The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series

by Chandelle LaVaun

  Ellis cheered. “Oh my Goddess, let’s go do it now! Can we?”

  “Absolutely.” Haven looked to Tegan. “Portal us over, babe?”

  She snapped her fingers, and a portal box opened up. I started to walk—and then we were all in the Great Hall. The good shadows stopped and spun toward us. It was hard to read their expressions since they were all in shadow-form, but the energy in the room was pleasant.

  Ellis sprinted into the middle of the room with his arms spread wide. “THEY DID IT! IT’S GONE! I’M HEALED!”

  They all gasped and rushed toward him. Their shadowy hands patted his arms and back. I felt their excitement like a rising tide as they fawned over him. In the beat of a second, he was surrounded by shadows, yet he stood tall…and alive.

  “Did it hurt?”

  “Was it fast?”

  “How do you feel now?”

  They were asking him so many questions all at once. Not that I could blame them; this was huge. It was everything they’d ever wished for, everything they thought would never happen for the last twelve years.

  I glanced around at all of their excited faces when I realized something that I should have noticed a long time ago… Ellis was the youngest. By a long shot. At least a decade. No wait, more. Definitely more. I thought back to the clearing where Tegan had done that little trick of hers and we saw the holographic images of everything from that day. Everyone there had been adults, late teens at the youngest. Except Ellis, me, and Haven.

  And while my heart hurt for him, knowing he had to have been lonely as the only kid, my mind was moving on to bigger problems. Everyone else were adults, which meant their bodies were no longer as resilient as they used to be. Which meant when we removed this curse, they were going to be in bad shape. Dangerously bad. And they were going to get the full force of this all at once, not in a three-step process like Ellis.

  I glanced to my left to Tegan, but she was watching the crowd. So I pushed my magic into my feet and into the ground. Tegan!

  She smiled and I heard her chuckle in my mind. You know it’s like a little shock every time you do that, right? We’re gonna have to work on this.

  I opened my mouth then shut it. I did not know that. But I had to focus. I pushed my magic into the ground again. Look at me.

  Casually, she glanced over to me. Anyone watching would have no idea I’d just called her. She arched one eyebrow. What’s wrong?

  “TIMOTHY?!”

  Everyone gasped and turned.

  Katherine stood in a doorway off to the side. Her auburn hair was falling out of her ponytail and her brown eyes were wide. Then they teared up. “It’s true. You’re alive.”

  Uncle Tim flushed and smiled. “Y-yeah. I’m alive.”

  She sprinted through the crowd and charged toward him. When she got to him, she tackled him in a huge hug that actually sent him stumbling back a few steps. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands squeezing her tight.

  I looked to Tegan, then over at Katherine, then back to Tegan.

  I know. I warned them last night when I brought them here. They’ve been preparing. We’re ready to heal the side effects.

  I sighed with relief and nodded. That made me feel better. Katherine and Mona were quite the team of healers, and Dean was talented, too. We had good people ready to help. I just wish it didn’t have to be so…rough.

  “Hey, Haven?” I whispered while everyone was distracted.

  He turned and walked the few steps back to stand beside me. “What’s wrong?”

  I bit my lip and fidgeted with my sweater. “I was just thinking…maybe when you do the spell, do it gradually, ya’ know? Let it ease its way—”

  “Hope.” He ducked his eyes to meet my gaze. “Spells aren’t really my thing. I can only do it the way I know how, and you saw that with Ellis. If you have a better idea, then maybe you should do it?”

  I opened my mouth then shut it. He was right. Damn it, he was right. He was the Emperor. Raw power. A warrior like our grandfather, and wielder of elemental gifts. He wasn’t a guy who used spells. I was. I was the one who was like Mom. I was the one archangel Michael said could create spells my mother could only dream of.

  This was something I was supposed to do.

  But Lilith’s rune? Just thinking about it made my skin crawl.

  “Hey,” Haven whispered. “Trust Tegan. She knows the limits. You can do this spell, and I’m sure much better than I can.”

  “And Lilith?”

  “I won’t lie. It’s a lot. But it only lasts a few seconds.” He stepped away from me and turned back to the crowd. “Hello, everyone.”

