Tegan waved her arm—and then our Coven-mates were all standing in front of us. I chuckled. Tegan and her tricks. As she filled them all in on the information we’d just discovered—and then they all made jokes about it, much to Hunter’s dismay—my gaze wandered back to the bonfire. I still felt bad that so many of the shadows had to die. Haven had given them the chance to lay down their weapons and make peace, and I knew my brother would have honored that promise.
But I supposed it was too late for all of them. They’d been angry for too long. Too brainwashed by a man who was clearly more evil than anyone had realized. If reincarnation was real, then I prayed they were given a brand new chance to live a happy life. If it wasn’t real, then I hoped their souls found peace in the afterlife. It was sad that so many lives were lost all because the daughter of an angel wanted to right a wrong from our species’ past. All she wanted was to help the souls of the tribe The Coven slaughtered after Salem found peace.
I gasped.
“So, boss.” Easton leaned on Lily’s shoulder and yawned. “What now?”
“Well—”
“Actually, I have a request.”
Everyone turned to me.
I licked my lips and looked to Haven. “Twelve years ago, Mom found a spell to save the spirits here at the Gathering… Let’s do it for her.”
Haven’s eyes widened.
“Let’s finish what our parents were trying to do.” I gripped my locket. “After all, the spirits here died because of The Coven. We owe this to them.”
Uncle Tim smiled. “You are just like your mother.”
Haven turned to Tegan. “You’re one hundred percent sure it will work?”
“Absolutely, yes,” she answered without hesitation.
“Then yeah.” He looked back to me. “Let’s do it.”
Chapter Sixty-Three
Bettina
“All right, Hope, you ready?”
I looked up from my mother’s spell book and nodded. “I’m ready.”
Haven turned to Tegan. “And you’re sure it should just be the two of us?”
Tegan grinned. “For your parents, yes.”
I glanced around at my Coven-mates as they all nodded in agreement. They stood around Haven and me in a big circle. Their energies were calm and confident, not a worry in the world. It was a nice change. Surreal, but nice. I hoped things stayed this way for a while.
We just had one more thing to do before we could put all of this mess behind us.
I met my brother’s mismatched gaze that was a mirror of my own. “Okay. First we draw the runes, then we recite the spell.”
“Together.”
I nodded. “Together.” I held my hand out in front of me and pulled with my magic. Haven’s dagger flew out of his boot and slammed into my palm. I grinned with sweet satisfaction.
He chuckled. “Show-off.” Then he flicked his wrist, and Mom’s spell book floated up beside us. He wiggled his fingers, and green magic flew over and covered the page with the spell on it. Then it shot up like a firework, and the words of Mom’s spell appeared glowing in the air. He smiled back at me.
I shook my head and giggled. “Show-off.”
“You started it.”
“Usually, yeah.” I grinned and looked down at his dagger— Mom’s dagger. Uncle Timothy was so damn sneaky, to somehow have managed to get this to him without anyone realizing where it came from. I took a deep breath then gripped the hilt. “Let’s do this.”
“You start, I’ll follow.” He reached down and grabbed the hilt, his big hand dwarfing mine.
The fact that our skin tones matched now made me happier than it probably should have.
Focus, dudette.
I glanced over to Mom’s book at the angelic rune drawn on the page. I pushed the blade of the dagger into the ground then dragged it through the dirt toward me. My heart fluttered with excitement. We were about to finish our parents’ dream of releasing these spirits, and it was going to work this time.
As we drew the rune together, the lines in the dirt sparkled a bright silver. Pink and green magic billowed out from under our hands and swirled around us like a tornado. The gold bands on his arm glistened, and his golden wings popped out behind him. They shimmered against the night sky. Something flashed from my hands, and when I looked down, I found tiny gold bands wrapped around my fingers about halfway down—like midi-rings found on super stylish girls. We moved the dagger for the final line of the rune, and those bands on my fingers glistened.
