“I’m sorry, sister, who are these witches you have brought into my home and set loose to attack me?” Leyka put his hands on his hips. “I have never met these people.”
“They say you have—”
“And you would believe them over your own brother?”
“Because they are from the future,” Myrtle snapped. She sounded like a mother scolding her child.
Leyka’s ocean-colored eyes widened. “Pardon?”
I looked to Tennessee for help, but he just glared at Leyka like he wanted to let Emersyn scorch him. “Leyka, the seven of us are from the year 2018. You do know us. You simply do not know that yet. Where we come from, we are friends with you, your sister, and Saffie.”
Leyka opened his mouth then shut it. He pointed his finger at us. “You are telling me that you know me, and my family, some three centuries from now? How is that possible? Wait, Myrtle, does that mean you become…”
“Don’t.” She stopped him with a hand up. “Though, I am as curious to know the truth as you are, we mustn’t be told. We shall know soon enough what is our fate.”
“Easy for you to say. They didn’t throw flames at your face.” Leyka narrowed his eyes and moved to stand in front of Emersyn. “Whatever did I do to you?”
He made a valid point. Saffie and Myrtle had both lied to us. They clearly knew us, knew exactly in which year they would meet us, yet neither informed us of it. Leyka had done the same thing. So then why did Emersyn attack him so fervently?
Em glared at him for a long moment. Tears ran down her face. She shook her head.
“Libby,” Tennessee whispered.
“Who is Libby?” Leyka asked.
Deacon held out his left arm and pointed to his Mark. The Mark of the Devil Card. “She was the Devil before me.”
Leyka’s eyes widened. He backed away with his hands raised. “You’re Coven members? From the future. Wait, you blame me for your Coven-mate’s death?”
Tennessee groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands. When he pulled them away, his eyes were a little puffy-looking. “We can’t tell you. For the same reasons that you could not tell us the truth at the time. All you can know is that you sent us on a quest that ended up causing the death of our friend Libby.”
“It wasn’t directly your fault,” I added. Because it wasn’t. We may not know the exact reasons of why he sent us to retrieve that lotus flower from the Sirens, but it seemed obvious to me now that he knew exactly what he was doing. Because that Leyka knew exactly what was coming for us. “You also helped us a great deal.”
Leyka pointed to Emersyn. “Tell that to her?”
Emersyn groaned and buried her face in Deacon’s chest. “I’m sorry.”
Henley walked over and pressed her hand to Emersyn’s back. “Four of our friends died a few hours ago, and then we were tricked by the Seelie Prince and Princess and got sent back in time. We’re struggling.”
Leyka whistled and shook his head. “I am sorry about your friends, all of them. I am sorry if I played any part in that.”
“They’re the twins, Leyka,” Saffie said softly. She pointed to me then Emersyn. “From the new prophecy. They have to get home in order to seal it. We have to help them.”
“They cannot stay in my house. They cannot be seen by anyone else.” Myrtle walked over to the counter and started opening cabinets. “Can they stay here, with you?”
“Of course. Anything for The Coven.”
“Are you a witch?” Royce asked.
Leyka frowned. “What else would I be? No, wait, do not tell me.”
“Please, children, sit. Rest. I will see that you have proper bedding.” Myrtle gestured to the table then disappeared into another room with Leyka right behind her.
“We’ll be right back. Stay here,” Saffie said with a smile, then left.
Emersyn walked to the table and collapsed on the bench. “I’m sorry I embarrassed you. I just snapped.”
“It’s all right, Emersyn,” Tennessee said softly. He sighed and took the seat across from her at the table. “We’re all hurting right now.”
I slid onto the bench beside him. “Trust me, when we get back, we’re going to have words with him. Saffie and Myrtle, too.”
We were all silent a few moments as we sat there at the table taking it all in. It didn’t really seem real yet. I could almost convince myself we were playing dress-up or something.
