She can’t see it? I could’ve understood the others being blind to it, but not Tegan. It didn’t make sense. It unnerved me.
Easton threw his hands up. “If she can’t see it, then how the hell can he? No offense, Lancaster.”
I shook my head. “None taken. I was just thinking the same.”
“Because this is his fate, not hers.” Bentley took the coin from his sister, then handed it right back to me. “From what I’ve learned of his test, which isn’t much, there are things only he will be able to see and do. This coin is just the start of it.”
“That’s bloody fantastic,” I grumbled.
Tennessee leaned his elbows on his knees and watched me. “I’m not surprised. We’d like to help you in any way, so why don’t you tell us what you see on this coin?”
I nodded then swallowed down a rush of emotions and fear. “On one side, it’s a lotus flower, which I assume is some kind of mark of Heaven or Angels since you’ve all seen it used by them before.”
“Yeah, what is the deal with the lotus flower?” Emersyn asked from behind Tegan.
Tegan shrugged. “It’s a symbol of peace and tranquility, among other things, but I’m not sure the specific significance to the Angels.”
“What’s on the other side?” Tenn asked.
I sighed. “A prophecy. Six lines. Seek The Sword that pays the price, Before third dawn or sacrifice. For magic’s hand She’ll give thrice, Look within the Mirror’s advice. Through the Strait and roll the dice, Find the hidden rose marked twice.”
Deacon shuddered. “I don’t like that.”
“All right, well, the first two lines are obvious.” Tennessee leaned back. “He has to find Michael’s sword by the third dawn from today.”
“Or sacrifice?” Royce scratched his head. “What does that mean?”
“He’ll lose his magic,” Bettina whispered.
Everyone turned to look at her, then back to me.
“Jeebus.” Royce plopped down on the couch and shook his head. “That’s intense.”
“Like I said, I don’t like this.”
“Right. But it’s the rest of this that I don’t quite understand.” I looked back at the words on the coin. “I feel like I should, but I’m not seeing it.”
“That roll the dice part… It reminds me of another prophecy we had.” Cooper crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ll want to be ready for a trick on that, and maybe even an ambush or attack.”
I wanted to glare at him and tell him to piss off, but that was only because he’d kissed Bettina. When I looked at him, that was all I saw. Except he’d made a good point. I’d be foolish not to take his advice. I just needed to not look at him.
“Thanks, I’ll be on the lookout.”
“Find the hidden rose…” Bettina pointed to her left thumb then to me. “You obviously have to find something with two roses on it.”
I opened my mouth then closed it. Huh. “I hadn’t thought of that. Good call.”
“Tegan and Tenn, you’ve both been quiet,” Willow said from somewhere in the room, though I couldn’t see her. “What are you thinking?”
“Hopefully on the middle two lines,” Chutney said with a laugh.
Too right on that. Those were the lines I really had no idea on.
Tegan and Tenn just stared at the ground not speaking.
Royce flicked his wrist, and yellow flower petals hit them in the face. “OUT LOUD, you two.”
Tenn cursed and hung his head.
Tegan pursed her lips and eyed the coin. “In the third line, is she capitalized?”
I frowned and looked down at the words again. “Yes. Yes, it is. Does that mean something?”
Tenn nodded without lifting his head. “It means the Goddess.”
Then it hit me. The two of them already knew what the lines meant, and they didn’t like it. Although I couldn’t fathom why.
“We’ve seen the word Mirror in a prophecy before. I’m assuming that word is also capitalized?” When I nodded, Tegan sighed. She reached inside her jacket pocket and pulled out a deck of cards. “The Mirror’s advice refers to my Tarot Cards. Sometimes when we go on quests, we have to read the Cards to see who has to go.”
“For magic’s hand She’ll give thrice.” Tennessee looked up. “It means three people are going with you to find Michael’s sword.”
