“Pardon me if this sounds rude, but”—Tegan pushed her long black and violet hair over her shoulder—“when are we going to start discussing who we think the new Hierophant is?”
Silence.
“Well, maybe we should start now?” Tegan looked over at Libby and smiled. “We wouldn’t be this far without her, so we should include her in the discussion.”
A small smile pulled at the corner of my mouth. This girl. “You’re absolutely right.”
Emersyn sat forward and crossed her legs under her. “Okay, who’s got a suggestion? Any idea at all?”
“Kessler told us there was a prophecy on the locket?” Chutney twirled her chestnut curls around her thin finger. “What does it say?”
“Where is the locket, anyway?” Larissa eyed me suspiciously. “I want to see it.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “Kessler has it.”
Tegan bit her bottom lip. “Actually…I have it. Kessler said the High Priestess is the ruler of secrets and the closest with the Goddess after the Hierophant. He said it was my right and duty to keep it safe for now.” She reached her hand under the collar of her T-shirt and pulled the thick, antique gold chain until the locket dangled in the air. A rosy blush filled her cheeks. She flipped the locket over in her palm and cleared her throat. “Present this trice, it won’t play nice. For power in blood comes with a price. To keep the secrets within our core, Seek within generations before.”
The room fell silent again.
“Ask George.”
Everyone jumped at the sound of Libby’s voice. It was barely loud enough to hear, and it sounded like sandpaper. I turned to look at Libby and found her hazel eyes watching me. Her eyelids fluttered as she struggled to keep them open. Only then did her words register.
“Ask George?” I smiled. “That’s a great idea.”
“Who’s George?” Tegan asked, looking back and forth between Libby and me.
“Is that our first guess? George?” Emersyn frowned.
I reached into my front pocket and pulled out one of my newer companions. Sure, it was technically an inanimate object, but most pendulums didn’t have this big of a personality. Using only two fingers, I held the thin chain and let the blue crystal dangle in the air. Like every time I used it, an electric shock shot up my arm. “This is George.”
Tegan gasped. Her pale green eyes went wide. “Your pendulum. Brilliant, Libby!”
I glanced over at Libby again, but her eyes had closed. There was the tiniest of smiles on her face, so I knew she heard us. When I’d first gotten the pendulum from Saffie, it only responded to me if I was alone. However, in the days following, after I named it, the stone and I seemed to have an understanding. Like it trusted me to only use it around worthy individuals. Either that or I was losing my mind faster than I’d thought.
I cleared my throat and focused my energy on the crystal. My pulse pounded in my veins with anticipation. All right, George. We need your help. Will you talk to us?
Purple mist spilled out from the crystal and swirled around the stone. Whispered voices tickled my senses, but now they comforted me. The pendulum swung in a straight line away from my body and back. Yes.
“Go ahead, Tenn.” Cooper rubbed his hands together. “Ask away, boss.”
Boss. There’s that word again. I pushed aside the pressure and my anxiety and focused on the task at hand. “All right, George. Are you familiar with the Hierophant’s locket?”
Yes.
“Are you aware of the prophecy we’re working on?”
Yes.
“Do you know who the new Hierophant is?”
YES. It swung wider and faster, emphasizing its answer.
I sighed with relief. At least someone knew who we were looking for.
“Am I the only person not hearing the answers?” Emersyn glanced around the room.
“The pendulum answers by swinging in specific directions,” Tegan answered for me. She looked over her shoulder and met Emersyn’s confused gaze. “Judging by everyone’s reaction, I’m assuming that particular motion means yes.”
My heart fluttered. Her knowledge of witchcraft impressed and surprised me every time. That’s my girl. I grinned, and prayed it looked like a normal, strictly platonic smile. “Impressive, and correct. If it swings in the opposite direction that means no.”
Emersyn nodded rapidly and leaned forward. Her champagne eyes focused on the crystal. “Okay. Got it. Please continue.” She may have been quiet and unsure, but she’d make an incredible Empress once she got comfortable.
