THE HIDDEN WITCH

THE COVEN: ACADEMY MAGIC BOOK 1

CHANDELLE LAVAUN

For Tina.

I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to thank you for being the most enthusiastic fan that also shares my DNA…

And then I realized I named a main character after you. So…I think we’re even ;)

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

BETTINA

“T  egan no-middle-name Bishop. This is Bettina, your best friend, calling. Again. Voicemail number eighteen.” I sighed and leaned my forehead on my steering wheel. “I snuck out of my house tonight. You’d be proud. And I hate that you’re not here. Call me back. Let me know you’re alive and not eaten by an alligator down there.”

I leaned back in my seat and hung up the call.

A month ago, I was happy to be invisible. My school went from sixth to twelfth grade, and fortunately, the bullies had gotten bored with my best friend and me in eighth grade. Unfortunately, I was pretty sure everyone forgot I existed since. I was the nerdy quiet girl who carried paperback books in my purse wherever I went just in case I had a moment to spare. It was a role that fit me perfectly. No one bothered me, and I got to live a happy, peaceful life.

And then Tegan, my best friend, left me. About a month ago. Her father had gotten a new job, effective immediately, so he’d packed her and her little brother up and moved to Florida. Tegan and I had had about forty-eight hours to say goodbye—after eleven years of friendship. She’d sworn up and down that it wasn’t a real goodbye, that we’d still talk every day and be just as close. I’d known it wasn’t going to happen.

I hated being right sometimes.

A few texts in a matter of three weeks was nothing. I’d buried myself in books and binge watched Supernatural for the twentieth time, but then school had started this week. Sophomore year…and I had no friends. And it sucked. The only person I was friendly with was Dean Hoover. We worked together at the animal shelter, but I’d only been there a few months so I barely knew him. Still, I was desperate. He’d invited me to eat lunch with his friends at school today…and it was okay. They weren’t Tegan, but they were nice. I think.

Headlights flashed across my face as a black pickup truck drove past me. I groaned and looked down at my phone. It was almost eleven. Dean’s party had started an hour ago. I hated that Tegan wasn’t here, and I hated her father even more for taking her away. The least he could’ve done was take me with them. I glared at my phone for a moment then decided to try a different tactic…

I sent a text message to Hunter Bishop. You know it’s not too late to take me with you.

Three bubbles popped up instantly, and then his response popped up. I’M SORRY, BETTINA. I AM. ARE YOU OKAY?

I groaned. I haven’t been able to get ahold of Tegan for days now.

Oh, well, she was grounded. But now she’s on a school field trip for the weekend, as punishment. When Tegan gets home we’ll discuss your visitation. How does that sound?

I sighed. Okayyyy. Will you make her call me when she gets home? Please?

Of course. Now please do me a favor and take care of yourself, okay?

I smiled and sent back. I’ll try. Then I added smiling face emojis.

I shoved my phone into the pocket of my black leather jacket and zipped it closed. There was no point sitting by the phone waiting for Tegan’s call. She was on a field trip—they’d be monitoring her. But more importantly, there was a party raging in the mansion up ahead and it was past time for me to join.

Without letting myself think about it for a single second longer, I threw the door open and climbed out. Once I was sure the alarm had been set, I crossed the cobblestone street. I forced all of my other thoughts away and focused on my mission: entering the party without tripping or making a scene.

But as I crossed under a black iron archway, all of my confidence vanished. Panic settled in. My feet glued to the brick sidewalk. From where I stood, there were four balconies, all filled with teenagers. Through the big windows, what had to be a hundred people were crammed inside. My pulse quickened. My palms grew sweaty and my legs twitched with the need to flee. I knew no one inside except the host. Which meant I’d be there alone. By myself. Nobody else.

Dear God, what was I thinking?

This is a terrible idea. I’m not equipped for this.

I shifted my weight and started to turn—then froze. I was alone…and that wasn’t going to change. Tegan wasn’t out of town; she’d moved. She wasn’t coming back. I had three years ahead of me before I could make sure we went to the same college. Three YEARS. I felt like I was hanging from a cliff. I could either let go and let myself fall into torture and misery—OR I could try to climb back up. I had to do this, for myself. For my sanity.

Operation make ONE friend commences.

I pushed my shoulders back and charged forward. Music blared so loud it drowned out my panicked thoughts. The grand double doors were wide open, and teenagers poured in and out. I stepped over the threshold and felt my confidence waver again.

The house was absolutely breathtaking. Rich mahogany wood stretched as far as I could see, even up the grand spiral staircase in front of me. Directly overhead was a crystal chandelier the size of my mom’s sedan that probably cost more. I glanced around the foyer in search of Dean, but all I found were a few dozen foreign faces. They stood in small clusters, holding red plastic cups and moving to the beat of the music while they tried to talk over the noise.

I licked my lips and glanced around, trying to pick my best route, when someone slammed into my back. I stumbled forward a few feet before I caught myself on the stairs railing. Laughter bubbled up around me.

A girl I’d never seen before leaned in front of me with one manicured eyebrow arched. “No wonder our football teams sucks. Our quarterback can’t see the jolly green giant standing in the foyer. Am I right?”

I slammed my mouth shut and nodded. Then before she could say anything else, I turned and walked into the living room. Jolly green giant. I hadn’t heard that one since fifth grade. It stopped bothering me in fourth. At five foot ten, I was tall for a sixteen-year-old girl—okay, for any girl. I used to cry myself to sleep every time someone mocked my height. It used to cut deep. But then Tegan made me watch Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers with the scene where the talking tree people destroyed the enemy’s fortress. She’d said I was tall enough to crush my bullies under my feet, and somehow, that had worked.

A couple of guys jumped out in front of me, blocking my view. They all had matching red cups and buzzed heads. I tried to push past them, but one of them stood in my way. He looked me up and down with his dark, bloodshot eyes, and gave me a grin that made my stomach turn.

“Hey, baby, don’t I know you?” he slurred, then licked his lips. “Yeah, yeah, we hooked up in my truck last weekend.”

I narrowed my eyes and stood up straight. “No, we did not.”

He leaned forward and grinned even wider. “Give me a kiss right now, or I’ll tell everyone we did.”

My cheeks flushed with heat. Rage pumped through my veins. “Go ahead. I’ll tell them you lasted thirty seconds and moaned your mother’s name.”

“OH!” His friends cheered.

I shoved past him and practically sprinted into the next room. As the bright white lights of the kitchen washed over me, I took a deep breath and tried to push that pervert’s threat aside.

“Girl, what on earth are you wearing?”

“A personality disorder, I’d say.”

I turned toward the two voices and cringed internally. It took every ounce of self-control not to shriek and run away. I recognized the three girls standing a few feet over: Lauren, Stacy, and Carry-Anne. My bullies. The source of my misery through middle school.

Lauren, aka Spawn of Satan, cocked her head to the side like a confused puppy. “Bettina, what are you doing here? And whose closet did you raid?”

“Seriously, pick one personality and stick with it,” Stacy mock-whispered.

Guess I’m not invisible. Great. But then their words clicked. I frowned and looked down at my outfit. I thought I looked cute. Maybe a little quirky, but cute.

“Aw, bless her heart. She doesn’t get it.” Carry-Anne stepped closer and tugged on the lapel of my jacket. “Leather jacket with sequin sleeves says diva, but this baby-doll dress says dorky little sister.”

“Black tights? Hello, goth queen.” Stacy shook her head in disgust. “Beat up Converses? Newsflash, hipster was so last year.”

“Felt choker and a beanie?” Lauren stepped close and flicked my throat, ignoring my wince. She leaned closer and whispered loud enough for everyone around to hear. “You’re not trendy enough for that. Why don’t you go home and change, then not come back?”

Stacy snarled and flipped her bleached-blonde hair over her shoulder. “Try not to be such a disgrace to the rest of us blondes.”

I sighed. Why am I here? I liked being invisible. Well, apparently I wasn’t invisible, but at least I was ignored. I had no idea why they hated me so much.

I shook my head. “Weren’t we all much happier when you pretended I didn’t exist? Let’s go back to that.”

Lauren giggled and it made the hairs on my arms stand tall. “Then why are you here?”

“Not for you,” I snapped and stormed away.

It probably wasn’t my smoothest display of confidence and strength, but I had to get out of there.

Then why are you here? Her words echoed in my brain. She made a good point. Being here was a terrible idea. My worst idea yet. I had no idea what I was thinking. There was no way I was going to make any friends at a party like this.

Abort mission. ABORT MISSION. I ducked my head and zoomed through the house until I found my way to the front door again. Squeezing past the herd of people, I made it three steps out the front door when I cursed my luck. Dean stood about fifteen feet away on the same sidewalk I was on. He hadn’t seen me yet, but any second he would and then he’d make me go back inside. I stopped walking, needing a few moments to collect myself.

Popular kids could smell fear.

Dean nodded and pushed his black-rimmed glasses higher up on his nose. His dark brown hair poked out from under his red beanie, which I had to admit, looked a lot like mine. That made me smile. He wasn’t dressed fancy or in anything that would suggest he had loads of money. His gray T-shirt and faded blue jeans looked like something you’d buy anywhere. He looked like someone I could maybe be friends with. He was talking to another guy, but I was intentionally not looking. I’d had enough encounters for the evening.

There was a crashing noise behind me, and it brought Dean’s gaze up and over…then it landed on me.

He smiled and waved me forward. When I stepped up beside him, he gave me a high five. “Bettina, you made it! This is my friend Jackson Lancaster.”

I peeked up at the guy, and my breath left me in a rush. My pulse thundered in my ears. I felt each and every beat slam against my ribs. It felt like I’d been donkey-kicked. I couldn’t breathe. The world around me was starting to get fuzzy, but I couldn’t get my lungs to function. Heat raced through my body until I could’ve sworn I was on fire.

Snap out of it, brain. He’s not that cute.

You’re right. He’s gorgeous.

He stood a few inches taller than me with big, broad shoulders. His skin was tanned like he spent a lot of time in the sun. His hair was chestnut and caramel mixed with dark blond to make a glorious golden bronze. It was fairly short, but left long enough on top I could run my fingers through the strands.

A light scruff covered his sharp jaw. His cheekbones were high and his lips full. Even with his eyebrows scrunched down low in a deep scowl, the sparkle of his eyes couldn’t be hidden. They were the most glorious shade of aquamarine I’d ever seen. I’d never been to the Caribbean Sea, but I imagined that was the exact color.

Jackson Lancaster was breathtaking.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out.

“You’ve got thirty minutes,” Jackson snapped in the most glorious English accent I’d ever heard. His voice was warm and smooth, like honey. “Then I’m gone.”

CHAPTER TWO

BETTINA

“Brits,” Dean said with a shrug. Then he smiled down at me. “Let’s go back in.”

I forced a chuckle and followed him toward the door. I did not, in fact, know how Brits were. But I did know my body was on fire. The heat in my cheeks told me I was blushing. Jackson hadn’t been friendly, but then again, I had just been openly gawking at him. I’d probably made him super uncomfortable.

Smooth move, Bettina.

The second we stepped back inside the house, I scanned the party for that head of golden bronze hair, except I didn’t see him anywhere. He’d just disappeared. If Dean was bothered by his behavior, he didn’t show it. For that matter, if Dean was bothered by my behavior, then he didn’t show it either. Maybe Dean actually was a nice guy. He led me through the party like Moses parting the Red Sea, with a smile plastered to his face.

As we walked into the kitchen, the murmur of voices hushed until all I heard was the thumping bass of the music that echoed the pounding of my heart. I took a deep breath and tried to look confident, but I felt the burning glares of Lauren, Stacy, and Carry-Anne on my face.

“There you are, Dean,” Lauren purred. “I was looking for you.”

I was behind him, so I couldn’t see his face, but I imagined he’d snarled back at her. He probably hadn’t, but I liked my version better.

He let her kiss his cheek then moved to the refrigerator. “Nice to see you, ladies. Have you met my friend Bettina?”

He didn’t see the disgusted looks on their faces as they looked me up and down.

I looked away from them before I did something stupid like roll my eyes or snap back. This was their territory, not mine. They had the home-field advantage. They were the pretty, popular girls. I was no one.

Movement at the far end of the room caught my eye…and my gaze landed on a pair of ocean-colored eyes. Jackson. I licked my lips and swallowed nervously. With his attention on me, my body went haywire. My pulse skipped a few beats then kicked into overdrive. The hairs on my arms stood tall. My breath came short so my chest burned. My whole body was on fire; I just prayed I hadn’t turned bright red. I couldn’t force myself to look away. I was hypnotized.

He tore his gaze away, and I sighed with relief. I looked to see what had caught his attention and found two guys standing beside him. They were both attractive. Very attractive. But that made sense. People that pretty tended to stick together. The one closest to him was shorter, probably my height, with chocolate brown hair and eyes so dark they looked black. The two of them looked rather put together in their slim-fitting dark blue jeans, tucked-in shirts, and brown boots.

The other friend looked a little wild, but in a fun, rebellious kind of way. His skin was a soft mocha color…and covered in tattoos. He had on a white T-shirt that was so thin I could actually see the ink work covering him. His black jeans fit a little tighter than his friends’ did, but they had all kinds of rips in them.

He raised his hand and wiggled his fingers. I jumped and looked up, only to find his hazel eyes watching me with a little amused sparkle. He winked and smiled.

Busted. I bit my lip and waved back.

“Here, Bettina,” Dean said as he held a red plastic cup in front of me.

I frowned and looked down at it. “It’s empty? Or is this some Neverland kind of drink?”

Dean threw his head back and laughed. Then he held up a jug with bright red liquid inside. “I don’t have to ask. I know the punch was spiked already. So I’m giving you some straight from the source.”

I smiled and held my cup out while he poured my drink. “Thanks, Dean.” I took a sip, then another. It was actually delicious. A sweet cherry flavor with a hint of something else I couldn’t put my finger on.

Unable to stop myself, I looked back over to where Jackson was just in time to see him scowl. He looked down at his watch, then said something to his two friends. They both nodded.

“Hey, pretty girl.” A guy with a buzzed head jumped in front of me. He leaned against the kitchen counter and grinned. “Did it hurt?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me?”

“Did it hurt…when you fell from Heaven?” He wagged his eyebrows and gave his friend a high five.

I cocked my head to the side. “Did you just call me Satan?”

He paled and stood up straight. “What? No. No, I just meant—”

“Though I do love a good hex every once in a while,” I said with a smile.

The guy’s eyes widened like saucers, then he took off out of sight. His friends cackled, then followed after him.

I chuckled and shook my head. I’d stolen that line from Tegan a while back. Of course, it was much more intimidating coming from Tegan, a girl who wore pentagram charms on her neck and fingers. As opposed to me, a tall blonde who apparently hadn’t chosen a style yet.

Someone squeezed my shoulder. “Oh my God, girl. That was epic.”

I turned and found a petite brunette standing beside me. “Um, thanks?”

She wagged her eyebrows. “My boys and I found a Ouija board upstairs. I’ve decided you’re playing with us. Come on.”

She didn’t give me much of a choice as she dragged me out of the kitchen toward a staircase in the back of the house. I could’ve stopped her if I wanted to, but the truth was…I didn’t. Tegan refused to use a Ouija board. She said they were asking for trouble with things we couldn’t understand. I’d always agreed with her. But—and I wasn’t proud to admit it—I wanted to make a friend. Besides, Tegan and I had researched Ouija boards a lot—back when we were considering using one, when we were ten.

I know the rules. I can do it once. If anything goes crazy, I’ll just end it.

The hardwood stairs creaked behind me, and when I looked, I found two boys followed us. I might’ve been afraid, but the way they kept pausing to kiss on the way up told me I had nothing to fear from them. These must’ve been the girl’s friends. And it sounded like she also knew the rules.

Always do it in even numbers of people.

Always have both genders present.

I cleared my throat as we kept climbing. “I’m Bettina, by the way.”

The girl looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I’m Ashley. The lover boys behind you are Adam and Jon. Okay, here we are!” Ashley squealed and pushed open an old-looking wooden door, then slipped inside.

I hurried up the last three steps into the room…then froze. My jaw dropped. The square room was maybe fifteen feet wide, and made entirely of windows. The ceiling was pointed, and one of those vintage lanterns hung from the top. A soft golden light flickered from within. I spun in a circle, surveying the room with a wide smile. It was spectacular. There were no chairs or real furniture, just a single trunk by the door and a wooden shelf that ran the entire perimeter of the room, about three feet up. There were white candles everywhere—lined up in rows along the shelf and on the ground. There had to be a hundred of them, at least. None of them were lit, but there was wax melting down the sides like someone used these often. The wicks were all black.

The room smelled like the beach and felt airy and light. All of my anxiety since arriving at the party melted away. “I like it in here.”

“Us too.” Adam—or maybe he was Jon—said with a wink.

Ashley closed the trunk and turned toward us with a black board in her hands. “All right, let’s play!” She skipped over to the center of the room.

As she set it on the ground, I noticed that someone had already drawn a pentagram in salt on the hardwood floors. “Wow, you guys know your Ouija board rules.”

Ashley frowned. “What do you mean?”

I sat down on my knees across from Ashley and pointed to the symbol drawn in salt. “The pentagram?”

Ashley flushed then shrugged. “Actually, that was already there. I didn’t know that was something we had to do.”

Adam and Jon sat on their knees on either side of me so the four of us made a circle around the board. Ashley set the triangular-shaped planchette in the middle, then put her middle and pointer fingers of both hands on the piece. Adam and Jon copied. I leaned forward and put my four fingers on it as well.

Wait a second. Hold on one minute. The pentagram was already here? I glanced around at the candles again. Then at the Ouija board that was obviously already here. That meant someone else used this space for this purpose. Often.

A cold chill ran down my spine. I no longer felt so sure about this. Ouija boards were dangerous. Maybe Ashley and her friends didn’t believe in this kind of stuff, and it didn’t scare them. But I did. Especially after Tegan’s birthday at The Gathering. Before that night, I only believed that maybe this stuff was real. After that night, I knew without a sliver of a doubt.

I’d already seen spirits.

I already knew how evil they could be.

Images flashed through my mind. Massive bonfires sucking people in. Lightning striking and bodies dropping. Ghosts that glowed in the dark. Spirits flying and plucking people off the ground. I knew I was in Dean’s house, far away from that mountainside clearing…but my eyes saw only darkness and raging fire. I smelled burning wood. I heard the crackle of the flames and the screams.

And then the planchette moved.

CHAPTER THREE

BETTINA

I  shouldn’t be doing this.

But it was too late. While I was remembering The Gathering, my new friends had started playing. They moved the planchette in a circle shape to cleanse the board.

I shouldn’t be doing this.

“We call upon the spirits around us,” Ashley chanted.

Except there was nothing I could do about it now. One of the rules for Ouija boards was to not take your hands off the planchette until you said goodbye and closed the game. If everyone let go before that, the spirit could get trapped. If one person was left holding on, they could get possessed. I was stuck. I realized my error far too late. In my desperation to make a friend, I’d made a reckless decision I hoped I wasn’t going to pay for.

“Spirit, are you here?” Ashley whispered.

The triangular planchette moved to hover over the word YES.

“Adam, maybe we shouldn’t be doing this,” Jon whined.

The planchette moved again, this time it hit one letter at a time until it spelled S-T-A-Y.

My stomach dropped. My body turned cold.

Adam leaned back. “I don’t like this. I change my mind—”

“DON’T LET GO!” I shouted and he froze. They all turned wide gazes at me. “No one lets go.”

“She’s right,” Ashley whispered. “We have to tell the spirit to go away then say goodbye—”

The planchette moved again, spelling T-A-L-K-T-O-M-E.

I licked my lips. “Who are you?”

M-A-X-M-I-L-L-E-R.

“Max Miller?” Adam cried. “No, no, no, no, no.”

YES.

My heart was pounding so hard it sounded like drums in my ears. Max Miller went to school with us—well, he used to. He died in a horrific car accident back in the spring.

“Max, how did you die?” Ashley whispered.

C-A-R-C-R-A-S-H.

The four of us exchanged nervous glances. I knew for a fact I wasn’t moving the planchette. And judging by the goose bumps on Adam’s arms, and the way Jon’s hands trembled, they weren’t moving it either.

“Bettina, tell me you’re moving this thing,” Ashley whispered. “Tell me you are, because I’m not. I won’t be mad.”

I shook my head. “I’m not moving it.”

I-A-M.

“What do we do?” Ashley cried.

My first thought was to end this, send Max’s spirit away and go back to the party. Except now that we had him here, it felt wrong to just dismiss him so quickly.

I gnawed on my bottom lip, then asked the first thing I thought of. “Max, is there something you want to tell us?”

Nothing.

Ashley frowned. “Max? Max, are you here?”

Still nothing.

I sighed and my breath came out in a white cloud. The windows frosted over until they were solid ice. The hardwood floor vibrated. Salt rose in the air, hovering around our bodies. My whole body trembled.

“Max, are you okay?” I whispered, my voice shaky.

W-E-A-R-E-N-O-T-A-L-O-N-E.

I gasped. My teeth chattered together. Adam stared at the board with wide eyes, his body trembling. Jon shook his head over and over while mumbling something that sounded like a bible quote. Ashley sat frozen, not moving except for the tears pouring down her face.

“Max?” I said in a low voice. “Max, talk to us.”

M-A-X-L-E-F-T.

Max left. Max left. Then who the hell is this?

The air in the room pulsed with electricity. Ice-cold wind slammed into my face then whipped around the room like a tornado. Where is that coming from? None of the windows were open; they were frozen shut. The door to the stairs was closed. The lantern hanging over our heads didn’t even sway, yet the wind kept blowing.

“What do you want?” Jon screamed.

B-E-T-T-I-N-A.

My heart stopped.

“Oh, hell no! Ghost, you’ve got to go!” Ashley yelled.

NO.

Light flashed in the corner of my eyes. When I looked, a strangled cry left my lips. Each and every single candle had been lit. Bright orange flames flickered from the wicks, standing at least an inch tall. Every part of me wanted to run, to flee from this place, but my body was locked in fear. I opened my mouth to tell them we should stop, and the candle flames grew taller.

My stomach dropped. “What do you want from me?”

T-H-E-Y-A-R-E-N-O-T-D-E-A-D.

All at once, the candle flames turned a bright, vivid blue. The walls rattled and groaned, like someone was pounding on them from the outside. My pulse jackhammered. My breaths grew shorter and shorter. Ice shot out from under the board, spreading across the hardwood floor and up my legs. It was so cold it burned my skin under my tights. My Converse sneakers had icicles hanging off the soles.

Adam shrieked and scrambled away from the board, letting go of the planchette. Jon cursed and jumped to his feet, abandoning Ashley and me to the game. He ran over and grabbed his boyfriend by the collar, yanking him to his feet.

“Guys, you can’t leave!” I cried, but it was too late. They’d already let go. “Come back!”

They ignored my begging and sprinted to the door. Adam grabbed the handle and yanked the door open…then it slammed shut. Ashley screamed. Jon dove for the handle and tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Both guys tried and tried to pull the door open while screaming the Lord’s name.

The planchette moved under my fingers. I almost didn’t want to look.

T-H-E-Y-A-R-E-C-O-M-I-N-G.

“No, no, no. Please no. Stop!” Ashley cried.

“OPEN THE DOOR!” Adam screamed.

“Let us go!” Jon shouted, still pulling on the door handle.

But the spirit wasn’t going to let us go until it relayed the message it had. I just didn’t want to hear it.

“Wh-wh-who is coming?” I shouted through my teeth as I shivered uncontrollably.

The blue flames turned black as night.

J-O-S-E-P-H.

The walls creaked and swayed like a palm tree in a hurricane…and then the windows exploded. Glass shattered all around us, raining sharp-edged particles onto us. Ashley screamed and dove away from the board, leaving me alone. Alone with a spirit.

Ashley dashed over to the guys at the door and gave it one pull. When it didn’t open, she stepped to the side and jumped through the empty window frame.

“ASHLEY!”

I gasped. She’d just jumped out a window. We had to at least be on the second, if not third floor. A variety of horrific images of her falling to her death flooded my brain, but I couldn’t think about that. I had to get rid of this spirit before it hurt me, or anyone else.

“Who is Joseph? What are you telling me? What do I do with this? What do you want me to do?” I knew I was only supposed to ask one question at a time, but I was too scared to think straight.

S-E-E-K-M-Y-R-T-L-E.

“Who are these people?” Joseph? Myrtle? I’d never known anyone with these names. How did this spirit know who I was? What did it want with me?

Thunder rumbled from the stairwell. There was a loud bang, and the wooden door broke off its hinges with a shriek and flew inside the room, knocking Jon and Adam to the ground. They scrambled to their feet and all but dove down the stairs.

Jackson stood in the doorway. He scowled and looked around the shattered room. He took a few steps closer to me and shouted in his perfect British accent, “Close that Ouija board!”

The planchette moved under my fingers. H-E-L-L-O-J-A-C-K-S-O-N.

I gasped.

Jackson froze.

M-I-C-H-A-E-L-I-S-C-O-M-I-N-G.

Jackson paled, his face turning white as snow. He stared down at the board with wide eyes that screamed his horror. Something fell from his hand and crashed to the hardwood floor.

The planchette moved under my trembling fingers. It shot down to the bottom of the board and hovered over the word GOODBYE.

The candle flames went out in an instant without any smoke. Like they’d never been lit at all. The wind vanished. The temperature shot back up to its normal warm summer temperature. The ice covering the floor and my legs vanished in the blink of an eye. The broken glass no longer looked like solid chunks of ice. The sharp edges now glistened under the moon’s glow.

Everything went eerie silent.

I’ve seen this before. At the Gathering. Right before the spirits attacked the clearing, everything had gone calm and quiet.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs, then that handsome boy with all the tattoos and hazel eyes stood just inside the room. “Jackson?” He looked down at the Ouija board, and my hands still clinging to the planchette, then he muttered something in a language I’d never heard.

That other pretty boy with the chocolate hair and matching eyes flew in the room behind him. But I wasn’t sticking around to talk. If there was a part two, I wasn’t going to be here for it. The game was over. The spirit had said goodbye. I was free to let go. Without hesitating another second, I released the triangular planchette and sprinted out of the room and down the stairs.

There was no way in hell I was hanging around this party another minute longer. I ran as fast as my legs would let me. The party downstairs was in utter chaos. Windows were shattered. Furniture flipped over and broken in half. It was a stampede toward the door. Everyone for themselves.

I ran over to the closest window and jumped out like I was a track-and-field world champion. I didn’t stop moving until I got to my car.

The last thing I saw as I pulled away was Jackson’s pretty face from where he stood on the sidewalk…with an unconscious Ashley in his arms.

CHAPTER FOUR

BETTINA

“Bettina Blair, are you listening to me?”

I sighed and looked at my mother. “Yes, of course.”

“You better be.” She huffed and shook her head. “If you sneak out of this house again, I will ground you until summer. Do you hear me? That means no car. No phone. No computer. No visiting Tegan—”

“Yes, Mom,” I snapped and leaned back in my seat. “I heard you. I hear you. I’m not going to sneak out again.”

I wasn’t going to be doing that ever again, actually. The last two times I had, something terrifying happened. I’d have to find a different way to make new friends. Well, once I wasn’t grounded anymore. Which was going to be a month. My parents were pissed. It just made me thankful they hadn’t learned about my road trip into the Smoky Mountains for Tegan’s birthday.

“You better not,” my mother grumbled as she started up the stairs, the hardwood floors creaking under her feet. “Good night, daughter.”

I sighed. “Good night, Mother.”

My phone vibrated in my hand. I looked down and found a text from Dean saying, Ashley is fine. She jumped down to the second floor balcony from the roof, but then got tackled by one of the football players on his way out. Minor concussion. She’s fine.

That’s good to know, I sent back. Adam and Jon?

A little shook up, but otherwise uninjured, he said, followed by, So you see? No harm, no foul. Why don’t you come out with us tonight? We’re just gonna grab some dinner.

I can’t. I’m grounded for a month. I added a few crying emojis then typed, I’ll see you at school Monday.

I threw my phone onto the coffee table and turned on Netflix. A good binge-watching marathon would do me good. I settled on a Harry Potter marathon and got comfy.

I was halfway through Chamber of Secrets when there was a knock on my front door. I glanced down at my phone as I got up. It was a few minutes before ten, so it wasn’t late. My parents had been asleep for hours—they worked every Sunday at four in the morning, so they crashed right when the sun went down on Saturdays.

It was probably Dean. He seemed pretty determined to hang out with me, which I was grateful for now that my best friend had moved. With a shrug, I made my way over to the front door, my fuzzy socks sliding over the hardwood floors. I threw the front door open, and the golden light from my foyer spilled out onto the small group of people outside.

I frowned and took a step back, ready to slam the door shut. Dammit, Bettina! You’re supposed to look before opening the door! Where is your head?! I scanned the small army of people in front of me, and then I saw the person at the front of the group.

My eyes widened, and a grin spread across my face. My heart fluttered with excitement. “TEGAN!”

I pounced on her before I’d even registered what was happening. Tegan. My best friend. She was here, at my house. I wrapped my arms around her neck and hugged her tight. In the back of my mind, I knew I was squeezing her too hard, but I couldn’t stop myself. My throat burned, and I knew I was crying. She was the only person I wanted to see after last night, and now she was here, like I’d conjured her up myself. I didn’t care if I fell apart a little bit. This was Tegan. My very best friend in the whole world.

“Surprise?” Tegan said in my ear with a soft voice.

I pulled back and wiped a tear off my cheek. “Oh, man. I missed you so much.”

Tegan grinned and her cheeks flushed a soft pink. “I missed you, too.”

“Why didn’t you let yourself in? Don’t you still have a key? Never mind. Just come in.” I jumped back and gestured for her to enter. But then my brain caught up to the moment. Tegan was here. Why? Her father said she was on a school field trip. “What are you even doing here?”

I moved past her small army of friends to join her.

“Um, it’s kind of a long story, but we need a place to crash tonight.” Tegan gave me a nervous smile.

“Obviously, long story isn’t sufficient for… Wait… Emersyn?” My eyes widened.

I looked back and forth between Tegan and the random blonde girl we’d met at The Gathering. Emersyn. Same platinum Rapunzel-like blonde hair. Same champagne-colored eyes. I remembered her vividly because I’d been envious of how effortlessly gorgeous she was. Even her blonde hair was styled perfect. The girl in the sparkly cowgirl boots, the girl whose friends were awful and ditched her the second times got bad. The girl who helped me save Tegan from that evil spirit and then helped us get back to our cars.

“Hi, Bettina.” Emersyn waved but her gaze turned to Tegan with uncertainty, which meant she probably hadn’t expected this to be my house either.

I wasn’t sure what came over me in that moment, but the next thing I knew, I had Emersyn gripped in a tight bear hug. I couldn’t believe she was in my house. I thought I’d never see this girl again.

Then I pulled back and frowned. “Wait, what? How? We got separated, and now you’re here together? Am I dreaming?”

“Do you dream about Emersyn often?” Tegan chuckled, but there was a weird twinkle in her eye. I knew her well enough to know she wasn’t telling me something. She cleared her throat and gestured toward her crew. “These are my friends, Cooper, Royce, Deacon, Willow, Chutney, and—”

“Oh my God, you’re the hot guy!” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

I just couldn’t believe it’d taken me that long to recognize him. That night at The Gathering, Tegan had literally stumbled into a gorgeous guy, and then later he’d saved her life when Emersyn and I had failed to. He looked exactly the way I remembered him. Several inches taller than me, with broad shoulders and lean muscles. His long black hair fell in waves almost down to his shoulders. And those eyes… No one could forget meeting those eyes. One blue, one green, both beautiful. He wasn’t my type; he screamed bad boy. That wild sparkle in his eyes made him look like the kind of guy who’d get you in trouble. But still, I couldn’t deny his hotness.

“Bettina!” Tegan whisper-yelled.

How in the hell? I turned to the guy in question and pointed. I just couldn’t believe it. It was one thing to think I’d never see Emersyn again, but him? This was nuts. Totally insane. “It’s him! The hot guy from The Gathering!”

“Bettina…”

“The hot guy?” The blond buzz-cut guy all but growled. “You met them?”

Oh no. Word vomit strikes again. Bettina, stop talking! What if one of these guys is her boyfriend or something? Just keep talking, say something else to distract them.

“I’m sure he doesn’t remember me. He only paid attention to Tegan. Right, Emersyn?”

Oh God. Not that. Dammit. What is wrong with me?

Tegan’s face turned bright red. Her pale green eyes widened.

Emersyn covered her mouth to hide her chuckle and failed. “Um, I mean, considering what was happening and all…”

“Yeah, being all knight in shining armor and all.” I clapped my hands and laughed. This was just wild. “Tegan! The hot guy is in my living room?”

“Stop calling him that,” she mumbled and buried her face in her hands.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I was embarrassing the hell out of my best friend, but something happened during that Ouija board game and my mind was mush. My emotions were a hot mess…and my best friend was suddenly standing in front of me just when I needed her. Part of me suspected this was all a dream, that my brain was manifesting my memories and trying to make me feel better.

Tegan peeked up at the hot guy standing beside her. His black eyebrows were raised, and his jaw hung open. His cheeks were flushed.

“I can’t believe what’s happening right now. I’m Bettina, best friend extraordinaire.” I stuck my hand out in front of him and did this little curtsy I’d never, ever done before in my life. There was definitely a screw loose in my brain tonight. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Your Royal Hotness.”

Oh god, why did I say that? Who am I right now?

“Oh my God, who are you right now?” Tegan groaned.

I understood her shock. I was a shy, quiet girl who never approached guys. Ever. And I most certainly never embarrassed her in front of one. I just couldn’t seem to stop my mouth from moving.

The hot guy made this nervous little laugh, and it was entirely adorable. “I’m Tennessee…”

I giggled and shook his hand. I looked to Tegan and nodded my head in his direction. “You were right. Even his voice is hot.” Dear God. Doesn’t word vomit have a limit?

“Umm…” Tennessee shifted his weight around and rubbed his face. His cheeks were definitely a solid pink now. “What?”

“Bettina! He can hear you!” Tegan whispered. Somehow, her face was even redder.

“Yeah, we all can.” A pretty blond guy with high cheekbones and bright violet eyes laughed behind them. “Please do continue.”

“She has a point,” another guy said with a chuckle. This guy looked a lot like the blond who’d just spoken. Except he had black hair and sapphire eyes, but equally as pretty. “What else did Tegan say about him back then?”

“Oh my God,” Tegan whispered and stared at her feet.

Okay, earth to Bettina. Stop embarrassing her.

“So you left The Gathering and talked about how hot he was?” Emersyn asked with a wild kind of grin on her face. “Like, of all the things to discuss from that night, and you chose that? Did you even know his name?”

Tegan hissed like a cat. “Emersyn. Seriously?”

“No, she didn’t!” I answered for her. “Maybe that’s why the spells didn’t work.”

“SPELLS?” everyone behind me repeated in unison.

OOPS. I did it again.

“BETTINA,” Tegan yelled through clenched teeth.

Tennessee cleared his throat. “Um, I’m sorry…what? You did…spells?”

Tegan shook her head. “No…”

“YES.” I rolled my eyes. “We tried to find you using these spells we found online, and a few from Tegan’s witchcraft books. Silly stuff. None of it worked—oh my God, is that how you found him? Did you keep doing spells? You always loved that stuff.”

“Bettina, stop talking!”

Trust me, I’m trying! I needed a spell to glue my lips together. It had to be a product of Tegan’s presence. I was just too excited to contain myself.

“It’s okay, Tegan. You’re not the only one who thinks he’s hot,” a girl said in a soft voice. She was a few inches shorter than Tegan, with strawberry blonde hair and eyes like chocolate.

“Yeah, Cooper, you should be used to it by now,” a girl with brown ringlets and light blue eyes added. “You know he’s hot.”

“Not helping,” Tegan whispered. Her gaze turned to Tennessee, who was blushing a deep scarlet red and staring at the ground.

Ah-ha. There’s something going on here.

And I just put them on blast. SHIT. Okay, damage control time. How can I make this better?

The other blond guy with a buzz cut said something in a language that sounded a lot like the one the hot tattoo guy from the party had used. Jackson’s friend.

“What language is that?” I asked, unable to hold in my curiosity. I had so many questions. None of this made sense. I narrowed my eyes and scanned the rest of Tegan’s group with suspicion. It was obvious that Tegan was close with them, but who were they? “I am so confused.”

Tegan sighed. “I know…”

“You show up late at night with a group of strangers, none of whom are your father, needing a place to stay? That’s weird, dude.” I pointed one hand toward Emersyn, the other toward Tennessee. “You being with Emersyn again is even weirder. But with Mr. Hottie, too? Dude, that’s too much weird for me.”

“Bettina, it’s a long story…”

I scoffed. “Like I care? We’ve apparently got all night.” And I was going to get answers.

“Hey, beautiful.” That pretty blond guy with the purple eyes grinned at me. “I’m Deacon. You’re a great friend for taking us all in tonight. We owe you one, but we’re all exhausted right now and need to sleep. Do you care where we crash?”

I blinked then got to my feet. Wait, wasn’t I standing? I shook it off. It’d been a weird twenty-four hours. I pushed my hair back and smiled. Something about this guy had a very smooth effect on my thoughts. He was giving me a task. They needed a place to sleep, literally.

“We don’t mind the floor,” the hot guy said softly with a warm smile.

I nodded. “No problem. We’ve got two couches here and a big chair, then at least one air mattress upstairs in the closet. C’mon, Tegan, help me get the blankets and stuff. You can tell me this long story while we’re at it.”

“Hey now,” the pretty boy with purple eyes said with a wicked sparkle in his eyes. A red light from the television flashed over his face. “No story telling without us.”

CHAPTER FIVE

BETTINA

T  he second my eyes opened, I wished they hadn’t. I’d had a great dream. Tegan had shown up on my doorstep, with her new friends. And they were all nice and friendly, like maybe I could be friends with her new friends, too. Especially Emersyn and Tennessee—

Wait. Tennessee. The hot guy from The Gathering. We hadn’t known his name then.

I gasped and shot upright. It wasn’t a dream. My living room was packed full of teenagers. Emersyn was curled up on my dad’s recliner chair. The pretty blond with purple eyes was sharing the couch right beside her with his dark-featured look-alike. On the floor, an air mattress was doing its best attempt to stay inflated with the two other girls and Mister Serious with the buzz cut.

Oh yeah. I remembered it now. Tegan had shared this couch with me— Hey wait, where is she?

As silently as possible, I got to my feet and headed to the kitchen. Every time Tegan slept over, I ended up finding her in the kitchen the next morning scrounging for food. Girl was always starved. I pushed the door open—then smiled.

Tegan sat at the kitchen table with a box of Fruit Loops in front of her and two bowls. She looked up at me and grinned. “It’s like you have some internal clock. For years now, you find me in the kitchen just as I sit down.”

I chuckled and moved to sit across from her. “Girl, you’ve got lots of explaining to do.”

“I know. Trust me, I know.” She sighed. “I’m sorry about Labor Day, by the way.”

“Oh, it’s okay. Would’ve been cancelled anyway. I’m currently grounded for a month.”

Tegan sat up straight. “What? Since when? For what?”

“Since Friday night, after I snuck out to go to a party.”

She narrowed her pale green eyes. “A party? You?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I was trying to make new friends since the one I had left me.” The second the words escaped my lips, I regretted them. It wasn’t Tegan’s fault her dad made her move. And I was glad she’d made new ones already. “Tegan—"

The back door swung open, and Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding sauntered in like a jungle cat hunting his next meal. And judging by the way he looked at my best friend, I had a good guess what he wanted. She didn’t look up at him, but the look in his eyes suggested he wanted to push her up against the kitchen counter and kiss the ever-loving shit out of her. Tegan still hadn’t looked at him.

I cleared my throat. “Morning.”

He nodded at me then slipped back into the living room. The second he was out of sight, Tegan groaned and buried her face in her hands.

I turned back to my best friend with my jaw dropped. “Spill it. Now.”

She chuckled and pushed her long black hair off her face. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink and her eyes sparkled. She grabbed the box of Fruit Loops and poured herself a bowl. “Oh, Bettina…”

“So, what’s the deal with him?” I asked as she slid my bowl toward me. We didn’t eat it with milk, so I dug right in.

“It’s complicated. Very.” She shoved a huge spoonful into her mouth then chewed.

“I’m listening…”

She leaned forward. “I promise I will tell you later, just not here.”

I frowned. Tegan never kept secrets from me, so if she was, then there had to be a reason.

I nodded and whispered back, “Okay. But you’re crazy about him, right?”

The smile she gave me was all the answer I needed. She glanced at the door he’d gone through. “He’s my soulmate,” she said just loud enough for me to hear.

I laughed. Soulmate. Tegan had always been a hopeless romantic. I had no idea why they weren’t a couple, especially since he seemed to be just as invested, but I’d wait patiently for the answer. After embarrassing her the night before, I figured I owed it to her.

“So, your turn.” Tegan waved a spoon in front of me. “Party. Spill it.”

“Dean Hoover’s. You remember him, right? Works at the animal shelter with me.” She nodded, so I continued. “Anyway, huge party at his house way down south of Broad Street. Chandelier the size of my car in their foyer.”

Tegan rolled her eyes. “You know I know this chandelier was not the most exciting part of your evening.”

I grinned. Tegan had a special skill for knowing. It seemed I rarely had to tell her things. She always just knew. But right now, I didn’t want to talk about what went down with that Ouija board. Which was probably a mistake since I actually had her in front of me. This might have been my only chance to talk about it. Yet…I couldn’t bring myself to. I wasn’t sure why. It’d scared me to my core.

The Gathering hadn’t been about me, but that spirit in Dean’s candle room? It literally said my name. I wasn’t ready to dive into that just yet. I still wanted to pretend it didn’t happen. So, I deflected. “Well…I met the most gorgeous boy last night.”

Her eyes sparkled. “YES. Tell me more. Name, address, social security number.”

“You’re not stalking him.” I laughed. “His name is Jackson Lancaster. He’s British…”

ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, I was walking across the parking lot of the animal shelter I worked at with Dean strolling beside me. Tegan and her friends needed a car to catch up with her school group they’d gotten separated from, but my parents had taken both of theirs before we got up. I cringed just remembering the voice mail my mother had left me on her way to work. I was in big trouble. I just hoped she’d forgive me for last night when she found out the circumstances.

“So Tegan moves away, then a few weeks later, after barely speaking to you, shows up at your door with a squad of friends needing a place to crash…and you don’t ask questions?”

“Oh, I asked a ton of questions. I just didn’t get an answer yet.”

Dean frowned down at me. “And you don’t find that weird?”

I shrugged. “I think it’s weird for a guy to have a room lined with candles, pentacles drawn in the floor, and a Ouija board…”

Dean paled and scratched the back of his head. “Listen, about that—”

“Not now.” I shivered and waved my hands. Last night was still too fresh, too raw. I wasn’t ready to talk about it. “Anyway, Tegan’s been my best friend since I was five. I trust her. She promised to tell me everything later.”

“You’re a really loyal person, aren’t you?”

I liked to think I was. As we walked up to Tegan and her group, I smiled and gestured beside me. “Hey, guys. This is my friend Dean.”

Dean smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Which made me think maybe he was trying to be loyal to me, even though he was suspicious of them. He waved. “Hi. So, I hear you’re trying to get into the mountains this morning…but…uh…her dad’s van didn’t want to start an hour ago when I tried to move it. We can try again, though.”

My dad’s van, aka his beat up old van from the 90s that he’d donated to the animal shelter. I’d had the idea for them to borrow it since it wasn’t really needed. It was just a backup.

Wait, it didn’t start? That was strange. Dad’s van always starts. That thing was a legend here.

Tennessee nodded. “Thanks, Dean. Let’s give it another shot and see what happens.”

He held his hand out for the keys, and Dean’s gray eyes widened. He stared at him for a long second, and I could see his brain thinking in his eyes. His jaw dropped, then he wiped his face with his hands.

Tennessee frowned. “You okay, Dean?”

A light flush filled his cheeks, and he nodded. “I was just thinking…why risk getting broken down in the mountains where there’s no cell service and stuff, right?”

“We have to get there, though,” Tennessee said in that velvety voice of his.

I had to admit, this dude was the most intimidating person I’d ever met. Ever.

“Well, I have a van full of supplies that need to be dropped off at our other location. If you promise to drop the van off once you get into town, then I’d be happy to let you borrow it.” Dean pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and held it out. “Should be right on your way.”

The other location was up in the Smoky Mountains. That was where Dean spent half his school year—living with his mom. It was also how he knew where The Gathering was located.

Tennessee frowned and took the paper. He read it silently, his frown deepening.

Dean cleared his throat, then he bowed his head ever so slightly. “What do you say?”

Tennessee eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then nodded. “Deal.”

Dean smiled, and this time it wrinkled his face around his gray eyes. “Follow me.” Without another word, he turned and walked across the parking lot.

Tennessee waved for his crew to follow. “Let’s get going.”

Going. Already. She’d been here a matter of hours, and now she was leaving again. It was a bittersweet tease. Everyone else turned to follow Dean toward the shelter’s van, but Tegan and Tennessee held back.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving me again.” I looked down at the ground and fiddled with the frayed hem of my jean shorts. I was going to fall apart, just like I had the first time she left.

“Florida is gorgeous in the winter, you know.”

I gasped and looked up. Tegan’s eyes sparkled. Tennessee winked then walked off.

Tegan turned to me then wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “When I get back from this trip, when things are settled, you’re going to come down to Florida. Okay? Dad already said you could. We’ll make it happen, okay? Maybe you can come down all Christmas break. That’d be fun, right?” She pulled back and looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

“Yeah,” I said with my emotions lodged in my throat. “Yeah, let’s do that. Now go, before you get expelled from school or something.”

She grinned and started backing away from me. “You go after that hot Brit, you hear? I expect a whole lot more the next time we speak.”

I rolled my eyes then pointed toward Tennessee at the far end of the lot. “Right back at ‘ya.”

CHAPTER SIX

BETTINA

I  hadn’t slept all night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I was back in that windowed room with my hands on the Ouija board planchette. I kept seeing those words. They’re not dead. They’re coming. Joseph. Seek Myrtle. And then there were the ones at the end that didn’t make any sense at all. Why did it know Jackson? And what did it mean by Michael is coming?

It was the same cycle of questions over and over until I thought I was about to rip my hair out. Somehow, the excitement over Tegan’s presence had dulled these thoughts in the far corners of my mind, but the second she was gone, they all came rushing back.

