Tegan shrugged. “You’re welcome.”
Haven scrubbed his face then smiled. “Lancaster, I think it’s in our best interest if we stick together with these two.”
That made me laugh. “I was the wild one of the two of us, wasn’t I, Haven?”
“What?!” everyone yelled.
Kessler threw his head back and laughed. “Y’all have no idea. This little troublemaker right here.”
“Good, so y’all can’t blame me for my influence.” Tegan winked.
Hunter scoffed. “Not so fast, young lady. You’re the one who burned down our kitchen. She was just backup.”
Tegan shrugged. “You have no proof.”
“Except for proof that no one should ever ask us to cook.” I giggled and gave Tegan an air high five.
She nodded. “Or do any of that domestication stuff.”
Haven pursed his lips and eyed her. “Do you have spells for cleaning and such? Or do we need to figure that out?”
“Oh my god, you two are terrible.” Emersyn shook her head. “Please don’t procreate.”
“That goes for all of you, please and thank you.” Hunter pointed to everyone then to his own eyes. “I’m watching you.”
Easton leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee. “I’m into that. It’s cool.”
Lily smacked the back of his head.
Royce leaned forward on his knees. “So anyway...Bettina is Hope.”
My heart filled with more emotions than I knew how to categorize. I nodded and turned to my Coven, my family. “I…am Hope.”
Lennox pushed off the wall and leaned her hands on the back of the couch. “So you remember everything?”
I opened my mouth then closed it. That was a heavy question. My mind was still reeling. I remembered everything from my life as Bettina still…but I also remembered before. I looked up to Haven. I knew he was Tennessee now. I knew everyone called him that, at his request, after finding out he was Haven. Hell, I was there. But I couldn’t call him Tenn anymore.
He was Haven. He was my big brother. The one who was patient with me while he taught me all the things our parents didn’t want him to. He was the one who used to protect me, used to let me climb in his bed when I was scared at night.
Jackson squeezed my shoulders. “Bettina?” he whispered in my ear.
Henley rolled her eyes. “Give the girl some time to adapt. Damn.”
Haven nodded and pushed his hair back. He looked to me with his mismatched eyes that matched mine. “It’s weird, isn’t it? Overwhelming. Like it’s just all there all of a sudden?”
“Exactly!” I pulled my hair into my hands and shook my head. “Like…I didn’t even know I wasn’t remembering, but now it’s suddenly all back. All of it. I remember right up until I finished my drink—my potion—that night. I remember asking you if I could drink yours if you didn’t finish it.”
He smiled. “Isn’t that a terrifying thought.”
“Right, right, right…” Royce waved his hand. “All I need to know right now is if we’re calling you Tennessee and Bettina or Haven and Hope.”
Everyone else nodded.
Butterflies danced in my stomach. Part of me wanted to be Hope. That was who I was born as, and then it was stolen from me. But then I looked over to my best friend, and it felt like I’d be diminishing our whole childhood. I loved my life growing up. It was great. My identity as Bettina had shaped me. I liked me.
Haven glanced over to Kessler, the man he called Dad. The man who had taken him in and raised him with love as his own. I knew Haven didn’t want to take that away. He truly loved his father—and that had nothing to do with our love for our real parents. But I also knew that look in my brother’s eyes. It may have been twelve years, but I knew him. That was the look that told me he had my back, whatever I chose.
He was letting me decide this. And it meant more than I could say.
I smiled and leaned my back into Jackson for support. “I want to continue being Bettina, and him as Tennessee…but…”
“Bettina,” Hunter said softly. “You don’t have to decide right now. You can change your mind any time. You can even take all the names or half of them. Whatever you two want.”
My eyes widened. “Shit, right. Last names. Goddess, that’s a lot to think about.”
“We can talk about it later…” Haven smiled.
I nodded. “Whatever we decide on that, I want everyone to call us by the names we’ve grown up with. Bettina and Tennessee. Except I just can’t call you that. They can, the rest of the world can, but for me…you’re Haven. And I don’t want to lose that.”
