Chapter Twenty-Four
Noah
I’d done a lot of foolish and reckless things in my teenage years, but even I had to admit this was the finest of all of them.
The late afternoon gray sky was already darkening for nighttime and the clouds seemed to hang just over our heads today. There was even a bit of fog seeping through the trees and mixing with the bitter, single-digit temperature. Snow fell in thick snowflakes. This just made what I was doing feel like even more of a bad idea than I knew it was…yet…I couldn’t stop myself. I’d had plenty of chances to turn around and leave but no… Continue I did.
I’d never in my life tried to follow someone like some CIA spy.
So naturally my first attempt would be with The Coven.
More specifically the Emperor and High Priestess.
I didn’t need to be sneaky with Deacon and Emersyn, we were friends. But Tennessee and Tegan? I wasn’t even brave enough to say hello this morning when they came into our combat class. Not that they’d given us much opportunity to engage, but still.
I hid in the back then…and I was hiding behind trees now.
To my surprise, they hadn’t noticed me here. The four of them marched right out the front doors of school and headed into Central Park without a single acknowledgment of my presence. Fortunately, Central Park had plenty of trees for me to hide behind as I trailed as close as possible without them seeing me. Deacon strolled along, whistling show tunes and looking around. Emersyn was all bundled up under a heavy coat, knee-high Ugg boots, a hoodie to cover her head, and two thick scarves – and she still had flames coiling around her wrists to keep her warm. Normally I would’ve been freezing but this espionage was keeping me warm.
That and a teeny bit of fear.
Because Tennessee and Tegan were terrifying. They marched in perfect unison in their similar busted up black combat boots, ripped black jeans, and black leather jackets. Granted, Tegan’s had a bunch of silver and gold studs all over it and Tennessee’s was plain. The snow falling from the sky hit the energy radiating off of them and melted away before getting closer.
After about fifteen minutes of walking aimlessly, finally, they turned and walked down a new sidewalk. I hung back until they seemed clear, then I ducked my head and charged after them. Then I stepped behind a massive tree trunk – and immediately realized where we were. This was the place Caroline became the mother of two fluffy blue cats and where Em and Deacon had gone through a gate and disappeared a couple weeks ago.
It was the entrance to the Old Lands. The one no one was supposed to know about because it wasn’t supposed to exist.
Bushes rustled all around me. I sucked in a deep breath, bracing myself – and then squirrels and rabbits rushed toward the Coven-members. Birds dropped low in the sky then circled over their heads, stopping to land on a branch for a second and then taking off again. Horses appeared out of nowhere and galloped up to them.
I wonder what these animals are really?
A white horse stopped right in front of Tegan. She reached out and ran her hand through its mane.
“Are you there?” An unfamiliar chipper voice said from nowhere in sight.
I frowned.
Tenn nodded then held his phone up in front of him and I saw a young-looking girl with big blue eyes and brown curly hair. “Hey Chutney. Yes, we’re here with them now,” Tenn said with his deep as hell voice that I wasn’t jealous of at all.
“GREAT!” Chutney cheered, her face lighting up his whole screen. “Now turn the screen around so I can talk to them.”
Tenn did as she asked and turned his phone around. The second he did, the white horse neighed and swished his – or her – tail around like they were excited. This Chutney girl’s voice was so high-pitched and excited that it was impossible for me to understand what she was saying…however, all of the animals were huddled around Tennessee’s phone like they were talking to her.
The white horse nodded then threw its head back and neighed.
And then all the animals were gone.
Vanished into thin air.
“Well?” Tenn spun the phone back around and glared into the screen – or at least I assumed he did because that was how he looked from the back.
“Tegan, you’re good to go now as planned,” Chutney yelled.
Tegan rubbed her palms together and rainbow colored mist poured into the air around her. “Thanks, Chutney.”
“No problem! I’ll have my phone on if you need me!”
