He shook his head and reached for me, his warm fingers brushing over my hip before he gripped my waist and pulled me close. “You are—”
“A dork?” I guessed.
“Amazing.” He kissed my lips. “Adorable. Astonishingly attractive.”
I chuckled and pressed my lips to his. “Please go through the rest of the alphabet.”
He grinned and slid his hands down my arms then tangled my fingers with his. “You ready to go in?”
My stomach flipped and turned. I bit my lip and looked down at myself. “Are you sure I look okay in this dress?”
It was my mother’s dress that she’d saved for me at our house in Charleston. When she showed it to me the other day, I fell in love. The fact that it—and the matching shoes—fit me made my heart soar. My mom and I were the same size. It was such a small, insignificant detail, but it made me happy. I planned on raiding her closet back in Eden, since Uncle Timothy had ensured that the house was untouched all these years.
The dress was stunning…and a lot sultrier than I was used to wearing.
The soft white material clung to my body like a glove. Sure, it had long sleeves and the skirt fell all the way to the floor. That wasn’t my concern. The neckline was cut in a deep, deep V—as in, all the way down to my waistline. Mom called it an illusion neckline, but I called a spade a spade. The material that covered my décolletage was sheer and blended into my tan skin perfectly. Not that anything was visible since it was covered in sparkling rhinestones. But still. And if that wasn’t scandalous enough, there was a slit in the side that cut all the way up to my waistline. Sure, it had the same crystal-covered sheer material that was more like a jumpsuit under the dress, but still. My entire left leg was out.
And judging by the heat in Jackson’s eyes as he took a long, long look at my body, he didn’t mind it one bit. Which was part of the problem.
I bent my left knee so that more of my leg popped out. “You know, that face is proving my point.”
He laughed. His cheeks flushed a deep pink. He licked his lips and shook his head. “Your dress is beautiful, and in it, you are breathtakingly gorgeous. I just have to get my looks in now before your brother sees me and rips my head off.”
I meant to laugh at his joke, but at the mention of my brother, I got super excited. One day, in the future, being away from him wouldn’t be a big deal. But right now, it was.
“Stedman assured me that Tennessee and Tegan were already here.” He held his elbow out and winked. “Let’s get inside and see them, shall we, Moonshine?”
I nodded and slid my hand into the crook of his arm. “We shall, Lancelot.”
As Jackson led us up the grand front staircase and inside the building, I let my mind wander.
It’d been nine days since we’d left Eden, since my birthday. Nine days of hanging out in Charleston with the love of my life, showing him around the town that helped make me who I was today. Nine days of visiting my parents. Now that I knew the truth, it seemed to be easier for us to feel more like a family. And I knew why—they weren’t feeling guilty anymore.
In a few days, they were going to join us in Eden for Christmas—because I was not going to miss Christmas with my brother and my uncle. We’d missed twelve of those already, and that was enough. But right after that, I was going to London to see Jackson’s family. I was nervous but really excited at the same time.
But tonight was the winter solstice and the Yule Ball.
We stepped through the open double doors…and into a winter wonderland somehow more magical than the one happening outside. Everything was white, silver, and gold. It was elegant and classy, the way I always thought New York City would be. Yet it was enchanting, like a fairy tale.
The ground was white and shimmering like fresh fallen snow in an open field. And up above, falling from the white ceiling, was fake white snow. It looked real as it drifted down, yet it faded away about three feet down—which was still several feet over our heads. There were twinkling lights everywhere. They were my favorite part. In each direction I looked, little golden lights sparkled like fireflies. It was magical.
“BETTINA?!”
I gasped and looked toward the sound of Tegan’s voice. Then I spotted her standing about five feet in front of me in a sexy-as-hell black lace gown that left nothing to the imagination. Her jaw dropped and her eyes sparkled.
“Hi!” I skipped over to my best friend and gave her a big hug. Nine days was too long to not see her either. “I missed you!”
“I missed you, too!” She hugged me back for a second then pulled back. Her pale green gemstone eyes looked me up and down. “Damn, girl. You look hot!”
