Pledge (Witches of Coventry House Book 1)

by Christina Garner

  “We only get one planet, right?” He dipped a chip into the salsa. “Somebody has to protect it.”

  Eden’s grin nearly split her face in two. She had been so right to have a good feeling about this guy.

  “What about you?” he asked. “What brings you to this fine institution?”

  She risked the truth. “I needed a change—scenery, friends. It was time to start fresh.”

  “I understand completely.”

  Something in the way he said it made Eden believe him.

  Their food arrived, and when he asked how the tacos were, she said, “They’re the best one-dollar tacos I’ve ever had.”

  It was true, mostly because they were the only one-dollar tacos she’d ever had.

  “I’m just so glad I’m out of there.” Hannah took a sip of her soda.

  “I know, right?” Lexi said. “The whole place was just...wrong.”

  She’d run into Lexi on her way home from the library and asked if she wanted to grab pizza.

  “I didn’t get it back when you left,” Hannah said. “I guess because I was still there. But now that I’m not, I see it so much clearer. I wish I’d left sooner.”

  “You came to your senses,” Lexi said, helping herself to another slice. “That’s all that matters.”

  Hannah ducked out of Tony’s Pizza and pulled her coat tight around her. Fall in New England was no joke. At least she didn’t have to plan her life around shuttles or haul ass up that beast of a hill. Reason 901 to be glad she’d left Coventry House.

  An image of Jules flashed in her mind—the look on her face as she’d shut the door on her. Hannah felt bad, but what else was she supposed to do? Jules had lived this perfect, privileged life along with the other “it” girls living high on the hill, looking down on the peasants. How could Jules think they’d been friends?

  But the thought felt wrong—like something had been forced in where it didn’t fit.

  She’d just turned a corner when a sound—a single clear note—made Hannah turn.

  Her pulse quickened. Maybe a dark alley wasn’t the best shortcut.

  Her worry melted when she saw who had whistled.

  From the shadows stepped the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. He was tall, with a kind smile and eyes filled with warmth and affection.

  He held out his hand as if asking her to dance—the way her father had at the daddy daughter ball in third grade. It was her favorite memory of him—beaming with pride and calling her his little princess.

  Hannah smiled and stepped forward, placing her hand in his.

  But the moment they touched she recoiled. His flesh was cold, his fingers much too long. They held her hand in an iron grip as he yanked her to him.

  A scream rose in Hannah’s throat, but her mouth was filled with something thick and moist that reeked of death.

  Her eyes widened in terror, and she looked up to see a face that was no longer kind—no longer human. Yellow eyes stared down at her, and when he bore his teeth they were razor-sharp.

  She scratched and kicked and clawed, chunks of the creature’s translucent flesh now under her fingernails.

  Footsteps. Voices. Someone was coming. Someone would—

  Icy fingers wrapped around Hannah’s neck.

  It was after midnight when Eden and Quinn left the restaurant. Quinn asked if she’d like to take a walk, and Eden readily agreed.

  Despite the chill in the air, she felt warm all over. She was having the most perfect first date in Eden Montgomery history. They’d talked and laughed, and he never flinched no matter what she asked him—he not only seemed to like her questions but had plenty of his own. About halfway through the date she’d stopped worrying about being too intense, and that never happened.

  As they walked, she became keenly aware of the space between them, how their hands nearly brushed each other.

  They turned a corner, down an alley that, if she’d been alone, would have made Eden flee. But she felt safe with Quinn, and a small part of her hoped he wanted to be away from the noise and prying eyes on Main Street.

  He slowed his steps then stopped, making her stomach flip with anticipation.

  “I’ve had a really good time tonight.” Quinn’s eyes locked on hers. “I’m glad we could finally make it happen.”

  “Me too.” Eden leaned back against the brick building. “To both.”

  The moment stretched, and she felt the exquisite ache of needing him closer. He took her hand and traced his thumb over the back of it, sending a shiver up her arm.

