by R. L. Weeks
He wanted to go again; he was still hard for me. I rocked my hips to show I didn’t want him to stop. He pulled me down and back onto the sheets. He grabbed my wrists, pushing me into the mattress.
I couldn’t think of anything anymore. Only him. Not Alec, no one. It didn’t matter anymore. The weightless realization came to me. I wasn’t in the Black Rose Coven anymore. He couldn’t hurt me anymore or force me to break any seals for him. Nicholas and Joshua had found a loophole, and I didn’t have to do a thing.
I let Nicholas take me again and again until the morning light pillared through the window. I pulled off the ring Vanessa had spelled and let the magic sparkle inside of me. Because the truth about magic was …. it was beautiful.
Chapter Eighteen
Several months later
It was the last day of school. The halls were buzzing with students saying good-bye to one another. I got my yearbook signed by mostly everyone, except Jayde and her crew. Grayson surprisingly did, but he only signed his name—no message. I couldn’t blame him; I’d been awful to him, in retrospect. “I’m sorry,” I said and cast my eyes downward.
“Good luck with everything,” he said and walked away without so much as a good-bye.
Vanessa leaned against her locker, grinning. “We finally made it.”
“Yes, we did.” I passed her my yearbook. “Can you sign it please?”
“Of course!” she said and started scribbling a long paragraph. I rolled my eyes and laughed. “I can’t believe how perfect everything turned out.”
She nodded. “I’m so proud of Maria too. Getting into Yale.”
“I always knew she could do it.”
“Yep.”
“So what’s next after graduation?”
“I’m going to the local college to study art,” she explained. We hadn’t got much girl time in the last few months.
“Nice.”
“What about you?”
I scanned the corridor. My gaze landed on Nicholas. “I’m going to Canada to meet the rest of coven,” I said in a hushed tone.
“When?”
I didn’t get to respond as Maria ran toward us and pulled us both into a tight hug. “We did it!” She squealed.
“Now to get through graduation.”
We walked out of the corridor for the last time. I stopped by Amara’s locker, feeling sad. “I’m sorry she didn’t get to graduate.”
Vanessa squeezed my shoulder and whispered so Maria couldn’t hear. “At least the person responsible is rotting in a jail cell in the middle of nowhere.”
That thought did give me some peace. I left Crimson Leaf High with no regrets. I had the most amazing friends, the best partner in the world, and so far, the prophecy hadn’t come true. Not to mention I had learned how to drive—one of my greatest achievements. It was still a novelty for me. I drove the Range Rover whenever I had the chance. Nicholas liked driving it too and kept taking it out whenever he could. Men and cars, I thought weightlessly.
***
“Oh, Kate, Why?” Vanessa complained. “Why do you have to go?”
“I need to get to know the coven, find my place there.”
She groaned. “I know why, but I mean why now. Why not another time? You’re leaving straight after graduation. Like the day after!”
“Sorry, Nessie. It’s my calling. I have to go.”
She reached inside her satchel and pulled out a small plastic container with a strawberry-frosted cupcake inside. “I got this for you.”
I grinned at our inside joke. When I was eight, we had been invited to Jayde’s birthday party. She invited the whole class. Long story short, we had gotten into a fight over her dolls, and I pushed her head into her birthday cake—strawberry frosted.
I took the cupcake and smiled at my best friend. “I’ll miss you.”
“You’ll be back!” she warned. “You better come back anyway, or I’ll come to Canada myself and drag your ass back to Crimson Leaf.”
I smirked. “Only if you promise, then I’m not coming back.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right, I’ll see you at graduation.”
“See you.” I waved as she left Nicholas’s house. “Bye, Nessie,” I whispered when she was already gone.
I packed my suitcase, double-checking I had my passport. Mom watched me from the doorway with tired eyes.
“Do you have to go?” she asked again.
