Trey exhaled slowly. “Shiiiiiiit.”
Jackson cursed and ran his hand through his golden bronze hair. “You heard her. Get moving.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jackson
Fourteen minutes later, I stood in the courtyard with Harlan, Trey, Gen, and Bettina—though I was desperately trying to ignore the last one. I was starting to wonder if my plan to keep my distance from her was even working. It didn’t seem to matter. If she was within eyeshot, she was all I could think about. I was starting to think I should just stop fighting my feelings for her and let it happen. Maybe then she’d be less of a distraction. But I’d wait until after our trip to the Crones to make that call. I didn’t want to act impulsively.
There was a flash of light, and then Tegan and Cooper appeared in the courtyard, with Royce and Evaline behind them. Tegan stepped aside and— Oh Goddess…is that Tennessee? Yeah, it definitely was him. The Emperor led the others toward us, and I was trying my hardest not to be completely intimidated by him. This guy was a legend.
Tennessee slowed as he approached us. He looked to each of us and nodded, like he was counting us in his head. Without stopping, he waved for us to follow. Bettina scurried to catch up to Tegan and walk beside her, which was fine. A little physical distance would be good. I hung back and gestured for the others to follow, then I closed in behind them. We walked across the courtyard, under the brick archway, and around a corner to where The Coven’s private plane sat waiting for us.
Katherine, the Lead Healer from Tampa who’d arrived with Kenneth, stood outside the plane. Her brown eyes looked sad. “He’s on the plane,” she said as Tennessee approached.
Tennessee nodded. “Thanks, Katherine.”
She smiled. “Good luck. Be careful.” Then she jogged away and into the building.
Tennessee turned and held his right hand out to the side. The air pulsed around us, and then a long all-black sword flew right into his open palm. “Let’s load up and get moving.”
I blinked and shook my head. Okay, that was cool. I remembered Warner saying he saw him do that at the Gathering. I wonder if Warner saw Bettina— Damn it. Not only had I let my thoughts drift to her again, this time Warner came with her. I wasn’t sure which was torturing me more—my best friend lost in the balefire or the girl who threatened to bring my whole world down around me. Between the two of them, I was a bloody mess. If Michael came now, I’d be so screwed.
“You okay, man?” Trey asked. “Nervous?”
Royce scoffed as he passed by. “Lancaster nervous? Doubtful. Boy’s got skills. Personally, I like our odds with him and Tenn together.”
I chuckled. “Thanks.”
Trey and I were the last to board the plane, right after Royce. I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone, but once, Timothy had let me use The Coven’s plane to fly home to England.
I groaned as a new wave of emotion swelled inside me. Not now. I need to keep myself together for this. I sighed and glanced around the plane, looking for a seat. Kenneth was strapped to a hospital bed in the back. His face was so calm and serene I would’ve assumed he was sleeping if I hadn’t known any better. Tegan, Cooper, and Evaline were over there with him. I looked away to give them privacy.
Harlan and Gen sat along the windows to my left, facing each other. Trey pushed by me to take the empty seat beside Gen. They were my friends, but my emotions were too frazzled to be near them. They knew me too well. They’d see. Trey had already asked. Except then Royce strolled by and plopped down next to Harlan, making my excuse for not sitting with them easy.
“Wait a second.” Bettina narrowed her royal blue eyes. “Didn’t you crash at my house in August because your plane crashed?”
“Yep.” Royce chuckled. “Demons ripped the wings right off. But no worries. Those two ain’t human. They landed us nice and safely. I have faith they can do it again.”
Bettina frowned and buckled her seat belt. She sat facing the front next to the windows to my right. “How in the hell did you do that?”
“Well, see, first the door ripped off, and Tennessee got sucked out. Then he landed on the windshield, and then—”
“All right, Royce, I think they get the picture,” Tennessee said from the cockpit. “You’re stressing Walter out with this.”
“We got you, Walter.” Tegan blew him a kiss then skipped over to sit across from Bettina. “Besides, I didn’t know half the shit I know now. We’ll be fine.”