  He seemed hesitant, and Eden found herself anxious for him to kiss her but also wanting to enjoy the moment just as it was. A first kiss couldn’t happen twice.

  Quinn leaned close and brushed his mouth against hers. She was closing her eyes, when she saw something that made her gasp and push Quinn away.

  “What is it?” His eyes searched hers. “Did you not want me to—?”

  Eden put her hands to her face, but the image was still there, behind her eyes.

  “You’re shaking,” Quinn said. “Please, Eden, tell me what’s wrong.”

  But she didn’t have words.

  Instead she pointed, and Quinn turned, his eyes widening when he saw what she did.

  Lying beside a dumpster—left behind like yesterday’s trash—was the body of a woman, her neck twisted at a gruesome angle.

  “Don’t look.” Quinn wrapped his arms around Eden, turning her face so that it pressed into his chest. “Don’t look. I’ll call the police.”

  One hand still cradled the back of her neck while he used the other to dial. She wrapped her arms around him, gripping him tight, salty tears flowing into his jacket. She didn’t look, but the picture burned in her mind—the picture of a face frozen in terror.

  Of Hannah.

  Mael slipped away, furious.

  That was ill done.

  Killing the girl would bring attention, but his true prey was rarely alone and always on high alert. He had grown restless, and greed had made him bold.

  His main trade was children—always so eager to see only what they wanted. However, there were specialized buyers—ones willing to pay the highest of bounties—that wanted older girls. They used their property not only for their powers, but for their other attributes as well. This one had been beautiful and would have fetched top dollar.

  Mael seethed at being interrupted before he’d finished.

  A police siren wailed in the distance, and he made sure his scarf and hood were in place.

  Two witches in a town this small was not coincidence. There was a coven nearby. It was shielded in some way, but Mael would find it.

  And when he did, he would take them all.

  Chapter 16

  Eden continued to hold on to Quinn while they waited for the police to arrive. He whispered soothing words in her ear, but she couldn’t take comfort in them.

  It wasn’t just Hannah; it was this feeling she couldn’t shake. The feeling of something familiar. A shudder passed through her, and Quinn tightened his embrace.

  “I’ve got you,” he said softly.

  The sirens got closer and then stopped, colored lights flashing on Main Street.

  “I’ll get them.” Quinn unwound his arms from around her. “Wait here,” he said. “And don’t look.”

  Until he stepped away, she didn’t realize just how much he’d been holding her up. He walked toward the end of the alley and turned around to check that Eden had stayed put. Then he rounded the corner, calling to the officers.

  Eden fought the urge to look at the body—at Hannah. It was almost overwhelming, the pull to walk over to it.

  She sneaked a glance and wished she hadn’t—it was even more gruesome than the picture in her mind. Hannah’s eyes were wide, but there was no light in them. And the angle of her neck. How could anyone do that?

  Eden squeezed her eyes shut but, just before she did, saw something that caused a tremor to pass through her. She opened them again, this time n
ot looking at the body of her friend but at a small green clump next to her.

  Déjà vu washed over her, and she took a tentative step toward it, glancing down the alley which, for the moment, was still empty.

  She knew she shouldn’t disturb the scene, but she couldn’t help it. She bent down and plucked the clump from the ground.

  The second she touched it, something thick and dank filled her windpipe. Her eyes bulged as she struggled for air. Her vision tunneled and she was falling.

  “Eden!” Strong arms caught her before she landed. She looked up at Quinn, his face etched with concern. “I told you not to look.”

  She sputtered and gasped, the sudden intake of air burning her throat.

  “I...” She held up her hand to show him the moss, but there was nothing there.

  “Come on,” Quinn said. “I’m getting you out of here. The police will do their job.”

  “Actually...” An officer stepped forward, her flashlight out and scanning the alley. “We’re going to need statements from both of you.”