I should have talked to her about it. I’m an idiot.

I paused outside my AP US History class and took a deep breath. Let that shit go. It’s over. Just forget about it and move on. With a whole lot of confidence I wasn’t feeling, I pulled the door open and walked into class.

One of my classmates jumped out in front of me and pretended to hold a video camera. “Blair Witch Project, part two. And ACTION!”

I froze. What did he just say?

“Get it, because your last name is Blair?” One of the football players in the front row laughed. “And you’re a witch.”

I clenched my teeth to stop myself from snapping back. They weren’t worth it. I shook my head and turned to walk to my seat in the back corner. Lauren and Carry-Anne stepped in front of me, blocking my path. When I tried to push past them, they both hissed.

Lauren held her fingers up to form the symbol of a cross, then shoved them closer to me. “No wonder I never see you in church, witch.”

“Touch me, and I pour this holy water on your head,” Carry-Anne spat while holding up what looked like a flask.

“Careful, or she’ll push you out a window like she did poor Ashley,” Stacy said from behind me.

I didn’t look back at her. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. It didn’t matter. The truth never did.

“Or hex you, like Matt Peters?” Lauren sneered. “We all heard you, witch.”

The whole class chanted, “Witch, witch, witch!”

“What the hell is going on in here!”

I spun at the sound of my teacher’s voice, hope filling my chest. My classmates broke off their chanting, but they did nothing to hide their giggling. Or the points. Or stares.

My teacher stormed over, his bushy black eyebrows hanging low over his eyes. “Ms. Blair! Dean’s office, now!”

I flinched as if he’d slapped me. “Wh-what? Me?”

“Did I stutter?” he screamed. “Now!”

“Mr. Tag! I’m not the one—”

“OUT!” He threw his arm out, pointing toward the door like I didn’t know where it was. “I will not have my class disrupted with this kind of tasteless madness! The dean, now.”

Rage surged through my veins. My body burned with heat like they’d just lit me on fire. The whole class laughed and pointed at me. Several of them whispered the word witch over and over. If this had been 1692, I would’ve been sent straight to Gallows Hill with a rope.

“Ms. Blair,” Mr. Tag growled.

I smashed my lips together and took off toward the door. I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch something. I wanted to march back in there and tell them all off. For a moment, I wished I were someone else, someone who didn’t care about the bigger picture. Someone who flew by the seat of their pants and did what felt right. But I wasn’t that person. I was smart enough to know better. Everything I wanted to do would only make it worse.

I stormed down the hall with my hands in fists at my sides.

But I was not going to the dean’s office. Over my dead body would I turn myself in like I was the one who’d done something wrong. Nope. Not today, Satan. Instead, I sped down the hall to the bathroom, the one that no one used because it was old and the toilets barely worked. All the other girls used the brand new facilities at the front of the building. That was fine; it meant I had this one to myself.

I could scream my heart out, and no one would hear me.

Just as always when I flew through the bathroom door, I was greeted with silence. I was about to fall apart. My hands trembled. The muscles in my arms burned from how tight I held myself. My body felt light and shaky, like my legs might give out any second. It was too much. Too many things happening. My frayed emotions had finally snapped. I didn’t think I could handle anything else.

As tears pooled in my eyes, I moved down the line, slamming stall doors open one by one. I had to make sure I was alone. I couldn’t let anyone else see me fall apart.

Maybe I should I just switch schools. It wasn’t a bad idea. No one at this school liked me. Tegan had left. At least at a new school, maybe I’d have some cool mystery about me that’d make people want to get to know me. It had clearly worked for Tegan.

I stopped outside the handicap stall and yanked the door open—then choked on a scream.

My body turned to ice, frozen in place. I tried to run, but my feet wouldn’t move. My hand gripped the metal handle of the door. A wild tremor ripped through my body. My muscles tightened, like they were trying to break my bones in half. My knees wobbled and knocked into each other, yet somehow I stayed upright. The stall doors rattled, the hinges groaning in protest.

A monster straight out of a horror film was perched on the bathroom sink inside the stall.

It was jet black with eight arms and spikes growing out of its spine. Its two legs were as wide as my body. The thing had to be ten feet tall. It was crouched, looking down into the sink. Maybe it hadn’t seen me. Every instinct inside me screamed for me to run. Fast. I tried to slide my leg back so I could go, but the rubber soles of my Converses made an awful screeching sound. I winced and froze.

The monster’s head popped up, and two massive horns stood tall off its body. My pulse skipped. My breath was shaky. A soft cry escaped my lips. The monster’s face snapped toward me and I gasped. It didn’t have eyes, just two glowing orange orbs where its eyes should’ve been. They brightened when it spotted me. It opened its mouth, and bright orange, lava-like ooze dripped down. The smell of maple syrup filled the stall, so strong I almost gagged. The ooze hit the sink, and the porcelain sizzled then split in half. Smoke billowed from the broken pieces on the ground.

I screamed.

The monster dove for me. I barely had time to blink before it landed on my chest. We crashed to the ground then slid across the tiled floor. My head slammed into the wall, and the monster’s face smashed into the mirror above me. Glass shattered and rained down on me. The monster groaned and shook its head.

RUN. I rolled to the side and crawled out from under it, then scrambled to my feet.

It was like a dream, where no matter how fast I kicked my legs I barely moved. I pushed and pushed, but the bathroom door was miles away. Something scalding hot wrapped around my ankle and yanked me backward. I screamed and threw my hands out in front of me, and the tiled floor shattered when I hit the ground with a thud. But I didn’t have a chance to react to the pain. The monster pulled me toward it, sliding me across the broken tiles.

I threw my hands out in front of me and tried to catch something.

The monster growled, and hot air rushed over my ankle. I looked over my shoulder and kicked it in the face. It flinched but didn’t move, so I kicked it again. And again. That orange ooze dripped out of its mouth and landed on my shoe. I smelled the burning rubber a second before sharp, searing hot pain shot through my foot. I screamed at the pain. The monster released my other foot. It must’ve thought it had me.

Not today, Satan. I flipped onto my back and bicycle-kicked it over and over until it stumbled. I scurried away, crawling backwards as fast as I could. I made it all the way down to the first stall when my victory ran short. The monster growled and leapt off the ground. It soared through the air, all ten of its arms reaching out for me. I had no weapon. All I could do was try to protect my vital organs…and scream like a banshee.

I pulled my legs up and covered my face and head with my hands. The monster landed right on top of me. The weight of its body pressed me into the tiles. It grabbed my arms with six of its hands and tried to yank them away. I pulled back. My arm muscles burned and screamed in protest. Its sharp talons sliced into my skin. I threw my hands out, and the monster flew backwards. It slammed into the far wall, and tiles broke off and crashed to the ground.

I jumped to my feet then sprinted toward the door. The walls swayed and the floor rumbled a split second before part of the ceiling caved in. The first stall door snapped off its hinges and slammed into me. I smacked my head on the floor then rolled. My vision blurred. The world spun. I coughed and tasted the coppery flavor of blood on my tongue. My heart pounded so fast I could barely get enough air in. Darkness started creeping in.

There was a roar, and then bright white light pierced my eyes— No wait, it wasn’t darkness; it was the sink. I’d rolled under the row of sinks. My stomach turned. My breakfast crept up my throat. I needed a weapon, something to fight with besides bare hands. I reached to my side without taking my eyes off the monster. My fingers hit some kind of cloth.

The monster lunged for me again. I grabbed the object and swung it upward, screaming as loud as I could. The monster flew back. The stall doors flattened. The sinks and toilets exploded, and water shot out like a broken dam. I glanced down at the thing in my hand—my backpack. I’d never been more relieved to have it on me.

Run! I listened to my instincts and scrambled to my feet. But the monster was pissed. It reared back and let out a roar like a dinosaur that made the ground shake like it was an earthquake. I stumbled and slammed into the wall, spotting something red—fire alarm. I knew water wouldn’t hurt this thing since there was plenty shooting across the bathroom, but I had to do something to warn everyone else. They had to get out of here. I pulled the lever, and a high-pitched squeal rang out.

The monster hissed and shook its head, then dove for me. I tried to make it to the door, but this thing was huge and fast. One of its hands grabbed me by the hair and yanked me back. I gasped. It spun me around, and I came face-to-face with its huge, gaping mouth of glowing orange lava. It hissed and lunged down like it was going to bite my face off. I threw my backpack up in front of me.

A cloud of pink mist shot out from the bag, and the monster screeched. Rainbow swirls wrapped around its face. The monster held me in the air with two of its arms, and the others clawed at the rainbow swirls. The pink cloud hovered around my arms, and it was freaking me out. I punched and thrashed, trying to break free of the monster’s hold when a stream of water shot right past my face. I screamed and wiggled, my arms free enough to swing my backpack up into its chin. Bright white light flashed. I flew backward and slammed into the tiled wall. I looked up just in time to see the monster slam into the ceiling, and then the world exploded around us in fire. Everything wobbled. The wall crumbled. Pink mist covered the floor like fog. Those rainbow swirls wrapped around the flames.

Something grabbed my arms and I screamed. But when I looked, it was Dean. My breath left me in a rush.

He pulled me to my feet then dragged me toward the door. I must’ve been fighting him because he grabbed my shoulders and shook me. “BETTINA! We have to go! NOW!”

My ears rang. My legs trembled. “But…that…monster…”

“It’s not dead, Bettina. We have to go!” Dean yanked the bathroom door open.

Crowds of students ran by screaming. He turned to me with big gray eyes. “Bettina, I called for backup to kill it. They’ll be here any second. But we have to go. You’re not trained for this yet.”

I opened my mouth to ask what he was talking about, but the crowd swallowed us whole.

CHAPTER SEVEN

BETTINA

“Dean, what…the hell…just happened?” I shouted between breaths. We were in his car, speeding away from school. “What was that?”

“A demon,” he said as he maneuvered through traffic.

I leaned over and braced myself on the dashboard. “WHAT? What do you mean a demon?”

Two firetrucks sped past us, followed by several police cars with sirens blaring. They were going to our school…because there had been an explosion in the bathroom. One I caused. My stomach turned.

He said something in a language I didn’t understand. I must’ve made a face because he shrugged. “It’s the ancient language. You’ll learn it soon.”

Panic bubbled to the surface. My breaths grew shorter and shorter. “Ancient. Language. Oh God. I’m losing my mind, aren’t I? Is it schizophrenia?”

“No, you’re not losing your mind.”

“Then explain that to me!” I gestured behind us toward the school. “What the hell is going on?”

“Where’d you get that backpack?” He pointed to my lap.

“Why?” I frowned and looked down. The burgundy backpack on my lap was burned and torn apart. It had holes where it looked like acid had eaten away at the material. Tears filled my eyes. “Damn it. This is Tegan’s. It’s a long story. I’ll never be able to replace it!”

He nodded. “I have a feeling she’ll understand,” he said softly.

I wasn’t as sure about— Hey! I glared at him. “Don’t change the subject! Explain this!”

He slammed on the brakes. “I’ll explain inside.”

What? But before I could ask, he’d jumped out of the car and was halfway up the driveway. My driveway. I blinked then shook myself. Go with him. I threw the door open and jumped out, then raced after him toward my front door. To my surprise, it opened without me needing to unlock it. Dean charged inside.

I groaned and sprinted to catch up. “Dean Hoover, you come back here right now and tell me what’s going—” I slid to a stop.

My parents were sitting on the couch, watching the door. My parents. Who were supposed to be at work on a Monday morning. A cold chill slithered down my spine. I looked at them, then over to Dean. Then back to my parents. They weren’t alarmed or concerned. Their faces were the perfect picture of calm.

My chest heaved as I tried to get enough oxygen. “What. Are. You. Doing. Home?”

My parents looked at each other.

“I called them on my way to school. I had a feeling something might happen,” Dean said softly. He moved to stand behind the couch, then pushed his black glasses up his face. “Then once I realized a demon was on campus, I called them.”

I opened my mouth then shut it again. What?

“Bettina, why don’t you sit down,” Dean said softly.

“Why don’t you start talking!” I snapped and crossed my arms over my chest. “And don’t even think about telling me that was nothing, because I know what I saw!”

Dean sighed and leaned his hands on the back of the couch. “Cathy, Tim…it’s time.”

My mother closed her eyes and shook her head. My father reached over and took her hand in his. Neither would look at me. Dean just stared at them.

“Someone better start talking,” I growled.

“He’s right, Tim.” My mother nodded, then looked up at Dean. “It’s time.”

My father sighed nice and loud then leaned back against the couch. He looked utterly defeated. “Okay,” he whispered.

I shifted my weight around. My instincts were giving me that urge to run again. “Guys…”

“Bettina…” My mother licked her lips then looked up at me with big blue eyes. “You see…you’re…special.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “You’re a witch, Bettina.”

My eyes widened. “Come again?”

Dean held his palms up like he knew he sounded crazy. “Bettina, you are a witch.”

I scoffed. “I’m a witch? That’s all you’ve got? I’m a witch. Funny, you sound just like my US History class this morning.”

Dean frowned and cocked his head to the side. “They called you a witch—”

“Stop changing the subject!” I stomped my foot, and pain shot up my leg.

“He’s telling you the truth, sweetheart.” My father stood and walked over to me. Instead of hugging me, he urged me back and made me sit down on the other sofa. “We’ll tell you everything, but you need to sit. You’ve had quite a few days.”

“You are a witch, Bettina.” My mother pushed her blonde hair off her face.

My jaw dropped. “I’m a witch? So you’re telling me you’re both witches? This whole time and I never knew?”

My mother shook her head, and her eyes looked sad. “No, dear. Your father and I are not witches. Only you are.”

“If my parents aren’t witches, then how the hell am I?”

Dean shrugged. “It happens. All the time. Just means somewhere in your bloodline was a witch, who obviously mated with humans.”

I flinched. “Are you telling me I’m not human?”

Dean opened his mouth then shut it again. “I mean, partially, yes. But not entirely. It’s a complicated history that you’ll learn later.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m dreaming. I’m going to wake up and it’s Friday afternoon and none of this weekend happened.” I scrubbed my face. “This is insane.”

“Bettina, I know this sounds crazy, but—”

“Oh, you know that, huh?” I tried to get to my feet, but my legs gave out under me and I crashed back against the soft suede. “Okay, okay. Prove it.”

My parents looked startled.

Dean just nodded and walked around to sit beside me on the sofa. “I don’t personally know what this revelation feels like, because I’ve known I was a witch my whole life. But I’ve been present, just like I am now, for probably a hundred of these talks.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That isn’t proof.”

“First of all, you know this isn’t a dream because you experienced physical pain. And it hurt.” He held his finger up to stop me from asking a question. With his other hand, he pulled a small brown vial out of his denim jacket pocket. He uncapped it, then leaned forward. “Don’t freak. I’m proving it, okay?”

I eyed the vial suspiciously. “Okay…”

He tipped it, and a clear liquid poured out and onto my left arm. I braced myself for more pain…but it didn’t hurt. It was cool, but in a relieving kind of way. He’d poured it right over the spot where that demon’s talons had cut me. I watched in riveted, terrified silence as my wound closed. The cut was gone. Like it was never there at all.

My jaw dropped. I raised my arm up to my face and stared at the clear, unharmed skin. My heart pounded. “What in the actual—”

“Like I said, I’m a witch.” Dean chuckled and snapped his fingers, and a cloud of aquamarine mist swirled above his hand. “Is this proof enough?”

My eyes widened and I nodded. “Oh my God. Oh my God. I’m a witch? How did you know? Mom, Dad, how did you know? How did I not know?”

My mom smiled sweetly. “We’ve known since the moment you came into our lives.”

That wasn’t helpful. I turned to Dean. “Your turn, and it better be a good answer.”

“Witches can sense other witches. That’s the first thing you should know. So the moment you walked into the shelter, I felt it in your aura, then I just had to find out for sure.” Dean cracked his knuckles.

“Are there a lot of witches in the world?”

Dean’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, yeah. Thousands. Our species lives all around the world. In every major city you could think of, and then in the little ones, too.”

I frowned. “So is there like a witch king or something?”

He laughed in a short burst. “No. Again, long story, but we have what we call The Coven. There are twenty-two members, two of whom are elected as Coven Leaders. One woman, one male. Those two rule over the species, technically, though really the entire Coven is in charge.”

“Twenty-two?” I shivered. “Why so many?”

“Are you familiar with tarot cards?” he asked. When I nodded, he continued. “There are twenty-two major arcana. The tarot decks you find nowadays are based off of The Coven. Each Coven member is Marked with the roman numeral that coincides with a Card. Like Emperor, High Priestess, Empress, The Devil, The World… You follow me?”

I held my fingers up by my temples then flicked them away, while making an explosion sound. “Right, so this Coven of Cards rules over all witches? Are they the ones who told you I was a witch?”

He chuckled, though I couldn’t understand what was so funny about my question. “Surprisingly, no. I’m the one who figured out you were one of us.”

I groaned. “And how did you do that? This doesn’t make sense. How would you have even figured that out? Lots of people love magic stuff and witch shops, so don’t say that.”

“It was when you mentioned The Gathering.” Dean recapped his vial then shoved it into his pocket. “I saw my opening. You see, as you now know, that story is very, very true. There’s a whole history there that I won’t go into right now because it’s just way too much information. But…what you need to know is that The Coven supervises that party—and yes, they were there this year, and they did stop it.”

“Stop it? When? People died!” My stomach turned as the images flooded my mind.

“Actually, only a couple people were lost. The rest we saved.” Dean cleared his throat. “But anyways, because witches go there, we have our own parking lot. It’s tucked away, hidden from human sight. Literally. No human could get to this parking lot, even if they had a map that detailed the steps perfectly. Only a witch would find it.”

My breath left me in a rush. “A map. You gave me a map—”

“And you found that lot.” He shrugged. “When you got home and told me, I knew you had to be one of us. But see, sometimes, and especially when a witch has non-magic parents, the magic is dormant and needs to be drawn out. So, every year I host a party at my house.”

I gasped. “Oh my God. Friday night!” The puzzle pieces started coming together. I just needed him to say it for me.

“I make a potion with a spell that helps trigger suppressed magic. If a human drinks it, no harm, no foul. Might make them a little tipsy, like alcohol. So I give it to the whole party, then wait and see what witches come out from it. Like mining, but with witches.”

“You gave me the potion from the fridge, and you said it wasn’t spiked.”

“It wasn’t. It only had my potion in it. As opposed to the punch which had vodka in it.” Dean blushed and intentionally avoided my parents’ gazes. “Now, I always have other witches present for backup. This year, my friend Jackson—”

“Jackson is a witch?” I said before I could stop myself.

Dean chuckled. “Yeah, and so were the two guys with him. Warner and Trey. Anyway, they were there to watch you, to make sure you didn’t get hurt or hurt someone else. But somehow, in the few moments no one was watching, you decided to go play with a Ouija board.”

I threw my arms up and got to my feet, starting to pace. “I was trying to make friends. Besides, it was your game!”

“Exactly, Bettina. That was a witch’s Ouija board. That damn thing is two hundred years old. Only trained witches use those.” He shook his head. “Listen, I’m sorry. That was my fault. I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off of you.”

I grumbled and paced my living room. It was his fault. I should’ve been furious at him for putting me in danger. Twice. He could’ve just told me I was a witch, like he just had. But the truth was, I probably wouldn’t have believed him. The only reason I was having a panic attack right now was because…well…it was actually a relief.

Everything that had happened to me now had a reason. I wasn’t losing my mind. It wasn’t terrifying— Okay, it’s still terrifying. Yet, somehow knowing there was an explanation for it all made it easier to accept. That Gathering horror wasn’t some scary movie gone wrong. Spirits from the underworld weren’t drawn to me—I’d summoned it on accident. Because I was a witch.

I’m a witch.

I…am a witch.

I froze and let that sink in for a second. “And that demon today?”

“There are all kinds of demons in the world. Our species has been killing them for thousands of years. They happen to be drawn to magic, so like when a witch blows up a room with her magic…”

I gasped. “Oh my God, I blew it up?”

He grinned and nodded. “Yup. And the bathroom at school. But again, don’t worry. We have people specifically trained to cover it all up so the humans won’t find out about us.”

I sighed with relief. “So what…these people are just going to cover it up, and I’m supposed to go back to school like nothing happened?”

When no one responded, I frowned and eyed them. My pulse quickened. The three of them were exchanging nervous glances. “What?”

“We weren’t going to do this, even after the Gathering and the Ouija board, we were just going to ground you to protect you. But the demons have found you now, so we have no other choice. You’re going to the magic school for witches.” My mother pointed to the front door where suitcases were propped. My suitcases. “We already packed your bags. You leave now.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

BETTINA

Despite growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, I’d only been into the Smoky Mountains once. For The Gathering. That night, I’d been scared out of my mind but trying to pretend like I wasn’t. If I hadn’t promised to go with Tegan for her sixteenth birthday, I definitely would’ve backed out.

Tegan. I shook my head. Ever since we were five, my best friend had been obsessed with magic and witches. Little did she know I was one. Dean had spent the first hour of our drive explaining why we couldn’t tell humans what we were. I understood. Hell, I’d seen enough fantasy movies to know that. But if he thought I was keeping this secret from my best friend, then he had another thing coming for him. I was going to tell her…just not over the phone. In person. Once I learned how to use my magic and could prove it to her—like Dean had for me.

Because Tegan would demand proof.

Apparently witches had a motherland, a home country. It was the only place in the world where we were safe. No demons or any kind of monsters could get to us. It was called Eden. And inside Eden was an academy called Edenburg.

I’m going to a witch school. I turned toward the window and covered my face so Dean wouldn’t see me smiling. I couldn’t help it. This was so exciting. At some point in the ride, my anger and fear had been pushed aside by excitement.

It would wear off once we got there, I was sure of it. But I’d worry about that later.

I looked out the window and sighed. My mood change was probably because of the scenery. It was gorgeous. I realized I hadn’t gotten to really see any of it at night while driving to The Gathering. And now I was mad at myself for almost missing out on this. There were more shades of green than I ever knew existed. I suddenly couldn’t wait for autumn. Two-lane roads wound around peaks and valleys, beside rivers and creeks. Birds chirped in the distance. Wind howled softly. The sun was starting to set already, which meant we’d been driving for a long, long time.

Dean took a sharp turn down a gravel road. I was about to ask where exactly we were headed when we drove through a cloud of fog, and then suddenly the road was smooth. I gasped and sat up straight.

Dean chuckled. “We just drove through the border wall.”

My eyes widened. “You mean…?”

“Welcome to Eden.” He turned and gave me a wide smile. “You know, this is where I live when I’m not in Charleston.”

I laughed. “Well, that makes sense now. I always wondered how you managed to switch back and forth between schools whenever you wanted to. Guess I get it now, it’s a witch thing.”

“Actually, I’m nineteen.”

“WHAT?”

He shrugged and made another turn. “Yeah. I graduated almost two years ago. My father is the Major of Charleston—”

“The what now?” I shook my head. “Remember, this is gibberish to me.”

“Right. Sorry.” He smiled. “So, The Coven appoints one or two people to essentially be in charge of every city. The Majors make sure everything runs smoothly, and humans are kept in the dark but safe. Like covering up witches blowing up schools. My father is the Major for Charleston, so I’m used to doing that job. Because of that, The Coven hired me to search out unknowing witches, then bring them to Eden. I only go to school to get to know the students.”

My jaw dropped. “And the animal shelter?”

“I actually own that. It’s my shelter.”

“Wow.” I turned to look out the window—and gasped. Right up in front of us was a massive brick building that looked like some castle in England. I pressed my face to the window. It looked so normal. I was expecting—well, actually I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. But it was gorgeous. It had that kind of old, regal beauty.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

All I could do was nod.

“You’re going to love it here, Bettina,” he said and lowered his voice. “I know you’ve been sad about Tegan leaving, and I know you tried to make new friends at my party, but the thing is people like us tend to have trouble connecting with most humans. Here at Edenburg, you’re going to make a lot of friends.”

Like Jackson?

Yeah, right, because he was SO friendly at the party. That boy may have been beautiful, but he wasn’t nice. The fact that he knew I was a witch—a new one—and he still couldn’t find it in him to be friendly with me gave me no reason to be nice in return. I didn’t care how pretty he was, or how hot his accent was. I didn’t. Not unless he decided to be nicer.

You hear that, brain? We. Don’t. Care.

I spent the next few minutes while Dean parked ignoring the flutter in my heart at the idea of seeing Jackson again. I kept repeating the words over and over, and prayed they stuck. There were more important things than cute boys. Like learning how to be a witch.

I cleared my throat. “So when does school start here?”

Dean put the car in park. “Tomorrow.”

“WHAT?” I shrieked.

But he’d already gotten out, so I rushed to follow. By the time I caught up, he was standing in front of the car on the sidewalk. I tried to tell myself it was okay. Having more time before classes started would only freak me out. I’d end up with an anxiety attack. It was fine. Dean had said they’d give me a dorm, like in college. Once I got set up, I’d go into my new room and try to relax. Maybe I’d read up on some witchy things just so I’d sound like I knew what was going on. I had my laptop, which meant I had all of Tegan’s favorite witchy websites saved. It would be all right. One night would be the perfect amount of time to prepare myself.

If they have bathtubs, I might take a bubble bath.

“Bettina? Did you hear me?” Dean said with a chuckle as he tapped my shoulder.

I jumped and heat rushed to my face. I’d been totally zoned out. “Um…no. Sorry.”

He smiled and shook his head, then led me up a sidewalk toward the building. “I said, every year on the Monday before Labor Day, Edenburg holds its entrance ceremony. It’s always the night before school starts.”

My pulse quickened. I didn’t like the way he’d said that. My stomach started doing flips. “What exactly is an entrance ceremony?”

He paused outside the big double doors, under where EDENBURG EST. 1693 was carved into the bricks. “Not every witch has the same type of magical strength, so when you go to school here, you get sorted into the Suit of magic that you’re strongest for. Think of it like college majors. Except we only have four: Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords. The entrance ceremony is where you get sorted into your Suit.”

The world swayed for a second, and my throat went dry. “And that’s tonight?”

He grinned. “It’s right now.”

CHAPTER NINE

BETTINA

“Dean Hoover, one of these years you’ll show up with at least five minutes to spare,” a short brunette woman with huge pink glasses and matching lipstick said with a grin. “What ‘ya got for me, lovie?”

Five minutes to spare?

Did he mean literally right now?

My pulse fluttered. I wasn’t ready for any kind of ceremony. I didn’t even get to ask how they sorted us. Shit, I was still confused on what the four Suits meant. Dean kept dropping these bombs on me left and right like it was no big deal.

“Well now, Mrs. Elfen, I gotta keep you on your toes, don’t I?” Dean winked then leaned down and kissed the woman’s cheek. He gestured toward me. “This is my friend—”

“Aw, you must be Bettina Blair, right?” She grinned up at me then wrapped me in a big, warm hug. I didn’t dislike it. When she pulled back, she had a wild kind of sparkle in her big chocolate eyes. “Don’t you worry, dear. It’s always overwhelming at the start. By the end of the week, you’ll be used to it. Now, let’s get you ready for the ceremony. Don’t need you to be late. Dean, you better go get your white on and get seated!”

“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned and gave me two thumbs-up as he walked backward toward the door. “I’ll see you after, okay? I’ll help you get registered.”

I opened my mouth to ask him where I should meet him when Mrs. Elfen grabbed my arm and dragged me across the room. By the time I looked over my shoulder, Dean was gone. I sighed. He was a nice guy, and he was cute. Why can’t I be attracted to him? It didn’t make any sense, and it was stupidly infuriating.

“Here you go, dear. Put this on.” Mrs. Elfen tossed something at me. “Hurry up now.”

I caught the large object and found it was a soft, thick, silky material. It was the most beautiful shade of silver I’d ever seen in a clothing garment. It sparkled under the lights, but subtly. I unhooked the top button and held it out— Ohhh, it’s a cloak! I smiled and slid my arms inside. It was soft against my bare arms, and I almost snuggled in.

“Oh, that’s a good color on you, dearie.” Mrs. Elfen cheered. “Come along, now.”

I skipped to catch up to her, then followed her down a dark, stoned hallway. “Um, Mrs. Elfen…can I have a second to…you know…freshen up? I still have blood all over me—”

“I’m afraid not, but—” She plucked a turquoise vial off a shelf as she walked then handed it to me. “I’m used to new witches showing up in worse condition than you, so you clearly did well for yourself. Drink that. It’ll heal ‘ya right up. Go on.”

Without giving it another thought—which may have been a terrible display of instincts—I uncapped the bottle and poured the contents into my mouth. It was sweet and warm, like hot chocolate—but better. I handed her the empty vial then held my arms up. Sure enough, the wounds on my arms healed over.

“Whoaaa.”

Mrs. Elfen chuckled and led me over to a line of other people dressed in silver cloaks. “Now remember, that potion will give you a nice boost of energy for the ceremony, but it will give you a bit of a crash. I suggest going to bed early tonight. Especially with school starting in the morning.”

“Oh, um, thanks—”

But she was gone.

I frowned and looked in front of me at the other people in silver cloaks. “Um, excuse me—”

“First year, right?” A boy with bright red hair and big golden eyes smiled up at me. He couldn’t have been more than ten years old. When I nodded, he held his hand out. “I’m Freddy. This is my brother George—”

“Wait, really?”

The other boy, George, rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. “Yep. Mom was a big fan. I’m named after our dad, technically, but when she had red-headed boys back to back, she just couldn’t help herself. So we like to live up to the name.”

“Except for the dying part. I’d really rather not do that part,” Freddy said with a grimace. But then he shook himself. “Anyway, this here is the line for First Years. They line us all up out here until it’s time to join everyone else.”

I nodded, trying my best to not be bothered that I was probably the oldest person in this First Year line. There were a handful of other teenagers, but I still feared I was older. “So, um, where is everyone else, then?”

George pointed toward a door. “In there. Today is a big ceremony day for the students, a way to kick the school year off right. They’ve been partying for hours, but as soon as they’re seated, the headmaster will call for us.”

“And don’t freak out. Only First Years are in silver cloaks today.” Freddy stretched his arms out. “Everyone else is in ceremonial white. So we’re going to stand out.”

I pursed my lips just as the wooden door at the front of the line opened. “You guys know a lot about this entrance ceremony.”

Freddy grinned. “Oh yeah. Mom was a professor here for a long time, retired when we were born. So we know all the ins and outs.”

“Too bad I’m not your age, then, or I’d have you teach me.” I chuckled nervously as students started to go through the door. There had to be at least fifty of us, maybe twice that. I was really a terrible judge at that kind of thing.

George shrugged. “Mom says they don’t separate by age here. It’s all based on skill and knowledge, or something like that. So we might have a class together.”

Somehow I doubted that. These kids grew up as witches, raised by a witch who was a professor at the witch academy. They were definitely going to be in higher-level classes than I was. Which was a startling thought. I’d always been in advanced classes, either in the gifted program or in Advanced Placement. I just hoped the classes here translated the same.

The boys turned as the line moved. I took a deep breath then pushed my shoulders back. I could do this. I was a witch now. I’d faced The Gathering, a Ouija board, and a demon. Besides, so far everyone I’d met was nice. Except for Jackson. I sighed. Maybe he’d be nicer now that I was here in Edenburg. Maybe he was just focusing on the potential danger I was going to cause. Yeah. Yeah, that’s gotta be it. Why else would he be so cold to me?

With that thought in mind, I walked through the open door—and my breath left me in a rush. The line of silver cloaks marched down an aisle right in the middle of a massive auditorium. Just like the boys had said, the entire crowd was dressed in white. I wasn’t sure what the ceremonial white part meant, but it was all white. No one spoke as we entered; they just watched with eager eyes. I focused on what was up ahead, or otherwise my anxiety would get the best of me.

We sat in rows on wooden pews up at the front by the stage area. I managed to sit in between George and Fred. I opened my mouth to ask them what happened next when two people walked forward. One man and one woman, both wearing sleeveless white tunics that went straight down to their knees.

“Coven Leaders,” Freddy whispered.

I tensed and felt my eyes widen. Coven Leaders? My pulse skipped like a pinball machine. I swallowed nervously and concentrated on breathing.

“Good evening, First Years.” The man was huge, with salt and pepper hair and matching beard. His eyes were a warm brown, but they were sharp and focused on the First Years, like he was looking for someone. I hoped it wasn’t me. He nodded and held his left hand up, and I spotted two black X’s inked side by side on his forearm. “I am Timothy Roth, Judgement, and one half of your Coven Leader.”

He did not look friendly.

The woman smiled, and her soft blue eyes twinkled. But I wasn’t fooled by her kind appearance. This chick looked hardcore. She had the coolest looking black tattoo sleeve that covered her right shoulder and went all the way down to her hand, as in, it covered her hand and fingers. On the back of her hand was a big blue crystal tattoo. It was badass and definitely didn’t fit with her sandy blonde hair and porcelain skin.

She raised her left hand, revealing her XI Mark. “I’m Constance Bell, Justice, and the other half of your Coven Leader.”

The crowd of white did this strange kind of bow.

“That’s how you bow to the Coven,” George whispered. “We’ll show you after.”

I nodded, growing more and more grateful for the two boys.

Constance bowed her head slightly, and her smile widened. “Tonight, we celebrate a new year of school, but more importantly, we celebrate our new First Years. Welcome to Edenburg.”

The crowd cheered and applauded. They were definitely in good spirits.

Timothy just nodded. His stern gaze swept over me and I jumped.

“Mom says Timothy isn’t that scary,” Freddy whispered.

Doubtful.

Constance looked off to her right. “And now, your Headmaster, Daniel Bell.”

“They’re married, Constance and Daniel,” George whispered.

God, I need them to be in all of my classes.

“Thank you, Constance and Timothy. As always, we are honored to have The Coven present with us.” He smiled at the two, and it was definitely warm and friendly. Our Headmaster was a few inches shorter than Timothy, with shaggy brown hair and the coolest gray three-piece suit I’d ever seen. He was rocking tortoiseshell glasses and a five-o’clock shadow that both somehow made his blue eyes really pop. He cleared his throat. “Okay, now before we begin, if the four Suit Majors could join me on stage.”

“Suit Majors are the top student in each Suit,” Freddy whispered.

“Yeah, and they’ve all been here since they were little kids,” George finished.

Yep. I was definitely kidnapping these two. I smiled and glanced down at their excited faces. When I looked back up, there were four teenagers in white cloaks. There was a blonde girl with burgundy glasses, a brunette with rosy cheeks, and a guy with long, shaggy, dirty blond hair down to his elbows and tattoos on his wrists. I smiled and looked to the last Suit Major—and gasped.

Jackson.

CHAPTER TEN

BETTINA

M y heart fluttered. Stop it. Stop that. No crushes. None. Nope. Not doing it.

“Jackson Lancaster is a legend here,” George whispered. “He helps like everyone out, and he’s pretty nice. He’s Sword Major, but he’ll teach anyone how to fight if they ask.”

Freddy sighed. “I can’t wait to meet him. Mom says he’s almost as famous as the Coven members here.”

Are we talking about the same person? The guy they’d just described was definitely not the one I met at Dean’s party. Psh, you met him for like two seconds. And you were drooling over him. Plus, he saved your life. Give the guy a chance.

Shut up, brain. You’re just saying that because you think he’s cute.

“…the crystal ball.”

I cursed. I’d been so off in my head I’d missed what the Headmaster had said. The stage floor opened up, and a pedestal popped up from under the stage. A giant crystal ball perched on top, and it had to be at least two feet tall.

My stomach dropped. I don’t like this.

“The ball tells you which Suit you’re in,” George whispered. “Or…well, it shows it.”

“Yeah, but if it turns blue, it means the person isn’t a witch at all.” Freddy bounced in his seat. “Blue smoke will come out and wrap around the person to remove every magical memory before they’re sent back home to the human world.”

Oh my God. That’s going to be me. I didn’t realize there would be a test to get in. I thought it was already determined I was a witch. Why would they bring me all the way here if there was a sliver of doubt? My stomach twisted. My palms grew sweaty. I had no idea what I was going to do if Dean was wrong.

“Okay, when I call your name, First Years, you will come up and gently place your hands on the ball. Don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt.” The Headmaster cleared his throat and held up a piece of parchment. “Abigail Landry.”

A girl jumped up from the front row. Her auburn curls bounced as she ran up the stairs and onto the stage. She must’ve had witch parents, too, because she didn’t even hesitate to put her hands on the crystal ball.

“Gonna be Cups,” Freddy mumbled.

The crystal ball flashed with bright white light, and then a golden chalice appeared within it. Her silver cloak shimmered like a disco ball and then changed to a vibrant aquamarine the same color as Jackson’s eyes.

Ew. Stop that. I shook myself and refocused. I had no idea what had just happened, but the girl’s cloak turned from silver to aquamarine.

“Told ‘ya.” Freddy sighed. “All the Landrys are in Cups. The Cup Major is her sister Marcia.”

Abigail squealed in delight then ran over to the Cups Major. The two embraced in a big hug. Sisters. Right. Lucky. Not for the first time, I wondered what it must be like to have a sibling.

“All right. Darren Troy,” Headmaster announced once the ball was clear.

A boy in our row with short black hair and green eyes got up and walked up to the stage. When he raised his hands to the ball, I took small satisfaction in seeing they were shaking. It meant I wasn’t the only one who was nervous. The crystal ball filled with gray smoke for a few seconds before a golden pentagram appeared within. Just like with Abigail, his silver cloak shimmered then changed color, this time to a pretty hunter green.

“Pentacle,” George whispered. “Man, I don’t want Pentacle. That Suit is no fun.”

I frowned. No fun? No one told me certain Suits were more fun than others. Dean had said they just symbolized your strength of magic. I wrung my hands under the long sleeves of my cloak. Dean definitely did not give me enough information. Do I want a fun Suit? Am I fun?

Headmaster waited until Darren joined the blonde girl in glasses, then he held up the parchment again. A silly smile lit up his face, and he shook his head. “George Jr. and Freddy Walton. Let’s just do this together, eh?”

Both boys jumped to their feet and cheered. The crowd laughed with them. I smiled and watched them walk up to the stage, until I realized my informants were gone. A wave of wild nervousness washed over me. My skin turned hot and clammy. It’s okay. You don’t need little kids to help you get through this.

Freddy and George went up to the crystal ball together, both shorter than the ball, even on its stand. Not that they noticed. They placed their pale hands up on the crystal, and it immediately shined bright purple. A golden stick appeared from within the ball. Oh, right. Wands. Their silver cloaks turned to a dark purple at the exact same time. They pumped their fists and skipped over to the long-haired Suit Major. The three of them high-fived. I chuckled.

“Bettina Blair.”

OH SHIT.

No wait, I’m not ready. All of the warmth I’d just felt vanished, leaving an icy chill in its wake. I shivered and stood up. Butterflies bounced around in my stomach. I took a deep, shaky breath, then headed toward the staircase.

Okay, you can do this. It’s no big deal. Just don’t trip.

I kept my eyes on the ground and just concentrated on breathing. When I was almost at the ball, I heard George and Freddy call out my name. I looked up and found them smiling and cheering me on. I gave them what I hoped was a smile, but I couldn’t be sure. My body had gone into panic mode. I blinked and looked away from them, only to meet the gaze of Jackson Lancaster.

My breath left me in a rush. He was just as pretty as the last time I’d seen him, and his eyes were just as sharp. My pulse thundered in my veins. FOCUS. I peeled my eyes off of him. The crystal ball was right in front of me. No doubt the entire student body of Edenburg thought I was a coward. How long have I been standing up here?

I licked my lips and raised my hands out to touch the ball. They trembled like leaves in a hurricane, and I hated it. Oh God. Don’t be blue, don’t be blue, don’t be blue. I pressed both hands flat to the crystal ball and waited. It was cool to the touch, but not uncomfortable. Energy tickled my palms.

Gray smoke swirled around inside of it for what felt like an hour. Oh God, it’s gonna be blue. I’m just human. Stop it. That doesn’t make sense. Demons don’t attack humans. Do they? I frowned and focused on the mist swirling inside the ball. Come onnnnn. Golden light flashed from the middle. It moved and started to take the form of a Wand. I sighed with relief. A Wand. I had no idea what that meant, but the long-haired dude looked cool. Freddy and George were super nice. I could be a Wand—

Bright white light flashed. A golden shape stretched wide within. I scowled. What is that? Before I could ask, my silver cloak shimmered bright, and then in the beat of a second, it turned jet black.

The crowd gasped.

My eyes widened. “Wh-what d-does this m-mean? What is b-black?”

Headmaster Daniel smiled and gestured to his left. “The Suit of Swords.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

BETTINA

Sword? I’m a Sword? No, no, that can’t be right.

That was all I kept thinking the rest of the entrance ceremony. One by one, all of the First Years went up to the crystal ball to get sorted. More than half of them went to Pentacles. The next biggest portion went to Cups. Then Wands. The least amount of First Years went to Swords…and those who did were all boys.

Jackson refused to even look at me.

Every other First Year sorted into Swords got a handshake from him.

Me? One hell of a death glare.

The only thing stopping me from being a complete and total mess over his behavior was the fact that I was somehow sorted into SWORDS. The other three Suits may have been unclear in my mind as to what they did, but Swords? Pretty damn obvious. I groaned and followed the rest of my black-cloaked First Years out of the auditorium, or whatever they called it. To my surprise, the second the crystal ball disappeared, all of the crowd’s white cloaks changed to one of the four Suit colors.

Jackson looked incredible in black.

When we got out to a main hallway, I spotted Dean leaning against a railing. He had on an aquamarine cloak.

He smiled and shook his head, then waved at me. “Well, well, well…”

I practically ran over to him then sighed and ran my hands through my hair. “You’re a Cup. Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged. “Because I had a strong suspicion you weren’t going to be.”

“Oh?” I frowned and tugged at my long black sleeves. “What did you suspect?”

“Honestly, Wands. Though it appears the ball thought the same at first, too.” He held his hand up and gave me a high five. “But I shouldn’t be surprised. You handled that demon well.”

I rolled my eyes. “You mean I managed to not die.”

He pursed his lips. “That’s more than any of my Cups could’ve done.”

“Swords means what I think it does, doesn’t it?”

He had the good grace to cringe. “Warrior Suit.”

I groaned and tugged at my hair. “There must be some confusion in that ball.”

“Give it a try and see.”

I stuck out my tongue at him. Being around Dean was easy. Comfortable. “What do I do—”

“Bettina,” that glorious English accent yelled.

I tensed. My heart fluttered and sent more butterflies into my stomach. He hadn’t said my name before, and it did weird things to my body. I licked my lips and turned, only to recoil.

“Stay with the Swords. You have to get registered.” The glare in his aquamarine eyes was livid. “Your job is done here, Hoover. Return to the Cups.”

Dean frowned, but then he just rolled his eyes. “All righty. Bettina, if you need anything, I’ll be in the Cups’ dorm.”

“She’ll be fine,” Jackson snapped.

It was my turn to scowl. Just who does this guy think he is?

I shook my head then gave a smile to my friend. “Thanks, Dean.”

He bowed then turned and walked away. I sighed and spun to find Jackson glaring at me from fifteen feet away. I rolled my eyes then jogged to catch up with him. He didn’t speak a single word as he led me back to where the other First Year Swords stood. Waiting for me. Crap.

My cheeks flushed. “Sorry, I didn’t know I was supposed to follow.”

A couple of the guys smiled, and the rest just nodded and turned to follow Jackson into a room. When I walked through the door, I found it was just an office, with mahogany hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings. The walls were lined with breathtaking murals of countrysides, all thriving greenery.

I stood there a few minutes inspecting the paintings until I heard the heavy pounding of footsteps. Turning, I found Jackson stomping up to our group with papers in his hands. He went through each one, then handed them out to us First Years. I watched each paper go until there was only one left. Mine. Naturally. Jackson’s aquamarine eyes met mine and the heat in his gaze sent my pulse into a tailspin. His lips smashed into a straight line. He thrust the paper toward me with a snarl. How could my heart sink and soar at the same damn time?

I reached out to take the paper but I misjudged the space between us and our hands slammed into each other. Our fingers brushed, sending a hot blast of electricity up my arm. I gasped. My whole body burned like I’d been dropped in a bonfire. He yanked his hand away from me so fast I thought for sure he’d given himself a papercut. Kind of hoped he did, actually. My arm still tingled from his touch.

“These are your dorm assignments and your class schedules,” Jackson said with that scruffy English voice of his. “Should have all the information you need. If not, the location of my dorm is marked on your map. Come and ask me, and I’ll tell you who to direct your question to.”

One of the younger-looking boys, maybe ten, raised his hand. “Excuse me, Jackson? What are we supposed to do now?”

“Go to your room. School starts tomorrow. Once you look at your schedules, you’ll be wanting to rest up.” Jackson bent over and pointed to something on the young boy’s paper, then straightened. “Your belongings have already been delivered to your dorms. They don’t encourage First Years to go to the food hall on entrance night, so they provide a one-time food delivery. It will be at your door in one hour.”

I looked down at my papers and gasped. They were silver. Like shimmering, metallic silver. Cool. The first page was my schedule, but I’d look at that later. I was in desperate need of privacy. I needed to cry, scream, punch a pillow. Maybe not in that order. But when I looked at the paper for my dormitory, it just told me the name of the building, room number, and other information I knew I’d find helpful at a later date.

“Where is this building at?” I asked to no one in particular.

Jackson’s tan hand shot into my line of view. He yanked my paper out of my hand and flipped it, showing me a detailed picture of a map. “You’re old enough to read. Try not to blow up my school.”

He stormed off and out of sight.

“A simple ‘there’s a map on the back’ would’ve sufficed, I think,” I mumbled to myself.

CHAPTER TWELVE

BETTINA

I t took me thirty minutes to find my dorm building. At least. It wasn’t my proudest moment. I’d never realized how small my school in Charleston was until I tried to navigate Edenburg. Alone. At night. First problem, there were students everywhere. The entrance ceremony was over, and whatever party they’d been having prior to it had clearly resumed. Second problem, we were all dressed the same now. My black Swords cloak looked just like everyone else’s, so no one noticed I was the new kid lost on campus. Third problem, I was far, far too prideful to stop and ask for directions. Fourth problem, all the damn buildings looked the same. All brick!

Fifth problem—okay, I had a lot of problems.

To make matters worse, it turned out the dorms were separated by Suit. The Cups were in the East building, Wands in the West, Pentacles in the North, and Swords in the South. It took me way too long to realize this, and apparently way too difficult for Jackson to tell me. Asshole.