My chest tightened. Three people. I’d expected to have to go alone. Taking three people with me was a Godsend. But I didn’t understand why the two of them looked so serious about it. Realization hit me—they suspected one of them was going to have to go with me, and they’d be separated. And by the way Tenn kept giving Tegan side-eye, I knew which one of them they thought was going. I both hoped they were right and wrong.
Because I’d hate to suffer the wrath of Tennessee if Tegan was hurt on my quest.
Tegan slid off the coffee table and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of me. She held the deck of cards between her hands and closed her eyes. Rainbow mist coiled around her hands. Bettina skipped around the sofa to sit behind her. She leaned over Tegan’s shoulders with wide royal blue eyes. Her long blonde hair fell forward and grazed her knee.
Focus, Jackson.
I shook myself and refocused my eyes on Tegan just as she set the deck of cards on the hardwood floor. Then she flipped the top card on the pile and placed it on the floor in front of her. I gasped and leaned forward.
It was me.
As in…literally me. It said THE WORLD and had the number XXI on it. And a picture of my face.
My jaw dropped.
“Yeah, creepy, isn’t it?” Henley said with a chuckle.
Tegan smirked and flipped the next card.
High Priestess.
Tennessee cursed and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I knew it.”
Tegan didn’t respond or react out loud, but I knew by the look on Tenn’s face she was talking to him telepathically. She flipped the next card, and my stomach turned.
The Star.
Cooper.
Bloody hell. You’ve got to be bloody kidding me. I bit down on my cheek to stop myself from making any noise or faces. The last thing I needed was for Cooper to know how much I wanted to rip his tongue out and slap him with it. The jealous rage he caused in me was unsettling. I didn’t trust myself with these thoughts. I’d never had them about someone before.
“So that’s three. That’s everyone, right?” Braison asked from the back of the room.
“No, Jackson is a given. The line says the Goddess is giving him three helping hands.” Kessler rubbed his palms together. “There’s one more.”
Tegan hesitated. The energy in the room was tense and thick enough to cut.
“If it’s Tennessee, I’m gonna lose my shit,” Easton grumbled and tugged on his hair. “We can’t be left here again without him.”
Royce nodded and shifted his weight around. “Agreed. Not with Joseph. That dude is coming back, and we all know it.”
Tegan took a deep breath then flipped the next and final card.
I didn’t recognize what I saw, but it wasn’t Tennessee. The whole room exhaled with relief. Except for Tenn. He looked absolutely lethal.
Bettina scowled. She looked back and forth between the fourth card and the rest of the room. Then back again. “I don’t understand. Who is it?”
I looked back at the card. “Queen of Swords? I don’t recognize the person on it.”
It was a raven-haired girl with pale, shimmering wings and a long purple gown. She held a long sword that glistened in the sunlight in the background. I was looking at it upside down, but I had no idea who it was.
“I do.” Tegan chuckled and picked up the card. She turned it around and pointed to the girl’s free hand. “She’s holding angelic runes. The same angelic runes we saw in someone’s magic.”
Everyone turned to Bettina.
Her face paled and her jaw dropped. “Me?”
Tegan nodded. “Congratulations, B. You’ve be
en bestowed the honor to help restore the Lancaster bloodline.”
My heart sank. My stomach rolled.
Bettina was going with me. So were Tegan and Cooper.
A whole variety of emotions and thoughts rushed through me, but I couldn’t focus on a single one. A bomb had exploded inside me, and it was going to take a minute to collect all the pieces.
Tenn stood and pushed his hair back. “It’s late. You four need to get to sleep.”
“Sleep?” I shook my head. “Wait, no. I only have until the third dawn. My time is limited—”
“Stop.” Tenn raised both palms to me, then shook his head. “I understand. But I need you to trust me. If you leave before getting some sleep, you’ll only be hurting yourself. At dawn, Tegan will portal you four to Crone Island to see Myrtle. As she requested.”
Chapter Thirty-One
JACKSON
“Call me if Joseph shows his ugly face, okay?”
