I smiled. “We’re here to see Atley.”
Her face paled. “What did he do? Is he in trouble?”
I held my palms up in surrender and shook my head. “No, ma’am. Please, don’t be alarmed. We are simply hoping Atley can help us. May we see him?”
“Oh, okay.” Pamela smoothed the ends of her hair. “He’s in the backyard. Poor kid has been sick all week.”
A few of my Coven-mates exchanged excited glances, like this was proof that Atley must be the new Hierophant. I wished I felt the same. I wished I felt confident in our decision. But it wasn’t going to be Atley. Besides the fact that he was our friend who hung around us almost daily, there was nothing about this kid suggesting he was more than a regular witch. He was only twelve. Sure, he had potential to be a strong fighter, but he’d never actually killed anything before. He wasn’t gifted with potions or spells. He didn’t know any charms. He didn’t know the difference between amber and citrine.
He isn’t good enough.
I winced at my own thoughts. Was it horrible of me to think so little of him? Was it awful I didn’t see him as worthy of such a role? Or maybe I was simply unprepared for this to happen in general. The claiming of the locket meant Cassandra was actually gone.
“We have two more guesses.”
I frowned and glanced over at Tegan, thinking she’d spoken my own thoughts out loud. Except her eyes were focused on Pamela’s back, and her lips pressed into a firm line. She’d spoken that telepathically. I peeked over my shoulder at everyone else, but they all still seemed so damn confident. So they hadn’t heard Tegan’s thoughts. Maybe it had to do with being soulmates? If she didn’t know she was capable of such a gift, she wouldn’t think to try. I must’ve been attuned to it because we were already connected.
“Okay, he’s right out there on the lounge chair.” Pamela stopped at the sliding back door which led to their wooden deck and pointed to the back of a chair. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything at all.”
I stopped on the threshold and smiled at her. She had to be freaking out. I would’ve been. “Thanks, Pam. This won’t take long.” I turned to my group and nodded my head toward the lounge chair.
The wooden deck creaked under my weight, and Atley’s short mohawk popped into view.
He jumped to his feet and spun. His jaw dropped and his gray eyes bugged out of his head. He looked left to right, right to left. “What…what happened? Is it Libby? Oh, Goddess, is it Libby?”
I smiled. Don’t be so hard on the kid, Tenn. He may not have been trained or gifted like the rest of us, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t worthy. Besides, if he was Marked, all of that would change. Unfortunately he had a long-sleeved shirt on, so the answer wasn’t obvious. Yet.
I stepped up closer to Atley. “We’re not here because of Libby. She’s still in the infirmary trying to heal.”
“Oh,” Atley said with a huge sigh. “That’s good. I thought… Wait, then why are you here? Mom told Kessler I was sick. Why are you all in ceremonial white? What happened?”
Okay, this is not going well at all.
“Hi, Atley,” Tegan said with a strong but calming voice. She stepped forward, but held her arms and the locket behind her back. “Nothing has happened that you don’t already know about, at least not yet. We’re just here to ask you a simple yes-or-no question.”
“Oh.” Atley frowned and scratched the top of his short mohawk. “Okay?”
I nodded and walked up beside Tegan. “High Priestess, please show him.” I didn’t want to do this, to present the locket to who my gut told me was the wrong person. However, I knew none of the other Cards were willing, and Tegan wasn’t sure how to do it.
Tegan held the locket out in front of her.
I took a deep breath. “Atley Carrier, The Coven presents to you the Hierophant’s locket in hopes that it’s magic and power has selected you.” I called on my magic and summoned the air to lift the ancient jewelry from Tegan’s hands and carry it over to Atley. Here goes nothing.
The locket hovered in the air in front of Atley while he stared at it with wonder in his eyes. He smiled and plucked it out of the air. The second the golden metal touched his skin, black smoke billowed out from within the necklace. It coiled around his arms and traveled up to his body. In the blink of an eye, the black smoke swallowed Atley whole.