I nodded and returned my attention to my friend George. I cleared my throat. “George, can you tell us who it is?” I knew what the answer would be, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.
Sure enough, the crystal switched directions and swung left to right. No.
“Does the prophecy contain clues for who it is?”
Yes.
“Does this person know they’re the new Hierophant already?”
Yes.
“Does this person live in Eden?”
No.
“Do they live in Tampa?”
Yes.
I frowned and glanced around the room to my Coven-mates. “Does this person already know they’re a witch?”
YES.
“Do we know this person?”
YES.
Cooper gasped and it echoed around the room via my friends’ mouths. Whoever the new Hierophant was…we already knew them. They lived in Tampa, which meant they lived inside our community already. This was both good and bad news. Good, because it narrowed down the possibilities to a few dozen. Bad, because we might not be able to decide without biased opinions.
I looked around the room at my friends’ anxious stares. I palmed the crystal. Thanks, George. “Anyone have a guess?”
“Atley.”
Everyone turned and stared at Peabo. He was only twelve and rarely spoke up. Technically, he shouldn’t have been involved in the conversation since he wasn’t a Card and therefore not a member of The Coven. But we had a soft spot for him and Atley.
He shrugged and it made his messy blond curls bounce. “Listen, he’s been acting weird all week and hasn’t left home much. He wasn’t in school yesterday, and isn’t today either.”
I opened my mouth to say no, but I couldn’t find a logical explanation for my feeling. Atley was bound to make a gifted witch, and he had strong fighting abilities… But the Hierophant? It just didn’t fit.
Everyone else smiled and clapped their hands like we’d just solved world hunger. I heard their reasoning, yet it confirmed my thoughts from before. This was a biased opinion. It was what we wanted. Atley was an unofficial Coven member. We rarely kept things from him. Life would be easier if Atley had been chosen. Maybe that was my biggest clue for why it wasn’t him. Nothing was ever that easy.
I glanced over at Tegan to gauge her reaction. Like Kessler had said, the High Priestess knew things the rest of us didn’t. Hell, she’d already proven herself worthy of her Mark on our last quest. And her frown mirrored my own. She knew it wasn’t Atley.
Fantastic.
Except, everyone else was so upbeat. For the first time in weeks, hope gleamed in their eyes and sounded in their voices. There was a whisper in the back of my mind telling me this was a bad idea…but all I saw were a dozen hopeful faces. In a time like this, how could I take that away from them?
I sighed. We had three guesses. If we didn’t try Atley first, we’d all wonder, and it would be better to get it out of the way so our minds cleared.
I stood and rolled my neck to stretch. “Okay, everyone go home and change into your ceremonial white then meet me at the cemetery. There’s a process we must complete first.”
One by one, my Coven-mates high-fived me and bounced out of the room. I pulled out my phone and shot a text to my adoptive father to let him know what was happening.
My glyph seared in pain. I gritted my teeth and breathed through it.
“Do you
honestly think it’s Atley?”
Ah. Duh. I didn’t need to look beside me to know it was Tegan. The glyph had already told me. I sighed and it only made the burn intensify. Unable to stop myself, I glanced down and met her heated stare. If she felt the pain, she didn’t show it on her face.
Act natural. “No.”
She nodded like she knew my answer. “But you’re letting us use our first guess on him because it’s good for morale?”
I smirked. “I love how smart you are.” What. Was. That? Do I have to sew my mouth shut now?
She blushed a brilliant red, and it made me want to kiss her. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes. But also, if we don’t guess him, we’ll all be thinking it is him and won’t be able to make other unbiased opinions.”
“So, we get it out of the way. I get it.” She smiled up at me through thick, dark eyelashes.
I started to respond when I remembered I didn’t have her number. She was my soulmate; I should at least have her number. I licked my lips. “Hey, uh, can I have your phone number?”
If possible, her cheeks turned even brighter red. She beamed up at me. “Sure.”
Oh shit. That sounded like I was hitting on her. Yeah, I wanted her number. I hated that I couldn’t contact my own soulmate if I needed to, but I had to maintain my lie. “Great. We have a group chat for The Coven, and I’d hate for you and Emersyn to be left out.”
