“Yeah, give me some of your kale juice, and I’ll run it over to him.” It was not my fault the crazy dude went down there. I hadn’t used even a smidgen of my magic. But still. Damn it. Maybe I could help him somehow. I would’ve given him money if he was that desperate. “Dude, get your ass moving before that express train redecorates Spring Street with your insides. And watch out for the third rail!”
The guy stepped over the third rail and paused between the tracks right as the subway horn whistled through the station. I didn’t even have time to yell out before the express train raced by. Everyone on our side of the station stood frozen, waiting to see if the guy survived.
My arm burned like I’d touched an actual flame to it. I squeezed my forearm with my other hand while the train rumbled by. When it finally cleared, I sighed with relief. The guy was fine. I opened my mouth to tell him to come back to our side, but he’d already sprinted across the next track. I held my breath and watched. Hold up. Even if he makes it across, he won’t make it up.
I looked up to the other platform, but there was only one guy over there, and he had headphones on. Mister Psycho reached the other side, but like I’d expected, the ledge was too high. He was barely tall enough to see over. He jumped and tried to pull himself up, except it wasn’t working. The next train could arrive at any moment. I looked back to the man in headphones and narrowed my eyes. Connecting my magic with other people had always been a skill of mine. Goddess, don’t let me down now. I pushed my magic out with my mind and sent it right into the stranger’s feet.
He gasped and jumped up, looking around at the ground for what shocked him. Everyone on my side of the tracks was screaming and waving their arms around. When the man finally noticed us, he frowned and tugged his headphones out of his ears.
“HELP HIM!”
The man followed their gestures and cursed. He raced over to where the psycho was still desperately trying to climb up on the platform.
The pain in my arm flared. I hissed and looked down…and everything around me disappeared. My eyes widened. My pulse quickened until it pounded in my veins louder than the subway trains during rush hour. I stumbled back a few feet until I slammed into something hard. Black and red smoke seeped out of my pores on my left forearm. The pain ignited and moved, almost like it was a living, breathing entity.
What the hell is happening? This wasn’t from a cigarette. This was magic. This was my witch blood being called upon. Is someone hexing me?
I tried to think of a single witch who might’ve wanted to hurt me, except I couldn’t think of one. Sure, there were plenty I didn’t get along with. I hated every single one of the pretentious Manhattan witches I knew. But none of them were dumb enough to hex someone. It was strictly against witch law. All I’d have to do is report it to The Coven, and they’d be screwed. Their magic stripped from their souls. No one messed with The Coven. They were dangerous and terrifyingly full of power the rest of us could only dream of. If not a hex, then what is it?
The pain vanished faster than it came on. I frowned. The smoke still wrapped around my arm. I waved it away with my free hand and choked on a gasp. Oh my Goddess.
My jaw dropped. There on my left forearm, etched into my skin in black, were the letters XV. I swallowed roughly and ran my fingers over the Mark. It didn’t rub off. All of my other thoughts disappeared. I knew what it was. Every witch knew what it meant.
I grinned and a small, evil-sounding laugh I’d never made before bubbled up my throat.
Well, I’ll be damned.
The Devil has come to New York.
Things are about to get interesting when the Devil joins The Coven in Book Three of the Elemental Magic series, THE REBEL WITCH. Want to know how Tegan and Tennessee will react? CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive an email alert when it’s available in April 2018.
About the Author
Chandelle was born and raised in South Florida. She is the ultimate fangirl. Her love of Twilight, Harry Potter, and The Mortal Instruments inspired her to write her own books. When she’s not writing she’s on the beach soaking up the sun with a book in her hand. Her favorite things in life are dogs, pizza, slurpees, and anything that sparkles. She suffers from wanderlust and hopes to travel to every country in the world one day.
Copyright © 2018 by Chandelle Lavaun
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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The Brave Witch (The Coven: Elemental Magic Book 2) Page 22