The Aether Witch (The Coven: Elemental Magic Book 6)

by Chandelle LaVaun

  “Where is she?” Royce asked as he joined us in the sand. “She didn’t say where to go. How do you know we’re in the right spot? I mean, last time we saw her, she was a mermaid, so are we supposed to go in the water?”

  He had a point. Keltie hadn’t said where on the shore. I’d just run to the closest water. But I was pretty sure she hadn’t meant for us to go in the water. After all, she’d said shore. I closed my eyes and concentrated. The cuff earrings were warm against my ears. A soft yet constant vibration tickled my finger where the wave ring touched. This was the right spot. Had to be. I stepped forward and let the waves roll over my feet.

  The sky above us was as rich a black as the hair on Tennessee’s head. The half-moon held a soft golden glow far above our heads. If it weren’t for its moonlight sparkling like diamonds with every crashing wave, I might’ve thought we stood before open, empty land. A calming rush of energy swept past me, sliding through my hair hanging down my back. The moon dropped lower in the sky until it looked more like a setting sun on the horizon. A trail of light glistened like glass on the water’s surface.

  Henley sighed. “Better.”

  I felt a shift in the ocean, a pulse of power radiating through the water and tingling my toes. The waves grew higher and faster, rolling into the shore like something was pushing them. Warm and cold water wrapped around my ankles, then there was a flash of light and the sand in front of me twinkled like golden glitter. The water split in front of me, like I was Moses parting the Red Sea. That glowing path of water under the moon was now a sparkling yellow brick road.

  My friends’ auras grew tense and nervous. Tennessee’s pulse pounded through the glyph in my chest. But none of them moved from my side. Cooper stepped forward to stand beside me with a deep scowl and his hands in fists. Except I wasn’t afraid. The ocean sang to me a song of peace and friendliness. She was coming.

  A massive wave rolled from the horizon, barreling down the glittering path between the two halves of the sea. I stood my ground, waiting for our visitor. Hopefully our savior. As that wave crashed onto the shore, it solidified and formed into the shape of a person. Long, lean legs walked forward as the water continued to shape. With each step, she became clearer and clearer until she looked human, at least from a distance.

  Keltie.

  She held her arm out to the side, and the air around her hand sparkled like lightning. There was a flash, then a tall staff appeared in her grip. It glistened and radiated raw power of the ocean. At the top was the biggest pointed shell I’d ever seen. White light poured out from the top of her staff, and the sky brightened until it was almost daylight. She was a rising sun on our dark night, and I could only pray that was more than a coincidence.

  “Keltie,” I heard myself whisper.

  “Hello again, High Priestess,” she said with a grin. Her lavender eyes sparkled.

  For a moment, all I could do was stare. She was absolutely breathtaking. Her hair was a rich, vibrant red that fell in long, unruly waves halfway down her calves. Her skin was the same turquoise it had been in the aquarium, but as I watched, it faded away until her complexion was no different than mine. She was technically naked, covered only by turquoise scales that clung tight to her body like second skin in all the places western human society dictated a woman cover.

  All of that I noticed in the flash of a second in the back of my mind because my attention was focused on her elaborate headdress. She wore a magnificent crown of seashells, varying in size and color. Some were rosy pink in that classic shell shape while others were pristine white and pointed like cones—as well as everything in between. A massive grouping of crystals hung over her forehead and glistened like a disco ball under spotlights.

  The same shells from her crown wrapped around her throat and covered the tops of her shoulders like armor. Strings of pearls in every color were draped across her chest and hung down to her waist. She was the picture of feminine beauty and power. She reminded me of the birth of Aphrodite, and now I knew without a doubt someone had witnessed Keltie emerging from the ocean. I had no reason to know she’d been alive back then, but it just made too much sense.

  “Keltie, thank you for coming,” I said softly and bowed my head. She’d never suggested she was someone I was meant to bow to, but my instincts had me doing it anyway.

  Her grin widened, and it made her eyes twinkle like stardust. “My pleasure.”

  I peeled my gaze off of her and glanced at my group. “These are my friends, my Coven-mates.”