I bit the inside of my cheek. I felt guilty for leaving her behind, but I had to go. I had told her I was attending college there. Joshua had even forged an official-looking letter for us. We weren’t actually going to Ontario. Joshua hadn’t lied, he was from there, but he lived far from the city. I told everyone I was going to Ontario because it made more sense than going to some mountain town.
“I have to,” I explained. “I’ll call you every day.”
She half-smiled. “Do you forget I know you? I’ll expect a text once a week. Just let me know you’re safe at least, please.”
“I will,” I promised.
She looked at my suitcase. “Do you have enough underwear?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Mom.”
“I love you, petal.”
“Love you too, Mom. Always.”
***
We reached wooden cabins. They were nestled in the middle of nowhere, but they looked like they belonged there among the trees. Canada was quite breathtaking and nothing like I had expected. Honestly, after a long flight and drive, I just wanted to get a coffee and something to eat. Joshua was going back to get my car next month. Which meant no driving for thirty days, I thought sourly. Nicholas missed the car too. I could tell. “I miss my car,” I complained.
Joshua rolled his eyes. “It’s just a car.”
Nicholas gave him a look. “She is a part of our family too.”
Joshua laughed. “Right. Right. Anyhow. Welcome to the headquarters of the Black Lily Coven.”
“It’s outside of town. No one really knew about it,” Joshua said, answering my unspoken question.
The log cabins were all detached but only a few meters away from each other. I looked around, thinking there must be around thirty of them.
Behind the cabins was a vast forest, which looked like the one in Crimson Leaf.
Nicholas escorted me into our cabin. Our cabin! I could hardly believe when I found out that Nicholas had secured our own one. Well, except for the point that we had to share with Joshua. I looked around and smiled. My new home. There was a quaint fireplace, black candles on the mantel above, and a huge TV in the corner. The sofas were brown leather, matching the rest of the room.
A dining table sat to our left and an altar to our right.
There were no doors, just openings to the adjoining rooms. I entered the kitchen. The countertops were polished wood, and in the middle of the kitchen was an island with bar stools on one side. I found the coffee machine.
“Thank God,” I praised and found freshly ground coffee in the cupboard above the machine. I poured the granules into the coffee filter and left it to boil.
Nicholas popped his head around the corner. “Sweetheart, I’ll put your suitcase in the bedroom.”
After having coffee, a shower, and a retouch of my makeup, I felt like a new person. I pulled on a pair of clean skinny jeans, brown boots, and a red jacket. We weren’t in Ontario, but near the mountains where it was cold most of the year.
“I am going to do some exploring,” I said and placed a kiss on Nicholas’s cheek.
“I’ll come with you.” Nicholas finished eating his apple, pulled on his grey sweater, and ran his hand through his hair.
“Let’s go,” I said and waved good-bye to Joshua.
When we got outside, we headed down the road. “It’s beautiful here.”
“Are you excited to meet the coven?”
I was actually. “Yes.”
“Good,” Nicholas replied. He looked much happier than he ever had when we were in Crimson Leaf.
We reached a vast lake. The s
unlight danced on the surface. It looked so inviting. “Ohhh,” I gushed. “It’s incredible.”
“It really is,” Nicholas said.
I turned around and saw two girls walking toward us. One had black hair. Her jaw was a little prolonged, and her cheeks were pale pink. She was slim but not curvy and was wearing a long, brown dress.
The other girl sported a purple pixie cut. She looked like a fairy. Tattoos covered her arms, including the Black Lily symbol.
“Avery, Gaila,” Nicholas said.
“You must be Kate,” Avery said and walked closer. She smiled with her icy-blue eyes. “It is a pleasure to meet you. We have heard so much about you.”
“Thank you so much. It’s great to meet you,” I replied.
“If you feel like you need to get away from the boys any time, you could always come and hang out with us,” Gaila offered.
“Thanks. It would be nice to be away from the testosterone.” I chuckled.
Nicholas poked my side playfully. “Hey.”
Avery grinned. “We need more girls in the coven.” She eyed her friend. “We are actually strengthening the protection spell around the perimeters tonight if you want to join us.”