I walked up to a set of wide wooden doors and froze. They looked like black stained glass with metallic gold and silver lines. On each door was a picture of a sword with two crowns on the blade. I frowned and looked down at the map. It said this was the entrance, but there weren’t any handles. Just then two students in black cloaks walked by me. When they got up to the doors the glass just disappeared.

Whoa. I scurried to follow after them. As soon as we passed over the threshold the black glass reformed behind us. Nifty. I smiled and turned to look ahead of me and my jaw dropped. The inside of this building did not match the rest of the school. It was super modern-looking, with black hardwood floors and satin-finished black walls. Even the ceilings were painted black.

The dormitory building opened up into a massive atrium, with shiny black glass everywhere. There were couches grouped around small fireplaces, nooks with desks for studying, and about a dozen or so tables with chairs. Running along the sides and against the back wall were rows of books stacked on top of each other. It was somehow cozy, modern, and functional all at the same time. The floating candles were a nice touch.

I followed another student around to the side wall on my left and found a staircase tucked away. A few more students in black cloaks moved by me then rushed up the steps. I glanced around but didn’t see any other stairs so this must’ve been the way up. I walked up the steps then paused at the opening to the second floor. It was the fanciest gym I’d ever seen. It had machines, free weights, and some kind of sparring space in the back with an open floor and punching bags.

This is not a good sign. With a shudder, I spun and continued my climb up the stairs. By the time I made it to the fourth floor I was gasping for air, and that really didn’t bode well.

The hall was lined with rooms, as I passed by some of the doors were open. Students poured in and out, bouncing between rooms as they socialized. I ducked my head and tried to be invisible as I searched for my room. But then my stomach growled so loud a kid walking by in a black Swords cloak pulled out his dagger.

So, that was fun.

It wasn’t until I got to my door that I realized I didn’t have a key.

This is just not my day.

I sighed and tried the handle, but it was locked. With a groan, I checked all of my pockets, just in case someone had magically put the key in there. When I came up empty-handed, I pulled the paper out and read the damn thing front and back. Twice. Still nothing about a key.

“You’ve got to be bloody kidding me,” I grumbled.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood tall. Heat rushed through my body like I’d stepped into a sauna. The air around me warmed, and the energy tingled. I was about to turn around when an arm covered in black shot across my line of view. A large, tan hand gripped my sleeve then dragged my own hand over to the lock on the door. The metal contraption clicked. My door popped open.

Oooooohhhh. Magic. DUH.

I looked down at the hand holding my arm and smiled. There on the guy’s hand, stretching from his wrist down to the last knuckle on his thumb was a tattoo of a single red rose. It was super hot, and I would’ve bet money there was significant meaning to it. I looked over my shoulder to thank him, and my words caught in my throat.

Jackson Lancaster stood mere inches away from me. Every nerve ending in my body came to life, tingling and sizzling. My heart fluttered. I blinked and tried to recover from the effect he had on my system, but when I took a breath, I inhaled the strong scent of pine and almost sighed. He smelled like Christmas. It was wonderful and soothing, and completely and totally intoxicating. I swayed a little on my feet.

My cheeks filled with heat, and I knew I had to be blushing. “Um, thank you.”

He dropped my hand like I’d burned him. “The magic in your veins will open any main school door on campus, the Swords training facilities, this dormitory building, and your specific room.”

His advice was helpful and welcomed; the snappy tone in which he’d used to say it was not.

Still, I was grateful for his help. Whatever this guy had against me was his own problem because I’d never done anything to him.

I smiled wide in spite of his anger. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

He nodded once then spun and stormed away from me.

Dude, what is your problem?

I shook my head and pushed my door open. Darkness greeted me, and I threw my hands to the side then dragged my fingers along the wall until I found the light switch. Soft golden light filled the room…and my jaw dropped.

For a moment, all I could do was stare.

“This is a dorm room?” I mumbled to myself.

I took a few steps forward and paused in front of another doorway. The light flashed on as I leaned my head inside. The same black hardwood stretched through a beautifully rustic bathroom. The walls were covered in wood, and the shower was made of dark stones. The counter was a pristine white marble. I almost cried at the sight of the bathtub. Maybe this place will be okay after all. Straight across from me was another door, which I knew connected to another dorm. Wait, are there guys in that room? My dreams of long baths would vanish if I had to share the bathroom with guys.

I turned back to the bedroom with a sigh. It was quite the vision. Right beside me was a small suede sofa with a colorful tribal print on it that was begging for me to curl up on it with a good book. Next to that and tucked in the corner was a twin-sized bed with big fluffy white blankets. It was set up a few feet off the ground on a wooden platform, and beneath it were three rows of drawers. But none of that was what took my breath away. It wasn’t even the balcony on the far wall beside my bed, even though that was ridiculously awesome.

No, the coolest part was the other half of the room. It was blatantly obvious that whoever my roommate was, he or she was not a First Year. The bed was also on a wooden platform, but it sat at least five feet in the air. On top, the bed had multicolored sheets and blankets that didn’t seem to match at all yet totally worked. A white hammock hung from under the bed, and I wanted so badly to climb in.

The ceilings were high, so there was plenty of air space, which my roommate had capitalized on to the max. Vintage lightbulbs hung from the ceiling on thin brown ropes. The lights glowed bright yellow, like pure sunshine. I didn’t understand how they were working. There were no cords or electricity. Just then, the bulbs changed from yellow to a dark emerald green. I gasped. What in the hell? Before I could even process that color change, they changed again to hot pink. A wide smile stretched across my face. I had no idea what the colors meant, but I knew the first thing I was asking this mystery roommate.

I love magic.

I glanced around the room and found myself growing more and more curious about my roommate. My first reaction was to assume it was a girl, based on the décor, but I hadn’t seen any other girls in black cloaks. The idea that they’d have co-ed dorms didn’t feel right, plus their entire side of the dorm was covered in flowers, plants, crystals, and candles. I plopped down on the couch and found it was even more comfortable than it looked. Maybe it’s just a really flamboyant guy? That would be fine.

Unfortunately, my roommate was nowhere to be seen, so the mystery would remain for now. I glanced around the room then spotted my suitcase right beside my bed, waiting for me. I cringed with the realization that I had no idea what my mother had packed for me. If they didn’t fit, or if I hated them, I wasn’t sure I had an option of buying new stuff. Especially without a job.

Crap, I better call them. I pulled my cell phone out of my jeans pocket and opened up the phone app. But then I hesitated. Why should I call them? They’d lied to me my entire life. They’d let me think I was a regular human for sixteen years. But why? It didn’t make sense. What could lying to me do to benefit them? Did they think I’d run away and would never come back?

Maybe I should.

My stomach turned. It didn’t make sense, and until I got the answers, I couldn’t walk away. It would only drive me insane. I hit the button to call my mother, except instead of ringing, I got a dial tone, then a robotic voice that said, “No phones for First Years. See the office or your Suit Major for assistance.”

“You’ve got to be bloody kidding me!”

I threw my useless phone onto my bed and leaned back. There was no going out to mingle with the other students. No one inside my dorm to talk to. No phones. And I was assuming that included internet. My mind was far too much of a mess to read a book. Was I really expected to sit here in silence and go to sleep when I had my first day at magic school tomorrow?

I gasped. My classes.

The silver paper shimmered under the light as I read my schedule:

1. Weapons/Combat Training: daily 8-10 a.m. & Fridays 2-3:30

2. Battle Strategies: daily 10:10 – noon

3. Lunch: 12-1

4. Ancient Language: daily 1-2 p.m.

5. Demonology: MW 2:15-3:45 p.m.

6. Magic Wheel: TR 2:15-3:45 p.m.

7. First Year: MW 4-5

8. Coven History: TR 4-5

MY STOMACH ROLLED. Everything I hadn’t eaten today threatened to come back up. I pressed my hands to my stomach and bent over. I had a suspicious feeling my nerves would have me clinging to the toilet all night. Please stay down. Please. I’ll feed you healthy things tomorrow.

The door swung open and slammed against the wall, but before I could look up I heard a female voice yell, “OH MY GODDESS!”

I jumped upright and spun in my seat. The girl who’d entered cursed then gently closed the door behind her. This first thing I noticed was her hair. It was indigo, not quite blue, not quite purple. And it was amazing. She turned and I found myself unsure of where to look first. Her skin had that nice honey tone I always wished mine had. And it looked fantastic combined with the intricate tattoos inked into her left shoulder and arm and rib cage. Her little black top was cropped and showing off her ink. She walked forward, and her silver septum hoop glistened under the lights.

For some crazy reason, this girl reminded me of Tegan.

“OH MY GOD.” She bounced toward me with a huge grin on her face. “Okay. Were you assigned this room?”

I frowned. “Um…yes. Is that a problem?”

She grinned, like the dimples and jaw cracking kind of grin. Without warning, she ran to the sofa tackled me in a big hug. When she pulled back, she laughed and waved. “I’m Lennox Ward, your roommate!”

My eyes widened. “You’re my roommate?”

Lennox squealed and clapped her hands. Her eyes were the craziest shade of yellow-green, and they were sparkling. “I am so excited! Oh my god. I have a roommate! What’s your name?”

“Bettina Blair.”

“That’s so pretty!!” She rolled onto her knees and tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m sorry, I’m just…I can’t believe I have a roommate!”

“Is that not normal?” I gestured toward the hall. “Doesn’t everyone?”

She shook her head and her yellow-green eyes sparkled. “My roommate my First Year hated me because I asked eight hundred million questions a day. Then my second year roommate, Caroline Davenport, hated me because I studied too much. She was a monster, but her father is the Major of New York, so one phone call and I haven’t had a roommate since. That was five years ago. Wait, is this real? You’re not pranking me, right? Right?”

“This is no joke. I am really your roommate.” I chuckled and held up my registration paper. She spoke so fast, yet somehow I managed to follow. “I’m excited I’m not the only girl in Swords.”

“Oh, no, I’m not a Sword. I’m a Wand.” She pointed across the room to where a bright turquoise cloak hung from her bed. “Two years ago, I convinced Headmaster Daniel to let me live in the Sword dorm because they’re not intimidated by my weirdness. Apparently, I’m intense or something and after Caroline’s wrath no one would live with me. But whatever, I want to be Lead Page, so I need to know how to fight anyway, which is what I told Headmaster Daniel.”

I wasn’t sure how a student could sway a Headmaster’s decisions, but it made me like her. “Well, I’m glad neither of us have to live alone. I’m not a monster, I swear.”

She pulled her indigo hair up into a messy bun on top of her head, which made me think of Tegan again. “I’m kind of a weirdo.”

A burst of laughter slipped out of my lips. I covered my mouth, but that didn’t hide it. I put my hand on her forearm and squeezed. “I think we’ll get along fine. You remind me of my best friend back home, actually.”

Her yellow-green eyes watered. “That’s the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me.”

My cheeks warmed. I supposed being told you reminded someone of their best friend was really nice, because obviously that person was very liked and important. I’d meant it when I said it.

“And I saw some of the other dorms as I walked to ours… I definitely think I won the lotto there,” I said.

She gasped, her eyes brightening. “You like? It’s not too much?”

I shook my head and pointed to my new bed. “I need to make my half of the room match. I can’t handle the plain white.”

“Oh my Goddess, yes. Yep.” She clapped her hands, then sobered. “After school tomorrow, let’s go shopping in town. I have to swing by a store anyway. Yeah?”

Just like that, some of the tension in my body loosened. Maybe making friends won’t be so hard here. I smiled and nodded. “That sounds perfect.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BETTINA

I  slid to a stop outside the door to my Weapons and Combat training class. My stomach turned, and I sent a little prayer to whoever was up top to please, please let the remaining contents in my stomach stay in my stomach. In my sleep-deprived, been-puking-all-night mind, I’d somehow been looking at the map upside down. As if my nerves weren’t shot enough already.

Sweat dripped down my spine. My hands were shaky and sweaty. My heart was pounding so hard I couldn’t hear myself think. I looked down at my outfit and prayed I was dressed appropriately. I’d worn a tank top, workout leggings, and my Converses. No one had told me what I was supposed to wear, and it wasn’t on the schedule. But it was combat training, so I figured it had to be like karate—not that I’d ever taken karate before. Ever.

Quit stalling!

I took a deep breath then pulled the door open. The classroom was massive. I’d been picturing something like a school gymnasium, but this was fancy. Hardwood floors as far as I could see. The far wall—well, it wasn’t actually a wall, or maybe it was a door that was just open, but the entire back side of the room was open to the outside. Long tree branches with vibrant green leaves swayed in the breeze. Between me and the opening had to be ten rubber mats, which was the only part of the room I’d expected correctly. Up by the door, directly in front of me, there were a few rows of benches, stadium-seating style.

And they were full of students.

All of whom had spun in their seats to stare at me.

I gulped and pushed my shoulders back as I walked forward. Turned out my new life motto was fake it till you make it. The other students whispered, and my heart sank as I realized they were all guys.

“You’re late,” that all-too-familiar British accent snapped.

Don’t let him get to you. I strapped on my game face. But then I met his stare, and my heart did that weird little flutter again.

All of the fire I’d just been riding cooled, but heat still rushed to my cheeks. “I got lost.”

Jackson narrowed those beautiful aquamarine eyes and watched me for a long time. It was probably only a second or two, but under his sharp gaze, it felt like forever. I forced my eyes away from his and found that to be a terrible decision. He was dressed in all gray, and somehow it made him looker tanner. His tank top fit tightly to his body, doing nothing to hide the ripple of ab muscles beneath. He balled his hands into fists at his sides, and it made the muscles in his arms flex. For a second, my mind went blank.

“You have a map.” Jackson cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “Or perhaps we should tattoo it on your arm with a You Are Here sign so it doesn’t happen again?”

Rage exploded inside me. How dare he talk to me like that. He had no idea who I was or what I’d been through in the last few days. All of the warm fuzzies I’d just been feeling vanished, leaving a cold fury in its place.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Only if it comes in pink.”

Jackson opened his mouth to snap back at me but was cut off by the side door flying open. A tall man with beautiful dark brown skin and piercing orange eyes strolled into the room. Jackson shook his head and spun away, breaking the hypnotic hold he had on me.

“All right, good morning, everyone!” the man said in a deep voice. He was all big muscles and intimidation. “Welcome, First Years. I’m Hewitt, your combat professor. It’s my job to make sure you are trained for both weapons and hand-to-hand fighting to the best of your ability so that upon graduation, you can join the Knights in the war. Now, in order to do that, I have to know where each of you are starting from.”

“A test?” a younger boy in front of me squealed.

“No.” Hewitt shook his head. “I just need to see what you know how to do already. It’s not a test, nor is it graded. I won’t be judging you. In fact, I’m expecting you to not know how to throw a punch correctly. Anything more than that is a bonus. First Years, stay here. Everyone else, outside.”

Hewitt waited for the rest of the Swords students to move over by the big door that led to the outdoors. My jaw dropped. There had to be a hundred of them. I noticed with relief that they were all dressed pretty similarly to me. They either had on leggings or loose gym pants, and not one wore shorts. All wore cotton shirts, in varying shirt lengths. I gave myself a little pat on the back for getting something right. Then again, they all had some kind of boots on.

I frowned and turned to look at all the First Years. We all had sneakers on. Half of us had on jeans—which seemed counterintuitive. But hey, I was in no place to judge.

Hewitt cleared his throat, bringing my eyes back up to where he stood. My scowl deepened. Jackson stood beside him, looking like he wasn’t going anywhere. My stomach turned.

“For the first semester, you First Years will be trained separately from the others, to make sure you’re getting enough individual coaching. These five students”—Hewitt gestured off to the side to where I couldn’t see—“are the top of this Suit. The best we’ve got. They’re going to start your training today.”

Oh, great. Fantastic news. Embarrassing myself in front of a teacher was one thing, but in front of student-teachers? A nightmare.

“You’ve all met your Sword Major, Jackson Lancaster.” Hewitt squeezed Jackson’s shoulder. “He’s in charge if a professor isn’t nearby. Anything you need, talk to him.”

“Unless you need tea,” that other guy from Dean’s party said. The one with the cool tattoos and pretty hazel eyes. He grinned. “Jackson doesn’t share tea. He’s a damn British stereotype. You’ve been warned.”

Jackson glared at him for a second then shrugged. “He’s not wrong.”

Hewitt chuckled and shook his head. He pointed to the guy with tatts. “This is Warner. There’s a reason his name is similar to warned. He’s one of your trainers. Along with Trey…”

“That’s me,” Trey said with a small smile. I recognized him from the party, too, the one with shaggy brown hair and matching eyes.

A girl with long orange-ish-red hair walked over to stand beside Jackson. She had pale skin buried under a sea of dark red freckles, though I thought it was rather pretty. “I’m Erin Ford.” Her light brown eyes were sharp and calculating.

Another guy walked up from the benches. He was a couple inches shorter than me and lean, but his arms were chiseled with muscles. Even his legs— Wait. That…is not a guy? The person had dark brown hair buzzed short, but I realized a second later than I was proud to admit that it was definitely not a guy.

Sure enough, she turned, and I almost gasped. She was beautiful. Her eyebrows were dark and manicured, though something told me the arch in them was natural. She didn’t have on any makeup, but she was definitely one of those lucky girls who didn’t need it. Her thick black eyelashes and full lips stood on their own.

She didn’t smile at all. In fact, she openly glared at all of us. “I’m Genevieve Louis.”

My eyebrows rose, and a smile tugged at my lips. There were girls in my Suit after all. I wasn’t the only one. Girl power, yessss. Maybe I’d be able to get their help. But then they both turned toward me and glared like I’d set their house on fire. Okay…maybe not.

“Jackson will get you guys started, then I’ll be back.” Hewitt nodded then turned and marched toward the other students.

“We’re going to section off based on your experience in combat.” Jackson’s sharp gaze swept over the group of us, practically skipping me altogether. “Raise your hand if you’ve trained in any kind of combat before regularly, meaning any type of martial arts.”

When half of the group raised their hands, my heart sank. What am I doing here?

To my surprise, Genevieve smiled. “Fantastic. Come with me.” She waved her hand for them to follow her to a mat about halfway down the room.

Jackson waited until they were gone, then nodded. “Now raise your hand if you’ve done some training, but not a lot.”

About a dozen people raised their hands.

“Cool. You’re with me,” Erin said and waved them to follow her.

That left about a dozen of us standing here. I wasn’t the only one shifting my weight around and gnawing on my lip. But I was the only one who didn’t have a single arm muscle. That didn’t bode well.

“All right, what do the rest of you know about it?” Jackson turned to the young kid at the far side of the group. “Starting with you.”

The kid, who had to be ten at most, paled. “Um…I took a class last year?”

Jackson nodded, then moved to the next. “You?”

This guy looked my age. He grimaced. “When I was seven, but I don’t remember much. If I’m being honest.”

Jackson didn’t react other than a nod. He turned to the next guy. He went down the line like this, asking each of us inexperienced First Years. In the back of my mind, I knew he wasn’t trying to embarrass us, but I couldn’t quite get that thought to stick. I reached back into my memories, scanning for any kind of karate type of thing, but I was coming up blank. My nerves weren’t helping me think straight.

Far too soon, Jackson turned his gaze to me. “Bettina?”

Why did he say my name? He didn’t say anyone else’s name.

My stomach did flips. I licked my lips and shrugged. “Does watching Jackie Chan movies count?”

Warner threw his head back and laughed. Trey covered his mouth with his hand, but his shoulders bounced as he chuckled. Jackson’s aqua eyes narrowed into little slits. The other First Years standing beside me giggled and nodded.

Warner eyed me suspiciously. “Didn’t you fight a demon yesterday? Dean told us. How’d that go for you?”

“I fell down. A lot.” I sighed. “Lots of screaming, too.”

Warner laughed again. “I like her.”

“The demons will, too,” Jackson growled. “Let’s start with the basics. Everyone get into fighting stance.”

Fighting stance. Think, Bettina. I wasn’t kidding when I said my experience was watching Jackie Chan movies. I tried to picture those scenes in my head, but he always jumped into fights from relaxed positions. It was obvious there was an actual stance I was supposed to be in.

I looked to the guy beside me and copied his pose just as Jackson stopped in front of me. My heart fluttered like the traitor that it was. I slammed my lips closed and breathed through my nose, but that intoxicating scent of pine swept over me.

He looked down at my legs, and it wasn’t because he liked the way they looked. When he looked back up, his aqua eyes were even sharper. “Which hand is your dominant?”

“My right.” And then, because he definitely didn’t know what hands looked like, I wiggled my right hand up in the air.

“Switch your legs. Put the left one in front.” He moved to stand right in front of me, in the pose he wanted me to take, with his left foot forward. He waited until I got into position then gestured in a line from his face down to his hips. “You want to protect yourself. Don’t give your enemy a straight shot to your weak areas. So don’t put your upper body straight out.”

I frowned and turned to the side.

“But face toward me. You’re fighting me.” His words were simple, but they were laced with irritation. “Stay light on the balls of your feet so you can move in any direction you need to.”

I nodded. “Why is my dominant hand in the back?”

He punched his left arm forward, stopping an inch before my face. He hadn’t thrown any force with it; it was just movement. “The front hand is a short jab. It can’t build up much power. But your arm in the back picks up strength and power as you swing it forward, so you want that one to be your strongest hand. Got it?”

I did, in theory.

But I must’ve been doing something wrong because Jackson sighed and shook his head. He turned and walked away, then pointed with that red rose thumb over his shoulder at me. “Warner, handle… that.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

BETTINA

M y back slammed into the ground. Sharp pain shot up and down my spine. My head throbbed. I tried to sit up, but the world spun and I fell back to the mat, which wasn’t near enough cushion for this kind of torture. Every single muscle in my body screamed in protest. Had they ripped all of them off then reattached them? Certainly felt like it. I tried to push my hair back, but I couldn’t pick my arms up off the floor. My body felt like lead. I was a boat being anchored to the ocean floor.

I gave up trying to move. If they wanted me up, they could get over it. Or pick me up themselves, because my body was done. I lay there trying to breathe, my chest heaving with effort. Even still, I couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen in, and it felt like I was breathing through a straw. A coffee straw. My lungs burned with every inhale. Did I even have a single rib still intact? Doubtful.

Something dark hung over me. I blinked over and over until my vision cleared enough to see that it was Timothy leaning over me.

His brown eyes were dark. “You dead?”

“Yes.”

Timothy chuckled, a grin stretching wide above his salt and pepper beard. He held his hand out. “Here.”

Somehow I managed to put my hand in his. Timothy was a big dude, so when he pulled me up, my body went. The second my feet hit the mat, the world wobbled and I swayed. Timothy’s big hands gripped my elbows to steady me.

After a second, he ducked down to meet my eyes. “Better?”

I nodded and the walls spun.

“Okay, maybe let’s sit a bit longer,” Timothy said with a smile. He helped me over to the bench, which was good since my legs were shaking. Once I was seated, he turned and grabbed something off the floor. When he came back, he held two full water bottles in his hands. He held one out for me. “Here, drink this.”

I reached out to take the bottle, and my eyes widened. Half of my forearm was purple. A weird half-cry, half-howl noise came out of me. I yanked my arm back and stared at it in horror. My stomach turned. I looked down at my other arm and found four more bruises—smaller, but still bright purple. My mind replayed all the training we’d done in combat class and then in battle strategies class…and I cringed. I didn’t even want to know how many bruises I had on my legs.

Timothy sat sideways on the bench beside me. “Drink the water. It has a very subtle healing potion in it to help.”

Whatever healing potion was in my water had no taste, and I kind of felt like the toons in Space Jam when Michael Jordan gave them his ‘Secret Stuff,’ but it was actually just water. Then again…that had worked. With a shrug, I chugged more.

When I finished the bottle, I sighed. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. But you need to remember to stay hydrated even in class. None of the teachers will punish you for needing water, okay?” Timothy held up another bottle of water, but before handing it to me, he wrapped his fingers around it. White smoke swirled around his hand, and then the entire thing turned to ice. “Here, put it on whatever hurts. It’ll stay frozen all day.”

My jaw dropped. And then I remembered Timothy was a Card in The Coven. Which I’d learned between classes meant they all had some kind of elemental magic gift. Timothy’s was apparently ice.

“Thank you.” I held the ice to my right wrist and sighed. None of this made sense. I wasn’t a fighter. Four hours of getting my ass kicked should’ve proved it. I glanced around the gym and found that Timothy and I were alone. Everyone else had left.

Timothy frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

I groaned. “Sorry. It’s just…this can’t be right. I can’t be a Sword. There’s no way. It has to be wrong. It has to be.”

“Ah…” Timothy stared at the ground and nodded. “The crystal ball is never wrong.”

“Maybe I need to touch it again? Maybe I was nervous—”

“Exactly, Bettina.” He turned back to look at me, and this time he smiled. “You were nervous. Terrified even, I’d wager, based on the look on your face last night…and yet, you came out a Sword. That is as telling as you’ll get.”

I opened my mouth then shut it again. He made a good point, though I didn’t like it. “But I suck at this. Just look at me!”

Timothy chuckled. “You know, you remind me a lot of our Empress. Like you, she’s sixteen and found out she was a witch this summer. She was not a fighter before joining us. Not by a longshot. She really struggled at the start, even with her magic. She couldn’t make it work for her. But it’s rare that any of this—magic or combat—is natural for someone. The rest of us have to learn. I know it seems bleak right now, but I’d put money that come next semester, you’ll be looking back at this conversation and laughing.”

I groaned. “So you’re saying I shouldn’t touch the ball again?”

“The ball is simply a tool that shows us which Suit we belong in.” He shrugged. “Now, clearly you had the potential to be a Wand, but in the end, your soul is a fighter. However, I’ll make a deal with you…”

“What kind of deal?”

“Give Swords everything you’ve got, really try…and if by Christmas you still feel misplaced, we’ll pay the crystal ball a visit. Deal?” He held his hand out to me.

For the first time that day, I grinned. I shook his hand. “Deal.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

BETTINA

“How is it you’ve been here for years, yet you’re just now in Coven History?”

Lennox sighed and threw her hands up. “Errors were made.”

The second we walked into our next classroom, Lennox and I went straight for the two desks directly in the middle of the front row. It was such a relief to have a friend who cared as much about school as I did. Tegan loved school, but she didn’t care about her grades. She loved learning, to an obsessive degree, but I couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually looked at her report card.

For me, it ran much deeper than that. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life, what made me happy, what I liked…what I was passionate about. I knew I wanted to do something; I just didn’t know what. I knew the answer was there, but I couldn’t see it. As a result, I made it my job to learn everything about anything I could. I wanted to soak it all up like a sponge. One day, I would figure it out, and when that day came, I wanted to have nothing in my way.

Something moved right next to my face. I jumped back…only to find Lennox’s face super close to mine. Her lips were pursed and her yellow-green eyes calculating.

I cleared my throat. “What?”

“You look like you’re having some existential crisis over there.” She frowned. “You okay?”

I chuckled and leaned back in my seat. “Am I really that much of an open book?”

She narrowed her eyes, like she was really considering her answer. “No, but your aura is crazy strong. Most people’s are a feeling, a vibe that you can’t put your finger on. But you? Man, I could paint that shit.”

I blinked a few times, unsure of what to make of that. “Thank you?”

She laughed, but before she could say anything else, a man I hadn’t seen sitting at the desk in front of us got up. He wasn’t tall, probably a couple inches shorter than me, but he had a good size to him. Like a little tank. His brown eyes were intense. I couldn’t decide if the bald head was making him look intimidating, or if it was this aura Lennox had just talked about.

He walked around the big wooden desk then sat on top of it, his legs swinging. Then he smiled. “Hi, guys. I’m Mr. Ruth. I’m going to assume you’re all here because every seat is occupied and no one likes taking attendance. So, if you’re not supposed to be in Coven History right now, then you are definitely in the wrong place. The cool place, but wrong.”

I chuckled. I liked this guy already.

Mr. Ruth stared at the class for a few seconds. “Okay, so, raise your hand if you’re a First Year.”

I held my hand up, and to my relief, all but five students did, too.

“All right, now raise ‘em up if you’re a second year.”

Four of the remaining five raised their hands.

Mr. Ruth nodded. “Raise your hand if you’re Lennox Ward and thought this class was optional, and then tried to convince Headmaster Daniel to let you test out of it.”

Lennox grinned like the Cheshire cat. “I almost had him, just so you know.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Mr. Ruth shook his head and laughed. After a moment, he sobered and rubbed his hands together. “So, I always teach this class in the same way. I start way back at the beginning, when our race was created, then work our way chronologically to the present. However, this year I want to teach you the history as it’s happening.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a threat,” Lennox grumbled.

“You see, everything changed this summer. Things are happening right now that will forever change the state of our world, and I think it’s important for us, as civilians, to understand what’s going on.” He took a deep breath and looked around the class. “But first, let me give you the cheat-sheet summary of what we are and how we came to be.”

I reached down into my backpack and pulled out my notebook and pen.

“Much like the Sapiens—”

“Sapiens?” I frowned.

“Humans. In our ancient language, the word is Sapien,” Mr. Ruth explained. “Much like the Sapiens, everything started when Adam and Eve fell from the Garden of Eden.”

My breath left me in a rush. Whoa, what?

Mr. Ruth chuckled and pointed at me. “Yeah, we’re that old. Adam and Eve, by the way, were humans. So that’s on them.”

The class giggled.

“Anyway, when they fell, it caused a ripple effect and subsequently let evil and darkness seep into our world. It set everything off-balance. In an extremely vague explanation, this is what caused supernatural species to be born. Vampires, werewolves, shifters—all those. Problem is, their presence weakened the veil between Heaven, Hell, and other dimensions.” He held his hands up to ward off questions. “We’ll dig in deeper to all this later, promise. Right, so, with the veil weakened, it allowed spirits to come back, both the harmless from Heaven, and the evil from Hell.”

Like at The Gathering.

“Now, the dimensional wall has always prevented Greater Demons and the Fae Court from entering our realm. Unfortunately, now weaker demons and fairies could get here. As you can imagine, this world was a horrible, dangerous place all of a sudden, and the humans were no match. They were being decimated.” Mr. Ruth stood up from the desk and began pacing in front of us. “The Creator realized Earth needed protection, but knew it was too big of a job to handle by himself—or herself. We’re still not sure.”

I grinned. Yeah, I like him.

“So, The Creator birthed the Goddess and tasked her with the job of controlling the supernatural elements. Except, she couldn’t directly interfere. This is when she created her own species, a species that looked and sounded human and would live amongst them but would be there to protect them.” He pointed to the chalkboard and flicked his wrist a few times…and then words appeared. “She took her own blood, which possessed magical qualities, then mixed it with the blood of humans and that of angels. This species she created are called Arcana, or what we, in modern times, call witches.”

There was a collective gasp.

I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around that. “Wait, hold up. Are you telling me I’m only partially human? And that I have the blood of angels and the Goddess in me?”

Mr. Ruth grinned. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“Wicked.” I leaned back in my seat.

“So, The Goddess created one hundred witches, and these witches were unbelievably powerful, much more so than any of us. But there was chaos. There were too many of them with such strong powers that it was actually counterproductive. The Goddess decided to go back to the drawing board. The second round, she put in more human blood. These witches were like us, gifted with magic and abilities, but not overkill.”

“What happened to the first hundred?” the girl right behind me asked.

“They lived, albeit not very long. Those were dangerous times. Of that first hundred, only twenty went on to have children, and the Goddess required that they mate with humans to help dilute their magic. So there are still descendants of those first twenty. Of course, their identities are not common knowledge among civilians.” He turned back to the board and swung his arms around. The chalkboard went nuts, words appearing all over it. “Once she had the mixture right for civilians, she decided to bless a small group of them with extra powers. Twenty-two of them, to be exact. Long story short, this is where the tarot was invented.”

My mind was exploding.

“The twenty-two major arcana were given the job of being in charge. They ruled the rest of the species. They also protected it. Without them, our species never would have survived. But the Goddess knows from past mistakes that power that extreme must be limited. So there can only be one of each living at the same time. When one Card dies, she Marks the new one—with what we now refer to as Roman numerals—on their left forearms.”

I knew I should’ve been writing this down but all I could do was stare.

“Again, we’re going to dive deep into The Coven and everything they’ve done since they were created. There was so much, guys. So much. You’re going to look at them so much differently when you know what their lives are like.” He sighed and ran a hand over his bald head. “But right now, I want to skip forward to a much more recent time…to the year of 1692.”

I gasped and sat up straight. “Salem.”

“Yes. Exactly. Salem, Massachusetts.” He eyed the class. “Those of you who were raised human, you know the history of the Salem Witch Trials and everything that happened. But what you don’t know is that it was all a bold-faced lie.”

“Oh my God,” I muttered. “Salem was a cover-up?”

Mr. Ruth grinned. “Very good. Yes, it was a cover-up. Now, before I tell you this story, let me preface it by saying there had never, ever been a pair of twin witches. Not even fraternal. It simply never happened…until 1674, when Althea and Aurelia Putnam were born—identical twins. And to make things scarier, they were born with Marks. Now, most Coven members are Marked as teenagers. Very rarely are they born with their Marks. So now, The Coven had twin major arcana Marked as High Priestess and Empress—the two most powerful female witches in the entire Coven. Actually, only one other witch has power parallel to theirs, and that’s the Emperor.”

My heart fluttered with excitement. History had always been a love of mine, but this new version was even more fascinating. I leaned forward and propped my head up on my hands.

“Everything was great…until 1692, and then everything went as bad as it had ever gotten. One of the twins succumbed to darkness and twin went to her side, joining forces.” He sighed and shook his head. “Unfortunately, most of The Coven was killed so the details have been lost, but what is known is that the twins ripped open a gap in the dimensional wall.”

“Wait, you can do that?” some guy in the back asked.

“Honestly? No. No witch has that much power. Not even the entire Coven together could rip it open…but like most things, there’s a loophole. The twins share blood, and essentially are the same person. They were the only ones able to do this. When they did, all hell broke loose, literally. Thousands and thousands of demons came pouring in. Many of our race was killed. In a panic, The Coven killed the twins, only to learn after their deaths that the only way to permanently close that Gap was with the twins. So they did the only thing they could—they put a temporary seal on it.”

“This is where it gets interesting,” Lennox whispered.

“Yeah, not sure The Coven would use that word,” Mr. Ruth said with a chuckle. “When they put their seal on the Gap, the entire composition of the dimensional wall was altered, and as a side effect, hundreds of other, smaller gaps popped open. Not all at once, but over time, and spread out. After The Coven managed to put the temporary seal in Salem, a prophecy showed up, one that is so eloquently called Salem’s Prophecy.”

He pointed to the chalkboard and snapped his fingers. Eight lines of words appeared, written in beautiful script.

Before I could stop myself, I read them out loud. “From the swords new twins are born, a single choice thy Goddess warns. When Powers of Light and Dark combine, beware the time will entwine. Once Samhain’s sunset finds thee well, Invoke thy magic to unlock the spell. By midnight they must make the call, for Coven or demons to rule them all.”

“Whoa, dude. You read that all creepy-like,” Lennox mumbled. “I like it.”

“The Goddess told the Hierophant of that time that she would send the prophecy again, on the summer solstice of the year it was to occur.”

“Wait, what?” I shook my head. “Summer solstice is in June. Samhain is October. That doesn’t leave them very much time.”

“Indeed.” Mr. Ruth shook his head. “Salem’s Prophecy showed up to the Hierophant Cassandra George this past June, on the summer solstice. As you know, today is August 28. The Coven has two months. Right now, eight members of The Coven are inside the Old Lands—”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s basically not part of Earth,” Lennox answered for Mr. Ruth. “It’s another dimension, kind of. Rumor has it that’s where the Garden of Eden is. Most people who go in the Old Lands never come back out, and if they do, they’re messed up psychologically.”

My eyes widened. “Why would they go in there at a time like this?”

“The Coven is in mortal danger every single day.” He shook his head. “And they went because they had to find the lost Book of Shadows, which contains the answers they need. We just have to hope they come back out.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

BETTINA

“So, where are we going?” I asked Lennox as she parked the car.

She’d insisted on taking me out to have some fun and to buy some fun décor for my side of the room so it would feel more like me. We’d gone up to the room to drop our school stuff and so I could change clothes. I wanted to put on something cuter, but when I opened my suitcase, I discovered I didn’t have any cuter clothes. After throwing everything out of the bag my mom packed, I had the sudden, sinking realization that all the fun stuff I used to wear was actually Tegan’s.

Lennox looked feisty and funky in her black crop top and high-waisted black velvet pants that flared out wide under the knee. Then again, she always was going to have an edge to her style with all her tattoos and piercings—not to mention the indigo hair. My outfit did not measure up. The best I could do was my faded blue jean cut-off shorts and a black long-sleeved shirt that I wore to cover up the bruises that hadn’t healed. And my white Converses.

“Downtown.”

Turned out Eden was more than just our school. A whole community lived here. Downtown was a few minutes’ drive from campus, and it was pretty much like any other town. Restaurants, stores, movie theatres, all that stuff. It was definitely not Charleston in size, but it packed the same kind of charm.

The two-lane street was lined with pine trees and red brick sidewalks. Mountains stood like skyscrapers all around us. Each storefront was either red brick or cobblestone, with lots of greenery and flowers hanging around.

I sighed. “Well, I love it here.”

“I knew you would.” Lennox chuckled and stopped beside me. “So I’m taking you in a few of my favorite shops, but first, I need to stop in Nicki’s real quick.” She grabbed my wrist and dragged me inside the store closest to us.

“Hey Lennox.” A petite turquoise-haired girl waved from the counter in the back. “A walk-in beat you here, but Nicki said this guy would be super quick. So hang tight.”

It was a tattoo shop. My jaw dropped. The walls, floor, and ceiling were black. There were two red sofas up by the bay window to my right. All along the walls were white boards with samples of tattoos on them. There were only two counters and it seemed like they had jewelry inside, but they were too far away.

“Sorry Nicki wasn’t ready. He should be done soon.”

“You know, I’m kind of surprised by there being a tattoo shop here.” I frowned. “Though I don’t know why.”

“Ah, well, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill human ink joint. Nicki was a Wand, and he specializes in ink and piercings that have charms and spells.” She plopped onto a sofa and pointed to the silver hoop hanging from her septum. “For example, this nose ring has a charm on it that so long as I have this on, I will never lose or misplace my wand. Then this gold hoop here on my bottom lip will detect if there’s anything funky in my food or drinks, like drugs, poison, or shady potions. Oh, and the little gold studs right on this little ear flappy thing plays music, like built-in headphones. Oh, oh, and my tongue piercing wards off hexes.”

My jaw dropped. “Are you serious? I didn’t know this was a thing!”

“Yeah, it’s sick. Last year, I took my first beauty charms class. I’m in the next level one this year, and it’s so cool.”

“Are there magic tattoos, too?”

“Shit yeah. They’re badass.” She held out both her arms to show me the intricate ink work on her skin that went all the way up to her shoulders. Most of it was black and white, but there were little splashes of color. “So, the trees on my right bicep? With all those green leaves? Well, that tatt will reflect the seasons around me. If it’s snowing out, my ink trees will have snow on ‘em. These flowers across my chest? Well, they only bud at certain times. I’ve got tatts of nocturnal animals that only show up at night. Then on the inside of my wrist is a tattoo that tells me the time, because I hate wearing watches.”

I shook my head. “I…I don’t even know what to say.”

This was wild. Tattoos that had a function. Now that was something I could get into. My parents threatened to ground me for life if I ever got a tattoo, but maybe they owed me something in return for sixteen years of lies.

“What are you getting done today?” I asked.

“I’m getting an ear piercing that will translate whatever I’m hearing into my language. And a lip piercing that will translate my words in another language. I want to be able to visit my brother in Paris next month.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, but I saw the glistening in her eyes. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she pointed to something. “Oh my God.”

“What?” I followed her gaze to the street, but I didn’t see anything. “What is it?”

“That black pickup truck over there belongs to Jackson Lancaster. That means he’s down here somewhere. Maybe we’ll run into him.” She groaned and fanned herself. “Did you meet him yet? Wait— Holy shit. You’re a Sword. He’s the Sword Major. You had to have met him.”

I groaned, but for entirely different reasons. Well, not entirely. Just hearing his name sent my pulse into a tailspin. With a sigh, I sat beside her. “Yeah, we’ve met.”

Lennox smacked my arm playfully. “Spill it. He’s only the most popular guy at school, and like every girl’s dream catch.”

I leaned back against the couch. “I met him Friday night at Dean Hoover’s party, before I knew I was a witch. I mean, I saw him and like… I think he’s the most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen. Like…he’s…he’s…. Damn it, he’s perfect. And then he spoke, and he has that British accent. Lennox, it’s awful.”

Her yellow-green eyes flashed. “Whyyyyy? I would kill to have an excuse to be near him.”

“My brain just shuts off around him. And my body is a damn traitor, being all attracted to him. You know, he was so nasty to me at the party.” I sighed and shook my head. “When that Ouija board went nuts and tried to kill us all, he came storming in to save the day, but he couldn’t say a single word to me. Like, I don’t know, maybe ‘don’t have a panic attack’ or ‘do you need someone to drive you home so you don’t hit anything on your way because you’re thoroughly freaked the hell out?’.”

“Well, he’s infamous for being quiet. He’s the brooding type for sure, but everyone says he’s pleasant once he talks to you.”

Pleasant? HA!

Lennox pursed her lips. “Then what happened when you got to Edenburg?”

I rolled my eyes. “The second I got on stage for the crystal ball, he glared at me, then when it said Swords, you would’ve thought I murdered his family by the look on his face. You know every other First Year sorted into Swords got a handshake and a hello. But no, not Bettina. Then after, he was super mean to me. I thought maybe he’d be over it by today, but no. If anything, it was worse. For four hours this morning, he was a complete and total asshole to me. He even refused to train me.”

Lennox covered her mouth and laughed. “Girl, you got it bad already.”

I wasn’t sure why, but I jumped to my feet and started pacing. “I can’t, Lennox. I can’t like him like this. It’s just a stupid crush, and it’s only about his looks, and the ab muscles he can’t hide in his tight T-shirts. And those eyes… Have you been to the Caribbean? I haven’t but his eyes might match the ocean down there. Dear God, do you hear me? I’m pathetic.”

“Are you sure you dislike him?”

“Yes. Definitely. Kinda. Maybe. Okay, I’m trying, all right?” I groaned and tugged at my hair. “He’s so mean to me, Lennox.”

“Okay, let’s go over everything he’s said to you. Then we reevaluate and see if he was, in fact, being a jerk or if he was just being British.”

“Yeah, what’s the deal with that anyway? He’s British. Don’t they have school for witches over there?”

Lennox shrugged. “Well, they did, when Eden was in England.”

I frowned. “Eden was in England? Say what?”

“Yeah, so, the location of Eden can change. It has loads of times, and for a variety of reasons. It used to be in Europe for like a long time. Salem Massachusetts was the first location in the States. After that all went down, The Coven moved Eden here.” Lennox narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “You don’t know that story, do you?”

“What story?”

“Girl.” Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. “So, for a long-ass time, The Coven ran the world, like even the human world. The monarchs and other royals were mixed in with us. They thought it was the best way to keep both races safe. Yada, yada, yada. But then came the House of Lancaster in England—”

“Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying Jackson Lancaster is related to the House of Lancaster? The ones that led to the Yorks and then the Tudors?” I asked. When Lennox nodded, my jaw dropped. House of Lancaster’s symbol was a red rose. Jackson has a red rose tattoo.

Lennox chuckled. “Yeah, it’s wild. So anyway, you probably learned about the Hundred Years War in your human history classes, but the truth is that was the war with Lilith—the mother of all demons. The only reason we won finally was because the Archangel Michael came down and lent us his sword. Except the guy who had it refused to give it back after they won. He used some kind of spell and like, hid it or something, claiming that Lilith would be back. Obviously, Michael was pissed. He cursed the entire bloodline. Every single one of the witches related to that guy at the time lost their magic instantly. And no one has been born with it since then.”

I stared at her for a long second. She’d just dropped a whole lot of information on me. “Who…who was the guy?”

“King Henry IV, from the House of Lancaster.”

“WHAT?”

“Yeah. Crazy, right?” Lennox nodded and leaned back. “After that, The Coven stepped aside and let humans rule the world, which is when the House of York took over. Eden was eventually moved, then again to Salem—just like every other European. But the point is, Jackson Lancaster is the first person in his bloodline to be born with magic since the year 1413. The only one.”

“How though? Like, why him?”

Lennox shrugged. “No one really knows. But his parents shipped him here when he was like six.”

Wow. I opened my mouth to say something about how much pressure that must be for him when a door hidden in the wall in front of me suddenly opened…and Jackson Lancaster walked out. Oh god. Oh no. Please, just go. My body lit up like a firework. Heat rushed through my veins. My brain went into panic mode, the kind where it just shut down and curled into a ball. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. My chest burned from the lack of oxygen.

He looked so good, too, in his dark jeans and a gray V-neck T-shirt, which was stupidly attractive. It was basic at its core yet my body thought he was on the cover of GQ. His nostrils flared and his top lip snarled. With sharp, heated eyes, he looked me up and down, then down again, his gaze lingering on my bare legs for a second.

Then he leaned closer. “Shouldn’t you be at school training, or do you take pride in your weakness?”

“Okay, back off, Lancelot. It’s my first day.” Asshole. And I was just feeling sorry for him?

“And your work ethic is inspiring already,” he snapped, his words curling with his accent. “Let me guess, getting a tattoo that says ‘role model?’”

That heat I felt turned volcanic, and I did nothing to keep it in. “Yeah, and I’ll put it on my middle finger, just for you.”

His aquamarine eyes flashed. “I beg your pardon,” he growled.

I crossed my arms over my chest to stop myself from reaching out and touching him. “Then. Beg.”

We stared at each other. Neither of us spoke or moved. The Christmas-y scent seeped into my lungs, trying to break me down from the inside out. My heart pounded. My body yearned to reach out and grab him. The air around us sizzled and popped. My chest burned, and I knew I wasn’t breathing. Suddenly, Jackson growled then stormed out of the store.

Lennox was pale and slack-jawed. Her eyes were wide. She shook her head and tried to fight a smile. “Girl, what did you do? I’ve never seen him act like that.”

I was a mess. My body felt like I’d just done a triathlon. My mind was mush. What was wrong with me? Why would I say that to him? OH GOD.