Silver, glittery mist rose up over our heads and spilled into the black sky.
I met Haven’s eyes and nodded.
Together, we read the words of our mother’s spell. I still did not know their meaning, and I only knew how to pronounce them because Tegan had read it before. But with each syllable, my body felt lighter and warmer. Golden light poured out of us and spread into the clearing. We floated into the air, hovering a foot above the ground.
Sharp and pulsing energy raced through my body.
White light exploded from within the trees, casting every branch and leaf in shadow. Thich fog seeped up from the ground. My pulse quickened. The fog surrounded the clearing like some force field hovering on the edges, waiting for a sacrifice. Lightning cracked across the night sky. Directly above us, the sky twinkled with little diamonds, but over the trees were thick, thunderous clouds. It looked like the fog was seeping upwards and pouring into the sky.
It was creepy as hell and entirely familiar. I’d seen this before. Right here, in this very spot, at The Gathering. And then that ear-splitting scream ripped through the clearing. Just like before. Except this time, it didn’t scare the shit out of me. I glanced to my left, to where Tegan and Emersyn stood next to each other. They nodded in encouragement.
When we got to the fifth line of the spell, three bolts of lightning struck the ground. All around the perimeter of the clearing, lightning collided with dirt. It trapped us in like an electric fence. The fog had gotten so thick it blocked out the trees. The wall of fog rose from the ground all the way up to the sky, connecting with the clouds. Goose bumps spread over my body. The temperature in the clearing plummeted.
The seventh line of the spell left our mouths with puffs of white smoke.
A loud noise like a freight train rumbled across the sky. Wind ripped through the clearing, and Haven and I floated higher. Our Coven-mates stood tall and strong, unaffected by the hurricane around us.
We said the tenth and final line of the spell, and then our knees hit the ground.
Eerie silence filled the meadow.
The wind died. The fog lifted. Everything was absolutely calm. Complete and utter silence. No one made a sound.
The sound of drums erupted from all around us. It sounded tribal. The beats were steady and grew faster, like a death march. That bright light shot out from inside the forest, casting the trees in shadow. It moved closer to the clearing, growing brighter with every inch. My eyes burned from the intensity.
And then they appeared. Standing on the edge of the clearing were the spirits of the slaughtered tribe. They were transparent like ghosts, yet they glowed bright white. Last time, they glared at us with venomous eyes and hatred…but now…they were wide and glassy. I waited for them to charge at us like before, except they stood motionless, just staring at us.
Haven looked to my right, and his eyes widened.
I followed his gaze and found the tribe’s chief step out into the clearing. He was dressed in ceremonial feathers and war paints. He raised his hand, and the tribal chanting continued. The other spirits walked forward in perfect unison until they filled the circle my Coven made. The chief stopped in front of us.
His ghostly eyes looked to Haven then to me. And then he let out a long, deep breath…and smiled. He put his fist to his chest and bowed his head slightly.
“Be at peace now,” Haven said softly.
The spirits all sank to their knees. Golden light flashed from inside their ghostly forms, and
their bodies slowly faded away until they were gone. Haven let go of the dagger and jumped to his feet, then he spun in a slow circle.
I slowly pushed up to my feet. “Are they gone?”
“Yeah, they’re—” He frowned and stared off to the left. “I think…two more?”
“Two more spirits? Why didn’t they go, too?” I looked to my left, then did a double take. There were two spirits left. It appeared to be a woman and a man walking toward us, but they looked different than the tribe. “Oh, maybe the spell picked up random spirits nearby?”
Tegan frowned and glanced over her shoulder to where the spirits were walking behind her. She gasped and spun around to face us with wide eyes. Her face was pale. She looked to Haven, then to me. “Take a deep breath and brace yourselves.”
Huh? Why? Why do I need to— My thoughts died instantly. My heart stopped. No, no, it can’t be…is it?
The two spirits stepped out into the clearing from between the trees, and my breath left me in a rush. My jaw dropped.
