Chapter Eleven
JACKSON
It took all of ten minutes for me to walk to my old dorm. But I was a nervous mess the whole time. We’d succeeded. We rescued him. Yet, I still felt like I’d failed him.
I pushed through the door and strolled inside—then froze.
Warner sat on the edge of his bed with his elbows on his knees and staring through the glass balcony doors. A rush of emotions slammed into me, and I struggled to swim my way through them. I sighed, but it sounded strangled.
Warner’s head snapped in my direction. His hazel eyes widened.
For a moment, we both just stared at each other.
Then he jumped to his feet and cleared his throat. “Jackson.”
I charged over and wrapped him in a big hug. It didn’t matter if showing my emotions wasn’t socially expected. I’d lost that battle. Too much had happened. It was an overwhelming relief to have my oldest and best friend back.
Warner didn’t fight it or push me away. After a few seconds—or hell, could’ve been minutes—we both stepped back and cleared our throats. His gaze darted all around the room, so I backed away and sat on the edge of my bed—my old bed.
Warner walked over to the balcony door and scrubbed his face.
“I thought you might’ve gone to the hotel with the others…”
He shook his head. “I did at first, was in kind of a daze. But then Constance and that Devil dude showed up. They said I could’ve stayed there with the other rescues if I wanted to.”
“But you chose not to?”
“Man, this one chick said she’d gone for a walk…two hundred years ago.” He shuddered. “This other guy had on a toga. A toga, Jackson. They may have gone in the balefire same as I did, but that’s about all we have in common.”
Two hundred years ago? Bloody hell. I couldn’t imagine being in there for that long. The few minutes I was in felt like an eternity.
I shivered. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired. Anxious. Freaked the hell out.” He peeked over his shoulder. “How did you get out? You went in before I did.”
“I have no idea. Bettina has some…interesting magic. I suspect she did something, even if she has no idea what that was.”
He sighed and hung his head. “I can’t shake this, man.”
“Of course not, mate. And that’s okay.”
“Is it?” Warner spun to face me with a wild light to his hazel eyes. “How am I supposed to move on if I can’t shake it?”
My thoughts went immediately to Henley and everything she’d been through. “I’m not sure what to say to help you through this, I mean, you know I’ll try anyway. But one of the Cards, Henley Redd… She was possessed by a demon last month…maybe Henley is someone you should reach out to.”
“That’s…that’s probably a good idea.” Warner walked over to his bed then threw himself down on it. “What the hell happened, man? We were all in there, then—” He shot upright. “Where’s Erin? I didn’t see her.”
My stomach turned. “Something got her, and before you ask, we’re not really sure what they are. She’s alive, but barely. Mona has her in the infirmary.”
Warner cursed then turned and mirrored my pose, his elbows on his knees. “What happened, Jackson? After the balefire. What did I miss? I mean, it’s Thanksgiving and the world hasn’t ended, so I’m assuming The Coven closed the Gap in Salem?”
I blinked. I’d completely forgotten why we’d gone in there the first time. “Yeah, yeah, they closed it. You probably saw them, right?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I saw the Emperor when we came back through the gate. Dude is terrifying. Just like he was at The Gathering.”
That made me smile. “He is. But don’t call him that. It makes him all twitchy. Call him Tennessee.”
Warner narrowed his eyes on me. “You chummy with The Coven now?”
Oh, right. I pulled my left sleeve up until my XXI Mark was visible. “I am in The Coven now.”
“Oh, shit.” Warner’s face brightened. He actually smiled and leaned forward to inspect my arm. “Hell yeah, my man. Congrats. That’s incredible.”
My cheeks warmed. “Thank you. Just happened, right before we went back into the Old Lands to find you. I haven’t gotten used to it just yet.”
“You deserve it, Jackson. I bet Timothy is thrilled. He must be so happy.”
Timothy.
Oh no. He doesn’t know.
Of course he doesn’t.