A horrible, awful thought popped into my head. He’d been in the room right next to where we sat talking…while I was talking about him. This could be catastrophic. It was bad enough he didn’t think I was worthy of being a Sword, but if he knew I had a crush on him…that would be mortifying.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

BETTINA

“Whoa, dudette, that is the sickest bruise I’ve ever seen,” Freddy said as he leaned over my arm to inspect all my purple and blue spots.

George giggled. “You look like a leopard.”

“You know, I’m gonna take that as a compliment.” I grinned down at my two young friends, the first two people I’d met here.

We were all sitting on the grass, cross-legged in the middle of a lush courtyard while waiting for class to begin.

Freddy frowned and cocked his head to the side. “Are they just on your arms?”

I shook my head. “They’re everywhere. I’m what you’d call gravitationally challenged.”

George threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad I’m a Wand.”

“I’m jealous.”

“I wonder if there’s a spell or something to prevent bruises.” Freddy’s frown deepened. “You should ask Harlan the Wand Major. I bet he knows.”

“Or that girl in our class, the cool one—”

“Oh! Lennox!” Freddy grinned and nodded. “Yeah, she’s the one to ask. She’s got all kinds of charmed tatts and piercings. I bet she’d know for sure.”

I smirked. These were really nice kids. I liked them a lot. “Actually, Lennox is my roommate. But that’s a great idea. I’ll ask her and let you know.”

The two brothers looked at each other and high-fived. I chuckled.

“All right class, thank you for following me outside. It’s just too gorgeous out today to be indoors,” our professor Ms. White said. Or Mona, as she’d requested we call her. In the afternoon sunlight peeking through the courtyard trees, her hair looked completely white, but inside the classroom it was actually blonde. “Welcome to First Years class. Today, you’re going to learn how to use your magic.”

I gasped and sat up straight. This is what we were here for. To learn magic. I was both nervous and excited. Part of me was still convinced my being here was a total mistake altogether. I needed to see this magic I supposedly had.

“I want you all to close your eyes and push your thoughts to the back of your mind.” Mona said in a soft voice, almost hypnotic. “Then I just want you to open up your other senses to what’s around you. And breathe.”

I closed my eyes and let the darkness wrap around me. Senses, senses. Open your senses. I took a deep breath, soaking in the smell of fresh-cut grass and trees, of flowers in the distance. In the distance, birds chirped and squirrels jumped from branch to branch. Water rippled nearby. It was so peaceful and serene.

A gust of wind swept over my face, carrying the scent of pine trees. My body tensed. Oh no. I knew that smell. My eyes flew open without my approval just as dark figures emerged from within the trees. They were cast in shadow, but I knew for certain he was one of them. I felt it in the thumping of my pulse and the butterflies in my stomach. It was like my body recognized him before I did.

“Now feel the energy around you,” Mona said softly. “Feel it floating through the air and washing over your body. Then reach out and try to touch it.”

Goose bumps broke out across my skin, brushing against my clothes.

Jackson marched forward, his gaze on the dagger in his hand.

I felt the air around me tingle, tickling my skin. And then a blast of electricity slammed into my chest. I gasped. My pulse skyrocketed. The hairs on my arms stood tall. Adrenaline rushed through my veins.

Jackson’s shoulders tensed. His gaze shot up and instantly found mine. I swallowed roughly but couldn’t peel my eyes off of him. For a moment, he just stared back. With every fleeting second he looked at me, my body began to unravel. I had no idea what face I was making, but all of a sudden he gave me a death glare to rival all death glares. His lip curled up in a snarl. He shook his head and looked away, then practically sprinted away from me.

I squeezed my eyes shut. It’d been almost twenty-four hours since the tattoo parlor incident—as I was now calling it—and Jackson hadn’t spoken to me all day. Which, considering we had four hours of Swords training together, was definitely intentional. He’d gone around to every other First Year and gave them pointers. He’d been kind and patient with them.

Not that I’d been watching. Because I hadn’t. At all. Nope.

“This same energy that you’re feeling all around lies deep down inside you. You just have to pull it out.” Mona ’s voice grew weaker and then stronger, like she was walking around the group. “I want you to put your hands in your laps, palms up. Picture your magic as a river coursing through your veins. Now push, force that river into your arms and out through your hands. Push it into your hands. Okay, open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes and frowned. Little murmurs and gasps erupted around the group. I glanced over my shoulder, and my jaw dropped. Each of my classmates had little swirling balls of smoke in their palms. It was a light gray but mostly translucent. They lifted their hands and played with their magic.

How did they do that so easily? I looked down at my empty hands, and my heart sank. I’d felt that river and the energy floating around, but I just couldn’t seem to get it to come out of me.

“Bettina?” Mona walked around then dropped to her knees in front of me. “Go ahead. Try again.”

You hear that? Don’t quit. Try again. I smashed my lips together and squeezed my eyes shut. Just like last time, I dug inside of me and felt the energy. It was there, buzzing and pulsing with life of its own.

“That’s it. You’ve got it. I can feel it,” Mona said softly. “Now push it out.”

I tried but nothing was happening. The energy just bounced around like a trapped bird in a window. I groaned.

“You’ve done this before, Bettina,” Mona whispered. “With the Ouija board and the demon in the bathroom. You’ve pushed your magic before. Try to visualize what it looked like then.”

I bit my bottom lip and forced myself to think back to that bathroom, ignoring the alarm going off that my professors clearly knew more about us than I realized. Focus, Bettina. What did I see? She’d said I used magic, but I hadn’t. I’d tripped and screamed. The mirror shattered, and the toilets and sinks exploded. I’d used my backpack as a shield— Oh. I saw it now, the moment when I held the bag up and a cloud of pink mist swirled around it.

My mind filled with that pink smoke until it was all I saw. I pictured it coiling down my arms to my fingers. I pushed from deep down in my gut.

“LOOK!”

I gasped and opened my eyes. It wasn’t much, but there in my palms was a cloud of pale pink mist. It looked like pink chalk had exploded. My heart fluttered. I had magic. It wasn’t a lot, or anything worth bragging about, but it was there. I grinned then looked up into my professor’s purplish brown eyes.

She gave me a small smile. “Good job. Your magic feels quite recessed, but it’s there. We’ll work on getting it out until it’s easy, okay?”

I nodded. There was concern in her eyes that I didn’t like. I was the only person in the class who couldn’t get my magic to come out, aside from a pathetic little cloud. But right now, the only thing that mattered was that I had magic.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

BETTINA

Erin’s long wooden practice sword swung past my face, and then my back slammed into the mat. Pain shot down my spine and into my legs. How did I get on the ground again?

“Again,” Jackson barked.

I rolled over and pushed myself back up to my feet. My chest was tight. Oxygen burned a path down my throat with every breath. Every bone in my body screamed in protest. But I wasn’t about to show weakness in front of Jackson. I was doing enough of that just by sucking at fighting.

Genevieve bent over and picked up my wooden practice sword from where it had landed a minute ago, then she tossed it straight at my head. I tried to catch it, but it hit my forearm and crashed back to the mat. Genevieve rolled her hazel eyes. The silver earrings stacked all the way up her ears somehow made her look more intimidating.

I bent over and picked my weapon up, then got into the fighting stance Jackson had taught me on day one. The wooden practice sword was heavy, too heavy. My right shoulder was tight and losing mobility. My right arm was practically numb. But I had to keep going. I might not have been the best, but I wasn’t a quitter. I adjusted my grip on the wooden hilt and rolled to the balls of my feet. I nodded.

“Stay on your feet this time, Bettina,” Jackson said with a growl.

What a shocking idea, Lancelot.

I focused on my opponent, Erin. She was the picture of ease. Even her long red hair hung around her shoulders without hindering her in any way. With a sassy arch to her eyebrow, she prowled toward me, tossing her sword back and forth between hands.

Erin leapt forward without warning, swinging her wooden sword over her shoulder and down toward my throat. I used both hands to swing my weapon up and block her strike. But it didn’t slow her down a bit. She attacked me furiously and without mercy. Wood slammed against wood in rapid succession. I was just feeling proud of myself for staying up so long when she chopped her weapon in a sharp arc, hitting my wrist and making my hand go numb. My wooden piece crashed to the ground. I shook my hand out just as something hard slammed into the back of my calves…and then my feet were swept out from under me.

I had a brief second to prepare myself emotionally for yet another fall as my Converses came into view. When my shoulders hit the mat, my body curved and sent my feet flying over my head as I rolled. I landed facedown…on my stomach.

“Again,” Jackson snapped. He narrowed his eyes at me. “If you can’t beat someone your own size, how do you expect to beat a demon?”

A handful of sarcastic responses rolled over my tongue, but I kept silent.

It was Friday afternoon. I just had to survive another few minutes, and then I’d have two days when I’d be free of moving. Literally. I was planning on becoming a potato. Just a bit longer.

Erin flipped her red hair over her shoulder and sashayed her way over to Jackson. She was really putting on a show for him. When she got there, she batted her eyelashes then looked over to me and glared. “I can’t have homicide on my record. One of you take this one.”

Jackson sighed and shook his head. He turned toward Gen. “You’re up.”

Gen sauntered over to me then pressed her big, heavy boot into my hip and rolled me onto my back. She stood over me, her feet on either side of my body, and pointed her wooden sword at the base of my throat. She held it there for a second then rolled her eyes. Her top lip curled back in disgust. “No one is impressed by this pathetic excuse for a spar. Tap. Out.”

I groaned. Tapping out was for quitters. What? What am I saying? Don’t be dumb, Bettina. I was exhausted and would probably need the entire weekend to heal all the soreness. But staying in this state and trying to fight would get me injured. For real. I cursed and tapped my open palm on the floor three times.

“Finally, she grew a brain,” Genevieve all but growled. She stepped off of me then sauntered away. “Come on, Erin. Let’s have a real practice over here.”

“Maybe you should visit the crystal ball on your way to the shower,” Erin snapped, then spun and followed Genevieve out of my line of sight.

Ouch. She was right, yet it still hurt. I needed to ask that ball what happened, but I’d also promised Timothy I wouldn’t yet. I rolled back onto my stomach then slowly, very slowly, got up on my hands and knees. Jackson made a sound, so I looked up and found him glaring at me like I’d just murdered his best friend.

He shook his head, and his golden bronze hair swayed. “If this had been a real battle, you would’ve killed the entire team. You will get better, even if I have to drill it into you seven days a week on these mats without a break.” Without another word, he turned and stormed away.

Asshole. I had no idea why I thought he was so hot. He was awful and mean. But over my dead body was he going to win one over on me. I refused to be the weakest link. It was time I took matters into my own hands. I was going to the library to research everything and anything about martial arts. If no one was going to teach me, then I’d teach my damn self.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

BETTINA

“L ennox, I’m not going to the lake.”

“Come on, Tina! Everyone else is going.”

Tina. I tried to hide my smirk at her nickname for me. It was cute. But then her words registered. I rolled my eyes. “Everyone else isn’t failing miserably at school. I need to study. I need to—”

Lennox closed my laptop, but kept her fingers on the cover. “Tina, you’ve been a witch for a week. You spent the last two days studying. There’s a scary real chance the apocalypse starts on Samhain, and then all this studying won’t matter. So give yourself a damn break.”

I stared up at her. “You don’t know what this is like for me—”

“You’re right. I have no idea what it’s like to find out I’m a witch and then a mere few hours later be enrolled in the academy for witches. Or what it’s like to be sorted into a Suit that isn’t coming naturally, or what it’s like to not be able to conjure magic. You’re right.” Lennox sat down on my bed across from me. “I can’t imagine how overwhelming this is for you, but stressing yourself out is not going to help you.”

I pursed my lips, prepared to fight back, but I struggled to find the words.

“Tina, you will get better. But in the meantime, you need to just breathe.” She stood and walked to her dresser, then glanced over her shoulder. “Besides, you’ve got a crush on a boy and it seriously needs to go. What better way to do that than to meet all the other guys on campus?”

I opened my mouth then shut it. She had a point. There was no reason to deny I had a crush on Jackson Lancaster, but she’d now seen firsthand how much he hated me. I had to get over him; it was a self-preservation kind of thing. “I’m covered in bruises—"

“I’ve got a healing potion that’ll remove them.” She dangled a little white bikini from her fingers. She turned to me with a grin and tossed it into my lap. “I got you, Tina. Now get dressed.”

THIRTY SHORT MINUTES LATER, we were pulling into a parking spot. I couldn’t see the lake, but I heard music blaring, people yelling, and I was pretty certain I smelled BBQ. I wasn’t ready to admit it out loud, but I was glad Lennox forced me out. And not just to try and get over Jackson, though just the idea of that lifted some of the stress inside of me.

I climbed out of the car and inspected myself in her car’s reflection. My blonde hair was wild from the car ride over, thanks to her T-top not having windows or a roof. I was hoping the crazy waves had that beachy vibe, and not the I-just-rolled-out-of-bed vibe. My eyes looked tired, and my skin was all flushed.

My borrowed bikini top was a white lace halter and had a thick band around the bottom, so it made my chest look bigger than I’d ever seen it. I wasn’t flat chested, but I was far from top heavy. Surprisingly, this top gave me a little more confidence than I was used to. Or maybe that was the prospect of getting over Jackson. I gave myself a last look-over in the reflection. I had on my jean shorts, but Lennox hadn’t let me put a real shirt on. She’d said my bikini top looked hot, and it would be a great way to meet new guys. It was so not me, but at this point, I was desperate.

Lennox walked around the car then stopped in front of me. She held out her iPhone. “Use my phone. Call your bestie. Cheer yourself up. Then join me. I’ll be straight down the path waiting for you.” She winked and walked away.

I only hesitated a few seconds before I dialed Tegan’s number. It rang and rang and rang before her voice mail picked up. My heart sank. I hadn’t gotten a chance to call her before my cell phone became inoperable, so if she’d called, I had no idea. I’d thought about borrowing a phone to call her, but I wasn’t sure what I would even say. They’d made it abundantly clear to us that telling humans was strictly forbidden. And I was a terrible liar, especially to Tegan. She’d see through it in an instant.

Still, when the voice mail beeped for me to leave a message, I found myself talking anyway. “Hey, Tegan. It’s Bettina. Long story, but my phone isn’t working right now. This is my friend’s phone, so when you get this, can you call me back here? Um…okay. Talk to you later.”

I sighed and hung up the phone. It was probably for the best, but it still sucked. Now that I had a working phone in my hand, I really wanted to talk to someone from my life, from before. My parents would’ve loved to hear from me, but I had nothing nice to say to them. If they hadn’t kept all of this from me, then maybe I’d have been more like Lennox—powerful and totally comfortable in my own skin. My chest grew tight and burned like I’d eaten too fast. Just thinking about them gave me anxiety.

And then a face popped into my head and I smiled. I dialed the phone number and waited.

It rang three times before a soft, familiar voice answered. “Hello?”

I smiled. “Hi, Benny.”

“BETTINA!” he screamed. “How are you? I miss you.”

My heart swelled with more than one emotion. Tegan’s little brother had always felt like my little brother, too. I missed him almost as much as I missed my best friend. “I miss you, too.”

“So, you want to talk to her, don’t you?” he asked suddenly, his voice serious.

“I would love to.”

He sighed. “She’s not here. My mom took her and my other sister away for a girls’ weekend. So they could get to know each other. It’s probably going horribly. Tegan isn’t into girly things.”

Other sister. Sometimes I forgot that Tegan had a stepsister she’d never met.

I chuckled. Tegan wasn’t into stereotypical girly things. “I adore you. Convince your dad to let me move down there with you, will ya’?”

“I’ll work on it!” He laughed and then I heard someone yell his name in the background. “Oh, my uncle is here. I gotta go. But I’ll talk to my dad, okay? And I’ll tell Tegan you called as soon as she gets back.”

“Thanks. Behave yourself, mister.” With a smile, I hung up. Weird thing was, I no longer wanted to move down there with her. I may have been sucking at being a witch, but I was a witch. I wanted to stay here, but I just wanted to be better.

“Well, that didn’t take long.”

I gasped and spun around to find Jackson Lancaster standing a few feet behind me. My pulse did that stupid flutter thing it did every time he was around. I tucked my hair behind my ears only to see my fingers trembling. “What didn’t take long?”

He narrowed those gorgeous aquamarine eyes. The longer strands of his golden bronze hair ruffled in the breeze. In the midday sun, his skin was lusciously tanned. “Four days and you’re begging to leave already? Guess I was right. You’re a quitter. You just want to go back to your princess life where everything goes your way.”

I felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice cold water on me. “You need to mind your own business.”

“My business is to turn a Barbie doll into a soldier,” he said with that infuriatingly sexy accent that did things to my insides. “All I’ve got so far is wasted time and a dented mat.”

“You’re a real piece of work, Lancelot,” I snapped and took a step toward him. “You may have the entire school fooled into thinking you’re some nice guy, but I see you. You think you know me? You think you can eavesdrop on my private conversation and then judge me for it? You think you can judge me based on my looks? Guess I was right. You’re an asshole.”

He growled and stepped forward. His cheeks were flushed pink. The air pulsed around him. “You know nothing about me.”

“Right back at you, Lancelot.” I stepped forward, my hands in fists at my sides. “You better hurry. I think that high horse you rode in on is getting away.”

“Only a true princess would recognize a high horse.” His lips curved up into a sinister smirk. “Careful. I think your tiara is slipping.”

Without another word, he spun and stormed away…leaving me gasping for air. I stumbled back and braced myself on Lennox’s car. He thought I was a waste of time. He thought I was useless, a damsel in distress. He thought I’d never become a soldier. Well, challenge accepted.

CHAPTER TWENTY

BETTINA

T  he second I walked into First Year class, I knew I was in trouble. Standing right behind our professor, Mona, were the four Suit Majors.

Cheryl Cole, the Pentacle Major, looked like a blonde Ariana Grande with glasses: short, petite, and rocking a high ponytail. Next to her was Marcia Landry, Cups Major. This girl was definitely the type to wear a shirt saying Free Hugs. Beside her, but leaning against the teacher’s desk, was Harlan Scott, Wand Major. His dirty blond hair was long and shaggy, but not in a gross way. More like he spent every day on the beach.

I pursed my lips and eyed him. He was hot. And I liked his vibe—very laid back and easy going. Why can’t I be into him? Maybe I still can be? Maybe I needed to be proactive in my hunt to get over Jackson. I sighed. That wasn’t exactly how love was supposed to go. Not that I was in love with Jackson, but whoever I fell for, it should’ve started with an emotion or attraction and not logical thinking. Right? It had to. I took a deep breath and forced my gaze away from Harlan—and landed on Jackson.

His aquamarine eyes were locked on me and narrowed. An explosion of butterflies filled my stomach. I stared at the ground then practically sprinted to my seat and gripped the chair. Why was he still watching me? Did I have something on my face or a ketchup stain on my shirt? He hadn’t spoken to me since Labor Day, which was two days ago. I squirmed in my seat. With his eyes on me, I couldn’t think straight. He needed to look away before I did something stupid like look back.

The final bell rang, and then Mona walked up to the front of the class. “Today we’re making talismans. Each witch needs a working tool that is created just for them, charged to be what that witch needs. What your talisman is depends on your Suit. Wands, you’ll be making wands. Cups, you’ll be making chalices. Swords, yours are swords. Pentacles, yours are amulets.”

My jaw dropped. I’m making a sword today?

“Now, this is a sacred ritual that has to be done in specific ways,” Mona continued as she paced across the front of the class. “By now you’ve noticed your Majors standing behind me. You’re going to go with them to make your talisman. All right, Swords, follow Jackson.”

I’d rather not.

But I stood anyway, knowing it was a hopeless thought. About a dozen of us followed Jackson like little baby ducks. He didn’t speak or even look back to make sure we were there. He just led us out of the building, past the Swords training facility, and went around the back to where a small wooden cabin-like building sat nestled between some oak trees. Timothy stood in front of the doors with his hands behind his back. He looked like a lumberjack in his red flannel shirt, and it brought a smile to my face.

As we approached him, he smiled and gave us a nod. He waited for Jackson to take his flank, then looked out to us. “This talisman you’re about to make should be your most sacred possession. It will be a sword to use in combat, but it will have specific qualities made only for you. This weapon will aid you in more ways than one. Inside you’ll find every single type of sword imaginable. Think of them like blank keys. You’re going to walk around, hold them, swing them around, do the hokey-pokey if you need to. But you’re going to find one that calls to you.”

“How will we know?” someone in the front asked.

“It’s different for everyone, but you should feel or see something.” Timothy gestured behind him. “Now, once you find your blade, you’re going to take it to the bowl, recite the spell, then dip it into the holy water to transform it into your talisman. Okay, let’s get started.”

Timothy and Jackson turned in unison, then pulled the doors open. I followed my classmates inside, ignoring the smell of Christmas as I walked past him. This was too important to let him get in my head.

When I got inside, I froze. My jaw dropped. On the outside, the cabin had been small, maybe eight feet tall, but inside it had to be three stories high. Each of the four walls was lined with swords of every size and shape. The bronze color of the metal glistened in the sunlight pouring through the glass ceiling. On each wall, there were two ladders that slid up and down so people could climb to the weapons higher up.

It was a library of swords.

I took a few steps farther in then spun in a circle. My classmates looked like Black Friday shoppers at four in the morning as they searched in a panic. I shook my head. Rushing around just didn’t feel right in here. There was a serene energy floating around us that I didn’t want to disturb.

“Oh my God.”

When I turned toward the sound, I found one of my classmates holding a short sword in both hands. A golden spotlight shined down on him from above. He grinned and looked at his weapon like it was his newborn baby. Timothy and Jackson rushed over.

I walked away before the sound of Jackson’s voice could ruin the peace of the moment. I just needed to try some weapons on until one clicked. I moved down the right wall, but all of the weapons there were types of daggers. They were probably a great weapon to own, but if I were going to use this to fight demons, I wanted a little more distance between it and me. I shuddered as the memory of that eight-armed demon flashed through my mind.

Focus, Bettina. I moved on to the next wall but found the opposite problem. These were all ridiculously long. I might have been tall enough for one, but I seriously doubted I had the arm strength to wield one. Two lights flashed in front of me as two more First Years found their weapon. Frustrated, I turned to scope out the opposite wall when I noticed the pedestal in the center.

It was beautiful, sitting in the brightest ray of sunlight. On top, the pedestal was a bowl, holding inside it the deepest, darkest royal blue I’d ever seen. Holy water. I walked over to get a closer look but stopped short. There was a ring of what looked like salt surrounding the pedestal. Over to my left, the little circle was open, though I got the distinct impression we weren’t supposed to step inside until told to do so.

One of my classmates cursed. I looked up, prepared to yell at him for being so disrespectful when something caught my eye. I frowned. A little ball of white light hovered in front of my face. I glanced around to see if anyone else noticed it, but no one was paying any attention to me. The orb seemed to be waiting for me. I couldn’t have said how I knew that either. It was just an instinct. I licked my lips then nodded at the light.

It bounced then shot across the room to the far corner. Unable to curb my curiosity, I hurried to follow the glowing orb. When I got over there, it dropped down to circle my right hand, floated over to the wall…and landed on a bronze sword about the length of my arm. It was narrow at the top, with an angled guard at the bottom of the hilt. The blade was long and curved slightly, but the tip narrowed into a sharp point.

With a shaky hand, I reached out and grabbed the hilt. I gasped. The second my skin touched the metal, warmth rushed up my arm. It tingled a little, but not uncomfortably. Something in the air around me shimmered. I felt light on my feet. I smiled and gave the sword a test swing. When I pulled it back, my eyes widened. Pink mist wrapped around my hand and the hilt of the sword.

“A falchion,” Timothy’s deep voice said softly from right behind me.

I spun with my heart in my throat. “Is that bad?”

He shook his head, and there was a slight smile on his face. “It’s a wonderful weapon. There’s only one person in Edenburg with a falchion talisman right now.”

“Let me guess. You?” I grinned and adjusted my hold on the hilt.

“No, not me.” He arched one eyebrow then pointed across the room to where a pair of aquamarine eyes were watching us. “Jackson.”

We chose the same sword. I had no idea what that meant, but I didn’t like the way it made my pulse beat all weird and irregular. It’s not cute. It’s not. He’s an ass. I don’t like him.

I don’t like him.

I sighed. Goddess, please make me stop liking him.

“All right,” Timothy yelled, interrupting my inner tailspin. “Everyone has found their weapon, so let’s move to the pedestal. But do not touch the circle or go inside.”

I felt Jackson’s gaze on me, so I kept mine on my new weapon as I walked over to the pedestal with everyone else. Of course he must’ve enjoyed torturing me because he stood directly opposite me, towering over the others. I kept my eyes down on the holy water.

Timothy chanted something in the ancient language, which I now recognized the sound of. When he was done, light flashed above the water. Six lines of words in perfect, elegant script were written in the air, glowing a bright white. I couldn’t read them from my angle, but something told me I’d be able to once I got up there.

“When I call your name, step inside the circle, recite the spell, then place the blade of your weapon in the holy water.” Timothy moved to stand by the opening of the circle. “When the water turns crystal clear, your talisman is complete. Caleb, why don’t you go first.”

Caleb stepped into the circle, holding his broadsword up. He recited the spell then lowered the bronze blade into the holy water. Thirty seconds went by before the water turned clear. When he pulled it out, the entire weapon glistened a bright silver. A soft murmur went around the circle.

He moved out of the circle, then Timothy called for someone else. One by one, everyone repeated Caleb’s actions. The length of time the holy water needed varied, but each time they pulled their weapons out, it looked different than it had going in. I looked down at my falchion sword and tried to imagine what it might change into. This bronze color was pretty, but so were the golds and silvers in the others’.

“Bettina,” Timothy said softly. “You’re up.”

I nodded and took a shaky breath. Every single pair of eyes in the room turned to me, but I’d grown accustomed to that among my Swords class. I was the girl who didn’t belong. The one who couldn’t fight. The one who couldn’t use my own magic. But in this moment, none of that mattered.

The words of the spell glittered in front of me. I licked my lips, then read them out loud, “I call thee Goddess for this sacred bond, Blessings of power from the ancient beyond. With magic and valor, honor and creed, Transform this blade to what I need. Dipped in the water of thy holy well, See sword and soul in parallel.”

The air shimmered, and a little white arrow appeared, pointing down to the pedestal. With my heart in my throat and my breath trapped in my lungs, I gently laid the blade of my falchion sword inside the holy water. That royal blue water pulsed like an earthquake rumbled underneath it. I gasped. It hadn’t done that to anyone else. Little waves rippled across the surface, splashing and crashing into each other.

Everyone else took a step back.

All at once, the water flattened out. In the blink of an eye, that bowl of holy water turned bright pink. My eyes widened. The hilt warmed in my hand, and then that pink mist billowed out of the water and coiled around the hilt, slipping between my fingers. My knuckles were white from how tight I gripped the thing, but I couldn’t get myself to loosen them.

And then just as quickly as it started…it stopped.

The water turned crystal clear. Everyone leaned forward, but no one spoke. I raised my sword out of the holy water, and the breath I’d been holding left me in a rush. I wavered on my feet but stayed upright. Hushed voices murmured around me, some of them sharp with concern while others filled with laughter.

My sword was white, yet not. I raised it higher, and the colors changed. My eyebrows rose. I twisted it around, looking from different angles. It was mostly white while every other color at the same time. The top half was tinted in shades of blues and greens while the bottom half, the part that curved, had soft reds and pinks.

I pulled it close to my face. The guard and the top of the hilt were a shimmery, bright gold. But the hilt itself was black with colorful rings around it. “What the…”

“Let me see?” Timothy asked softly. When I held it out, he took it in both hands. His eyes sparkled in a way I’d never seen from him before. Even his cheeks flushed. He grinned and shook his head while staring at it.

“Timothy, what is it? What does it mean? No one else’s looks like—”

“It’s crystal.” He held it up as everyone looked on. “The blade is fire opal. It contains the qualities of every other stone and can be charged with energy for all types of magic. The hilt is solid onyx which is great for courage, physical strength, defensive magic, magical energy… Oh shit, look at that. See these bands around the hilt? Those are rings of black opal. If you look close, you’ll see little specks of color. This stone is for power.”

WHAT? I opened my mouth then closed it.

The room fell silent.

Timothy stared at it for a moment longer, twisting it around to inspect the blade. Then he handed it back to me. “Be proud of this sword, Bettina. It’s a true gift from the Goddess.”

“But…but why is mine crystal when the others’ aren’t?”

He shrugged but something in his eyes told me he had more opinions on it. “She must’ve seen the same thing the crystal ball did when it briefly considered you a Wand. It appears She wanted you to have both a sword talisman and a wand. Congratulations.”

I looked around at my fellow Swords’ weapons and felt a burst of pride. Yes, mine was prettier, but it also had meanings and uses. I glanced back up to ask Timothy something, except he was gone. The door behind me opened, and Timothy led the other Swords back outside.

The Christmas scent washed over me. I shivered and looked up. He stood right next to me, his aquamarine eyes watching me closely. I braced myself for a nasty comment, but one never came. He just kept looking at me.

I arched one eyebrow. “What, if you don’t have something snarky to say, don’t say anything at all?”

He glared. “Goddess forbid Barbie has a hideous sword.” Then he stormed off.

I grinned. That was more like it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

BETTINA

I t was after three on Friday, and we were supposed to be out of class in less than thirty minutes. The rest of the Swords were winding down, doing light drills for technique. Me, on the other hand? I was by myself, tucked into a corner and working on my kicks. I swung my leg forward and up. Except just like every other time, I barely got my foot to my chest’s height.

“Lean back,” a deep male voice said.

I jumped and spun around to find Warner watching me. His black tank was wet and clung to his body. The tattoos glistened under the sweat on his skin. He smiled. “You’re almost there, but you’re missing the trick. Can I show you?”

I sighed. “Please, thank you.”

He chuckled and moved to stand beside me in fighting position, with his left leg in front. “All right, first, and especially when you’re doing a kick, you want to exhale as you do it. So you’re like pushing your air and your strength, and it gives you more power.”

I frowned but nodded. That was a technique I would’ve liked to have known earlier.

“Okay, now, any time you kick you want to engage your core. That’s where you’re gonna get your power and stability from. So when you go to kick, tighten your abs then pull your leg up. Watch my abs.” He held his hands up in fists by his chest then swung his knee up. As he did it, his ab muscles constricted. “Trust me. It’s important.”

My face fell. No one had told me that. “Oh. Okay.” I copied what he’d just done a few times.

“Right, just like that. Perfect. Now, for kicks, you gotta stabilize yourself, or all that power you’re throwin’ won’t do shit.” He pointed to his feet. “Watch the difference here. If I stay on the balls of my feet and kick, see my leg isn’t going as high. But now if I sink on my heels a tad and lean back, it lets your leg have full range of motion. Here, you try just the last part.”

I nodded and rolled into fighting stance, holding my hands up just like he had. Then I swung my leg forward, sinking into my left heel and leaning back as I did it. My foot slammed into the bag.

I gasped and bounced on my feet. “I hit it!”

Warner clapped. “Yes, girl. See, you can totally do this. You’re just new. Once you get your breathing technique right and learn form, you’ll be fierce. I mean, girl, you got long-ass legs, so you could just do a side kick and hit—”

“Warner!” Jackson yelled from behind us.

Warner spun around. “Yeah? I’m just teaching her—”

“Class is over,” he snapped. “Let’s go.”

Warner cursed and looked down at his watch. “Sorry, Ms. B, we got somewhere to be. Practice that! Have a nice weekend!”

I smiled at him. “Thanks for your help!”

And just like that, he was gone. I shook my head and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to spill. It was such an odd thing to be emotional over. It was just…no one had actually helped me like that yet. We’d had two full weeks of school, but I hadn’t had that kind of one-on-one training. Genevieve and Erin hated me because I was making female Swords look bad—which was verbatim from those two, actually. Trey and Warner had been assigned to some of the other First Years, so they hadn’t been there to help. Jackson had, but he barely spoke to me and it turned out words were required for teaching.

It was just a huge relief to have someone teach me something as simple as lean back, and it changed the whole game for me. I hit the bag on my first try, and I wasn’t even trying.

“Hey, Princess.”

I froze at the sound of Erin’s voice. They can smell fear. Be strong. I took a deep breath then turned to find her glaring at me. “Yes?”

“I’m sick of watching you push your hair back. It’s a stupid length for Swords.” She pointed to her best friend across the room. “Either go short like Gen, or long like me so you can actually put it up out of the way.”

“Oh…umm…thanks. I’ll try to grow it out.”

She rolled her pale brown eyes. “Ask Lennox to do it.” Without another word, she spun and headed toward the door.

I just stood there staring at her back. What just happened? Two people gave me helpful, unsolicited advice back-to-back. I pinched myself then flinched. Nope. Not dreaming. Erin had made a great point, one I was ashamed to say I hadn’t thought of. My hair was shoulder length and refused to stay tied at the back of my head. I was always pushing it behind my ears, or redoing my ponytail. Ask Lennox to do it. I didn’t know what she meant, but I was going to find out.

“Bettina?”

I spun too fast, and the world wobbled.

A big, warm hand gripped my arm. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Timothy?” I frowned and looked up at his burly face. “No, I’m just jumpy. What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you’d like me to give you some private lessons, away from class.”

I stood up straight, excitement building inside me. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

He chuckled and nodded. “Yes. Of course, we’re all a team here, remember? Meet me here tomorrow afternoon at three. Okay?”

I got so excited that I jumped and threw my arms around his shoulders. I hugged him hard for like a solid two seconds before my brain kicked back into gear. With an embarrassed laugh, I jumped back. My cheeks were on fire. “Thank you, so much. I— Thank you.”

As Timothy walked away, all I could think was, soldier Barbie, here I come.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

BETTINA

“O kay, next up are spider demons.” Mona flicked her wrist, and the holographic image at the front of the room switched. She used her magic to create life-sized holographic images of each demon. She wanted us to see as close to the real thing as possible.

I yawned so wide my jaw popped. I loved Mona’s classes, and normally I was super alert for Demonology. I wanted to know everything about these monsters so I knew how to fight them. The problem was, with the room dark and quiet, fatigue was taking over. It was Wednesday afternoon, and I’d already had ten private lessons with Timothy in four and a half days. I loved it, and was taking advantage of every opportunity to train, but it was catching up to me. I yawned again, and the guy next to me chuckled.

“Compared to some of the other demons I’ve shown you already, you may think the spider demon is no big deal. I mean, it’s just a giant spider, right?” Mona looked at the holograph and shivered. “But these are one of the most dangerous demons you’ll encounter. They have incredible speed, they jump high, and they camouflage themselves into trees really well. You may not even see it coming before it’s on top of you.”

I scrubbed my face with my hands to try and wake myself up.

“Now here’s the interesting thing about these guys…” She walked up to the image and pointed to its fangs with one hand, and its stinger in the back with her other hand. “These two spots carry the most dangerous venom in all of demons. One drop of it is fatal.”

The class gasped. I frowned.

“Now, every infirmary in the world carries loads of the antidote, and it can be treated successfully, but that antidote was only created about fifty years ago. Believe it or not, it just took that long to figure it out. And actually, in order to create it, we have to use modern technology.”

The guy beside me raised his hand. “So what happened if you got stung before the antidote was available?”

Mona shrugged. “You died, gruesomely and quickly.”

I shivered. Note to self, carry spider demon antidote in my pocket at all times.

“Now let’s talk about how to kill them…”

My eyes rolled and my head bobbed. Ugh. Damn it. Stay awake. But my body had other ideas. I tried to move, but my arms and legs felt like lead weights and I just didn’t have the energy to lift them. I yawned and my eyes closed. A comfortable warmth spread through me.

Mona kept teaching in the background, but her words were gibberish. No, this is important. Listen! I tried to open my eyes, but it felt like someone had glued my eyelashes together. I just needed a little nap. Mona’s soft voice drifted away, and then I was back in that bathroom at my school in Charleston. I shook my head, trying to wake myself up. I didn’t want to be in this dream. I didn’t want to relive this moment…but the images flooded my mind anyway.

Something landed on my head. I gasped and bolted upright. My hands flew out in front of me, and I felt a wave of raw, hot energy blast out of me. Pink mist shot straight out of me in every direction. The ring of desks around me flew a few feet back. Students screamed and toppled to the ground. The windows all around the room exploded. Shattered glass rained down on the class of screaming students.

Mona waved her arms in the air, turning the sharp glass particles into sparkly dust. She looked around the room. “Anyone hurt?”

My chest heaved from how hard I was breathing. My hands trembled and my breath was just as shaky. My pulse sounded like a jackhammer in my ears. Oh God, what did I do? The pink mist hovered around me like a protective forcefield.

Everyone turned to me with wide, terrified eyes. I tried to say sorry, but my jaw just hung open. Oh god, oh god, oh god. My magic had just done that.

Mona walked to her desk and picked up a phone. She held it to her ear and waited. A second later, she said, “Constance? Yeah, we have a situation down here. Can you come down and get Bettina, please? What? Oh…yeah, either Mr. Ruth or Harlan are definitely needed for cleanup.”

My stomach turned. My favorite teacher had just called The Coven Leader to come retrieve me. I just prayed I wasn’t about to be expelled.

I looked down to see what had startled me awake only to find a fake, fuzzy spider sitting on my desk. Great. Nicely done, Bettina.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

BETTINA

I  opened my mouth then shut it again. Constance hadn’t spoken a word since she’d collected me from Demonology class, so I figured it would be best to wait for her to do the talking before I did. Or at least until we weren’t walking across the school’s courtyard.

A gust of wind ripped through the line of oak trees, and my new long hair wrapped around my face. I reached up and pulled the long blonde strands off. After two days of training with Timothy, I’d decided Erin’s advice was a good idea and had Lennox work her page magic to give me blonde waves down to my elbows. When I showed up in combat training Monday morning, I’d even gotten a half smile and nod from Erin…so maybe things were improving.

Constance led me up the few steps in front of the library. It was my favorite building on campus. It looked like something you’d find in Europe. It was hard to tell from the outside because of the tall, arched windows, but inside there were four floors of literary fun. I’d yet to explore it all yet, and I was dying to.

Unless I get expelled today. My stomach turned, and I found myself twirling the ends of my hair, a new habit I’d formed. Thirty feet later, Constance pushed through the grand glass doors, and I followed her inside. The entire back wall was made of glass, and it overlooked a breathtaking mountain-scape that I couldn’t wait to see in the fall. If I’m not expelled.

“Bettina?”

I jumped and turned to find Constance waiting for me in the middle of a doorway I’d never noticed before. My cheeks warmed as I scurried to catch up with her. She led us around the corner and up a wooden spiral staircase. When we got to the top, I found the most extravagant attic I’d ever seen. It stretched the entire length of the building. The ceilings were vaulted with mahogany wood. Different levels with staircases led up to balconies and more books. There were no lamps in sight, only floating orbs of shimmering golden light. I grinned. Magic.

Books floated around the room, from desk to bookshelf. Quills with long feathers scribbled on parchment. A fireplace at least ten feet wide crackled from a nook off to the left. In front of the fireplace, a cauldron sat with bubbling liquid and a spoon stirring itself inside. In the far corner, an entire wall was stacked with long swords that I recognized from the day we’d made our talismans.

Constance walked over to one of the staircases and hit a button, then she turned back to me. “All right—”

“It was an accident! I’ve been training a lot, and I was tired and accidentally fell asleep, and then I was having this horrible dream about that demon I fought, and then someone threw something on me, and I just freaked out for a second,” I said in a rush, unable to hold it in any longer. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. Am I expelled now?”

Constance frowned and then her face fell. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re not in trouble.”

I gripped a table next to me for support. “But I blew up the classroom. Mona called you to come get me.”

Constance shook her head and smiled, her blue eyes soft. “Bettina, you’re at a school for witches where we teach you how to use magic. Classrooms exploding is a weekly occurrence with every new batch of First Years. Besides, if you were in trouble with school, you would’ve gone to see the Headmaster. The Coven doesn’t get involved with school discipline unless someone intentionally hurt someone or damaged something.”

I opened my mouth then shut it. Huh. “Then why…”

“Why did Mona call me?” She shrugged then tucked her sandy blonde hair behind her ears. The tattoo covering her right hand and fingers was badass, and totally surprising on her. “Because she recognized that you’re struggling with accessing your magic, but it came out just fine under duress. She called me so that I can try to help you.”

I sighed and pushed my hair back off my forehead. My pulse skipped a few beats.

“I’m sorry, I should have explained before. I’m just distracted. My Coven-mates have not resurfaced from the Old Lands yet and—”

“And we were told it was too early to worry,” a man said from the side staircase as he descended. He had long, wavy silver hair that shimmered in the light like liquid metal. His beard was scruffy, with hints of black mixed in. He walked right over to me then held his left hand out. Behind his glasses, his eyes were such a pale blue they almost looked white. “Hello, I’m Kenneth. You must be Bettina?”

I took his hand and shook it. On his forearm were the letters IX. My eyes widened. “You’re the Hermit!”

He chuckled. “Yes, I am. And you’re the girl who blew up poor Mona’s class today.”

I groaned. “Yes.”

“Nice work,” he said with a wink. Then he turned to Constance. “I spoke with our Hierophant a few minutes ago. He is confident they are still alive. We must wait.”

Constance nodded then rubbed her temples with her fingers. “Okay, now what are your thoughts on Bettina’s suppressed magic?”

He raised one finger in the air then walked over to his desk. “Timothy had already broached Ms. Blair’s problem with me, he suspected that something is amiss.”

“Amiss?” I raised my eyebrows and twirled my hair. “What— What does that mean?”

He hesitated, then said, “There are a few things that could be preventing your magic from coming out. Though, I’m wondering if the simplest answer is the right one. See, it’s not uncommon for someone immersed in the human world with no knowledge of us to subconsciously suppress their magic.”

The door we’d just come in swung wide open. Jackson Lancaster stepped inside, looking freshly showered and smelling like a Christmas tree farm. “Hey, Kenneth, you wanted to— Oh. Hello.”

My entire body tingled with electricity like I’d just been plugged into a socket. Heat rushed through my veins. I licked my lips and tried to ignore the slight pink in his skin, like he might’ve been outside getting a tan, or the way his aquamarine eyes twinkled in the candlelight. Why is it always him? Why can’t it just be someone else ever?

“Ah, Jackson. Perfect,” Kenneth said with a smile. He waved my nemesis over. “Sorry to disrupt your studies, but we are in need of your assistance.”

His gorgeous gaze flicked to me then back. “Of course. Anything The Coven needs.”

Kenneth moved to stand in the middle of what looked like a circle burned onto his hardwood floor. “There’s a spell that may unlock it, and I want you to do it now. It’s not safe for The Coven to do these with civilians, besides it works best if someone with similar magic does it.”

“And I’m the Major of her Suit,” Jackson said in his smooth, British accent. He looked to me for a second then turned back to The Coven members. “I’m happy to oblige. What must we do?”

Happy to oblige? Yeah, I’ve noticed all your help in class, Lancelot.

Kenneth handed a book to him. “You’ll both need to stand inside the circle. The instructions are there. Once you’re in position, Jackson will do the spell. Bettina, you just open yourself up to his magic.”

Jackson and I walked to the center of the circle and faced each other, though I refused to look up at him until I absolutely had to. He read over the page in the book, then handed it back.

Kenneth took it from him. “Go ahead, then. We’ll be outside where our energy won’t affect the spell.”

“All right, let’s get started,” Jackson said softly.

“Thank you for doing this,” I whispered and stared at the ground.

He was silent long enough that I had to give in and look up at him. His eyes were hooded and dark. The muscles in his jaw flexed. He met my gaze then nodded once. Then he cleared his throat and held his arms out in front of him, palms up. “The book said to put your hands in mine, palms up. I will summon my magic and direct it through you while I recite the spell. All you have to do is stand there.”

Put my hands…in his. Oh dear god. I nodded as my stomach flipped like a rowboat in a hurricane. Butterflies bounced around my stomach. I took a deep breath then raised my own hands. The sight of them trembling made my cheeks fill with heat. I reached forward, then slowly lowered my hands until the warmth of his skin touched mine.

I inhaled sharply, and I prayed he hadn’t noticed. Little bolts of electricity shot up my arms. My heart fluttered so many times I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Heat filled my body. His hands were unexpectedly soft. The tips of his fingers brushed over my wrists, and to my utter horror, I shivered. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I counted to three, then opened them and looked up at him. This close, I could see all the little speckles of color in his eyes and the hint of freckles on his high cheekbones.

For a moment, we stood there staring into each other’s eyes like we didn’t hate each other’s guts.

Light flashed between us. I flinched and looked down, only to find two glowing orbs of pale yellow light floating above my palms. The energy in the light was cool and calm. Little bands shot out of the orbs and coiled around our wrists.

And then I remembered the instructions, and my heart sank. He hadn’t been staring into my eyes, nor was he affected by touching me… He’d been focused on summoning his magic.

“Runes of water, air, and ground, Seek the gifts that can’t be found,” Jackson’s deep, smooth voice said softly. “Charms of strength, seed and flower, Search within for magic and power.”

Jackson’s magic grew bigger and brighter … and then that pink mist exploded out from my hands and shot across the room, just like it had in class. Every light in the room went out. The windows rattled and the floor rumbled.

I opened my mouth to ask what was happening when everything went black.

“Bettina? Can you hear me? Bettina!”

I groaned and tried to open my eyes, but it took a few tries. When I did, I found Constance, Kenneth, and Jackson hovering over me with concern on their faces.

I frowned. “Am I on the ground? What happened?”

“Your magic resisted the spell, and subsequently knocked you out.” Kenneth helped me into a seated position. Then he exchanged an odd glance with Constance. “I’m going to do some digging to see if we can figure out what’s holding your magic in. For now, carry on as normal. And maybe don’t fall asleep in class.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

BETTINA

I  took a swig of water then tossed the plastic bottle back to the ground. It was Saturday afternoon, and I was supposed to have another training session with Timothy. He hadn’t shown up yet, so I’d gotten started with the punching bag.

Thirty minutes into my Eminem playlist, I was a sweaty, hot mess. I wiped my face with my arm then rolled my neck and bounced on my toes. Using my teeth, I tightened the strap on my boxing glove then shook my arms out. The song changed to a familiar tune, and I nodded my head with the rhythmic beat and rolled to the balls of my feet in a fighting stance.

“Hey yo,” Eminem growled, “This song is for anyone…”

I swung my right arm as hard as I could and slammed my fist into the punching bag, then jabbed my left hand into it. Pain shot up my wrist, but I barely noticed. It was a welcome distraction to the chaos in my mind. With my teeth clenched, I shut my brain off and let the growl of Eminem’s words work through the rage and frustration I’d been holding in for two weeks. Each time my fists hit the punching bag, I felt a little piece of the tension slip away.