  “Ah, yes. The Dreamwalker…” She stepped forward and brushed her fingers along Cooper’s forehead. Then she looked to Tennessee, and her smile turned wicked. “And the Lover, unless you’re still pretending he is not?”

  My cheeks burned. “He…is.”

  “I thought you were a mermaid.”

  “Royce,” Henley hissed and smacked her brother in the arm.

  Royce shrugged. “What? She was a mermaid last time. We referred to her as a siren, remember?”

  Keltie chuckled and it sounded like music. “I can be many things, Mr. Redd. Though siren is one of my favorites. Luring men to me by the sound of my voice is fun. You should try it sometime.”

  Royce laughed. “True that.”

  Keltie winked one lavender eye at him then slid her gaze to his sister. “Henley, I am happy to see you doing well.”

  She is in pain, High Priestess. Can you feel it? Keltie said into my mind.

  My eyes widened, but I held myself still to not alert anyone else. I feel it.

  Keltie nodded and returned her eyes to me. There is a spell which may help heal her soul. You may need to perform it before the Gap can be closed. It will be of the oldest in your Book of Shadows.

  Tennessee frowned and looked back and forth between us.

  My stomach flipped like a rowboat trapped in a hurricane. I nodded. Okay. I will find it. Then her words registered. Hold up. I frowned. “Wait. How do you remember us? That day in the aquarium is over three hundred years from now.”

  Keltie cocked her head to the side and smirked. Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. “Time is…a fickle thing that can’t always be explained. But have no fear. I know well who you all are and our interactions in the future.”

  Royce groaned under his breath. “That makes my head hurt.”

  “Keltie, I called you because we need help. Desperately.” I took a deep breath. “If you know where we come from, then you know we don’t belong here.”

  “Indeed. I am happy to see if I can help.”

  I opened my mouth to speak when a blast of ice-cold energy slithered down my spine. It pulsed with electricity and made my skin crawl. I frowned and looked around.

  Tennessee cleared his throat. He narrowed his eyes on the trees behind us. “Pardon me, Keltie. I mean no disrespect, but if you don’t mind, perhaps we should move this conversation back inside? We are not alone out here.”

  You feel that, too? I whispered to him.

  He nodded and eyed the forest surrounding us.

  My mind replayed the spider demons from earlier and the sickening vision of a stinger sticking through Deacon’s chest. If there were more of those out there, I didn’t want to be anywhere near them. Not without all of our magic. Not without the proper healers.

  “Of course.” Keltie pointed her magical shell staff in front of her. “Lead us, Emperor.”

  Tennessee spun on his heels and marched back up the path we’d taken. He flexed his hands, stretching his fingers wide. His dagger flew out of his coat’s pocket and into his left palm. His right hand pulsed with power, and I knew he was fighting the urge to call for his sword. It was tucked deep down in the pouch tied around my waist with all the rest of our belongings.

  We made it about ten feet up the pathway when that cold chill crept over me again. I froze in place. The shadows danced and swayed…and then a demon dropped out of the trees. It was dark brown like mud and smelled like wet garbage. It was some kind of wolf-bear hybrid that had pal
e white talons and long dagger-like fangs. Orangish venom oozed out of its mouth as it snarled at us.

  It charged at us but then slid to a stop. It slipped in the dirt and scurried away from us with wide red eyes.

  What the hell? It looked at me— Wait, no. Not at me. I followed its gaze over my shoulder and spotted Keltie smiling like Cruella de Vil. She arched one scarlet eyebrow, and the demon screeched. It scrambled back to its feet then sprinted away from us up the beach.

  “What the hell just happened?” Royce whispered.

  Keltie chuckled deep in her throat, and it sounded like every cartoon movie villain I’d ever heard, but more evil. She watched the fleeing demon and wiggled her fingers over the top of her staff. The ocean roared and sucked the tide back in. A giant dinosaur-looking water monster jumped out of the sea and snatched the demon in its teeth, then sank back under the water.

  “They never learn,” she said with a sigh. Then she turned back to us. “Shall we?”

