I froze. My gaze went right to the center of her chest.
My breath left me in a rush. I swayed but Tenn’s grip on my shoulder kept me upright. I felt like I’d been kicked in the chest by a dragon.
There it was, shining against her pale skin like the North Star.
A soulmate glyph.
And it was lavender.
Just like mine.
I took a shaky breath then looked down to my chest. My fingers trembled as I pulled my shirt down. My own lavender soulmate glyph shimmered and pulsed. I looked at the lines spreading across to my shoulder. Then I looked back to Bettina.
They were identical.
Fresh tears poured like rivers down her cheeks.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My lungs forgot how to breathe. I just…stared.
Is this real? How can this be real? How can it be her? I was afraid to believe it. I was afraid at any given second I would wake up, and this was all a horrible, horrible dream. I couldn’t be this lucky. I couldn’t have my deepest wish come true. Could I?
Pain shot down my arm. I jumped and turned only to find Tenn grinning.
He shrugged. “See, not dreaming.”
My jaw dropped. I was confused. I was terrified. I was too full of hope for my own good.
“Look at me.” When I did, Tenn pointed to his chin then nodded. “Jackson, Bettina is your soulmate.”
The truth rune appeared on his chin instantly. Shining bright blue. I wavered and stumbled back a step before Tenn caught me. He was telling the truth. It was true. Bettina was my soulmate.
“Turns out the glyph was blocked by that spell, but she forced it out tonight.”
I gasped. Bettina is my soulmate?
Bettina is my soulmate.
Oh my Goddess, Bettina is MY soulmate?
I spun back around, and my eyes found hers again. I knew everyone else was standing there. In my peripheral vision, I saw them looking back and forth between us. Hell, they were standing between us. But none of that mattered because Bettina was my soulmate.
For a moment, or maybe an hour, we just stared at each other.
And then she was sprinting toward me. All I could do was stare.
Tennessee chuckled and moved out of the way just as she got to me. I stepped forward and threw my arms open. She lunged and tackled me. Her long arms wrapped around my neck and squeezed me like a boa constrictor. I gasped and buried my hands in her hair. I pulled her close to me, gripping her tight. Her heavenly floral scent invaded my senses until she was all I could breathe. I squeezed my eyes shut and lost myself in this moment.
I was on fire. My chest burned with a heat I’d never felt before. She was shaking, or maybe that was me. Maybe it was both of us. I didn’t know. I couldn’t think. All I knew was my wildest dreams had just come true.
She’s my soulmate. All this time. I can’t believe it.
My brain was mush. My emotions had exploded inside me, and I didn’t know which way was up anymore. But I didn’t care. It didn’t matter.
I pulled back, needing to see her face. She looked up at me with those big blue eyes, and my heart caught in my throat. I pushed her hair back then took her face in both of my hands. She sniffled and more tears spilled over her long eyelashes. I brushed my thumbs over her cheeks and wiped those tears away.
She reached up and wrapped her hands around my wrists. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she whispered.
A wild, strangled kind of laugh escaped my lips. I shook my head. “I am going to bloody kill whoever put that blocking spell on you.”
She groaned and nodded, then leaned into me.
Our Coven-mates lost it. They cheered and applauded like this was some championship football game. Bettina’s face turned bright red, but her eyes sparkled brighter than I’d ever seen.
I knew we had an audience. I felt their eyes on us. But my control snapped. All the pain and torture, all the heartbreak—it was finally over. I slid my hand to the back of her head then dragged her mouth up to mine. Our lips crashed together, and the rest of the world melted away. With every brush of her lips on mine, I felt the pieces of my heart glue back together. She was mine and I was hers, and that was all that bloody mattered in the world.
Chapter Seven
Bettina
I could’ve stayed in that moment forever. I’d never known a heart could feel this happy.
Jackson’s Christmassy scent was all around me. Warmth radiated out of his body, and I wanted to bury my face in his chest and just feel his arms around me. But then he’d have to take his hands off my face, and I liked the way that felt too much. I liked the way his lips felt against mine.
