“Ouija boards are actually safer for humans.” Henley walked into the room, carrying yet another stack of books for us to search through. She dropped them on the hardwood floor in front of us, then sank to her knees. “When we do it, there’s a bigger risk factor.”
I frowned. That was unsettling. “But aren’t we on Holy Land in this room? Shouldn’t we be safe?”
“In theory, yes.” Henley shuddered then opened a book. “But…I don’t know… Lately, things have been off. I wouldn’t trust it.”
Tegan groaned and tossed the book in her hand off to the side. Then she cracked open another. “The problem is—and this is classified information—the only spirits who are actually helpful with information are the devious ones. The ones who want something in return, or made too much trouble in life and can’t pass on.”
A cold chill slithered down my spine. “That’s really creepy, Tegan.”
She smirked. “I know, and this is why I do all my scheming in secrecy. Because sometimes someone has to make the tough call and get things done. And sometimes that means dabbling in the dark. I’m comfortable with myself and my power. I know who I am and where my allegiance lies, so I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect my world.”
“I know you, Tegan. I know you’d never go dark. But now that you know about real magic, I’d think you’d be willing to try—”
“She can’t.” Henley grimaced. “The Aether Witch is dangerous power, the kind of thing that attracts the biggest and baddest in the realms. That’s why the demon who possessed me wanted her. It’s too risky, even by her standards.”
Well, shit. I couldn’t argue with that.
The floor creaked outside the door, and then Emersyn came stumbling in, carrying a big black cauldron in her arms. She stopped just inside and huffed. “What does it say about me that I turned down help from all the guys and insisted on carrying this myself?”
“Feisty. I like it.” Tegan threw her head back and laughed. “Twin, I adore you. Thanks for bringing it.”
Emersyn smiled and nodded, then hobbled over to the corner and set the cauldron down. She shook her arms out. “Now, you sure I won’t burn down the house? I mean, why not do this in the fireplace?”
“I put a flame protection spell there, so yeah, you won’t burn down the house.” She frowned. “And there’s too many people in the living room. Too much anxious energy. We need calmness and focus. That’s why I kicked Tennessee out of the room.”
Emersyn shrugged. “Good enough answer for me.” She twirled her wrists, and flames covered the bottom of the cauldron.
Henley leaned back and peered out the open doorway. “What’s everyone else doing out there anyway?”
“Tennessee is sitting out back glaring at the Old Lands and scaring the trees into relocating themselves.” Emersyn chuckled. “So Chutney is out there assuring all of the animals nearby that he isn’t going to murder them all in a glorious rage. Quite entertaining, actually. Deacon and Royce aren’t helping, but they’re helping—if you know what I mean.”
“My bloodline is special.” Henley rolled her eyes. “And everyone else?”
“Well, Uncle Kessler and Dad are sitting at the dining room table playing cards and waiting for shit to hit the fan. Paulina and Braison are cooking because Bentley said the smells help him see. Lily and Easton are upstairs, and I’m not going to ask.” She laughed and sat down beside me. “Mom and Cooper are sharpening their weapons. Willow and Constance are watching news reports on TV and online for any sign of Joseph. Mona and Daniel just arrived and said they refused to be away from their soulmates in a time like this, and we could fight them if we wanted them to leave again. Which is adorable.”
“And Jackson?” I asked then looked down at the book in front of me. My cheeks warmed.
“Oh, Lancaster is sitting on the front stoop doing almost the exact same thing as Tenn except nothing is fleeing from his presence.” Emersyn picked up a book and opened it. “I think everyone is trying to give him some space after…you know…Trey.”
We nodded and silence fell over the room. For a few minutes, the four of us sat there flipping through pages of books, like we had been for hours now.
I sighed. “Tegan, what do you expect to find in these books?”
“Anything that can help us.” She closed another book and pushed it aside, then grabbed the next. “There’s something we’re missing here, and it’s driving me insane. There’s got to be a spell or a potion that can heal them, to reconnect them with their physical forms. I just can’t find it.”