I shook my head and walked down the aisle. Tegan probably meant that to be reassuring, but her blasé tone made me nervous. Or maybe that was just Bettina making me nervous, and it was filtering down to everything else. I sighed. I just needed to clear my head before we got to the Crones. There was a seat next to Bettina open, and in an ideal world, I would’ve been thrilled to claim that one. But right now, I needed to be far away from her.
Evaline sat in the seat directly behind her, which was fine, but that was still too close. So instead, I took the seat behind Trey and settled in as the plane engines roared to life, and we took off. I heard the others talking, but I blocked it out and closed my eyes. For a few minutes, I managed to ignore every sound around me…then she laughed. My eyes flew open, and I immediately regretted it.
Bettina was just barely visible from my seat. Her long, wavy blonde hair draped over her shoulder, and I had the random and completely foreign desire to twirl it around my finger. I groaned. Get yourself together, man. Someone walked up the aisle by me then sat down next to her. Someone with broad shoulders and buzzed-cut blond hair. Someone with the Mark XVII on his muscular arm. Someone named Cooper Bishop.
Cooper leaned into her and laughed.
A strange rush of heat filled my body. Bettina giggled and touched his arm. I clenched my teeth and gripped my armrests. I’d made this bed, so I needed to lie in it. She was free to flirt with any guy she wanted to. Cooper was free to pursue her. I was free to pluck my eyeballs out of their sockets.
Bloody hell, Lancaster. Pull yourself together.
I forced myself to look away from them…only to land on Tegan and Tennessee, who seemed incapable of sitting in their own seats. The middle armrest was up and their limbs were all tangled together. They both wore black ripped-up jeans, so the only reason I could tell whose leg was whose was by the color of their skin peeking through the rips. Tegan had a fair complexion, whereas Tennessee was tanner than I was. Tegan giggled and nestled in closer to him. He looked down and pressed his lips to hers—and my stomach rolled.
Yeah, the lovebirds are NOT bloody helping right now, mate.
I squeezed my eyes shut. I was done watching. There was nothing I wanted to see. This was the perfect time to get an extra nap in. I took a few deep breaths and concentrated on slowing my runaway pulse. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard the chirp of someone’s phone.
Tennessee chuckled. “Saffie just texted me. She wants to know if I’m team Coke or team Pepsi…and when are they going to decide the winner.”
I couldn’t have said how long I slept, but when the plane dipped lower, my eyes flew open. The earlier conversation about plane crashes replayed in my head. Except everyone else was calm and chatting with the people around them. I took a deep breath and shook my hands out.
A couple minutes later, the wheels of the plane touched down, and we rolled to a stop. I jumped out of my seat and all but sprinted toward the door. I just needed to get out of this Bettina-filled bubble. I needed fresh air. I needed to clear my senses before I did something reckless like tell her I didn’t care if she was a distraction.
I glanced over my shoulder to Tennessee then nodded toward the door. “Can I open it?”
“Yeah, go ahead,” he drawled and got to his feet.
That was all the answer I needed. I turned back to the door and slid the handle. It popped open with a hiss then slid across to make an opening.
I looked down and gasped. “We’re on the bloody water.”
Tegan giggled and pushed past me. She l
eapt out of the plane and landed on top of the water. She winked at me and gestured toward the ocean under her feet. “Come on, don’t be scurrrred.”
This is nuts. I jumped out and braced myself to sink under the water’s surface, but instead, my feet hit a rock-hard surface. I looked down, and my jaw dropped. It was the ocean. Literally, the ocean. I was standing on top of the ocean. Holy hell.
Tennessee stepped off the plane like it was level surface. He pointed a little ways over to a marina. “And there’s our boat. Let’s get to the Crones.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bettina
We were making crazy good time. I still couldn’t believe how stupid fast our boat was going. I knew it was thanks to Tennegan, which was my new name for them after that snugglefest I’d just had to witness. They spent the entire plane ride cuddled together. And now that we were on the boat headed towards the Crones, they didn’t get any better. They had to be touching somehow in five different ways. I was so happy for my best friend, that she found her actual soulmate. I didn’t begrudge her this moment…but I couldn’t watch it anymore.