So, I punched and jabbed like my life depended on it. I pretended this bag was the source of my problems then hammered away at it, punch after punch. Sweat dripped down my face and spine. The tips of my now long ponytail were wet and sticking to my rib cage. But I didn’t care. I didn’t let it slow me down. I kept punching, kicking, and kneeing my target.

But then I threw a right hook, and my hand slipped off the bag. My shoulder slammed into it with a wet thud. I sighed and leaned my head back as my pulse raced wildly. Sweat dripped down my forehead and onto my eyelashes. I blinked then flinched as the saltiness stung my eyes.

“Here.”

I jumped at the sound of a deep voice. I didn’t need to look up—I knew just who it was. Jackson’s voice was smooth and warm, and it reminded me of a jazz piano. But, then again, maybe I’d just been raised in the South. I looked up and found him holding a white towel. I licked my lips and cringed at the salty flavor. His aquamarine gaze tracked the movement. I tried to focus on breathing as I took the towel he handed me.

“Thanks,” I said hesitantly, wondering if some nasty comment was about to follow. When one didn’t, I wiped the sweat off my face and neck as he just stood there watching. I cleared my throat. “So, um, do you know where Timothy is?”

He nodded. “The Coven called, so he, Constance, and Kenneth went down to help. He asked me to come let you know.”

“Oh.” I sighed. I tried to wipe my arms, but it was difficult with the boxing gloves on. Or maybe it was the intensity of his gaze as he watched me. “Well, thanks for letting me know. Guess I’ll just—”

“Let me see your hands.”

My cheeks warmed, and butterflies danced around in my stomach. Shut up, body. We don’t like him. We don’t. Did he really say that? He must’ve sensed my confusion—or I was making quite a face—because he held his hands out. I held my gloves out in front of me. To my surprise, he reached forward and pulled my boxing glove off of me.

I frowned. “Oh, am I done training for today?”

Jackson’s eyebrows rose as he looked at me through thick eyelashes. He chuckled and shook his head while he pulled my other glove off. “Bloody hell, what a way to kick someone out that’d be.”

Then he did something I absolutely never expected—he grinned.

My heart did that stupid flutter thing, and I knew I had to be blushing by the heat in my face. His smile was gorgeous. I liked the way it made his eyes twinkle, gave him a wild look I hadn’t seen on him before.

He frowned, eyeing me suspiciously as he pulled a long black fabric off his shoulder. “What?”

I shrugged. “I’ve never seen you smile.”

He leaned forward and arched one eyebrow. “Did I do it right?”

A chuckle escaped my lips. Good Goddess, did he do it right. I nodded. “Yes,” I said softly.

His lips curved into a sexy little smirk. He took my hand then began wrapping that black fabric around my wrist. It was soft but firm and about an inch or so wide.

I watched him wrap my wrist and hand for a second. “What is that?”

He kept working. “We only have First Years wear boxing gloves until they’re used to punching things. Otherwise, we only wrap our hands for training. Make a fist for me?”

I curled my fingers in like he’d asked and noticed the material covered my top knuckles. “But…why?” I hated asking dumb questions, but I loathed feeling confused.

He nodded then finished the wrapping. Apparently the end of the fabric strip had Velcro on it. He took my right hand and began to wrap it. “Do you remember fighting that demon in the bathroom at your school?”

I shivered. “Unfortunately.”

He smiled so wide it gave him the smallest little dimples. “Yeah, that was one of the nasty ones. You did a great job, all things considered. But anyway, do you think wearing boxing gloves would’ve helped or hindered you?”

Did he just compliment me? And…is he being nice? What is happening? I had no idea, but it was a nice change. Shit, he asked me a question.

I shook myself. “Definitely hindrance.” I couldn’t even wipe myself off with them on.

“Exactly. Make a fist.” He checked to make sure the fabric covered my knuckles, then went back to wrapping. “But more importantly, we’re not punching demons.”

I opened my mouth then closed it. He made a great point. One I hadn’t thought of in my determination to get better. “Then why do we box and spar with each other at all?”

He shrugged and I liked what it did to the muscles in his shoulders. His black tank top showed a lot more skin than I could really handle. He Velcroed the fabric then dropped my hand. “The key to being a great fighter is footwork. You have to be able to move. And quickly. We train in martial arts so that our bodies become so used to moving, flipping, jumping, that it’s second nature. That way when we have swords in hand and we’re fighting a demon, our bodies just do it. Does that make sense?”

“The fact that I followed that is what doesn’t make sense,” I said before I could stop myself. Making fun of myself in front of other people wasn’t a hobby of mine.

He chuckled and walked over to the wall where the pads were stacked. “I was watching you before you saw me. Your form looks good now.”

I scoffed. “No thanks to you.” Why did I say that? He’s finally being nice! I bit my lip.

He turned back toward me with a handful of pads. “Here I thought it was in spite of me.”

“Is everything usually about you, Lancelot?” I need to learn verbal control. I smiled nervously.

He exhaled long and slow. “Not by choice,” he said softly.

I didn’t know what to say to that. This gentle side of Jackson Lancaster was taking me by surprise. I felt like I was walking through a desert filled with landmines, and at any given second, I could say something and get myself blown up.

“Does my form really look good?” I heard myself ask.

He peeked up at me as he finished strapping pads to his chest and arms. Then he picked up two thick hand pads and slid them on. He clapped them together. “I wouldn’t lie about that. Now, let’s work on your footwork. I’m going to come at you. Show me what you’ve got.”

I frowned. “You want me to hit you?”

The grin he gave me would torture me forever. “Like you haven’t considered it, Princess?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

JACKSON

T  here was a bloody good chance Bettina Blair was sent here to destroy me.

No one in my family let me forget for even a second about what was at stake when Michael came back. My entire bloodline was looking to me, relying on me, to fix the mistakes of a man some six hundred years ago. I hadn’t gotten us here, but for some reason, I was the one supposed to get us out. Thanks, Mum and Dad. No one else knew what they’d done to make me be born with magic, but I knew. Well, so did Warner and Trey, my two best friends, but I’d had to tell someone or I’d lose my damn mind.

The Archangel Michael was coming back for me…before my eighteenth birthday.

That meant sometime in the next two years, as I’d turned sixteen in June. That wasn’t much time to be ready for whatever it was he’d make me do. No one knew what that was going to be, or when, so I just had to be prepared. So I’d spent every day of the last ten years training. The warrior Angel wasn’t going to be easy to please, and he had it out for my family. I had to be ready. I had to reclaim our honor and our magic. And I was ready, for the most part. I was the best soldier at school. I’d killed quite a few demons, too. I was an excellent student with perfect grades. I thought I was ready.

Then Bettina appeared, and my armor cracked.

I knew she wasn’t a spy or some ploy to tear me apart, but she unraveled me nonetheless.

“Dude, you stare at the girl any longer without blinking, it’ll start lookin’ creepy.”

I sighed and closed my eyes.

“Trey’s not wrong, my friend,” Warner added like I was going to argue the fact.

He wasn’t wrong. It was starting to look creepy. I needed to stop. I needed to have stopped three weeks ago. I took a deep breath then told myself not to look at her when I opened my eyes.

From the very moment I laid eyes on her at Dean’s party, she’d invaded my brain and refused to leave. She had the face of an angel and the longest legs I’d ever seen. And she wore Converse sneakers with a dress. I had no idea if she’d said anything to me when Dean introduced us. My brain had simply shut itself off. The eye contact was overwhelming. I’d had to bail, but even still, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. And of course she’d been the one Dean had called me to see, the girl he was confident was a witch. He was right, obviously, though I knew that the moment the Ouija board game started.

Hello Jackson. Michael is coming. I shivered as the spirit’s words flashed through my mind for the millionth time. No, stop. Don’t think about that right now.

I sighed, again, and rolled my shoulders to try and relieve some tension. My gaze snapped over to where Bettina stood in line with all the other girls waiting for the Autumn Equinox ritual to begin. I drank in the sight of her. She looked more like an angel than ever in her white cloak. The hood was down so her soft blonde hair glistened in the moonlight, and the orange glow from the bonfire in the distance flickered across the long strands. Her hair before had been spunkier and charming, but this long hair was intoxicating.

I just didn’t understand why she had to be so damn cute all the time. Didn’t I get some kind of reprieve? Even when she was sweaty and her hair was sticking out in a million directions, she still looked beautiful.

“You’re doing it again, bro,” Trey said with a laugh and smacked my arm.

I groaned and hung my head.

“I have to admit, I don’t get it—”

“You don’t get it?” Trey practically shrieked, interrupting whatever Warner was trying to say. “Dude, she could be a Victoria’s Secret supermodel. She’s a total smoke show.”

My stomach turned and I winced. “Trey, bloody hell, no. Don’t— Just don’t talk like that.”

“That’s not even what I was going to say.” Warner shook his head. His dark eyebrows were furrowed low over hazel eyes. “Obviously I know she’s beautiful. She’s also intelligent, funny, and tough as hell. I mean, she was as shocked by her Suiting assignment as everyone else was, and yet look at her now. What I was trying to say was I don’t understand why Jackson is resisting.”

“Oh. Yeah, I wondered that, too.” Trey turned his dark eyes to me and arched one eyebrow. “What’s your deal, man? You like her, so what’s the holdup? It’s not like you haven’t hooked up with girls before.”

“Nah, this is different.” Warner crossed his arms over his chest, which pulled his cloak down and his tattoos poked out the top. “Lancaster has never been hung up on a girl before, and he’s straight destroyed right now.”

I groaned and scrubbed my face with my hands to stop myself from looking over to the object of my torment. I’d always thought it was comforting to have two friends who really understood me, who saw the real me. Now, I wished they were as blind as everyone else.

They both turned to me and stared, waiting for an answer.

I shook my head. “You know why,” I mumbled.

Warner’s expression softened. “Jackson, you have no idea when Michael is coming. That spirit could’ve just been saying he was coming, like you didn’t already know. He could show up tomorrow or two years from now. You gotta live in the meantime.”

“You know the kind of pressure I’m under—”

“So let her relieve some of that for you, dude.” Trey squeezed my shoulder and shook me. “I’m not saying marry the girl this weekend. I’m sayin’ have some fun. Unwind for a couple hours with a hot girl.”

I growled. “Bettina is not that kind of girl…and that’s…not how I feel.”

“Dude. You’re ready for Michael. There isn’t anything you can’t do. You’re ready.” Trey pointed over to Bettina. “You have feelings for the girl, then go get the girl.”

“I mean…more reason to give in to it, don’t you think, Jax?” Warner shrugged. “When’s the last time you had actual feelings for a girl?”

Never. Unable to stop myself any longer, I glanced over to where she stood and frowned. I didn’t understand why they didn’t understand the situation. This was the archangel Michael we were talking about, not some final exam or even The Coven. The angel had to be livid that a witch had somehow managed to hide his own sword from him…for six hundred years. It wasn’t going to be easy.

It didn’t matter how beautiful she looked with a crown of autumn leaves and dark flowers in her hair. It didn’t matter how wide and effortlessly she smiled—

Wait. She was grinning, like from ear to ear. Just then the person in front of her pulled their hood down, and I recognized the guy with black glasses in an instant. Dean Hoover.

He said something to her, and she threw her head back and laughed. My chest tightened and my stomach turned. Dean leaned forward and kissed her cheek—and she let him. He waved then spun and headed toward us with a wide smile on his face. Are they….?

“Wait, is she with Dean?” Warner voiced the question I hadn’t asked yet.

“I…I…” I had no idea.

Warner frowned and eyed me suspiciously. “Has she said anything about him?”

Trey scoffed. “Right, in the middle of him biting her head off for breathing, she’s talked about her current relationship status.”

Warner sighed and shook his head. “Why are you such an asshole to her?”

“I don’t know!” I groaned. “I just…I don’t know, I don’t mean to be. It just comes out!”

Warner looked to Trey and chuckled. “Did we forget to update our robot with the new emotional software?”

I growled.

Trey tapped on my chest. “Emotions are the things that go in here, bruh.”

“Hey, guys!” Dean said, still smiling as he joined us by the water. “How’s it goin’?”

I opened my mouth to ask him about his relationship with Bettina, when Harlan held his wand out like a microphone and said, “All right, witchy weirdos, let’s get this Equinox Ritual started. To the lake!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

BETTINA

Witch rituals were my new favorite thing.

I still didn’t really understand what was going on or why, but I felt better than I had in a long time. It reminded me of The Gathering. Before it went to hell, Tegan and I had been so at peace dancing around those bonfires. This was like that but better, because this time I knew I was a witch.

Harlan cleared his throat. He stood by the edge of the lakeshore with a dark-colored wand in his hand. “All right, witchy weirdos, let’s get this Equinox Ritual started. To the lake!”

Lennox grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the line with all the other girls.. “Once we go in the water, everything’s gonna be in the ancient language. So just do what I do, okay?”

I nodded. She’d given me a rundown before we got here. I reached up and adjusted my flower crown. It was super beautiful, made from oak sprigs and wheat stalks, then stuffed with red and purple chrysanthemums, and orange and yellow marigolds. I never wanted to take mine off. I loved the way it looked against my blonde hair, though it looked wicked with Lennox’s indigo strands. The best part was we got to keep our crowns, which I was stoked about.

The crowns matched our offering to the Goddess, which was an intricately woven piece of art in my opinion. It had the same oak sprigs, wheat stalks, and warm-toned flowers, but it also had ears of corn, acorns, and pine cones. Sitting in the middle of our little bouquets were two candles—one silver to represent the moon and one gold for the sun—because it was the equinox, when day and night are equal.

Apparently, we were going to walk into the lake for the ritual. The girls would make the circles in the middle, and the guys would circle around us. I wasn’t entirely sure why we were separated from the guys, but Lennox had said something about it being a Goddess thing. Whatever that meant. I was just rolling with it.

Just then, the line in front of me began moving. I followed close behind Lennox. The second my bare feet hit the water, the two candles in my bouquet lit with tiny flames. I grinned. I love magic. Amazingly, the water wasn’t cold—though I suspected that had nothing to do with nature and everything to do with spells. I wasn’t complaining.

Within minutes, the entire school was in position. Lennox and I were in the last circle for the girls. I wished I had a camera because the sight around me was breathtaking. I wanted to remember it forever.

When I glanced over my shoulder, I spotted Freddy and George a few feet behind me. They grinned and waved. I chuckled and started to wave back when I noticed Warner right beside them. Is Jackson here, too? Warner was his best friend, so there was a good chance.

Harlan began speaking in the ancient language, and I wished I was farther along in the class so I knew what was being said. Headmaster Daniel joined in. I leaned a little to the side and spotted the two of them in the middle.

I turned to Lennox just as everyone held their bouquets in the air above their heads. I copied and lifted mine up. Harlan and Headmaster Daniel said a few more things in the ancient language, and then we all lowered our bouquets and sat them on the water. Everyone held their hands out to their sides, pressing their palms into their neighbors’. Despite being a complete stranger, the girl next to me didn’t hesitate. With our hands touching, Harlan chanted some lines in the ancient language, and then bright white and golden light seeped out between our palms.

A few seconds later, the lights dimmed, then vanished. Once they were out, everyone turned and headed back to the shore without speaking. It took me a moment to realize we were getting out of the water, so I had to scurry to catch up to Lennox. When my toes hit the sand, I spun around and smiled. Hundreds of bouquets with flickering candle flames floated on top of the water. It was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. I wished I had my phone to take a picture.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Lennox said with a sigh as she stopped beside me.

“Yes, it really— Did you just—”

“Nope.” Lennox grinned and stuffed her cell phone back in her cloak pocket. She winked and started walking backwards. “Come on, Tina. The party is just getting started.”

I smiled and skipped to catch up to her…and then I froze. My eyes widened. Whoa. I hadn’t paid any attention to the bonfire before, but now I did. It was huge and in the shape of a pentacle. The flames were only about a foot tall, but the five-pointed star had to be at least fifty feet long. At each of the five points, there was a circle made entirely out of candles of varying size and shape—but all white. I sighed and soaked it all in.

“Lennox…get this, too, ‘kay?” I whispered and tugged on her white sleeve.

She looked over her shoulder and winked. “What do you think of your first ritual as an Arcana?”

Arcana was the word for witch in the ancient language. I’d asked Lennox to try and slip in vocabulary words with her English in hopes it’d help me learn it.

I grinned. “Still feels like a dream.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Dean said from suddenly right beside me. “I was afraid I’d ruined your life after that weekend.”

I chuckled and bumped my shoulder into his. “I’m as surprised by that as you. That was an awful turn of events.”

“So you liking Edenburg, then? How are your classes?” He turned toward me. “How’s life as a Sword? Are they being nice to you?”

I opened my mouth then shut it. For the most part, everyone was being nice. It was only Jackson, Erin, and Genevieve who’d been unpleasant. But Erin was coming around, or at least I was hoping so. Genevieve hadn’t, but I wasn’t being outright bullied so it was okay. And Jackson… He was confusing me more than ever.

Last Saturday, he’d voluntarily taken Timothy’s place and helped me train. For two hours. And he’d been nice. But then ever since, he’d been distant. He hadn’t said much to me, but the things he did say were only slightly less snarky than before. I’d been hoping to see him tonight for the Equinox celebration, but he was nowhere in sight.

“Bettina?” Dean tapped my elbow. “You okay?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah, sorry. I’ve been training nonstop, so I’m kind of exhausted. But everything’s pretty good.”

“BETTINA!” Freddy and George yelled in unison from behind me.

I spun and gave them high fives. “Hey, guys!”

“Betty, what ya’ doin’ standin’ here?” Freddy waved his arms around. “The party is starting back there!”

“Yeah, the drum circle is gonna start any minute! Let’s go get a spot!” George yelled, then took off running with his brother on his tail.

Lennox laughed. “They’re right. We don’t want to miss this. Let’s go!” She chased after the two red-headed boys.

“Come on, you won’t regret it!” Dean smiled then ran to catch up.

I meant to follow them, but I wanted to just look for a second. This memory would be a cherished one for years to come, and I wanted to soak in every detail.

“Are you and Dean together?”

I jumped at the sudden sound of his voice. My heart did that weird thing it always did when Jackson Lancaster was around. If these butterflies didn’t stop showing up every time he did, I was going to have to name them after him. I looked up into his light eyes and sighed. They perfectly reflected the flickering bonfire behind me. Dressed in his all-white cloak, his tan looked dark, which only made his eyes pop even more. I could’ve stood there all night looking at him.

“Is that a yes, or do you usually get that dreamy look on your face when you think about Dean?” Jackson growled and crossed his arms over his chest.

My cheeks warmed. My lips had the audacity to try and smile. Dreamy look? Do I have a dreamy look? And then I realized what he’d said. He thought I was thinking about Dean. That made me lose the battle, and a smile tugged at my lips. If you only knew. Liking Dean would be so, so much easier.

“Um, no. Dean and I are just friends.” I cleared my throat. “Why, did he say something?”

Jackson’s eyes narrowed. “Did you want him to?”

I rolled my eyes. “No, Lancelot.” I want YOU to say something.

Wait…I do?

No, I don’t. I definitely do not want Jackson to like me.

“Why do you call me that?” His voice was barely more than a growl.

Under his sharp, heated gaze, I felt like a zebra being hunted by the lion. It made me uncomfortable, but only because I wanted him closer. I shrugged, trying to keep myself sounding casual. “Why do you call me Barbie or Princess?”

He arched one eyebrow. “To annoy you,” he snapped.

That definitely didn’t make my pulse pick up speed. Definitely not. “Well, right back at ya’…Lancelot.”

He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth. I braced myself. I’d seen this side of Jackson. It was the one I knew best. The one with any excuse to bite my head off. Except then he closed his mouth, made this strange growling sound, and shook his head. He turned and stormed off, but after only a few steps, he spun back around and marched up to me.

His eyes flashed bright. He held his pointed finger up between us and raised both eyebrows. “I like your hair long.”

I blinked and shook my head. What?

He cursed, and it sounded beautiful in his British accent. “Rubbish,” he whispered and spun away again. This time he practically ran away from me.

I stood there staring at his fleeing back. That boy was impossible, insufferable, infuriating, and far too adorable. As he disappeared from sight, a smile spread across my face.

I am so screwed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

BETTINA

I t was right near the end of Demonology class, while we were learning about these demons referred to as Oozers, when a high-pitched scream ripped down the hall.

Then another.

Then a few more, but farther away and from different voices.

Our class froze in place, only moving our eyes to look at each other. Everyone stayed put for a few seconds, then we all leapt to our feet and sprinted for the door. By the time I got out to the hallway, it seemed the entire student body was there. And they were all headed to the same spot—the courtyard.

The double doors were already open wide as we all poured out. When I got outside, girls shrieked in horror and guys shouted. Everyone was pointing up. I glanced up—then did a double take. I stopped running. Up ahead, circling the school’s courtyard was a massive black dragon with wide wings and a long spiked tail.

“Landing!” some girl yelled from the back of the dragon.

And then it dropped to the ground.

By the time I got over there, I was about twenty rows of people back. There had to be hundreds of us out here on the lawn trying to see. I didn’t even know dragons existed, but there was one right in the middle of the courtyard. I glanced left and right only to find everyone as shocked as I felt, with their wide-eyed, jaw-dropped expressions. No one spoke. No one pointed. No one screamed or ran away. There was a freaking massive black dragon sitting in the middle of our courtyard, and we were all frozen in place.

I tried to push my way forward, but at five foot ten, I wasn’t exactly a small and elusive person. In the end, I only made it three people forward, and then I found Freddy and George. If anyone was going to know what was going on, it was these two. And if they didn’t know, they were tiny and elusive. They smiled and waved at me, but quickly returned their attention to the dragon.

Suddenly, everyone gasped.

“What? What is it?” I whispered.

“It’s the Emperor!” Freddy whispered back.

“And he’s injured!” George added just as quietly. “I’m gonna go get a better look.”

Freddy shivered and whispered, though not very loudly, “If something hurt the Emperor, we’re screwed.”

I couldn’t see what was going on through the chaos of student bodies, but I got the general sense of someone in dark clothing and dark hair walking up to the front of the huge black dragon with glowing red eyes.

“Thank you, Lonan. If we want to find you again, do we go to the place?” he asked.

The dragon, Lonan as he was just called, snorted, and a big puff of white smoke came out.

“Okay!” a girl yelled cheerfully, but I couldn’t even see where she came from. “I’ll tell him.”

I stood up on my tiptoes to try and see…and failed.

“Perfect. Take care of yourself,” the man with a deep, velvety voice said.

George reemerged from the crowd and shook his head. “It’s the Emperor, all right. And he’s bleeding bad from his shoulder. They’ve got him tied up in a sling made from a belt.”

Freddy visibly paled. “The Emperor is that hurt?”

That was a scary thought. The Emperor was supposed to be the most powerful person in The Coven. If he was hurt…then it was my turn to shiver.

The black dragon pushed into the sky like a rocket. He flapped his wings then shot out of sight. There was a rush of whispers in the crowd around me as we watched this creature fly away.

“Hello, Daniel,” the Emperor said. “Sorry about the dragon. He’s a friend of ours.”

Daniel? I hadn’t even seen the Headmaster walk up. Then again, I couldn’t see a damn thing. If the Emperor was here, then that meant they were back from the Old Lands. Which meant the Empress and High Priestess should’ve been right beside him. I wanted to see so I pushed through, but in the end, all I could see was our Headmaster.

Daniel flushed and pushed his tortoiseshell glasses up. He swallowed and looked at the sky. “A friend, you say? With a dragon?”

“Well, at least that dragon,” the Emperor said in a low voice. “Where are Constance, Kenneth, and Timothy?”

Daniel blanched. “They went to Tampa to help. The demon attacks have intensified.”

“Help? Attacks? What are you talking about?”

Daniel’s face was ashy and sick-looking. “Emperor…you’ve been missing for five weeks.”

“WHAT?” The Coven members screamed at the same time.

“Um…” Daniel cleared his throat. His light blue eyes were dark and bloodshot, like perhaps he hadn’t slept in a while, and his five-o-clock shadow didn’t look like a fashion statement. He sighed. “The eight of you left Eden for the Old Lands on August 26, yes?”

“Correct.”

Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose. “Today is October 1. It’s been five weeks.”

Holy shitballs, Batman. Five weeks. It’d been five weeks. That was how long I’d been in Eden…yet that was how long they’d been inside the Old Lands. I couldn’t imagine what that was like, and it really put my struggles into perspective. I was trying to get ready for midterms in two weeks, and they’d been trying to get out of the Old Lands for five. I was trying to get Jackson Lancaster off my mind, since he wasn’t actually speaking to me, yet they came back with an injured Emperor—who was supposed to be invincible.

It shook my foundation.

It’d been two weeks since Jackson was nice to me for one afternoon. One week since he actually gave me a compliment, even if it was done weirdly. And yet, standing here listening to this made me realize this stuff wasn’t that important.

“Daniel. Has a new Moon Card been chosen?” The Emperor asked sharply.

“No.” Daniel shook his head then scratched his jaw. “Kenneth told me this morning our young Hierophant had a vision of her, so he’s confident Henley is still alive.”

The Emperor whispered something.

Daniel pulled out his phone. “I have strict orders from the Leaders to get you back in Tampa as soon as you’ve returned. Come with me.”

And then, just like that…they were gone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

JACKSON

“G uys,” Hewitt shouted over my classmates’ whispering. When no one listened, he whistled real loud then yelled, “Oi!”

Everyone froze and turned wide eyes to our combat professor.

Hewitt sighed. “I realize that The Coven landed on campus yesterday on a freakin’ dragon, and that the Emperor was injured. I know you want to talk about it. I know you want to know what’s going. But I also know you’ve got midterms in two weeks, and you might want to be ready.”

The energy in the room turned cold and panicked.

“If you’re not a First Year, then I want you outside for drills.” Hewitt stepped over to the side to where I stood, then lowered his voice. “The First Years haven’t had a real one-on-one spar yet. I want you to run mocks for midterms, so pair them off. But don’t use yourself. I don’t want them to know what you can do before they have to fight you for midterms.”

I nodded. This had been standard operating procedure for at least five years now. I helped train the rest of the Swords in the morning, then Hewitt and Timothy gave me private training sessions in the afternoon catered to my needs. “I was thinking about turning it up a notch this year. Can I borrow Gen, Erin, Warner, and Trey for a half hour or so? I figure give them a real fight, with those four not holding back. That way we can see where they’re really at and then have time to adjust training before midterms.”

Hewitt looked at me for a second then smiled. “You’ll make a great Knight Commander one day, Lancaster. I like your plan. Go for it.”

We nodded to each other then both turned to head to our group of trainees. Hewitt yelled out for my four friends to join me. When I got over to the First Years, I forced myself to not look at Bettina. I knew where she was. She was like a lighthouse flashing for my attention—even if she just stood there. I hadn’t looked at her once this morning since I needed to pay attention to the other First Years.

The students in front of me were quiet and tense. Hewitt’s dropping of the word midterm sent them into nervous spirals. They all knew already what was expected come test day. Each and every one of them had to fight me, and I was told to not hold back—though I always did for the First Years’ first midterm.

I cleared my throat. “Today we’re doing mock midterms. Relax, it’s not being graded. We just want to measure where you’re at right now so we know what you still need work on before test day. Everyone, take a seat. When I call you, you’ll come up and spar whoever I’ve instructed. We’ll be using talisman weapons only, with the shields on. Everyone got it?”

They all nodded, despite their wide-eyed looks of terror.

“Anyone want to volunteer to go first?” I asked, because I was always the kid who wanted to go first and get it over with so I wouldn’t be nervous. Just when I thought no one would volunteer, I saw a hand go up. “All right, Matt. Come on up.”

First Years weren’t tested with weapons until midterms, but I thought it was unfair to not at least give them a trial run before it was graded. Besides, their talisman blades all had a magical shield on them so no one would get cut. We only used the real ones so they’d grow comfortable in their hands.

Now, who should he fight? Matt was a little cocky. He moved too fast and too recklessly. He needed to have his ass handed to him quickly and deliberately. I smirked.

“Erin?” I glanced over my shoulder to her and met her light brown eyes.

She grinned and flipped her red hair over her shoulder, then walked to the mat with her short sword in hand. Poor Matt didn’t know what was coming for him. I stepped back and focused on their sparring. Matt tried to do some fancy spin-kick move he definitely hadn’t learned here…but Erin saw it coming. She ducked and swept his leg out from under him before he’d even swung his kick out fully. His eyes widened, and then his back slammed into the ground. Erin stood over him with her sword tip pressed against his throat. He groaned and stared at the ceiling.

I made a note on the clipboard. “Thank you, Erin. Matt, reclaim your seat.”

Next up is… I glanced over the small group of First Years to see who I wanted to go next when my gaze accidentally landed on Bettina. Her now long blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail behind her head. Her eyes were clear and sharp, like she had all the confidence in the world. But the way she gnawed on her bottom lip and shifted her weight around told me otherwise. Part of me wanted to make her go last so I wouldn’t lose concentration while watching the others.

But that hardly seemed fair to do to her, and it sure didn’t make me a great teacher.

I sighed and looked down at my notebook, not because I needed to read something but so I had an excuse to take my eyes off of her. Bettina had had a rough start here, no thanks to me. I’d failed her in the beginning by letting my own emotions get in the way. If not for Timothy’s private training sessions, she’d be ridiculously behind. It was time to be better than that. It was time I acted more like myself. And that meant treating her fairly and doing what was good for her in class. Hewitt needed to know where she stood skill-wise, and making her sit through everyone else would only make her nerves and confidence sink.

“Next up is Bettina and…” I frowned and glanced back at my friends. Warner would take it easy on her because he felt bad. Erin had just fought. Trey would be good, but Gen was easily the second best fighter after me. And she wouldn’t hesitate to really attack. “Genevieve.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bettina freeze mid step. Those brilliant blue eyes turned to me and widened. I arched my eyebrow and nodded my head once, to annoy her. I wasn’t proud of the way I’d been acting toward her, but if I could use it to help her, then I would. Because a pissed-off Bettina had the potential to wreak havoc, even if she didn’t know it yet.

The two of them met in the center of the mat and bowed once, then moved back to take their stances. As expected, Genevieve didn’t hold anything back. She charged at her immediately with her talisman long dagger, swinging and slicing…and Bettina blocked. That crystal falchion sword looked good in her hands, and she seemed comfortable with it. My heart skipped a beat. Gen was still pushing her back across the mat, but she hadn’t gotten a single hit in yet. This was huge progress for Bettina.

Gen switched her dagger to her left hand and attacked faster than Bettina could process. Her crystal sword was knocked out of her hand and sent flying across the room. Bettina’s eyes widened like a deer in headlights. Gen jabbed her left fist forward like a snake. Bettina leapt toward her, blocking Gen’s punch with her right hand while planting her right leg behind Gen’s. Without missing a beat, she turned and threw her back into Gen, then flipped Gen over her shoulder.

I bit down on my pencil to stop myself from cheering. Holy hell. The other First Years gasped in surprise.

But Gen was an experienced fighter. She tucked her dagger into her body, ducked, and rolled out of the way. When she rolled back on her knees, she had a wide, devilish grin on her face. She slammed her palm against the mat and yelled, “Hell yeah!” Then she leapt to her feet and charged at Bettina.

Bettina didn’t really have a chance against Genevieve, especially without a weapon, but I couldn’t believe the progress she’d made so far. I wanted to go back in time and punch myself for ever assuming she was some delicate princess or Barbie doll. Bettina Blair was no damsel in distress, and I should’ve known better. I never liked those kinds of girls. Her magic may have been suppressed, but she had raw talent and I admired her drive.

As Bettina’s face slammed into the mat, her limbs went in four different directions. She tried to get up, but her arms gave out and her face hit the mat again. With a cough, she looked up at me and tapped out.

Applause broke out from the side wall. I looked over and spotted Timothy leaning against the doorway, clapping his hands and smiling. “Ladies, great fight! Gen, terrifying as always. But Bettina, damn. Excellent job!”

“Oh…thanks…” Bettina blushed and rolled onto her back.

Gen stepped up and held her hand out for Bettina, and when she took it, she lifted Bettina to her feet. “Nice flip, B. ‘Bout time you use those legs to your advantage.”

Bettina chuckled and ran her hand over her hair. She peeked over at me with nervous eyes. When I smiled, her cheeks flushed a bright pink and my pulse skipped.

I peeled my eyes off of her and focused on Timothy walking up to me. He’d been fighting demons. He had a few bruises and cuts that hadn’t healed yet, which made my stomach turn. The dark, tired, haunted look in his eyes didn’t help.

I cleared my throat. “You’re back.”

He nodded. “For now. This war is just getting started. They’ll need us back in no time. For now, we keep the civilians thinking everything is under control.”

A cold chill slid down my spine. I did not like the way that sounded.

Timothy grinned. “All right, who’s up next?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

BETTINA

“J ust a fruit bowl for you today, Bettina?” my favorite lunch lady, Wendy, said with a frown. “You feelin’ okay?”

I sighed and shook my head. “Midterms are on Friday. That’s two days away.”

Wendy nodded and put something on my tray. “You’ll do great, dear. Have a cookie and keep your chin up.”

“Thanks, Wendy.” I scanned my ID to pay for my lunch, then picked up my tray and carried it over to the table where Lennox and I sat. On most days, it was just Lennox and me for lunch, unless Dean was in town. Some days, we had an extra person or two hanging around. Today, there were a dozen people hanging around our table. Actually, there were people hanging around the entire cafeteria in areas they weren’t usually. Something was off.

I frowned and slipped in beside Lennox. “Hey…”

One of the First Year Wands guys stood up from the table with a groan. “I’m going to go trash myself on pizza while I still can.” He marched toward the lunch line.

“What’s his problem?” I leaned closer to Lennox and whispered, “And what’s his name again?”

She shrugged. “You know I’m terrible with names.”

“Doesn’t she understand what’s at stake here? There’ll be no more pizza. Or tacos.” Another guy, one I’d never seen before, slammed his tray on the table then jumped up. “Why is she doing this? Why?”

Before we could answer or ask what he was talking about, he, too, was gone.

“I want to make fun of them but they’re not wrong.” Lennox sighed and leaned back against the wall. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s just history repeating itself,” one of the Cups girls grumbled. “She’s power hungry and willing to sacrifice everything for it.”

Lennox shook her head. “But what would she do with that power if the world falls to dust? I don’t get it.”

I cleared my throat. “Um, what are we talking about?”

The girl’s eyes widened. “The High Priestess.”

“What about her?” I picked up my fork and started rolling my fruit around my bowl.

“Wait, you don’t know?” The girl looked to Lennox. “How does she not know?”

“Back off, dudette. Tina here has been training like a beast for her Swords midterm in two days, so she’s focusing on things unlike the rest of us.” Lennox turned to me and grimaced. “Word hit the street a few days ago that the High Priestess has gone to the demons’ side.”

“We’re all doomed,” the girl mumbled.

My body went cold. I frowned. “Are you sure?”

Lennox nodded. “And The Coven isn’t having much luck in swaying her back, either.”

My heart sank. Lennox and the other girl continued talking about the High Priestess and everything she was rumored to be doing—all sounding particularly shady—but I wasn’t really listening. The High Priestess gave in to darkness, just like the prophecy had predicted. Samhain was only a matter of days away, so what was the point of school and studying if the demons were just going to destroy us on November 1?

I understood what Lennox meant. It didn’t make any sense for her to go dark. What was in it for her that we didn’t know about? And what would’ve triggered such a betrayal? The High Priestess had just gone into the Old Lands with the others to fight for us. So what happened and when?

Lennox and the table full of students all had their own theories, but I couldn’t just sit around. I jumped to my feet and threw my backpack over my shoulder. Silence filled the space around me. I looked to Lennox. “She may be about to destroy the world, but until she does, I’m gonna put up one hell of a fight. Which means doing well on my midterms.”

“Going back to train?” Lennox narrowed her yellow-green eyes at me. “You have to eat, too, Tina.”

“I promise I’ll eat a big dinner. Food and nerves don’t mix well for me.” I slid my fruit bowl and cookie over to her. “I’m going to train during lunch. I’ll see you after class.”

“Wait, hold up.” Lennox grabbed my shirt sleeve and pulled. She looked me up and down. “Good, you borrowed my leggings. Okay, go ahead, and if you see Lancelot, do the bend and snap!”

“Lennox!” I hissed. “I don’t like him.”

She gave me an overexaggerated wink and grin. I rolled my eyes and all but sprinted out of the cafeteria. I wasn’t leaving lunch to hunt down Jackson. Not with the whiplash he was giving me. One second he was a sweet puppy dog and the next a vicious snapping turtle. His mood was unpredictable, and I hated how much it affected me. As a matter of fact, he was a distraction.

In two days, I’d be sparring Jackson. I was a panicked disaster. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t even drink water without getting sick. The last two weeks had both flown by and crept past. I’d done pretty well for two weeks of avoiding him. All I had to do was make it two more days, and I’d be able to focus on my training.

As I pushed the door to the training center open, I wondered if I wanted to go first or last. I walked up the center walkway that cut through the stadium-style seating area, then turned—and froze. Jackson was beating the hell out of a punching bag…shirtless. My heart fluttered and my body warmed. He was shirtless. Don’t turn around. Please turn around.

All that tan skin was out on display. Even with the sweat rolling down his spine, he was beautiful. He punched the bag a few times in a row, and all his chiseled muscles flexed and tightened. My pulse skipped embarrassingly, and I prayed he couldn’t hear it.

I started to back away, but my Converses made that screeching sound. Jackson spun around faster than I knew he was capable of. His eyes widened, and the color in them looked neon. His golden bronze hair was wet and slicked back.

He cursed. “Bettina…?” A couple beads of sweat slid over his pec muscle, then down.

I watched it flow over his abs like a river cutting through the mountains until— Oh Goddess. Not the V. But it was too late; it was already there. His black sweatpants hung low on his hips, revealing all kinds of muscle and bone structure my brain couldn’t handle at once. I didn’t understand what this boy was doing to me, but he was wreaking havoc on my body.

Abort mission. ABORT, ABORT, ABORT! Get out and save yourselves!

CHAPTER THIRTY

BETTINA

M idterm day. Matt had to be helped to his feet.

Warner and Trey lifted him by the shoulders and carried him over to the benches. His skin was pasty white, aside from the nasty red lump on his forehead…and the red marks on his arms. His talisman was all the way across the room.

I looked over the mat at Jackson. He stood in the center, watching Matt with concern in his beautiful aqua eyes. He used his two-toned sword like a cane and leaned into it, looking far too good for the fate of my concentration. I sighed. Okay, maybe it was more like a swoon. But it wasn’t my fault. He looked way too damn good in slim-fitting black jeans, a tight black tank top, and black boots. I’d never seen him in an outfit like that, and it was killing me. I was going to need a trip to the infirmary before my test even started if my pulse didn’t even out.

The worst part was I kept picturing him shirtless. It’d been two days, but I couldn’t get the images out of my head. The way his muscles tightened and flexed. Each of his six abs. The V. Today, he even had a little scruff on his face. I hadn’t known he had facial hair, but I did know he needed to keep it exactly like it was today. Or maybe not. I might die. Sixteen-year-old boys weren’t supposed to look like that…like men. I bit my bottom lip and let my eyes soak him in.

Timothy waved his hand over a crystal bowl, like he’d done every other time. It was some magical version of pulling names out of a hat. They wanted this midterm to be done randomly. White smoke billowed into the air, swirling around, and then transformed into a small piece of parchment.

He grabbed the paper and read it. “Bettina Blair, you’re up.”

A violent tremor ripped through my body. My pulse beat so fast it sounded like a disco song. Those damned butterflies wouldn’t calm down for a second. My hands and legs trembled as I got to my feet and started toward the mat. Oh Goddess. This is it.

It was midterm day. I’d known this was coming.

I still wasn’t ready.

I tried to run through all the moves I’d learned in the six weeks I’d been here, but my mind came up blank. As my Converses hit the mat, my stomach turned. I kept my eyes on the ground, not wanting to look at him until I absolutely had to. My crystal sword was gripped firmly in my right hand, with white magic coiling around the blade. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing…and not vomiting. It was intimidating as hell to have the entire Swords Suit watching. I felt each and every one of their gazes on me. If they said anything, I couldn’t hear it, not over the pounding of my heart.

Timothy cleared his throat. “You remember the rules?”

The rules: fight until he gets you into a kill position. Tap out before that, and you will be deducted points. No dismembering or direct head shots. No showing off or points will be deducted.

“Yes, sir.” I took a deep breath then opened my eyes and looked up…right into Jackson’s heated gaze. I clenched my teeth to stop myself from making any kind of noises. Why does he have to look so good? I should’ve asked for a spell to not be attracted to him for an hour.

He wasn’t even sweating. He’d already fought fifteen people, yet not a single drop of sweat in sight. My mind replayed the image of sweat rolling down his abs, and I squirmed in place. Concentrate, Bettina!

“Take your places,” Timothy ordered.

We both walked backward then got into fighting stance. All the matches started like this, from fifteen feet away. Something about testing the way we entered a fight. I bounced on my toes, my nerves preventing me from standing still. Whereas Jackson looked like a damn statue. The picture of ease.

Timothy moved back off the mat to stand beside Hewitt and Headmaster Daniel. “BEGIN!”

Jackson took off, sprinting directly toward me at full speed.

Oh god, oh god, oh god. I tightened my grip on my sword and rolled to the balls of my feet, but I didn’t know which way to go because he was coming straight for me. He could go any direction. I just had to be ready to move. He was almost to me, a foot or two away, and I still didn’t know what to do. My pulse fluttered faster than hummingbird wings. Jackson planted one foot then leapt into the air with his sword raised over his head.

Oh sweet Jesus mother of chickens! I swung my sword, but it was too late. His blade slammed into my back and sent me flying forward face-first. I heard Jackson’s voice in my head from training shouting, tuck and roll, tuck and roll! At the last second, I ducked, tucking my arms and rolling so my shoulders hit the mat first. I rolled a few times then slid a few feet on my knees. How in the hell?

But I didn’t have time to question how one smack of his blade sent me flying so fast, because he’d already spun and was gunning for me again. He was on me in seconds. I gasped and threw my sword up. He sliced his sword through the air back and forth without pausing. I’d barely blocked one swing before he was attacking again.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Oh my god. Sweet Jesus. My arms burned. My hand hurt from how hard I gripped the hilt of my sword, but each time his blade hit mine, it rattled. He moved like it was nothing, like his weapon was weightless. He’d forced me all the way across the mat in a matter of seconds.

He jumped in the air and spun in a tight circle…and then kicked me square in the chest. Despite the padded gear I had on, his kick rattled my bones. Pain shot through my body. My breath was knocked out of me. I flew backward then crashed to the mat. My head bounced on the ground. I gasped for air.

And then he was there, looming over me.

“Oh shit.” I dove to the side just as his sword swung down.

I jumped to my feet and faced him as his sword sliced through the air between us. Sharp pain shot up my arm, and then my sword was gone. He’d flicked it right out of my hand. He swung his sword again, and I ducked under it. On my way back up, he swung it again, except this time I kicked my leg up and blocked his shot. And then something slammed into my chest, and I flew backward.

Think, Bettina. He’s got more skill and experience. You’ve been researching for this. For a month, I’d secretly been researching martial arts in my dorm and practicing. I’d yet to try any of the moves on a person yet, so I had no idea if they would work. But I was on my back and he’d knocked my sword away, so this was as good a time as any to try. Here goes nothing.

He slid toward me on his knees and raised his sword. I threw my left hand out and stretched my fingers until I felt the cold metal of my sword hilt. Jackson hovered above me and brought his sword down like he was going for the kill shot. I gripped my sword then threw it up just as Jackson’s sword came down, blocking his shot.

Except he still had unparalleled strength over me so my sword was knocked out of my hand again…but so was his. Pushing off my feet, I rolled onto my shoulders and swung my legs up. I tucked my right leg under his right armpit and threw my left leg up and on top of his other shoulder, in the crook of his neck. Then I summoned all of my strength and flipped him onto his back.

I plucked my sword off the ground, then jumped to my feet, and leapt to where he’d landed on his back. He was already starting to move, so I raised my sword to go for the kill shot. But I should’ve known better. I didn’t see his legs moving until they wrapped around my neck. The muscles in his calves tightened on my head, and then I was flying forward. This time I was helpless to stop myself as I flipped head over heels. My shoulder hit first, and then I slid halfway across the mat.

Right as I stopped sliding, Jackson appeared over me. I gasped and threw my leg up to kick him in the chest, but he grabbed me by the ankle and pulled. And then suddenly, I was airborne again. Did he just— My face crashed into the mat. I groaned and scrambled to my feet. When I got up, he was only a few feet away.

I screamed and charged for him. He raised his sword, assuming I was coming with mine. But I wasn’t. There was no way I was going to beat Jackson with a sword. I was going to have to try something different. At the last second, I dropped my sword. I grabbed his left shoulder and jumped, swinging myself around his back. With my free hand, I grabbed his right shoulder and swung myself upside down. I wrapped my long legs around his neck, with my knees behind his head and my chest pressed to his, and then I flipped him over me.

His back slammed into the mat, but momentum had him bouncing off and rolling.

I picked up my sword then pounced on him just as he landed. With my legs straddling his hips, I swung my sword toward his chest. He threw his left hand up and caught my wrist, then flipped me onto my back like I weighed no more than a feather. Faster than I could blink, he was over me, his legs pinning mine to the ground…and my own sword in his hand. I hadn’t even noticed he’d taken it from me. It all happened too soon. He swung his arm down and then stopped with the tip of my opal blade an inch above my eyes.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

I exhaled in a rush and let my body go limp under him. My chest and lungs screamed, burning despite the oxygen trying to get in. My pulse thundered in my ears. Jackson pulled his arm back, moving my sword out of my face. He looked down at me with one eyebrow arched, but his eyes were shining bright. The corner of his lip pulled up on one side into a sexy little smirk.

“Damn it,” I groaned.

He shook his head then stood and pulled me to my feet. The world spun and I stumbled, but he caught me. “Bloody hell.”

“Jackson wins,” Timothy said between laughs, shaking his head, “but nice work, Bettina.”

“YES!” Genevieve cheered and clapped, a wide smile on her face. She skipped over to me, laughing. She clasped my hand and slapped my back. But it was in that friendly kind of way. When she stepped back, she grinned and shook her head. “Damn, B. That’s what I’m talking about. That was some ninja shit.”