Tegan moved toward him, but I held her back. Whatever was happening, we couldn’t interfere. Not yet. Clouds rumbled over our heads. Red and green lightning flashed out of the sky and struck the wooden deck at Atley’s feet. Flames shot out of the wood, tracing the lines made by the lightning.
I reached out with my magic. The pool in the back of the yard rolled with waves. Wind whipped around the house like a tornado at my command. I was ready if those flames got out of control. The oak tree hanging over the deck quivered and dropped all of its leaves down upon us. Atley screamed from within the black smoke, but I couldn’t see him.
“Atley!” Peabo shouted and sprinted toward his friend.
“Stop him!” I yelled. Peabo would only get hurt if he jumped in now.
Everyone moved toward our youngest friend, but somehow it was Emersyn who reached him first. She tackled him to the ground, pinning him in place.
I turned my attention back to Atley just as the black smoke vanished and the world righted itself again. The clouds rolled into the distance, and the fire disappeared. All that was left were scorch marks in the deck.
Atley collapsed to the ground, landing on his knees.
I raced forward and caught him by the shoulders before he hit his head. “Atley? ATLEY?”
God, not again.
Atley coughed and opened his eyes. “I’m sorry, guys. I’m not the Hierophant. I’m really sorry.” He held the locket out for Tegan to take.
Not the Hierophant. I knew it. I knew it. But still, seeing the rejection and hearing the words made my stomach drop. Had I made a mistake in letting us guess Atley? Would I be the reason we failed and the locket’s contents were lost forever? Despair and desperation tasted bitter in my mouth. Why did everyone think I’d make a great leader of The Coven, of the entire witch race, when I intentionally let us waste something we couldn’t afford to?
“Are you all right?” Tegan asked, kneeling in front of him. She reached out and squeezed his wrists, but Atley flinched. Tegan jumped. “You’re hurt.”
I frowned and pulled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. His left forearm was missing the necessary Mark, but his wrists were no longer bare. A black ring wrapped all the way around both wrists, maybe half an inch wide.
For a moment, I stared in confusion. Then Cassandra’s words replayed in my mind. Whenever a non-Card witch withstands a daunting task, such as being presented the Hierophant’s locket incorrectly, the Goddess will judge their character. If She deems him or her worthy, she will mark their wrists with black bands. For they may not be the Hierophant, they may one day be deserving of another Card in the future.
It didn’t ease the anxiety inside me, or clear my mind. Though it did make me feel even guiltier for not thinking Atley was worthy enough.
Two fails for me. Great.
“What do those mean?” Atley asked in the smallest voice I’d ever heard from him. “Tennessee?”
“It means the Goddess thinks you’re worthy of importance and we should keep our eye on you.” I smiled and dropped his hands. “Other than that, are you okay?”
“Okay? Am I okay?” He shook his head and looked around at the crew behind me. “You guys are the most powerful witches in the world, and you thought I was good enough to be one of you. How could I not be okay?”
“STOP!” Kessler’s voice echoed around the deck. “Don’t do it— Oh no.”
I glanced over my shoulder toward my father’s voice. He was out of breath, and sweat dripped from his hairline. My pulse quickened. “Kessler…”
“What were you thinking?” He shouted at me across the deck. His face turned bright red. H
is hands were in fists at his sides. His top lip snarled. I’d never seen my father get angry or yell before. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”
I blanched. “We made the first guess. I can explain why…”
“You should’ve explained it before doing it!” he snapped back.
I got to my feet and faced him, ignoring the wide eyes of my crew. “You’re right. I’m sorry, but—”
“You’re sorry?” he interrupted.
I frowned. “Yeah! I’m sorry, but you keep telling me to take the lead so I did!”
“This isn’t about taking the lead, Tennessee!” He cursed and shook his head. “You shouldn’t have made this decision without consulting the entire Coven. This is on all of us, not just you lot. I expect this impulsiveness from others, but not you.”
I flinched. “It wasn’t impulsive. We discussed it… It seemed a logical choice.”
“How’s that choice looking right now?”
“Kessler…”
“No. This was not okay. You should’ve brought your idea to me and the other Elders so we could’ve discussed it as a group.” His face had lightened a tad, but it was still pink with rage. The muscles in his thick arms flexed. “We needed to have all of our guesses lined up and ready.”