Chapter Three
Tegan
A week ago, I was a completely normal teenager. I had a strict curfew and dinner every night with my dad and little brother at seven. I went to school and did endless homework. I had a best friend who tried to prevent me from getting into trouble. My life was utterly normal.
Now? I was a witch, with a tattoo that appeared all by itself. I was a part of a Coven. Forget a curfew; now I went on perilous quests like I was Bilbo Baggins. I’d barely even spoken to my father or brother since we’d arrived. My dad had become a stranger. I had a stepsister who I surprisingly liked. I went to school for one measly day before being swept into this magical world I was apparently destined to play a significant role in. I was the High Priestess, trusted with ancient magical artifacts. I had terrifying feelings for a guy I was forbidden to date.
But the craziest part? I found myself forgetting to keep in touch with Bettina, my best friend since kindergarten. This morning I’d set an alarm in my phone to text Bettina every morning. Just because I had this weird, crazy new life I couldn’t tell her about didn’t mean our friendship had to die.
On cue, my phone vibrated in my hand. When I looked down, Bettina’s name flashed across my screen. Labor Day weekend. I’m coming down there. It’s official. My parents actually said YES. I must be driving them insane LOL
I grinned. Part of me wondered if I needed to clear this with The Coven, but the biggest part of me didn’t care. Just tell me when to be at the airport.
I stuffed my phone into Emersyn’s purse since I no longer had pockets. When we left the infirmary, Tennessee told us to go home and put on our ceremonial white. Thankfully Henley lent us her white linen sheath dresses until we got our own. The dress was somehow not see-through, though it looked like it should’ve been. It was sleeveless, with a high collar and fell straight down to my knees. On Henley and everyone else, the dresses came to mid-calf…but I was six inches taller than my Moon Card friends. I hadn’t expected the guys to wear the same sheath dresses. After all, the Crones hadn’t put them in one. It was a bit of a shock when we first arrived at the cemetery, but seeing us all together, I had to admit we looked powerful…and not human.
“We should’ve had lunch first,” Royce grumbled.
“I could eat right now.” Easton winked at Lily.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re going to starve.”
“Baby, that’s cold.”
Lily shrugged. Her violet eyes teetered the line of sharp and teasing. “Call me Elsa.”
A black pickup truck rolled to a stop right in front of us. The spot on my chest burned. It didn’t make any sense, but all I figured was the more anxious I got, the more it hurt. The passenger door opened, and a pair of large, tan bare feet dropped to the pavement. Over the top of the window, jet-black hair blew in the wind.
Ugh. Tennessee.
I braced myself for the haywire reaction I had every time I saw him. It was like a room full of computers malfunctioning at the same time inside me. He grabbed the door and slammed it shut. Every time I saw his hands, I wanted to ask about his rings, but I’d yet to have a good opportunity. He ran a hand through his long, wavy black strands, pushing them back out of his face. My favorite pair of mismatched eyes hid behind black sunglasses.
God, he’s beautiful.
I pushed my shoulders back and held my chin high. We had a task of dire importance to complete. Although my gut told me we were about to guess wrong, I also understood Tennessee’s point of view. Besides, he knew this world better than I did. If we guessed wrong, we’d be more diligent with our next selections. Failure wasn’t an option.
The Hierophant’s locket was as old as the world itself. The contents of said locket were invaluable. I kept hearing it was integral for closing the Gap. Without it, we’d fail and the world would perish to demons and fairies. I didn’t quite get the last part, but I knew it had something to do with Salem.
“Hey, guys,” Tennessee said as he stepped onto the sidewalk. “Nice work on the speed.”
Cooper walked up behind him, also in his matching white sheath dress. “Peabo, you know the deal, right?”
Peabo walked up to Cooper with a smile and gave him a high five. He still had on the same outfit of jeans and a Batman shirt. “Yup. Peabo is lucky to watch.”
Tennessee smirked and shook his head. “All right, it’s too damn hot to be barefoot, so let’s get this going.” Without another word, he marched ahead of us into the cemetery.
