The Promise (The Coven Series)

by Baker, Apryl

  Mr. Martin pulled me away from Ethan. Up until that moment, I had hoped by some miracle that Ethan would save me, that it would all be just an act, but he didn’t and it wasn’t. I thought I’d seen something flicker in his eyes for just a moment in the woods, but I’d been wrong. He handed me over to the devil without so much as a by your leave. I’d held onto the hope that the love I’d seen in his eyes would surface again and he’d rescue me.

  That hope died as he passed me over to the Coven Leader.

  “Time to begin,” Mr. Martin told me.

  Kay’s screaming echoed in the background, becoming fainter by the minute.

  I was alone, truly and utterly alone.

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  But I wasn’t alone. I realized that the moment the thought tried to drag me into despair. Honeysuckle tickled my nose, the warmth of the August sun kept the cold October winds at bay. I could smell the rain in the air and feel a strength spark deep within my soul. The Elements were here. I still had Kay, too. A part of us rested in each other. We could never escape that. I felt her terror, but more than anything, I could feel her shame at what she had done. She could feel my pain, feel what her betrayal had done to me.

  She stared at me. Her voice had gone hoarse. Her mouth was open in a soundless scream as the fire reached her legs. I saw the sorrow and the need to be forgiven on her face. Emily was with me too. The silver locket pulsed with an icy breath against my chest. A piece of her was there, against my heart.

  I might only have bits and pieces, but I wasn’t alone.

  Mr. Martin was right. It was time to begin. I had to trust that the Fates wouldn’t let them kill my father, but I’d be damned if I’d stand here and let them sacrifice everyone I cared about for their stupid revenge.

  The sudden crack of thunder scared me right out of my skin. It shook the ground with its fierceness. I looked up to see storm clouds churning, black and gray clouds swirling with a vibrant, silver light. They were circling overheard like vultures waiting for their prey to die so they could swoop in and scavenge the body.

  Mr. Martin’s voice boomed out across the clearing, his voice as frightening as the thunder, filled the night with a promise made centuries ago.

  “Ancient ties that have bound us,

  We beseech thee on this most holy night, Samhain,

  To follow the path we have lit for thee,

  Come unto us as you have decreed,

  Let the blood of this child be your vessel,

  Fill her with your spirit, your wrath, and your pain.

  We honor our vow this night,

  We summon thee, spirits of the lost and betrayed,

  Come now unto us and unleash your fury unto those

  Who betrayed you, cast you out and damned you.

  Come, I say, cross over and join us this night

  And let our blood oaths be forever freed.”

  The clouds centered directly above our heads. A low sighing could be heard as they began to descend toward us. It wasn’t clouds, I realized as they swarmed closer. Tonight was Samhain. All Hallows Eve. The night when the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. The silver lights shining from the darkness approaching were rips and tears in the veil. The damned were crossing over, to seek their vengeance, aided by the Silver Tongued King of Hell himself, Arwan. Kay’s burning body guided them and they were headed straight for me.

  Mr. Martin gripped my hand, pulled it tight. I felt the prick of a blade against my skin.

  “NO!” I screamed, ignoring Ethan as he edged closer. No time for fancy spells. “Earth, help me!”

  The ground beneath us shook and spewed upward, throwing Mr. Martin backwards. He held my arm in a death grip and pulled me with him. My free hand lashed out and caught him squarely in the nose for the second time that night. He screamed in rage.

  “Air, free me!”

  The wind tore at us, pushing him back.

  Strong arms gripped me around the waist and pulled me free. I looked up to see Billy. No, I thought, desperately, but he surprised me. He threw me backwards away from Mr. Martin and then ran for Kay. I stared at him in shock. Coven Boy had just betrayed his Coven for the woman he loved. He jerked at the ropes, but it was useless. They’d bound her with magic. She’d only been up there for maybe five, ten minutes, but the fire had already started to burn her legs. He would never get her down before it killed her.

  I had to put the fire out. There was a small creek just beyond the trees. I closed my eyes and focused my attention on it. The picture firmly in my mind, I held out my hands. “Water, come to me.”