“Thank you, Chutney. See you tomorrow,” Tenn grumbled then hung up and shoved his phone in his back pocket.
Deacon rolled his shoulders then stretched his arms. “Need anything from me, boss?”
“I am definitely not your boss on this shit,” he said with a chuckle then poked Tegan in the arm. “Ask crazy pants here.”
Tegan jumped then gave Deacon and Em two thumbs-up. Then she turned to Tennessee and winked. “You know what to do.”
Wind swept through the little clearing we were in, throwing me against the tree I was trying to hide behind. The ground rumbled and the snowflakes turned to little crystals that crashed to the ground. I dropped to a crouch to crawl into a massive bush a few feet ahead.
Tegan threw her hands down to her sides and rainbow magic pooled in her palms like little orbs. She chanted words in the ancient language that I only recognized but didn’t speak. There was also some other kind of language I’d never heard. She twirled her hands around and slowly lifted them into the air, then she arched her back and used her entire bodyweight to catapult her magic into the Old Lands gate. A cloud of glittery mist exploded…then vanished.
Tegan sighed and rubbed her palms together. “This will keep curiosity from killing the cat, particularly ones hiding behind a bush who followed Coven members through central park thinking we somehow wouldn’t know they were there.”
My heart stopped.
Deacon chuckled. “He is harmless.”
He? Shit, does he know it’s ME?
Em frowned and looked up at him. “Noah?”
WHAT? How do they know it’s me?
Tegan arched one eyebrow. “Harmless to himself even?”
And then…all four of them turned and looked right at the bush I was hiding in.
But I didn’t move. I didn’t even breathe.
“That depends…” Tennessee looked directly at me, even though I was hidden in a thick bush and was completely out of sight. He saw me. “…on whether or not he’s aware of the grizzly bear behind him or the mountain lion up in the tree. And let’s not forget the parrot about fifty feet back.”
I gasped and jumped to my feet. Wait, what? I spun around in a panic, looking for a damn grizzly bear or mountain lion when I realized I’d just busted myself. My stomach sank. Oh shit. I took a deep breath then turned back around…and found all four of them watching me.
There was probably something worth saying to save my ass, but instead I managed to wave at them like a total dork.
Tennessee shook his head and laughed. He waved back. “I don’t think we have to worry about this one.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Emersyn
I grabbed Deacon’s jacket sleeve and pulled him to a stop. “Deacon.”
He stopped and arched one eyebrow at me. “Yes?”
“Are we sure this is a good idea?” I nodded my head toward the shiny glass doors ahead of us. “That. In there.”
Deacon frowned. “Why are you asking? What’s wrong?”
I gave him a blank stare for a long few seconds, then turned around and pointed to the edge of the sidewalk. “Them.”
Them, as in, my twin sister and her soulmate who were currently fidgeting in their nice clothes like toddlers at a wedding. Tegan had borrowed my little long-sleeved black dress and thigh-high black Louboutin boots with the stiletto heels. She was alternating between pulling the hem of the dress down and peeling her hair off of her lips from the lip gloss Amelia gave her. We were the same size, s
o it worked out. Technically, I knew my twin and I had the exact same body shape, but I couldn’t help but think she wore that outfit much better than I had.
Not that Tennessee noticed how hot she looked. I wasn’t even sure if he’d noticed that she was currently the same height as him. He was too busy yanking on his tie and tugging on his shirt cuffs. He wasn’t in a suit or anything, just black dress pants and a black blazer with a white shirt. Deacon had somehow managed to get him into a pair of dress shoes, which was a miracle I knew we wouldn’t see happen again.
I shook my head and just watched them. They were so uncomfortable they hadn’t even noticed they were still standing on the curb – and Stedman had already pulled away. We were supposed to be inside already…at dinner.
With Deacon’s parents, the Davenports, Garrett Sullivan, Thomas Plant, and Headmaster Muller.
Amelia had been left at home with Landy…because this was a business meeting.
