The Coven's Secret

by Alicia Rades

  Lucas nodded. “Agreed.”

  I took the blindfold and started for the door. Grammy stepped aside to let me through, but I leaned over and hissed at her. “No cool, Grammy. Not cool.”

  Talia heard me and patted Grammy’s shoulder on the way out of the room. “She’s a liar, Helena. You’re the best.”

  “I appreciate your vote of confidence,” she replied playfully. “Can’t say the same about my granddaughter.”

  I didn’t look back as I flipped Grammy off while I descended the stairs. Her laughter rang out through the house.

  “Love you, Nadine,” she called.

  “Love you too, you traitor!” I said with a chuckle.

  “Have fun.” Grammy waved from the top of the stairs.

  That was all I saw before Lucas took the blindfold from my hands and pulled it up to my eyes. My heart fluttered as his fingers brushed across my hair.

  “You ready?” he asked, placing one hand on my shoulder. His touch sent tingles all throughout my body. I wondered what it’d be like if he touched me other places…

  I cleared my throat, pushing the dirty thoughts from my mind. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  Lucas kept hold of me as he guided me outside and down the porch steps. It was dark outside, so I couldn’t see anything behind the blindfold. Lucas took my hand to keep me from falling. At the bottom of the stairs, neither of us let go of each other, so he led me across the lawn holding my hand. It was kind of weird, but felt natural at the same time. I felt a little lightheaded and disoriented as we walked, and it wasn’t just from the blindfold. Lucas’s scent surrounded me, and all I wanted to do was sit under the stars while he held me.

  I was getting ahead of myself. He probably didn’t even like me that way. I wonder if he thought I was at least bangable. Apparently my ex didn’t.

  My thoughts were interrupted when Lucas spoke. “We’re headed into the forest. Watch your step.”

  “Watch my step?” I asked. “I can’t see a damn thing.”

  Talia snickered from up ahead. “That’s the point.”

  I rolled my eyes, even though none of them could see it. “This better be worth it.”

  We walked for another ten minutes or so. The whole time, Lucas held me close so I wouldn’t trip over anything. Grant was trying to flirt with Talia, but I missed most of what he’d said because I was so focused on Lucas next to me. My mind was fighting a fierce battle on whether or not I should ask him out.

  Don’t do it, the dominant voice argued. It could ruin your friendship. What if he doesn’t like you back?

  Screw you. I can do whatever I want, I shot back at the voice.

  “We’re here,” Talia announced.

  Lucas leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Sit down.”

  “What? Right here?” I asked. I could still hear the sound of the wind in the trees above us and feel the cool air on my skin.

  Lucas guided my hand over, and I felt the back of a chair. It was soft fabric, like a camping chair. He helped me sit, then said, “Don’t take your blindfold off yet.”

  Lucas’s hand disappeared from mine, and cool air rushed in to take his place. I could hear the shuffling of feet and the soft rustle of fabric.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  Nobody answered for a few seconds, until Talia spoke in an ominous voice. “You may now remove your blindfold."

  I reached up and tugged the blindfold off my eyes. In front of me stood three cloaked figures. Their hoods shaded their faces, and it was so dark out that I couldn't see their eyes. I could still tell who was who by their height. Behind them, a fire burned in the forest, and a cauldron bubbled above the flames.

  I couldn't take my eyes off Lucas, who stood on the right. He looked so mysterious. It was fucking hot. I just wanted to rip that cloak off and see what was underneath…

  "Nadine Evers," Grant said in a deep voice, like he was trying to sound like someone else.

  "Um… yes?" I said.

  Grant cleared his throat. "You have been called by the Goddess to join the Miriamic Coven. How do you respond to this request?"

  "Um, I accept?" I said it like a question. My friends were acting really weird.

  Grant dropped his shoulders and spoke in his normal voice. "Nadine, come on."

  I sighed and made my voice serious. "Fine. I accept."

  "You will be gifted magical abilities unlike any other," Grant said in his deep voice. "But you must undergo grueling obstacles to prove yourself worthy. Are you willing to undertake the task?"

  I sat a little straighter and played along. "I am."