Someone whistled behind me, and when I glanced back, I found Deacon and Emersyn strolling toward us.
Deacon grinned and shook his head. He shook Jackson’s hand. “Lancaster, man…you, me, and Tenn are gonna need to start a support group.”
Jackson threw his head back and laughed.
Emersyn rolled her pretty golden eyes. “Right, like you aren’t enjoying these dresses more than we are.”
These two looked like movie stars. They were that pretty. Deacon’s suit was white velvet with satin trimming. And it looked impeccable on him, like it was made for him. Actually, it might’ve been. Emersyn was just… She was just the epitome of feminine beauty. But I supposed that came with the Empress Mark. Her golden hair hung around her like a bright halo, and her dress was so sparkly it was almost hard to look at. It was head-to-toe glitter, but in the way that screamed couture. She, too, had a slit in her dress, except hers wasn’t as high-cut as mine.
“Emersyn, bloody hell, I love those boots.” Jackson grinned and pointed at them. Then he tugged on my hand. “Love, show them yours.”
I gasped. OH! I giggled and pointed my left leg out in front of me to show off my glittery high-top Converses. “Look at these! Jackson got them for me!”
“I’m gonna pretend I can’t see your entire leg sticking out of that dress and just focus on the sparkly sneakers.”
Haven! I spun toward the sound of his deep voice and squealed. I didn’t know what came over me in order to make that sound, but I was just so excited to see him. Before I could stop myself, I tackled him in a big bear hug. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me.
After a minute, I pushed back and grinned up at him. “Hello, brother.”
“Hello, sister.” He shook his head and smiled. “Nice… Is that technically a dress?”
Tegan smacked his arm. “It’s no less of a dress than mine.”
Haven sighed and turned to Jackson, then shook his hand. “You see what I’m talking about, right?”
“Really? That’s it?” Cooper groaned and walked up to us with Lennox hanging on to his arm. “A handshake and a mutual understanding?”
“Guess you’ve got that Bishop temper after all, Stargazer.” Lennox patted Coop’s chest. She looked to me and winked. Her dress was made of lace that perfectly matched her dark complexion, and it was speckled with clusters of colorful crystals. It looked like a tattoo in dress form. “Ladies, looking fierce as usual.”
I frowned and eyed her hand holding on to Cooper. Then I arched one eyebrow at her. She shrugged and gave me a wink. Hmm. I thought she and Warner had a thing? Note to self, ask her about that later.
Cooper, Emersyn, and Tegan were discussing anger-management problems, and it was adorable because Cooper didn’t think he had problems. His twin sisters were happy to prove him wrong. Lennox and Deacon jumped in to help. I turned to Jackson, but he was deep in conversation with Haven.
I smiled. My brother and my boyfriend were kind of complete opposites. Kinda. Haven was dressed in all black, as usual. And despite this being a formal event, he still wore his beat-up combat boots. It was actually cute. To me, other people might’ve found it intimidating as hell. His face was clean-shaven, but his long black hair was wildly wavy. He reached up and scratched his jaw, and his silver rings glistened in the light.
Jackson, on the other
hand, fit perfectly with the night’s theme. His golden bronze hair was styled nicely, and even the scruff on his jaw seemed trimmed. He wore a pale gray suit and white shirt. His tie was lavender because it reminded him of our glyph. And unlike my brother, he’d swapped his favorite boots for shiny black dress shoes.
I turned and glanced around the room for the rest of my Coven-mates. It wasn’t hard to find them, either. They stuck out in the crowd. Easton and Lily were in the middle of the dance floor doing a sexy tango. Constance and Daniel were slow dancing next to them and laughing. Braison and Paulina were a few feet away, and Paulina was teaching Braison how to salsa. They had a crowd of students trying to follow along.
Devon and Hunter were sitting on the edge of the stage off to the left, overlooking the whole party. They looked more like mischievous teenagers than full-grown adults—which made sense considering how their children turned out. Bentley was close by, hanging out with other children his age and laughing.