  The sound of rushing water grew louder and louder as the water from the creek rushed toward us, forming a wall of freezing liquid. I felt the coolness of it wash away the memory of the fire on my skin. It broke through the trees and I let it become a part of me, flow through me.

  “Spirit, I command thee this night,

  Unbind the Elements held here and break this circle with your might!”

  There was a loud snap as the circle broke and I turned toward Kay. The wall of water hovered at the edge of the trees. I pulled it to me and directed it to the flames slowly killing Kay. It crashed into the flames and I watched as the water doused the fire.

  “Thank you, Water,” I whispered and started to run toward her.

  A hand grabbed my foot and pulled me back. Mr. Martin’s eyes glowed black with hatred and pulsed with the fires of madness. “No, you will not escape your fate, CJ. You will do what you were born to do!”

  “Fire!” I screamed, fighting to get away from him. Ethan came into my line of vision.

  The smoldering embers that were left of the fire on the pyre leapt to life and grew into a flame and soared into my hand. The heat never touched my skin.

  “Burn,” I whispered, “burn as you would have burned your daughter.”

  The fire fled from my hands and surrounded him. He howled in rage and started chanting something, a counter spell maybe. I knew he wouldn’t die that easily. I needed to get away while I could. Billy would see to Kay and I trusted the Fates with my Dad. I had to go, now, before it was too late. I pushed myself up off the ground and tried to run.

  “Matthew, stop her!” I heard my mom scream out. Another knife twisted in my stomach.

  I took exactly three steps. I made it to the edge of the broken circle.

  Fingers bit into my shoulders, stopping me.

  “No,” I sobbed. Please no.

  They twisted, turning me to face him. His hands shifted to my arms and he held me up so that I was staring into his eyes. They were darker than night and full of agony.

  “I came here to kill you,” he whispered.

  “Please,” I begged. “Please don’t do this.”

  “My entire purpose was to see this curse through,” he told me, pain lacing every word. “All I had to do was let the thirteenth daughter die. It seemed so easy. Until I met you.”

  “Ethan,” I said softly. His eyes were full of pain, but I saw the love I’d been looking for all night reflected in them now. Hope sprang back to life within me. Maybe I hadn’t been wrong about him.

  “Ethan!” Billy yelled. My head snapped around. Mr. Martin was diving full force at us, knife in hand. Ethan turned, taking the blade in his back. His eyes went round with startled pain and he fell, taking me with him. Mr. Martin still held the handle of the knife and as Ethan fell, the blade slid in deeper and sliced upward. Blood oozed out of the wound, down my arm from where I held onto him, and dripped into the ashes.

  A scream of fury rent the air. The sky flashed with lightening as the spirits of the damned were denied their entrance into this world. Ethan’s blood had tainted the ashes. The only blood that could give them substance was mine. The air hummed and throbbed with their screeches and the ground heaved with the fury of the hunting party denied their souls.

  “No!” Mr. Martin roared his denial and reached for me, fury radiating in every movement. I was trapped beneath Ethan. There wa
s nowhere to go.

  Air came to me without being summoned. My Element, I thought. Emily said we were all bound to an Element. Mine was Air. The wind gathered around me and I threw it at him. It caught him mid-stride and held him as I’d intended.

  “I bind you, Jonas Paul Martin, from doing harm to anyone

  I bind you, Jonas Paul Martin from the using the Elements

  Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit, I call upon you to do my will

  And Bind Jonas Paul Martin’s powers this night,

  And forever let it be.”

  The wind whipped and tore at him, howling in its own rage. It ravaged him before dropping him limp and broken on the ground. I turned my attention to the screeching sky.

  “Spirit, banish these souls back from whence they came.

  Their time here has passed and never let them return.

  I command it and so shall it be on this holy night of Samhain.”

  The sky blackened and the ear piercing wails cried out in anger and frustration. I felt the calming peace leave me and wash over them, soothing their agony. The silver ruptures in the veil began to knit back together and a light rain started to mist down around us. It was a healing rain to purge the wounds of the past, to heal the anger in our hearts and souls, and to settle peace within us once more.