  Grant's voice grew in intensity. He was starting to sound like a drill sergeant. "Are you willing to do anything to serve the Goddess, no matter what she asks of you?"

  "I am."

  "Will you protect and serve the coven, no matter the cost?" Grant practically yelled.

  "Yes," I replied.

  The three of them took a step back and bowed their heads in unison.

  "Then you may step forward and drink from the Cup of Life," Grant said. "Pledge yourself to Mother Miriam, and drink the blood that flows through her veins."

  I stood and followed my friends to the fire. Inside the cauldron was a bubbly liquid that looked a lot more like soda than blood.

  "Is this for real?" I asked.

  Lucas pushed his hood back. "Consider it a perk of being friends with Grant. He has a wild imagination. There is no Cup of Life."

  "Shut up and put your hood back up," Grant scolded. "We're not done."

  "Can we be? Please?" Talia asked, dropping her hood. "I can't see under this thing."

  Grant sighed and stripped off his robe, then tossed it aside. "Fine. You’re all losers. You're no fun."

  "You say that now," Talia teased, raising an eyebrow at him. She was totally joking about getting into bed with him. Once she stopped lying to herself about liking him, it was only a matter of time before that condom box was empty.

  Talia and Lucas took their robes off and put them on top of Grant's. We all sat on the ground in a circle around the fire. Talia sat across from me, and Grant and Lucas were on either side.

  Grant reached for the ladle in the cauldron and conjured a plastic cup in the other hand. He ladled one scoop of the potion into the cup and handled it to me. "The blood of Mother Miriam, in the Cup of Life."

  "Wow," I said flatly. "I thought the Cup of Life would be… prettier."

  Grant laughed as he ladled another cup. I started passing mine around the circle toward Lucas.

  "Whoa!" Talia exclaimed, while everyone else froze. Lucas held his hands up, like he was refusing the cup.

  I pulled it back toward myself. "What? What's wrong?"

  Lucas relaxed. "It's customary to only accept a potion from an Alchemist. It's how you know it's safe."

  "Oh," I said. "I didn't realize sharing was sacrilegious."

  Talia snickered from across the circle. "I wouldn't go that far. It's just considered bad luck to take a potion from a non-Alchemist."

  The way everyone looked at me, you'd think I'd just sacrificed a cat or something. I ducked my head. "Sorry."

  Grant shrugged as he handed Lucas a cup. "You didn't know. Now you do."

  I relaxed. "So, what is this anyway?"

  I looked down at my cup and sniffed it. It smelled sweet.

  Grant handed Talia the next cup, then sat back on his heels and smiled. "I call it Fizzy Bubbly."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds good, but that doesn't really answer my question."

  "It's a little concoction I made myself," Grant said. "It tastes great without affecting your blood sugar.”

  “Is it alcoholic?” I asked.

  “Nope,” Grant said. “That’s the beauty of it.”

  I didn’t drink alcohol because of my lupus. Maybe this would be different.

  “But it does have a little kick that'll make you tipsy after a few,” Grant warned.

  At that, Talia threw her head back and chugged her
drink. She smacked her lips and held out her cup. "In that case, pour me another one."

  Grant smiled. "Gladly."

  I leaned over to Lucas. "Is it safe?"

  He took a sip. "Would I drink it if it wasn't?"

  "Depends," I said. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

  He smirked. Good God. I loved that smirk. "What would happen if I was?"

  Hopefully a make-out session, I thought.

  I brought the cup to my lips. "I don't know. Let's find out."

  I figured it didn't hurt to try. I kept it to one drink for now just to be safe.

  The drink was sweet, with hints of citrus to it. It bubbled on my tongue but was smooth at the same time.

  "What do you think?" Grant asked after I'd tried it.

  "Really good," I said.

  Grant took a swig. "You're lucky. When Lucas initiated me, he made me strip down and skinny dip in Lake Santos."

  "Lucas!" I scolded.

  His jaw dropped. "I did not. You're the one who decided to go skinny dipping. You’re all like, ‘I’m such a fast swimmer. Look how fast I can go naked.’"

  Grant snickered. "Whoops. I forgot."

