“I didn’t hurt her, and she didn’t attack me. We made a trade. There’s definitely more to her story than we know, and when we’re done with this quest, Kessler, I’d like to find out.”
My father took a long hard look at me before nodding. He’d been standing silently behind the couch, watching over everyone’s shoulders. His arms were crossed over his chest, the telltale sign he was worried. “Okay.”
I knew by the set of his jaw and the intensity in his golden eyes he had more to say on the situation, but he seemed to accept it for now. He knew I liked to keep things private. He’d ask me later; we both knew it.
I nodded and then turned my attention back to Cassandra. “Well, what do you think, George?”
Her lips curled into a smirk at her nickname. “I think we should try using it like we would any pendulum.” She moved to the ground and sat cross-legged on the white carpet.
Everyone moved into a circle around her, careful to leave her space but eager to see what happened. We watched in silence. Sunlight poured in from the nearby French windows, making the crystal turn a rosy pink wherever the light hit. Cassandra placed her right elbow on the glass table and held her hand out in front of her. The crystal looked like a chunk of the sky hanging from a chain. She waited until the crystal stopped swaying and hung straight down, then she closed her eyes and breathed. We knew not to speak or it would interrupt the energy connection. My pulse pounded in my veins with anticipation. Please let this work.
With the chain loosely gripped between her thumb and middle fingertip, she spoke softly. “Show me yes.”
Nothing happened. I cursed under my breath. Everyone took a step back at the same time. Sometimes at first use, the pendulum needed space. When she asked it to show her, it meant the crystal was supposed to swing in a direction signifying yes. Once it showed yes, she’d ask it to show no, I don’t know, and I don’t want to answer. It was really cool to watch the crystal respond on its own. Sometimes the most basic magic was the most exciting to witness.
“Show me yes,” she repeated.
Again, nothing.
She narrowed her eyes. “Show me no.”
Nothing.
“It’s not connecting to me,” Cassandra said with more frustration in her voice than I’d ever heard. She sighed and rubbed her face with her free hand.
“Want me to try?” Easton asked with bright eyes and his hand up in the air. He wagged his eyebrows playfully. Serious Easton hadn’t lasted long.
Cassandra shook her head. Slowly, her gaze moved to meet mine, and my chest filled with dread. “Sometimes powerful tools like this can only be used by the witch who claimed it. Tennessee, we need you to try.”
I sighed, but wasn’t surprised. Part of me expected it, but none of me was excited about it. Sure, the magic part was fun, but the pressure on me wasn’t. I wiped my palms on my black jeans and prayed my fingers wouldn’t betray my confidence. I moved to sit on the carpet beside Cassandra and took the pendulum she held out. The crystal immediately warmed against my palm. My pulse skipped a beat. When I took the chain between my two fingers like Cassandra had, an electric shock shot up my arm. I gasped and the crystal bobbed in the air. Whoa. Okay, maybe it does like me.
Cassandra inhaled. “I knew it. Keep going.”
The rest of my gang leaned closer with encouraging smiles. A few of them even gave me a thumbs-up. Kessler moved into my line of view, one hand pulling on his bottom lip. He stared at the pendulum for a second then met my gaze and nodded. I swallowed nervously and followed Cassandra’s lead, placing my right elbow on the glass table and holding my hand out. The crystal swayed for a few seconds before it settled in straight. I knew how to use a pendulum; it was pretty much Witchcraft 101, but I also knew with total certainty this was not a normal crystal.
“Show me yes,” I said.
The crystal didn’t swing or spin, but I thought I saw it jolt. My lips twitched, but I suppressed a smile. Okay, focus. You can do this.
I licked my lips and channeled my energy into the pendulum. “Show me yes.”
Again, the stone remained motionless. Except this time a purple mist spilled out from the crystal and swirled through the air around the stone. It’s working.
I tried to focus, but everyone was whispering around me and it was distracting. “Can you guys stop talking?”