My chest was screaming, but I didn’t know if it was from the glyph or because I’d stopped breathing. Maybe both. I didn’t care. I could breathe later. If I passed out, they’d wake me back up. I’d waited too long for this moment. I’d prayed too hard for it.
He was MINE.
I pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed him with force. He groaned against my mouth and met my force with his own. He fisted my hair and tilted my head back, deepening our kiss. It still wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed him closer. I wrapped my arms around his waist then reached up and dug my fingers into his shoulder blades. He hissed against my lips. Passion exploded between us.
But then my legs started to give out, and we stumbled backwards.
He broke away too soon, but he didn’t let me go. His big warm hands cupped my face. He pressed his forehead to mine, and our noses brushed. For a long moment, we stood there holding on to each other with our faces pressed together. Just breathing.
Pardon me, lovers, Tegan said into my mind. I hate to interrupt this wonderful moment…
I sighed.
Jackson chuckled softly.
But listen, the sooner Lancaster gets in here and uses his magic on Ellis…the sooner we can all go to bed and get some sleep…
Jackson pressed his lips to my forehead then pulled away.
I looked up as he glanced over my shoulder. “Is everyone watching us?” I whispered.
He shook his head, then looked down at me and grinned a grin that took my breath away. “No. It seems they went inside the building. Though I suspect Tegan is watching from the window.”
That made me smile. “She is a creeper like that sometimes.”
He sighed. “Goddess, I can’t believe it’s you. This whole time…”
I nodded. “If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake.”
His smile widened until it dimpled his cheeks and made his aquamarine eyes sparkle like sunshine glistening on the ocean. “You are my dream,” he whispered.
I didn’t recognize the noise that came out of me, but I pushed up on my toes and pressed my lips to his again. This kiss was rougher, wilder. His grip on my face tightened, and it still wasn’t close enough.
Y’all. I can only keep Easton contained in here for so long, Tegan said into my mind, but I knew by the way Jackson froze that he’d heard it, too. Sooooo…if you want some privacy, then get in here and give me a moment of your time.
I huffed and turned in his arms to glare at the building behind us.
Don’t look at me like that. I had to save the world and play with demons instead of kissing MY soulmate. Get ya’ass in here. Responsibilities and shit, just like Uncle Ben said.
“Uncle Ben?”
I chuckled and shook my head, then turned back to face him. “Peter Parker’s uncle. Spiderman.”
His eyes sparkled. He nodded. “Right. Great power, great responsibilities.”
“Oh good, you know your Marvel.” I untangled my fingers from his sweater. “I would’ve hated to have to start your education from the beginning.”
“Hey, I went to Comic-Con in San Diego twice—”
I gasped. Then I smacked his arm playfully. Mostly playfully. “You’re taking me next year, got it? No excuses. And we’re doing cosplay.”
He pursed his lips and took my hand in his. “Are we ta
lking sexy cosplay, or accurate cosplay?”
“Accurate, obviously. For me, anyways.” I glanced over his body then winked. I tugged his hand and pulled him toward the building. “You’ll do sexy.”
He nodded as we walked. “Like spandex sexy?”
I shrugged. “At least the bottom half of you.”
“And the top half?”
I grinned. “Totally unnecessary. That’s why it’s legal for you to be shirtless.”
He chuckled. “We’re going to spend the next six months debating what to dress as, aren’t we?”
“Oh, I’ve been planning this for years. I have Pinterest boards dedicated to it already.”
“I am slightly terrified of that.” He laughed harder. “Shall I assume Tegan and Tenn will accompany us?”
I froze. My eyes widened. “Oh my God. Tenn would make a fantastic Aquaman.”
He nodded. “Tegan can go as his tattoos.”
I threw my head back and laughed.
The doors in front of us opened, so we strolled inside, hand in hand. Lily had her hand wrapped over Easton’s mouth. I chuckled. I knew they had all just been talking about us. I knew they were all staring at us. But I just didn’t give a damn. I’d never felt this happy in my entire life, and I wasn’t going to let anything rain on my parade.