“All of them? Why?” I frowned and looked around the deck at my Coven, but none of them met my eyes.
Kessler stormed forward until he stood right in front of me and Tegan. He reached out and took Tegan’s wrist in his hand, raising it in the air. “Because of this.”
I frowned and looked down at Tegan’s forearm…and gasped. “What is that?”
Just below her II Mark, six black numbers were marked on her skin. One of them kept changing.
95:58:52
95:58:51
95:58:50
Tegan inhaled sharply. She swatted at the numbers. “Is that a timer? For what?”
Kessler sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Once we make an incorrect guess, the Goddess gives us a time limit to accurately find the Hierophant. We have four days to solve this now.”
Chapter Five
Tegan
An hour later, we were all back in our regular clothes and sitting in a circle around Larissa at the beach. Well, not all of us. Tennessee and Cooper had left with Kessler. Easton, Royce, and Braison stayed behind to give Atley and Peabo a little pep talk after being rejected by the locket.
Rejected by the locket. I should’ve spoken up louder. I should’ve made Tennessee rethink his decision. If we both knew it wasn’t going to be Atley, then why had I let us present it to him?
Because if you hadn’t, you would’ve always wondered.
Shut up, brain.
I looked down at the ticking time bomb on my arm. 94:47:12. I sighed. Why the Goddess chose to speak to us through tattooing our skin, I didn’t know. Why she chose me to put the timer on, I really didn’t know. Didn’t make me feel any less guilty.
“Tegan, are you okay?” Lily crouched down in front of me with her knees in the sand.
Her long, raven hair was tied back behind her neck, but the ends still blew in the wind. She ducked her head lower, bringing her violet eyes level with mine. I’d never seen purple eyes; always figured people misnamed the color when they said someone had them. But Lily’s irises were the same exact color as the tips of my hair. Lily’s mouth moved, but words didn’t come out.
Something squeezed my shoulders and shook me. I gasped. Emersyn’s face came into my view. Her golden eyes shined bright like actual sunlight, and it stung my eyes. I squinted but the pain persisted. My hands filled with ice, sending shock waves up my arms. I hissed but my hands wouldn’t open. My pulse quickened. Then everything cleared. The light didn’t sting my eyes. I blinked a few times…then frowned. All of the girls had gathered around me.
Except Henley. She stood a few feet behind everyone with her cell phone to her ear. “She’s awake again. Get here now, Tennessee. We need to do the healing ritual.”
I frowned. “Who’s awake?”
Emersyn sighed and sat back on her heels. The pressure on my shoulders vanished, and I realized with a start that it had been my stepsister’s grip I’d felt. She pressed her French-manicured hand to my forehead. “You are, T. You passed out again.”
“What? No, I didn’t.”
“Yeah, you did.” Lily squeezed my hands which were still holding the ice. “Paulina timed it.”
“Two minutes, thirty-six seconds,” Paulina said as she walked up behind Lily. She bent down and held her arm out.
I frowned and stared at her XIII Mark. Death. Although I knew that was her Card, why was she showing it to me now? It wasn’t until she waved her arm around that I realized she was showing me the stopwatch app on here iPhone.
What the hell? I passed out? The last time I knew it was coming, I’d tried to warn Tennessee right beforehand. Tennessee, where are you?
“I passed out again?” I looked down at my arm. 94:44:01
Emersyn nodded. “Yeah, I don’t understand. Why did Katherine’s potion wear off?”
“Because Tegan is too powerful for normal magic,” Larissa said. She was sitting where she had been before I’d apparently passed out. In front of her, a black cauldron sat in the sand with flames beneath it and smoke billowing out of the top. Her hazel-green eyes met mine.
Emersyn frowned, her blonde eyebrows smashed together. “Where are the boys? We need to do this ritual like, oh, I don’t know, twelve hours ago.”
“Feisty. I like it.” I smirked at my stepsister. Saying it out loud might’ve sounded condescending…but I loved when she got protective of people because it brought out her fierce, sassy side. Though, she made an excellent point.
