The Chosen Coven Series Box Set

by D L Blade

  “What are you reading?” I asked as I sat down next to her. The sleeve from the book was missing, so when she didn’t respond, I leaned forward, looking at the page, but it was upside down. She kept her eyes glued on the book and even flipped a page, scanning the words from top to bottom.

  Great.

  “Mercy,” Doctor Harrison said as he entered the rec room. He was the therapist that had been working with my mom. Leah had assigned him to Cami’s case as he was a witch who would, at times, perform an exorcism or a spell to help people who were once normal, but went insane, whether it was from true mental illness or if it was caused by an evil entity.

  Leah had explained that they referred to him as a Witch Doctor or Shaman. He had the ability to not only connect with someone’s spirit if they were still alive but could communicate with spirits who had passed on after this life and wanted to speak with the living. The only spirits he couldn’t connect with were vampires.

  He had asked me several times in the past if I wanted to reach out to my mother after she died, but I refused. I was too ashamed of what I had done, and I couldn’t face what she’d say to me. Did she hate me for what I did? Worse than she already had?

  I stood to my feet, shook his hand, and looked at Cami. “I’ll be right back.”

  She ignored me, still staring at the upside-down book as if she were reading.

  “She’s been like that since she arrived,” Doctor Harrison explained as we entered the hall.

  “She hasn’t spoken?”

  He shook his head. “Not a word.”

  This was disturbing. She at least spoke to me on occasion. It was always short and brief, but she still used her voice. Maybe she was scared and didn’t trust anyone here. What if she was shutting down?

  Doctor Harrison escorted me into his office and gestured for me to sit. He grabbed a folder and a recording device.

  “When she first came here,” he started, “I felt her energy, even inside these walls.”

  I held up my hand. “Wait, are you allowed to share this with me?”

  It was a silly question. This wasn’t a normal facility, and her mom wasn’t in her right mind to make decisions for her, but there was still the issue of doctor-patient confidentiality.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” he continued. “I can share her medical diagnosis with you. Laurie signed a consent form to allow us to speak with you on Cami’s behalf.”

  I was happy to learn this. The more I knew, the more I could help her. If I could help her.

  He pressed play on the audio device in front of him. I heard Doctor Harrison ask Cami a few questions about how she was feeling, then Cami screamed. She screamed so loudly that Doctor Harrison fumbled with the device to turn it down.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  The scream faded, and she began mumbling gibberish. The words made no sense, as if she were speaking in tongues.

  “What is she saying?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Nothing I’ve ever heard.” He turned off the recording device and opened the binder in front of him. “I performed a spell to reach her mind. I needed to see what she’s seeing.” He placed the notebook back down. “Mercy, Cami is gone.”

  I wasn’t sure if I had heard him correctly. “I don’t understand.”

  “When I performed the spell, I saw through her eyes, but not what she’s seeing in this world. I saw much deeper than that,” he explained. My stomach dropped so far down, it felt as if it hit the floor. I could only imagine the worst—the nightmares that kept her up at night.

  “Tell me.”

  He cupped his hands together and leaned back in his chair. “She’s seeing hell.”

  This stunned me into silence. I couldn’t breathe for a second until he said my name, pulling me back to him.

  “Mercy, when Kylan’s ghost entered her body, she saw every memory he had. Kylan may have lived on this earth, but he had access to a dark underworld where only the evilest of creatures ever go. He came and went between both worlds for centuries. I don’t think it’s the same type of hell you read about in the Bible. This is something else. When Kylan died, he left a part of him still dwelling and torturing her. The entity inside of Cami is killing her. Her mind is already gone, so she won’t come out of this.”

  Tears welled in my eyes, and I let out a sob. “I’m sorry. I’m still not understanding. She’s gone? Kylan is where?”

  My mind was moving a million miles an hour.

  I thought after she awoke from her spell, she’d be okay. Maybe she’d feel off for a bit, but she would come out of it, and we’d be goofing off at Goddard Park or having a deep conversation about a new guy she had met. But what he was telling me was that my best friend was dead and somehow still walking around like she’d been turned into a zombie-like creature. And Kylan was what? Still possessing her?

  He grabbed a tissue from a box on the table and handed it to me, but I simply rubbed my eyes and put on a brave face. “Do I need to kill her to set her free?” My question came out cold and emotionless, but I didn’t feel that way. I was torn up inside, but I couldn’t let him see me that way. He was a witch that relied on me to protect them. I couldn’t show this side of me.

  I wouldn’t.

  He nodded. “Yes, Mercy. It’s the only way to set her free so her spirt can move on to whatever life is after this. Her mind is gone, her body is weak, and her spirit is trapped. Kylan never left, and the only way to free Cami is to kill the body.” He winced at his own words.

  He sat up straight and continued. “Kylan was never like the vampires he created. He had a demonic spirit, whereas vampires have none. He is still possessing her, Mercy.”

  “Can we perform an exorcism to get him out of her and save what is left of Cami?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Even if we did an exorcism to remove Kylan’s spirit, her mind is already gone. Her spirit was barely holding on before she came here. Kylan’s power was so strong, the memories she’s seeing will never truly go away. She will always be in that hell.”