I hesitated. “I’ve not done too many spells or practiced a lot,” I confessed. “I don’t know how helpful I’d be.”
Gaila chimed in. “Oh, don’t be silly, we’ll teach you. You’re a part of our family now. We look out for one another.”
Avery added. “And teach each other.”
“Thanks.” I looked at Nicholas. “Shall I?”
He nodded with a smile. “Yes, you should! Get to know the rest of the coven. I need to talk to the elders tonight. I’m going with Joshua. Apparently, Alec was spotted.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “When were you going to tell me?”
Avery and Gaila spoke in unison. “Who’s Alec?”
“Lucifer,” Nicholas explained. “It’s a long story. One for another time, I think.” He squeezed my hand and looked up at the mountains. “For now, the protection spell being strengthened is important.”
I looked up at the mountains too. They were gorgeous, their peaks rising high into the clouds, meeting together in a white sea. Nicholas looked at them hesitantly as if they were filled with dangers. “What’s up there?” I asked, sensing hesitance in our bond.
Avery answered, not Nicholas. “Wendigos. They’ve been stalking our coven for years. Sometimes we kill one of them.”
Gaila looked at me darkly. “Sometimes they kill one of us.”
“We had one back home in Crimson Leaf,” I said.
Avery nodded. “We know.”
Nicholas sighed. “The hunter they sent to Crimson Leaf couldn’t find it. Wherever the wendigo was, it left.”
I groaned. “Yeah, they were being controlled by the Black Rose Coven. No doubt it went wherever they went.”
“Let’s hope that isn’t here,” Nicholas said.
After getting dressed and spending some needed quality time with Nicholas, I headed to Avery and Gaila’s cabin. According to Joshua, who seemed to know everything about the Black Lily’s witches and warlocks, they were a couple. The snowfall thickened, and white dust crunched under my boots. I knocked on the door.
Avery answered, smiling ear to ear. In some small way, she reminded me of Vanessa. “I’m glad you showed up.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. Gaila was standing in the living room along with four other witches. Each of them wore long amulets around their necks. The chains were made of metal silver leaves, and the crystal was clear quartz.
“Wow, they’re pretty,” I remarked.
“We wear these when doing any sort of protection magic,” Avery explained. “They help us channel. They were gifted to each witch when we joined here from the elders.”
Gaila chimed in. “Speaking of.” She hurried to the fireplace and grabbed a small box. “Here’s yours.”
I pulled it out, smiling. I really did belong there. I wore it around my neck and let my anxiety slip away. “I’m Kate,” I said to the other four witches I didn’t know.
One of the girls with long, blonde hair smiled. “I’m Dana. This is Jamie, my little sister.” She pointed at the slightly smaller version of herself. And these are our stepsisters, Chloe and Kayla.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said quickly.
Nothing about any of them made me feel awkward, but my anxiety still buzzed like an annoying fly I couldn’t swat.
They led me outside. I had hoped it would be inside. I was freezing. We didn’t stop until we reached the tree line of the forest beyond the cabin. “A little further,” Gaila told me and we hiked up the mountain. It was exhausting, in every step. I admitted my fitness levels weren’t what they used to be.
When we finally reached the mountains, I slumped over, placing my hands on my knees.
Avery spoke. “We have to connect with nature.”
“Of course,” I said, taking several deep breaths. We all linked hands.
My anxiety dissipated as I submitted to nature. My bond rippled out to the trees and the other witches. It was beautiful and was the same feeling I got when I had first found out about my powers and ran off to the forest.
Once again, I allowed Mother Nature to use the strength inside of me. Power rose through my arms and, like an electric shock, rippled through us all.
Avery spoke softly and calmly. “Think of a white light, only, circling this entire area. Cast it deep into the ground and up into the skies. Let Mother Nature and our ancestors cast the magic through you.”
I pinched my eyes shut and submitted to the coven and my ancestors. A warm feeling, as if water was running through my body, carried me as we hummed, increasing the vibration.