My stomach growled, so I picked up one of the apples Em had thrown and took a big bite. The others all looked to me with wide eyes as my chewing echoed through the room. Then they shrugged and grabbed one for themselves.
“What do we do now?” Emersyn whispered. “How do we get back?”
“I was wondering…” Deacon swallowed the bite of apple in his mouth. “Tegan, can’t you open a portal to get us back? A portal is what sent us here. I mean, Kenneth said you could do anything.”
I frowned. He wasn’t entirely wrong. The Seelies had sent us through a portal. Kenneth had said he thought I could do anything with my magic. But still…it wasn’t a sure thing. It was a guess. I was still so new at making portals. Anything could go wrong. It was a huge risk.
“I don’t think she can.” Tennessee rubbed his temples.
“I mean, would it hurt to try?” Deacon shrugged. “Maybe give your magic a little whirl and see how it responds.”
I agreed with Tennessee, I did not think I could. Drawing a portal to travel from one place to another was a big enough feat. But going through time? It terrified me to even think about trying. Still, I wanted my friends to feel encouraged. A positive mentality was going to be crucial to our survival here. I waved my hand in the air. My magic responded immediately. Rainbow mist swirled around my fingers.
“NO!” Saffie screamed and ran into the room. “You mustn’t! You were sent here by magic of the Seelie Court. Regular magic will not send you back.”
Myrtle appeared in the doorway behind her, with Leyka by her side. “I am afraid she is right. You will need a different kind of magic.”
Leyka walked into the room and scratched his jaw. “I know you are impatient to get home. I would be, too. But an impulsive decision will only bring more harm.”
“I am going to go have a look at the Book of Shadows. Perhaps there is something of use inside it. You all must remain here, hidden and safe.” She walked toward the door then turned back to us. “You saw what it is like out there. The Sapiens are hunting witches. They are ruthless and brutal as a product of their fear. I cannot say this enough.”
“Mother, may I stay here with them?”
“That is a good idea, yes. Keep them safe, Saraphina.” Myrtle smiled. “Leyka, you too.”
“I’m going with you.” Leyka stomped over to the door. “Do not fight me on this one.”
Then they were gone. Saffie bounced over to the table and sat down. She didn’t say anything, but something about her presence gave me confidence. Something about knowing this young witch beside me was waiting for us three hundred years in the future. Looking at her now, I could picture her sitting in Lookout Tower, curled up on the couch waiting for us.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Saffie asked softly.
“I was just thinking about you.” I smiled and forced myself to look away. “It is strange to know that as we speak, three hundred years from now you are sitting there knowing exactly where we are.”
“Shit, that’s heavy,” Royce whispered.
Tennessee groaned. He didn’t look at her when he spoke, but I felt his emotions rolling inside him. “The last time I saw you, it was only a few days ago for me, but you gave me the strangest look and said ‘Tell me it’ll be okay. Tell me I’m okay.’ I thought…I thought you meant something else. Now…now, I think you were trying to talk to you.”
Deacon cursed and shook his head. “No, that’s heavy.”
“Are we really such good friends?”
“Yes,” we all said at the same time.
“This makes me
happy.” She grinned, but then her smile vanished. “I am sorry to hear of your friends. You lost them with the Seelies?”
Royce whimpered and groaned. He rested his forehead on the table. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t opened—”
“Stop.” Tennessee reached across the table and squeezed Royce’s forearm. “Don’t…don’t do that. You got us to the Fae, where we got the Stone. There is no way of knowing what awful things could’ve happened if we’d gone another way. All we can do now is honor them.”
Henley frowned and looked at me. “Where is the Earth Stone?”
I patted my chest. “Inside a little leather pouch, which is inside my bra. I was afraid to alter it like I did our other stuff.”
“I can’t believe they…they fell. All for a Stone.” Emersyn pinched the bridge of her nose. When she looked back to us, I saw the fire in her eyes I loved so much. “We can’t let them die in vain.”
“We won’t.” Deacon wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to get home.” Cooper leaned forward and met each of our stares. “Agreed?”