  “Can it wait?” Quinn said. “Until tomorrow maybe?”

  “Only if you’re comfortable with giving the animal that did this a head start.”

  Which, of course, they weren’t.

  Despite Quinn’s protests, they were interviewed separately, far enough away to not hear each other’s answers.

  “And how long have you known the deceased?” the officer said. He was balding and had coffee breath.

  “A few weeks. We were pledging a sorority.”

  “Which one?” He scribbled in his notebook.

  “Coventry House,” Eden replied. “She’d actually just left. She, um... Well, I’m not sure why, but she left a few days ago.” She couldn’t tell the truth, and it hardly seemed important now anyway.

  She looked over at Quinn, being interviewed by the female officer. He must have sensed her eyes because he looked over and gave Eden a reassuring look.

  “And how long ago was that?” the officer asked.

  Eden answered, but her mind was elsewhere. “I need to make a call. It’ll only take a minute.”

  She didn’t wait for permission, just stepped away. She felt Quinn tense even from ten feet away, but she waved him off and held up her phone so he wouldn’t worry that she was about to faint again.

  Carolyn’s phone rang four times before she answered. When you’re responsible for the safety of dozens of young women, phone calls in the middle of the night were never good, and the tone of her voice told Eden she was braced for bad news.

  She found the words as best she could, choking on tears and the feeling of moss shoved down her throat.

  When Carolyn arrived, she immediately took charge of the situation, making Eden doubly glad she’d called.

  “And I’m telling you,” she said over the officer’s protests. “I’m taking her home. She’s told you everything she knows. If you’d like to interview her again, that can be arranged, but what she needs right now is rest. I imagine both of them do.”

  “I can stay,” Quinn said. “If you’ll let Eden go, I’ll stay and answer your questions as many times as you want.”

  “You are under no obligation to do that,” Carolyn said but gave him an approving look.

  “I know. But I have a shift that starts in four hours, and I’m not going to get any sleep anyway. I might as well be helpful. But you,” he squeezed Eden’s shoulder, “should go home.”

  Carolyn didn’t wait for Eden to agree, just steered her away.

  “Wait,” Eden said, finding her voice. “Let me... Just wait.”

  She looked at Quinn, and he seemed to understand, both of them stepping a few feet away.

  “I just...wanted to say thank you,” Eden said. “That was—is—horrific, but you being here made it...better.”

  “I’m sorry it happened,” he said. “But I’m glad I was here. Get some rest, and I’ll call you later today, okay?”

  Eden nodded, and Quinn wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

  “It’s gonna be all right,” he whispered, and maybe only because she really needed to, she believed him.

  The ride home was silent, which gave Eden time to work up her courage.

  “I thought I saw something,” she said finally. “And then I definitely felt something. By Hannah's body. I felt something, and it was like I couldn't breathe."

  Carolyn spared her a glance as she drove up the long driveway. “I’m not surprised. Violence like that causes the energetic field around it to fragment.”

  “So it’s normal?” Eden said. “I’m not going crazy?”

  Carolyn pulled to a stop and turned to face her. “What you are is in shock. Which is perfectly normal given the circumstances. I’d be more worried if you weren’t.”

  “Thanks,” Eden mumbled.

  It’s just shock, she told herself as she climbed the steps to Coventry House. Not real.

  Sarah heard Eden come in but feigned sleep. It was late, and she’d promised to get up early and have breakfast with Jules.

  “Sarah,” Eden said softly. When Sarah didn’t respond, Eden sat on her bed and gave her a small shake. “Sarah, I really need you to wake up.”

  It wasn’t the voice of someone who wanted to recap a date; it was the voice of someone shaken to her core.

  “What is it?” Sarah rolled over. “Are you okay?”

  Eden clicked on the light. Her eyes were puffy, her makeup streaked. She was definitely not okay.

  “It’s Hannah,” Eden said. “She’s dead.”