He grinned and his eyes watered. Tegan wrapped herself around him. He nodded. “And you’ll be Hope, for me.”
Hunter rubbed his hands together. “All right. That’s settled. Everyone understand?”
Everyone nodded.
I glanced over my shoulder to Jackson. “Is that okay?”
He smiled. “I want what you want.”
I reached up and covered his hands with mine, then leaned back into him.
Chutney raised her hand like we were in class. “Question for our secret keeper. Did you know it was Bettina this whole time?”
Braison raised his hand and nodded. “I second that question.”
Willow’s mouth made an O shape. “You are good at figuring stuff out.”
Paulina snapped her fingers. “Dios, you did, didn’t you?!”
Tegan put her hand to her chest. “To quote the great Meg Ryan, ‘I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you real bad.’”
Royce groaned. “That’s my movie.”
Deacon scoffed. “Bullshit.”
Tegan sighed then shrugged. “Listen, this might’ve been the hardest thing TO figure out. I mean, I knew she was Judgement and I knew her magic and soulmate glyph were blocked…but I wasn’t that sure about her being Hope. Everything pointed to it. Sibel, I mean Cassandra, left me notes of her trying to unravel her identity. She knew I’d need to help Tenn, and everything pointed to you, B. But I couldn’t tell if I was seeing the connection because it was there or if I wanted it to be, ya’ know?”
I did know.
“No, why?” Warner frowned.
“Because when we were seven, Bettina and I made a very serious pact to marry brothers so that we’d be real family. So I wanted her to be Hope so we could fulfill our oaths.”
I threw my head back and laughed.
Haven’s eyebrows rose. “You did…what?”
“Yeah, what he said,” Jackson said with a chuckle.
I wiped a tear from my eye. “Goddess. We wanted an excuse to spend all holidays together and stuff.”
Hunter shook his head. “You already had holidays with us.”
“Yeah! Hence the pact so it wouldn’t stop!” Tegan rolled her eyes. “We were thinking long-term here, Dad.”
Haven looked down at her. “Did you really?”
“Duh, babe.” She kissed his nose. “I was disappointed when you didn’t have a brother to set her up with. I thought I was gonna have to pitch Cooper at her.”
“It was a blood oath, after all.” I laughed.
Haven spun on me with a pale face. “What?!”
“Oh, we definitely did it wrong.” Tegan giggled. “But no harm, no foul. Turns out I’m with her brother anyway, so we’re good.”
“For a second there, I thought you were gonna make me get adopted by Kessler.” Jackson laughed.
Kessler looked up and grinned. “Anytime, kid. Anytime.”
Cooper cleared his throat. “Um, not to sound like a jerk. I’m ecstatic for you both…but…Joseph and Trey are looking for that locket as we speak…”
Everyone gasped.
My eyes widened. “Oh my Goddess. The locket. My locket.”
Haven turned to me with fear in his eyes. “Hope? Do you have the locket? Or know where it is?”
All this time.
“All this time what?” he asked.
“I know
exactly where it is. It’s in my house in Charleston.” I looked to Tegan. “In a safe place where—"
“OH MY GOD!” Tegan gasped. “Oh my god! That’s THE LOCKET?!”
I nodded. “The very one. Of course my mother, Catherine, told me it was a family heirloom…but now that I remember who I am, I know a hundred percent that’s my mother’s locket.”
Tegan shook her head. “All this time! It was right there! Why didn’t I think of that? How did I forget about that locket?”
I chuckled. “Because we broke it that day we set the kitchen on fire.”
Haven turned green. “You what?!”
I waved my hand. “No, it’s fine. Hunter fixed it.”
Hunter jerked upright as everyone turned to him. His golden eyes widened. “That was Ruth’s locket?”
I nodded.
He cursed and wiped his brow. “Wow. Damn, I forgot how strong she was. There had to be a crazy glamour spell on it because I didn’t feel an ounce of magic.”
Royce frowned. “You really set the kitchen on fire?”
I cackled.