  The crowd full of friendly shadows stopped and looked to him immediately.

  “Thanks. So, I don’t want to waste any more time. Let’s get you all healed.” He held his hand up. “But first, I want to be honest with you. This is probably going to hurt a little. Your bodies have not had real food or water in twelve years. Your muscles and bones have not been used their natural way. When we do the spell, you’re going to feel it.”

  Rebecca raised her shadowy hand. “How long will it last?”

  Haven sighed. “I won’t lie to you. We aren’t sure exactly. However, three of the best healers in the world are here and have been prepping all night for this. They’ve got potions and stuff to give to you the second we finish the spell. We will do whatever we need to so that you’re healthy and comfortable.”

  John, Ellis’s father, nodded enthusiastically. “What do you need us to do?”

  “Nothing.” Tegan grabbed her necklace, and the Book of Shadows landed in her palms. “Try to stay calm, keep your breathing as even as possible. Don’t panic. Just stay where you are, and we will come to you. Okay?”

  Every shadow nodded, but they reeked of fear.

  “Are we gonna starve to death instantly?” one of them yelled out.

  “No, it wouldn’t happen that fast.” Katherine stepped up beside Tegan and waved. Her eyes were teary, but she carried on like normal. “Hello, I’m Katherine. If when the spell hits you, you feel weak or in pain, just sit or lie down. The hardest part is this reversal spell. Ellis was kind enough to let us test him first. We know what to expect. We are ready.”

  Rebecca looked around the shadows. “Let’s do this, y’all. Ready?”

  “YES!” they all shouted.

  Haven lifted his left hand, and his dagger flew into his palm. He brought the blade to his hand—

  “Wait.” I grabbed his wrist to stop him. Then I stepped up beside him. “I’ll do it.”

  He smiled and handed his dagger to me. As I grabbed the hilt, I realized this dagger was our mother’s. It was hers. And she used it. If she could be brave, then so could I. That day in the clearing, all of these people were melting into puddles, but Mom saved them. Sure, it wasn’t a complete fix, but they were able to live as shadows. And now I was going to finish this for her.

  I glanced to Jackson. He smiled and nodded. Then I took a deep breath…and sliced the tip of my middle finger with the blade. Blood welled up and dripped onto the floor. The Book of Shadows flew over in front of me then hovered in the air. That horrible demonic rune stared up at me from the page.

  I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

  I dropped to my knees then bent over and pressed my finger to the hardwood floor. My blood started to pool. Then I began to draw. The demonic rune was similar to an inverted pentagram, but it was more organic-looking with swirls and stuff. It looked like a venomous flower.

  Ice-cold energy rushed up through the ground and shot into my finger and up my arm. I hissed and clenched my teeth. It burned like I was touching fire. My bones vibrated inside of me. Pressure pushed down on my shoulders, pressing me into the floor. A high-pitched squeal pierced my eardrums.

  Hot air brushed over my neck and against my ear. “Give in to me,” a woman’s voice whispered.

  Lilith.

  Sharp claws or fingernails dragged down my spine. The pressure inte
nsified until my arms were shaking. Smoke billowed out from the ground everywhere my blood touched.

  Deep, feminine laughter echoed around the room. “I know you can feel me. Give in to it.”

  I am the granddaughter of archangel Michael. You hold no power over me.

  I recited the words of the spell. I had no idea what they meant, but it felt good to say them. Golden light sparkled all around me, and that pressure lifted. Pink magic exploded. I focused my thoughts. Slowly, B. I gritted my teeth and held my magic back, forcing it to move out of me foot by foot.

  My pink mist flew out of me like a wave, rolling over people row by row. It was gradual and calm, not a tsunami dropping destruction without warning. Each time my pink magic hit someone new, they gasped and clutched their chests. Their eyes sparkled and smiles erupted.

  And then they dropped like hail from the sky.

  One by one, they collapsed to the floor with hollowed cheeks and pale skin. A few of them screamed, but the rest groaned then sank to the floor. Katherine, Mona, and Dean charged into the crowd.

  I leapt to my feet just as my Coven-mates rushed toward the shadows.