Erin was right behind her. “Girl, you are so teaching me that.”

“Where in the hell did you learn that?” Jackson asked, laughing and shaking his head.

I shrugged, my chest heaving. My cheeks warmed, and I knew I was blushing. “Natasha Romanov, aka Black Widow, Iron Man 2 when she takes down Hammer Security.”

Jackson’s eyebrows rose. “What?”

“YouTube. you can watch stuff in slow motion,” I said softly.

Timothy was still chuckling. He twirled his finger in a circle. “And the first flip move?”

“Umm…” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Natasha Romanov, Captain America: Civil War, the plane tarmac scene.”

Jackson bent over, resting his hands on his knees. He hung his head and laughed with total abandon. He tried to say something, but he was laughing too hard.

I bit my lip and looked around. Everyone was laughing, but it didn’t feel directed at me. I frowned and turned to my professors. “Was that wrong?”

“Wrong?” Hewitt shook his head. “Girl, that was all kinds of right.”

“I mean, you still died. Technically.” Timothy shrugged, but he was still grinning. “But that was amazing. Jackson might not ever recover from that.”

The door on the side wall flew open. Constance and Kenneth walked into the training center. Constance’s blue eyes were dark and tense. Kenneth’s long silver hair was pulled back tight off his face, and his eyes were sharp. A muscle in his jaw popped.

Constance glanced around the crowd then turned her gaze toward our other Coven Leader. “Timothy…”

Timothy visibly paled. “What is it?”

“Kessler just called.” Constance sighed. “We’re needed back there. Now.”

I looked back and forth between our Coven Leaders, who’d both gone still. They seemed to be communicating by look. All the laughter in the room vanished when that reality check had walked itself into the room. Samhain was two weeks away, and apparently the High Priestess was going darker and darker. Headmaster Daniel walked over to his wife, and soulmate, and took her hand.

Timothy nodded then handed the clipboard to Hewitt. “Continue with midterms. I doubt I’ll be back before Samhain.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

BETTINA

I t was a week after midterms, and I felt like a new person.

Apparently dropping Black Widow-like fight moves on the resident badass made me a popular person. My fellow Swords finally saw me as an equal and not the black sheep of the Suit. Warner and Trey openly helped me in training, showing me new moves and helping finesse the ones I’d already learned.

Genevieve and Erin were my friends now. They practiced with me, ate lunch with me, helped me with other class homework…and it was genuine. They kept apologizing for being mean at first. Part of me wanted to give them a taste of their own medicine, but the bigger part of me wanted to be friends with them. Besides, I’d been judging them pretty hardcore, too, as it turned out. Lennox loved having three Swords girls for friends. She said we were like private bodyguards. She also said when she became Lead Page, she’d hire us to be her Knights.

All around, everything was going a little bit better. I still needed work on my fighting skills, and my magic was still suppressed, but things were looking up.

Jackson still called me princess…and I didn’t want him to stop. Though I wasn’t exactly sure where we stood. He still snapped at me. The glaring and eye rolling hadn’t changed. But on Monday, he kept chuckling about me learning moves from a Marvel movie on YouTube. Tuesday and Wednesday, I got two smiles each. On Thursday, he smiled at me four times. Friday, it was seven, and I got a wink.

Not that I liked him, like liked him liked him. Because I didn’t.

“Yo, Nox,” Genevieve yelled and knocked on the bathroom door. “How’s he doin’?

Genevieve, Erin, Lennox, and I were all in Dean’s dorm getting ready for the Halloween dance—that started forty-five minutes ago. We’d decided to do a group costume, then convinced Dean to be in it with us because we needed a fifth person to be the Spice Girls. Dean was a goofy dude, so it didn’t take too much to convince him. No magic was used, either.

“Ninety seconds!” Lennox shouted through the closed door.

Gen nodded and checked her costume in the mirror. She had on bright blue Adidas track pants, an orange sports bra, and white Adidas sneakers. She made the sportiest Sporty Spice I’d ever seen. Erin insisted on being Ginger Spice, said it would be an honor as a redhead. And she was rocking a microscopic dress with the British flag on the front.

Erin eyed me through her reflection. “You ready, Baby?”

I grinned and walked up next to my new friends. Baby Spice had seemed an appropriate role for me, and I was loving my costume, pigtails and all. Sure, the light pink mini dress was shorter than anything I’d ever worn besides a bikini. The top was cut low across my chest, showing off far more cleavage than I’d ever displayed. I told myself this wasn’t to get Jackson’s attention. Because it wasn’t.

The bathroom door opened, and the three of us spun, anxious to see Dean’s costume. Except Lennox came out alone and shut the door. She looked incredible with the iconic two horns that Scary Spice liked to wear. Not to mention the head-to-toe leopard print ensemble, complete with thigh-high, heeled boots, bra top, and booty shorts. Somehow all her tattoos just added to the look.

She grinned. “Just you wait…”

A few seconds later, the door reopened…and then Dean leaned in the doorway.

We gasped. Aside from the muscular arms, and sharp jaw, Posh Spice never looked so good. He had on a chin-length dark wig, a little black dress, and a pair of black kitten heels with straps that wrapped halfway up his calves. There was a beat of silence, and then we all applauded and bowed.

“First of all,” Dean said and waved his finger in the air, “I look amazing. Secondly, you owe me for this. Now, let’s party before I come to my senses.”

He winked, then turned and led the way to the door as we followed behind him laughing. I still couldn’t believe he was going along with it, and I adored him for it. Dean was quickly becoming one of my favorite people. I might not have had Tegan, or even be able to call her, but my new friends were pretty great. And if anyone would’ve appreciated what was happening tonight, it was my best friend.

Last year, we’d gone as Britney Spears and Kevin Federline.

The good part about being late was that no one was outside to see us walking over and get my nerves going. The bad part about being late was the second we pushed through the double doors and entered the dance, everyone turned to look at us.

There was a beat of silence over the crowd as music pumped in the background.

Dean threw up two peace signs and yelled, “GIRL POWER!”

The entire dance went nuts, cheering and applauding.

Lennox pulled her wand out of her boot and pointed toward the speakers up at the front of the massive room. The song playing cut off, and then we heard, “Yo, I’ll tell you what I want. What I really, really want!”

Lennox charged into the middle of the dance floor. Making a scene was so not my style, but with my group, I somehow forgot to be embarrassed as I danced my way onto the dance floor after Scary Spice. There had to be a hundred people out there around us, dancing and laughing. For a moment, we were the Spice Girls, singing our hearts out. Dean was a total hit. Of course, it helped that he happened to be one of the popular guys on campus so he could do no wrong.

A massive disco ball hung low from the ceiling, sending rays of neon lights across the entire room. I had to hand it to witches—they knew how to decorate for Halloween. The walls and ceiling were covered in skeletons. Torches lined the walls, their flames flickering. In the center of the dance floor was a giant black cauldron with smoke billowing out the top of it. And the costumes. Everyone was dressed up. Back home, there was always a huge amount of people not participating, but not in Edenburg.

When the song changed, the crowd around us dissipated a bit, and then a guy decked out in a full Batman suit rushed up to us. He was completely hidden in his costume so I didn’t recognize him until he yelled, “Holy hell, this is great! I don’t even know which of you to talk about first. I mean Gen, this has to be your favorite costume ever!”

Gen threw her head back and laughed. “Hey, this is also the most in costume I’ve ever been, Trey!”

“Seriously?” Warner yelled. “You’re not going to talk about Dean first?”

I spun to agree with him, but then my jaw dropped. Warner looked incredible, and an eerie amount like Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. He had the long hair going, and his skin was naturally dark enough. But then he’d covered his body in those scale-like tattoos. He looked ridiculously hot.

I blinked and shook my head. “I like your costumes, guys!”

Someone scoffed directly behind me, and my pulse kicked into hyper speed.

I turned and choked on a gasp. Jackson. I’d known it was going to be him, but damn was I not prepared for what I saw. He was dressed as Clark Kent in the process of stripping into his Superman gear. His white button-down shirt was tucked into gray slacks, but the shirt was mostly unbuttoned to reveal the iconic yellow and red S on a blue shirt. And he looked way too cute with thick black-rimmed glasses on.

But he didn’t look at me. He was pointing to Erin and smiling. “If only my grandfather were here to see you wearing his country’s flag as a dress,” he said in his perfect British accent.

Erin struck a sultry pose and winked. “Bring me home for a visit, and I promise I’ll wear this!”

Jackson chuckled and shook his head. The rest of our group broke into a debate over whose costume was the best…but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Jackson. His face was shaved and clean again, and I realized I liked both looks equally. It didn’t appear Jackson Lancaster had an ugly day. His hair was a little disheveled tonight, and I wanted to run my fingers through the longer strands on top.

And then he turned and met my stare. Those aquamarine eyes sparkled with mischief, a look I’d yet to see on his beautiful face. My body lit on fire, and my heart fluttered. I licked my lips, and his eyes tracked the movement. One of his eyebrows arched. Then his gaze slid down my body, slowly tracing every inch of my legs. My chest tightened and burned. With him looking at me like that, I wasn’t sure my brain remembered to make me breathe.

As his eyes traveled back up my body, his lips curved into a sexy little smirk. The song changed to a slow tune, and he glanced around. When his gaze found mine again, it was hot and intense.

He stepped closer and said in a soft voice, “Would you like to dance?”

I nodded but I didn’t trust myself to speak. Which was good, because when he stepped up close to me and put one hand on my waist, I almost squealed. His long fingers gripped my side and pulled me flush against his chest. He was only two inches taller than me, so my lips were just below his chin. All he’d have to do is tilt his face slightly and— Oh god. OH no. I was just thinking about kissing him, and how easy it would be. Oh no. No, no, no, no. Bad, bad. No.

But as he reached down with his free hand and tangled his fingers with mine, all of the fight left in me died. I liked him. I liked him a lot. There was no point in denying it any longer. I was done for. The feel of our hands touching, bare skin together, burned my entire body like a furnace. The heat radiating off of his body was enough to light a match. I pressed myself closer, barely containing the desire to bury my face in his chest.

I knew there were hundreds of people around us, but with his eyes only inches from mine, everything else disappeared. I wasn’t even sure if we were dancing or just standing there staring at each other. It didn’t matter. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to feel his lips on mine. I wanted to lose myself in him and stay there. I dragged my teeth over my bottom lip. He groaned, and I could’ve sworn I heard him curse under his breath. He licked his lips and leaned forward, and the tips of our noses brushed.

And then he was gone. Cold air slammed into me. I moaned at the loss of him. When I looked up, he was only a foot away from me. But then I took a step forward, and his eyes widened. He jumped back, shook his head, then spun and hightailed it out of there…leaving me in the middle of the dance floor gasping for air in his wake.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

BETTINA

T  wo hours later, I was torn between wanting to crawl into a hole and cry…or punching Jackson in his pretty face.

At first when he’d abandoned me on the dance floor, I’d been mortified and furious, but then I’d decided not to let him ruin my night. I’d told myself I was there with my four friends and we looked great in our group costume. I’d deserved to have fun. I’d told myself it didn’t matter; he didn’t matter. And then he went and spent the entire dance talking and dancing with every other girl in the school. I didn’t want to care. I didn’t like the rage boiling inside me when I saw him with another girl, or the sharp chest pains that came with it. I didn’t want to feel like this.

Except something happened inside me during that dance. All of the fight I had left to resist him, to deny the way I felt about him… That was all gone now. Despite the whiplash and his snappy attitude, despite my best efforts, I liked him.

I have a crush on Jackson Lancaster. I wasn’t even sure if crush was the right word, but I refused to give him any more than that.

I walked up to the bathroom mirror and tried to rein in the chaos inside me. My eyes were wide and sparkling a little too bright for my own liking. My cheeks were flushed and my lips were puffy and red from biting them.

I pointed at myself. “Pull yourself together. He’s just a dumb boy. You can beat this.”

The pep talk gave me the strength to hold my head up high and march back out to the dance to join my friends. Erin was on the dance floor, bumping and grinding with Trey and Warner. Lennox and Gen were on the far wall talking to Harlan. All three of them wore excited expressions, and their hands waved around as they talked. Knowing them, they were “talking shop.” I sighed. I wasn’t in the mood to talk witchcraft, and I definitely wasn’t feeling up to dancing with other guys. Where’s Dean?

A quick glance around the room turned up empty, though I didn’t see Jackson either. I walked over to the tables we’d been sitting at before as a group. And then there he was, lounging in a chair with one foot propped up and his arms stretched out on the chairs beside him.

My feet glued to the ground. He brushed his thumb over his bottom lip, and butterflies bounced around my stomach. My heart caught in my throat. That red rose tattoo pointed right at what I wanted. I should’ve just kissed him when I’d had the chance.

Now he sat surrounded by a handful of scantily clad females, all fighting for his attention. A fire I’d never felt raged to the surface, turning my body into a volcano waiting to blow. I knew I had no right to be mad or jealous. It was only one dance, but I was at my wit’s end with him. For six weeks, he’d tortured me with the glares and the looks, the snide comments. Then the niceness, the smiles, and compliments. I was fed up. I couldn’t do it anymore. He’d gotten to me, and he damn well knew it. All of my rational thoughts flew out the window.

“Jackson, there you are!” Some girl giggled and pushed by me. I didn’t know who she was, and the black leotard and bunny ears did nothing to help that. She bounced over on stupidly high stiletto heels and dropped into the chair next to him, brushing her fishnet-covered legs against his. With a giggle, she flipped her brown hair over her shoulder and leaned into him. “What are you doing lurking in the shadows?”

“Protecting his delicate reputation. After all, asshole doesn’t come easy,” I snapped. My voice was low and cold despite the fire in my veins. “Or maybe he’s just a coward.”

His eyes flashed bright as they widened. He sat up straight. “Excuse me?”

I grabbed my little purse off the table in between us. “Did I stutter?”

Then I spun and all but sprinted for the door. I wanted to run, to flee as fast as I could, but I didn’t want him to see how much he’d gotten to me. I didn’t want to cause a scene in front of the whole school. I just wanted out. I needed the fresh, chilly autumn air to cool off the heat inside me. Just a few minutes alone to gather myself, then I’d come back and stick to Lennox’s side.

I pushed the doors open and rushed down the sidewalk. The temperature outside had dropped since we’d gone in, and it couldn’t have been more than forty degrees. But I welcomed every prick of coldness on my bare skin. My pulse was racing and my hands were balled in fists at my side. I had no idea where I was headed, but I just needed to move. I turned the corner, and something hot wrapped around my wrist, yanking me to a stop.

I gasped and spun only to find it was Jackson.

“What the bloody hell is your problem?”

I smacked his hand away then pushed him back. “YOU.”

His eyes flashed and he snarled. “Because I had the audacity to dance with you? Fine, I won’t make that mistake twice.”

“Good!” I stepped toward him. “Make up your damn mind already! Asshole or nice guy. You can’t be both, Lancelot, and I’m sick of walking on eggshells around you. I’ve put up with your shit for six weeks and I’m done. Decide who you’re gonna be, then let me know.”

“FINE!” He reached forward and grabbed me by the back of the head, then dragged my mouth to his.

Our lips crashed together in frenzy. He cupped my jaw with both hands and kissed me like both our lives depended on it. I sighed and let myself go. All of that anger and frustration, all the confusion—I threw it aside and gave in to the passion between us. I fisted his shirt and yanked him closer. He groaned and pushed into me until my back slammed into the brick wall.

I pulled tighter, needing him closer. He fisted one of my pigtails and tipped my head back to deepen our kiss. Everything else in the world melted away. All I knew was him and this fire burning between us. As his tongue brushed against mine, my legs gave out. He caught me by the waist and pressed me harder against the wall with his body. His hands were hot and digging into my hips. I slid my hands up and gripped his face, pulling him closer as our lips collided together. The heat coming off of his body burned deep down into my bones.

And then he was gone.

A wall of ice-cold air blasted into me. I gasped and stumbled against the wall. My vision turned black at the edges. I blinked and looked around then found him several feet away. “What… Why…don’t…” My brain hadn’t kicked back into gear yet.

He ran his hands through his hair then tugged. “I can’t…” He cursed then spun and took off in the other direction, disappearing around the corner.

I slid down the wall and sank to the cold sidewalk. My breaths were ragged and my lungs screamed in protest. What the hell just happened?

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

BETTINA

I f I thought Jackson’s whiplash had been bad before, it had nothing on his behavior after that kiss.

That kiss. I groaned. That kiss had been everything I thought kissing him would be like. And it was eating me up inside, torturing me constantly. I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t eat. And this morning in combat training, I couldn’t even concentrate long enough to not have my ass kicked by Matt.

It was Monday morning, not even a full two days later, and I was about to eat my feelings. I slid my lunch tray over to the register so Wendy could see my four slices of pizza, two cookies, a soda, and a bag of chips.

“Rough Monday, love?” Wendy asked as she rang it all up.

I swiped my stupid ID and sighed. “You have no idea, Wendy.”

Before she could ask any more questions, I turned and headed straight for our table. Ever since midterms, my table had grown a bit larger. Lennox and Dean were there, but now so were Erin, Gen, Trey, Warner, Harlan…and Jackson. As I approached the table, my gaze went right for him. It wasn’t my fault. All I could think about was how soft his lips felt on mine.

I plopped my tray on the table then slid onto the bench. His pale aquamarine eyes flipped up to me for a brief second, and then he glared and spun away, like looking at me might cause him to spontaneously combust. It hurt, like a sharp pain cutting its way down my insides. I didn’t understand. It didn’t make sense. Clearly he wanted to kiss me; it wasn’t like I’d kissed him first. That was all him.

Lennox looked down at the slices of pizza stacked on my tray, then her yellow-green gaze flicked over to Jackson and back. She arched one eyebrow, but I just shook my head. She knew what had happened. I’d told her. I had to. She mumbled a string of curses under her breath and continued to glare at him.

I was just about to bail altogether and eat in my room when the main cafeteria doors flew open. Constance marched inside with her husband, Headmaster Daniel, hot on her heels. The entire cafeteria went silent. No one moved. I wasn’t even sure if anyone was breathing.

Our Coven Leader looked terrible. Her always tamed blonde hair was half falling out of her ponytail. There were new wrinkle lines around her mouth and nose, but it was the haunted look in her eyes that really shook me to the core. She sighed and for the first time I saw the fatigue she tried to hide.

“Hello, everyone. I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch,” Constance said with a soft, tired voice. She didn’t have to speak loud or yell since no one made a sound. “But I thought you might like an update. I just got back, and I’ve got some good news to share with you. It turns out our High Priestess was faking it. She’d gone undercover to try and take the demons down from the inside.”

“I knew it!” Lennox mumbled under her breath.

At least something was making sense.

“Also good news, Henley, our Moon Card, is no longer possessed by a demon. The High Priestess got it out of her for good.” Constance closed her eyes and shuddered, like the memory haunted her. Daniel put his hand on her shoulder, and she took a deep breath. “When I left The Coven, they were in Salem, Massachusetts preparing for Samhain. We’re doing everything we can. The twins are incredibly powerful, and they are on our side so—"

An ear-piercing scream ripped through the room. Everyone froze. There was a beat of silence and then more screaming. Everyone glanced around at each other. There was a loud whistling sound, and then something exploded. The ground trembled like it was an earthquake, sending everyone to their knees. Most students ducked and covered their ears, but I wasn’t about to sit still and wait to find out what the hell that was. My table leapt to our feet and sprinted for the doors…right behind Constance and Headmaster Daniel.

We dashed down the hall then pushed through the front doors of the building and raced outside. Students were running in every direction, screaming and panicking. I skidded to a stop. It was absolute chaos. A large shadow passed over me. I looked up and my heart stopped. It wasn’t a dragon like last time—it was the biggest, furriest black spider I’d ever seen. It had to be ten feet long.

Demons. My blood ran cold.

The spider dropped down, but then it slammed into an invisible barrier and bounced off out of sight. Blue mist swirled around the spot it had hit. I spun around in circles looking for Constance and Headmaster Daniel but they were nowhere in sight. Even Jackson was gone.

“The protection barrier!” Lennox screamed and pointed to her right. She took off in a sprint but yelled over her shoulder. “To Eden’s edge, come on!”

The border wall. I remembered learning about it in class. It was a spell that created a dome-like barrier between Eden and the rest of the world. We were told demons couldn’t get in, but looking at them now I had no confidence in the magic. Dark objects fell from out of nowhere, dropping just outside the border. Some had wings, some had massive talons, some stood tall like humans, but they all had big, glowing red eyes. They charged for us. The sky lit up with the blue mist over and over as the demons tried to get in.

Suddenly I spotted a huge group of people covered in black gear and masks over their heads like they were bank robbers. The same silver and gold sword etching from our building was embroidered on their sleeves. The Knights! They brandished their weapons and sprinted through the border wall. My pulse skyrocketed as I watched in horror. Constance dashed in front of me with two long swords in her hands. She yelled out orders to the Knights. Then I saw a familiar head of golden bronze hair in front of me.

I pushed aside how I felt for him and ran up to him. “They can’t get in, right?”

“No.” He didn’t look at me, just stared at the battle. “But they’re not supposed to be able to be out in daylight. The game has changed.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

JACKSON

T  hey wouldn’t let us fight.

It was sometime after midnight and before dawn on Friday, and the demons hadn’t let up. More than forty-eight hours of incessant attacks. They’d get maybe twenty minute breaks here and there, but that was it. The Knights’ strength was dwindling. Several had already fallen. Yet still Constance and Daniel wouldn’t let us fight. They had an entire army of Swords at their disposal, and they told us to stay back. Classes had been suspended. Students were told to hunker down inside. Everyone’s nerves were fried. The least they could do was let us help. It was what we were trained to do.

I ran to Eden’s edge, to where they had a tent set up for an infirmary. As I moved through it, my stomach sank with how many of the beds were full. Mona White, the Cups Leader, was in total battle mode as she instructed her healers around. She used to be a Lead Healer in Los Angeles, and rumor had it she’d seen many a battle herself. But it wasn’t her I was looking for.

Finally, a few feet and a dozen or so injured people later, I found Constance and Daniel up at the front. They had a map of Eden spread over a table. Several Knights stood around it, all of them arguing over which tactic to take next.

“Constance,” I shouted over the madness.

She stiffened, her blue eyes widening. “Jackson, you’re not supposed to be here—"

“You need to let us help!”

But she was already shaking her head. “No. No, that is a last resort only.”

I scoffed. “This is that time!” I gestured around us, to all the injured and battered Knights.

Just then, two young healers came walking by carrying a person on a stretcher…covered in a white sheet. My stomach turned. Another fallen soldier. Another life lost.

I cursed and pointed at the poor fallen soul. “You want more of that? These Knights are exhausted. They’ve been at it for two bloody days straight. You’re going to have more bodies on your hands if you don’t bring in more backup!”

“I already called for more Knights, but they won’t be here for a few more hours,” Constance said with a sigh.

“Damn it, Constance. You’ve got backup right here.” I pointed toward the school. “We’re trained, we’re armed, and we’re sure as hell ready.”

“They’re children, Jackson!”

“And they’ll die all the same if these demons get through!”

“Constance!” Daniel yelled over the madness. He held her phone out. “Kessler is on the phone.”

She raised her hand in the air and snapped her fingers. A clear dome wrapped around us and blocked out the noise of the battle. She grabbed her phone and put it on speaker. “Kessler? You okay?”

Kessler, aka the Strength Card, cleared his throat. “We’re alive. Timothy, Willow, Paulina, and Larissa all reappeared in Salem tonight. The demon attacks are getting worse by the minute.”

“What about Tennessee and the others?” Constance said in a low voice. But when Kessler didn’t answer, her face paled. “Kessler? Where’s your son? Is he back yet?”

Kessler sighed and I heard the pain he must’ve felt. “No. Tennessee and the others are missing—”

“Which others?” she asked in a clipped tone. Her pulse was beating in the vein on her throat.

“Everyone we need right now,” Kessler groaned. “Tegan, Emersyn, Cooper, Royce, Henley, and Deacon. Apparently they were sucked into the Seelie Tunnels, and only four of them came out. We…don’t know… None of them can be reached.”

“I’m sure he’s okay, Kessler,” Constance said softly. “Tennessee is strong. He survived that wound from the Old Lands, right? He can handle it.”

“I know. I know. But the twins not being here is scaring the hell out of me.” Kessler cursed. “I’ll feel better once they’re back where we need them. How are you guys doing?”

Constance closed her eyes and shook her head. “Hanging on. For now. But if this barrier falls…”

“Bentley says it won’t.” There was some kind of loud explosion on his end of the phone. Kessler cursed. “I gotta go. Be careful!”

Then the line went dead.

Daniel frowned. “The Hierophant doesn’t usually say things like that, do they?”

Constance shook her head. “Bentley likes to do things his own way, much like his sister.”

I only knew a few of these names, but I knew they were talking about The Coven. Whatever was going on over there, it didn’t sound like the quest was successful yet.

I opened my mouth to ask what was going on when the sound bubble around us trembled. Constance jerked upright and snapped her fingers. The spell vanished. Screaming and explosions hit my ears at once. I flinched at the sudden attack on my senses.

Something big had happened, and it didn’t look good. The Knights were panicked and retreating to Eden. One of them sprinted toward us with wide eyes. I recognized him as a Sword who’d graduated a couple years ago. His face was pale, and thick red blood dripped down his forehead.

“Constance!” he cried. “William is down. William is down!”

I gasped. William was a Knight Commander.

“What?” Constance’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “Where?”

The Knight turned and waved us forward. We ran behind him over to the far edge of the infirmary tent where a group of healers were scrambling around. Constance pushed through and then gasped. I leaned around her to see, and my heart sank. William was on the ground in a pool of his own blood…with half of his torso missing…like it’d been bitten off.

My stomach rolled. Constance dropped to her knees and took the dying Commander’s hand. There was no magic that could fix that wound. I turned away, to give him some respect—and my eyes widened. There had to be three dozen Knights just standing there looking dazed and unsure of what to do. Their Commander was down, but no one else had taken lead.

I glanced over my shoulder to where Constance was crouched. Daniel knelt beside her. They were preoccupied. They wouldn’t notice if I slipped away, and by the time they did, it would be too late. William’s sword was on the ground in front of me, spattered with blood. I hadn’t brought mine, afraid it would set Constance off. But there was a weapon right there for my taking.

I ran over and picked it up. The hilt was unfamiliar, but the energy around it was thick and ready for battle.

I turned and found the other Knights watching me. I raised the Commander’s sword in the air and yelled, “For William!”

Then I charged into battle, a squadron of Knights with me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

JACKSON

T  he sun had long since risen before we found our first break. We’d killed most of the demons, and the ones left had retreated. We knew they weren’t gone. We knew they were coming back with a vengeance, but we’d take any reprieve we could get.

All the Knights turned to me with questions in their eyes.

“Eat. Rehydrate. They’ll be back.” I turned and headed toward campus. There hadn’t been a chance earlier, but I wanted my sword. My talisman that was made specifically for me. If I had the briefest of moments to run back and get it, I was going to.

Constance stepped out in front of me, blocking my path. Her eyes were wild and bright, her cheeks flushed. “What were you thinking?”

I skidded to a stop. “Constance…I’m not sorry. William went down and—”

“I know,” she said with a sigh. She stepped up closer and lowered her voice. “You are not like the other Swords or Knights, Jackson Lancaster. We need you alive for Michael, you understand?”

A cold chill slid down my spine. Of course Constance knew about Michael. Hell, I’d told her about it myself when I arrived in Eden. It’d been a common conversation between myself and the three Coven members in Eden. They’d been super helpful. But something about the tone in her voice made me think she knew more than I did. I looked her in the eye and nodded. There was more to say on the matter, but now wasn’t the time.

She stepped back. “I won’t pretend we don’t need your help. I’m done trying that. But you’re not to risk yourself, and don’t act like you don’t know what I’m saying.”

I almost smiled. She was letting me fight. Not that I hadn’t already been for hours, but the approval and recognition felt damn good. “Understood.”

“Going to fetch your talisman?” she asked. When I nodded, she glanced over my shoulder then handed me an apple. “Catch your breath, eat something on your way.”

Without another word, she turned and marched back toward the infirmary tent. I didn’t hesitate. I sprinted across the front lawn of Edenburg toward the Swords training facility. My lungs screamed in protest. Every muscle in my body burned. I tasted the bitter flavor of blood on my lips. No matter what I did, I couldn’t shake the scent of maple syrup from the demon’s blood. Yet somehow, I was light on my feet.

I’d trained for a decade for this exact moment.

It didn’t take me long to get to the training room. Classes were still suspended, and students were mostly hiding out in their dorms awaiting the apocalypse. I pulled the door open and sprinted up the walkway between the benches—then froze.

Every single Sword student stood in front of me. Their eyes were sharp and their gazes heated. They were pissed. I cleared my throat, but before I could speak, Genevieve stepped out in front of the massive group.

Her glare was deadly. “You think we wouldn’t find out you fought?”

“Not cool, man.” Warner shook his head behind her. “You fight, we fight.”

I held my hands up. “Guys, no. You can’t—"

“Bullshit!” Bettina yelled. She stomped forward, closing some of the distance between the group and me. Her blue eyes practically glowed with her anger. Her fists were balled at her sides. All the new, chiseled muscles in her arms flexed. “Each and every one of us will join the Knights upon graduating Edenburg. This is what we were born to do. This right here is the fight of our generation. We have every right to be out there fighting for our homeland just as much as you do.”

“Bettina, I—"

“We are an army, so be our general or be our speed bump. Either way, we’re going in.”

I opened my mouth then closed it.

She was one hundred percent right. This fight against the demons was for our generation. The twins destined to save us were our age, for Goddess’s sake. It didn’t matter if we were teenagers, or younger. If that barrier came down, we were all doomed.

It was October 26… Samhain was five days away.

We might not live long if the twins failed. Everyone deserved a chance to go out fighting.

I nodded. “Let’s talk war tactics. We’re going in with a plan.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

BETTINA

J ackson led us across campus, over the front lawn, and right for the border. That break he’d talked about had obviously ended. There was screaming and yelling, explosions, and magic flying through the air just beyond the border. Demons fell to the ground. Witches were being dragged toward a massive white tent by other witches. My pulse skipped a few beats.

This was war, and I was about to join it. And it’d been my idea.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Headmaster Daniel leapt out in front of Jackson with his arms raised. “No. Nope. I don’t think so. CONSTANCE!”

I couldn’t blame him. One-fourth of his student population stood in front of him ready for battle.

Before Jackson could speak a word, Constance came running out. Her eyes widened at the sight of us, and she slowed to a stop. She looked over us then turned to Jackson. “You went for one sword, not the entire Swords Suit.”

Jackson shrugged.

“Please, Constance,” I yelled. When she turned to me, I continued. “Hear us out.”

“You need us, Constance,” Jackson said. “We have a plan. Alternate. We’ll go in, and the Knights can rest, like real rest. Then we switch. It’s the only way to keep up strength.”

Constance took a deep breath…and nodded. “Okay. Then get in there right now. Send the Knights back.”

Jackson glanced over his shoulder and grinned. He raised his two-toned sword in the air over his head. “You heard her, Swords. Let’s roll!”

With a deafening roar and our swords raised, we charged.

I gripped my sword tight in both my hands and took a few deeps breaths. This was it. War. My first battle. Wild hot adrenaline coursed through my veins, numbing the fear prickling down my spine. I clenched my teeth and sprinted through the protection barrier. A cold breeze swept over me…and then it was chaos.

Despite everything I’d said to Jackson before, fear got the best of me. I froze in place. From inside Eden the battle had looked like something from a horror film. But from the front lines I knew this was straight out of Hell itself. The air was thick, hot, and sticky. My lungs screamed in protest. I coughed as the smell of maple syrup slammed into me.

It may have been daytime but the sky was black with demons. They flew over our heads, swooping and attacking without mercy. Thin rays of sunshine poked through the evil flock but it only made the battle more sinister. There was smoke and fire, venom burning through anything it landed on. I spun in a circle with my heart caught in my throat. There were bodies everywhere, lifeless and unmoving.

If The Coven failed on Samhain, this was what we had coming for us.

FOCUS, BETTINA! I turned back to the horror in front of me and spotted that familiar head of golden bronze hair. Jackson charged ahead, leading the best of our Suit right into battle. That was our plan. First and Second Years defended the Knights who were fleeing to safety, everyone else went on the offense.

Just then, Matt and Caleb emerged from a thick gray fog carrying two wounded Knights each. The four injured men gushed blood from several spots as they were dragged by my fellow First Years. I gasped. My friends were hobbling forward, the weight of the men slowing their pace. A black, furry demon with orange talons and red eyes dropped from the sky right behind them.

They’re not gonna make it!

“RUN!” I screamed and leapt into action. I still had no idea what I was doing in a battle like this, but I turned my brain off and let my instincts take over.

I pushed my legs as hard as I could and raced toward them with my sword gripped tightly in my hand. The demon didn’t pay me any attention, it wanted them. Not today, Satan. Matt’s eyes widened when he saw me gunning for him. He glanced over his shoulder then cursed and dropped to his knees. I jumped over him like I was a track and field Olympian. To my utter shock and disbelief I didn’t fall face forward into the dirt.

“Bettina!” Caleb shouted.

“GET THEM OUT!” I screamed without looking back at them.

The demon didn’t miss a beat or slow down. It probably thought it could kill me and then them. But I wasn’t going to let that happen. I pulled my dagger out of my thigh holster and let out a battle cry. Adrenaline and utter terror raged inside me. The demon and I sprinted for each other like the ugliest game of chicken ever played. It was calling my bluff and I was going to win. Mona’s lecture on this furry beast ran through my mind. Aim for its knees, it’s their Achilles heel.

At the last second, I dropped down and sliced my talisman sword right through the demon’s left knee It wailed and fell over. I leapt to my feet. Stab the red line between its shoulder blades, that’s its heart. I raised my dagger above me head then slammed the blade into the red line. The demon exploded into a cloud of dust. I looked up and spotted Matt and Caleb on Eden’s side. I grinned and turned back to the battle. Who’s next?

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

JACKSON

A s I stepped into the school’s courtyard, my black cloak turned solid white. Ceremonial white. It was Saturday night, the twenty-seventh of October. Samhain was only a few days away…and seven Coven members were still missing. It’d only been a few days since they went radio silent, but everyone was freaking out. The biggest problem was in those seven were the twins. The ones who were supposed to close the Gap, the only people who could close the Gap. And they were missing.

Constance had insisted we do a ritual for The Coven, praying for their strength and courage. She invited everyone to join if they wanted to, but it wasn’t required. As I walked through the grass, I realized the entire school was out there.

I smiled and walked toward Harlan, the Wand Major, who stood a few feet inside the courtyard. As I approached, I held out my hand and nodded my head. Harlan grinned and waved his wand, and then a short red candle appeared in my hand.

“Red, for strength and courage,” Harlan said softly.

Someone was right behind me, so I kept walking. A few feet behind him were two torches with orange flickering flames. I slowed down beside one and lit my candle with it. Then I headed toward the large gathering of people. Everyone wore their cloaks, and they were all white since this was a ritual. So from behind, I couldn’t tell anyone apart.

The only person who stood out was Constance. She was on her knees in the middle of the circle of students, wearing a sleeveless white sheath dress. It was the same one she always wore. It was a Coven thing. Her eyes were closed and her face angled up to the sky. Her blonde hair was down and hanging straight around her shoulders. Three rows of red candles sat in front of her. I didn’t need to count to know how many were there. She would’ve put a candle for each of her Coven-mates, yet not one for herself.

I moved through the crowd, kicking myself for not leaving with Warner, when the person in front of me pulled their hood down, revealing long wavy blonde hair. It could’ve been anyone. She wasn’t the only blonde in the school, but my body lit up anyway. In an instant, I was on fire. I moved to stop just beside the girl, then slowly glanced down.

My breath left me in a rush, making the flame of my candle flicker. It was her. My heart skipped a beat, sending a tremor down through my body. The glow of her candle flame lit up her face like she had a halo. I knew it was weird and kind of creepy to just stand there staring at her like I was, but I was helpless to stop myself. She was just…beautiful.

Her long black eyelashes fluttered, and then I was staring at the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes. Most people’s were a soft blue or a rich sapphire, but not Bettina’s. Hers were a vibrant royal blue, like the purest form of the color itself. They were bright, full of spark—and looking right at me.

I froze. My eyes widened. Yet still, I couldn’t look away. Neither of us spoke. We just stood there. Staring. I wanted to go back in time and kick my own ass for how I’d treated her. For assuming she was some daft damsel in distress. For letting her get under my skin when it was my own fault she irritated me. I hated how surprised I was to see her doing so well now since the signs were there from the beginning. Right down to the way she wasn’t afraid of me.

She was incredible. I was impressed with her quick learning, and her courage. I was so proud of the progress she’d made. She’d charged right into a war against demons after only a few weeks of training. Every time I thought I’d gotten used to her, she took my breath away.

The energy between us was warm and pulsing with electricity. The hairs on my arm closest to her stood tall. I wanted to reach out and hold her hand. I wanted to kiss her, to feel her soft lips on mine again. That kiss. It tormented me every time I let my mind wander. Always there. She bit down on her bottom lip, and I wanted to take her mouth with mine. My chest burned, and I knew I wasn’t breathing.

“Let us begin.” Constance’s voice carried over the crowd. “This ritual tonight, we’re praying for strength and courage.”

Harlan appeared behind her. He dropped to his knees and held his red candle out in front of him. All at once, like we’d trained for this, we sank to our knees and copied his pose. Constance tipped her head back and closed her eyes. As she chanted words in the ancient language, I focused on my candle and not the girl beside me. Constance kept chanting. She raised both her hands in the air, and a pulse of energy rolled over the crowd.

The flames on our candles flickered and grew bigger, and brighter. But then the flame began to swirl like a tornado. Little glowing red embers flew off of the candles and rose in the sky over our heads. Constance waved her hands around…and the embers hardened into shiny red crystals. All around the courtyard the red crystals hovered, then began moving in a circle around us. They flew faster and faster until they were one big blur. Time slowed down. I couldn’t have said for sure how long we sat there but the dropping temperature told me it was a while. Finally, Constance curled her fingers into fists then threw her palms wide open. The crystals exploded into dust, raining down on us like snow.

“CONSTANCE!” Headmaster Daniel yelled from somewhere in the distance. “Connie!”

Everyone frowned and searched for him. Then I spotted him, running toward us from the side of the courtyard. The same side that was closest to the border.

My heart fluttered. There was something frantic about the look on his face that had me gripping the hilt of my sword under my cloak.

Constance scowled and jumped to her feet. “What’s wrong?”

Except Daniel grinned. He held a cell phone in the air and sprinted toward his wife, shouting, “They’re back!”

The crowd gasped.

Constance’s face paled, like she was afraid to hope. “What? Are you sure? All of them?”

Daniel reached her then and handed her the phone. He pointed to what I assumed was a text message. “They’re back! The Emperor and the missing Coven members… They’re all back!”

The crowd erupted. Everyone leapt to their feet and cheered at the top of their lungs. Relief washed through me. We still had a chance. There was still a chance the twins could save us. I didn’t know how to explain the rush of emotion inside me, but I turned toward Bettina with my heart in my throat. She grinned and clapped her hands, her eyes twinkling.

I reached forward to do something stupid like kiss her in front of everyone when the crowd roared. I jumped back and spun, expecting to find a fight, but instead found a rush of white cloaks running toward the border. As they ran, their cloaks changed from white to black. They raised their arms, and the moon reflected off the blades of their swords. They were going to fight. My jaw dropped. They were so excited about that piece of news that they were charging into battle.

Bettina yanked her cloak open then pulled her opal-bladed sword out from under it. She raised it in the air and met my eyes. “Let’s go kill some demons, Lancelot!”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

BETTINA

A s the sun rose on the twenty-ninth, I found myself sitting in the infirmary tent just inside the border protecting Eden. Marcia Landry had just given me a healing potion to heal the wound on my sword hand. I was sitting there watching my cuts close right under my eyes as the war raged on.

Things were only getting worse. It’d been days of constant, round-the-clock fighting. The closer it got to Samhain, the worse the attack on Eden got. We couldn’t keep this up. There was no way we could last. The Knights and the Swords were struggling. No one was getting real sleep, and food was an afterthought. We needed another approach.

Warmth filled my palm. I looked down just as the final pieces of my skin fused back together. My eyes widened. I chuckled and shook my head. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to magic. It was single-handedly the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Being a witch was incredible. There seemed to be limitless possibilities of what we could do.

Three bleeding Knights hobbled into the tent, so I got up and out of their way. I was walking to get some food when my heart caught in my throat. Constance, Daniel, and Jackson stood around a wooden table with a map spread across it. But their faces were all pale. I opened my mouth to ask what happened when I heard the deep rumble of Timothy’s voice.

“…call me when you select who,” our other Leader said in a rush through someone’s cell phone speaker. “You need to be gone by ten.”

Jackson sighed then nodded. “Understood. I’ll call you back soon.” He hung up and turned his aquamarine eyes to Constance.

She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Something had just happened, something big.

I moved closer. “What’s wrong?”

Jackson’s gaze snapped over to me, and my heart fluttered. “The Emperor has given new orders.”

I frowned. “Is he the Leader now? Did I miss something?”

Daniel chuckled. He actually laughed.

Constance shook her head. “No, not officially. But he was destined to be. The Emperor is always Coven Leader. Meet him once and you’ll understand. We do what he says.”

I blinked in surprise then looked back to Jackson, who was glaring at the map on the table. “What were his orders?”

“They need me in Salem. Today,” Constance said softly and looked to her husband.

“And he specifically requested that I take Warner and go into the Old Lands to find the dragon Lonan, then send him back here to help defeat the demons.” Jackson sighed and shook his head. “The Old Lands.”

Constance put her hand on his shoulder. “You have to go. But Timothy said to take the top five students in your Suit with you, including Warner. Coven orders.”

Daniel groaned. “Connie, you want to take our top six Swords? I hate to jinx it, but what if something happens? We can’t lose—”

“There’s got to be help elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere?” Jackson shrieked. His face flushed. “Like where? We can’t call in Knights from other cities!”

“He’s right, Daniel.” Constance began pacing in front of the table while rubbing her temples. “I’ve been talking to Majors and Minors all over the world, and everyone is under attack. There are no Knights to spare.”

“Constance…”

She stopped and faced her soulmate, love pouring out of her blue eyes. “Daniel, love, I understand your fears here, but I must pull rank on this. We have no other choice. Jackson, select your Swords now.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

LENNOX

F inally, it was my turn to help. Harlan and I had been called in to help with the battle, without actually fighting. I was pumped. I hated being helpless on the sidelines. We were in a Wands classroom near the front of school with Constance and Bettina, discussing the plan. I was so proud of my roommate. She’d really transformed into quite the badass. Constance said something to her, then she nodded and headed for the door.

She paused next to me by the door and whispered, “Meet me in our room in ten minutes. I’ll show you what we want you to do.” Then she disappeared.

“Lennox?” Constance called out for me.

I refocused on our Coven Leader. “Yes?”

“Please step into the hall and see if Daniel is out there.”

I nodded and slipped out the door into the hallway. The bright fluorescent lights reflected off the shiny hardwood floors. It was kind of surreal to be standing in my school preparing for war. Headmaster Daniel was nowhere in sight, there were only some random students meandering around. I was just turning back to the door when the air flashed bright white—and then a girl who definitely hadn’t just been there appeared out of thin air. I cursed and jumped backward. I had no idea who this chick was, but the sheer power radiating off of her made the hairs on my arms stand tall. The energy around her was the strongest thing I’d ever felt. I’d always been sensitive to auras of other people, but hers was so brilliant and strong I had to force my magic to tone itself down for a second. She was like staring at a light.

For a moment, I just stared at her. She eyed me back. No one spoke. I had to admit, I was a little taken aback. She was gorgeous. Without a touch of makeup on, either. Her hair was jet black and fell down straight to her elbows. I smiled as I noticed the tips were a faded purple. For a second, I wondered if she was a Swords student I didn’t know about because she definitely looked the part in her black combat boots, ripped skinny black jeans, and a black tank top with tiny straps.

No, definitely not. I’d remember that glyph. There weren’t many people in our race who had soulmates, and no one in Edenburg did besides Constance and Daniel. Yet right there smack in the middle of this girl’s chest was that standard heart-shaped crystal glyph, shining a bright rosy pink. The black lines of her glyph spread over her shoulder and almost all the way down to her hand.

Who are you?

“Um…hi?” The girl raised her left hand and waved.

I gasped. The students turned wide eyes to each other and started whispering. One of the guys closest to me pointed down at her. I followed his finger—and my jaw dropped. Right there on her left forearm was the unmistakable Mark of the High Priestess.

OH MY GODDESS. I squealed in my head. Be cool, Lennox. Be cool!

The girl frowned, her light green eyes narrowing into slits like she was confused. But then she looked down at her arm at the Roman numeral II inked into her skin in black, bold digits. She looked like a confused puppy. I had to save her. She didn’t realize she was famous here. I remembered that she was also new to our world, just like Bettina, so maybe she didn’t know that everyone here knew who she was.

I jumped out in front of her and waved. When I went to open my mouth, the High Priestess turned her green eyes on me. They looked like glowing gemstones.

Despite my best efforts, my brain short-circuited. “Hi-hi-hi—”

The High Priestess smiled and waved at me. “Hi, hi, hi to you, too.”

“Hi-High Priestess!” I stuttered pathetically. “H-how can I help you? I thought you were in Salem—”

“I like your style,” she said suddenly, looking me up and down. “What’s your name? Because we’re gonna be friends.”

“I-I-I…” I closed my mouth before I could embarrass myself any further. The High Priestess liked my style. She wanted to be my friend because of my style. I didn’t care that she’d just ignored what I was saying because I was totally and completely fangirling right now, and there were far too many witnesses. Yet none of them were Bettina.

I’m talking to the Aether Witch!

She sighed, like she’d just realized what she said, and she shook her head. “Sorry. I’m a weirdo. Continue.”

I giggled and felt my cheeks warm. I tucked my hair behind my ears. “I’m Lennox. Thank you. We can totes be friends, High Priestess. I was just asking if I could help you? I’m assuming you left Salem for a reason…”

She frowned and scratched her forehead. “Oh, right. Yes. Sorry, I’m sleep-deprived.”

“And a weirdo.” I grinned.

“Such a weirdo.” She laughed and shook her head in embarrassment. The other students around us stared in shock. “Right. I’m here for Constance.”