We all nodded, but the moment of strength and solidarity faded. I could tell in everyone’s eyes they were wondering the same things I was. What will we have to do? How long will it take? Will we be too late?
Will we all make it back home?
My stomach dropped like I was on a rollercoaster. I wrapped my arms around Tennessee’s and snuggled in as close as I could. Whether I made it home or not, I was doing so with him.
“Back home, it’s October twenty-fourth,” Cooper said into the silence. “Let’s keep track of time.”
Henley cleared her throat. “We need to do a ceremony for them. We owe them that.”
Saffie sat up straight. “After sunset, I can take you to a special place to do that.”
I smiled and nodded. “After sunset, then.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
TENNESSEE
“We are here,” Saffie whispered.
I frowned and stopped in my tracks. Here was a dark forest area surrounded by trees. The only light came off torches Emersyn had lit for us. Saffie wouldn’t let us use any other form of magic. I waited until Emersyn caught up to me then looked around. It wasn’t necessarily a bad place to do the ceremony, but it just wasn’t what we were used to. I knew it wasn’t a requirement, but when you grow up on the beach in Florida, it becomes the beacon for how you live your life. Both my father and Cassandra always told me: The beach is a very witchy place. Let it guide you.
“Where are we?” Emersyn asked from right behind me.
Saffie smiled and held up one finger. Her translucent light pink wings shimmered behind her back. She winked, then turned and walked between two trees. With every step she took, the dirt under her feet sparkled with shining, golden glitter. Her pale skin glistened like a pearl. She held her arms out to the sides and ran her fingers over tree branches and leaves. Everything she touched lit up like fireworks, sparkling in showers of gold and pink—like glowing glitter bombs. Her red hair grew brighter and flew around as if there were a breeze only she felt. Her wings fluttered behind her, and the energy around us warmed. It pulsed and tickled, like it was suddenly alive. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of little twinkling orbs floated in the air around her.
“How about this?” Saffie slowed to a stop then turned to face us. “Will this work?”
My jaw dropped. Words deserted me.
“Are those fireflies?” Emersyn whispered and moved to my side.
Saffie grinned and looked up. “They’re fairyflies. Whenever you see them, it means a fairy is nearby. They are drawn to us.”
“So you are part fae?” Royce asked.
“Yes, my father was, so I’m told. I never met him. It is not something I share with others.” She raised her hand like she was petting the fairyflies. “They wait for me here. They know this is my favorite spot. Will it be good enough to honor your friends?”
“Saffie…” Tegan stepped forward until she was cast in golden light. The fairyflies swirled around her like a puppy meeting a new friend. “It’s perfect.”
She was right. It was perfect. I walked through the two trees to join them and froze. My heart fluttered in my chest. I felt light on my feet. My magic tingled in my fingers like I’d summoned it. That golden glow twinkled like candlelight and wrapped around me. The fairyflies fluttered all around me. The rush of water sounded in my ears. A hint of saltwater swept into my nose. I felt the tug in my gut that only the power of Water ever gave me.
“Is the ocean near?” Tegan moved toward the edge of the little clearing we were in, to where a wall of darkness stood. “I feel it, though I can’t see it.”
Saffie skipped over to Tegan then dropped to her knees. The darkness blocked me from seeing what she was doing, but a second later, the ground illuminated a brilliant royal blue in front of her. The glow of the fairyflies reflected off the water’s flat surface. I turned and found the others standing behind me, marveling in the fairyflies swarming around their heads.
“Shall we begin?”
Their eyes met mine, then they nodded. One by one, they moved to stand in a circle with me near the water’s edge. The girls were only in their shifts, which fell all the way to their feet. Us guys had to keep our breeches on since our shifts only went to our hips. It wasn’t the way we wanted to look for this moment, though it was the best we could do. Normally, we always did ceremonies in our ceremonial white, but we were three hundred years from home and we didn’t have those. The Coven here couldn’t know we were around. It would have too many ramifications. They also had enough on their minds.