I snuck away while they were snogging and walked down toward the front of the boat. With the sun shining and the water such a pretty turquoise, I wanted to feel them both on my skin. I walked around the mast—and slammed into something hard. I cursed and bounced backwards, but something hot caught me by the arms and held me upright. I looked up and found aquamarine eyes staring down at me. Why is it always you? I really need to pay attention when I’m walking.
“Are you okay?” he whispered then licked his lips. He brushed small circles into my arms.
I took a step forward, and then our chests touched. Warmth shot into all of my limbs. “Yes, thank you,” I said softly and popped up on my tiptoes.
He leaned into me and lowered his head like he was going to give me what I wanted…and then he was gone. I had no idea what he might’ve said before he stormed off because my brain had stopped working. The sunlight made his golden bronze hair glisten under its rays as he practically ran from me. I groaned and resisted the urge to pound my head into the mast.
I spun around and scanned the boat for a lifesaver, someone to distract me from myself and the brooding, beautiful British boy I couldn’t have. Then I spotted Cooper sitting on the white couch in the middle of the boat. He was cute and funny, and super nice. The epitome of the all-American good guy that most girls would swoon for. I liked Cooper a lot.
Lennox’s words echoed through my brain, and I realized she might’ve had a point. If I couldn’t have my Lancelot, then why not give King Arthur a chance?
He glanced up when I approached. A wide smile spread across his face. “Hey, you okay?”
I smiled and nodded. “Just nervous, ya’ know. Could use a distraction.”
“Well then, let me fill your head with nonsense.” He grinned and patted the couch beside him. “It’s working for me so far.”
I chuckled and slid onto the couch beside him. “What are you doing?”
“Texting.” He held his phone up. “Our friend Saffie is just too much. Do you know her?”
“No, but I’ve heard about her.”
I knew Saffie was a half breed—half witch and half fairy. I knew that she was the main reason they made it back to present day. I also knew that somehow she got cursed by someone, and it shrank her size and bound her to the land where the theme park sat. I knew she was over three hundred years old — actually, I knew everything about her.
“Well, when we got back after Samhain we went to see her. We had to. That was when we realized she knew nothing of modern culture. She hid during the day when the park was full of humans, but then at night, it was just her and animals.” He held up his phone again. “Tegan gave her a cell phone and programmed all of our phone numbers. Now she texts us constantly about all this crazy shit.”
I slid closer, enjoying the scent of his Irish Spring soap and the warmth of his skin. He really was handsome. “Like what?”
He held his phone out to me. “Go ahead, scroll through. That shit is gold.”
I leaned over and reached for his phone. Our fingers brushed. His skin was warm and surprisingly soft. I smiled and forced myself to focus on the screen. It took me several tries before I could focus on the words and not whether I was attracted to Cooper. Damn you, Lancelot. But then I read Saffie’s texts, and my mood lifted. They were solid gold indeed.
Do you know this boy Harry Potter?
I like him. I want to be his friend. We should help him defeat Voldemort.
Fear in a name only increases fear in the thing itself, that’s what Hermione says.
I like this Hermione. She reminds me of Tegan.
When we break my curse can I go to Hogwarts? I want to meet McGonagall. And Hagrid. Do you think Fluffy is still there?
I think I’d be in Gryffindor. Or Hufflepuff.
But I hope Gryffindor.
All of those were sent within five minutes of each other. I was dying to know which of the movies she was currently watching.
Then there was a response from Cooper: Why do you hope Gryffindor? Hufflepuff is a great house. So is Ravenclaw.
Because all my friends would be in Gryffindor, Saffie had responded immediately.
Idk Tegan might be Ravenclaw or Slytherin, Cooper replied with a bird and snake emoji.
I smacked Cooper’s arm. “Tegan would not be a Slytherin.”
Cooper just chuckled.
What? No way. Nope. Tegan is too loyal and kind for Slytherin. And too rebellious for Ravenclaw. She’s a wildcat, like a lion.