A loud bang erupted behind us, delinking our magic. I turned to see where the noise had come from when I was thrown back several feet. I coughed and attempted to get up from the mound of snow I had landed on. I looked around desperately for the rest of the girls. They were standing face-to-face with Alexandra, the redhead from the Black Rose Coven. Her green eyes were shaped into slits. She used her magic to lift them from the ground, and as she turned her fingers, their bones crunched.
“NO! Please stop!” I pleaded.
She dropped them, letting them go.
Chapter Nineteen
The girls were unconscious, thrown aside by Alexandra. She growled impatiently as I heard movement swish through the trees. She took off into the trees and left me standing alone. My heart was pounding in my ears. I grabbed my phone and called Nicholas. He didn’t answer, so I called Joshua.
“Thank God you picked up. Where’s Nicholas?”
“He’s with the elders.”
“You need to come here now. Alexandra from the Black Rose Coven was here. She was going to kill the rest of the girls. Avery. Gaila.” I couldn’t breathe properly. “We’re up on the mountains.”
“On my way.” The phone clicked off.
I ran to the girls and shook Avery. “Wake up,” I begged. “Please wake up.” I was alone and frightened. I felt something watching me from the trees for several minutes.
Needled teeth pierced the skin on my arm. I screamed, making a sound I had never heard come from my mouth before, and dropped to the ground. It licked its long tongue against my cut, dripping saliva everywhere. I turned my head and looked into its yellow eyes. My heart skipped a beat. The wendigo was taller than I remembered them being. It must have been angry that I had betrayed its dark lord, and it wanted revenge.
I got to my feet and forced a vibration through the ground, biding me a minute to get my stance. The wendigo snarled as it lunged at me. With another force of magic, it stumbled but didn’t lose its balance. These powers were not as strong as the ones I’d had before. I cursed at myself for thinking it, but the dark powers did have its advantages.
I saw Joshua in the distance. He ran as fast he could through the thick snow.
“Kate, run!” he shouted. Another wendigo, tall
er than the last, ran from the trees and lunged on top of Joshua. He was lying, cuddled by the snow, as the second wendigo tore into him.
Seeing him so helpless gave me super-witch strength. I focused, clearing my mind, and channeled the powers of the earth. It felt right. The beauty of creation was mine to use to fight against the abomination of nature. I sent a wave to the ancient trees, de-rooting large oaks and throwing one at the first wendigo.
The second time, I pushed a white light toward Joshua. It circled him like a blizzard. I held one hand out, steadying the light around him, and with the other, I turned the snow around them to lava.
Panicked and hoping my plan would work, I asked Mother Nature for strength to hold the magic.
Joshua groaned as the heat radiated around them both. The wendigo stumbled back, screeching, as the lava dragged it down to the depths of hell where it belonged.
Quickly, I pulled Joshua to his feet. He slumped over, leaning on me. “I need you right now, Joshua,” I begged. “Help me, please. I don’t know what to do.”
Joshua found inner strength and pulled one foot in front of the other. Slowly, we made our way down the mountain, leaving a trail of carnage behind us.
I felt a blast of air from behind me. They weren’t going to let me get away.
When I looked around, carefully putting Joshua onto the ground, my heart raced. It was Alec, but he didn’t look quite human. He laughed a blood-curdling laugh. I got to my feet, my hands sinking into what was left of the snow.
His eyes were pure black with only a circle of red where his pupils should be. His long talons were black, and at the bottom of his legs were hooves.
His breath rattled. “Well, here I am. Just me and you.”
He saw the fear in my eyes, and his menacing grin broadened. “Did you really believe I would let you get away with betraying me?”
“Please, don’t,” I begged. I couldn’t take on the devil, especially not while my coven was in danger.
“I’m going to take the one thing you love the most in the world away from you,” he promised with conviction on each word. “Nicholas has to die. It is written in the stars. You cannot be together. I will not allow it.”