My heart felt like it was breaking all over again. Every inch of my body turned ice cold.
“Jackson?” Warner whispered, but I couldn’t look up at him. “Jackson, what happened? Why you lookin’ like that?”
I closed my eyes and hung my head. “Timothy died.”
“WHAT?” Warner must’ve jumped to his feet because I heard the floor creak under him. “No. No, no, no. How? When? What the hell have I missed?”
I looked up and found him pacing our dorm and cracking his knuckles. It hadn’t even been a month, yet so much had happened. It wasn’t his fault he’d missed it. I took a deep breath…then filled him in on everything he’d missed. Timothy. Joseph and the shadows. Bettina’s blocked magic. My soulmate. Everything. He listened in silence and eventually sat down across from me again. When I finished, he just shook his head and stared at the ground.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for Timothy’s funeral. For you,” he said softly. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
I nodded, but didn’t speak. I didn’t trust the emotions bottling up inside me.
“And you have a soulmate? Like…for real?”
I groaned. “Bloody hell. Yes.” I pulled the collar of my shirt down and showed him the white mark on my skin.
He shook his head and smirked. “Bettina, right?”
I made a weird, strangled kind of sound that I’d never, ever heard myself make. I scrubbed my face with my hands. “It’s not her.”
“Oh…shit, Jackson. Sorry.” He cursed some more. “Of course not, you’d already met her. Sorry. Man, really? Damn, that’s a tough break. You were feelin’ her hardcore— Oh, right, sorry. Not helpful.”
I cursed. He wasn’t wrong, and that made it all the worse. Bettina Blair’s arrival had affected me in ways I’d never experienced. She’d done something to me. I had feelings for her, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with them now that she wasn’t mine. Hell, I hadn’t even when I thought she could be.
“Tegan and Tennessee both promised to let me go look for…her…on Crone Island soon. But then I joined The Coven, and my priorities have shifted.” I rubbed my jaw and glanced around. “Which reminds me, Cards aren’t allowed to live in the dorms, so I had to move into Coven Headquarters.”
Warner’s eyes widened, and his face paled. “Oh…okay. I’ll…uh…I’ll be fine. I’ll just… I’ll just, uh…” His gaze bounced around the room.
My heart sank. When we’d gotten back from the Old Lands that first time, I hadn’t been able to sleep alone in this dark room. Neither had Bettina. That was the night she slept in my bed. That was the night I really fell for her completely.
That’s not helpful right now, mate. I scrubbed my face with my hands.
I couldn’t leave him in here alone. That balefire was haunting and torturous. A darkness both void of life and full of it. An empty nothingness with eyes on your back. Those cries for help still echoed through my ears. A cold chill slithered down my spine. No, I couldn’t leave him here alone.
Except I wasn’t allowed to be in the dorms anymore. It wasn’t about being more important; it was about safety. But there were a bunch of empty rooms in Headquarters. Ones that Kessler said were a safe haven for witches in need. Warner was definitely in need.
A plan formed in my mind, so I pulled out my cell phone and shot Kessler a text. Then something Warner’d said before registered. “Did you say it was Thanksgiving?”
He frowned. “Yeah, apparently.”
“Let’s go eat ourselves into a food coma.�
�� I jumped to my feet and stretched my legs. “Does it make me a traitor to my family if I partake in Thanksgiving festivities?”
“Dude, you’ve been in America longer than you were in England. Hate to break it to ya’, but you’re American.” Warner chuckled. “Though you sound even more British than I remember. I didn’t realize I’d gotten used to it.”
“If my accent hasn’t deserted me in a decade, I’m not sure it ever will.”
Chapter Twelve
BETTINA
Cooper and I had taken our time walking to Headquarters, and it was…nice. Pleasant. For those few moments, I’d forgotten about the stress of life and all the pain that came along with it.
But then we walked through the front door, and it all came crashing back. The only thing keeping me hanging on was the fact that we’d gotten Warner back out. That, and the fact that Tegan had woken long enough to want to see me.
