Heat flared in my chest like a bonfire. My breath hissed through my clenched teeth. The pain spread to my shoulder and down my arm. “Never mind. He’s here.”
The front door opened, and bright sunlight poured into the living room. Tennessee’s dark form cut through the light, casting him in a silhouette. He reached out and slammed the door shut behind him. The wooden panels rattled. Or maybe that was my heart. His furious aura was downright palpable. The air around his body pulsed and shivered, like humidity on Florida’s streets in July. He narrowed those beautiful mismatched eyes on the room and moved forward. He didn’t speak as he walked.
Uncle Kessler reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder, then pushed him down onto the bench beside him. His massive hand stayed on my soulmate.
Uncle Kessler cleared his throat. “As I said in my text, Bentley has received a new prophecy. Bentley, nephew, go on and show them.”
Bentley pulled his sweater off. His shaggy brown hair fell into his face, but I knew it didn’t bother him. He held his little arm out for us to see…and my heart stopped. Oh my Goddess. Our quest prophecies were always four lines, but this one took up his entire forearm. The black lines stuck out on his pale skin. My Coven-mates groaned and cursed, gave surprised gasps and worried exhales. My pulse kicked into overdrive. My magic responded, surging to the surface like it thought I was in trouble.
I was…but there was nothing to do about it.
“What does it say?” Chutney whispered. “I can’t read it from here.”
Bentley cleared his throat. “To mend the bond between them all, These Elemental Powers you must call. When Eden fell, Water’s Stone was given, Look where The Coven’s secrets are hidden. First soar above the dragon den, At their core Air’s Stone has been. Then seek the lair tucked from the sun, But Fire’s Stone needs the blood from one. Next roll the Court’s twisted dice, For Earth’s Stone comes with a price. Last, summon thy magic to Power’s hand, Unleash Spirit’s Stone upon command.”
Easton cursed. “That’s way too long to be a good sign.”
“Changed my mind. I don’t want to go.” Larissa buried her head in her hands.
“But what does it mean?” Willow cried. She leaned forward and stared at the lines. “I don’t understand what it’s telling us.”
Silence.
Uncle Kessler sighed and scratched the back of his head. “It’s a quest, obviously. Bentley, please tell them what you told us.”
Bentley nodded. “The Goddess spoke to me this morning. She told me this quest was unlike any other, and therefore she won’t be telling us which Cards to send. She said to send everyone we can spare.”
“Spare?!” Willow cried. “Like…like they might die?!”
“No,” Tennessee and I said at the same time.
He glanced up at me, but then he nodded and looked away.
I licked my lips and tried to focus on anything but his anger. “The demons aren’t just going to lie down and wait for us to come back.” I looked over at Henley. The darkness in her eyes told me she was thinking the same thing. We both knew all too well how demons worked. We’d witnessed it firsthand.
“To mend the bond between them all,” Tennessee said. His voice was low and gravelly. “It’s the same line from the quest that sent me to The Gathering. That’s not a coincidence. George and Cassandra told me that quest was crucial for helping us close the Gap in Salem. At The Gathering, demons tried to kidnap Tegan—that’s not a coincidence either. They know things we don’t, or at least before we do. These last few weeks have taught us that. They’re going to try and stop us.”
“Not only that.” Henley cursed and pushed her ink-black hair back. “They’re going to raise hell. Possibly literally. They’re going to cause as much trouble as possible.”
“Which is why we can’t all go on this quest.” I looked around at all the worried faces of my Coven-mates, my family. “Some of us have to stay behind.”
“Who are you proposing to stay?” Timothy grumbled from the back corner.
I looked to Tennessee, not because I didn’t have an answer, but because he would have a better answer. When it came down to it, he was our leader. Not Timothy or Constance, not even Uncle Kessler. I had ideas, but I wanted his guidance on this. His eyes met mine. It was only for a moment, but it was enough to give me hope that not all was lost between us.
“One of our Leaders needs to return to Eden,” Tennessee answered and peeled his gaze off mine. “I suppose you two could decide that.”