I frowned. “Why don’t we just make one?”
Emersyn scoffed. “That’s exactly how we got in this position.”
Tegan shook her head. “I wouldn’t be against it, in general. The problem is—and was—that we don’t know what we’re dealing with. So we could, in theory, create a spell and end up making it worse.”
Emersyn scowled and glanced at the cauldron. “Like we did with the potion last night. Then why are we brewing more of it?”
Tegan’s eyes flared with rage. “Because it hurt them. The mercy I had is gone now. I will use anything at my disposal.”
I shivered. “So creepy, dude.”
Tegan shrugged.
“Okay, I get that reasoning about the spell for them…but what about for us?”
Henley narrowed her eyes on me. “Elaborate.”
“I mean, if they’re sucking magic and power from witches to survive, then how do we know they won’t try to get one of us? That’s the only thing they haven’t tried yet—until last night. Trey tried to take Tegan, not kill her outright like they did with Timothy.” I closed the book and tapped my fingers on the floor as an idea popped into my mind. “We need a spell that will protect us from that kind of attack.”
“There isn’t one,” Henley whispered.
Tegan leaned forward and met my eyes. “Make me one.”
I gasped. She nodded. I licked my lips. “Can I do that?”
I don’t know, can you? she said into my mind and arched one eyebrow. You’ve created spells before, B. Show me what you’ve got.
Henley picked up four books then stacked them and slid them over to me. “Give these a read. See if something comes to you. But don’t force it.”
I grabbed the books then looked at the three of them. They were three crazy powerful women, and they were all looking at me like I was something special. My pulse quickened, and goose bumps spread across my arms.
“What if it doesn’t work?” I whispered.
Emersyn shrugged. “What if it does?”
Tegan smirked. “You’ve got angelic runes inside your magic. You were able to pick up Michael’s sword. There’s a potential in you that you don’t even realize.”
“Tegan—”
“Bettina.” She leaned forward and pointed to the books in my hands. “Just try. I’ll be able to sense the magic you create with the spell before we use it. So just try.”
“Okay…” I picked up the books. “I guess I’ll try.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Bettina
“Gibberish. Gibberish.” I pushed the third book off my lap. “And more gibberish.”
Whatever Henley thought I might get out of these books hadn’t happened yet. The first book was about spellcasting, but it was written for fifth year Wand students. It even said so at the beginning. I was a first year Sword student. The second book was about spirits and the afterlife, except Joseph wasn’t dead. The third book I was sure she’d put in there on accident because it was about potions, and I definitely wasn’t making one of those. But my biggest problem was that most of this was written in the ancient language, or at least the spells part.
And I still didn’t speak it. Which wasn’t that unreasonable since I’d only been learning it for three months, and most of that time I wasn’t even in class.
I sighed and pulled the fourth book into my lap. Tegan asked me to make her a spell to protect us, and I really didn’t want to let
her down. To let us down. I wanted to protect us. I looked down at my final prayer and frowned. It was a book about vampires. At first, I thought this was another mistake, but then I remembered what Joseph was doing. He was sucking people dry. Just like a vampire.
With renewed hope, I flipped the book open—and groaned. No, no, this can’t be happening. I turned page after page only to find the same thing. Every word was written in the ancient language. Every. Word. I cursed and threw the book away from me.
“I need a spell to make me instantly know this language, like in The Matrix—” I gasped. “Wait a second…”
Why can’t I write one for that, too? I’d created a few spells now, so I’d had some practice. And clearly Tegan, Emersyn, and Henley thought I was good enough to send me out here with the sole purpose of creating a brand new spell specific to our current needs.
There was no reason I couldn’t try this spell first.
Okay, okay. Think, brain. THINK. What do I need this spell to do? What am I asking it to do? Well, I need knowledge. I need to think it and feel it. I need to hear and speak it. I need a magical hard drive planted in my brain like a seed—
I gasped as words flashed in my mind. I saw them written across my eyes clear as day.
