Aside from how it was upsetting Bettina. Ever since that spell by the riverbank, she’d been messed up over this. And I loved her even more for it. She cared so much for everyone. I counted myself lucky to be able to call her mine. Even if I couldn’t ease her pain right now.
She paced back and forth in front of the fireplace with her arms wrapped tight around her waist. Ice covered her hands and forearms, like her magic was trying to fix it. I felt the turmoil rolling in my soulmate, and there was nothing I could do to ease it for her. I hated it. So I just stood at one end of the fireplace, and each time her pacing brought her near me, I’d squeeze her arm. She’d stop and let me hold her hand for a second, then return to pacing. Like a pit stop in NASCAR.
“So, let me see if I’m confused.” Warner pinched the bridge of his nose. “This spell they’re doing out there is just gonna work even though the girl isn’t here?”
Cooper nodded. “Yes. I don’t know the mechanics of how that works exactly, but Myrtle said so. As did Tegan, Bentley, Henley, and Lennox.”
“I’ve known I was a witch since I was born, and I still don’t understand it.” Warner chuckled and shook his head. Then he looked up at me. “This is why we’re Swords, dude.”
I smirked. “I won’t disagree there.”
Willow sighed and leaned back against the couch. “That’s magic. It’s weird but it works.”
Easton cracked his knuckles. “I just can’t wait to meet this Hope.”
“Right?” Royce popped a Cheeto into his mouth. “She’s gotta be as not human as Tenn. I can’t wait to see that.”
I frowned. “So what exactly is the plan for after they finish this spell?”
Chutney leaned over Deacon and grabbed the bag of Cheetos from Royce. “We meet Hope and get the locket.”
“Right, but how?” I shook my head. “I mean, she was only four years old when this all happened. Sure, her memory will come back, but I don’t see how that actually helps us too much.”
Easton frowned. “How do you figure, bruh?”
I shrugged. “She was a toddler. It’s not like she’s going to suddenly know where to go. Will she even know she was from Eden? Bloody hell, she wasn’t even awake. She won’t even know her parents were killed. Or her uncle.”
Deacon nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that, too.”
“We still have to find her.” Emersyn groaned and the flames went wild. “And we already followed all of our leads—”
Bettina choked on a gasp and stumbled back a few steps.
Everyone froze, their eyes on her.
She clutched her chest and dropped to her knees.
“Bettina!” I ran to her just as she doubled over, gasping for air. “BETTINA!”
But she wasn’t responding. I reached out to touch her when bright golden light exploded out of her like a glitter bomb had gone off. She gasped and threw her head back, her spine arching. I grabbed her hands which were frozen solid. The light was too much to look at, so I turned my face away.
Everyone else called out for her. Mona sprinted toward her, covering her eyes. And then the light faded like it’d never been there at all.
“Bettina, talk to— What the…”
Her pale skin turned a deep tan in the blink of an eye. Everyone was calling out for her, yet still no response. My heart jumped into my throat. I cupped her face in my hands, then tipped her head back—and gasped. One of her eyes was flashing light.
Tears suddenly pooled in her eyes. She jumped to her feet and ran.
I scrambled to my feet and chased after her. “Bettina! Wait!”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Tennessee
The golden beam of light exploded into dust that sparkled through the air all around us.
I exhaled a shaky breath.
Lennox glanced around. “Now what?”
“We wait,” Bentley said softly.
Henley frowned. “For what exactly?”
Tegan squeezed my hand and grinned. “Just give it a minute.”
I opened my mouth to ask her what she meant when the back door of the house flew open and slammed into the wall. Bettina leapt out of the house, golden light flashing through her hair. Her arms had patches of ice on them, and there were icicles hanging from the rips in her pale jeans. Her face was snow white and her eyes were wide and sparkling. I jumped to my feet to rush inside to what must have happened—
Tegan grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I glanced back at her, but her eyes were locked on Bettina. She shook her head.
I frowned and looked back to Bettina to find her sprinting toward us. Her long blonde hair was flying in the wind behind her like a cape. She looked different. Her skin looked darker. Is she sick? Did someone put a spell on her? Shit, is it Joseph? Something flashed in her eye. What’s going on? I wanted to ask, but there was something about the look on her face that locked me up.
Something was wrong.
She was sprinting. Full speed. For us.
No, wait. Her eyes were focused on me. My heart fluttered. Did she figure out something about Hope? That must be it! She must have discovered something. She’s brilliant like Tegan.
Tegan gasped.
I glanced back at her and frowned. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
What the hell?
I turned back to Bettina just as glittery golden light exploded like fireworks from her head. My eyes widened. A dark cloud wrapped around her head. I jumped forward. Oh, shit, Joseph— My breath left me in a rush. I froze in place. It wasn’t a cloud or a shadow—it was her hair.
I blinked several times but the sight before me didn’t change.
Her light blonde hair had changed to a dark, rich black.
She slid to a stop a few feet in front of me. Close enough for me to see every strand of raven hair. Magic flashed and sparkled all around her in gold and pink bursts. She looked down at her hands that were suddenly as tan as mine then looked up to me—
I gasped.