Tegan shrugged. “My tenth birthday did not go as planned.”
Hunter sighed and scrubbed the back of his neck. “I used magic to fix the locket because Bettina was hysterical. I was shocked that my weak spell worked.”
“It was really Ruth’s power that made it work.” Devon grinned. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if it played a role in that kitchen fire.”
“If only someone had told me I could control fire…” Tegan stared at her father.
Haven walked up to me. “You know for sure you have it?”
“Yes.” I tugged on our mother’s key necklace hanging around his neck. “And I’m pretty certain Tegan accidentally used magic to hide it.”
Tegan bounced up and down. “Oh my god! Okay, we gotta go check for it right now! Let’s go! Everyone up!”
“We can’t all go…right?” Braison frowned and glanced around. “That’s dangerous?”
“Yes, it is.” Constance stood from the couch and brushed her hands off on her pants. “Pulling rank here again, Tenn.”
He shrugged. “Please do.”
“I think perhaps this is a family affair?” She looked around. “So, Tenn and Bettina…and the Bishops.”
“And Jackson,” I said.
She flushed. “Of course, that’s always a given.”
I sighed with relief. Tegan snapped her fingers, and a portal opened. Hunter, Devon, Cooper, and Bentley hopped right through. Kessler stopped and turned to Mona.
She shook her head. “Be there for them. I’ll help these guys here if need be.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then turned and leapt into the portal.
Tegan snapped her fingers. “Excuse me, twin? You’re a Bishop. Unless you married D without telling us and are now an English?”
Easton chuckled. “Married the D.”
Lily rolled her eyes.
Willow gasped. “Emersyn English sounds lovely!”
Emersyn chuckled. “And when he puts a massive diamond on my finger, I’ll change my name. Until then, I’m a Bishop—"
“Massive diamond, eh?” Deacon wagged his eyebrows. “So you do like my money.”
“Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it…on my finger, in the form of a small skating rink that weighs my hand down.”
Deacon grinned. “Challenge accepted.”
Emersyn’s cheeks flushed. “But really, I think we’d all be more comfortable if I stayed back. My fire can hold a fight long enough for y’all to get back.”
I turned to her. “But you know you’d be welcome, right?”
“Despite you leaving me for black hair? Yeah, I know.” She winked. “Now go on.”
I took Jackson’s hand and dragged him toward the portal. Then I stopped and wrapped my arm through Haven’s. “Let’s go, big bro.”
He chuckled, then the four of us stepped through together. Light flashed…and then we stood on my front doorstep. In Charleston. Where I grew up.
“The last time we were here, we were crashing Bettina’s place after crashing our plane.”
I shook my head. “And I’d unknowingly spoken to my dead mother through a Ouija board the night before.”
Jackson gasped behind me. “That’s why she was here. She must’ve been watching you, waiting for a chance to speak to you.”
Tears pooled in my eyes, and goose bumps spread over my body. I hadn’t thought about that yet, and it blew my mind. But I had to focus for right now. I had to get my locket and end this war with Joseph. I had to right my parents’ wrongs.
I took a deep breath then swallowed my nerves and knocked on the front door. As the sound echoed through the foyer, I realized I hadn’t spoken to my parents since the day Dean took me away. And now I was here, looking completely different and being completely different. Would they recognize me? How much did they know? What would we have to explain? I tightened my grip on Haven’s arm and tried to calm my racing pulse.
And then the door swung open. My mother, or the one who raised me, filled the doorway. She took one look at me and smiled. “Hope.”
My eyes widened.
She grinned and stepped aside. “Come in. I have quite the story to tell you. Finally.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Bettina
I froze. “You recognize me?”
Her blue eyes were full of tears. She stepped out the door then pulled me into her arms. I was angry, confused, scared, and hurting more than I could explain, but in that moment, I was helpless to stop myself from hugging her as tight as I could. She was my mother, even if she wasn’t my mother.
“A mother always recognizes her child, even if she didn’t give birth to them.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t called,” I whispered into her hair.