“No,” I said before either of them had a chance. “Constance needs to stay.”
Timothy stood and glared at me, his face flushed. “And why the hell do you think that?”
“For the same reason she is still seated with a resting heart rate.” I shook my head and pointed toward our Justice Card. “Everyone knows what we’re up against here. Our community needs to see a calm, composed leader, or they will panic. Besides, I’ve seen your ice powers at work. We may need that and your battle skills. But also…she has a soulmate. Separating them will only cause a distraction in her mind that we can’t afford, nor can she. Trust me.”
Tennessee’s gaze snapped up to me, his eyes wide. But then he shook himself and cleared his throat. “She’s right. Constance, we need you to return to Eden.”
Constance nodded. “I’ll have the Swords of Edenburg ready. I’ll also contact our Headquarters around the world to warn them of potential threats. We have enough fighters to hold steady.”
“Perfect.” Tennessee scrubbed his face with his hand. “Evaline, I’d like to ask you to remain in Salem. You’ve been here. You know this city. We need your experience here.”
“You got it.” She smiled. “I’ve also got a nice little squad of warriors in town.”
Tenn pursed his lips and nodded. “Even better. Now, and this may seem counterintuitive, but I’d like Bentley to stay here with you.”
“You want to leave our Hierophant behind?” Timothy shook his head and crossed his arms over his big, burly chest. “Are you sure that’s smart?”
“With all due respect, Timothy, you haven’t been on one of these quests. I have.” Tennessee turned his attention to my parents. “He’s nine. Even if he’d been training every day since he moved to Tampa, he still wouldn’t be ready for the kind of conflict we’ve seen. If something happened to him… Well, the last thing we need is another quest to find a new Hierophant. We don’t have that kind of time.”
“Tennessee is right.” Bentley held up his hand to stop other people from arguing. “The Goddess told me some other things, spells and rituals I’ll need to complete before we can even attempt closing the Gap. I need to stay here to do it.”
“Then I’m staying with you.”
Everyone turned to look at Kenneth.
My parents exchanged nervous glances. I knew that had to be a terrifying proposal for them…to just leave their nine-year-old behind in the face of danger, but we had to. I knew in my gut this quest was only one step of the process. We’d need Bentley and Kenneth to start getting ready for the next part.
Easton raised his hand. “So, that means everyone else is going?”
“Yes,” Tennessee and I both said at the same time.
I blushed and looked down at my feet.
“Okay, this is all fine and dandy, but what does this prophecy mean?” Emersyn grabbed Bentley’s arm and held it out. “What exactly is this quest we’re going on?”
“We have to collect all five Elemental Stones,” Bentley said, like this was stupidly obvious.
“I’m sorry.” Emersyn frowned and shook her head. “The what?”
“When Eden fell and the world collapsed into chaos, the Heavens gave the Goddess a stone for each element.” Uncle Kessler stared at the ground for a long moment, then sighed. “Over time, She has given these stones out to different species for both protection and to use as a tool.”
Bentley nodded. “Right, and now we have to get them all back.”
“Th
at sounds easy,” Deacon grumbled.
Royce groaned. “I do not like the sound of this.”
“When Eden fell, Water’s Stone was given, Look where The Coven’s secrets are hidden,” Cooper said with a frown. “That’s obviously ours. So, what is it in Eden? Do we go there first?”
Emersyn scowled and looked at Bentley’s arm. “It says First soar above the dragon den. That must be the first stop, so then why mention the Water Stone first? Doesn’t make sense.”
She made a good point. These prophecies were worded in certain ways for a reason. “We must already have the Stone. That’s why it just says look—” I gasped as realization hit me. I glanced up at Bentley.
He smiled and gripped his locket in his little fist. “It’s right here, inside the locket. Your first stop will be the dragon den.”
Chutney gasped and sat up straight. She smiled and her eyes brightened. “Lonan!”
“Lonan? As in the Banished One?” Kenneth frowned and shook his head. “No, he wouldn’t have the Stone. Plus, he was banished from shifter home country when he was five.”