One of her eyes was GREEN.
My jaw dropped.
My body trembled like a leaf in a hurricane.
Because I knew that face. I knew those eyes.
They were identical to mine.
A million memories from a long, long time ago flashed through my mind in rapid succession, each one featuring a little smiling face of…of…HOPE?
Tears filled her mismatched eyes.
OH MY GOD. WHAT IS… HOW… WHAT? GODDESS. I…I…I…
I tried to move, to think, to say something. Anything. But I was frozen solid. For a moment, we just stared at each other.
“…HOPE?”
She nodded. “It’s me.” Tears streaked down her face.
And then she was running for me again. She lunged and tackled me, her arms wrapping around my neck tight. I gasped and caught a whiff of a smell I hadn’t smelled in twelve years. She smelled like roses and gardenias, with a hint of jasmine. I know that smell. It’s Hope’s smell. I stumbled back and wrapped my arms around her.
She sniffled in my ear. Her tears dripped onto my back as she trembled. She tapped her fingers on my shoulder, and my heart stopped. My body went cold. It was Morse code. Uncle Tim had taught us. It’d been twelve years since I’d used it, but the memory came flooding back into my mind.
.... .- ...- . -.
Haven.
.... --- .--. .
Hope.
Our names. Over and over. Just like she used to when we were kids. I squeezed her tight, probably too tight. I was right on the edge of losing it. I couldn’t believe this was real. This had to be some sick, twisted dream.
“I told you Blue’s clues led to a picnic,” she cried into my hair. “I called it.”
A strangled cry escaped my lips. My knees hit the ground, and then I fell apart.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Bettina
I am Hope.
I am HOPE.
I…am…Hope.
I am Hope. I am Hope. I am Hope.
&nb
sp; I just kept repeating it in my head over and over. All this time. All these years. My brother was only a matter of hours away, and I didn’t know. I was so confused, yet at the same time everything made perfect sense now. My parents, the people who raised me, loved me, but we never had what Tegan had with Hunter. I’d always known that, but I’d never really known that until right this very moment as I clung to my big brother like he was my oxygen support.
I hadn’t understood why I was so affected by watching what happened by the river to Ruth—my mother. I knew why it broke my heart to watch my mother sob while putting me in a raft and floating me down a river or the sight of Haven running into the water after me. I wished like hell that I had known that day. I wished I was there for Haven in that moment as we watched our family be ripped apart. As our mother died.
I squeezed Tenn tighter. It wouldn’t make up for all the pain he’d been through for twelve years, but I was going to try and make up for it.
Because I was the lucky one.
I’d gotten my potion. The memory one. Our mother’s full strength. I’d remembered nothing, not a smidge. Not even in a dream. I didn’t have to grow up with this knowledge that I’d lost everything. And he did. And it wasn’t bloody fair.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Jackson
I had no words for what I was seeing.
My girlfriend, my soulmate, was clinging to Tennessee. They were on their knees holding each other and just bloody sobbing.
The second she’d gotten up and sprinted out the door, we’d all followed her.
We’d just made it out the door in time to watch her blonde hair turn jet black.
The same color as Tennessee’s.
Just like her skin had turned the same shade of tan as his. Her eyes had both been blue inside the house, but the one was sparkling. The one that happened to be green on Tenn. I knew in my gut that when she turned, I’d find one green eye.
Bettina is Hope?
Can this be true?
It has to be…right?
I looked over to the others who’d been out there doing the spell. Lennox’s jaw was dragging the ground as she stared at them. Henley was grinning. Bentley was gripping his Hierophant locket and smiling softly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. They certainly believed it. I must’ve missed something that they saw or heard.
Then I looked to Tegan, and my breath left me in a rush. She had both hands covering her mouth, and tears were raining down her face, staining her pale skin black from her makeup. That did it. Bettina had to be Hope. And holy bloody hell.
There was a strangled kind of groan behind me, and when I turned, Kessler was hunched over with his hands on his knees. Mona gripped one shoulder, and Hunter took the other. Behind them, Devon, Constance, and Daniel stood with tears in their eyes and grave expressions. I knew this had to be hard on them. Hunter just squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. I couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind. He’d known Bettina since she was four years old.
My Coven-mates were staring in shock. No one moved or made a sound.
I turned back around, and my heart sank.
Tenn and Bettina were still—lost in their pain. I couldn’t see her face, but I’d never seen Tenn like this. Not even that day by the river. He buried his face in her hair, and my heart broke for them. I didn’t have siblings, and my parents had known since I was born that they were shipping me off at six so we were never that close.
I wished there was something I could do for them, for her. But there wasn’t.
There was a flash of white—and then I was back in the living room.
I didn’t even get startled anymore by her portals, which was frightening. The heat from the fireplace warmed my back. Emersyn sighed and plopped down on the stone ledge in front of it, and the flames raged higher. Deacon sank down beside her, then pulled her into his side. Everyone else plopped down on couches, benches, or any other surface they could find. They gave blank stares, but I saw the questions in their eyes.
