I walked farther inside and let the memories flood back. A rush of emotions surged inside me, and I had to fight to swallow them down. I was home. Actually home. I couldn’t believe it.
Everything looked exactly the same as when I’d left. It was still an elegant, ancient mix of styles. From the dark hardwood floors to the white walls with metallic gold trimmings. The red carpets and checkered tiles. The famous works of art hanging in thick gold frames on the wall and the custom murals painted on the ceilings. It wasn’t one set era of décor. Too many generations of Lancasters lived here over time. There was a huge log of who did what and where. One day I’d explore all of it.
I can’t believe this is happening.
A door on the right opened, and a dozen little yellow birds flew straight across the room. A woman chased after them with a broom that sparkled at the tips. She squealed and chased them down a hall.
The door on the left flew open, and two women walked out. One was shorter and plumper and wore khaki, and I recognized her as the groundskeeper named Alice. The other was tall and lean, in a pressed blouse and green pencil skirt. Her hair was more unruly than I’d ever seen it. And she was barefoot.
Alice handed the other woman a stack of pamphlets. “You just have to pick.”
“Thanks, Alice, I will. Ask Edward—" She spotted me and froze. She screamed and charged at me, sprinting full speed.
I braced myself. Bettina pulled Michael’s sword up.
“JACKSON!” She tackled me so hard I actually stumbled back a few steps. Her arms wrapped tight around my shoulders.
I sighed and let her Chanel perfume trigger all of my childhood memories. A smile pulled at my lips, and I didn’t fight it. I held her tight with the one arm I could still move. “Mom.”
Bettina gasped behind me.
My mother pulled back and held my face in both of her hands. Tears poured from her hazel eyes. She glanced up at the crown on my head then back to my eyes. “Oh, sweetheart. My love. I can’t believe you’re here,” she cried then pulled me into another hug.
“I can’t believe I’m here, either,” I whispered and held on tight. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t planned on coming here.
The universe had a funny way of working things out.
She sniffled and stepped back. “Welcome home, love. I am so proud of you.”
My cheeks warmed. My throat burned with emotion I wasn’t expecting. It was just nice to be here, with her, to hear her say that. Somehow in the last decade, I’d planned for everything except what happened after I succeeded.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks, Mom.”
She shook her head and chuckled, tears still raining down her pink cheeks. “Goddess, you did it. You passed. You succeeded. I knew you could do it. I knew it. Look at this crown, it looks wonderful on you.”
“Thank you. I’m just happy it’s over.” I grinned and pointed behind me. “Would you like to see it?”
“You have it with you?” She glanced over my shoulder. Her eyes widened. “Oh, hello! I’m sorry, where are our manners? Jackson, my dear, are these your friends?”
“Oh, God. Yes, I’m sorry.” I spun around and found Tegan leaning against Bettina, who was struggling to hold the sword. “These are two of my friends who helped me find the sword. Bettina Blair and Tegan Bishop.”
“Bishop?” My mother perked up. “Oh, heavens, a Bishop in our home. What an honor. Hello, I’m Pippa Lancaster.”
“Tegan, here.” She pointed to herself, grinned, and wagged her eyebrows. “No offense, but I’m about to pass—”
Her eyes rolled back and she dropped.
I cursed and dove for her. She landed in the crook of my elbow, half lying on the hardwood floors. I dragged her backward toward the green velvet sofa.
“Jackson, what’s wrong with your arm?”
I paused and glanced up to her. “It’s kind of, temporarily, paralyzed. Long story.”
She gasped, then scurried over, picked up Tegan’s feet, and helped me put her on the sofa. Then she grabbed my right arm. “Temporary, you say?”
I grimaced. “Well, our Lead Healer back in Eden told me she can fix it.”
“Oh, good. Good. I used to be a healer. Did you know that? Maybe I can be again.” She smiled wistfully, then shook herself. “Now, where is this Bettina I’ve heard so much about?”
My eyes widened. “Mom,” I hissed.