“Um…Tennessee…no one is talking…” Cooper said with a soft, gentle voice.
I frowned and looked around.
Everyone eyed me with alarmed expressions on their faces.
“None of you were whispering just now? None of you hear it?” I asked.
“No, we can’t. But you can.” Cassandra pursed her lips and tapped her chin with her finger. “I was right. It’s only wanting to answer to you. You are the chosen one for this.”
“Then why isn’t it working?” Royce asked. The leather couch creaked like he’d moved closer.
“I think he needs to try it alone. Tenn, go into the other room and shut the door. Then try it.”
Of course, I had to do it alone. Lately almost everything I did either placed me at project leader or riding solo. Although if I had to be the one to do it, I’d rather not have everyone watching. I stood and walked to the doorway of Kessler’s office where I’d have privacy.
I paused with my hand on the door and my eyes on the pendulum. “Is there something specific you want me to ask it?”
“We need to know if it will help close the Gap.” Cassandra tapped her fingers on the glass table. “But just see if it responds to you first. We can formulate what we want to ask later.”
I nodded. Just see if it works. No big deal. Without another word, I shut the French door and pulled the white drapes over the glass. The beach wood floors creaked as I crossed the room and sat in the cozy brown chair beside the window. There was a small round glass-topped end table in front of me.
Breathe. I placed my elbow on the glass like I had in the living room and let the pendulum swing from my fingertips. Once it stopped, I focused my energy through the gold chain and into the crystal. “Show me yes.”
Instantly, the pendulum swung in a straight line away from my body and back. I inhaled in surprise. A chuckle slipped out of my mouth. Cool. Now that I was alone, I let myself enjoy the moment. With a smile, I refocused my energy. “Show me no.”
The pendulum swung back toward my body but stopped abruptly in the middle like I’d touched it. Then it switched direction and swung left to right, right to left. My heart skipped a beat before jumping into overdrive.
I licked my lips. Okay, stay cool, stay cool. “Show me I don’t know.”
Again, the pendulum stopped itself mid swing. This time it moved in a wide clockwise circle. Amazing. Pendulums were a popular witch tool, but I’d never seen one respond quite so passionately.
My heart pounded in my chest. Only one more response question left. “Show me I don’t want to answer.”
Even though I knew it would happen, it still made me gasp when the pendulum switched direction and swung in a counterclockwise circle.
I exhaled. The pendulum worked for me. Time to test it out. “Stop.”
The pendulum ceased motion and hung straight down like it wasn’t a magical tool. The sunlight streaming through the window turned half of the crystal a rosy pink.
Focus, Tennessee. “Is this pendulum the tool from the prophecy?”
The crystal swung away from me and back. Yes.
“Stop. Am I the chosen witch for this tool?”
It repeated the same swing.
“Stop. Will this pendulum answer to any other witch?”
The crystal soared from left to right. No.
“Stop. Do I need this tool to close the Gap in Salem?”
It switched motion back to signify yes. I nodded. I had suspected as much. I knew Cassandra said to test if it worked and then we’d figure out what to ask it, but there was one thing I needed to know. I took a deep breath and wiped the sweat beading on my forehead w
ith my free hand. “Stop. Will I have a big role in closing the Gap in Salem?”
If possible, the pendulum swung faster and wider than it had before. Or perhaps it was my imagination? Either way, it told me the answer I secretly didn’t want to accept. Now I’d have to. When it came time to close the main Gap, the original Gap in Salem, I would play a major role. Yippy.
I gripped the crystal in my palm and made my way back to where my Coven waited. When I opened the door, fifteen pairs of anxious eyes snapped to attention. Any whispered conversations cut off. No one had moved from the spots they’d been in before. They still piled on top of the couches like a litter of puppies.
Cassandra jumped to her feet. Her green eyes widened. “Did it work?”
“Yes.”
They cheered and high-fived each other. Cassandra rubbed her palms together, already working on the next step in her head. Kessler nodded and finally uncrossed his arms from his chest, pacing behind the couches.