  I saw my father haul Mr. Martin up. I don’t know who untied him, but I was grateful. He’d deal with Kay’s crazy dad. I focused my attention on Ethan. His eyes glowed with his love for me. They were soft and gentle. They were also dulling, the life fading as I watched.

  “My Cassie,” he smiled down at me. “Didn’t I tell you to trust me no matter what happened?”

  “Ethan…” My hand came up to cup his cheek as he had done mine so many times before. Blood stained my fingers. His blood.

  “I didn’t know who you were until that day in the diner when you told me about your birthday. By then it was too late. I couldn’t kill you, I’d fallen in love with you, my little hellcat, and so I broke my promise.”

  “Your promise?”

  “I promised myself I’d get justice for Sara. That meant your death and there’s not a force in heaven or in hell that could make me do that.”

  “Shh,” I said. “We need to get you to a hospital.”

  “It’s too late, Cassie Jayne. I can feel it,” he grunted in pain. “I left to try and find a way to save you and I found it. There was only one way. The curse was a blood promise. Blood was the only way to stop it, blood given willingly in sacrifice, and I willingly sacrificed myself for you. You’re worth dying for, Cassie.”

  “Please, Ethan, please don’t leave me.” I hugged him to me. He loved me. I couldn’t bear to look into his eyes, to see the light fade from their beautiful depths.

  “I don’t want to,” his voice came out whisper soft.

  I cried harder. I damned everyone and everything. He was dying.

  “Hush now,” he whispered.

  “Ethan…”

  “I love you, Cassie Jayne Bishop.”

  I heard the soft rustle of leaves and smelled jasmine. Someone whispered his name.

  “Sara?”

  I looked up into his face. For one moment, it shone with joy and love and then he looked down at me. Pain filled his eyes. The sky had lightened and the stars were shining. In the moonlight I saw her. Long blonde hair swirled like a cloak around her as she stepped into the meadow. She smiled and held out her hand.

  “Matthew, it’s time to go.”

  “I’m sorry, Cassie.” He leaned down and brushed my lips with his. His body went limp and I knew he was gone.

  I saw him reappear beside Sara and take her hand. She smiled up at him, but then faltered when she followed his gaze to me. She stared into my eyes. Her face looked sad as she read the pain in mine. Then she led him away. He looked back, his eyes never leaving mine, as they walked away into the night, fading from my life as mysteriously as he’d appeared.

  He was gone.

  Chapter Thirty

  My dad pulled me up. He didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything to say. Instead, he pulled me into his arms and just held me. I wanted to cry, but couldn’t. There were no tears. I felt empty, cold. He was gone and there wasn’t a thing I could do to bring him back. But there was one person I still might be able to save.

  “Dad, Jeff,” I pulled away. “They shot him, please, you have to find him.”

  “I know,” he nodded. “I’ve already got people on their way to get him.”

  “He has to be alive,” I whispered. He had to be.

  Billy brought Kay over to me. Her legs were covered in burns and she whimpered as he moved her. She reached out blindly and I took her hand. I noticed Billy had used his shirt to bind the wound on her arm. Dad stepped away so we could talk.

  “Sorry,” she whispered hoarsely. “So, sorry.”

  “Shh,” I soothed. “Don’t talk. We need to get her to a hospital.”

  “I know,” Billy fretted, “but she wouldn’t go anywhere until she talked to you.”

  “You little bitch!” My mother screamed from behind me. I turned and stared at her in horror as she flew at me, Deputy Sims’ gun aimed and cocked.

  Time didn’t slow down like it did in the movies. It happened so quickly, I would have missed it if I’d blinked. Kay threw herself out of Billy’s arms and knocked me down. The bullet hit her instead of me. It threw her backwards a good ten feet.

  “KAY!” Billy let out a strangled cry and rushed to her.

  I stared at my mother. My mother.

  “Mama?” I whispered.

  “You ruined everything!” she spat. “Everything!” She cocked the gun again, but my father wrestled it from her.