  “No, GO!” Katherine spun around and held her arms out. “Go destroy Joseph. We’ve got this under control. Now, GO!”

  “Go where? We don’t know where he is,” Easton whispered. “We have to find him!”

  “Let’s lure him to The Gathering site.” I turned to Haven and Tegan. “This started there. It needs to end there.”

  Chapter Sixty

  Jackson

  We stepped out of Tegan’s portal and into the clearing in the mountains where this all started.

  Trey’s body was gone, but there was a patch of burned grass right where he fell.

  “Deacon…” Tenn touched the gold bands on his arm, and Michael’s sword appeared in his palm. His gaze was sharp and his aura menacing. “Razzle dazzle ‘em.”

  Maybe add some dark magic in there with it.

  Everyone turned to me with wide eyes.

  “Right. Said that out loud, did I? Lovely.” I shrugged and adjusted my grip on my sword. “Just saying, sliding a little dark magic into your call might help.”

  Deacon narrowed his eyes, then spun to Tenn. “Can I? I think he’s right.”

  Tenn’s golden wings fluttered behind his back as he stared at our Devil. After a moment, he nodded. “I trust you. If you think it’ll help, then go for it.”

  Deacon spun to face the edge of the tree line. He rubbed his palms together, and crimson red smoke poured out of his hands. It shot across the clearing and slithered between the trees. Red lightning flashed all around him. His violet eyes sparkled with danger…and then he began whistling. The tune was instantly recognizable from the musical Chicago, but underneath it, the tone was dark and cold. Sharp energy slithered down my spine and I shivered. My feet wanted to carry me toward him, closer to the sound. His magic was potent.

  Instead, I forced myself to watch the horizon. Sunshine shined through the trees, casting everything in a warm golden glow. A matter of mere seconds went by, and then a heavy fog crept in from the distance. It moved toward us like a storm cloud—tall, dark, and furious. I tightened my grip on my swords and rolled to the balls of my feet so I’d be ready to move.

  On my cue, B, Tegan whispered in our minds.

  The fog shot up from the ground and swept toward us. It grew and changed until it started to take form. As it crossed into the clearing, it broke apart into dozens of human-shaped forms. Joseph’s creepers. They glared at us with bloodlust in their glistening eyes. My pulse quickened.

  Deacon’s red lightning zapped through some of their bodies a few times, and then it vanished. His magic had called them here, but now they were waiting on us, even if they hadn’t realized that yet. I looked straight back, over their shoulders…and spotted him.

  Joseph.

  NOW, B!

  Bettina sliced her finger open then pressed the bloody wound to the ground. She moved her hand side to side, then up and down, tracing her own blood through the dirt and grass.

  The air in the clearing thickened. Ice rushed up her arm and she hissed. Her arms shook. Smoke billowed out from the ground everywhere her blood touched. Yet she opened her mouth and chanted the words of the spell. I had no idea what they meant, but it felt good to hear them. Golden light sparkled all around her, and her magic exploded. Her pink mist flew out of her like a wave, just like in the Great Hall.

  Joseph shouted and his shadows charged for us.

  But then Bettina’s pink mist slammed into them and they gasped. Their shadowy bodies solidified from the toes up, inch by inch, like a rising tide. One by one, their steps slowed. They tripped and stumbled, then dropped to their knees. They let out blood-curdling screams and swatted at their own bodies. Their solid bodies.

  I looked up to Joseph, and my stomach tightened. The spell was almost to him. Any second now. This is it.

  And then, just as the pink mist slid over the grass in front of him—he was gone.

  His creepers—the shadow army—screamed and hissed. They gripped their throats, their eyes wide in panic.

  “We don’t want to hurt you,” Tenn shouted. He stepped forward with one hand raised up. “We know this wasn’t your fault—”

  “GET HIM!” One of the shadows—now human—in the back screamed and pointed at Tenn.

  And then, like he’d flipped a switch, they jumped to their feet and rushed toward us. Their faces were gaunt and sucked in, their skin a sickly shade of grayish white. They let out these strangled, pained battle cries, and all I could see were skeletons in clothes with swords raised in the air. None of us moved. We didn’t want to hurt them, and now that they were regular witches with human bodies, they wouldn’t be any match for us.