  I stood up and turned to hide the emotions I wore on my face while trying my best to conceal the shaking going on inside me from the anger at what Kylan had done to her. I wasn’t going to let him see how upset I was at myself for allowing it to happen in the first place.

  “Okay. I’ll do it,” I said when I turned back around to look at him. “Do you need to lower the shield? I don’t feel my powers.”

  He shook his head. “No. There is a room here that isn’t protected. We will do it there.”

  I nodded and walked toward the door. “Well, let’s get on with it.”

  I acted like a freaking robot to mask my feelings. Didn’t I have to in order to kill one of my best friends?

  No. Cami is already gone, I had to remind myself. Kylan killed her. I was simply setting what was left of her free. Right?

  I walked down a long corridor that led to this other room, while the doctor went to get her. Once I entered the room, I immediately felt my powers coming back into my body, and I sighed with relief.

  I sat on a couch inside the room, looking around. The room was simple, aside from herbs and books that lined the walls. A chair with shackles sat in the middle of the room.

  Oh, dear God. This must be where they do exorcisms.

  Doctor Harrison entered the room, Cami’s arm linked with his, and directed her to the chair.

  “Please don’t shackle her,” I said.

  A giggle escaped from Cami.

  I walked up to her as her head hung low, staring at the floor. When her head popped up, I saw a look I hadn’t seen from her this past year.

  She grinned.

  She didn’t just grin, the corners of her mouth stretched so far that her lips reached the top of her cheek bones and her bottom lip ripped.

  Oh, shit.

  This wasn’t Cami.

  She giggled again and looked over at me. “Really? Is this what it’s come down to?”

  Okay, this is creepy.r />
  “Um, Cami, why don’t you have a seat, okay?” I said.

  “Oh, goody!” Her voice sure didn’t sound like Cami. She clapped her hands and still wore that stretched out, creepy grin.

  She looked up at the doctor, and her face changed again, but this time, her lips formed a flat line and her eyes narrowed, her brows tilting inward.

  Was this Cami or Kylan looking at him? The face she wore was one I didn’t recognize.

  The doctor approached her, but he didn’t get far. Her hand reached out, and without touching him, she flicked her wrist and his neck snapped. I gasped as his body collapsed to the floor.

  “Cami, don’t!” I screamed.

  Her hand came up again, but when she did it with me, she grabbed my throat and squeezed so tight, I thought she’d crush my bones. I pulled my hands up and blasted her with my power across the room, but she hopped up the moment she hit the floor. She turned to face the wall, digging her fingers into the drywall . . . then climbed.

  Oh, hell no.

  She climbed like a demon-possessed vessel, scaled the walls, gripping it with the tips of her fingers as her body contorted in an unnatural position that made my skin crawl.

  Soon, she was above me, and her neck twisted until she met my gaze and she laughed, but the tone of her voice was low and demonic.

  She darted toward the window in the corner and slammed her fist against it, shattering the glass, and jumped out.

  What. The. Hell. Was. That?

  Caleb

  I sat on Mercy’s bed with a note in my hand with her name on it. A note I had found under the doormat, waiting for her.

  “I spoke with Leah,” Ezra said when he entered the room. “Mercy was supposed to visit Cami at the hospital today. She’s calling now to check on her.”

  I looked down at the note when Simon came in the room to join us. “Let’s open it,” Simon said. “It’s not like it’s a love note from a secret admirer. We know who it’s from.”

  Mercy wasn’t here, and this involved all of us. Addressed to her or not, I opened it.

  I Have The Dagger

  That was it. No one had signed it, and it didn’t give instructions on what they wanted us to do or what their next play would be.

  “What the hell am I supposed to do with this information?” I asked them.

  “Whoever this is just wants to scare us. I mean, seriously, if they have the dagger, why don’t they just come after us?” Ezra asked.

  Was this an empty threat? Or was this person stupid enough to come after the coven?

  Maurice was the obvious choice, though I found it strange he wouldn’t admit he was the killer when we cornered him. It wasn’t like he was afraid of us.

  Leah rushed into the room, panic reflecting in her eyes. “Raven’s called. Cami escaped when Mercy was there.”

  “What?” I asked.

  I looked at Simon and Ezra right as my phone beeped at my hip.

  It was Mercy.

  Mercy: Cami’s possessed by Kylan’s spirit. Her mind is gone, and we can’t bring her back. She escaped Raven’s twenty minutes ago. We have to kill her, Caleb. Keep watch. I’m going to stay with Riley for a few days. Call or text if you need me, but I won’t be coming home today.

  I didn’t tell her about the note. As much as she needed to come home right now, she also needed to work out whatever was going through her head before she could face whoever was about to come for us, and we knew something or someone was coming.

  “I’ll call Joel and Lily,” I said. “We need everyone paying attention right now. Between whoever has the dagger, Maurice’s threat, and now Cami, I don’t want us to be surprised when something happens, and I have a feeling something bad is about to happen.”