I didn’t know where this all came from, but it hadn’t let me down yet.
Here goes nothing.
I called on my magic from deep inside me and let it flow through my body. I felt the coolness of it spread into my limbs and over my skull. When the coldness sank into my lips, I let the words of my spell pour out of me, “By word of mouth, sound in thought, To read and hear by spell I’m taught. To seek the knowledge of divine power, Thy ancient language this desperate hour. Plant this seed to grow and thrive, Mind, heart, and soul I strive.”
Golden light flashed in my eyes. Sharp pain burned into my skull. Pressure tightened in my forehead, and it felt like it was wrapping around my eyeballs and trying to pop them out. I hissed and pinched the bridge of my nose. It was as painful and bitter as brain freeze. I punched the ground and wiggled my legs. I even pushed my tongue to the roof of my mouth like I did when it was actually brain freeze. But nothing helped. The pain surged, and I curled over until my head touched the grass.
And then it was gone.
I rolled onto my back and just breathed. My heart was pounding. For a second I just lay there, not moving as my head throbbed. After a few minutes—or hell, it could’ve been an hour—the aftershock wore off. I took a deep breath then sat up.
Everything looked exactly the same as it had a moment ago, so I hadn’t hurt anyone else—just myself. I was out on the Holy Land in the same place where I had my Coven initiation—and also where I was presented to The Coven as a murder suspect. That made me smile. Man, I’ve come full circle.
I glanced over my shoulder at Headquarters expecting to see someone looking at me or rushing out to make sure I hadn’t just killed myself. But all was quiet. I felt all of their energies inside. For all I knew, Tegan was watching me from a window, but I wasn’t embarrassed by anything with her. She’d seen worse from me.
“Okay, well, that didn’t go so well,” I said to myself with a chuckle as I picked up the book on spells. “Let’s see if this has any kind of basic spell notes.”
I flipped the book open, and my eyes widened. The words were still written in the ancient language, but I recognized them. I blinked and scanned over the page, and my mind instantly translated them. I could read them.
Oh my God.
“HOLY SHIT!” I screamed. “I CAN READ IT!”
A wild kind of laughter bubbled out of me, and I didn’t try to hold it in. I didn’t care how insane I looked from inside the house. I’d just magically made myself fluent in another language—instantly. I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d be able to hear and speak it, but I could finally read it. YESSSS.
“Okay, brain. FOCUS.” I turned to the index at the back of the book. “We need to find notes on protection…shields…binding…”
I knew I was talking to myself, but I was beyond caring. I flipped through the pages, soaking in line after line. It was all good stuff. I could feel my mind churning. But I wasn’t there yet. This spell wasn’t going to be in a textbook, or a Book of Shadows. If it was, Tegan would’ve found it by now.
No, this spell was going to come from scratch.
From me.
I placed my palms on the ground and closed my eyes. The grass was cold, like slivers of ice under my skin. The air was clean and fresh, untainted by pollution or human lives. I heard the wind rushing through tree branches and rustling the leaves. It brushed over me like a soft, cold wave. This. This was what we were. Elemental magic. Power from the earth and nature. We were connected to this very realm. This was what needed to protect us. Something Joseph could never touch.
Those angelic runes flashed in my mind, glowing like pink neon signs. I dug my fingers into the dirt and pushed my magic out of me. I see you. Give me something. Show me what I need to protect my family.
Whispered words floated through the breeze, tickling my ears. I heard every syllable. I opened my eyes and went to grab something to write with only to discover I hadn’t brought a pen out here with me. I didn’t even have a notebook. I cursed and grabbed the four books then sprinted in the house.
The back door slammed into the wall as I flew inside, and I didn’t slow down.
“Whoa— Bettina?” Hunter yelled after me. “You okay?”
I didn’t answer him. I was too busy reciting the spell over and over in my head so I didn’t forget it. Tennessee rounded a corner. I gasped and tried to stop myself before I slammed into his chest. His eyes widened. He reached out and gripped my arms, then lifted me off the ground. He took a step then set me back on my feet. And I was already moving, racing down the hall to where I’d left Tegan.