My stomach turned at Tegan’s words. Joseph. I’d actually forgotten for a few hours that we were in the middle of something dangerous. Michael had picked the exact wrong time. I needed to be home in Eden helping to defeat our enemy. And worse than that, I was taking three of Eden’s best fighters with me. I was terrified someone would get hurt because they were understaffed.
I only had forty-eight hours to find this sword.
But with Joseph’s thirst for revenge, that felt like a lifetime to be away.
“I’m serious.” Tegan fisted Tennessee’s black shirt and tugged. “I can portal here within seconds, from anywhere. Just call me.”
“I know, Kitten. We will. All of you keep your phones on.” Tenn tapped one finger on Tegan’s chest. “You’ll know faster than a phone call if I need you.”
Tegan shuddered. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
A pale golden light filled the room, and the weight on my chest eased. My breaths came easier. My legs stopped twitching. I glanced over to Hunter, and he met my gaze then winked. I really, really liked his gift. I knew it was fake, that he was forcing me to feel relaxed and calm, but damn if I didn’t appreciate every second of the relief. I wasn’t going to have more of it for forty-eight hours.
Unless I failed.
Panic surged inside. What if I fail? I’ll lose my magic. I’ll have to leave Eden. I’ll have to live a human life.
A large, warm hand gripped my shoulder, and that golden light brightened around me. The panic receded to the back of my mind. It was there, but I couldn’t feel it. I peeked up only to find it was Hunter. I hadn’t even seen him move over.
Kessler cleared his throat. “The first dawn is upon you now. You better get moving. We will call if there’s an emergency, but we want you to stay by Jackson’s side. Make sure he comes home with that sword.”
Hunter sighed and pulled his hand off me. He turned to his two children, though Tegan looked nothing like him. “You have everything you need?”
Tegan and Cooper nodded.
“Money? Identification? Passport? Food? What about—”
“Dad.” Tegan reached out and squeezed his arm. “Yes, we have everything. Besides, laws are more like guidelines, right?”
“And Deacon gave us his parents’ credit card,” Cooper said with a wide grin. “It’s black and heavier than my sword.”
“Max that shit out, my friend.” Deacon chuckled.
“Deacon,” Constance hissed. “Did you ask your parents?”
He rolled his violet eyes. “Of course. Emersyn made me.”
Emersyn shook her head. “Do not max it out. I’m finally allowed to call her Heather.”
Henley and Royce threw their heads back and cackled.
Kessler sighed. “All right, you better get going.”
Tegan snapped her fingers, and a white box opened up right in the middle of Headquarters’s living room. Everyone said their goodbyes and good lucks, but I went through it in kind of a haze. It felt wrong to be leaving at a time like this, when Eden was under attack from one of our own. It was cruel of Michael to come now. I should’ve known better.
Bettina stepped in front of me and gave Bentley a hug, and our eyes met over his shoulder. Heat filled my entire body. It was like getting struck by lightning. My pulse went nuts, sending adrenaline rushing through me. All from a damn look.
Then Cooper stepped up beside them and ruffled his brother’s hair.
And a whole different kind of heat pumped through me.
This was going to be a long forty-eight hours. I wondered if Michael had specifically chosen Bettina and Cooper as my companions just to mess with my head. To ensure I stay distracted at all times. From the very moment I’d laid eyes on Bettina, I knew she’d destroy me. I knew she’d be too much of a distraction. Yet never had I imagined it would come like this.
Tegan, Cooper, and Bettina stepped into the portal.
Tennessee moved in front of me. He held his left hand out, and my eyes latched onto the IV Mark. “For the record, you’ve already done the Lancaster line proud. Just breathe. You’ve got this.”
I shook his hand and exhaled. “Thank you.”
He nodded then backed away.
I stared at the portal and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. Without another thought or look in my Coven-mates’ direction, I leapt into the portal…and landed between Bettina and Cooper on the shore of an empty island. My brown boots sank into the powdery sand. A warm, salty breeze swept over my face and through the strands of my hair.
Above us, the sky was a rose-tinted blue as the sun inched its way above the horizon.
First dawn.