  "Hey, that's a great idea!" Talia cried, lifting her empty cup. "Let's go skinny dipping."

  "Talia—" I started, but Grant cut in before I could finish.

  "That sounds fantastic. I can show you how fast I can swim!"

  Lucas groaned. "Guys, I'm not stripping down."

  "Good," Grant jabbed at him. "No one wants to see that."

  "I do," I blurted. My face went beet red as all eyes turned to me. Lucas's eyes widened in shock. I tore my gaze off his and glanced to my drink, which was almost gone. "Holy shit. What's in this thing?"

  Grant nearly died laughing. "That was all you, Nadine. I don't make my drinks that strong."

  Talia stole Grant's attention by holding her cup out. "Can I have another?"

  "You might want to slow down," he warned her.

  “I thought you didn’t make it that strong,” I teased.

  "Can't slow down," Talia said. "I need the courage if we're going skinny dipping."

  "You don't have to," Grant assured her in a genuine voice.

  She shrugged. "I want to. It'll be fun. I've never been. This is college, isn't it?”

  Grant shrugged, like he couldn't argue. "It is."

  As Grant filled Talia's cup a third time, Lucas leaned over to me to whisper softly. "So, you want to see me naked, huh?"

  My gaze traveled down his torso. Hell yeah!

  "It's the Fizzy Bubbly talking," I claimed.

  "Doesn't make it untrue," he pointed out.

  I took another gulp. It was really tasty and actually might've been making me feel better. "Perhaps."

  "So what's the answer?" he challenged.

  "Mm… I think I'm gonna keep you guessing," I teased.

  He frowned. "Not fair."

  "Totally fair," I shot back. "You didn't answer my question."

  "What question?" he asked.

  It was only a moment later that I realized I hadn't asked him anything. Tipsy my ass. Grant's Fizzy Bubbly was some strong shit.

  I went for it anyway. "Do you want to see me naked?"

  Lucas stilled, and his eyes flickered toward my boobs. I leaned over a little, making my cleavage more obvious.

  "I'm, uh, not answering that," he said breathlessly.

  "Why not?" I pouted.

  "Because if I answered like a gentleman, I'd be lying."

  Holy shit. He did want to see me naked! Every nerve in my body came to life as heat spread over my skin. This Fizzy Bubbly was seriously messing with my courage. I'd kiss him right then and there if he let me.

  “Nadine...” Talia dragged out my name. I’d been so focused on Lucas that I didn’t realize she’d come up behind me. She tugged on my arm. “Let’s go.”

  I didn’t take my eyes off Lucas as I shot him a smirk. The challenge was on!

  “How far is the lake?” I asked.

  “It’s right down there.” Talia bounced on her toes and pointed down the path. “Let’s go!”

  Talia and I ran off giggling. I glanced back to see if the guys were following us, and they were. They whispered to each other, though I didn’t know what they were saying.

  Talia’s version of “right down there” was at least ten times longer than mine. It felt like we were walking for a mile before the trees parted and a clearing gave way to a rocky beach. Beyond that was a huge lake that reached nearly halfway to the horizon. It must’ve been a couple miles across. I was exhausted by the time we arrived.

  “I’m going in!” Talia sang as she stripped off her top.

  “Oh my God. Talia!” I shouted at her as she sprinted toward the water. “You’re drunk.”

  “Am not!” she shot back. “I’m just having fun.”

  The quarter moon illuminated her silhouette. I caught a glimpse of her breasts before I quickly looked away. The guys were still in the trees, thank God, so they didn’t see anything.

  Talia squealed as she entered the chilly water, but it didn’t seem to bother her, because she dove in a second later. Her head broke the surface, and she inhaled a big gulp of air. “Come on, Nadine. The water’s great.”

  I glanced back to the trees. I could hear the guys’ distant voices, but I didn’t see them yet.

  “Don’t be nervous,” Talia said. “I have a sister, and we shared a bedroom. It’s no big deal.”

  I looked back to her, trying to work up the courage to slip my clothes off. It did look like fun. But we were talking about being naked in front of Lucas. It was one thing to dream about and another to actually do it.

  “Quick!” Talia said with a laugh. “They’re coming.”