Haven gasped. “Mom? Dad?”
It.
Was.
My parents. My DEAD parents.
In spirit form. Right there outside the circle. My Coven-mates saw them, but no one seemed capable of moving. We all just stared.
“Oh my Goddess,” Jackson whispered, and I knew he was feeling the chaos inside me.
They were close enough now to see them clearly, despite being translucent. Dad was in his favorite jeans, the faded pair with rips in the knees. He wore sneakers and an Aerosmith T-shirt—the outfit he’d had on the night he died. In this glowing white form, his hair didn’t look black, but my memory filled in the blanks. He looked so much like Haven. I never realized this as a kid, but now seeing them at equal size, it was obvious.
Then there was Mom. Her long blonde hair hung loose by her shoulders the way it always did. She had on that white gown she loved, the one she always said reminded her of peace and calmness. Now I knew why she wore it that night.
They stopped just outside the circle, and my stomach turned.
Come closer.
But then I realized they were standing just behind Tegan and Jackson. Our soulmates turned to face my parents. I couldn’t see their faces, but I saw my parents smile wide. They reached out and pressed their ghostly hands to Tegan and Jackson’s chests and nodded. Then, they stepped around them and inside the circle.
Without taking my eyes off of them, I threw my hand out in front of me, searching for Haven. His hand found mine and squeezed.
Dad stepped up to us first. I didn’t know ghosts could cry, but I swore there were tears in his eyes as he looked at us. He reached out and cupped the backs of our heads, the way he always did when we were little, and the crazy part was that I could feel it. Even though he was a spirit, I still felt his touch.
He smiled. “We couldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”
Haven cursed and made a horrible kind of groan.
Or maybe that noise came from me. I couldn’t be sure.
Dad shook his head. “It’s okay to be sad, but we will see you again. On the other side, where we’ll be patiently waiting, hopefully for a long time. For now, just know we are so very proud of you.”
I nodded because there was absolutely no way I could speak right now.
He held on to us for a second longer, then winked and stepped aside.
And then Mom was there, right in front of us. And she was definitely crying. She looked back and forth between us with a smile, and my heart leapt into my throat. My chest was so tight I could barely breathe.
Then she turned to me. She looked me over for a long second then sighed. “My Hope. I missed your face.”
She stepped up and threw her arms around me, and I didn’t think anything had felt so good before. I closed my eyes and just soaked this feeling in for as long as it lasted. It felt so real, like she was actually here with us—alive. But I knew she wasn’t.
When she pulled back, she cupped my face between her hands and smiled through tears streaking down her ghostly face. “I am so sorry I scared you in that Ouija board, but it was the only way to talk to you safely. But you did such an amazing job. Now, be kind to Cathy and Tim. Keep them close. They love you so very much.”
I nodded. There were so many things I wanted to say… I just couldn’t.
“You have my gifts, but you are so much better than I am.” She kissed my forehead, then stepped back. “I love you a thousand stars.”
“I love you, too,” I whispered.
She winked, then turned to Haven. Her eyes watered all over again. She shook her head. “Oh, Haven. My little Tennessee.” And then she hugged him tight, popped up on her ghostly tiptoes.
His hand trembled so I squeezed harder. I glanced over to Tegan, and I knew by the tears pouring down her face that it was taking everything inside her to stay where she was. I didn’t look at Jackson. I couldn’t. I was barely keeping myself together, and if I looked at him, I would lose it.
“Oh, Haven. You are so strong, so brave. I told you you’d find her again. And I told you you’d never be alone. I’m sorry that I had to improvise and that you suffered for it. You are the best of this world, not in skill but in your soul.” She brushed her fingers over his cheeks. “I love you to the moon…”
“…and back,” he whispered so softly I barely heard him.
Her eyes glistened as she reached out and pressed her hands on our chests, right over our hearts. “If you ever need us, this is where we’ll be. Right here, real close. Forever.”