Between The Coven Leader and the heads of New York.
But I knew this was going to be a nightmare. Heather had warned me that we were going to the fanciest place in town and to brace myself. She also personally made sure we were all dressed appropriately, because obviously I’d made such a big impression my first dinner.
Deacon sighed and cursed under his breath. “Not really, but it’s not like he could refuse. But let’s box them in at the table.”
My eyes widened. “Do what?”
“Like I’ll sit next to Tenn, then you’ll sit next to Tegan.” He gestured with his hands. “Then we’ll be able to buffer for them.”
I nodded. “This is a good idea. Containment. Like velociraptors.”
Deacon opened his mouth then shut it. He threw his head back and laughed. “That’s accurate in more ways than one.”
I glanced over his shoulder to the door but didn’t see anyone lingering. “We can’t let them get badgered tonight with questions.”
“Right.” He took a deep breath then whistled so loud I flinched. “Oy.”
Tenn and Tegan jumped and turned to him with sharp eyes.
Deacon waved them on. “Ready to go inside?”
Tenn scowled then glanced over at Tegan – and did a double take. His mismatched gaze traveled up and down her body then landed on her face. “You’re as tall as me.”
They both looked down at her feet and stared for a second.
Tegan met his gaze and grimaced. “That’s bad?”
“That’s hot.” He pursed his lips and nodded in approval. “You should keep those boots.”
Tegan’s cheeks flushed. “They’re not mine.”
“Well I won’t ever be able to wear those again now, so thanks.” I shook my head. “You can keep them.”
Deacon chuckled and pressed his palm to the small of my back. “Come on, let’s get inside.”
Tenn wrapped his arm around Tegan’s hips. “Oh, that’s soft material.”
“It’s tight material. If I eat anything, I might need to borrow your jacket.”
“Please. Take it,” he grumbled as they caught up to us. He tugged on this collar of his shirt again. “And this while you’re at it.”
Deacon chuckled and stepped back, taking my hand in his. He pulled me along with him toward the glass doors. As we approached the building, I couldn’t help but notice how sharp he looked in his dark blue suit.
Tenn exhaled loudly. “How long is this gonna take?”
“A while,” I said with a groan. “A long while.”
“How long do we have to stay?” Tegan asked as we walked through the doors. “I mean…”
Deacon stopped just inside and sighed. He shook his head. “I will literally pay you a large sum of money if you can pull one of your tricks and get us the hell out of here in an hour.”
Tegan pursed her lips and looked to Tenn.
“Well, it’d be rude to turn down such an offer…” He winked at her.
Tegan grinned and I knew we’d be back in that car in an hour sharp. If not less.
“Mister English?”
We all jumped and turned toward a soft female voice.
The hostess stood there in a long black dress and a warm smile. She nodded once, then gestured to a set of doors on her left. “Good evening, your party is waiting for you if you’d like to follow me?”
Tenn frowned. “Isn’t the restaurant the other way?”
The hostess smiled. “Yes, but your group is in the private room.” Then she turned and waved for us to follow her through the double doors.
Tegan and Tenn exchanged suspicious looks but after a second followed us through the doors. We walked in silence down a short hall, then stepped through a glass doorway with a private dining area on the other side. It was a rather large sized private room with only the one large round table inside.
I took one look at the table and my stomach tightened into knots.
There were seven full-grown adults sitting at the table, watching us. Waiting. Like vultures.
Okay, if you’re suddenly portaled out of here don’t freak out. Mmmkay? Tegan asked the three of us telepathically.
The seven adults all stood in perfect unison and it made my heart flutter with nerves.
Deacon cleared his throat and gestured toward them. “Tegan and Tennessee, you’ve already met my parents Heather and Sebastien, Major and Minor here.”
Heather smiled bright and smoothed the front of her pencil skirt. “Hello, again.”
Sebastien nodded. “Nice to see you again.”