She pulled back, and her eyes sparkled. She tucked my now black hair behind my ears and smiled. “I am sorry for a lot of things, my love.”
I sniffled and pointed to my left. “Mom…this is my brother—”
“Haven.” She sighed. Her gaze seemed to soak him in. She stepped forward and pulled him into a big hug. When she moved back, she grinned. “My, you look so much like your father.”
Haven’s eyes widened. “I d-do?” His voice cracked.
She nodded and tugged on his long black hair, then she reached out and did the same to mine. “You both do.”
My emotions shot off like bottle rockets inside me. I shook my head. “Mom, what—”
“Come, inside. Please. I think we all know we have a lot to discuss, and it’s best to do so indoors.” She smiled, then turned and gestured for us to follow her. The second she crossed the threshold, she called out, “Tim, she’s home.”
I led the others inside into the foyer—and then I saw my dad. He strolled through the kitchen doorway into the living room. The second he spotted me, his big blue eyes sparkled and his mouth spread into a huge grin. I hurried over and went straight into his arms.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, Bettyboo.” He squeezed me one more time then pulled back. “Or should I say, Hope.”
My cheeks warmed and my stomach tightened. “You knew, too?”
He sighed. “I’ve been confused for quite some time, if it’s any consolation. Your mother will explain everything tho— Haven? Is that you?”
I glanced over my shoulder to my brother.
His eyebrows shot up to the sky. “I remember you… Tim. Like Uncle Tim. You were both named Tim. We used to think it was funny, remember, Hope?”
I blinked and nodded. Now that he mentioned it, I did remember. “I am so confused.”
My dad chuckled and pulled Haven in for a hug. Then he stepped back and glanced between the two of us. “Wow. I can’t believe I’m finally seeing you two together again. Cathy, sweetheart, they’re here. Together.”
My mom crossed the living room with a smile. “We’ve waited a long time for this.”
“And they brought frie
nds. Lots of them.” Dad smiled and waved at the others. “Tegan, Bentley, and Hunter, it’s nice to see you again. Who else do we have here?”
“Um…this is Cooper, Tegan’s older brother. Devon, her mother. Kessler, Hunter’s brother. And this is…um…” I walked over and took Jackson’s right hand in mine, lacing our fingers. The heat of his skin gave me the strength to say this next part out loud. I cleared my throat. “This is Jackson Lancaster. My soulmate.”
My mother gasped.
“Your what?” Dad’s eyes widened. He looked to me, then to Jackson, then down to our hands, then back again. “Did you say— You two are— Did I hear—”
“My soulmate.” I squeezed his arm with my other hand. “Mom, Dad, this is my soulmate.”
Jackson was the picture of calm and ease, even though I felt his energy pulsing against me. He held his left hand out, his Coven Mark on full display. “Mr. and Mrs. Blair, it is lovely to finally meet you, even if the circumstances are strange.”
“Wow. A Brit?” Dad grinned and shook his hand. “Please, call me Tim. I’m far too excited right now to put on the tough-dad façade, so I’ll fill in the threats later. Is that all right?”
Jackson chuckled. “Absolutely, sir.”
“Soulmates.” My mother’s eyes filled with tears. She gave Jackson a hug and a kiss on the cheek. When she pulled back, she shook her head. “I always knew you’d have one.”
“Tegan and Haven are soulmates, too.”
My mom gasped. She looked down at Haven’s right hand, then over to Tegan’s. “Both of you have soulmates? All in three months? What else have we—” Her face fell. She glanced around the room then back to me. “Where is Timothy?”
Silence.
Her eyes widened. “Where is Timothy?”
I pulled my left sleeve up to reveal my XX Mark. “Uncle Timothy was killed last month—”
“No,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“—although it was before I remembered he was my uncle. I got his Mark— Wait, you knew him?”
She shook her head, and a tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it off and looked to Haven and me. “A month ago? He was so close. So close.”
Dad sighed and wrapped his arm around my mom’s shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak then closed it and shook his head.
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 124