  “Rebecca, you may have killed one child, but you will not harm the other.”

  “Daddy?”

  “I’m sorry, CJ.” He looked so tired. “I didn’t know before tonight. I swear I didn’t know she’d planned Emily’s death.”

  Planned it? “I…” Shock, anger, hurt—they all warred within me. She was our mother. She had planned Emily’s death?

  “I’ll deal with your mother,” he told me. “See to Makayla.”

  Kay—I forgot her when I heard Dad’s words. I ran. Billy’s hand pressed into the wound in her shoulder. Her face was graying. No, I thought desperately. I couldn’t lose her too.

  “CJ,” she gasped. “Love you…forgive me…so…sorry…”

  I couldn’t save Ethan, but I’d be damned if I’d let Kay die.

  “Spirit, aide me once more this night.

  Settle into your daughter and help her find peace and feel your healing balm.”

  Kay let out a gurgle of pain at the force of the blast that hit her. It didn’t just settle, it attacked. She cried out and tried to fight it, but in the end it was too strong. She collapsed into unconsciousness. I felt the Element begin to strengthen her, heal the wounds inside her soul, my soul.

  “She’ll be alright,” I whispered. “Get her to the hospital.”

  “No,” Dr. Allen, the town doctor shook his head. “There will be too many questions asked, Mistress. Bring her to the clinic. I’ll tend her there.”

  “I’m not…”

  “Yes, Mistress,” Mr. Corey nodded. “We tend our own. Marcus, take Rebecca, Jonas and Tom into custody. We’ll deal with them in the morning.”

  I stared in shock as Deputy Hall collected my mother, Mr. Martin, and Deputy Sims. He and a few others herded them away from the clearing.

  My father wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “You’re safe now.”

  "What is going on?" I asked him dazed. "Everyone was so intent on killing me, now they're..."

  He smiled at me. "The rain, Cassie Jayne. Spirit flows within it. It is commanded by your will. You have purged the hatred from their hearts with the strength and love in your own. It will take time for us to begin anew, but we will. You made sure of that."

  "But Mom..."

  He sighed. "Your mother damned herself
when she conspired to kill your sister. I'm not sure anything can heal the darkness in her soul or that she even wants to be healed. I'm so sorry, honey. If there's a way to help her, we can try if you want. It's up to you."

  “Everyone’s calling me Mistress.”

  “Because you are, sweetheart. You were born to be the Coven leader. The book chose you a long time ago. It saw in you all the qualities it recognized in the last true Coven leader.”

  “I don’t want this, Dad…”

  “I told you once before, Cassie Jayne, it doesn’t matter what you want or what you believe. You were born to be the Coven Mistress and you will.”

  “But I don’t know how…I’m not ready…”

  “I’ll help you.”

  “I…”

  “Shh.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead like he used to do when I was little. “It’ll be alright.”

  The town began to clean up the clearing. When they brought Jeff out of the woods, I beat his mother to the stretcher. He was alive. Relief swept through me and the hard ball of fear that had been in my stomach uncurled. I could breathe again.

  “Thank the Fates,” I breathed and grabbed his hand. “You’re alive.”

  He tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace. The bullet had hit him in the chest. It was a miracle he was still breathing.

  “We need to get him to the clinic, Mistress,” John, one of the paramedics, gently pushed me away. “He’s lost a lot of blood and the bullet is still in there. Doc has a lot of work to do.”

  “Let me help,” I whispered and called upon the Spirit once more.

  “Spirit, aide me again this night.

  Settle into your son and help him find peace and feel your healing balm.”

  He let out a painful gasp as the Spirit invaded his body, but I smiled reassuringly. The Element would keep him alive until Doc could patch him up.

  I nodded. “I’ll come see you in a bit, Jeff.”

  My dad wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “You know, sweetheart, love isn’t always fireworks and intensity. Sometimes love creeps up on you slowly and hits you when you least expect it.”

  “Dad,” I said in a warning voice. I couldn’t deal with this right now. Not yet.