But she didn’t hear me, or she ignored me. She turned and absolutely beamed at her. “My my, aren’t you a pretty one?”
Bettina’s cheeks flushed deep pink. She fumbled with the sword then held her left hand out. “Um, thank you. It’s nice to meet you. Sorry to barge in unannounced—”
“This is Jackson’s home. He needs no announcement.” She shook Bettina’s hand, and then her eyes widened. Her face paled. “Is this… Is this…”
“Yes.” I stopped beside her. “That’s Michael’s sword.”
“He didn’t take it from you?” she whispered.
I shook my head. “Not yet. I can’t actually touch it. Hurts too much. Like being electrocuted, I’d imagine. Somehow, Bettina can hold it.”
My mother stared at it in awe. “What happened to your friend? Ms. Bishop?”
“She touched the sword. Long story.”
She looked up at me and frowned, then cupped my cheek. “You look exhausted. All three of you. Why don’t you go get some rest before this evening.”
“This evening?” I frowned. “What’s happening this evening, Mom?”
“OH, I didn’t tell you!” She giggled and shook her head. “We’re celebrating, of course. We all got our magic back this morning thanks to you, and we want to honor that. We didn’t know you’d be here, but you’ll stay, won’t you? Please?”
I opened my mouth to say no, then closed it. I hadn’t planned on being here, and I wasn’t interested in a fancy celebration…but my family deserved it. This was a huge moment for us. For the Lancasters. How could I not stay? Besides, Tegan needed to rest before we could portal.
“Of course, Mother.” I smiled. “Although, we only have the clothes we’re wearing…”
My mother clapped and bounced on her feet. “This is the best day ever. Got my magic back, got my son back. Don’t you worry about clothing. I’ll have something brought over for you three.”
“Um, Tegan here is probably going to be out all night— What are you doing?”
She was wiggling her fingers around, and little sparks came out. “Magic! I used to be quite good at this. Give me a second.”
I stepped aside and stood next to Bettina.
Sparks of magic flickered out of my mother’s fingers—and then Tegan floated into the air. My jaw dropped. Bettina gasped.
“YES!” My mother squealed and skipped down the hallway with a floating, sleeping Tegan following right behind her. “Come along, my dears!”
“She has magic,” Bettina whispered with a smile and followed her.
“You have magic?” I half shouted then chased after them. “You had magic? Mother?”
My mother was grinning from ear to ear as she moved backwards down the hall. “I was born with it, but then I gave it up for your father.”
“What?”
“Water under the bridge, my love.” She waved me off then turned a corner. “Come now. You must rest for the ball tonight!”
“A ball?” Bettina gasped. She looked over her shoulder at me. “I’ve never been to a ball before.”
I have. They were not my thing. Bettina and my mother were talking excitedly about the ball this evening as we followed the hallway around a few corners until we got to the area of the estate where the bedrooms were. It was all so unnervingly familiar. Which on one hand made sense, since this was the house I grew up in. But I’d also moved away at six years old. Yet nothing had changed.
My mom stopped and opened a door, then paused and glanced over her shoulder. “Am I correct in assuming you and Ms. Bishop would like to share a room? I thought perhaps you�
�d like to keep a close eye on her?”
Bettina sighed and nodded. “Yes, please. That would be perfect.”
“That settles it, then. Go on inside.” She gestured into the room from the doorway.
As soon as Bettina stepped inside, Tegan floated in behind her. My mother gave me a wink then skipped along after the girls. When I got inside, the first thing I noticed was Bettina’s face. Her eyes were wide and her jaw hung loose. She spun in a slow circle. I chuckled and shook my head. I always forgot just how impressive our home was. We called it an estate, but it was just a big castle.
My mother cleared her throat from the opening of the closet. “Inside here is the safe. We like our guests to feel secure, and I thought you might like to lock up Michael’s sword while you rest? No one else needs to know it is here, right?”
Bettina sighed and the tip of the blade clanked against the hardwood floor. “Thank you. It’s so heavy.”
