Nightmares (The Coven, Book 1)

by Erica Stevens

  After all the noise, the sudden quiet and dark was unnerving. It took Avery a minute for the crashing ocean to reach her deafened ears and for the realization it was over to sink in.

  Regan was gone.

  “Is it over?” Isla breathed.

  “Yes,” Celia replied and turned to face Avery. “It’s finally over. He is bound within the skull.”

  “What do we do with it?” Avery asked in a choked voice.

  “You must bury the skull in sacred ground,” Beatrix answered. “You’ll know the place when you find it.”

  When Celia extended a misty hand toward Avery, the wisp of an icy caress brushed Avery’s face. “Your powers originally come from evil, but they are not evil, Avery,” Celia said. “When my coven bound Regan, the spell he’d cast over me and Marjorie broke. What he didn’t allow you to see when he showed you the cave-in was that I gave her my crystal before she fled.”

  Celia’s hand traced the crystal at Avery’s neck, and it sparked in acknowledgment of its previous owner. A wistful smile played over Celia’s mouth as her gaze returned to Avery’s.

  “Before I gave Marjorie my crystal, I used all of my power to ensure that the next person who became the rightful owner of it would also get the strength of my powers as I knew its next owner would be the one Regan wanted for himself. By sacrificing myself, I sealed the spell and ensured that when you arrived, you would have all my power, plus what you were born with. You are a part of me, but my sacrifice came from a place of good, Avery, and that is why your powers are so strong.”

  “Why did he want us?” she asked.

  “To use our powers, and the coven, to help him destroy the world or conquer it.”

  Avery’s hands tightened on Reid’s and Rosie’s. “Is it cursed or evil?”

  “No, it’s a blessing only the strongest of us can handle, and that strength is what attracts Regan to its owner.”

  A huge weight lifted from Avery’s chest as she smiled tremulously. “I’m proud you’re a part of me.”

  “Me too,” Celia whispered.

  Adrian rested a transparent hand on Celia’s shoulder. The look of love they exchanged warmed Avery’s heart. “We have to go now,” he said.

  “Will we ever see you again?” Avery asked.

  “Our part in this is done,” Celia said. “We can rest peacefully now.”

  An odd sense of loss filled Avery. “Will you be together?”

  “Yes,” they both said.

  Avery breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at them. “Goodbye, Celia.”

  She rested her cold hand against Avery’s cheek. “Goodbye, Avery.”

  They vanished in a wave of shimmering mist. Once they were gone, Avery became aware of her exhaustion. She slumped against Reid, and he encircled his arm around her waist. Alex strode forward and carefully lifted the skull.

  He eyed it as if it were going to come alive and bite him before placing it into the metal box of protective herbs and crystals they’d brought with them. He slid the lid down and locked it before lifting the box and turning to face them. Fatigue etched his face, but his eyes shone with happiness.

  “Let’s go home,” he said as he walked over to join them.

  They turned as one and walked down the beach with their arms entwined around each other. Avery rested her head on Reid’s shoulder, and Rosie leaned against her side.

  We are one, Avery thought. “We won,” she whispered.

  Reid kissed her forehead.

  “We kicked his ass!” Sandra declared, and they all chuckled.

  They helped each other climb over a dune and stopped when they discovered Tina, Karen, Lila, and their parents waiting for them on the street below. Joy lit their loved ones’ faces as they rushed forward to embrace them.

  Her dad’s arms swept around her, and he lifted her off the ground to hug her before setting her down and stepping back to grin at her. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I will be,” she said and hugged him again. She still didn’t like that he’d kept so much from her, but she understood why, and she loved him too much to stay mad at him.

  Her mother looked hopeful when she stepped beside Avery and her dad. Avery felt the familiar twinge of anger toward Julie, but past hurts had no place here, not anymore and Julie had been the only who tried to warn them about Regan. Now, they were embracing a bright new future. When her mother opened her arms, Avery stepped into them and hugged her.

  CHAPTER 43

  The ocean, dunes, cranberry bogs, and quaint houses passed by the window in a blur that wasn’t fast enough for her liking. It had been over a month since Avery last saw the Cape, and she couldn’t wait to see her family and friends again.

  Her dad hadn’t been happy about her going off with Reid, but Avery knew she had to be the one to bury the skull, and Reid refused to let her go alone. Her dad finally relented to her leaving when Rosie offered to join them, but if he’d been able to take time off work, he would have come with them too. Rosie wasn’t much of a chaperone as she’d spent a lot of time flirting and going out with the boys she met as they traveled, but she’d been a lot of fun to have with them.

  Avery had assured her dad that he didn’t have anything to worry about, and she’d meant it. She loved Reid, but she wasn’t ready to progress her relationship with him. She’d had enough changes thrown at her this summer without adding the complication of sex into the mix.

  It had taken them almost a month to find the sacred ground Beatrix spoke of after they bound Regan. After driving and searching for weeks, she’d felt a strange pull to an island she saw on a map of Canada while they were at a rest area.