  Tenn shook his head. “Stop. Please. We don’t want to hurt you.”

  But the three creepers in the front weren’t slowing down. They lunged right for Tenn and swung their swords. He could’ve sliced right through their weapons with Michael’s, yet he didn’t. His dagger flew up into his palm, but he still didn’t move.

  “I really don’t want to”—he sighed and easily blocked all three attacks with one hand—“hurt you.”

  He flicked his wrist, and all of them landed on their asses.

  “Seriously, just listen to us for a— Really, dude?” He sighed and swung his dagger down, slicing a gash through both of the guy’s wrists. Then he ducked under the second guy’s blade and nicked his chin. He looked down at both of the now bleeding, screaming men. “I said, I don’t want to hurt—”

  “DIE!” The third one dove forward and grabbed the long blade of Michael’s sword—and his entire body burst into golden white flames. There was an explosion of smoke, and then he crumbled into a pile of ash on the ground.

  Easton cursed. In my peripheral vision, I saw him take a step away from Tenn.

  “DAMN IT!” Tenn shouted. “Just stop and listen!”

  The other shadow-men gasped and stared in horror at the pile of ashes that was their friend. There was a moment of silence, and then they screamed. They should’ve been on the brink of literally starving to death, yet they charged for us like they had a chance of winning.

  Bettina lifted her hands up, and a three-foot wall shot up out of the ground straight across the clearing. The shadow-men crashed into it, but they just hurried back to their feet and jumped over it. Tegan shook her head and threw her palm out in front of her. Every single shadow-man froze in place, some midair.

  “For the last time, we don’t want to hurt you,” Tenn yelled again.

  Tegan dropped her hand, and the shadow-men landed on their feet. “Now, listen—”

  They roared and sprinted for us.

  “No, c’mon,” Tegan groaned and threw her hand back up. The shadow-men froze in place. “We want to heal you and give you a life back. Now, don’t attack.”

  She lowered her hand, and they were already running before their feet hit the ground, like some childre
n’s cartoon. Tennessee cursed. Tegan froze them midair again just as light flashed from straight back, between the trees. I looked up, and rage exploded in my veins. A tall dark shadow stood between the pines with glowing gold eyes.

  JOSEPH.

  Black smoke shot up behind him then rushed toward us. He threw his shadowy head back and cackled. The smoke grew bigger and darker with every inch. It moved within itself, slithering across the grass like a sea of snakes.

  Henley cursed violently. White lightning ripped through the clearing and slammed into the darkness creeping toward us. A huge spider demon hissed and flew up into the air then crashed into the— Oh, bloody hell. It wasn’t dark magic; it was demons. And there were dozens of them.

  The ground rumbled and the trees swayed. The air turned bitter cold. Time seemed to slow down while my pulse skyrocketed. Tenn raised Michael’s sword up at the ready. Bettina held her talisman opal sword in one hand, then held her left hand up in the air. A second later, the air fluttered, and then Tenn’s long black sword landed in her palm. She gripped both hilts and twirled them around. Easton threw his arms out to the side, and metal armor covered my body like a blanket.

  I already had both of my swords out and ready.

  Demons were flocking toward us from every direction. We were trapped, surrounded. My pulse quickened and my palms grew sweaty. I licked my lips and took a deep breath. This was no big deal. I’d fought many demons in my life already.

  Tegan summoned a massive ball of magic into her left hand. THREE…TWO…ONE!

  That sea of black crashed down around us. Everything fell into absolute chaos. There was too much going on for me to see much of anything. We were surrounded by darkness. But I’d prepared for this my whole life here at Edenburg. Rainbow magic exploded all around. I swung and sliced my weapons, black demon blood splashing into my face.

  I turned to my left and found Warner fighting two oozer demons. I dropped and spun, swinging my swords through the center of three demons. I spun at the scent of human blood, and Timothy was beside me, facing off with a bleeding friend of Joseph. The three of us worked our way through the demons effortlessly, but we’d trained for this for so long. I knew how they both fought. I knew how they’d move. I knew how they’d attack. It was like any of our training sessions.