“Oh, that’s convenient! She’s right in here!” I bounced over to the door and yanked it open. Then I leaned inside with a big smile on my face. “Constance, the High Priestess is here for you.”

Constance sighed with relief. She nodded then turned back to Harlan. “Unfortunately, I must return to Salem now. I believe in you. Good luck.”

Then she turned and practically ran out the door, pushing past me. She marched right to the smiling High Priestess and pulled her in for a big hug. When she stepped back, her face was grim. “I’m so glad you made it back. I heard what happened. How’s Deacon?”

The High Priestess grinned, and it was totally mischievous. “Good as new, and ready to play.”

“That’s wonderful news. Thanks for coming. Just follow me. I need to give Daniel something.” Constance turned and gestured for the girl to follow her down the main hallway. “I didn’t realize you were that fast.”

“No worries,” the High Priestess said and followed after her.

Crap, she’s leaving. Say something! “Bye, new weirdo friend!” I yelled down the hall after her. Well, at least she knows you’re a weirdo, too, now.

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Bye, Lenny!”

And then she disappeared around the corner with Constance. I chuckled and shook my head. The High Priestess just gave me a nickname. Lenny. I kind of loved it. And I couldn’t wait to tell Bettina.

CHAPTER FORTY

BETTINA

I ’d gone up to my room to grab what I needed for Lennox, but also to change out of my demon-blood-stained clothes. They were sticky and reeked of maple syrup so strong I kept gagging. Plus…I really needed a moment to collect myself. In private.

Jackson was going into the Old Lands to find the dragon Lonan. I was terrified for him. There was no knowing what was going to happen while he was in there. I’d acted calm about it when he first told me, but that was all a big show. What if he was gone for five weeks? What if he came back injured? What if he never came back at all? What was I going to do with myself while I waited?

I didn’t know why I cared. It wasn’t like he did. He hated me. That kiss was probably some ruse to fluster me, to mock me. If he felt the way I did, then he wouldn’t have acted like I didn’t exist ever since.

My room door flew open, and Lennox came bouncing in with a wide grin on her face. “Oh my Goddess, Tina! I just met the High Priestess!”

I froze with my fingers on my Converse laces. “Wait, what? The High Priestess? She’s here?”

“Yes. Well, probably not now!” Lennox squealed and dropped down on the sofa. “I didn’t get her name, or maybe I did. You know I’m terrible with those! Anyway, I walked out of the classroom right after you. I mean you missed her by seconds, dude. She just appeared out of thin air. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

My jaw dropped. I’d been dying to meet the High Priestess…and I missed her by that little? “Well, what happened?”

Lennox sighed and shrugged. “She just came to get Constance. They left. But oh, dude, she has a soulmate glyph, and it looks so badass. Like, Constance never shows hers off. But this chick had hers on full display, pink crystal and all.”

I frowned. I hadn’t heard the part of her having a soulmate. It was pretty rare. “I wonder who her soulmate is?”

Lennox wagged her eyebrows. “Word on the street says the Emperor.”

There was a loud knock on our door. Lennox waved her wand toward it, and the lock clicked. The door swung open, and Jackson sauntered in. Lennox squealed and jumped to her feet.

“Wait!” I grabbed the book I wanted to show her off my table then tossed it to her. “Chapter six. Check it out real quick.”

“Got it!” she said as she walked backward. Once she was behind Jackson, she winked and stuck her tongue out before turning and slipping out the door.

I didn’t get a chance to speak.

Jackson turned that heated glare I knew so well right at me. “Be ready and on the border in ten minutes. We leave for the Old Lands now.” Without another word, he spun and headed for my door.

Wait, what? We? What does he mean by WE? Did he seriously think he got to just drop that little bomb and leave? I wasn’t going to on this quest like this. I groaned but it came out as a half scream.

Before he got to it, the door slammed shut right in his face. Pink mist swirled around the hinges. I had no idea how I did that, but damn did it feel good.

I raised my chin and said, “No.”

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

BETTINA

He spun around with fire in his eyes. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not going on that quest,” I said in a rush.

His eyes flashed, and his face flushed with anger. “Yes, you are,” he growled.

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re not actually my boss or leader, so you can’t just barge in here and make demands.”

He moved closer. “I was ordered to take the five Swords with me, you made that list.”

My stomach rolled. ME? Why me? I wasn’t good enough for this quest. Everyone knew that. So it didn’t make sense for me to make the cut. I wasn’t trained for something like that. How could they ask me to go?

I looked into Jackson’s beautiful ocean-colored eyes, and my heart sank. He hated me, but that was so far from how I felt. Even now, I kept looking at his lips and imagined kissing them. I’d missed the entire ritual on Saturday because I’d been so distracted by his presence. How could they not see I wasn’t a smart choice? Would I be able to keep my eyes off him long enough to not get us all killed? Didn’t they see that he hated me so much that he could miss things he never would’ve missed without me?

Jackson must have taken my sudden silence as surrender, because he started to turn back to the door.

“I know you hate me,” I said in a rush. It was time to get this out in the open. It was time to address the elephant in the room. When Jackson turned and looked at me with narrowed eyes, I continued. “I know you hate me. I don’t know why, or what compelled you to kiss me, but I do know that people die in the Old Lands. People get lost and never come back from there. Hell, The Coven was lost there for five weeks. I’ll do whatever we need to help The Coven. But not like this. We need to have our heads on straight and this…this…this thing between us is distracting. I don’t belong on this quest. And yet my biggest concern is that your hatred for me is going to get you killed, and it’ll be my fault. I’m done pretending like I hate you, Jackson. That kiss might’ve been to mock me, or whatever it was, but it told me that I feel things for you and they’re not hatred. I’m not asking you to be in love with me. I just want to know why you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Jackson whispered, his face was blank but his eyes were tortured.

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you do. From the very moment we met, you’ve hated me. That’s fine. You don’t need to lie to me to coddle my fragile emotions. But please, tell me why so I can get over you.”

He frowned and for a second I thought I saw pain flash in his eyes. “What if I don’t want—"

“Then why am I on this quest today? Unless this is some tactic to scare me off, get me to drop out of Edenburg and run home to Charleston. It’s not like you’ve tried to help me get better—” I slammed my mouth shut before I could say anything else.

The second the words left my lips I regretted saying them. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized he had helped me. I licked my lips and tried to think of how to take that back.

Jackson’s face fell. He nodded and scratched his forehead. “I deserved that.”

“Jackson, I didn’t mean that. I kn—"

“I know. I can see it in your face.” He sighed and strolled over to stand in front of me. “But I still deserved it.”

I looked up into his beautiful eyes, and my chest tightened. “Why do you hate me? Why don’t you want to even be honest with me?”

He stared at the ground. “I was trying to say…what if I don’t want you to get over me?”

I gasped and shook my head. My pulse skipped a beat. There was absolutely no way I’d heard him right. “What did you say?”

He stepped forward until the steel toes of his boots were flush against my Converses. He looked down at me through thick, dark eyelashes. His aquamarine eyes sparkled with some kind of intense emotion I couldn’t read. That Christmassy scent washed over me. The warmth coming off his body so close to me made me want to snuggle into his chest—and that was so not helping. The energy radiating out of him was hot and pulsing.

“I deserve your anger and none of your affection.” He took my face with both hands, cupping my cheeks against his warm palms. He brushed his thumb over my cheek, then he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

His kiss was tender and soft. Each brush of our lips melted the ice-cold fear deep inside. I sighed and leaned into him. My hands gripped his hips, pulling him closer.

When he stepped away, I knew I would never be the same.

He let his fingers trace over my skin until the cold air parted us. For a moment, we just stared at each other. I had no idea what he was thinking or feeling, but I knew I was so totally on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

“Talk to me,” I heard myself whisper.

He cursed and scrubbed his face with his hands, then plopped down on the little sofa beside us. “I am sorry for kissing you without your permission. Twice. That is not behavior becoming of me.”

“You had my permission. Still have it, actually.” I walked over and sat on the sofa beside him. “Jackson, please. Nothing makes sense. Just talk to.”

He sat with his head in his hands and elbows on his knees in silence for a long time. So long that I had just begun to wonder if he was going to answer at all when he cursed again, or at least I assumed it was a curse. His accent and choice of slang were sometimes impossible to translate.

“I don’t hate you, Bettina.” He sighed and shook his head. “Okay, that’s a lie. I did hate you when I first met you, but that was no reflection upon you.”

I’d known this, but hearing it still hurt like a knife to the heart. “How is it not? You hadn’t even seen me before we met.”

He laughed in a short burst, but there was no humor in the sound. “Oh, I saw you. The moment you stepped onto that sidewalk outside Dean’s house. I thought you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen, and I liked the way you looked at me a little too much. After that, Dean told me you were the one he thought was a witch. Goddess, it was the only thing I could think about. It was distracting, so much so that I missed the red flags and did nothing to prevent the chaos that followed. That wasn’t okay. I had a job to do. The Coven relied on me for it…and I screwed up because I couldn’t keep my eyes off the pretty blonde girl with big blue eyes. People could’ve gotten really hurt. The damage could’ve been so much worse. I was so mad at myself afterward that I took it out on you. I hated you before you made it to Edenburg, yet your arrival was the only thing I could think of.”

My mind went blank. My heart pounded in my ears. “Jackson…I…”

“And then you got here, and it was so much worse. You consumed me, and I hated it.” He turned and looked at me with grave eyes. “I hated that you belonged in my Suit because it meant I would have to train you. I hated that you were beautiful and naive to our world. I hated that you had all the raw talent but were so clueless. I even hated when you started practicing and progressing. Not because any of these things were a reflection on you but a distraction for me.”

“I don’t understand. How am I that much of a distraction, and why is it a bad thing?”

He groaned and jumped to his feet, then he stormed over to the glass door for our balcony. “Do you remember the story about the House of Lancaster and our situation? I heard Lennox telling you in that tattoo parlor.”

“Yes,” I whispered but didn’t move, afraid he might spook and run off.

“My family was one of the original twenty. The magic in our veins traced all the way back to the very start of our race. We were strong, powerful, but good people. And then Lilith came and started that war. My family was at the heart of it for a hundred years until the archangel Michael showed up and lent Henry his sword.” He hung his head and closed his eyes. “I have no idea what possessed Henry to steal it. And then he hid it, and not even Michael himself could find it. Do you know how strong that magic had to be? To fool an archangel? Not that that matters. Because of Henry, our bloodline was cursed. For six hundred years, Bettina. Do you have any idea how long that is?”

I shook my head and patted the sofa beside me. “Come here.”

To my surprise, he listened. He took the seat beside me and leaned his elbows on his knees. When he didn’t speak right away, I brushed my hand up and down his back. He sighed and I felt some of the tension ease out of his muscles.

“All of our honor was wiped in a single moment. And then he took our magic.” Jackson leaned into me. “I heard you ask Lennox why I was suddenly born with magic, after six hundred years.”

I nodded. “I did ask that,” I whispered. I knew he heard me.

“My parents used an old family spell book and summoned the archangel Michael back to Earth. This is not only strictly forbidden but stupidly dangerous.” He rubbed his face with his hands and groaned. “They made a deal with him, Bettina. While my mother was pregnant, they made a deal with Michael so I would be born with magic…and then I was.”

“Wait…the Ouija board…”

He nodded. “Michael is coming. I’ve known that. I’ve known since I was four that before my eighteenth birthday, the archangel Michael was coming back for me. He’s going to test me, without warning or mercy. If I pass, Michael made a promise to return my family’s magic to them. But if I fail, my magic will be stripped and no Lancaster will ever have any again. Ever.”

I groaned and pressed my forehead to his shoulder. “That’s so much pressure.”

“My parents sent me here when I was six. I’ve only been home a couple times since.” He turned his head and pressed his forehead to mine. “For a decade, this has been my only focus. And then you showed up, looking like a supermodel. So I hated you…for threatening my entire existence simply because you’re amazing.”

For a moment, we were silent. I wasn’t quite sure what to say. It was a lot to take in. And it explained everything. I wasn’t alone in my feelings; he felt them too. He’d been as tortured by me as I was by him. I wasn’t this supermodel he saw, but the idea that he felt something for me felt like a dream. It was overwhelming to hear, and such a relief. I wanted to scream, cry, and kiss him until the sun went down. But he was hurting, and I’d caused it.

That hurt more than I cared to admit. I wanted to help him, but there really was nothing I could say, so I wrapped my hands around his muscular shoulders and tugged him down so I could press a soft kiss to his cheek.

I pulled back a little and whispered against his skin, “Thank you for telling me.”

Then our eyes met, and everything else melted away. My heart pounded against my ribs so hard it vibrated down into my legs. I licked my lips and leaned in.

Jackson stood, leaving a cold space beside me. “We leave in ten.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

BETTINA

“T  his will lead us to the Old Lands.” Jackson used his sword to point straight ahead.

I frowned and followed his point. My stomached dropped. Of course it’s a super creepy gate. Of course. Couldn’t be a paved roadway with streetlights. It was a horror film setting. The gate was black wrought iron with runes carved into the metal in silver and gold, which I now knew meant there were spells and enchantments on it. The creepiest part? There was no fence. Just a gate. A cold chill slid down my spine and I shivered.

Behind the gate, there was a pathway of cobblestones but only for a few feet, then it disappeared into a wall of fog. This wasn’t regular human fog—it was witchy fog. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have known the difference but not now. This fog was thick, with pulsing energy swirling inside it. I’d seen it before…at the Gathering.

Memories from that night slammed into my mind. I peeled my eyes off the fog, and my gaze landed on the red rose tattoo on Jackson’s hand. I stared at it and tried to breathe normally. This wasn’t like the Gathering. I was a witch, a trained witch, now. And I had backup. Jackson was the best warrior we had. I’d seen him in battle now, and at sixteen years old, he commanded that battle like he was an experienced pro.

Focus, Bettina.

Jackson stood there just in front of the gate staring into the fog ahead. His two-toned sword talisman was gripped tight in his right hand, and a mean-looking dagger was strapped to his left thigh. He held up a piece of paper in his left hand with notes on it scribbled in perfect penmanship, and what looked like a drawing.

He turned to face us, and the fear in his eyes made my pulse go wild. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. I spoke with Chutney, the Fool Card. She says they are animals we’ve never seen or heard of. We’re not supposed to attack unless it’s self-defense. Chutney was abundantly clear on this.”

I exhaled a shaky breath. That didn’t make me feel better at all.

Warner shifted his weight around. “Um, did she say anything else?”

“Like maybe a map of where to go?” Erin pulled her long red hair up into a ponytail.

Gen raised her hand. “Is no one worried this dragon isn’t going to kill us on sight?”

Trey chuckled, his brown eyes wide. “Maybe we won’t feel it? Swift deaths for the win?”

“Apparently Chutney can speak to animals.” Jackson held the piece of paper up and waved it. “She gave me instructions that Lonan gave her, should they ever need to get to him quickly. It says once we get through the fog, there’s an unpaved pathway that we’ll spot by this flower she’s drawn. We’re to follow those, and it’s supposed to lead us straight to him.”

“Yeah, a quick dinner,” Gen mumbled.

Jackson frowned and shook his head. “Chutney wrote down what I’m supposed to say when we get to the clearing. It’s not in a language I’ve ever heard, but we’re going to have to trust them.”

Warner nodded. “Unsettling, but The Coven wouldn’t lead us to our deaths.”

“It’s probably shifter language,” I said. When everyone turned to me, I shrugged. “If we have our own language that pre-dates English, then it’s safe to assume they do, too.”

Jackson smirked, his eyes sparkling and making my heart do that weird flutter thing again. “Come on. We better get moving.”

Without another word, he spun and marched toward the gate. I leapt forward, wanting to be right behind him and not in the back. The others fell in line. When I crossed through the gate, a cold wave of energy brushed over me. I peeked around Jackson’s broad shoulders at the fog, and my stomach flipped and turned.

As we stepped into the dense fog, I huddled in closer to him. The heat radiating off his body was the only thing keeping me from turning around. My legs trembled as we walked.It felt like a lifetime before the air cleared and I could take a deep breath.

Then I saw. We were in the Old Lands…and it was breathtaking. It was like we’d stepped into another dimension. At quick glance, it looked like ours. The sky was blue, and in the distance, mountaintops towered over everything. All around us were vibrant shades of green with little pops of colorful flowers and plants. But the air… It almost had a golden tint to it, and it shimmered like glitter. And this forest was alive. I felt it deep down into my bones. We were being watched. Energy pulsed up from the ground and through my feet. It was beautiful, but it was dangerous.

“Hey, Jackson…” I cleared my throat and moved to stand beside him. “Why don’t you give me that note? Your hands are better for swords.”

His lips curved up to one side, and he handed me the paper. I took it and inspected the drawing. The flower was black with little gold spikes on it. It looked like a lotus flower. The note said to follow the flower. I nodded then glanced around.

I spotted it almost immediately, though it was tucked under a cluster of bright purple flowers. I pointed. “There! Okay, the path is this way.”

Jackson unsheathed his dagger and moved to stand right behind me. “Take the lead, but I’m right here.”

Ah shit. I hadn’t thought that one through enough. But it was too late. I’d stepped up to the plate, and now I had to bat. I pushed my shoulders back and walked forward, following a narrow opening through the trees. The path we were on wasn’t so much a set path but slightly less wild than the rest. We ducked under branches and climbed over fallen trees or random roots. Every ten feet or so, I’d spot another black lotus flower. I had no idea how long we’d been walking, but I’d already found twenty flowers.

The sky above us was getting softer, less bright.

All around us, animals stirred and went on with their lives. I couldn’t see them, but I heard them. The clawing of their nails against tree barks. The gnawing on leaves. The hissing. The growling. Every sound sent a chill down my spine. Yet…nothing approached.

Just then, the trees swayed. Jackson leapt in front of me with his weapons drawn. A large shimmering gold lion with wings on its back and talons on its feet stomped into our pathway.

Spoke too soon. I raised my sword, but then I remembered Chutney’s warning. We weren’t supposed to attack unless they did first. It didn’t make sense. In fact, it went against every survival instinct in my mind, but if The Coven said so, then I was going to follow. Especially a Coven member who could speak to animals.

The gold lion stopped in the middle of the path and turned toward us. Its eyes were like liquid gold. It raised its snout in the air, and its nostrils flared. A loud rumbling sound slipped out of its mouth, and it rumbled the ground. It narrowed its eyes and looked around…like it couldn’t see us. I grabbed Jackson’s shirt, both for comfort and to keep him in place. A few terrifying seconds later, it huffed then disappeared into the trees.

“What the hell just happened?” Erin hissed.

“I don’t think it saw us,” Warner whispered. “Though don’t ask me why.”

I frowned and looked to my left to where a big black lotus flower with golden spikes grew near a tree. “I think the lotus flowers… They must…I don’t know…cloak us or something.”

“Interesting,” Jackson grumbled. He took a few steps forward, pulling me with him. “Let’s not wait around and find out.”

When he stepped to the right, I spotted a massive cluster of the lotus flowers. They’d only been individuals up until now. I dropped Jackson’s shirt and sprinted over. The cluster sat at the base of the what appeared to be the biggest tree I’d ever seen in my life. Right across from it was another cluster and giant tree. And right in between was a narrow opening.

I glanced over my shoulder and found my group right on my heels, watching me. I pointed. “We go here.”

Jackson nodded and moved to stand in front of me, then he waved for us to follow. This pathway was only wide enough to walk in single file, and there was a line of black lotus flowers on the ground like they were guiding us to our destination. We followed it in tense silence until everything around us flattened out. For the first time since we’d left Eden, we were on level ground with open air around us.

But it was dark. Somehow night had fallen already. I looked up and found a perfect crescent moon above. There was just enough light off it to see we’d found a clearing of some kind. It was a small circle, maybe thirty feet across, with trees lining the perimeter like skyscrapers. Images from the Gathering flickered through my mind.

Shut up, brain. NOT HELPING.

A blast of hot energy hit my back. My eyes widened, and I glanced over my shoulder but found only darkness. My pulse kicked into overdrive. The dragon. It was here…and it was watching. Almost like it was waiting for something. But I had no idea what it would be waiting for—unless…maybe…

Acting on an impulse I couldn’t identify, I walked to the edge of the clearing where I felt the heat coming from and knelt down. The darkness moved. That heat I felt intensified and slammed into my face. Without standing, I crept backward until Jackson’s brown boots came into view. But I kept my eyes on the darkness in front of me…and then a massive pair of scarlet red eyes appeared from within the blackness. Standing in front of us was a twenty-foot dragon as black as night itself. Its wings stretched up and over its head, blocking my view of the moon above. It turned and whipped its tail through the clearing.

Oh god, oh god. I knew I’d seen this dragon fly into the school’s courtyard with The Coven on its back. I knew I’d heard them talking to it like they were old friends. I knew we were sent here to find it. But none of that clicked as I stared up at the ginormous creature. We weren’t The Coven. It didn’t know us, and we’d just walked right into its territory.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

BETTINA

“Bettina, give me the note,” Jackson whispered.

I moved my hand down his arm and slid the paper between his sword and thumb. He took it and held it up by his face, then read the words out loud. I had no idea what the language was, or what he was saying, but it sounded beautiful rolling off his tongue in that British accent of his. When he finished, there was a beat of silence, and then the dragon’s red eyes shined brighter. His big body rumbled, and it shook the ground. His wings twitched and flapped. He shook his head, and puffs of smoke billowed out of his nose. We all jumped backwards.

The dragon threw its wings up in the air, and my heart stopped. A dark shadow passed over it...and then the dragon was gone. The shadow vanished, and then there was a shirtless guy standing there. Laughing. He was laughing. Like that belly-roll kind of laughter. He bent over and braced his hands on his knees, still giggling. He had short jet-black hair and deeply tanned skin. He had on black jeans and black boots that looked a lot like something we’d wear. When he stood straight and shook his head, I realized he was our age. He chuckled a few more minutes then wiped his face.

“Shit, that was hilarious.” He shook his head with a huge grin on his face. “Let me guess, Chutney?”

Jackson nodded.

“What did he say?” Trey asked from behind me.

“Inside joke,” the dragon-turned-guy said, still shaking his head and smiling. “All right, I’m Lonan. Who are you?”

We all looked to Jackson.

“I’m Jackson.” He gestured to each of us. “These are my friends Bettina, Warner, Erin, Genevieve, and Trey. We’re students at Edenburg.”

Lonan nodded and took a long, hard look at each of us. “You better have one hell of a good reason to come into the Old Lands, especially as civilians.”

Jackson sighed and sheathed his dagger. “The Emperor sent us… The Coven is in Salem trying to close the Gap, and as a result, demons are attacking Eden. It’s been days of relentless, merciless attacks. No matter how many we kill, they just keep coming. We’re in trouble and we need help, but The Coven can’t help us.”

“The Emperor sent you in for me? The guy who should have died here sent five civilians into the Old Lands just to ask for my help? Am I hearing this right?” Lonan asked with his eyebrows raised. His sapphire blue eyes were much older than his face. All signs of humor were gone. When we nodded, he cursed and ran his hand through his black hair. “We better— Down!”

We all dove for the ground right as a dark object swooped down out of nowhere. I caught a glimpse of long fangs and serrated talons glistening in the moonlight as it flew over me. It dove and sank its claws into Erin’s back then shot straight up into the sky. Erin screamed as it flew off with her. She swung her sword up and sliced into one of its legs. It hissed and dropped lower.

Suddenly, Jackson was upright. He planted his feet and threw his dagger. It flew in a perfect arc then buried into the creature’s chest. And then Erin was falling out of the sky.

Lonan leapt into the air, and massive black wings shot out of his back. Erin slammed into a long tree branch, but it snapped in half and she fell again, still twenty feet in the air. Lonan plucked her right out of the air, but she was limp in his arms, her red hair spilling over.

Lonan was halfway back to us when three more of those creatures appeared out of thin air and landed on his back. He roared and tried to roll them off, but they sank their talons into his wings. They crashed into the trees.

And then all hell broke loose. One second we were alone in the clearing, and the next it was raining gargoyles. Or at least that was what they looked like.

We jumped to our feet and charged into battle. I tightened my grip on my crystal sword then swung it through the wing of a monster. It hissed and spun toward me as dark blood poured from its severed wing. Then I got a real look at them. They were about my height, but their fangs alone were the size of my head. Their eyes were solid white and reflecting the moonlight.

One lunged for me. I tried to slide back like I’d learned in training, but I tripped over something and tumbled to the grass.

At the last second, I thrust my sword up just as the gargoyle pounced on me. My opal blade sank into its stomach. I rolled out of the way and onto my knees. Something grabbed my ponytail and yanked me backward. I gasped and started to swing my sword at it when a dark wing swooshed by my face. The tip of the wing had a razor sharp point that would’ve sliced right through my throat had I not been pulled back by my ponytail. I crashed into something large and warm.

The thing holding my ponytail let go…and then I saw a large hand with a red rose tattoo fly in front of my face. Jackson! He wrapped his arm around my body to grip my right shoulder. I didn’t let myself pause to register the pain or shock. I pushed up on my hands and knees under Jackson, his body providing a protective barrier around me.

Bright orange flames lit up the sky…and then Lonan leapt from within the trees in his glorious dragon form. He roared and spit his fire at the monsters, burning a few to crisps.

“LONAN! GO!” Jackson jumped up and used his sword to point toward the sky. “GO!”

Lonan’s red eyes looked back and forth between Jackson and the gargoyle monsters, like he was confused. He snorted and a puff of smoke billowed from his nose.

“We’ve got this! Go!” Jackson spun and sliced a gargoyle in half. Then he turned back to Lonan. “Eden needs you NOW! GO! PLEASE!”

Lonan growled and spit a hose of fire through the clearing. Then he reared back on his legs and shot into the sky like a missile. My heart sank as our dragon friend disappeared into the darkness. He was our ride back. That was the plan. But I understood why Jackson had sent him off. Eden was in trouble, and Lonan was their only hope right now. That was why we’d come here.

Jackson sprinted to the center of the clearing. “Pull in!”

I scrambled back to my feet then raced to his side. Warner, Trey, and Gen met us in the middle. We turned our backs to each other and defended ourselves. We were outnumbered five to one and this was far from our territory, but we knew how to fight together.

Jackson led us brilliantly. He called out instructions like a football coach calling plays. I sliced when he said slice. I jabbed when he said jab. Without him, I might’ve panicked, might’ve been overwhelmed. Instead, I shut that part of my brain off and just went with it as we killed monster after monster until there were none left.

When it was finally over and they were all gone, I wanted to collapse right there. The moon sat higher in the sky. My lungs burned. My body throbbed. I bent over and gasped for air.

“Jackson…” Erin croaked, and then she screamed.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

BETTINA

“ERIN!” we all shouted, and raced toward the sound of her voice.

But under the cover of trees, it was almost impossible to see. We ran blind in the dark with only little slivers of moonlight peeking through to guide our way. Erin screamed again, and we skidded to a stop. It had come from the left. She was moving. My pulse quickened. Something had her. It was the only explanation.

“Erin!” Gen yelled, her two swords raised and ready to kill. “Erin, keep screaming! We’re here!”

There was a beat of silence, and then an ear-piercing shriek filled the darkness. And it didn’t stop. We turned and sprinted toward the sound. It grew closer and closer yet still out of sight. And then the noise cut off.

I gasped. No, no, no.

“ERIN!” I wasn’t even sure which one of us yelled that, or maybe it was all of us.

I squinted and looked up ahead—and then the darkness moved. It wasn’t like with Lonan where I saw his big body moving—this was the air itself. It wasn’t solid, yet it was living. I had no idea what made me do it, but I planted my feet, pulled my arm back, and threw my sword like a spear.

The fire opal crystal looked like a shooting star as it soared through the air. The blade vanished into the blackness, and I was about to panic that I’d lost it when a wall of ice-cold energy slammed into us. We were thrown backward then crashed into the ground. The second I went down, I scrambled back to my feet. Every muscle in my body throbbed and there was a new ringing in my ears, but we had to get to Erin.

I took a step forward, but my legs gave out under me. Something warm wrapped around my back, and then the scent of pine trees brushed over me. I sighed and leaned into the heat of his body. I felt each of his fingers dig into my skin, and I relished the feel. With Jackson supporting half my weight, we hobbled forward, searching for my sword and our friend.

“Erin?” Genevieve yelled and then sped past us. She raced ahead to where a small patch of moonlight lit up something bright red. When she got there, her eyes widened and she dropped to her knees. “Erin! Are you okay?”

There was a groan, and then Erin said in a weak voice, “Boogie monster… Leg…”

Jackson tightened his grip on my waist then lifted me up as he closed the distance between us and the girls. When we got over there, he sat me gently on my feet but didn’t take his arm back. I felt fine by then, but there was absolutely no way I was telling him that until it was necessary. The heat of his skin soothed some of the tension in my bones.

Erin’s red hair was fanned out around her face with dirt and twigs tangled in the strands like she’d been dragged. A breeze swept through the trees, and the coppery, bitter scent of fresh blood invaded my senses. Erin groaned, her eyes squeezed shut and her face ashy pale.

Gen frowned and looked down at her friend’s body, and then her eyes widened. “Her leg… I think it’s broken.”

“Did the bone…?” My stomach turned.

“I don’t think so,” Gen said softly. She bent down closer to Erin’s thigh then sat up straight and shook her head. “No blood there. I think that’s coming from her back.”

“We need to get home with her,” Trey said in a rush. He hurried over to her then squatted down. “I’ll carry her.”

Genevieve scowled. “I can carry her.”

Trey rolled his eyes and handed Gen her own sword, which she’d apparently dropped. “You can, but I’d rather yours and Jackson’s hands be free to kill whatever comes at us.”

Gen cursed. “You’ve got a point.” She grabbed her swords then hopped to her feet.

“You okay, B?”

I jumped at the sound of Warner’s voice right next to me. “Yeah, yeah. I just was a little wobbly for a second.”

He nodded then held something in front of me. When I looked down, I saw my sword in his grip. He smiled. “That was one hell of a throw, Baby Spice.”

“Thanks.” I grabbed the hilt of my sword and squeezed it tight.

Jackson’s hand slid down my waist to my hips, and I thought my body might melt. I bit down on my lip to stop myself from sighing, or worse, moaning. His skin was just so warm and soft. Focus, Bettina. I blinked and forced myself to watch Trey and Gen lift Erin off the ground. Once she was upright, Trey wrapped his arm around her back and leaned her into him. Erin’s face scrunched up in pain, and a nasty string of curses left her lips as a whisper.

“Are you okay to walk now?” Jackson’s breath brushed over my forehead.

No. I looked up and met his eyes, and they twinkled in the dark. “Yes.”

He nodded then slowly, almost reluctantly, let me go. I wobbled for half a second but caught myself quickly. As much as I loved him touching me, I was no damsel in distress. If I wasn’t injured, then I didn’t need to be carried.

Jackson cleared his throat. He had both weapons in hand and ready to go. “Let’s try to stay close. Bettina, can you see if you can find that flower again?”

The black lotus. I nodded and turned…and found only darkness. I froze. There was no way I’d see a black flower in the dark. “Um, did anyone bring a flashlight?”

Gen and Warner cursed, which I took as a no.

“Charge your sword by the moon,” Jackson said in a rush.

I frowned up at him. “Say what now?”

He smirked and there was a playful sparkle in his eyes that I wanted to see more of. “Raise the crystal blade of your sword up in the moonlight, then repeat after me… For what I seek is cloaked in darkness, I see my stone in your likeness.”

My eyes widened, but I did as he said. I thrust my sword high above my head into a patch of shimmering silver moonlight. Then I focused my thoughts and tried to push my energy into my sword as I repeated the spell. “For what I seek is cloaked in darkness, I see my stone in your likeness.”

The fire opal stone lit up in an instant. I gasped and lowered it down by my face. Something moved in my peripheral vision, but when I waved my sword, I found it was the trees and plants. They swayed toward the light. I grinned and walked forward, hunching over as I searched for the black lotus flower with gold spikes. I felt everyone’s nervous energy prickling down my spine as they followed behind me.

I kept waiting for something to look familiar, to recognize the part of the pathway we’d taken to get here, but nothing was memorable. Warner and I moved through the greenery together with my sword lighting up everything in a ten-foot radius. I felt Jackson’s energy right behind me.

“Oh, over here!” Trey shouted from behind me. “I found it!”

I frowned and spun around with my sword raised. The light from my blade cast him and Erin in a soft silver glow, and she looked even paler than she had a few minutes ago. Trey reached out with his free hand to touch a flower hanging off a tree. I squinted and eyed the plant. It looked similar to a lotus, but the petals curved under too much. And the color was more of a brown than a rich black. I opened my mouth to tell him it wasn’t the right one just as he wrapped his fingers around it and started to pull.

“No, don’t—” But it was too late. He’d already plucked the flower off the plant.

Thunder rolled and cracked over our heads. The ground trembled so hard it knocked us off our balance. Only Jackson remained upright. My light flickered and bounced around, and it took every ounce of strength to hang on to it. A wild gust of wind slammed into my back then whipped around the trees like a tornado. The wind roared and whistled. The trees swayed. The patches of moonlight vanished, drenching the area in darkness. There was a vicious crack, and then the giant tree beside me plummeted to the ground. Warner and I dove out of the way, throwing ourselves backward.

The ground rumbled and groaned….then it opened up and sucked the tree, Trey, and Erin down into the crevice. Genevieve screamed and leapt into the crevice after them. We all shouted and dashed to the opening, but the grass sealed itself back up right under our fingers, taking Trey, Erin, and Gen with it.

We spent the next hour searching for our friends, though it might’ve only been five minutes. It was growing harder and harder to keep track of time. It felt like forever and no time at all. In the end, it was Jackson who forced us to continue on. The Old Lands had taken them. We weren’t going to find them.

“Come on,” Jackson whispered and led the way toward a tree in the distance. “I think we saw that on our way in. I think.”

The three of us moved together, walking in silence. Leaving didn’t feel right. I wanted to keep looking for my friends.

When we finally reached the tree Jackson thought he recognized, I sighed with relief. I’d seen this one, too. Which meant we’d find the lotus flower right on the other side.

Together, we walked around the building-sized tree…and froze.

There was nothing in front of us but a wall of black. I frowned and spun around, and my heart stopped. My bones turned to ice in my body. The forest was gone. It was just a black wall. No life, no energy, no monsters lurking in the shadows. Just…nothing.

I licked my lips and tugged on Jackson’s shirt. “Guys…guys, look behind us.”

Jackson gripped my shoulder then spun me around. He raised his hand with the red rose tattoo and pointed in front of him. His low voice rumbled in my ear. “Look ahead of us.”

I frowned and followed his point. We were in a black box, and the only thing inside it besides us was a single torch. I shrugged and moved closer to the torch, and it exploded like a firework. Little balls of fire soared through the air, splitting through the darkness. They fell to the ground, and flames shot up over our heads. My breath left me in a rush. The fire spread out ahead of us as far as I could see.

Our pathway was in the middle of a fire tunnel.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

BETTINA

T  he ground, sky, and everything around us was blacker than night. All I knew was darkness and fire. The flames swayed like palm trees in a storm. Little sparks flickered on the ground. Red glowing mist seeped out of nothingness all around us. I glanced left and right, but it surrounded us. It grew taller than a person, then swirled and shifted until it made shapes.

“Jackson… Jackson,” Warner grumbled. “Are those…”

“Runes,” Jackson said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “But ancient ones. I-I don’t know what they mean.”

“What are the chances they say ‘Welcome to the Ritz-Carlton’?” Warner chuckled nervously.

Jackson took a tentative step forward. “Fluffy pillows this way, chap.”

Fire surged higher around him. The flames turned from orange to red, to purple, then to white. The world wobbled like we were on some kind of carnival ride. My knees slammed into the dark, hard ground, and pain shot up my legs. I tried to get back up, but my balance was knocked off and my hands hit the ground. Warner dropped down to all fours beside me, his knuckles white from how hard he fought the tremors holding us down.

I looked up just as orange flames shot up from the ground right where Jackson was crouched. He cursed and threw himself back to dodge the fire…and disappeared into the darkness.

“JACKSON!” Warner and I shouted at the same time.

We scrambled to our feet, then leapt to the spot Jackson had just been in. Except he wasn’t there. He was nowhere to be seen. My pulse went nuts, beating like a jackhammer in my chest.

“JACKSON!” I screamed his name over and over.

Warner spun on his toes. “Did you hear that?”

“No, I hear nothing!”

“No, no— There— There it was again!” Warner spun, each flaming tower of fire reflected in his wide hazel eyes. “It’s Jackson. I hear him! Over there!”

“Warner, no!” I reached out to grab his arm to stop him from moving toward the flames, but he’d already taken a step. My hand passed through the black nothingness, and Warner was gone. “NO!”

I waved my arms out, using my sword to try and feel for them, but I only found air. “No, no, no, no, no….”

I saw only blackness. The fire hissed and crackled like someone had poured water on it. White smoke billowed from within the darkness, rising into the black sky. I spun in circles with my heart in my throat. It was just me…alone…with the fire. I heard nothing but the crackling of flames and the pounding of my pulse. My hands trembled and my breath was shaky.

My body felt like it was on fire, though no flames touched me. My bones rattled as fear took hold of my thoughts. I’m alone. I’m all alone. There’s no one here. It’s a black hole, and I’m never gonna get out of it! I gasped for air, but nothing cooled the fire burning through my lungs. My legs gave out, and I dropped back to my knees.

What is this place?

The fire beside me roared and surged toward me. Flames shot out like arms from the shadows and reached for me. I screamed and threw my arms up, pushing my magic out with every last ounce of energy inside of me.

Bright pink mist exploded from my palms. Everything around me lit up pink like some kind of smoke bomb. The flames shrieked and hissed. And then the ground opened up underneath me and I dropped. I fell into utter darkness. I screamed like a banshee, my lungs burning like I’d been branded, but I couldn’t stop myself.

A gust of wind slammed into my face from below, carrying with it the scent of smoke and pine trees— I choked on a gasp. JACKSON! I knew that Christmas smell. Bright white light exploded around me, and then I crashed into something hard, knocking the wind out of me. I bounced off whatever I’d hit and flew into the air. Two big, warm hands gripped my waist and yanked me back down.

The soft cotton of Jackson’s shirt was a welcome relief as we fell. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in his chest, anything to block the assault of light on my eyes. He wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed me tight to him, flush against his body. I felt the brush of his breath on my forehead and the heat seeping through his clothing. I snaked my arms around his body then sank my fingers into his back. Cold air rushed by us, and I braced myself for impact. Jackson slid his hand up and cradled my head, holding me into the crook of his neck.

And then we slammed into something hard and cold. Pain exploded inside me. A strangled kind of grunt left my lips. The force of our impact sent us rolling. I tangled my legs with Jackson’s and held on for dear life. We rolled more times than I could count before the world righted itself. For a moment, neither of us moved, like we thought for sure we were about to fall to our deaths again.

But then after a few seconds of nothing, I groaned and pushed up. The palms of my hands sank into something cold and firm, yet squishy. My chest heaved as I tried to control my ragged breathing. My ribs screamed, and my lungs burned so hot I thought I might spit fire. Whatever I’d landed on was pounding against my body.

I opened my eyes, but everything was blurry with big black spots. I blinked and blinked until my vision finally cleared…and I spotted Jackson.

Under me.

He looked up at me with wild aquamarine eyes that sparkled brighter than the North Star. That pounding under me was his heart beating like crazy. Or maybe it was both of ours. My hands were planted in the dirt on either side of his head. And it was only then that I realized I was lying on top of him, my legs still tangled with his. My cheeks warmed, and I knew by the twinkling response in his eyes that I was blushing.

I licked my lips and looked down into his eyes. “I change my answer. It hurt when I fell from Heaven.”

A wide grin split across his perfect face. His body rumbled as he laughed. He reached up and cupped my face. I didn’t know if I leaned into him or if he pulled me down, but our lips crashed together. He gripped the side of my face and took my mouth with his, deepening our kiss. We licked and nibbled at each other in a panicked frenzy, like we couldn’t get enough.

His kiss commanded me, taking over my brain and hotwiring it. I melted and reformed into something I knew would change me afterward. Suddenly I was on my back with his big, heavy body pressing me into the cold dirt. I sighed and pushed up into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and hooking my legs through his.

There was a loud roaring noise and then something crashed to the dirt beside us. A large dark object bounced off the ground and rolled into the bushes. We jumped apart, scrambling over.

“Warner,” Jackson whispered.

I nodded, still trying to catch my breath from his kiss.

“Nope,” Genevieve groaned and crawled out of the bushes.

Jackson gasped and spun around, and at the same time, we both yelled, “WARNER!”

My body turned cold. His face paled to a sickly shade of white. We stared at each other in horrified silence for a moment before we snapped into action. We both scrambled around, searching bushes and between trees for our friend, but he was nowhere in sight.

“Oh God, where is he?” I screamed. “He was right there. Then he disappeared, but so did you! He should’ve fallen with us!”

Jackson spun in a circle then stopped and bent over to put his hands on his knees. He looked like he was going to be sick. “He’s still in there.”

“Still in there?” I jumped over to him. “What do you mean, in there? It’s a place?”

Jackson’s eyes looked haunted. He nodded and swallowed nervously. “I heard…voices. Screaming, crying, begging for help, but I couldn’t see any of them… I heard Warner. Goddess, why didn’t he fall with us? How did you get me out?”

“I didn’t. I-I-I don’t know! I screamed and then my magic kinda exploded, and then we were falling!” I pushed my hands through my hair and tugged. Tears stung my eyes. “We have to go back! We have to save him!”

Jackson closed his eyes, and I saw the pain roll through his body. He cursed and picked up his sword off the ground. With my emotions lodged in my throat, I turned and spotted my sword a few feet back. I jogged over, but when I got there, I found mine and Warner’s sword. I held it to my chest and squeezed my eyes shut.

“Bettina?”

I gasped and opened my eyes, then turned to face him. “I found this.” My voice was barely more than a whisper as I held the short sword out.

Gen closed her eyes and hung her head.

Jackson’s face fell. “Let’s retrace our steps?”

I didn’t like it, but I didn’t have a better idea. We needed to find Warner. And maybe even Trey and Erin, though I was afraid to hope they were still alive.

“Okay.” I tucked my sword into the holster strapped to my thigh. With Warner’s sword gripped in my hand, I strode over to Jackson’s side.

Jackson nodded. “Find that flower.”

It was only then, as I looked around, that I realized it was daylight. Up above, through the layers of trees, I caught a glimpse of bright blue sky. The air around us was that same shimmery golden tone. Everything was green again.

“Is that it?” Genevieve whispered and pointed.

I ran over to look at the flower in question and tears stung my eyes. It was the flower from the drawing. The one that might lead us back to Warner. “Yes.”

“Come on.” Jackson sighed. “Let’s go.”

“Wait!” I shouted. When they froze, I hooked my arm around each of theirs so we were linked. “I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

Together, we walked down the path with our arms hooked, following the cookie-crumb trail of black lotus flowers. It was just like when we’d first entered the Old Lands. The pathway wound through a gorgeous forest with magical plants and intimidating energy. Every few feet, we’d spot another flower. I felt like Dorothy following the yellow brick road.

I couldn’t have said how long or how far we walked, or if we were headed in the right direction, but after what seemed like forever, our path made a sharp right turn. We rounded the corner then skidded to a stop. A black shadow covered half the pathway, but the energy around it was ice cold and pulsing with menace.

Jackson didn’t miss a beat. He threw his hand up, and a ball of golden light shot out of his palm and slammed into the shadow. It hissed then vanished into thin air.

My breath left me in a rush. Relief and horror ran through me.

Right there where the shadow had just been were Trey and Erin…and they weren’t moving.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

BETTINA

We dove and landed on our knees beside them, Trey jumped and scrambled back with wide eyes. He gasped, but then he must’ve realized it was us because he sagged back to the ground.

He grabbed his chest. “Jesus. I thought you were that thing again.”

I shuddered. “What was that?”

“No idea.” Trey grimaced and climbed back to his knees, with Erin still cradled in his arms. “Man, I thought we were—”

Gen reached down and pushed the long red strands of Erin’s hair back—and we all cursed. Her skin was a pale shade of gray that made my stomach turn. Her eyes were closed and her mouth hung open as she lay limp in his arms.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. All I could do was stare.

“She’s breathing.” Trey smiled but it vanished almost instantly. His brown eyes widened. He scanned the three of us then looked around expectantly. “Where’s Warner?”

My heart sank. “We lost him…but we’re retracing our steps to find him.”

“What? No.” Trey shook his head and got to his feet, with Erin still in his arms. “She’s not going to make it much longer. We gotta get her back to Eden now.”

Gen squeezed her eyes shut. “Erin can’t wait while we search for Warner. You can feel that, can’t you?”

“Yes.” Jackson groaned and hung his head. His face was pale. “Okay. Damn it. We bring Erin home then we come back for Warner. I will not give up on him.”

“We’ll come back,” Gen and I said at the same time.

Jackson moved away, walking to the edge of the pathway where it snaked around another corner. He pointed with his sword. “I can see about a dozen of those flowers, so let’s keep going before something else finds us.”

This time, I let Jackson lead us. My nerves were shot, my body zapped. I just wanted to curl up in my bed and sleep for a few hours, then come back and save Warner. I was going to find him, one way or another. He’d been alive, so we’d search for him until we had a reason not to. Once Erin was in the infirmary, we’d ask The Coven for help then return.

After what felt like an eternity, we followed the path around a tree and wound up right in front of a wall of fog. We stopped and stared at it. I squinted and tried to see through it, but it was no use. I couldn’t see a damn thing. There was no knowing if this was the fog that would lead us to the gate back to Eden or if this was just some random weather condition, or a trap to lure us in.

Jackson sighed then held his left hand out to me. “Let’s hang on to each other, just in case.”

Oh, right. He wasn’t just trying to hold my hand. I knew that. I did. But my heart sank all the same. I took a deep breath then put my hand in his. Be cool, be cool. My pulse fluttered then kicked into hyerspeed.

Gen hooked her arms around mine and Trey’s. Jackson took a deep breath and raised his sword…then walked into the fog.

I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on the heat coming off of Jackson’s hand, and the way he tangled his fingers with mine. The fog was cold and thick, and it was hard to breathe while inside it. But the second clear air hit my nose, I opened my eyes…and almost cried.

Standing right there in front of us was that black wrought iron gate. The one with silver and gold runes etched into the metal. I sagged with relief and leaned into Jackson’s arm. He squeezed my hand tighter.