Besides, most of the Cards had died while they closed the Gap and hid it from the world. We’d learned from Saffie that the remaining Coven members decided to move the location of Eden, for everyone’s safety. Half of the Cards who were left—a mere handful—had left with most of the witch community to seek a new home.
The worst part was…I knew exactly what that had led to. I knew by the looks Tegan and Emersyn gave me they knew, too. It was a special form of torture to know you could help save so many lives but know you can’t interfere.
“May I?”
I glanced up and found Henley staring up at me with heavy, sad eyes. “Please do.” She was always better at this kind of thing anyway.
Henley gave me a small smile then looked down to the small bundle of flowers in her hand. We each had one. I couldn’t quite call them bouquets because we didn’t have near enough for that. But Royce had insisted we collect real flowers, plucked right from the earth. We all agreed. Using magic would’ve felt like cheating. Part of honoring them was putting in the work.
I raised my bundle of flowers to my face and sniffed in their scent. Each of us had four flowers, one to represent each friend we’d lost. Willow, Larissa, Paulina, and Timothy. I swallowed through the hot lump in my throat as Henley began the ceremony in our ancient language.
It just wasn’t fair. These people had been big parts of my life for twelve years. Even Timothy, who enjoyed giving me a hard time. I knew he meant well. I knew he worried about me, for me. Everyone else was always so eager and anxious for me to take the leadership role my Mark nearly always required…but not Timothy.
I’d always been secretly thankful for that. I wasn’t ready before. I didn’t want to be the one everyone looked to for answers. If my Coven-members had wanted to, they could’ve voted me into the lead whether I liked it or not. Timothy was the main reason that never happened. And now, I would never get the chance to tell him how much that meant to me.
Willow would never get the chance to grow into her own strength. She’d never get to see just how magnificent she could be. Larissa would never get to see just how important she was to our Coven. Her magic may have seemed minimal compared to what some of the rest of us could do, and maybe in the last few months it had been pushed aside, but most of us would never have survived our youth if not for her abiliti
es. Then there was Paulina. It took her a while to let us in. Hell, it took her a year to even be able to speak English. I wished I’d seen the connection between her and Braison. I would’ve encouraged it a long time ago. Now they’d been robbed of their time together.
A little fire soared in my chest, and then Tegan’s fingers tangled into mine. I looked down at her beautiful profile as she listened to Henley’s words. There was pain in her eyes, but with it a strength and fire I’d never seen before…and it terrified me. I knew deep down that my soulmate would do anything to see this prophecy through. She would end this. She would rid the world of the terror of the original twins’ destruction. If the first set of witch twins ever born brought darkness, then Tegan was damned sure the second set of twins would bring a lightness so fierce no one would ever doubt them again. I knew that about her. I loved that about her.
I feared that would take her from me.
Don’t look at me like that, she whispered into my mind. She looked up at me, and her pale-green eyes twinkled. I’m not going anywhere without you. I promise.
She wasn’t wrong there. Whether we survived or perished, we were doing it together. I squeezed her hand and stared down at her, wishing I could tell her how much I loved her without interrupting the ceremony.
I love you, too. She winked and gave me the most beautiful smile before turning back toward the circle.
I used to feel like I was floating around, lost in a world of chaos where no one could see me. But she changed all that. With her by my side, I felt calm. I felt strong. I felt whole.
“Emersyn?” Henley said suddenly and held her bundle of flowers out.
I glanced over to our Empress as she flicked her wrist. Flames danced in her palm for a moment, then she flicked them out. Six fire balls soared through the air and landed on our flowers. I held mine away from my body and waited.
Tegan walked to the edge of the water then knelt down with her palm out. A round block of ice formed under her hand, floating on the water’s surface. She held her flaming bouquet in front of her face for a moment then placed it on the ice.
The Eternal Witch (The Coven: Elemental Magic Book 5) Page 17