I cleared my throat. “I confirmed it is the tool from the prophecy. It won’t answer to anyone else but me…and it is needed for closing the Gap.”
Silence.
No one was surprised or relieved. A few of the younger girls exchanged cagey looks. Peabo and Atley, our non-Card warriors-in-training, frowned and scratched their heads like they were confused. But everyone else sobered into battle mode. I recognized the sharp looks in their eyes. All the years we’d been waiting and training, and now it was finally here. Playtime was over.
I looked to my father for directions since the next step would come from him. “What do you want to do now?”
“Well…” Kessler sighed and scratched the back of his head. He finally stopped pacing and looked around the room. His eyes sparkled in the beam of sunlight, but they were distant, like his thoughts were miles away. “You’ve got a training session with Larissa, Paulina, Henley, and Lily.”
“Wait, what?” Henley frowned and stood. She raised her black ring-clad hands in the air. “Don’t we have more important things to do?”
Kessler arched one blond eyebrow at her. “Than getting you ready for the fight of your life? No. We have to continue as planned.”
Cassandra walked over and wrapped her arm around Henley’s shoulders. “He’s right. Go train. I need to be alone to process all of this. Besides, exercising his body will help Tennessee think clearly.”
Think clearly. Right. I didn’t know if my brain was capable of thinking clearly right now, but I sure as hell could use the exercise. In fact, I needed to shut my brain off for a while. Weapons and magic were the perfect solution.
I shoved the pendulum into the front pocket of my jeans. “All right, ladies, you heard them. Let’s go kick your asses.”
Chapter Six
I slid and dropped down to one knee to dodge Larissa’s attack. Sand splattered her like a tidal wave. Her long wooden bat missed my forehead by an inch, brushing over my sweaty hair instead. I spun and swung my bat, taking her long legs out from underneath her. She dropped to the sand with a heavy thud and a curse. Lily raised her bat and charged with a battle cry. Her black hair was matted to her forehead with sweat. I jumped to my feet and raced toward her, but instead of meeting her with my weapon, I ducked and flipped her over my back.
White light flashed in my peripheral vision. I turned just in time to watch Paulina soar through the air and land ten feet away with white magic flickering around her body. Sand exploded around her like a bomb went off. To my left, Henley stood with her bat like it was a giant wand. White magic swirled around the wooden weapon like a snake.
I inhaled the salty ocean air and tried to keep my voice calm. Patience was key for teaching, but my frustration with her stubbornness was at its limits. “Henley, for the eight hundredth time, no magic.”
Henley groaned and rolled her sapphire blue eyes. She looked rough. Her dark eyeshadow was smudged across her face, and her black lipstick smeared over her chin. The hoop piercing she always wore on her bottom lip was missing, though I hoped she’d taken if off before we started. Behind her, the moon twinkled a little brighter, responding to her energy.
“We’re witches!” she said.
I shook my head and put my hands on my hips. I counted to five while the waves crashed ashore to my right. We’d been out here on the beach for three hours training, yet I couldn’t get them to stop using their magical powers. My job wasn’t to harness their mystical talents. I needed to get their combat skills up to par. Once the twins arrived, the demon attacks would increase. Kessler had told us repeatedly. I had to make sure my Coven knew what to do.
“We’ve gone over this, Henley. Cassandra is working with everyone’s magic. My job is to test your battle skills,” I said.
“I don’t have battle skills.” She crossed her arms over her chest. The constellation tattoos on her wrists reminded me that she’d only get harder to rein in as sunset approached.
“Evidently.”
I ignored the sand she kicked in my direction.
“Tennessee, c’mon, we’ve been out here forever.” Paulina whined. Her soft Spanish accent rolled like the waves and sounded just as pretty. Her long body still lay sprawled on the sand from Henley’s spell. She looked like a caramel-colored starfish that’d been washed ashore. Her long dark curls dripped with sweat. I didn’t like how hard she breathed. “The sun is done.”
