She winked and her white portal box opened up. “Last one there’s a rotten egg!”

  Despite the seriousness of the situation, we all charged through like we were six years old and were taking that threat seriously. Even the adults. There were giggles and playful shoving as we jumped through. As that fresh, chilly mountain air hit my face, I turned to see who lost and frowned. It was Bentley. The only actual child in the group. Granted, he acted the most grown up.

  “Ahhh, rotten Benny!” Easton teased.

  Bentley shook his head. “I’ve seen Lion King. I know how stampedes end, and I am the smallest. I’ll be rotten. It’s cool.”

  “Yeah, I think we bloody well covered that by now, mate.” Jackson smirked.

  Bentley grinned and he looked exactly like Tegan. Cooper chuckled and ruffled his brother’s shaggy brown hair.

  A cold chill slid down my spine. It felt like someone was watching me. I glanced over my shoulder, and my pulse quickened. I knew that tree line. I knew that opening—it was the one we’d escaped through that night. As my Coven-mates teased Bentley, I tried to keep my mind on the present. But I failed. It was hard to stand here and not think about it.

  It was still daylight out, but in my mind, it was midnight and the sky was black. There was an orange glow radiating up into the clouds from the dozens of bonfires spread around the clearing. I heard the cackle of the flames and laughter in the warm wind. I smelled the burning wood and the smoke mixing with fog.

  Something warm touched my hand and I jumped.

  But it was just Tegan.

  She held my left hand and smiled up at me. I glanced around her and found Emersyn gripping her twin’s other hand. Her golden eyes were sharp and watching the shadows, like she didn’t trust this place one bit. Tegan looked on with a hopeful expression…and I was a mix of emotions.

  Déjà vu slammed into me hard.

  This was exactly how it’d been that night. The t
hree of us holding on to each other and staring into danger. The nostalgia of this moment was strange. This was where it had all started for us. And somehow, we all managed to be here together that night. This is where Tegan met her twin. This is where I first met my brother again. This is where everything changed.

  Someone cleared their throat, and then a dark shadow passed in front of us. Emersyn and I flinched—but it was only Haven. I exhaled and tried to slow my racing pulse. I glanced over his shoulder and found the rest of our Coven—and Warner and Lennox—had moved to the center of the clearing.

  Haven stopped in front of Tegan and looked down to our interlocked hands. “We’ve come full circle, haven’t we?”

  I nodded, and in my peripheral vision, I saw they did, too.

  He smiled softly as he looked back and forth at the three of us. “I know what you’re feeling right now, and I understand. That night was frightening. But I want you to remember that although we may be in the same place, you’re not the same people. Back then, you were three Southern girls who snuck out of your houses for a little silly fun. Today, you’re three of the most powerful witches in the world.”

  My heart fluttered. Am I? Obviously Tegan and Emersyn were, but I had a hard time believing that of myself. And then I saw those gold bands on my brother’s arm. I’m the granddaughter of an archangel. I am strong.

  Haven looked to Emersyn, then to me. “And more importantly, you are not alone today. We’re here together. Whatever happens, we’ve got your back. Okay?”

  “Goddess, I love you,” Tegan whispered.

  “Can you not get her all mushy right now?” Emersyn chuckled. “But yes. Okay. I’m ready.”

  Haven grinned then turned to me. “Hope?”

  I took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”

  “Let’s do it, then.” He nodded then turned and gestured for us to follow him.

  I just prayed I wasn’t lying, to him or myself. Sure, it was eerie as hell to be here again. The memories of that night still gave me nightmares. But it was more than that. We were here to discover the truth of my parents’ legacy. To figure out what really happened, to know how they hurt so many people. I was nervous for them, for us—Haven and me. What would our Coven-mates think when they saw what our parents had done? What would we think?

  And more importantly, how were we going to fix it?

  Tegan squeezed my hand. “Let’s roll.” She walked forward, tugging Emersyn and me along with her.

  We marched to the center of the clearing where everyone else was waiting.

  As we joined, Uncle Tim narrowed his eyes at Tegan. “So, what is this trick Tegan did?”

  “Gotta say, Tim, I missed your skeptic ass,” Tegan said with a chuckle.

  Jackson shook his head. “She did a spell that let us see exactly what happened with them and Julian, how she died…”

  Uncle Tim gasped. He looked to Haven, then to me. “You saw how she died?”

  I closed my eyes and nodded. That holographic memory replayed in my mind for the millionth time. I don’t want to see that right now.

  “Y-yeah.” Haven’s voice cracked.

  “How…” Uncle Timothy whispered.

  Silence.

  Someone else was going to have to tell him because there was no way I’d be able to get the words out. It was hard enough just having that memory.

  Jackson cleared his throat. “Well…” And then he told him. All of it, in succinct, sharp detail. He told him about my mother putting me in a raft and sending me down the river. And of the spell she put on Haven right before she sent him running into the mountains alone in the middle of the night. Then he told about Julian showing up and fighting her, and how he threatened to hurt us before he hurt her. And most importantly, he told him about my mother’s final spell. The one where she sacrificed herself to save us.

  Silence.

  My heart was pounding in my chest, and my pulse thundered through my veins.

  I wanted to look up to my uncle and my brother, but I was afraid my emotions would get the best of me…and I needed to keep my head on straight. This moment was too important. I was so thankful for my soulmate, for saying what I couldn’t.