But thankfully, Tenn cleared his throat and stepped out in front of us. We were back in the front foyer of the school building, with another one of Emersyn’s bonfires. Kessler and Hunter had Ellis on the ground against the wall again. But they didn’t have swords out.
Tenn looked to Jackson and pointed toward our new friend. “Lancaster, I’d like you to have a talk with this guy here. We need to know if he can be trusted.”
“All right, I can do that.” Jackson nodded then headed over toward Ellis.
I was probably supposed to let go of his hand and let him do his job. But there was no way in hell I was letting go of him already. And by the way his fingers tightened on mine, I knew he felt the same way. Fortunately, no one said anything.
Ellis looked up at Jackson with calm, amber eyes. “You must be the lie detector Trey talked about. The British guy.”
A wave of cold energy flew out of Jackson, but he kept his cool. His jaw flexed. He took a deep breath, then asked, “What is your name?”
“Ellis Heath.”
I couldn’t see the runes that Jackson saw, but he must’ve been satisfied with that answer because he moved on.
“Are you here to spy on The Coven?”
Ellis shook his head. “No.”
“Are you here to hurt anyone in any way?”
“No,” Ellis said with a firm voice. “I am on The Coven’s side.”
“Can we trust you?”
“Yes.”
Jackson nodded then glanced to his right to Tenn. “Would you like to take over the questioning? And I’ll let you know if he lies?”
“Sounds good.” Tenn crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels. “How old are you?”
“Sixteen, sir.”
“How old were you when this spell was placed on you?”
“Four, sir.”
Tenn arched one eyebrow. “Will I ever get you to stop calling me sir?”
Ellis smirked. “I will try, sir. I mean…sorry.”
Jackson chuckled. “Still blue, still true.”
“All right, Ellis, who are your parents?”
“John and Rebecca Heath.” Ellis’s whole demeanor remained calm. “My uncle was the former Emperor Julian Calloway.”
Tenn cocked his head to the side. “Do you know what fate came of Julian?”
Ellis frowned and shook his head. “No, sir. But I know my mother grieves for him. We assume he died the day you were Marked.”
“It was worth a try.” Tenn sighed. “Okay, did Joseph send you here to give us information?”
Ellis shook his head. “No, sir. Joseph does not know I loathe him.”
Jackson chuckled. I looked up, and the happiness in his face made my heart soar. It was hard to stay focused in this moment, this serious moment. But I had to try. We had a job to do. I squeezed his hand.
“Have you ever killed anyone?”
“Not that I am aware of, and certainly not intentionally.”
Tenn glanced to Jackson. When he nodded, Tenn turned back to Ellis. “Are you trying to help Joseph win this war in any way?”
“No. I want Joseph to die.”
Jackson’s eyebrows rose, and he pursed his lips. “He means that.”
Tenn nodded. “Tell me why you’re here, then, Ellis.”
“There are a lot of us—innocent people who just happened to have this same tragic spell cast upon us—who do not support Joseph and his vengeance.” Ellis sighed. “We just want to be saved. We want this spell reversed or removed. We want to be normal, like we were before. We want to have our lives back. We want to get out of the shadows.”
“Does Joseph know anyone is against him?” Jackson asked.
Ellis shook his head. “No. It is our secret. We have tried to get away from him over the years, but we just can’t.”
Tenn narrowed his eyes. “Why not?”
Ellis frowned. “Because we would die without him.”
“Elaborate.”
“Okay, so…Joseph is the only one of us who has been able to become corporeal. For twelve years, we have all been shadows. Trapped inside the Old Lands.” Ellis shuddered and his eyes grew dark. “Because of Joseph’s close proximity to Ruth and Micah the moment the spell was placed, he didn’t suffer the fate quite as horribly.”
“Jeebus,” Easton whispered.