“Actually, I’m fine.” Lily smirked and adjusted her black ponytail. Her lavender eyes perfectly matched the colors of the sunset behind her. The letters XIX stood out on her olive skin. Her tarot Mark was the Sun, and like it, her energy level seemed endless. “Give Moonchild a break. You know she can’t help herself this close to dark.”
Henley, aka Moonchild, aka The Moon, sighed dramatically and dropped to the ground. “Someone gets me.” Her XVIII Mark took up the entire width of her porcelain skin, although it was almost completely hidden under her black fishnet shirt.
“No, but really. Sunset is rapidly approaching.” Paulina still hadn’t moved except to wipe the sweat from her cleavage. “I’m no dainty thing, but we’ve been busting our asses for hours now.”
“She has a point, Tenn.” Larissa shrugged. In the fading sun, her mocha skin looked almost mahogany. The thick faux-hawk braid she’d done during warm-up stayed perfectly intact, and I made a mental note to have her teach me how to do my own. “We don’t have your energy.”
Henley walked up to me with narrowed eyes. “Listen here, Emperor. What do we need to do to end this training session?”
I sighed. Had I trained them too hard? Maybe Kessler hadn’t intended on such a long session. I was proud of them though. For hours they gave me their best effort. Perhaps I needed to cut them some slack on their first training session.
I rubbed my face with my palms, and the sand stuck to my hands irritated my skin. “Okay. We can call it a night.”
“Thank the Goddess,” Henley sang with a bright, black-smeared smile. She turned and headed to the ice chest I’d brought.
Larissa pulled Paulina to her feet and helped brush some of the sand off of her. Lily bumped my arm with her shoulder and waved for me to follow. I walked over and sat on the sand beside the four of them. For witches who focused on elemental magic, they really gave combat their all. They had raw talent we’d just never harnessed before, but I had a good feeling they’d progress quickly after a summer with me.
Because that’s what Kessler had planned for my entire summer…training my fellow Cards. I got it, I really did. It was just going to be a lot of work. The girls needed to work on their instincts and how to fight without their magic. The guys needed to work on their skill level and stamina. I had to deliver both…and figure out the rest of the prophecy.
Anxiety rippled through me like an electric shock. My stomach turned and my chest got tight. Seek the tool from thieving hands. First ally with those between the lands. To mend the bond between them all, listen for the vengeful Fallen’s call. I sighed. I’d accomplished the first task and retrieve
d the stolen tool. The bond between them all sounded like the Gap. The pendulum told me the tool was involved, so it was possible. But the other two lines written on Cassandra’s arm were gibberish to me.
A hand landed on my forearm. “Tennessee?”
I jumped and found Henley’s pale fingers on my skin. “Yeah?”
“Welcome back.” She winked and removed her hand. “Where’d you go?”
Ah, I spaced out again. My cheeks warmed. “Sorry. I was thinking about the prophecy.”
“Have you tried using the pendulum again?” Larissa met my gaze with eager hazel-green eyes. She uncapped a bottle of water and drank.
I shook my head. “No, I’ve been here with you guys.”
Paulina cocked her head to the side. Sand was caked into her hair. “Do you know what the next line of prophecy means?”
“No.”
“So, you don’t know where to go next?” Lily asked.
I shook my head. I was as clueless and lost as everyone else, but I needed to not show it.
“Have the pendulum show you.”
I frowned and looked to my right at Henley. “Have it show me?”
Henley blinked and met each one of our gazes. She shrugged and ran her black fingernailed hands through her shoulder-length black hair. “Pendulums are great for finding lost things. No reason it can’t help with this.”
I opened my mouth to speak then shut it. What had Royce said earlier? Something about Henley having hundreds of pendulums at home… Maybe I had room to learn from her. Crystal magic was Henley’s preference.
I cleared my throat. “How does that work? It can’t answer in full sentences.”
“Crystals sense energy and magic…” She pursed her lips, her gaze off in the distance.
The Chosen Witch Page 6