  “She’s what?” Sarah bolted upright. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know.” There was a flatness to her voice and a faraway look in her eye. “Quinn and I... We were walking down an alley, and he was going to kiss me and then... Sarah, her neck was broken.” Tears sprang from Eden’s eyes. “Who would do that? Who would—?”

  A visible shudder passed through Eden, and she bowed her head.

  Sarah put her arms around her. “I don’t know,” she whispered, feeling helpless. “I’m so sorry you saw that.”

  “Me too. Her eyes... They were hers, but they weren’t her anymore, you know?”

  “I think so.” Sarah had been there when her grandmother had passed and remembered feeling her leave.

  “I have to tell Jules.” Eden wiped her tears then grimaced at the makeup smearing her hand. “I don’t even want to know what I look like.” She shook her head. “Selfish thing to worry about, I know.”

  Sarah grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and gently wiped the makeup from Eden’s eyes.

  “You are the least selfish person I know,” she said, and she hoped Eden believed her because it was the truth.

  “Will you come with me?” Eden asked.

  “Of course,” Sarah said.

  As she stood, a sense of terrible foreboding washed over her so strongly that she stumbled.

  “Are you okay?” Eden asked, turning.

  “Yeah.” Sarah steadied herself. “Someone must have walked over my gr—” She stopped herself from saying the most tasteless thing she could have given the circumstances. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

  But she wasn’t fine, not at all. She hoped to God that this was just a crossed wire—that she was retroactively feeling what had happened to Hannah. Because her gut told her danger was coming.

  Jules woke to Eden gently shaking her.

  “What’s going on?” She was still half asleep. “Is it another test?”

  But she looked from Eden to Sarah, one with red, swollen eyes, the other looking grim, and Jules knew it wasn’t a test.

  “I’ve got something to tell you,” Eden said. “It’s about Hannah.”

  Jules heard the words that followed, but they washed over her as though they were being said to someone else. She could see Sarah’s arm around her shoulder but couldn’t feel it. She was far away, locked behind doors that no one could open.

  That was how she’d coped every time sh
e’d been returned by a foster home—retreating to a place in her mind that no one could touch, where nothing hurt.

  But it did hurt. It hurt so badly that inside she was screaming, gasping for air. But she held her body still, her breathing regular.

  They were looking at her expectantly—they wanted a reaction. They didn’t know she was having it, that she just couldn’t let them see. She fought the urge to tell them to get out, fought back against the tears she felt building behind her eyes.

  Don’t cry, said her mother’s voice in her head. Or I’ll give you something to cry about.

  Once Eden and Sarah had finally gone, Jules couldn’t stop the flood of tears.

  Her friend was gone. Maybe the closest friend she’d ever had. She’d even told Hannah about her childhood, and Jules didn’t share that with anyone. She bit her pillow to keep from howling.

  When she had no more tears, she curled into a ball, grief so heavy in her chest that it was hard to breathe. She looked over at the bed next to her and couldn’t stand the emptiness of it—couldn’t be in the same room with it.

  Jules tiptoed down the hall, dragging her blanket behind her. She would spend the night in the common room. If she woke up early enough, no one would know.

  Voices coming from Carolyn’s study made her stop. She crept closer to the door and peered through the crack.

  “But how can you be sure?” Alex sounded anxious.

  “Because I was there,” Carolyn replied. “If there was magic I would have sensed it.”

  Jules’s breath caught. Did Alex think Hannah was killed by a witch?

  “Even so,” Alex said. “The Council is wrong about this. The pledges deserve to know the truth about what’s out there.”

  “What would you have me do?” Carolyn said. “Scare them to death? For what? Demons don’t break necks. They drink blood; they perform sacrifices; they flay; they—”

  Jules gasped, and both heads swiveled in her direction.

  Carolyn rushed to the door and yanked it open.

  Jules prepared to be yelled at for eavesdropping, but instead Carolyn wrapped her in a tight embrace.