“Bettina?” Tenn shouted after me. His heavy steps thundered behind me. “What’s wrong?”
Finally, I got to the room on Holy Land and barged through it.
Tegan, Henley, and Emersyn all gasped and threw their hands up like they were ready to attack whatever was coming for them.
“Oh, I like that face,” Tegan said in a rush.
I dropped to my knees then snatched the purple pen right out of Tegan’s hands. Henley slid a blank piece of paper under me, and I started to scribble what was in my head.
“What’s going on?” Tennessee growled from behind me.
“Shhh!” All three girls hushed him.
The muscles in my hand burned as I wrote faster than I ever had before. The words poured out of me. I wasn’t even seeing them; I was just writing them. When I finally wrote the last word, I dropped the pen and leaned back. My breath left me in a rush. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding it.
Tegan plucked the paper off the hardwood floor and held it up by her face. She frowned. “This is in the ancient language. You don’t speak the ancient language.”
I bit my lip and shrugged. “I made a spell to fix that. Matrix style.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look up. I saw her gaze travel over the lines I’d scribbled, and then her jaw dropped. “BETTINA.”
My stomach tightened into knots. “What? Is it bad? Will it not work—”
EVERYONE OUT BACK NOW!! Tegan screamed into my mind.
Henley and Emersyn flinched, so I knew they’d heard it too.
Tegan grinned and snapped her fingers—and the five of us were out back, right in the same spot I’d just written this spell. She looked down at the paper again and shook her head.
“Bettina? Tegan? Mind telling me what’s going on?” Tennessee glanced back and forth between us. “Please?”
“Bettina is freaking brilliant. That’s what’s going on!”
Henley leaned over Tegan’s shoulder and read my spell. “DAMN, girl. YES.”
Em grabbed the paper, and her golden eyes widened. “Whoa, dude.”
Tenn frowned and held his hand out. The paper floated over to hi
s palm. He looked down, and his dark brow furrowed. “Goddess. Is this what I think this is?”
The back door flew open, and I looked up just as the rest of our Coven rushed out. They all wore worried expressions, and their magic was tense.
I turned my back to them and chewed on my thumbnail. This was a big deal. I’d never attempted something quite like this before. Tegan hadn’t even paused to consider it; she’d just decided it was going to work. But now that everyone was stepping into the Holy Land, I was having doubts.
The smell of Christmas washed over me, and my eyes looked up without my permission. I spotted Jackson standing a few feet in front of me, his aquamarine gaze locked on me. My cheeks warmed. I exhaled a shaky breath and shook my arms out.
And then I registered the commotion around me. Everyone was asking questions, and their energy was on edge, slightly panicked.
Deacon rolled his eyes—then whistled so loud that we all cringed. Then he grinned. “How ‘bout we woosah?”
“Thanks, D.” Tegan chuckled then held her hands up. “Guys. I’m sorry I freaked you out. That was my bad. BUT…this is important. Bettina here is a freaking genius, and she created a spell that we need to perform on us like right now.”
Everyone gasped and turned to me.
Tennessee held the paper out to Tegan. “Elaborate for us, please?”
She took it and licked her lips with excitement. “Okay, okay…so…we now know Joseph is stealing magic and power from witches, right? We don’t want them trying to do that to us, and we know now they wouldn’t hesitate if given the chance.”
Jackson grimaced and closed his eyes.
I knew what he was thinking. Trey.
Tegan wiggled the paper in the air. “Well, Bettina created this spell to protect us from that. It’ll bind our magic to us, so that no one else can steal it from us.”
Cooper frowned. “Is that safe?”
Everyone else nodded, like they had the same question.
“The spell feels safe to me.” She held her palm up to stop questions. “But if after we find it’s detrimental in any way, we can remove the spell. Of that I am one hundred percent positive.”
The Frozen Witch (The Coven: Academy Magic Book 4) Page 20