“All right, well, then I shall leave you to settle in and get some rest. If you need anything, there is a phone on the nightstand. Just pick it up and hit the star, and our housekeeper, Miranda, will answer.” My mother smiled then walked over to me. She squeezed my arms and popped up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “So happy you’re home. I assume you remember where your room is?”
I chuckled and nodded. “Two doors down on the left?”
She grinned wide, but I saw a flicker of emotion in her eyes, like maybe she was worried I hadn’t remembered. “Perfect. I’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I watched her leave, then I turned to face Bettina but only found Tegan asleep on the bed. “Bettina?”
“What the hell kind of safe is this?” she yelled from inside the closet.
I chuckled and joined her inside. The closet was the size of my dorm room back in Edenburg, and the safe was another section of it.
“An ancient one.” I walked over and opened it up. “Go ahead. Stick that thing in here.”
She stepped inside the safe and propped the sword up against the wall, then she hopped back out. “There’s only one opening for this safe, right? I don’t want anyone to steal it. And is the combination something everyone in this estate knows—”
“No, how safe would that be?” I winked and fiddled with the mechanisms on the inside of the door. “This safe is like two thousand years old or something. They made it so we can reset the combination whenever we want—but it has to be done from the inside with the door open. Now, watch as I enter the combination because I don’t want to say it out loud.”
She nodded.
The combination was a set of three two-digit numbers. Slowly, so she could see, I entered the numbers of each of our Marks. 02. 20. 21.
“I like that. Easy to remember.”
I nodded and shut the door. We both pulled on the handle as hard as we could, but it didn’t budge. When we were both satisfied that the sword was safe, we strolled back into the bedroom.
I cleared my throat. “Um. So, yeah. The bathroom is through that other door. You should find everything you need in there. They keep this room fully stocked for guests. If you need anything, call for Miranda—she’s a super nice lady—or come and get me.”
She looked up at me and smiled. Her cheeks flushed. “Two doors down on the left, right?”
“Right.” Before I could stop myself, I reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. “It won’t be locked, and there’s no need to knock. Just come in. Although I warn you, my room is bigger than this monstrosity.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “So I might get lost inside?”
“You might find me lost.” I grinned and went over to the door, then paused. “I’m serious, though, just come get me. For anything.”
“Thanks, Jackson.” She was already kicking off her shoes. “Get some sleep.”
I nodded then turned and headed toward my room. My thoughts were a blur, a million things racing through my head at the same time. I was so caught up in it that I didn’t notice the large person sitting on the bench just inside my room.
I gasped and stopped short. “Dad.”
His eyes lit up, and they were the exact same color as mine. He jumped to his feet and hurried over to me. Normally my father was always in control of his emotions, like the true British man he was. But when he got to me, he fisted my jacket and pulled me in for a bear hug. We were about the same height, but his arms were thicker than mine. He held me so tight my lungs burned in protest.
My emotions cracked, and I started to fall apart. My eyes burned, and there was a new lump in my throat. I held on to him tighter. For a few minutes, we stayed like that. My father and I hadn’t had the easiest relationship when I was a kid… I hadn’t understood it then. But I did now. I understood the worry and fear in his eyes all those years. The stress in his voice. The anxiety when asked about my training.
After a while, he released me and stepped back, but he kept his hands on my shoulders. His eyes were red and his tanned cheeks were flushed. He sniffled and cleared his throat. “Welcome home, son. I am so very proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said through the lump in my throat. “Did you want to see the sword?”
“No, no.” He shook his head then took a deep breath. “That power isn’t meant for us to wield. Now, I’ll let you rest. I’ll see you at the party, right?”
“Of course. Wouldn’t miss it.”
He smiled and patted my arm, then walked out the door. As it clicked shut, I turned and headed for my bed. I kicked my boots off and walked to the edge of the king-sized glory—and froze. Sitting propped up by my pillows in the center of the bed was an envelope. I frowned and grabbed it, then pulled out the single piece of paper inside. My jaw dropped. My heart stopped.