  I informed Lily and Joel of the latest developments and sent a few text messages to Riley, but he hadn’t responded. I trusted him to be alone with her, but I needed to make sure he’d report to me when she wouldn’t. Mercy being away from the coven again wasn’t the best idea, but she needed him, and he was her best friend.

  Mercy

  Riley’s hand rested on my shoulder as he took a seat on the bench next to me. The last time we were at Goddard Park together was the day I had been released from the hospital. The day Caleb came back into my life.

  “Is she really gone?” he asked, and I nodded. A tear formed in the corner of my eye and slowly trickled down.

  He grabbed my hand and squeezed. I wiped away the tear and looked at him. “There’s nothing left of her.”

  Now Riley’s eyes watered, but he choked back his sobs. “Then you have to do it. You have to set her free.”

  I rested my head on Riley’s shoulder and closed my eyes. His hand touched the top of my head, and he rubbed my hair like he was comforting a sick child. Riley was what I needed right now. With Riley, I wasn’t afraid to show the weakest and most vulnerable parts of who I was. I could be me. He was my best friend and the one person who would listen to me without judgement.

  We sat out there for what felt like hours. The wind picked up, and the breeze tickled my skin. He rubbed my arm gently, warming it up, and kissed me on the top of the head. It wasn’t a romantic kiss. We cared about each other, and he was showing me that he understood the pain I felt because he felt it, too.

  “Does the coven know where you are?” he asked. “Caleb has been reaching out to me.”

  I nodded and leaned back on the bench and continued to stare at the cove. “They know I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine,” he said quickly. “None of us are.”

  My eyes stayed glued to the water. “I don’t care anymore, Riley.” The sun beamed down on my cheeks, warming them as we continued to sit on the bench, staring out at the lake.

  I may have gained the knowledge of who I was in my past life and my purpose here. I had gotten my powers back, and this was supposed to be the new me, but why didn’t it feel like it? I lost a huge part of who I was, and it all started the night my mom thought she had the right to snuff out my life.

  Who am I, really?

  I stood and walked to the edge where the grass met the water and cried harder than I had in years. My chest ached, and I found it hard to breathe. I slowly sucked in a breath, and when I released the air from my lungs, I rubbed the heel of my palm against my chest and clutched my jet stone necklace.

  I felt the power inside me build, and I didn’t care if a hiker or someone in their boat saw me or my power.

  Then . . . I screamed.

  I screamed so loudly that my chest ached, so I held my hands against my chest, keeping them secure, but the energy was too much for me to conceal. My arms flew out and my powers left my fingertips, blasting across the park on each side of me. I heard trees timbering over and the water crashing in heavy waves. The noise was so powerful, it sounded like thunder crashing down from above us.

  I relaxed just enough to pull back my power before I turned around to face Riley, who was standing there in his beautiful and glorious wolf form. Once we both met each other’s gaze, his head flew up, and his snout pointed to the sky. His howl echoed through the woods around us, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

  I neared him slowly, and he bowed his head, so I dropped to my knees to be on his level, pressed my forehead to his, and let out the remaining breath I had held in. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you, Riley.”

  Caleb

  Sunday morning, as I crawled out of bed, I received a text from Riley saying he was still with Mercy. If she needed an escape, I’d give it to her. She had just learned she had to kill Cami, and I couldn’t imagine what that felt like.

  I didn’t expect her to come to me for support. I couldn’t replace what she and Riley had. None of us could.

  I heard a knock at the front door. It was Melissa.

  “Come on in,” I said.

  “I brought wine.” She smiled and placed it on the table. “I’m sure it won’t compare to what Ab
igail makes, but it’s my favorite.”

  I leaned in, kissing her gently on the lips, and she welcomed my kiss. She looked nervous, and I didn’t want her to feel this way around me.

  I grabbed our dinner from the kitchen, and after we ate, I took her to the library, which was my favorite room in the house.

  “There are so many books. I wish I had the time to read, but my work keeps me busy, and by the time I’m home, I’m exhausted.”

  I smiled, turned toward her, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Well, I’m glad you had time to spend with me tonight.”

  She tried to look down, but I wouldn’t let her. I placed the tip of my finger on her chin and lifted it. I hated that this gesture made me think of Mercy. I couldn’t think of her when I was with Melissa. I cared so much about this girl in front of me, I couldn’t risk losing her, too.

  “You’re adorable. You know that?” I asked.

  She chuckled. “I’m covered in tattoos. I don’t know if ‘adorable’ suits me.”

  “Okay, then. You’re sexy. You’re so incredibly sexy.”

  She lifted on her tippy toes to reach my lips and kissed me. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself,” she said, followed by a wink. She looked around the library. “Which of these have you read?”

  “Most of them.”

  “Most of them?” She gasped. “Seriously, there’s easily over four-hundred books on these shelves.”

  I smirked. “I had these brought down from my place in Salem. I kept a few books I had read throughout the years, but I had to move around so much, I had to donate most of them. I didn’t have the space at my place in Salem, and these shelves were empty. Abigail said I could keep them here.”

  “That’s amazing.” She scanned the shelves, trailing her fingers along the wood and wiping off the dust from her fingers when she reached the end. “You really have seen a lot, haven’t you?”