Kessler and Mona were in the far corner…snogging, as Jackson would say. I smiled and looked away before they caught me looking. I was happy for them. Mona was badass, and Kessler deserved to find his own happiness after everything he’d done for my brother—and for The Coven.
I spotted Henley surrounded by a group of beautiful teenagers who looked more like adults, and I knew they had to be Deacon’s friends. Emersyn had told me about a redhead named Caroline, and I knew the girl in front of Henley had to be her. But Henley didn’t look fazed or uncomfortable.
There was a deep, rough laugh from the table next to Henley, and I recognized the voice immediately. Uncle Timothy! My heart warmed at the sight of him sitting there smiling and laughing. To my surprise, he wore a suit and not a flannel shirt. I leaned around Jackson’s shoulder to see who my uncle was talking to—and gasped.
It was Katherine. And her face was glowing. They were facing each other, and even though I couldn’t see their legs under the tablecloth, I knew they had to be touching. They were too close not to be. I had no idea what was happening there, but they both looked so happy.
Emersyn gasped. “Deacon. Who is that? With Royce?”
We all frowned and looked to where her gaze was locked…and my jaw dropped. Royce had just strolled inside with a date. And I’d never seen him before. But they both looked amazing.
“Uhhh…” Deacon chuckled. “I have no idea.”
Just then, Royce spotted us staring. He did a little wiggle dance then sauntered over to us like he was on a runway show. His date followed suit without hesitation.
“Is Royce’s suit made of silk?”
“Tegan, this is me.” Royce stopped in front of us and wagged his eyebrows. “Of course it’s silk.”
“Silk that perfectly matches his eyes, as a matter of fact,” Royce’s date said with a sexy wink. “Though, sadly, I can’t say the same about mine.”
Royce grinned and hooked his arm around his date’s elbow. “Y’all. This dark-skinned beauty is Leo. He’s a witch from Connecticut, but that’s a long story for another world.”
“I quite like that intro. So sassy and mysterious.” Leo grinned and pushed his thick-rimmed black glasses up his nose. He had light brown eyes that were actually the same color as his skin, and the combination was alluring. He was quite pretty. “Nice to meet you all.”
Deacon reached out and touched his blazer. He grinned. “Dolce and Gabbana?”
Leo’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Beauty and brains. You must be Deacon.”
Royce rolled his sapphire eyes. “Yeah, but he likes girls. Specifically that one.”
“Pity, what a sandwich that would’ve made.” Leo winked at Deacon, then turned to Emersyn and waved his hand up and down. “But I get it. You’re as pretty as they are. Hey, where’s this Tennessee— OH, that must be you—”
“LEO, we talked about this. His girl will bite it off if you touch him.” Royce winked at Tegan as he dragged Leo away. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I promised Leo I’d introduce him to some dragons.”
Once they were gone, Lennox frowned. “I thought he had a thing for one of the dragons?”
“Yeah, hence Leo.” Deacon grinned like the Cheshire cat. “And no, I had nothing to do with this.”
Cooper cursed. “Do we need to be concerned?”
“Do I need to have my camera ready?” Tegan laughed.
Haven sighed. “No, Chutney is over there. She brought Koth as her date tonight, and she’s been with them all night.”
I scanned the group of guys who looked much older than teenagers. They could’ve passed for full-grown men if I hadn’t known any better. Huh. So those are shifters. Dragon shifters. I’d heard so much about them, but I hadn’t met them yet. Then I spotted Chutney in her pale pink ballgown that made her look like a Disney princess. She looked beautiful. She sat next to a guy who had to be taller and bigger than Kessler when he stood. The guy had long dark brown hair and violet eyes.
So that’s Kothari, King of the Shifters.
I frowned. She was sitting really close to him, but not quite touching. It was definitely not the same way I saw Katherine and Uncle Tim. “Are they…dating?”
“No, they’re just friends. But they thought a Coven member escorting the King of the Shifters would be a good idea for our first joint event.”
I turned to my brother to ask a question when my gaze landed on someone walking through the side doors. It was a face I hadn’t seen in two months but was a wonderfully pleasant surprise. She had long gorgeous red hair and freckles to match.