She took one last, long look at us…then took my father’s hand and walked away. They walked across to the opposite side of the circle they’d come through and stopped in front of Kessler and Uncle Timothy. Kessler’s face was sheet white, and his eyes were wide. Uncle Timothy—he was one deep breath away from losing it, just like I was. His dark eyes were red and glistening.
Dad reached up and put his hand on Kessler’s shoulder. “We know we didn’t ask you to take him, so thank you.”
“Y-y-y…” Kessler cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.”
Mom squeezed his arm. “He is wonderful because of you.”
And then they turned to Uncle Timothy. He mashed his mouth into a thin line, but I still saw the way his bottom lip trembled.
“You gave us quite the scare there,” Dad said and held his hand out. When Uncle Timothy shook it, Dad continued, “Be better than us. They need you.”
“Dearest brother, I am so sorry I did not listen,” Mom said softly. “Thank you for keeping them safe when we couldn’t. They’re yours now.”
He nodded. “I forgive you.”
Mom kissed his cheek, then let Dad drag her away. Together, hand in hand, they walked away from us like they were out for a casual stroll in the park. Just before they got to the trees on the other side, they paused and looked back. They both smiled wide. Dad waved. Mom blew us a kiss.
And then a white light flashed…and they were gone.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Bettina
I dreamt of my parents all night. I saw their faces in each of my dreams. I heard their voices. I felt their touch. And this morning I woke up crying. Except they were happy tears now. Before that last night, I hadn’t realized just how much of them I didn’t remember. But those few short moments gave those memories back to me.
We got to say goodbye to each other. Finally, after all these years.
The bed dipped beside me, and then I smelled him. I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. That Christmassy scent had a way of chipping at my anxiety. He’d been so supportive in all of this. I didn’t want to imagine where I’d be if I hadn’t had him. I would’ve been lost to the storm.
His big warm arm wrapped around my shoulders. “What are you thinking about?”
I smiled and looked up at his beautiful face. “That you’re my lighthouse in the storm.”
He arched one eyebrow. “Lighthouse? Not anchor? Isn’t that how the phrase go
es?”
“Then the phrase is wrong.” I grinned. “An anchor gets dragged right along with the boat in the storm, but the lighthouse is always there to show the way home.”
His cheeks flushed. “Oh. I like that.”
I chuckled. “Now, what are you thinking?”
He sighed. “That your brother called a Coven meeting and we’re definitely late.”
“Oh shit.” I jumped up then rushed to the door. “I’m a mess, sorry.”
“It’s okay. I am fairly certain you could get away with anything, love.” He chuckled and took my hand, then led me down the hallway.
We walked in silence down the stairs until we got to the second floor and I spotted Paulina. I hurried to catch up to her, dragging Jackson with me. “Hey, Paulina.”
“Oh, good morning, you two!” She smiled. “Hey, B, how you feeling today?”
I shrugged, because I didn’t know how to answer that question nonchalantly. “Actually, I had a question for you… Um…I was wondering…uh…” Shit. How do I ask this? She’s not even the Death Card anymore, so is me asking a jerk move?
Paulina stopped on the steps, then reached out and touched my arm. Her smile widened. “Your parents have passed on finally, so you can no longer reach them through a Ouija board or anything like that. I know you haven’t met Saffie yet, but she’s really very sweet. A good friend of ours. She’s our new Death Card, and she can definitely call on your parents if you ever decide you want to.”
My breath left me in a rush. “She can?”
“Oh yeah.” Paulina nodded. “If it was still my Card, I could call them right now. So when Saffie gets here, just ask her.”
And then I felt like garbage for asking her. It had to be a sore subject still. “I’m sorry for asking. That was probably insensitive of me. I wasn’t thinking right.”
She shook her head. “Please, don’t be upset. Actually, pretending like it didn’t happen feels worse. Just because I am no longer Death, doesn’t mean I never was. You can always ask me questions about the dead. They were my close companions for a long time.”
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