I started toward the stairs to head up to her when I heard boisterous laughter coming from the living room. I peered inside and found Easton, Braison, and Bentley lounging around with grins on their faces.
“Oh, hey, Coop, you’re just in time for the show,” Easton yelled from the couch.
Cooper frowned and stepped farther inside. “What’s going on?”
“I’m taking bets,” Braison said from where he was leaning against the fireplace. “Better get yours in now.”
Cooper sighed. “What now?”
“Easton, got any metal you can lend me?” Kessler shouted from out of sight. “It’s the only thing that has a chance at working,” Kessler grumbled.
I hurried into the living room and followed their gazes…then froze.
Constance, David, Hunter, Devon, and Kessler were huddled around one of the dining room chairs like they were a football team. Behind them, Paulina, Lily, Chutney, and Willow were in the kitchen cooking. Emersyn and Deacon were setting the table with huge grins on their faces. Henley was perched in the big bay window next to the dining room table with a massive book in her lap, though her eyes were twinkling and watching the others.
Royce stood behind Constance and appeared to be videotaping on his cell phone.
“Knight in shining armor, comin’ right up, sunshine!” Easton downright giggled. He snapped his fingers, and his entire body was covered in silver metal. “How much you need?”
“What’s going on?” Cooper asked again and strolled into the living room. “Dad? Mom?”
“Hunter, hold him in place,” Kessler said in a rush. He reached out and took the full leg piece of Easton’s armor.
Constance and Devon stepped back, and my jaw dropped.
They had Tennessee pinned to the dining room chair.
There was a golden glow of light hovering all around him. Then it dawned on me. Hunter was altering his emotions to be calm while they held him down. Kessler ripped the large piece of metal in half like it was a sheet of paper. Then he took the four-foot-long strip and bent it around Tennessee’s body and the chair…strapping him against it.
“What is happening here?” Cooper said with a tight voice, like he was trying not to laugh.
Everyone else wasn’t bothering to hold it in.
Hunter chuckled and glanced over his shoulder to his son. “Desperate times, desperate measures.”
“Yeah, we’re just being responsible adults.” Constance nodded, then moved out of the way so Royce could get a better angle. “He has to eat.”
Devon grinned. “Parenting is hard.”
With a wide, devilish smirk, Kessler ripped more pieces of metal then used them to tie Tenn’s hands to the armrests. “Sorry, son, you’ve left me no choice.”
Tennessee glared at everyone and thrashed against the straps, but the metal didn’t budge.
Royce looked up from his phone and nodded. “I’m getting video to show Tegan when she wakes up.”
Tegan. My stomach turned. She was still unconscious, or was back under at least. But she’d wanted to see me. As much as this show in the dining room was hilariously entertaining, I needed to go check on my best friend.
I cleared my throat. “Um, where is Tegan? Which room?”
At the mention of her name, Tennessee thrashed against the metal straps again.
Kessler laughed. “Son, pull all you want, but these ain’t budging.”
Cooper pointed up. “Penthouse. Go ahead up. I don’t want to miss this show.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. Tennessee would get them back for this. When I got to the top of the stairs, I found there was only one bedroom door, and it stood wide open. I skipped inside then slid to a stop. Trey sat beside the bed on a wooden chair with a large leather-bound book open on his lap.
“Hey, what ya’ reading— Wait, is that the Book of Shadows?”
It was. I’d seen it. Tegan had showed it to me herself.
Trey blushed and shrugged. “Hey, it was just sitting here. I couldn’t help myself. Could you?”
I pursed my lips and thought about that for a second. My initial reaction was to say of course I could, but then I really thought it through. “Probably not.”
Trey grinned and closed the book. He set it on the nightstand then got to his feet. “I came here looking for Jackson and Warner, but they’re not here, so I decided to check on her.”
I groaned and moved to take the seat he’d just vacated next to my best friend. “Yeah, we need her back. She’s the only one who can put up a border to actually keep Joseph out.”