Two more left.
My heart flipped and my stomach sank. This was all too real.
“Tegan?”
We all jumped and turned just as Evaline came rushing toward us. She looked the same yet different. And it wasn’t because she wore the white dress Crone uniform. Her smile was wider, and it reached her eyes, making her whole face light up. Her hunter green eyes sparkled in the sunrise, and her curly brown hair was more vibrant than it used to be.
“EVA!” Tegan cheered and skipped toward her, then pulled her former Coven-mate into a hug. “I was hoping we’d see you today.”
Evaline chuckled. “Something told me to come here and watch the sunrise this morning.”
Cooper hugged her. “Evaline, you look fantastic.”
“She looks happy,” Bettina said with a smile as she hugged her.
Happy. I wondered if I’d ever looked that way. I doubted it.
Then Evaline turned and pulled me in for a hug. When she pulled back, she placed her hand over my Mark. “How is my Mark treating you so far?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “It’s been a whirlwind, but good. Are you regretting giving it up?”
But she was already shaking her head. “Not for a second. I have never been this happy. I never thought I could be this happy.” When she spoke, that blue rune of truth sparkled on her chin.
I sighed with relief. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“But you’re not here to catch up with me.” She winked at me then held her hand out to Tegan. “Come, let me bring you to Myrtle.”
Tegan took her hand—and then we stood in the middle of that same room we’d been in the last time we were here.
Myrtle sat at a table covered with open books and piles of crystals. Across from her sat a woman with dark black hair and big blue eyes. They looked up as we appeared, but neither looked startled by our sudden appearance.
The mystery woman smiled and jumped to her feet. “Oh, The Coven. Such an honor to meet you.” She bowed her head.
“This is Hilary.” Eva held her hand out, and Hilary took it. They grinned at each other. “My girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. My heart fluttered as something dawned on me. My soulmate was on this island somewhere. It probably—most definitely—was not the time to seek her out, but I didn’t know how I was supposed to ignore it.
“Jackson?”
I jumped and looked
up, only to find Eva and Hilary had left. The others were all watching me with expectant eyes.
I grimaced. “Sorry. My mind is mud. I can’t seem to focus on anything.”
Myrtle cocked her head to the side and watched me. She held one finger up then disappeared through a door. A few seconds later, she came back holding a teacup. “Tegan, be a dear and heat this up for me.”
Tegan touched the side of the cup with one finger, and rainbow magic coiled around it.
“Lovely, thank you.” Myrtle smiled and handed it to me. “Here, drink this tea.”
Tea. I took the cup and then took a sip. It was warm and sweet and exactly what I needed. I hadn’t lived in England in a decade, but apparently the love of tea was something you just never grew out of. I had a few more sips, and the haze that filled my mind lifted. My thoughts cleared like someone had wiped away the fog.
“Better?” Myrtle asked, watching me.
“Yes. Thank you.” I licked my lips and glanced at the others. There was a reason we were there, but it would have to wait for a moment. I needed to know something else first. “Myrtle, have you— Did you find— Has anyone—”
“Your soulmate?” she asked with raised eyebrows. When I nodded, her eyes turned sad. “I’m afraid she is not here. Evaline and I have checked every single person on this island. No one has a soulmate glyph.” The blue truth rune flashed.
The world rocked. My breath left me in a rush. How is that possible?
She shook her head. “I am sorry. I will talk to Bentley, see if we can help you connect with her.”
That damn truth rune glowed strong. Part of me wished she’d been lying. It would’ve been better than this unknown. I just wanted to meet this girl who was supposed to be perfect for me. At least then I could stop dying over Bettina every minute. Maybe then I wouldn’t hate how close Cooper stood to her.
Myrtle frowned and glanced to the others. “Is…that why you’re here?”
“Michael has come,” I heard myself whisper.
Myrtle gasped. For the first time since I’d met her, she looked shaken. Her cheeks flushed, and she fidgeted with her braids. “Michael came for you? Already? When? Tell me everything.”
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 65