  Chapter Eleven

  TEGAN

  As Tennessee yanked the front door open, I realized I hadn’t explained to them who Keltie was or how I knew her. Emersyn knew, of course. But Leyka, Myrtle, and Saffie did not. Deacon didn’t, either, though I wasn’t sure if he was going to be conscious enough to notice her. My Coven-mates disappeared into the house, and my nerves went haywire.

  Was Deacon okay, or had he failed the fight while we were gone?

  What would our three hosts think of Keltie? How was I even going to explain meeting her?

  I froze and glanced over my shoulder at her. Do you know where we are exactly?

  Keltie shook her head. I do not, though I am anxious to learn who you’ve entrusted.

  Oh, okay. I nodded and took a few steps toward the house, then paused again. The whole time thing really blew my mind. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. She knew exactly who we were and how we’d met some three hundred years in the future. She knew Saffie and Leyka, and well enough to seek out my assistance, yet she didn’t know we were entering their house. My gut told me she suspected where we were and who she was about to see. If there was one thing I knew, it was that Keltie was vague.

  I haven’t told anyone of our last conversation.

  I know, High Priestess.

  I nodded and stepped through the door. Tennessee stood just inside. When I walked by, he took my hand in his then shut the door behind us.

  Keltie gasped. “Someone is sick in here.”

  “Yes—”

  “Show me.”

  I glanced up to Tennessee and saw my own hope reflected in his eyes. I knew better than to think that Keltie could or would heal Deacon, but I couldn’t help hoping for it. Which was dangerous territory.

  Tennessee scrubbed his face with his free hand then tugged me forward. “Follow me.”

  I squeezed his hand and let him lead the way. My senses were on overload. It was dark outside and in the kitchen, but the flickering candles felt like spotlights aimed right at my eyes. Keltie’s salty ocean scent followed close behind me, but the house smelled like a garden in bloom. Emersyn’s fear and pain was so strong it was almost a fog. The only thing I couldn’t feel was Deacon.

  My heart pounded in my chest as we crossed into the room where everyone was gathered.

  Royce and Henley stopped near the foot of Deacon’s bed and huddled together, holding on to each other.

  Cooper moved to stand by them and cocked his head to the side. “What is that?”

  Emersyn was still curled up on the bed next to Deacon, with his hand gripped in both of hers. Her golden eyes were red and puffy. She didn’t even look up at me when I entered. “Desperation.” She sniffled.

  Myrtle, who’d been leaning over Deacon and lathering some kind of concoction on his wound, glanced up then did a double take. “Oh.”

  Saffie looked up and gasped. “You?”

  Leyka frowned at his niece then turned to see who she was talking to. His jaw dropped. His aquamarine eyes lit up like fireworks. They were the exact color of the Caribbean water we’d found him on in the Bahamas. He blinked, and the tray of objects he’d been holding crashed to the floor. He moved his mouth like he was trying to speak, but no words came out.

  I peeked over my shoulder to Keltie and found her cheeks bright pink. She tried to hide the tight-lipped smile by looking at the ground, but I saw it. She reached up and tucked her red hair behind her pointed ears.

  “Keltie.” Emersyn’s soft voice brought my eyes back around. “You came.”

  “Keltie…” Leyka whispered, just barely loud enough for me to hear.

  She focused on my sister and smiled a little wider. “I promised I would.”

  “I know you,” Saffie breathed. “You’re the Goddess of the Ocean.”

  Whoa, what? Goddess of the Ocean was quite the title, and one I hadn’t known.

  Keltie chuckled softly. “Hello, Saraphina. It’s nice to officially meet you.”

  Myrtle’s eyes widened. She glanced back and forth between Saffie and Keltie.

  Keltie gestured toward Deacon. “May I?”

  Emersyn nodded. “He’s in trouble.”

  “I am sorry,” Keltie whispered as she knelt beside Deacon’s bed. She reached out and placed her palm on his chest then held it there. A few moments later, she stood and backed away. “He is strong, but he is fading. You said you needed my help, but his health was not your request. Please, tell me.”