“Thank you, Goddess,” Gen whispered.

I cleared my throat and nudged Jackson’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

Jackson pulled us all along toward the gate. It swung open on its own. The second my feet stepped onto Eden’s side of the world, I felt some of the tension leave my body. Not all of it, but some. I was still terrified for Erin and Warner.

Cold air swept over us. I shivered and huddled closer to Jackson then looked around. The grass was darker. The trees were a little barer, but the leaves were vibrant with color. Twinkling stars dusted the jet-black sky. I frowned. It hadn’t felt this cold before we left. Could autumn have hit that hard that fast?

“Where is everyone?” Genevieve said in a low voice.

The school seemed empty. The night was quiet, the silence deafening. My pulse bounced all over the place. How long were we gone? Can the Old Lands skip years at once? Oh Goddess, what if it’s after Samhain? What if The Coven lost and this is the new world? I shivered at the thought.

But then we walked around the building and I gasped.

The entire student body was huddled close together in the school’s courtyard. They all donned their school cloaks. No one spoke. Everyone just stared up at the sky like they were waiting for something. Thanks to the location of the gate, we’d walked out in front of the entire courtyard. Hundreds of eyes snapped to us and widened. People gasped and pointed.

“Oh my Goddess! ERIN?” a girl yelled, and it wasn’t until she was right up on us that I recognized her as Marcia Landry, the Cups Major. She placed her hand on Erin’s forehead and grimaced. “What happened?”

“She got hurt in the Old Lands—”

“We’ve got to get her to Mona!” Marcia moved some students out of the way. “Come on. Carry her over here!”

Trey jumped into action and raced after Marcia to what I assumed was the infirmary or healing building. Then it was just Jackson and Gen…and the rest of the school. Though none of them seemed to be paying much attention to us, if any at all. The courtyard was tense. I counted at least a few dozen chewing on their fingernails. Cold, panicked energy bounced around from person to person.

Genevieve frowned and scratched her head. “What’s going on here?”

“Happy Halloween,” a deep, smoky male voice said.

I jumped and spun around, then my eyes widened and I grinned. “Lonan!”

Lonan nodded. “Man, I was starting to worry about you guys. Glad you made it.”

Jackson scowled so hard his eyebrows hung low over his eyes. “Did you say Halloween?”

“OH MY GOD, THE GAP!” I turned to the crowd. “Did they close it?!”

Lonan pointed to the front of the courtyard, in front of all the students.

My heart sank. Butterflies bounced around inside me. He didn’t need to say it out loud. Floating in the sky were glowing white numbers that read: 11:59:04.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

JACKSON

T  his is it. Over three hundred years of waiting.

And there was less than a minute left. My heart pounded, sending adrenaline rushing through my body. I shifted my weight around, unable to stand still but not wanting to move away from that timer. The only thing keeping me from a full-out nervous breakdown was Bettina’s hand in mine. I’d grabbed it before we went through the fog and hadn’t let go. She hadn’t, either, and I knew I was in trouble. Something had happened between us. Something had shifted inside me. Maybe it was stress and the realization of just how short life was, but I couldn’t push her aside anymore. That was just as big of a distraction.

“Oh god, longest minute ever,” Bettina groaned and leaned into my arm. She squeezed my hand between both of hers and bounced on her feet.

The timer read 11:59:36.

The deadline was upon us. We had no idea what was happening in Salem or how The Coven was doing. All we could do was wait, and it was torturous. Like nails down a chalkboard. I cringed and stared at the timer as the seconds ticked by. Time seemed to slow down. Every second sent a tremor through my body. The whole world seemed frozen, like it knew its fate was on the line. No breezes, no animal sounds, even the stars were fainter.

11:59:52

The world rumbled around us. Little chunks of dirt and grass rose off the ground then swirled, hovering in the air. The moon and stars sank lower in the sky. The trees around the courtyard swayed then leaned toward us.

My stomach sank. I turned my gaze back to the timer.

11:59:58

The whole courtyard full of witches gasped. I reached out with my other hand and grabbed onto whoever was next to me.. The energy around us grew tight and weighed down on us.

Lightning flashed across the sky like a giant spiderweb. A force of energy stronger than I’d ever experienced slammed into the ground like a bomb, and then the world exploded. Bright white and golden light erupted above us, blanketing the sky like the biggest, most insane fireworks display I’d ever seen. A cool gust of wind ripped through the courtyard, and then the sky flashed and shimmered a neon blue.

“IT’S CLOSED!!” Headmaster Daniel screamed and threw his fists up in the air. “THEY DID IT!”

Oh my Goddess, they did it! The Gap is closed!

The courtyard exploded with cheers. There were victorious screams all around. People threw their hats in the air. Wands rose up in the air, bright-colored lights poured from the tips, and then little blasts of magic burst in the air.

I turned and wrapped Bettina in a tight hug. Her arms went around my neck in an instant. I laughed and spun her around in a circle. Then before I could stop myself, I cupped her face and dragged her mouth to mine. It didn’t matter that the whole school was standing next to us. It didn’t matter that I was probably going to have questions to answer later. It didn’t matter that she was the biggest distraction I couldn’t afford. All I knew was the world was not ending, and her lips felt like Heaven against mine.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

JACKSON

I  couldn’t have said how much time had passed while we all celebrated and cheered together. The world blurred, and for those moments, I felt light and stress-free, for the first time since I was a little boy.

I smiled and turned. “Man, Warner—” I gasped.

Warner wasn’t there.

My body turned to ice as I froze, and everything crashed around me. Warner. My best friend in the whole world had disappeared in the Old Lands. A strangled kind of groan escaped my lips. All of the emotions I’d pushed aside came back now with a vengeance.

I left him in there. Why did I do that? I knew why I did it. Erin was barely clinging to life, she didn’t have any time to spare. Searching for Warner then might’ve cost both their lives. I couldn’t regret my plan when it meant giving another friend a chance to survive. But my heart hurt, standing here now without him, I felt like the worst friend in the whole world. Everyone around me was grinning and laughing, dancing around little bonfires. The entire campus of Edenburg had turned into one giant party.

I swallowed through a hot lump in my throat. There was no time to wait. Erin was getting the help she needed, and I prayed she’d make it through, but right now I needed to concentrate on Warner. He needed me. I glanced over my shoulder and found Bettina and Genevieve eating something, but neither of them smiled. They had ghosted looks in their eyes, and I knew they were thinking the same thing I was—it was hard to celebrate when you’d left someone behind. We promised each other we’d go right back to find him, and that was what we were going to do.

I dug into my jeans pocket and pulled out my cell phone. My fingers trembled as I pulled up Timothy’s name in my contacts. He’ll know what to do. He’ll know. Just tell him.

The phone rang twice, and then the familiar deep, gruffy voice said, “Hello?”

“Timothy! Look, we just got back from the Old Lands a few minutes ago, but I need your help.” I knew I was speaking too fast, but I couldn’t slow myself down. My brain had snapped into panic mode, one I wasn’t familiar with. “I need your help. I know you’re busy —"

“Jackson? You all rig— Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. What happened?”

Students squealed with laughter beside me. I covered my ear and jogged away, over to the far edge of the courtyard where there were less people. “Warner got lost in the Old Lands. We have to go back! Can you come to Eden? We need help.”

“Can you portal me to Eden right now?” Timothy’s voice sounded farther away as he spoke to someone on his end.

Then I heard an unfamiliar female voice say, “Of course.”

“Jackson, listen I can barely hear you,” Timothy said in a rush. “Just hang tight. I’m coming.”

I groaned. “Okay, but we need to get back to the Old Lands now—"

“No, no. Stay at school. I’ll be there in a minute. Stay where you are.”

And then he hung up. I sighed and bounced on my feet. I wasn’t sure if he’d heard anything I said, but he was coming. That was all that mattered. Timothy was my mentor, more like a father to me than my own father. Granted, I’d seen Timothy almost every day for ten years, whereas I’d seen my family in England maybe a handful of times since they’d shipped me away.

I couldn’t believe I’d left Warner behind. The guilt was eating away at me.

Just breathe, Jackson. You didn’t have another choice. I really hadn’t. We’d looked for him where we fell, but he wasn’t there. It wasn’t like we knew how to get back to that dark place with the fire. I gnawed on my bottom lip and sank down onto the short, bricked wall. The last thing I needed was for other people to see me freaking out. My legs bounced. I wrung my hands together.

Then there was a flash of white light, and Timothy appeared right out of thin air. I leapt to my feet and jogged over to where he stood. When I got there, I found Constance right beside him. But in front of them was a girl I’d never seen before. She had long midnight-black hair and the palest green eyes I’d ever seen. She was strikingly beautiful yet overwhelmingly intimidating, like a jungle cat.

I took a step back.

The girl winked, then turned to say something to The Coven Leaders…and then she was gone.

I blinked and shook my head. “Bloody hell, what was—”

Timothy smiled and shrugged. “The High Priestess. She can portal.”

“Where’s Daniel?” Constance cried, her blue eyes wide as she scanned the courtyard. “Is he okay? Where is he?”

I pointed to the front. “Last I saw, he was up there with Lonan—”

She sprinted away and disappeared into the crowd.

Timothy gripped my shoulder, a comforting reminder that he was here. “Jackson, what’s going on? You sounded panicked.”

I am. I ran my hand through my hair and opened my mouth to speak.

“TIMOTHY!” Bettina screamed and rushed past me. She wrapped her arms around Timothy in a big bear hug then jumped back. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink. “Oh my Goddess, you’re back! Are you okay? Y’all did it!”

Gen popped up beside her and playfully smacked Timothy’s arm. “Timothy Scissorhands, you’re alive!”

“Of course he is.” Trey scoffed from suddenly right beside me. He gave Timothy a high five. “Congrats on a freaking awesome job. Well done, man.”

Timothy grinned. It was only then I realized he looked like shit. His clothes were torn and sliced up, burned in more than one place. He had fresh blood spilling from wounds and black demon blood caked on his clothes and boots. His skin was pale, and there were new wrinkles around his eyes.

“Thanks, guys. Just glad that’s over.”

“Is everyone okay?” Bettina asked softly.

Timothy’s smiled vanished, and his face fell. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Larissa, the Tower Card, fell. We just—we just did her funeral ceremony.”

We all fell silent.

There was something in his eyes that made me ask, “Anyone else?”

He grimaced and nodded. “Kenneth…has succumbed to Witch’s Shock. He saved our young Hierophant in the process, but he went down. He’s still alive, though. Katherine is trying her best—”

“Katherine? As in—”

“Yeah, that Katherine.” Timothy sighed and looked around the courtyard. “Anyway, the Gap is closed. A lot of nasty demons got in in the process, but we’ll hunt them down. For now, The Coven has returned home to see their families. But what’s going on here? You called in a panic saying you needed my help. Something about going back to the Old Lands— Wait…where’s Warner and Erin?”

My heart sank. “Erin was injured by…well, I have no idea what.”

“I brought her to the infirmary.” Trey cleared his throat. “Marcia and Mona have her.”

Bettina’s eyes filled with tears.

“Warner is in the Old Lands. We lost him, and we need to go back and look for him—”

Timothy held his palms up. “Okay. We’ll look for him. Now tell me where you lost him?”

“The fire,” Bettina whispered. She closed her eyes and shuddered. “It was complete blackness there except for the fire. The flames made out shapes of runes and changed colors. There was a walkway in between them, but when we tried to go…they just disappeared.”

“One second I was standing there with her and Warner, then the next I was alone with just the fire.” I scrubbed my face with my hand. “I kept hearing these voices, and Warner’s, screaming for help, but I couldn’t see anyone.”

“Between the balefire, the runes shall dance,” Timothy whispered.

My heart stopped. “What is that? What did you say?”

He shook his head. “That was a line in the prophecy that sent The Coven into the Old Lands back in August. Apparently the High Priestess and the Empress were almost lost there, like you. Your story matches theirs.” He cursed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

I glanced over to my friends, and they looked as stunned as I felt.

Timothy groaned. “Okay. We will go back in to try and get Warner out, and anyone else stuck in the balefire. But not tonight—”

“But Warner—”

“Not tonight.” Timothy sighed and pulled out his cell phone. “I’ve just been in one hell of a war. I need to recoup a few hours before we attempt this. Before we go, I need to talk to my Coven-mates and do some research. We won’t go in blind. Now go eat. Sleep. Tomorrow, we go.”

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

JACKSON

T  wo hours later, I was still wide awake and staring at the wall. I’d eaten, but I hadn’t tasted it. I’d showered, but it hadn’t been refreshing. So there I sat, on the edge of my bed, staring at Warner’s empty one.

He was my best friend, and he was stuck in that awful place, probably still screaming out for help. I wondered if he could tell how much time was passing or if it felt like seconds. Would he be mad at me when he found out that we didn’t go right back to save him? Or would he understand? I didn’t know what this balefire was or if it would break his mind if he was in there too long.

I was spiraling down a well of despair and worry.

There was a knock on my door, and then it swung open with a creak. I looked up and found Bettina standing in my doorway. Her long blonde hair fell in waves to her elbows. The golden light pouring in from the hallway behind her made her look like an angel with a golden halo. I sighed and drank in the sight of her.

“Your door was open…” She leaned against the door and gave me a small smile, her cheeks flushed. “May I come in?”

I nodded.

She closed the door behind her, then walked toward me, her long legs carrying her across the room in no time. When she stopped in front of me, I looked up and met her gaze. She ran her hand through my hair, pushing the strands off my face. I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead to her stomach. I looked down and smiled. She had on gray baggy sweatpants and white fuzzy socks.

I pulled her down to sit beside me, and kept her hand in mine.

She propped her chin on my shoulder and looked up at me under dark eyelashes. “I can’t sleep either.”

I wanted to lean down and press my lips to hers, to get lost in her for a little while. But I didn’t deserve that. I couldn’t let myself be happy when I’d left my best friend behind. I pointed across the room to the empty bed. “Warner is my roommate.”

She groaned and lay down on my bed. Reaching up, she tugged on my shirt and pulled me down with her. I let myself go. When my head hit the pillow, I could’ve sworn I heard my body sigh with relief. My eyes stung and my body burned. I hadn’t realized just how exhausted I was until I lay down.

With her lying beside me, my nerves calmed and my pulse slowed. Which wasn’t normal. Usually when she was around, my body went nuts, but right now she made me feel comfortable. She made me feel all warm and cozy inside. I reached out and brushed her hair off her face. She wiggled closer to me, then gave me a smile that took my breath away. I cupped her face with one hand, brushing my thumb over her high cheekbone over and over.

My other arm was curled under her, pinned between the bed and her warm body. So I pulled her flush against me and let the heat of our skin burn against each other. She slid her hands up my chest then wrapped her arms around my neck. She nestled her face into the crook of my neck, and it was the best feeling in the world. There were plenty of other things I could’ve done with a beautiful girl in my bed. I wasn’t immune to those thoughts…but I just wanted to hold her.

Her warm breath tickled my throat. “We won’t stop looking until we find him. I promise.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled her closer, tighter. My arms coiled around her body, holding her against me. Don’t fall for her. Do not fall for her.

And then sleep claimed me.

CHAPTER FIFTY

JACKSON

I t was the next day, much later in the morning than I wanted it to be. But apparently The Coven had been out of commission all morning. Or at least, the ones we needed to speak with. There were only eight Cards who’d gone into the Old Lands, and Kessler had insisted we speak with them. The Hierophant agreed. It was weird to be taking advice from a nine-year-old, but I had to admit after talking to him that he was rather wise for his age.

Willow and Chutney were around, but their cousin Larissa had passed away last night and they were inconsolable for the time being. I didn’t blame them, but it made me worry about Warner even more.

Timothy said we couldn’t go without speaking to them first, though he had gotten a specific, detailed map drawn out by Lonan on where to enter the Old Lands closest to the balefire. Unfortunately, the dragon was adamant that he could not help us, though I didn’t understand the reasons. Then again, that was more reason to wait for The Coven’s response.

About thirty minutes ago, Kessler promised they’d call within the hour, knowing what was at stake. Timothy, Constance, Trey, and I were in the secret level of the library that was actually Kenneth’s home. It felt wrong to be in there without him, while he was clinging to life, but Timothy and Constance insisted it was okay.

The door swung open, and Harlan slid inside. His long, shaggy blond hair was tied up behind his head for the first time ever. “Hey, sorry, am I too late?”

“Oh, Harlan, perfect. No, the others have not arrived yet.” Timothy waved him in. “We’re just waiting for a phone call.”

I frowned and looked to Timothy. “Is Harlan coming with us?”

Harlan cocked his head to the side. “That a problem, bro?”

“No, I mean, I’m just worried. Don’t want to lose anyone else in there.” Which was the truth. I had no issues with Harlan. He was a talented witch I’d be happy to have on my side. I just prayed he’d make it back with us.

Timothy sighed. “I know, but Bentley specifically told me that if we can’t wait for them, then to bring the Wand Major with us. I don’t ignore the Hierophant’s advice.”

I nodded and turned to the Wand Major in question. “This is a rescue mission.”

“Damn right it is. We’re getting Warner back.” Harlan held his wand up. “You do the slicing, I’ll do the spelling.”

A loud ring ripped through the room, and we all jumped. Timothy leapt over tapped a button. The air above the desktop sparkled, and then a white square appeared. It flickered for a second before a guy’s face filled the screen. Behind him was a wall of books.

“Hey, Timothy,” the guy said in a deep voice. “Sorry for the delay. We were tending to Saffie.”

“It’s all right. This is Jackson Lancaster, the Sword Major I told you about.” Timothy glanced over his shoulder to me and pointed to the screen. “Tennessee Wildes. The Emperor.”

My eyes widened. This was our Emperor? I blinked and looked to the guy’s face with new focus. I hadn’t given much thought to what he might look like, but I realized this was not it. Tennessee was a good-looking bloke. He had jet-black hair that fell in waves to his shoulders, sharp jawline, and high cheekbones. His eyes were interesting—one was royal blue while the other was a vibrant emerald green. His gaze was sharp and serious. He may have been extremely attractive, but he was even more intimidating. And he wasn’t even here in person.

“Honor to meet you.” I cleared my throat and bowed my head a little. This guy was the most powerful witch in the race, aside from the Aether Witch, of course. I pointed beside me. “This is Trey, a fellow Sword, and Harlan, the Wand Major.”

The Emperor nodded. “Thank you for getting Lonan. I’m sorry about Warner. I would’ve been back in there already, too, so I apologize for making you wait.”

“It’s okay—”

“It’s not, but thanks.” The Emperor turned his gaze to Timothy and Constance. “I really wish you’d wait for us to go in with you—”

Constance cursed, interrupting the Emperor. She looked up with wide eyes and a pale face. “Tenn, we need to talk. Majors all over are calling me for emergency assistance.”

He groaned. “Already. Naturally. Constance, go back to your office and call my phone. Timothy, don’t take a single person more than necessary and keep it to a handful. Good luck. Call when you get back so you can help us with these demons.”

And then he was gone.

Constance squeezed Timothy’s arm. “Be careful, Tim.” Then she turned and ran out.

“Hello, Timothy?”

We all turned back to the screen at the sound of a girl’s voice. It was the same one who’d portaled Timothy and Constance back last night. The High Priestess. Now that I’d seen both her and the Emperor, I totally understood why the entire school was terrified of them. If you could intimidate me through a video chat, then you had to be scary as hell.

Timothy smiled at her. “Tegan, hey. Where’d your man go?”

She rolled her pale green eyes and smiled. “You know how he is. Anyway, so you’re all that’s going back into the Old Lands? The four of you, right? Tenn says no more than five or six people.”

“We’re waiting for Tina and Gen,” Trey said with a wide grin, like he hadn’t just heard Timothy say your man in regard to the Emperor.

“Okay, perfect, so— Babe, I’ll be right there!” She looked off screen then turned her attention back to us. “Listen, there’s some kind of emergency, so I’m going to hand this off to Henley. But before that, Tim, you can’t do the same binding ritual we did.”

He frowned. “Why not?”

“Because they’re civilians, and no insult to their magic, but that spell is too strong for them. Besides,”—she looked off screen again and held up one finger—“that binding spell almost got everyone killed besides me and Tenn. The Old Lands are tricky. There’s all kinds of rules we don’t know about. Henley’s going to guide you through a different kind of spell.”

“All right, thanks, Tegan.”

“Be careful, Tim. Good luck. I hope you find Warner. If my best friend went missing there…” She shook her head, and her eyes flashed. “If anything goes slightly wrong, abort mission, and we’ll go back with you. I mean it, Timothy. Don’t risk yourself stupidly.”

Timothy chuckled. “Right back at ya’, T.”

The door swung open. Bettina stepped through then turned and leaned back into the hall. Tegan winked one green eye then vanished into thin air, leaving the video screen blank with only a wall of books.

“Sorry we’re late.” Bettina stepped into the room with Gen behind her, the wooden floor creaking under them. “We wanted to check on Erin first. What’d we miss?”

Harlan pointed to the screen. “The Emperor and the High Priestess…on video chat.”

Bettina grunted. “That’s the third time I’ve just missed meeting her.”

Gen nodded. “Who else is going with us?”

“No one. The Emperor forbids us to take anyone else.” Trey turned to Timothy with a frown. “Aren’t you Coven Leader? Don’t you get to make the rules? Because I think we need to take a whole squadron of us.”

“I won’t be for much longer.” A ghost of a smile passed over Timothy’s face as he shook his head. “I am only Leader because the Emperor was a toddler when the last male Leader died. But he’s ready to take his place now. I give it a few weeks tops.”

“Don’t hold your breath!”

We all jumped and turned toward the screen. Another girl with jet-black hair sat in front of the video, except she couldn’t have been more different than the High Priestess. She had sapphire blue eyes, bold red lipstick, and porcelain white skin.

She grinned. “You behave yourself and I think your throne is safe until next summer. Tenn’s still in the denial stage.”

Timothy chuckled. “We’ll see. Henley, this is my team that’s going in. Team, this is your Moon Card, Henley Redd.”

She nodded, but cut right to business. “All right, T says no-go on the binding ritual they did. But she and I went through the Book of Shadows before we called, and we found a backup plan for you.”

Bettina frowned and moved closer to the screen. “Do I know you? I swear you look familiar.”

Henley pursed her lips like she was thinking about it. “Gonna say no. My brother may be the only gay one in the family, but I remember pretty girls when I meet them.”

“Um…thanks?” Bettina blushed a deep pink and moved back. “Carry on.”

I definitely understood where Henley was coming from. Bettina was gorgeous. Trey and Warner hadn’t been wrong when they said she belonged on a supermodel runway. There was no way someone would meet her and forget it. I knew I couldn’t.

Henley chuckled. “Okay, so Benny said you’re bringing the Wand Major, right?”

“That’s me,” Harlan said and raised his hand. “Harlan.”

“Oh, sweet tatts.” Henley nodded in approval. “Now, Harlan, you’re gonna need to cut six pieces of rope to tie around all your wrists. Before you put them on, you’re going to put this spell on them. I just texted it to Timothy. Once it’s on, fasten them on each of you. These will serve as a GPS locater. It won’t bind you, but should you get lost, we can find you. Well, not we, but our Aether Witch can.”

Timothy held his phone to Harlan and nodded. “Thanks. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

BETTINA

T  hirty minutes and six rope bracelets later, we were in the parking lot loading up Jackson’s black pickup truck. It would’ve been nice if Lonan had been able to fly us in there, but apparently there was magic involved that I didn’t understand. Though he did say he’d be listening for us in case some bad stuff went down, and that was comforting. He’d also given us specific directions on where to enter the Old Lands to give us minimal risk.

“Shotgun!” Trey yelled.

Gen scoffed. “As if. You’ll have us in Kentucky. I’m shotty, so I can read the map.”

Trey stopped walking and threw his hands up. “Hey!”

Jackson shrugged and kept walking. “She’s not wrong, my friend.”

“But I’m taller than Harlan, so I’m sitting behind Gen,” Trey said as he jogged toward the truck.

Harlan shook his head and frowned. “Half an inch, bruh,” he mumbled.

We got to the truck, and the others started loading up. Harlan stood outside the truck and frowned, like he was trying to figure out how we would all fit. But I knew how. I hopped up into the bed of the truck. It was a short enough ride and through the mountains, so I wasn’t concerned about safety. If demons attacked, it wouldn’t have mattered if I was inside or out. I’d been prepared for this trip and wore one of Lennox’s leather jackets lined with fuzzy material.

Harlan scowled at me, then looked to Timothy and pointed.

Timothy shrugged. “I’ll ride in the back with her. Go ahead and get in.”

I schooled my face to look neutral, or at least I hoped. Timothy climbed in the back and sat down beside me without saying a word. He tapped on the back window and gave a thumbs up.

Within seconds, we were cruising down a gorgeous mountain road. The chilly autumn wind rushed through my hair, and it felt good. My nerves had my body temperature soaring. Okay, and Jackson. Last night, I’d gone over to his room with more courage than I’d ever felt before. We’d cuddled for hours as we slept. But come morning, I was a hot, blubbering mess. I’d avoided him ever since.

“You okay?”

I groaned and leaned my head back. “I just can’t help but feel like I failed Warner.”

“I don’t say this to be condescending, but live in our world a little longer, and you’ll stop blaming yourself for things like this.”

I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure I believed him. But there was something I’d been wondering about.

I cleared my throat and sat up straighter. “Rumor mill says you hate the Emperor, yet I’ve never heard anything to support that from you. Then Trey made that comment today. What’s the deal with all that?”

“It’s complicated.” Timothy stared into the distance. “The Emperor is a really good guy, and one day he’ll make an amazing Leader.”

“So you hate him because he’ll take your spot.”

Timothy scowled and shook his head. “I don’t hate him. Far from it, actually. I will gladly hand over the crown…when he’s ready. But he isn’t ready yet. People think I hate him because I’m hard on him. Harder on him than I am on anyone else.”

“Why?”

“Because he reminds me a bit of the Emperor he replaced.”

I frowned. I thought that was how the Card thing worked. “And that’s a bad thing?”

He stared at the ground for so long I wasn’t sure he was going to respond at all. But then he nodded. “In the end, yes.”

“How so?”

“It’s a crazy story, Bettina.”

I smiled and nudged his arm. “I can handle crazy.”

“The former Emperor was my friend. We grew up together. We all knew Julian was powerful, from a young age. He started at Edenburg before the rest of us. He was a good guy, had a huge heart. Always took care of everyone around him. When he got his Mark, no one was surprised. The Emperor was a good fit, we thought. He continued at school with us like it was no big deal. But then I got Marked, and two of his closest friends, Kessler and Hunter, got Marked. Devon, the badass Sword girl, got Marked. Constance got Marked. At first he was cool about it, then the more of his friends who joined his ranks, the less cool he got. Suddenly he became competitive. He boasted his power and skill. But still…he was a good guy. We thought it was just a phase he’d grow out of once we left Edenburg.”

My pulse fluttered. This story wasn’t going to end well. “I’m guessing that was wrong.”

“He had a girlfriend named Ruth. She was spectacular. One of the most gifted witches our species had ever known. We called her the Spellmaster because there was nothing she couldn’t do. Julian cherished her. She was the one thing that kept him grounded. They’d been together since they were ten. Well, one day, when we were seventeen, this new guy Micah moved to Eden. Nice guy, real good-looking. Very gifted witch. His parents raised him in Salem. Anyway, Julian makes friends with him and decides to introduce him to Ruth…”

My heart sank. “Oh no…”

“It wasn’t their fault. Or Julian’s. No one could’ve predicted it. But it happened the way it always does when two soulmates meet each other for the first time.”

I gasped. “Ruth and Micah were soulmates?”

Tim nodded sadly. “Yes. It ate Ruth up every day. She loved Julian. She really did. But Micah was her other half. There was nothing they could do. But Julian lost who he was, and he was never the same.”

“What happened?”

“Do you remember when you were at the Gathering, those spirits that were there?”

“I will never forget that night.” I shuddered.

“Well, because of what happened, those souls never found peace—they still haven’t. Ruth and Micah went to the Gathering the year we graduated from Edenburg, and they were traumatized by the pain those spirits were still in. They were hellbent on freeing them. Fast forward ten years or so, and they thought they’d finally found the spell to set them free. I warned them, but they didn’t listen, despite me being a Card. Ruth made a few changes to the spell to fix my concerns, but I told her it wasn’t enough. I told her she’d never had elemental magic, that she had no idea how to control it or use it. It was magic she wasn’t qualified to attempt.”

“But she was the Spellmaster,” I whispered.

“Yes, she was. She was powerful.” He looked at me and smiled a sad smile. “But she didn’t have the magic of the elements. Only the Cards of The Coven have that. But she wouldn’t listen to me. I told her it wasn’t worth the risk. She had two young children to care for.”

My eyes widened, and a chill shot down my spine. “She had kids?”

“A son and a daughter.” He sighed. “As I predicted, the spell went horribly wrong… Lots of people died. Sapiens and witches. Our race was outraged. They wanted Ruth and Micah to pay for their crimes.”

“But it was an accident.”

“Yes…and no. I told them not to do it. I warned them. I tried to stop them the day it went down, but I was too late.”

“Were they arrested?”

“I wish.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Julian’s little sister was one of the witches killed. She was all he had left. The rest of his family had died, and then he lost her too. The Coven had been in a meeting about what to do when he found out… He just snapped. His power blew up the building. A few Cards were injured. By the time we all came to again, we’d gotten calls saying there was a huge fight at Ruth and Micah’s house. Lots of screaming. They said the Emperor was there, and he sounded crazed. By the time we got there…the house was in shambles. No one…no one survived.”

I gasped. Goose bumps broke out over my skin. “Julian killed him?”

“Yeah.” His voice was low and rough. “Julian was a good man, but his power consumed him in the end.”

“But what happened to Julian?”

“No one knows exactly. He was never seen again either.” Timothy smirked. “The Mark of the Emperor reappeared on our current Emperor soon after.”

I gasped. “Oh my God. So he died, too.”

“No one knows where our current Emperor came from, not even him. He has amnesia. But Kessler adopted him and raised him as his own. He’s a good kid, and if he continues this way, he’ll be a great man. I’m hard on him to make sure he always has that reality check Julian never got. You understand what I’m saying?”

“You care about him.”

He smiled and nodded. “I do. You will, too. Everyone does. And for good reason.”

The truck turned down a dirt road tucked away between trees. I knew our chat was about over. So I turned and asked, “So why not tell him—or anyone—that? Aren’t you afraid of regret?”

“I have many regrets, Bettina, but doing my best to make him the man he was destined to be is not one of them.”

The truck slowed down, so I knew our time was running out. I cleared my throat. “What were the kids names?” It felt wrong to not know the names of such innocent young lives lost.

“The boy was named Haven, the girl was Hope,” Timothy said softly as Jackson parked the truck under the cover of trees. He pulled himself up and climbed out of the truck.

I now understood why everyone thought he hated the Emperor, and why Timothy let them think it. But what I didn’t understand was the pain he felt over it. He might not have said it, but I saw it in his eyes. The energy around him was cold and bitter.

The truck doors opened, and I heard the voices of my friends from inside. The window to our conversation was closing by the second, and something told me I wouldn’t get Timothy to talk about it again. I even wondered if he regretted starting it.

“Timothy?” I crawled after him. When he stopped and looked up at me, I asked, “Were you and Ruth close friends?”

Timothy’s cheeks flushed a soft pink. He stared off in the distance and smiled, but it was the saddest kind of smile I’d ever seen. He took a deep breath, then said softly, “Ruth was my sister.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

BETTINA

I  was following everyone as we made our way through the forest, but my head was in a different place. Timothy’s story just kept repeating in my mind over and over. I didn’t know why he’d told me, either.

Focus, Bettina. This was a dangerous quest to save our friend. I’d already seen how quick things could change in the Old Lands, and if I didn’t concentrate, I could lose myself. I took a deep breath and glanced around.

We were walking through the forest on a path that was flattened but only a few feet wide. Jackson was way up at the front, probably a good twenty feet ahead of me or more. Gen was right behind him with a sword in one hand and Lonan’s map in the other. Harlan wasn’t far behind them.

“Hey, Tina, you all right back there?”

I frowned and looked up to find Trey stopped about halfway between myself and Jackson. I cleared my throat and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

He nodded then turned back around to continue following Jackson. Great. Keep up, Bettina. The last thing I needed was for them to start coddling me again. I was handling the hike just fine. It was my head that wasn’t on right. Timothy glanced over his shoulder and gave me an encouraging smile.

A sharp, bitter coldness seeped down into my bones. Ruth was his sister. My heart twisted and turned. Ruth was his sister. His own friend and Coven-mate had murdered his sister and her children. I stared at the trees without seeing them.

I watched him. He had his head up and his shoulders back like this was no big deal. That was how he always looked. Timothy was always the picture of calm confidence. He was kind and helpful, and quick to laugh. I didn’t know how he did it, how he carried on so well after losing so much. I’d already learned in my two months at Edenburg that Timothy’s parents had died years and years ago. That meant he’d lost his entire family, and yet you would never have known just by looking at him.

Finally, after quite some time, the trees opened up, and we walked into a small clearing. It was somewhat circular in shape and probably about forty feet across. I stepped inside and felt a hot wave of energy land on me. I peeked up and caught Jackson watching me from the other side of the clearing. Next to him was a black iron gate just like the one on campus. Just the gate, no fence.

Jackson pulled his sword free from the holster strapped on his back. “Let’s go find Warner.” He nodded, then turned and walked through the gate.

Genevieve tucked the map in her back pocket then palmed her second sword. With both drawn, she charged in after Jackson. Harlan leapt through the gate’s opening.

“Hey, Timothy, I think Bettina’s getting cold feet in the back there!” Trey grinned and winked at me, then bounced through the gate.

I stopped in the middle of the clearing and looked to where Timothy stood, texting on his phone. I frowned. “Everything okay?”

He nodded without looking up. “Yeah, just sending Constance the exact coordinates of this gate. Just in case.”

Something moved in my peripheral vision. I spun to the left just as a white object soared through the air right at my face. I cursed and leapt back. The object flew past my face and slammed into the tree behind me.

“MOVE!” Timothy screamed.

I dove forward then rolled, just like I’d been trained. Something dark flew over me, whistling through the air. I rolled a few times then scrambled to my feet with my sword raised in the air. I was now on the opposite side of the clearing as Timothy, and not close enough to the gate to the Old Lands.

The ground rumbled. An ice-cold breeze rushed over me. My hair whipped around my face, wrapping around my neck like it wanted to strangle me. There was a whistle and a chant, and when I yanked my hair out of my face, I found us surrounded by people in dark clothes. Black smoke billowed out of the ground and rose into the air. Within seconds, the clearing was drenched in darkness like it was nighttime.

I squinted and tried to see, but it was too dark. I needed a flashlight. My sword! I threw my blade up and pushed my magic out with everything I had. “For what I seek is cloaked in darkness, I see my stone in your likeness!”

My sword lit up like a lightbulb. Except everything around me was still dark. Our attackers had the upper hand.

I raised my sword and got into fighting stance. “What’s happening?”

“The gate— Now!”

I sprinted to the gate. Timothy shot walls of ice up as he charged for the gate, and they reflected the light of my sword like glass. Something huge and dark shot out from the trees and tackled us to the ground. We scrambled to our feet only to find we were farther from the gate than before. Timothy raised his hands and shot ice right out of his palms.

Our attackers hissed and moved…and that was when my heart stopped. These people didn’t move like people. They were more like shadows— Oh my god! It was the creature from the Old Lands that had tried to take Erin, twice. These shadow-people swirled around us, shooting white objects at us.

But Timothy was faster. He sent out sheets of ice in each spot they landed, blocking them from taking a shot. One of the shadows reached for me, so I dove to the ground and rolled closer to Timothy.

“What are these, Timothy?”

“I have no ide—”

A huge shadow jumped to the edge of the clearing and roared. The trees swayed and trembled. The ground shook under my feet. I gripped the grass and held on as everything around me rocked and spun. The world slowed down. Everything was moving in slow motion. The shadow-person held something out that shimmered in the light off my sword, and then it spoke. My blood ran cold. This thing had just said something in our ancient language.

Timothy gasped. His face was sheet-white. “No. No, it can’t be. You can’t—”

The shadow creature roared again. It pulled its arm back then threw something. There was a flash of white, and then it sank right into Timothy’s chest.

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

BETTINA

T  imothy’s eyes widened as crimson-red blood exploded from his chest.

“NO!” I screamed and scrambled to my feet. “TIMOTHY!”

His body lifted off the ground and flew backward. A river of blood spilled into the air. I screamed and sprinted to him, but he slammed into the ground right before I got there. I dropped to my knees and slid like I was playing baseball. Bright golden sunlight shined down onto the clearing. I pressed my hands to his wound, and blood poured over my fingers.

“Timothy!” I cried. “HELP!”

He gasped and gripped my arm, pulling me closer. “Get…it out… No…chance.”

A violent sob ripped through my chest. No, no, this isn’t happening! I looked down at the thing sticking out of the center of his chest and cried. Tears poured down my cheeks. I gasped through the hot lump in my throat. Without thinking about it, I reached out and grabbed the white object. It was smooth and hollow, and looked completely familiar. My stomach turned. It was a bone. A human bone, and it wasn’t Timothy’s.

“Just hang on! JACKSON!” I screamed.

“Bettina…” Timothy gasped and squeezed my arm.

No, no, no. I looked down at him and shook my head. I tried to pull the bone out, but it was lodged. “Don’t die. Please, don’t leave us.”

Timothy coughed and blood spilled out of his mouth. He gasped for air and pulled me even closer. “…Joseph…Locke—” He gasped and his fingers dug into my arm. “Forgive me.”

“TIMOTHY!” I screamed. “NO! Stay with me!”

His brown eyes widened as he took a big breath, then his eyes closed and he collapsed on the ground.

NOOOOO! My throat burned as I screamed. I put my fingers to his throat and searched for a pulse, but there wasn’t one. His heart wasn’t beating. The air around him turned cold, and there was no more energy. His left arm was out to his side…and the black XX Mark of the Judgement Card began to fade away.

“No, no, no, no!” I grabbed the bone and yanked as hard as I could, but it wouldn’t budge. My whole body rattled from the force of my sobs and my fingers trembled, but I had to get it out of him. He’d asked me to. It was the least I could do. “No, no, Timothy, no. Stay with me!”

The bone wouldn’t budge. If I could just dislodge it a little—

My sword. I sniffled and plucked my sword off the ground. The crystal blade barely shimmered, but that was fine. I didn’t need the light anymore. I gripped the hilt and slid the blade into the wound, and with my other hand, I held the bone. I jostled my sword and pulled the bone with every ounce of strength I had. It popped free. I held it up to my face to try and see it through my tears, but it disintegrated in my hand.

“Bettina…?”

I gasped and spun to find Jackson, Trey, Gen, and Harlan standing at the edge of the clearing with horrified expressions. Jackson dropped his swords and stumbled back a step. His face was sickly pale and his eyes glassy. He stared down at Timothy’s body, and the pain in his eyes broke me.

“WHY?” Gen screamed as tears pooled in her eyes. “Why did you… WHY?”

That was when I realized they weren’t looking at Timothy. They were staring at something else. I frowned and looked down—and then I saw it. My blood-drenched crystal blade gripped tightly in my blood-soaked hand…and a gaping hole in Timothy’s chest.

My heart stopped. OH GOD. No, no. They thought I had done this. They thought I’d stabbed him. Because the bone was gone. Fresh tears spilled out of my eyes, and I shook my head.

I turned back to them with wide eyes. I dropped my sword and raised both palms up to them, but my arms were covered in blood all the way up to my elbows. “I didn’t—"

The ground rumbled, and then a dark shadow shot across the clearing. It snatched Timothy’s body and dragged him into the Old Lands.

NO! I dove forward, trying to get back to my feet, but Harlan jumped out in front of me. He flicked his wand in the air, and my arms flew behind my back. Something tight coiled around my wrists, tying them together. I tried to pull them apart, but an electric shock shot up my arm.

“Don’t. Move,” Harlan growled, pointing his wand right at my face.

Jackson walked over and picked my sword up off the ground. He held it between two fingers, and a stream of blood poured down to the ground. He cringed…and my heart broke. His whole body trembled. He looked absolutely destroyed.

I opened my mouth to scream that I didn’t do this, but Harlan flicked his wrist and my mouth was taped shut. NO. NO. NO. PLEASE! I DIDN’T DO THIS!

Gen’s face was a sickly shade of green. She wouldn’t even look at me.

Trey looked at me with broken eyes. “You killed Timothy…”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

BETTINA

I  couldn’t have said how I got from the clearing back to Edenburg. My mind had shut down. Everything around me had gone dark and cold. The bones in my body rattled. I sobbed and shook my head, but I knew no one would listen to me. Because standing at the front of the school was an entire army of Knights with their swords drawn.

But I didn’t do it! I tried to yell, but Harlan’s magical tape was too strong to break.

Trey and Harlan gripped my arms and hauled me out of the truck. As my feet became airborne, I glanced over my shoulder in search of Jackson. But when I spotted him, I wished I hadn’t looked at all. The look of utter devastation on his beautiful face shattered something inside me. I sobbed and my throat burned. Jackson held my sword out in front of him like it was poisonous. He followed Harlan and Trey as they dragged me toward the school, but he refused to look at me. He looked as dead on the outside as I felt on the inside.

Pain flared in my arms, and then my knees slammed into the cement.

When I looked up, I found a dozen or more silver blade tips pointed right in my face. Constance stood just beyond them, staring down at me like I was an alien. Tears poured down her face. When our eyes met, she closed hers and shook her head.

No! Please! I yelled against my bindings. IT WASN’T ME!

Constance turned and gestured for us to follow. No one else spoke. Trey and Harlan hoisted me in the air just enough to drag my shins across the pavement. The army of Knights around us lowered their blades and escorted us across campus.

I didn’t know what day of the week it was, or if the events that had just happened had really only been a matter of minutes. The Old Lands ran on different time. I just didn’t know if we’d been close enough for that. Not that it mattered. As they dragged me across the courtyard, I spotted dozens and dozens of students watching from around a pillar.

Constance and her army of Knights marched to a building in the back of campus. Inside, the air was cold and thick. The bricks were painted dark gray. My pulse quickened. I squirmed and tried to look over my shoulder for Jackson, but he’d stopped a few feet back. He watched me with unshed tears in his eyes and years of pain.

“Bettina Blair.” Constance’s voice was hard and sharp. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Timothy Roth. You’ll remain in the dungeon until we’re ready to deal with you.”

NO! No, no, no! I sobbed and it rattled my whole body. I didn’t kill him!

I heard the creak of a wooden door, and then I was flying through the air. My shoulder hit the dark bricks with a thud. I bounced off and rolled until I slammed into another hard surface. I coughed and a cloud of dirt shot into my face. I cringed, tried to breathe through the pain. My face tingled, and then cold air brushed over my mouth. I licked my lips and grimaced at the bitter flavor.

I looked up, expecting to see Constance standing there, but instead, the dungeon door slammed shut in my face.

WILL Bettina get anyone to hear her side of the story? Will The Coven believe her? And what will Jackson think of her now? Good news - you won’t have to wait too long! Book two of The Coven: Academy Magic Series, The Fallen Witch, releases Spring 2019. CLICK HERE to pre-order it now!

CLICK HERE OR VISIT WWW.CHANDELLELAVAUN.COM/SUBSCRIBE and sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date with all the information on my books and find out when The Fallen Witch will be released!

MAGIC DOESN’T LIE. Witches do.

IT’S their word against mine, but first I have to get them to listen.

CLICK HERE TO pre-order The Fallen Witch now!

ARE you new to the world of The Coven? Are you wondering what it was like for Tegan and her twin while they raced to close the Gap by Samhain? Check out season one, The Coven: Elemental Magic, and read their side of the story. Tegan stumbles into her magic and her soulmate in book one - The Lost Witch - and nothing goes as planned.

CLICK HERE to get The Lost Witch now!

I THOUGHT magic was make believe...but I was way wrong.

I was nobody. No matter how hard I tried, I never fit in with anyone at my high school. Now I know why.

Turns out I'm a witch. A scary powerful one, too. Except The Coven that claimed me won't teach me how to use my magic.

Suddenly, I'm selected by the Goddess to hunt down a mythical locket needed to save the world from destruction. The only person who actually tries to help me is the alarmingly attractive Tennessee. He has immeasurable power and breathtaking mismatched eyes. I'm drawn to him on a level I can't explain...and he's forbidden from getting too close to me.

When the quest takes an unexpected dangerous turn, I have to improvise. This supernatural world is unraveling at my fingertips and I need to master my magic fast. If I don't, I could get everyone I care about killed...

CLICK HERE to get The Lost Witch now!

IF YOU FOUND yourself wondering what life was like for The Coven before the twins arrived then I recommend reading the Prequel Novella, The Chosen Witch. And the best part? It’s FREE.

CLICK HERE to read The Chosen Witch now!

TO GET MY FREE NOVELLA, you’ll be signing up for my newsletter. It’s a fun way for me to connect with my readers but I promise I won’t spam you. Plus, you can unsubscribe at any time!

CHECK out the cover and description for The Chosen Witch below.

MY MAGIC DOESN’T DEFINE me.

Within my secret, ancient race of witches, everyone prays to join the most powerful circle of all—The Coven. Well, everyone except for me. All I want is to discover the truth of the past that was stolen from me. So I lay low, defending the world from demons and training to strengthen my magic.

But when I discover an artifact that can defeat the demons for good, I’m forced to do the one thing I never wanted—claim my rightful place in The Coven so I can hunt down the artifact myself.

I know my success will require sacrifices, but I fear I won’t be able to handle the price…

CLICK HERE or visit chandellelavaun.com/subscribe to get The Chosen Witch and start reading now.

WANT to connect with me and other fans of The Coven? CLICK HERE to join my reader group on Facebook!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chandelle was born and raised in South Florida. She is the ultimate fangirl. Her love of Twilight, Harry Potter, and The Mortal Instruments inspired her to write her own books. When she’s not writing she’s on the beach soaking up the sun with a book in her hand. Her favorite things in life are dogs, pizza, slurpees, and anything that sparkles. She suffers from wanderlust and hopes to travel to every country in the world one day.

The Hidden Witch

Published by Wanderlost Publishing

Copyright © 2019 by Chandelle LaVaun

This book is a work of fiction. Though some actual towns, cities, and locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Any similarities of characters or names used within to any person past, present, or future is coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Created with Vellum

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

About the Author

Copyright