On the paper were a dozen words written in elegant scroll.
Congratulations. Keep my sword safe until I return for it. – Michael.
Chapter Ten
Jackson
I remember why I hate balls. It’s too much. This is all too much.
There were too many people. There was too much noise, voices, and music. Too much food. We could’ve fed an entire town with the feast here. Not that I’d gotten to sit down and enjoy a plate. I couldn’t chew a single bite without someone asking me something. My father had pulled me aside into the kitchen to let me scarf down a plate of roast beef and potatoes.
Apparently Bettina was here, but I hadn’t seen her. I’d checked on her on my way down at the start of the party, but she’d still been getting ready. That was the last I’d seen her, and I hadn’t even gotten my eyes on her then. And that was three hours ago. She could’ve been standing right behind me, and I wouldn’t have been able to see her.
If I paused for more than a second, the lions pounced on me. I didn’t blame them. They were just excited. Every single person here was a Lancaster, or married into the family. And everyone had just gotten magic for the first time. Today. They all knew it was me who gave it to them, and they only wanted to thank me. I understood. But it was too much. It was too overwhelming. Questions flew at me every second. I didn’t even get a chance to answer one before the next one came. And they were all the same questions over and over, from different people.
How was the quest? Did you get hurt? Who are your friends who helped you? What did Michael look like? What does the sword look like? What happened to your arm? What’s it like being in The Coven? Are you moving back to London now?
I sighed and maneuvered my way through the crowd full of evening gowns and tuxedos. It was actually my first time in a tuxedo. The last ball we’d had when I lived here I was six, so that tuxedo didn’t count. Every time I’d come home since then, my parents had cleared the house. No balls or galas. Which I’d appreciated very much.
That was all I wanted right now. A quiet night at home with my parents. And grandparents, who were also here, but I hadn’t been able to find them again since the crowd arrived. I didn’t want to complain, though. Even though I hated being the center of at
tention, I understood the need to celebrate this moment. I just wanted to hide out until it was over then pick at the leftovers from the buffet. I still couldn’t believe my parents actually had a buffet and not a sit-down, five-course meal. I’d always asked them to do buffets as a child.
“OH, Jackson!” An elderly woman I didn’t recognize waved at me from a table ten feet away. “Jackson!”
I smiled and waved, then ducked behind a waiter carrying champagne—and froze.
There she was.
Bettina.
My breath left me in a rush. My heart fluttered and my pulse did weird things. She stood a few tables over talking to Louis, my cousin, who worked in the security hut. My lungs burned, and I had to remind myself to breathe. But she was breathtaking. An angel in blue. Flawless perfection. My gaze locked on her as I soaked her in.
That dress was… I had no words. It was a deep navy-blue satin, like the color of sapphires. The straps hung off her shoulders, and I loved the lean muscle in her arms. The material shimmered in the soft golden light. It clung tight to her flawless figure all the way down to her knees then flared out like a mermaid fin. She looked like a supermodel, one who belonged on a runway next to those Victoria’s Secret ladies. I licked my lips then forced my gaze up off of her body before I gave myself a stroke.
But I found no reprieve there. Her pale blonde hair was styled up off her neck, which gave a perfect view of the string of diamonds wrapped around her throat. My pulse quickened. She wore dark makeup on her eyes that made the royal blue irises pop out like a neon sign. Her lips were painted bright red, and it did not help me stop thinking about kissing her. I couldn’t handle it. She was beautiful…and watching me.
My cheeks warmed. But I didn’t care that she caught me looking because there was no way I was taking my eyes off of her now. I was the moth to her flame and I was helpless to break the spell.
“Go ask her to dance,” my father whispered in my ear.
He pushed my back, and I moved forward. Her eyes sparkled. She took a step toward me, and her long, lean leg emerged from a high slit in her satin dress. My heart stopped, but my feet moved faster. People called my name and tried to talk to me. I kept moving.
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 84