“Shifter home country?” Easton looked around with wide eyes. “They have a home country?”
Kenneth rolled his silvery eyes. “Of course they do. All supernatural species have one. We have Eden. The shifters have Issale.”
Easton whistled. He put both hands to his head, then pulled them away and made a poof noise. “Mind. Blown.”
Deacon snorted and shook his head. “Well, brace yourself, lover boy. There are also vampires who live in the Kingdom of Avolire, and from what I know, they aren’t fun to deal with.”
“Then seek the lair tucked from the sun, But Fire’s Stone needs the blood from one.” Emersyn shivered and leaned closer to Deacon. “Vampires. That’s where we go second, then?”
I was more worried about the next step. Dread filled my body, spreading like black ice in the thick of winter. The Court could only mean one species, and I had absolutely no desire to mingle with them. I’d take sleeping next to demons any day over that. The gold wave ring Keltie gave me tingled against my finger, like it knew, and it was taunting me.
“Who are the Court, then?” Willow asked with a frown. She wound her hair between her fingers. “Twisted dice? What does that mean?”
“Tegan? Tenn?” Cooper looked back and forth between Tennessee and myself with a frown. “You’re both looking like someone just killed your dog. Talk. Now.”
Tennessee’s brow was furrowed so deep I almost couldn’t see his eyes. He stared at the ground and twirled the silver ring on his hand. “It means the Fae, and let us all pray it’s the Seelie Court,” he whispered.
“There’s no way the Goddess gave an Elemental Stone to the Unseelies.” Henley moved over and sat on the couch beside Chutney.
“She didn’t.” Kenneth closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “She gave Earth’s Stone to the Seelie Court right after they helped us when Eden fell.”
Deacon whistled. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, eh?”
“What about the last part?” Larissa leaned forward and read the line on Bentley’s arm. “It doesn’t say a species, just Power’s hand.”
“That…I don’t know.” Bentley shook his head. “But Kenneth and I will try and figure it out while you’re finding the rest.”
“Hold up.” Royce jumped from the windowsill and walked over to us. “Is anyone concerned about how we’re going to get to all these horrible places? We only have ten days to get them and get back. We don’t even know where these monsters live!”
“The dragons are not monsters.” Kenneth chuckled. “Though I agree the other two are.”
I frowned. “You know them? Other than Lonan?”
Kenneth smiled like he’d had a pleasant memory. “When I was your age, I met with the shifter King in their home country of Issale. Unfortunately, that King has passed, but his son holds the throne now, and I hear good things about him. His name is Kothari, and I believe you will find the shifters are quite similar to our own race. Don’t go in guns blazing, and they should be reasonable.”
“Yeah, he’s looking at you two non-humans.” Royce winked.
“So the only person who knows where this Issale is and how to get there isn’t going with us.” Easton threw his hands up in the air. “Wonderful. Now how we getting there?”
“Actually…” Tennessee stood and looked right at me. “I was thinking Tegan could lend us her new acquired gifts and create a portal.”
My mother turned her eyes to me. “Can you portal to a place you’ve never been?”
“Technically, no. But I can channel someone else who has been there. I did that with Evaline before I brought y’all here.” I turned to Kenneth and cocked my head to the side. “It might be trickier, but I don’t see why I can’t use you to create the portal then close it.”
Kenneth laughed. “Girl, I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do.”
“That settles it, then. Tegan will portal us to Issale to meet the dragons.” Tennessee looked to his father, then to Timothy, before returning his stern gaze to us. “Everyone go now and get ready. We leave in twenty minutes.”
Chapter Five
TENNESSEE
“Tennessee?”
I looked up to find my father staring at me with both eyebrows raised. I frowned. “Yes?”
He smirked and shook his head. “I said, are you ready to go?”
“You said– Oh, I was zoned out again, wasn’t I?” I sighed and pushed my hair back. “Sorry. I’ve got to stop doing that.”