  Something warm touched my shoulder. I gasped and looked up.

  Uncle Timothy stood in front of my brother and me with sad eyes. His big bear paw of a hand squeezed my shoulder. He reached out and gripped Haven’s too. “I’m sorry you had to see that. If you don’t want to see this, you don’t have to watch.”

  Haven shuddered, but I was fairly sure he leaned into Uncle Tim. “Trust me, nothing can be as painful as what I watched by the river.”

  I nodded and swallowed through the hot lump in my throat. “He’s right. Plus, I have to watch. Mom needs me to. That’s why she spoke to me in that Ouija board at Dean’s.”

  Uncle Tim frowned. “Wait, Ouija board… That spirit was your mother?”

  “I didn’t know it, of course,” I whispered, unable to get my voice stronger. “Not until we went back the other day to use the board again… She spoke to Haven.”

  Haven groaned and scrubbed his face. “Stop. Please. I don’t have the strength to cry again right now. Let’s just focus on killing Joseph and healing the others, then we can talk and cry.”

  Uncle Timothy smiled and pulled Haven close to him until they stood side by side. He wrapped his arm around his shoulders and held on tight. He winked at me, then looked to Tegan. “Okay, problem child, do what you do.”

  Tegan crouched down and dug her nails into the dirt then scooped it up between her fingers. Just like last time, she closed her eyes and her lips moved silently. She threw the dirt up in the air then clapped her hands. The dirt turned into silvery glitter, like stars twinkling right next to us. Her body lit up, glowing bright. Golden magic pooled in her hands, and the ground rumbled. She flicked her wrists out in front of her, and the silvery dust shot across the clearing.

  Runes danced over the ground.

  Here we go again. I reached out and took Haven’s hand. Then I looked to my right and met Jackson’s gaze. There must’ve been something in my eyes that he saw, because he rushed over and took my free hand in both of his. He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. The fear rushing through me settled ever so slightly.

  Electric energy slammed into my feet and raced up my legs. I gasped even though I knew it was coming. Warm and cold shot up my spine.

  “Seek the spells placed here before, Show me how they came to bore,” Tegan chanted. “From the start then some more, To the end of magic’s store.”

  The glittery silver dirt and runes joined together in front of her then shot across the clearing in every direction to the edge of the line of trees. The ground wobbled, and then things popped up all around the clearing. The things moved and morphed until they took the shape of people. I gasped and blinked until the images were clear and sharp. The people—there had to be a hundred of them—formed circles in the clearing all around us. There were numerous rings of them, each circle bigger than the one before it.

  And then I saw them.

  My parents.

  They might have been holographic images, but I saw them clear as day.

  My heart twisted inside me. I remembered this. My mind flashed memories of seeing this firsthand. At the very center of the clearing, my parents knelt on their knees, facing each other. My mother’s blonde hair was loose and swaying in the breeze. Her green eyes were big and bright, and I saw her excitement. She thought this was going to work—it was clear on her face. My father—man, he really did look like Haven—and I saw a lot of myself in his face, too. He stared at my mother with adoration and confidence, like he never doubted her.

  They were at the center of all the rings.

  The circle wrapping around them first had only a handful of people. I spotted John, Ellis’s father…and Joseph.

  My stomach flipped.

  “Whoa, is that Ellis?” Braison yelled.

  We all jumped and looked toward
him—and my jaw dropped. It was Ellis. Little toddler Ellis. It looked just like him, just smaller and healthier-looking.

  “I remember this,” Haven whispered.

  I nodded. I do, too.

  “What’s he doing?” Easton asked.

  Little-Ellis was running around while yelling up at the sky and pointing wildly.

  I gasped and looked to my brother with wide eyes.

  “Helping us.” Haven groaned and pointed up into the sky.

  When I followed his point, I wasn’t surprised by what I saw. I remembered like it was yesterday. Little-Haven was flying with his big golden angel wings—and he was carrying me.

  “I dropped my kite,” I heard myself say. “It was my favorite kite. We were chasing it.”

  Haven used to fly me around all the time. Mom and Dad hated it. They’d been afraid he would drop me. He never did. My eyes burned. This was the last time Haven and I had done this—the flying around. I missed it. Anger bloomed inside of me. We’d been robbed of a childhood together, and it was not okay. It wasn’t fair. My brother was my best friend back then, and they took him away from me.

  Chanting erupted from the center of the clearing. I recognized my mother’s voice in an instant. I didn’t understand the words of her spell, but I knew what it sounded like.

  “RUTH!” a woman screamed from behind me. “STOP!”

  I spun around just as Rebecca, Ellis’s mother, came running through the clearing. Her eyes were locked on my parents as she yelled and pleaded for them to stop. But they didn’t. They didn’t even look up. Like they never heard her at all. She was on the last line of the spell.

  Uncle Timothy sighed from the other side of Haven. “She almost made it.”

  “RUTH! STOP!” Rebecca pleaded. “TIMOTHY SAID—”

  A thick, black cloud shot out of Joseph’s hands and poured into the clearing. It spread through faster than a tsunami. People screamed. They jumped up and raced away from Joseph—and then magic exploded all around us. Green, blue, gold, and silver glitter rained down on the clearing then ripped through it like a tornado.