  They’d driven over a bridge to the small island off the coast of Canada. Avery knew they were in the right place the second she stepped foot on the island. The ocean circled the land protectively, the air crackled with energy, and the earth vibrated with energy.

  The island was inhabited, but it would keep the skull safe, and the earth’s protective qualities would deter people from the burial area. They’d all agreed they were in the right place and felt safe leaving the skull behind.

  Now, two days later, they were finally home.

  Home, Avery thought wistfully. Three weeks ago, her dad told her that he’d decided to move back into his childhood home. It had stood vacant since his parents’ died, and he felt it was time to return to it. She didn’t know what the house looked like, but he’d sold their home and completed the move last week.

  At first, she’d been against leaving the only home, school, and friends she’d ever known. However, after some time to think about it and adjust, Avery realized it was for the best. Her dad would be happier back with his friends, and she would be closer to the coven and Reid.

  She smiled as she turned to face Reid. It didn’t matter where she lived; she’d found her home in his arms. She would miss her old house, but she would adjust, and she’d see Lila, Tina, and Karen as often as possible.

  “We’re home!” Rosie declared. She bounced in the back seat as Reid turned onto the street with coven’s houses.

  Reid drove up the road and pulled into the driveway of a large, Cape-style house that loomed over the ocean behind it. He parked behind her dad’s car. The shutters of the house were a weathered blue, but the farmer’s porch and shingles were a peeling, dove gray in desperate need of paint. The remnants of an old garden spilled onto the slate walkway, but with some tender care, Avery imagined it could be beautiful again.

  Although the house required some cosmetic work, her dad had already hung plants, wind chimes, sun catchers, and crystals from the beams of the porch. They lent the place a cozier atmosphere, but the sight of them surprised her; her dad had never been one to decorate.

  Reid turned off the Jeep, climbed out, and walked around to help her down from the vehicle. He smiled at her when she hesitated in the seat. “It will be all right,” he promised as Rosie leapt out the other side.

  “I know,” Avery said, but she was still nervous abo
ut seeing her new home.

  “I love you.”

  Avery beamed at him as she climbed out of the vehicle and stood on her toes to kiss him. “I love you too.”

  Fidgeting with the edge of her T-shirt, she held his hand while she walked with him and Rosie to the porch. Avery didn’t breathe as Reid opened the door and led her inside. Avery’s eyes widened when she took in the large colonial living room and the people gathered within.

  Landon, Alex, Sandra, Mario, Shawn, Isla, Eric, Tina, Karen, Lila, her parents, Reid’s parents, and Rosie’s parents all stood inside. Hanging from the dark wood beams running across the ceiling was a large banner with the words WELCOME HOME painted in red.

  “Surprise!” they all yelled.

  “Oh!” Avery cried as she raced forward to embrace everyone. “Lila, you’re walking!”

  Lila grinned at her as she leaned on her crutches. “I still have to use a wheelchair sometimes, but with the help of these—” She thumped a crutch against the floor. “—I’m getting there.”

  Avery beamed as she hugged her; it was the best present she’d ever received.

  • • •

  “Do you think you’ll be happy here?” Lila asked.

  Avery looked at Lila as the moon rose on the horizon. The day had passed in a rush of hugs, laughter, celebratory dancing, and details about their trip. Avery was exhausted, but she wasn’t ready to leave Lila, Tina, and Karen to go to bed yet.

  “I hope so, but I’m going to miss you guys,” Avery answered.

  “Ah, hell,” Tina said briskly, “we’ll visit you all the time.”

  “And I’ll visit you all the time,” Avery said.

  “Damn right you will,” Lila said.

  “Plus, we’re staying with you for the next week,” Karen added.

  “Well, you guys are staying,” Lila corrected. “I have to return home for more tests and therapy in two days.”

  “We’re still going to have a lot of fun before you go,” Karen said.

  “Yes, we will,” Avery agreed.

  “It’s a beautiful house,” Lila said.

  Avery didn’t miss Lila’s change in conversation. “It really is,” she agreed.

  She’d fallen in love with the rambling Cape and its warm, old-fashioned rooms. Her room was airy with a spectacular view of the ocean, but some of the doorways were so low that her father had to stoop to pass through them. There was still a lot of work to be done on the house, and unpacking to do, but it already felt like home.

  She also felt more comfortable with her powers and her place in the coven. When she first met them, they’d terrified her, but now they’d become a family to her. The coven had proven they would stand by her no matter what, and for that, she loved them all and would do anything for them. It seemed odd to her that just two short months ago, she’d had no idea they existed or what she was, but now they were as integral a part of her life as the powers she was learning to control more and more every day.

  The sliding glass doors to the elevated back porch slid open, and Reid stepped out. He strolled across the deck and, stopping behind her, rested his hands on her shoulders before bending to kiss her head. Leaning into him, Avery absorbed his warmth as she inhaled his fresh scent.