Tennessee, where are you?
Lily let go of my hands and uncurled my fingers. In my palms were little pieces of crystals on a thin silver chain. She pulled the necklace out of my hand. “This is a healing necklace. We made it for Libby, but thankfully we had it for you.”
“Wait, if the healing necklace worked, why don’t we give her some of Larissa’s potion?” Emersyn turned to face the witch in question. “Would it help?”
Larissa shook her head. “I brewed this specifically for Libby’s wounds. It won’t hurt or help Tegan. Besides, the guys will be here any minute, and we’ll do the ritual.”
Larissa stirred the contents of her cauldron. “I’m confused. Haven’t the healers made potions for her?”
“We Cards all have our gifts, and potions are mine.” Larissa smiled confidently.
That stupid spot on my chest burst into pain. As casually as I could, I placed my hand to my body and pressed. For some reason, it helped. Okay, body, calm down. We’re going to do the ritual any minute now. Stop trying to burn me alive from the inside out.
“We’re here!” Easton’s voice shouted in the distance. “Tegan, don’t die!”
Lily closed her eyes and shook her head. “I love him, I love him, I love him,” she whispered to herself with a small smile.
A few seconds later, the guys stomped into the sand. I craned my neck around, searching for Tennessee. His mismatched eyes found mine, but they only held for a second or two before I looked away.
Wait. Look at me.
He didn’t. He marched toward Henley and held a black bag out for her.
Henley took the bag and dug out the same box of salt she’d used on our quest. “Royce?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Royce join his sister, but my attention was on Tennessee. He wore black jeans and a black shirt. His black combat boots were mostly untied, and I wasn’t sure why it was so hot. Maybe it was simply the way he carried himself? The way his hips popped with each step, or the subtle roll of his muscular shoulders? Maybe it was the long hair?
It definitely wasn’t the way he gave me whiplash. I bit down on my bottom lip to stop myself from sighing. One second he was kissing me into oblivion, then the next acting like he didn’t know I was there. Why was he ignoring me? Every
one else smiled, or gave me a thumbs-up to keep my spirits up. Tennessee? Nothing. Barely even looked.
He told me we were forbidden to date. Anyone. Some bogus rule about being too powerful. Once things calmed down, I was going to have words with The Coven leaders. Words.
“Get in a circle. Now,” Tennessee snapped. Whatever happened after we left Atley’s must’ve been bad for his mood to have tanked. “Royce, you done?”
“Yes, boss.”
“Emersyn,” Tennessee yelled from his spot on the circle. “Take your spot.”
“Coming!” My stepsister squeezed my hand once, then sprinted over to Tennessee.
He positioned her at the top of the circle, with her back to me. The Mark of the Empress stood out in stark contrast to her fair skin and light pink romper. When he walked away from her, she glanced over her shoulder and winked at me.
“All right, let’s get this done.” Tennessee stood on the opposite side of the circle from Emersyn, with his back to the ocean. Behind him, the waves rolled in an angle toward him, like they recognized his presence. “Tegan, ready?”
Oh, now you talk to me? I kept that to myself. I took a deep breath and tried to stand, but my legs gave out from underneath me. My butt dropped back onto the sand. I cursed. “Give me a second. I got this.”
A gust of wind slammed into my back then swirled around me like a tornado. My butt lifted off the sand, and I hovered a foot in the air. I gasped and looked toward my friends for help when I spotted Tennessee. He raised his hands, and I lifted even higher. I threw my arms out to steady myself, but I knew he wouldn’t drop me. Even if he wouldn’t talk to me. He curled his fingers and pulled his arms back toward his body. I flew through the air like a leaf in autumn.
He carried me with his magic until I hovered above the bed of white flowers. My body drifted down until my fingers brushed the silky petals. I looked up to Tennessee with a smile, prepared to thank him, but he’d turned his attention to Henley.
“Tegan?” Henley’s voice broke through my mental freak-out. When I looked over at her, she smiled. “Lie like Libby did on the boat, please.”
The Brave Witch Page 4