  Everyone turned to look at me.

  Except Leyka, who still stared at Keltie slack-jawed and with stars in his eyes.

  High Priestess, tell me. Your Devil has no time to spare, so spare me no details.

  She was right. I took a deep breath and nodded. “As you know, we do not belong in 1692…”

  Then I told her everything: The prophecy to collect all five Elemental Stones. The dragon shifters in Issale. The vampires of Avolire. Everest. Stumbling upon the Seelie tunnels. Losing our four friends in the Seelie tunnels. Prince Thorne and Princess Sage…and the deal we made with them. The deal they tricked us into and how we got here. Elizabeth Bishop’s talk. Using the Earth Stone but only going forward one day. Deacon’s injury. Summoning the Fae and being rejected. Elizabeth’s note in the Book. Then summoning Cronos, and the price requested of us.

  I told it all. I gave her all the details I could, while everyone else listened.

  “We are almost out of time, both for our prophecy and for Deacon.” I sighed and pushed my hair back. My voice was sore and scratchy from so much talking. “We are desperate, and screwed. Cronos is our only option, but both Myrtle and Elizabeth’s note say we cannot give up an animal.”

  “How are we supposed to trick the Time Demon?” Emersyn cried.

  Keltie’s face fell. “Tricking Cronos will be the hardest thing you have ever done. You must tread carefully.” She walked to the window at the far side of the room, close to Leyka. Her long scarlet hair covered her body from behind, but something flashed and sparkled through it.

  Royce groaned and leaned his forehead against the wall. “I don’t see how we can trick her if she knows stuff we didn’t tell her.”

  Keltie froze. She glanced over her shoulder with narrowed lavender eyes. “She?”

  Cooper nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, Cronos is a girl.”

  “We were surprised by that, too,” Royce grumbled.

  Keltie’s narrowed gaze moved around the room then landed on me. There was nothing human in her eyes now. “Describe her for me.”

  “Um, well…” I closed my eyes so I could picture her clearly. “She was tall and lean, with really pale porcelain skin. Her hair was past her hips and an icy white. Big red eyes, of course. When she first appeared, she was naked and covered only in vines that had all these thorns on them. They appeared to be drawing blood, but I don’t know if they actually were. Oh, she also had on this kind of crown made of antlers? I didn’t get a great look, because as soon as she saw us, she suddenly had on a black three-piece suit
and stilettos.”

  Keltie pursed her lips and turned to face the window. Her eyes narrowed so tight they looked like little slits. I wasn’t sure if she realized we could see her face, but I wasn’t about to tell her. I knew she was vague and stingy with details. Before my experience in time travel, I would’ve been frustrated and demanding. Now…I knew there was probably a reason for withholding information. My Coven-mates turned to me with arched eyebrows and questions in their eyes. I just shrugged and watched Keltie stare out into the darkness for what felt like an eternity.

  Finally, she turned to face us. Her eyes were sharp and carrying a heat that didn’t feel remotely human. “You are in quite the predicament. You cannot give the demon a living creature from this realm. For that will open the doors and allow the demons to sneak in and wreak havoc. However, if you refuse, you show weakness, and she will pounce on it. Also, if you refuse, you will not fulfill your prophecy, and your world is doomed.”

  My heart sank. She hadn’t said anything new, but it still hurt to hear.

  The room filled with heavy, tense silence.

  Keltie glanced around at all of us then stared down at Deacon. When she looked back up, there was a wicked twinkle in her eyes. “But I do have a solution for you…if you’re willing.”

  Chapter Twelve

  TENNESSEE

  “We’re listening,” I said and hated the roughness in my voice.

  But more than that, I hated the tone in her voice. There was definitely a but or some kind of downside to her idea, and it made my stomach turn.

  “If you’re willing?” Tegan repeated. Her black eyebrows were arched high and her pale green eyes were wide. “What…what does that mean exactly?”

  “We’re desperate. We said that, didn’t we?” Emersyn cried. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Of course we’re willing, right? We have to get him back.”