  “I’m so glad everything is going to be okay,” Karen said.

  Avery stiffened when a chill ripped through her, and she was gripped by the terrifying certainty everything was not going to be okay. She had no reason to believe something nefarious waited for them, but her instincts were screaming at her, and she’d learned to trust her instincts while fighting Regan.

  They’d bound Regan, but something more waited out there for them; she was sure of it.

  THE END

  Book 2, The Maze, is now available for pre-order!

  Read on for an exclusive excerpt from The Maze.

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  Excerpt from Book 2, The Maze

  CHAPTER 1

  The sand shifted beneath her feet and filtered into her shoes as Avery strode down the beach. Huddling deeper into her windbreaker, she tried to fight off the wind whipping her black hair behind her. The ocean lapping against the shore was the only sound in the night. Overhead, the growing clouds blocked out the stars and drifted across the remaining sliver of moon. The ozone scent of impending rain hung heavily in the air.

  Avery berated herself for taking the beach home when a fat raindrop hit her nose. She’d wanted to be closer to the ocean so she could feel its power and the relaxing comfort it gave her. However, she thought she’d beat the storm home. She’d been wrong.

  So focused on beating the impending storm, Avery jumped when a shell cracked underfoot. The noise caused an unreasonable sense of unease to grip her, and she glanced at the dunes leading toward her mother’s house; the welcoming lights illuminating the kitchen windows offered no comfort.

  She debated climbing the dunes and walking the road home, but she refused to be spooked for no reason. She had nothing to be afraid of, but no matter how often she told herself this, she couldn’t get rid of the sensation of eyes boring into the back of her head.

  The last time she felt like someone was watching her like this was right before they held the séance at Lila’s house. Then, Regan had been watching her from the shadows of his nightmare realm while waiting for her to do something that would allow him to seize his opportunity to capture her.

  But Regan was gone, the coven had bound him to his skull and buried it in sacred ground; he could never escape. So then why did she feel like she was the prey about to be snapped up into some carnivorous jaws? Avery cast a glance over her shoulder, but the beach remained empty.

  Regan’s gone. No matter how often she told herself this, she found it increasingly difficult to breathe as her instincts screamed danger at her. Don’t run. Don’t be a coward. But her heart thundered, and her skin prickled as sweat slid down her nape.

  When she passed Isla’s house, the lights spilling from her back porch cast a pathway across the sand. Avery bent her head and speed walked faster as rain pattered the sand and slid over her skin. Following the light from Isla’s house, she veered toward the road on the other side of the dunes. She hated giving in to her irrational fear, but she would feel better once she was on the street.

  She was almost to the top of the dune when the hair on her arms and neck rose. She almost bolted over top of the dune and raced for the road, but she feared her panicked flight would draw forth whatever lurked in the shadows. Regan may be gone, but during her time with the coven, she’d learned there were many different spiritual planes; was something from one of them stalking her?

  She searched the dunes for a hint of the danger palpitating the air, but the shadows hid anything that might be lurking within them. Cupping one hand over the other to shelter it from the rain, Avery berated herself for allowing her imagination to run away from her as she whispered the word, “Ignite.”

  A blue flame sparked to life and hovered an inch above her palm. The light calmed her as she lowered her other hand and despite the rain pelting her, the fire didn’t go out. She savored the warmth of it against her cheeks and hand. It only illuminated a ten-foot circular area around her, but it was enough to reveal the shells, seagrass, and crystals in the grains of sand. Tilting her head to the side, she listened for any footsteps, but all she heard was the rain and the sigh of the sea.

  She didn’t see or hear anything stalking her, but that didn’t reassure her. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the marrow of her bones.

  “You’re being ridiculous.”

  Her whispered words didn’t reassure her; instead, they were abnormally loud in the hushed night. She tugged her jacket closer around her neck in the hope it would warm her, but it was useless as the air wasn’t cold. This chill came from deep inside her, and she feared it would never
ease.

  A flash of movement in her peripheral vision caused her to whirl toward whatever it was, but there was nothing there. Then a warm breath caressed her neck, and her stomach plunged as she felt the heat of her hunter against her back. Stiffly, Avery turned to face whatever stood there. She expected it to pounce on her and tear her apart, but she turned all the way without being eaten alive.

  Her hand trembled as she lifted her fire higher to reveal the man standing before her. Avery gasped when the flame reflected in a pair of the most stunning, electric blue eyes she’d ever seen as Regan’s ethereal, inhuman beauty filled her vision. Hanging to his shoulders, his black hair emphasized the sculpted perfection of his face.

  “Boo,” he whispered as his thick, red lips curled into a smile.

  This can’t be happening! He’s gone! This isn’t real! We bound him to his skull and buried it!

  “I’m coming for you, Avery,” he whispered.

  His hypnotic voice reached into her mind and jolted her out of the paralysis gripping her.

  “No!” she screamed as her flame sputtered out.

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