I laughed so hard I actually snorted. “I like this girl, Cooper. She’s smart.”
Tegan walked over to us and leaned on the post. “We’re gonna be there soon. Let’s get Kenneth ready.”
“Soon?” Cooper jumped to his feet and turned to look out at the water. “Last time it took us hours.”
“Last time y’all didn’t want to spook us.” She shrugged. “Plus, you only had Tennessee, and it was nighttime, so he was more concerned with maintaining energy for a potential attack.”
“Yeah, now we got two non-humans,” Royce said as he strolled towards us from the front of the boat. He stretched his arms out wide and grinned. “And loads of sunshine.”
Tegan started to back away. “Y’all go down with Kenneth. Tenn and I are gonna do some more non-human shit to get us there faster. When we arrive, we’ll open it up down there by him.”
Royce saluted her then bounced down the stairs like Tigger.
“Call for us if there’s trouble,” Cooper said as he followed Royce.
“Yes, big brother.” Tegan rolled her eyes then looked at me. You okay?
I nodded, even though that wasn’t even slightly accurate. I was a hot mess, the hot emphasizing the steaming pile of shit I felt my life had become and not my physical appearance.
Liar. Tegan smirked and spun around. She marched over to where Tenn was manning the steering wheel. I’ll let it slide. For now.
The truth was I was playing mind games with myself, and I hated it. Tegan had told me to follow my gut, that my instincts had always been spot-on and that I should trust them. But the problem was, with everything going on in my head, I couldn’t tell my instincts from my elbows. If I wasn’t thinking about Jackson, then I was in a nasty mental loop over Timothy, Erin, and Warner. The guilt over failing to save Timothy. The worry over Erin’s health that wasn’t improving. The crippling fear that we’d never find Warner. It was too much.
I shook myself and followed Cooper down the stairs and through the cabin. As he walked, the muscles in his back and shoulders tightened and made warmth fill my cheeks. He really was handsome. Any girl would be lucky to date him.
But then we turned a corner, and my eyes landed on Jackson’s sharp profile. My heart fluttered. Adrenaline rushed through my body like he’d hit me with a taser. And then he looked at me…and it was like alarms went off in my brain. My legs felt wobbly as I moved to stand b
etween Royce and Cooper at Kenneth’s bed. Why can’t I feel like this for Cooper instead?
Stop this. You’re about to meet the Crones. You need to focus.
I took a deep breath after chastising myself, then focused my attention on the Card lying unconscious in front of me. His skin was pale and ashy, and his breaths were heavy. He had the prettiest silver hair I’d ever seen. Someone had taken his glasses off, and I wondered where they’d gone to. I wondered if he’d ever need them again. The last time I went to check on Erin, I’d asked about Witch’s Shock because I knew Kenneth had it. Katherine had explained just how awful it was. She also told me that if Tegan wasn’t the Aether Witch, she would’ve died from it. I hadn’t even known she’d had it. She left that part out.
Kenneth and I hadn’t been close. I’d only met him once or twice, but he’d been super friendly. Not that that mattered. He was sick, and I hated to think he was suffering. I wanted him to know we were there, that he wasn’t alone. I reached out and placed my hand on his wrist, then squeezed. Rainbow mist billowed out from under my hand, then shot across his body like some kind of forcefield.
I frowned and looked up at Cooper. “Is that…Tegan’s magic?”
He nodded and placed his hand next to mine on Kenneth’s arm. “Yeah. She can give some of her magic in small portions to try and stabilize someone.”
“It saved Deacon’s life…and Tennessee’s,” Royce said softly and shivered.
“I hope it’ll save his, too,” Jackson whispered.
I looked up and found him holding on to Kenneth like we were. The Lancaster red rose tattoo almost looked real lying across his arm. He peeked up under dark eyelashes and met my gaze for a moment before he sighed and looked back down. I glanced at the others, and found we’d all reached out to hold him. Evaline had her eyes closed, and her lips moved like maybe she was mumbling a prayer to herself. More of Tegan’s magic spread over our Hermit’s body.
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