“ERIN!” I shouted then ran toward her. When I got there, I threw my arms around her shoulders and hugged her tight. “Oh my God! I thought we lost you!”
She pulled back and narrowed her light brown eyes on me. Then she frowned. “Wait…Bettina?!”
“Bloody hell, it is you!” Jackson cursed then pulled her in for a hug. “When did you get better?”
“This morning,” a familiar voice said. When I looked, I found Dean Hoover strolling up to us. He took Erin’s hand in his and held tight. “Though I may have snuck her out.”
Erin beamed up at him with flushed cheeks, their hands still gripped tight. “Dean’s been healing me. I’m supposed to still be in the infirmary, so I have to lay low tonight.”
I glanced over my shoulder to find the others had followed us.
Lennox tackled her, her eyes watering. “Ginger Spice, you scared us.”
The door behind them opened. Warner and Gen came in, arm in arm, both looking ravishing in their black suits. I glanced back to Lennox and found her eyes latched on their linked arms. Hmmm, interesting. I turned back just as Harlan walked in…carrying a giggling Willow on his back. Her turquoise dress perfectly matched his tie. Also interesting.
As the two groups merged into one and conversations flowed, I let my thoughts wander. So much had happened since that night I went to Dean’s party. It was crazy to think that when I met my friends here at Eden, I had no idea my best friend was coming back into my life—or that I even had a brother. At the beginning, I was the Barbie doll no one thought belonged here…and now, I was the granddaughter of an angel, with Judgement’s Mark, and more magic than I knew what to do with.
I hadn’t realized just how much had changed until I saw Erin. Hell, I didn’t even look like the girl she knew back in October.
Dean cleared his throat. “Lennox, you know what I think we need right now?”
Lennox grinned. She pulled her wand out from inside her thigh-high boot and pointed it towards the DJ booth. The song playing cut off, and then we heard, “Yo, I’ll tell you what I want. What I really, really want!”
Dean threw up two peace signs and yelled, “GIRL POWER!” Then he charged into the middle of the dance floor.
Together, we raced out there after him, giggling and singing along. The SOMA students had no idea what was happening, but the Edenburg students all shouted and cheered us on. By the time we all got to the middle of the dance floor, the entire ball was out t
here with us. Everyone was laughing and goofing off. Haven and Tegan lip-synched the words to each other, rather aggressively but in a cute way.
Jackson slid up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I gripped his forearms and leaned back into him with a smile. I knew there were thousands of demons loose in the world, and that Lilith was lurking in the shadows somewhere…but right now, in my soulmate’s arms, surrounded by my friends and my family, everything was just perfect.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THE COVEN: ACADEMY MAGIC SERIES (SEASON 2 IN THE SAGA)!! I really do not have words to express my gratitude for each of you! I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved writing it! Bettina and Jackson’s story may be done but don’t worry - there’s plenty more to read about in the saga of The Coven! Read below for exciting news about my other books!
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Are you curious about what Christmas Eve might look like for certain members of The Coven? Well, you’re in luck, because I’ve got a short story to tell you just that - all you have to do is join my newsletter and it’s all yours! (If you’re already a subscriber to my newsletter, don’t worry - you won’t get duplicate emails!)
CLICK HERE to read the special Christmas Epilogue now!
P.S. there might even be a hint at who season 3 is about…
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Ready for the next Coven book? Well then pack your bags and head back up to New York City! The School of Magical Arts is up and running, but Emersyn and Deacon have a lot on their hands. CLICK HERE to pre-order The Uptown Witch now!
Run an entire school for magic. No pressure, right?
Wrong.
It’s all pressure. Nothing but pressure.
The rest of my Coven got to go home and relax. All I want to do after the last few months is to sit on my couch, eat a whole box of cookies, and binge watch mindless feel-good movies. But apparently that is not on my to-do list.
To top it all off…it’s Christmas season. In Manhattan. And I get to host the Yule Ball for all of Eden. Every witch and shifter in the world has been invited...to show off our new School of Magical Arts. Now I just have to make sure we're ready for the world.
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 138