“It’s all right, son. We’re all under a lot of stress.” He ducked down to meet my eyes. “Do you have everything you need? Everyone else went to get ready, and you haven’t moved.”
“Oh. Right.” My cheeks warmed. I cleared my throat. “I’m ready.”
He arched one blond eyebrow at me. “Really?”
I rolled my eyes. Apparently I was the only one who left the house this morning ready for anything. But to appease him, I did one last check through. I shoved my hand in my pocket to make sure my pendulum, George, was in there. It was. I had my black jeans and black shirt on, so that was good. The black leather jacket Evaline had given me fit perfectly, like it was picked out specifically for me. My sword hung from the holster strapped around my hips. My dagger was tucked into my left boot, next to the socks I hadn’t forgotten. I had my phone in my back pocket and my wallet in my jacket pocket, just in case we somehow needed money.
“Yeah, I’m ready.” I nodded and looked up. There wasn’t anything else I needed. “You?”
My father chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, I’m ready. You okay, son?”
No, of course I’m not okay. Not even close.
The old wooden stairs creaked, and then Cooper stomped into the living room. He walked over and joined us in front of the fireplace. The denim jacket he had on was lined with some kind of thick, fuzzy white material. “Of course you two are the first ones back and ready. Mom and Dad are fussing over Bentley. I had to get out of there.”
I opened my mouth to ask him a question when my chest burned like I’d fallen into a fire. I growled through clenched teeth. My father and Cooper looked at me like I’d lost my damn mind, but then the side door opened and the object of my affection walked in. Tegan.
Her pale, gemstone-green eyes snapped up to us, and she froze like a deer in headlights.
My heart did little jumps in my chest like an Olympic gymnast. I scowled and crossed my arms over my chest to hide the tremble in my fingers. Wild, raw energy flooded my system at her nearness. Why do you still do this to me? It’d been long enough. I didn’t know when I’d get used to seeing her beauty and not go into a tailspin.
Her black hair hung loose and straight just past her elbows. The purple tips looked almost white in the sunlight shining through the big bay window behind me. It should’ve made me happy to see she wore the same outfit as me. It used to. But now it just made my chest burn, and I wasn’
t sure what that meant. She didn’t look ready to go. In fact, she looked exactly the same as she had before I sent everyone to get ready. Which meant she’d been ready, just like I had. I felt a piece of my anger chip away, but I wouldn’t show it.
She licked her lipstick-free lips and tucked her hair behind her ears. Her cheeks blushed a soft pink, and it took everything inside me not to reach out for her. She cleared her throat. “I’ll go get Kenneth.” She turned and ran out of the room.
“Now she’s running from you?” Cooper sighed. “Maybe you should give her a break.”
“Excuse me?” I growled.
He held both palms up in surrender and backed away. “I’m going to gather everyone.”
I glared at his back as he raced up the staircase. Maybe I should give her a break. He had some nerve saying that to me after the way he’d acted the last two weeks, though. We were barely even speaking until a few hours ago. But he thought I should give her a break. Her, the girl who stomped all over my heart. I knew it wasn’t real, that it had all been an act, except somehow that made it worse.
“You know, Evaline told me Tegan made sure she had jackets, boots, and extra weapons for everyone before she portaled us all here,” my father said softly. I must’ve made a face because he squeezed my shoulder. “I’m not saying I don’t understand why you’re angry. I’m just saying don’t punish her for this to the point that it’s punishing you, too.”
I opened my mouth…then shut it. He had a point, although I didn’t want to see logic yet. I was still mad at her. I had the right to be. “Yeah. Okay.”
He shook his head then walked over to the foot of the stairs. “Time’s up!”
By the time he rejoined me by the fireplace, everyone else was running down the stairs. Within seconds, the entire Coven stood in a big cluster of anxious energy and shot nerves. No one spoke or even smiled. They stood there with straight faces, waiting for the next step. The side door opened, and Tegan walked back into the room. Kenneth was right on her heels, though he looked considerably more relaxed than the rest of us.
The Eternal Witch (The Coven: Elemental Magic Book 5) Page 4