“Claudia and Marshall Davenport, Lead Page and Major, respectively—”
“We met after the Gala, didn’t we?” Tenn interrupted Deacon.
Tegan gasped. “Oh yes, you had the daughter – Caroline, right? How is she? Wait, I saw her today in class, she seemed fine.”
Claudia beamed. “Caroline has fully recovered, at least physically.”
Deacon cleared his throat and pointed to the two men I barely recognized. “This is Thomas Plant, New York Ace, and Garrett Sullivan, New York Minor. And then of course, Headmaster Muller.”
I moved immediately to the empty seat next to Heather and pulled Tegan along beside me. Deacon squeezed Tenn’s shoulder then took the seat a few down from me, right next to the Headmaster.
Tegan and Tenn eyed the two empty seats curiously, no doubt wondering why Deacon and I had chosen to sit away from each other, but they didn’t press the matter. They simply slid into the seat and got situated. I met Deacon’s eyes over their heads – we nodded then sat down.
The adults jumped right back into whatever conversation they’d been having, but it sounded too heavy for my sanity at the moment. Instead, I opened up the menu and started searching for a dish I recognized – because they were all in French.
“So, Emperor, what are your thoughts on the new school?” Thomas asked with eager eyes. “Has it lived up to your standards?”
“Um…” Tennessee stared into space in front of himself. “Uh…yes?”
Garrett, the other Minor, pointed his finger at Tenn. “I think the real question is will you be opening more campuses? Because I, for one, would love to see more.”
Headmaster Muller nodded and her ponytail swung behind her head. “The students and parents are loving it so far, so I’d recommend we do.”
Thomas pursed his lips. “Yes, but the question is – which cities?”
Garrett turned to look at Tenn. “What do you say, Emperor?”
Tenn looked up and blinked, then he turned his gaze back to his place setting. “Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out why I have five forks.”
I sighed and leaned back in my seat. This is gonna be a long night.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Emersyn
“Check, check, check, and check.” Heather lowered her iPad and I saw the marked off items on the checklist. “Really, Emersyn, we’re all set and ready to go.”
I let out a shaky breath and nodded.
Today was the Winter Solstice.
&nb
sp; And the Yule Ball.
The day I’d been prepping for and dreading all at the same time. I heard Heather’s confidence in that we were ready, and I believed her. But everything was going so smoothly and that made me nervous. And then there was this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was going to go wrong. Something was going to happen. That put me over the edge.
“I just want this to be perfect. I want everyone to see how great SOMA is and —”
“And you need to eat something.” Tegan wrapped her arm around my shoulders and shook me. “Really, twin, like woosah. This place looks amazing. The school is incredible. Everyone is just super thrilled that we’re even having a Yule Ball this year after Salem and Joseph’s shenanigans. AND the fact that we have another magic school besides Edenburg is all anyone can talk about.”
“Your sister is right.” Heather smiled and squeezed my arm. “You know this school is a big deal for me, as Major of New York, but everything has gone smoothly—”
Yeah, that’s the part I’m worried about.
“— so take a deep breath and try to enjoy the evening.”
I nodded. “There’s nothing else we need to do?”
“There are a few things, yes…” I must’ve made a face because she was already shaking her head. “But Claudia and I will handle them—”
“Yeah, but —”
“No buts.” Heather smirked and looked to Tegan. “Care to assist me here?”
Tegan chuckled. “That might make me a hypocrite, but sure…”
I narrowed my eyes at my twin.
“Listen, twiny-twin, Tennessee is already thrilled about how everything has turned out. You’ve already passed the test, even though you weren’t actually being tested, and Tennessee knew you and Deacon would succeed with flying colors. But I digress…” She pushed off of me then spun in a circle, gesturing toward the decorated ballroom. “All of this is sugar on top. The reason he’s not here right now is because he’s an adorable little dork who wants to see it for the first time at night when it’s all pretty and sparkly – his words, not mine. So chillax, bruh.”
The Uptown Witch Page 14