“Is that true? No one else can?” His voice was soft and tender.
“Not according to Cooper.”
He cursed lightly. “Well then, let’s hope she heals quickly.”
“Oh, and there’s a big Thanksgiving feast at school… That’s probably where Jackson and Warner are now.”
He ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair and chuckled. “Oh, duh. I’ll go check there. Thanks. I forgot it was Thanksgiving. Later, B.”
I gave him a high five, and then I was alone in the room with Tegan. Or at least I assumed it was still her. She looked like a stranger. Her black hair was sheet white. And I knew that when she opened her eyes, they’d be white and gold only, no green. I didn’t understand what any of it meant, but the others seemed to. Which, I technically assumed was a good thing.
I took her hand in mine then squeezed. Rainbow magic coiled around both our palms. Whatever was wrong with her, it appeared her magic had gotten possessive. Even while she slept, the rainbow defense showed its face.
After about ten minutes of silence, I squeezed her hand. “All right, T. Wake your ass up any time now.”
With a sigh, I hurried down the stairs and back into the living room. Trey was gone, and Tenn was fully strapped to a chair. I glanced down at the table, and my heart sank. The entire Coven was seated at the table, waiting for Thanksgiving dinner. One I didn’t belong in. They were one big family, and for the first time in my entire life, I was alone for a holiday.
“Bettina.” Hunter patted the empty chair beside him. “Saved a seat for you, kiddo.”
Chapter Thirteen
JACKSON
“Are you sure I can be here?”
I paused on the front porch to Coven Headquarters and pulled out my phone. “See, Kessler invited you for dinner. Also, I asked if you could crash here. Before you fight me on it, just enjoy a holiday meal, and we’ll discuss after.”
He followed me inside while saying something, but his words cut off. It was completely silent. I frowned. Kessler had specifically told me they were here.
“Dude, we in the right place?” Warner mumbled behind me.
I turned to my left and walked into the living room—then stopped short.
The entire Coven was collapsed on a long dining room table…with their faces in their dishes. Like they’d all been cursed to sleep at the exact same moment.
Or poisoned.
No one moved. I wasn’t even sure they were breathing. Tennessee was strapped to a chair with pieces of metal. His head ro
lled on his neck and his long black hair swayed.
My heart climbed up my throat.
I ran over then slid to a stop. What do I do? What the bloody hell happened here? My pulse raced through my veins. I pushed my magic out and felt each and every one of theirs like little sparks of electricity. They were alive…but…what the hell?
“OH SHIT,” Warner yelled right behind me.
Tennessee’s head rolled back and he gasped. His mismatched eyes rolled in opposite directions. I ran around the table to his side and pulled on the metal straps, but they wouldn’t budge. My magic surged into my palms, and I pushed the little blue neon flames against the metal. It hissed and started to warp.
“The food is still hot. It’s steaming.” Warner picked up a glass full of golden liquid and sniffed. “It’s apple cider. But I don’t smell any poison or anything.”
My stomach turned and flipped. I sent my magic out of me and pushed it around the room like Deacon had taught me. But I felt no danger. Not an ounce of malicious magic.
I gripped his shoulder and shook him. “Tennessee? Tenn. Talk to me.”
His lips moved but his words were barely even a whisper. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. His body twitched and thrashed against the metal restraints. His head rolled back.
“Tenn!” I leaned closer but still couldn’t hear him. “What was that?”
His head snapped up, and he looked straight at me. “I said, Royce, did you get that on video?”
What.
“You know I did, boss!”
I looked up, and my face fell. The entire table burst into laughter. They sat up and cackled, high-fiving each other and clapping.
“Oh, that’s cold,” Warner said, but he, too, was laughing. “Ice cold.”
Goddess. I leaned back on my heels and put my hands on my hips. “Are you bloody serious right now?”
Royce stood from the head of the table and held his phone up. “Lancaster, man. You gotta see your face.”
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 56