Ellis nodded. “Joseph was the only one of us who could become corporeal long enough to get back out of the Old Lands. So for twelve years, he has been collecting power for us to live on. He, and he alone has sustained us—”
“Yet you loathe him and want him to die?”
“I asked my mother that same question as a young child.” He paused and shook his head. “At first, they did not know that he was killing his energy sources. Once they found that out, everything changed. But we couldn’t live without his help. Those of us who didn’t approve tried to separate ourselves as much as possible without being obvious. We acted the part he wanted to see, then behind his back vowed to only survive off of him long enough to get out and then put an end to him once and for all.”
Jackson cursed and everyone turned to him. He grimaced. “Sorry, he’s telling the truth. I was just saying…shit.”
“Where are these other people who are on your side?”
“They stay in the Old Lands, out of Joseph’s eyesight as much as possible.”
Tenn narrowed his eyes. “But not you? Why are you on the front lines?”
“Joseph knows who my uncle was, and he knew my mother was always a gifted Wand. He was convinced that I had more power than the others. Before you ask, I do not know if I do or not. My first time out of the Old Lands was the day…” He sighed and shook his head. “The day he killed Timothy. Now I pretend to be a loyal soldier for his cause so that I could get out and hopefully get help. My mother told me if I could get to The Coven that you all might be able to save us.”
“You speak of Timothy like you knew him…” Jackson’s voice was low and soft.
Ellis grimaced. “I am sorry…this won’t feel good to hear…but after…Joseph celebrated. Loudly. And Trey kept the group informed of how much his death hurt you all.”
“Trey,” Jackson growled and tightened his grip on my hand. “That traitorous bastard. Where is he?”
“I-I am not one hundred percent sure. Trey does not have to follow Joseph’s rules like we do.”
“Why? Why Trey?” Jackson snarled. “How long has he had Trey in his back pocket, spying on us?”
“His whole life?” Ellis frowned and looked around. Then his face fell. “Oh, you don’t know. Interesting.”
“What? What don’t we know?” Tenn growled.
“Trey is
Joseph’s son.”
“WHAT?” Constance, Kessler, Hunter, and Devon all yelled.
Kessler shook his head. “No, no, I knew Joseph’s wife. She—”
“Died.” Ellis shrugged. “Trey Wilson is not his real name. It’s Joseph Jr. He is also not the son of Joseph’s wife. He was a secret love child from an affair no one knew about. When the spell happened, Joseph’s wife suffered our same fate. But then she found out about Trey and lost it on him, so Joseph killed her.”
Kessler cursed.
Hunter looked sad. “What happened to Trey’s mother?”
“Joseph killed her a few years back, sucked her dry like all his other victims.” Ellis’s eyes flared with rage. “All because she found out what Joseph was planning and what he had Trey doing. She wanted to stop him, so he removed her from the situation. Somehow brainwashed Trey into thinking she sacrificed herself to give Joseph power or some stupid nonsense.”
I exhaled. “We did hear that little girl call Joseph Father, and obviously that was Trey…but shit, I didn’t see that coming.”
Tegan stepped up beside me. “Do you know where Trey is now?”
“No. Joseph protects him.”
Tegan held out her hand, and that little wooden treasure chest floated to her palm. She showed it to Ellis. “We tracked Trey down and found him digging this out from the ground. Do you know what this is?”
Ellis shook his head. “No, I do not know what that is…but…”
“But?” Tegan narrowed her pale eyes and leaned down to get in his eyesight. “But you know why Trey was digging it up?”
“I think I do.” Ellis looked to Jackson. “This may not be accurate, but it’s all I know.”
Tenn nodded. “Tell us.”
“Okay, so for as long as I can remember, Joseph has talked about some locket. He’s been looking for it since the day the spell went down.” He licked his lips. “Ever since he killed Timothy, Joseph has been screaming at Trey to find the locket. And earlier, Trey came rushing to Joseph saying he thought he found it. So, I am assuming Trey thought the locket would be buried where he found that chest.”
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 108