Back on Crone Island, I’d seen Tennessee in all white, but it had been dark then. Now, with the midday sun shining down on him, all that white made his skin lusciously tan. I’d never been so thrilled to see a guy’s calves before. What is happening to me?
We followed behind him silently until he stopped under a sprawling oak tree near the back of the cemetery. He turned but kept his eyes low. The muscles in his jaw popped. Normally, Tennessee was the picture of calm and confident, but standing under this tree, he was fidgety and tense. A wave of raw, anxious energy rolled over me and I shivered.
“We have to…” He cleared his throat and stared at the ground. “We have to start this where it ended.”
Cooper walked up beside his brother and wrapped his arm around Tennessee’s shoulders. With his other hand, he lifted a leather satchel into the air. “Here, she’d want you to lead us.”
Tennessee sighed and took the bag. “Doesn’t everyone?”
The group chuckled, and the mood lifted ever so slightly. That was when it hit me. This was where they’d lost Cassandra. Where it ended. My heart broke for them. They didn’t even get a chance to properly mourn the loss of their friend before this quest began. Knowing the whole point of it was to replace her was like salt to the wound.
“Okay, so we have to read the tarot cards here to find out which task is required of us and which Cards will have to complete it.” Tennessee reached into the bag and pulled out a stack of cards.
Look at me.
He didn’t. “Henley, in Cassandra’s absence would you care to do the honors?”
“Shouldn’t Tegan?” Chutney asked in a soft voice, with her arm raised in the air. Her skin was Marked with an O. The Fool. “Cass always said the tarot was to be read by the High Priestess. Didn’t she?”
My jaw dropped. Everyone turned to look at me with hopeful expressions in their eyes. Me? Panic bubbled to the surface. Sure I loved tarot cards and knew the basics, but I’d never actually learned how to read them. This quest to find the Hierophant was far too important for me to screw it up. My pulse skyrocketed. I met Tennessee’s
eyes. There was a strange emotion in them I couldn’t place, but it vanished before I could try.
He looked away from me again and shook his head. “That is correct, Chutney. However, our High Priestess is new to her magic, and we’ve yet to have the opportunity to teach her. Once we do, I’m positive she’ll be thrilled to take over.”
“Until then, I’m more than happy to substitute for her.” Henley stepped forward and took the deck from Tennessee’s hand. She glanced over her shoulder and winked at me. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll teach you as soon as possible. You’re a natural.”
I smiled and felt the fear evaporate. These people, these witches, cared about me. About Emersyn. We barely knew each other, but in my gut I knew we were family now. We were a Coven. “Thanks. I’ll watch for now.”
Henley sat on the ground and crossed her legs. Her hair was still disheveled and her eyes bloodshot with bags under them, but her focus was laser sharp. She made quick work of the tarot cards, shuffling them then placing them face down on the dirt one at a time in the shape of a circle. Eight cards in total. The backs of the cards were black with a pentagram drawn in metallic silver and gold.
She sat the rest of the deck down in the center of the circle, then waved her hands over them. One by one, she flipped each card over to reveal intricate paintings that looked like they belonged in the Renaissance. The colors were vibrant and pulsing with energy.
Wait, are they moving? I blinked a few times, sure I’d imagined it in my fatigued state…but no, they were moving. It wasn’t a lot, but minor little details like hair flowing in the wind and eyes blinking. Little sparkles of light flashed then disappeared.
“Well?” I asked with a grin. I definitely, absolutely needed to learn how to use these. Especially if they were the High Priestess’s job. I needed to get started. “What do they say?”
“We have to do a purification ritual on the locket.” Henley held both palms up to stop everyone from talking. “Let me see which Cards are needed.”
No one spoke. No one moved. Everyone stared at the cards. Henley picked up the deck in the middle of the circle and reshuffled them. She held her palm over the top card and tipped her head back. With her eyes closed, she whispered some incantation then returned her gaze to the cards. She flipped the first card down, face up.
The Brave Witch Page 2