  I decided to go for it. I kicked off my shoes and unbuttoned my jeans. They fell to my ankles, and I stepped out of them. I pulled my shirt over my head and reached for the waistband of my panties, before I heard a loud whistle from behind me.

  I whirled around to see Grant and Lucas frozen at the edge of the trees. Lucas’s eyes were glued to my ass, but it’d been Grant who’d whistled.

  An involuntary squeak left my throat, and I suddenly lost all my courage. Instead of throwing my clothes back on like a normal person, instinct took over. I ran to jump into the water to hide myself, but I tripped on a rock and face-planted into the water. I inhaled a deep breath, and water filled my nostrils, burning my nasal passages.

  I pushed off the shallow bottom with my arms, and my head broke the surface. I inhaled a greedy gulp of air. Suddenly, a pair of hands were on me, helping me out of the water.

  I looked up to see Lucas’s green eyes staring down at me. “Nad, are you okay?”

  “Fine,” I said, though I was still sputtering.

  His hands left mine, and I sank deeper into the water so it would conceal me. My eyes traveled downward, and I started laughing. Lucas was standing in the water fully clothed, and his shoes were completely soaked.

  “What?” he asked in alarm.

  “You’re funny,” I giggled. Okay, the Fizzy Bubbly was officially hitting me. “It’s not like I was drowning.”

  Lucas stood up straighter and shrugged. “Better safe than sorry.”

  I leaned into the cool water and floated on my back, then ran my hands through it to pull me out deeper into the lake. “You should come in. The water feels nice.”

  “Cannonball!” Grant shouted.

  I glanced over, only to see a naked ass right next to me. Grant landed a few feet away from me, spraying water up into my face. I shrieked at the cold shock and stood up straight. The water came to my belly button.

  Grant came up for air and wiped his eyes, then rubbed his tailbone. Thank God the water reached his hips. “Ow. A little shallow for a cannon ball.”

  “Dude, personal space,” I snapped.

  “What? You don’t want my naked ass anywhere near you?” he teased.

  “No, I don’t,” I said.

  “I want
it over here!” Talia called. She was low in the water so that it covered her shoulders.

  Grant smirked and started wading through the water over to her. He stopped a good ten feet way to respect her space.

  I turned back to Lucas, who was sitting on the beach and stripping off his wet shoes. “Are you coming in?”

  “I don’t want to get naked,” he said.

  “Come in with clothes on,” I encouraged. “Like me.”

  Lucas sighed and rose to his feet. “If I have to.”

  He reached for his jeans and started unbuttoning them. Heat pooled between my thighs. Pretty sure I was making the lake even wetter than it already was. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he pulled his shirt over his head. Holy hell. He was toned as fuck. All I wanted to do was run my hands across those muscles. To kiss him. To… do other things to him.

  Lucas stripped down to his boxers and stepped into the water until it was up to his knees. “There. I did it.”

  I rolled my eyes and swam closer to him. Grant and Talia were in their own little world splashing each other. They didn’t notice Lucas and me.

  “That doesn’t count,” I claimed. “You have to get wet.”

  He glanced down to the water beneath him. “I am wet. This counts.”

  “Does not.” I splashed him, and the water landed on his stomach. Droplets dripped down his toned abs to his waistband. I couldn’t help but think what I wanted to do to that waistband.

  Lucas dropped his jaw dramatically, then bent down to splash me back.

  “Hey!” I cried, wiping my eyes of the water. “I’m already wet.”

  In more ways than one. I was fucking swimming, and I didn’t mean in the lake. Lucas was hot as hell.

  “Turnabout’s fair play,” he teased.

  “In that case…” I swam straight up to him and reached out for his wrist, then tugged him into the water.

  Lucas stumbled and landed right on top of me. My heart lifted in my chest as his body pressed against mine. I didn’t even care that my head had dipped below water. I’d hold my breath forever just to stay in this position.

  Lucas’s arms wrapped around me, and he pulled me out of the water. I pushed wet strands of hair out of my face and giggled. I couldn’t help it. He did things to me that no one else ever had. I felt like I was floating, even though the water was so shallow that we were both on our knees.