Cooper scrubbed his face then spun around toward the back door.
Tegan shook her head. “It’s been twelve years. They deserve a moment alone.”
Chapter Forty
Jackson
I had no idea how long we all sat there in stony, tense silence. It felt like an hour, but it easily could’ve been half, or mere minutes.
Out of nowhere, Royce cursed and shook his head. “Shit, man. Hashtag Bettina is Hope.”
Henley narrowed her eyes at him. “Did you just hashtag out loud?”
“SMH, IDK. LOL.” Royce winked and bounced his shoulders.
“Have we ever done a blood test?” Henley rolled her sapphire eyes. “I swear you were switched at birth.”
Royce arched one eyebrow. “Really? You think someone put a spell on one of us so we look different? Some Bettina-is-Hope action?”
“Actually, I did do a blood test.” Deacon grinned. “On our whole family. Both sides. I was convinced I was in the wrong place.”
Emersyn giggled. “How upset were you when you discovered you were in the right place?”
“Don’t.” Lily threw her palm up at Deacon. “Em, don’t make him answer that question. Trust me, rumors are easier to swallow than actual truths.”
Easton wagged his eyebrows. “Just plead the fifth like I did, D.”
Emersyn sighed and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, I’m sure Deacon was much, much worse than you ever could have dreamed to be, Easton.”
Deacon frowned. “I feel like I’m supposed to be offended by that…but…”
Emersyn elbowed him playfully in the ribs, and everyone burst into laughter.
Well, not everyone.
I couldn’t relax or breathe easily until I saw Bettina, made sure she was okay. A quick glance over at Kessler, Hunter, Cooper, Bentley, and Tegan told me I wasn’t alone in that. Not that I blamed anyone for trying to lighten the mood. Actually, it’s one of the things I loved about my Coven-mates.
They understood that sometimes laughter truly was the best medicine.
That was one of the reasons I became friends with Warner in the first place. Right now, my best friend was leaning against the wall next to Lennox. She looked up at him under her dark lashes and blushed, her lips curled up in a smirk. There was something going on there. I wasn’t sure what, but I’d ask him later.
The back door swung open.
Tennessee sauntered inside, but his gait carried slightly less confidence than normal. His hair was wildly disheveled and his eyes were red and bloodshot. He scrubbed his face roughly with both hands.
And then Bettina slid to his side, and my heart stopped. I hadn’t realized until this very moment that I was worried she wouldn’t look like her anymore. But as those now mismatched eyes looked up and found mine, I saw every bit of the girl I fell in love with. Sure, her hair was different, but it was gorgeous. The only thing I didn’t like were the tears in her eyes.
Everyone sat up straight, but no one spoke.
I looked at my soulmate and smiled.
Her cheeks flushed. She gave Tenn a side hug, then hurried over to me. Everyone’s eyes were on her, but there was no avoiding that in a moment like this. I opened my arms, and she went right into them, burying her face in the crook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed tight.
From the moment I met her, I’d always thought she smelled like flowers, but now I smelled each individual one all at the same time. The sweetness of gardenias, the boldness of roses, and that earthiness from jasmines. It was like someone walked through a garden and hand selected the best scents. She was a walking bouquet that was intoxicating, a scent I was sure to be getting drunk on for the rest of my life.
A second later, she pulled back enough to look up into my eyes. “I’m Hope.”
“I know.” I grinned then dropped my arms and pulled the collar of her shirt down just enough to see her soulmate mark. “Still mine.”
She giggled. “Tennessee is
my brother.”
I looked up at Tenn.
Tenn looked at her, then to me. Then back. He frowned and his gaze dropped to where my fingers were holding her shirt down. Then his gaze went back to my eyes...and he glared.
My pulse skipped. My heart leapt into my throat. For the first time since I’d met Tennessee, I was suddenly terrified of him. Maybe it was the glare. Maybe it was the way every muscle in his arms and shoulders tensed. Or maybe it was the rush of power that rolled off of him and slammed into my face.
I was painfully aware of everyone else’s eyes bouncing back and forth like this was a match at Wimbledon.
But I couldn’t move. He had to do that first, for many reasons.
It was an awkward, tense standoff.
Cooper walked up to Tenn and leaned his elbow on Tenn’s shoulder. “You wanna punch him, don’t you?”
Everyone gasped.
“Cooper,” Bettina hissed.
Tennessee’s eyes widened as he looked down at Coop.
Cooper shrugged then he grinned at Tenn and squeezed his shoulder. “Now you know how I felt.”
Chapter Forty-One
Bettina
Haven frowned, then he looked back over at me and the way Jackson was touching me. A muscle in his jaw popped, and my cheeks warmed.
Jackson cleared his throat. “You can kick my ass later, when you’re feeling like yourself again.”
Haven’s eyebrows rose. Then he shook his head and chuckled. “This is weird.”
“What?! That’s it?” Easton gestured between them. “No round two, brother versus boyfriend battle?!”
Tegan huffed. “I’m still mad I missed that.”
“I do believe that was your penance for playing queen of darkness,” Deacon said with a chuckle.
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