The Ravens

by Danielle Paige

  “We’ve gathered here to cement the bonds of sisterhood and welcome our newest initiates into our family. But first I want to thank Scarlett, our pledge master.” Dahlia turned to face Scarlett. “This is the first time in several years that all of our pledges have been accepted to full sisterhood, and we have her training to thank for it.”

  Scarlett grinned, her eyes shining with pride.

  “And now we begin.” Dahlia picked up a branch from the mossy ground, and an instant later, one end exploded in flames. “Join hands, and let us cleanse this space.” Vivi smiled as she clasped hands with Mei and Scarlett, then watched as Dahlia dropped the branch onto the pile of wood, setting it alight. The flames leaped around them, beating back the encroaching dark. Vivi could have sworn she saw images of soaring birds and dancing girls.

  The sisters began to hum, producing a sound that made her scalp prickle. A shiver passed through the circle where their hands were joined, and for a moment, it felt to Vivi as if they were one creature, breathing together, vibrating in sync. In the firelight, the coven looked spectral, like spirits who’d appeared in these woods, hair loose and wild in the wind.

  “By my will,” Dahlia intoned, “I cast this circle. By my word, it is conjured.”

  Mei and Scarlett released Vivi’s hands. Together, the sisters turned in one direction, arms raised. Vivi did the same, following the others.

  “We call upon the Queen of Swords, spirit of the East,” Dahlia cried. “Hail and well met.”

  They pivoted south. Vivi caught Ariana’s eye for a second and smiled.

  “We call upon the Queen of Wands, spirit of the South,” Dahlia continued. “Hail and well met.” The wind picked up. Vivi’s hair swirled around her face like a miniature tornado.

  They turned again.

  “We call upon the Queen of Cups, spirit of the West. Hail and well met.”

  As one, the sisters in the circle turned north. Vivi turned with them, hands raised in the air.

  “We call upon the Queen of Pentacles, spirit of the North. Hail and well met.”

  A crackle of energy ran through Vivi’s whole body, starting at her feet and extending all the way to her palms.

  “I invoke the Empress and the High Priestess, spirits of magic, witchcraft, and the divine feminine,” Dahlia called. Her voice had turned deeper, as if the ritual had loaned her some of its power. “We bid thee join us tonight as we initiate these new sisters into our fold. Look upon them and bless them with your strength, your knowledge . . . your power.”

  Vivi shuddered as the buzz of energy grew stronger, making the hairs on her arms stand on end. Although most of the wood had turned to ash, the flames were burning even higher and brighter than before.

  “Who ushers Initiate Sonali into our sisterhood?” Dahlia asked.

  Mei stepped forward. Tonight, she had her hair in a gray pixie cut shot through with streaks of black. It made her look witchier than ever. Especially because, even without makeup, her eyes still looked unnaturally big, her lips a perfect bow. “I do.”

  “Who ushers Initiate Vivi into our sisterhood?”

  Scarlett stepped forward. “I do,” she said seriously.

  One by one, Dahlia called the initiates and their Bigs until they all stood slightly inside the circle.

  “Kneel, initiates,” Dahlia said. “From this moment on, this ritual is binding. Once you rise, you will be full members of this sisterhood, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. Do you accept the laws of Kappa and agree to abide by them from this day forth?”

  “I do,” Vivi said at the same time as Bailey, Ariana, Sonali, and Reagan.

  “Prepare to accept your sisters’ power.” Dahlia looked around the circle. “We will now raise our magic and direct it at all our initiates. If the magic becomes too strong or too much, Scarlett, you will step in to assist the initiates in grounding the excess energy. Do you consent?”

  “I do,” replied Scarlett.

  Vivi shivered at the words If the magic becomes too strong, remembering what had happened back in the cemetery when she’d nearly caused the tunnel to cave in. Could something like that happen tonight? Magic wasn’t all charms and glamours—it was a system connected to the most powerful forces in the universe and it had the potential to go very, very wrong, just as it had for Evelyn Waters.

  Dahlia nodded and all the sisters in the circle raised their hands, facing their palms at the initiates. “Empress and High Priestess, grant them our power,” Dahlia chanted. “Empress and High Priestess, grant them our power.” The others joined in, their voices growing louder with each repetition.

  Vivi felt a tingling in her fingertips, which then began to spread, trickling down her arms like water droplets, seeping slowly through her body. The chanting grew even louder until Vivi could feel the voices vibrating in her chest. “Empress and High Priestess, grant them our power.”

  It came in a rush, a wild flood through her body. It felt like a first kiss, like standing outside during a lightning storm. Dangerous and thrilling all at once.

  Vivi spread her arms out, accepting the magic from her sisters. Her hair rose, drifting around her forehead as if she were submerged in water. Her whole body rose, her feet floating inches off the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the others rising as well, but she didn’t need to see them to feel them. A single thread bound them all now, and she experienced it with every beat of her heart. She could feel Sonali’s pride, Ariana’s giddy excitement, Bailey’s mix of trepidation and delight, and, most surprising of all, Reagan’s desperate relief.

  “Empress and High Priestess, grant them our power.” The Ravens’ voices swelled into a crashing chorus. “Empress and High Priestess, grant them our power.”

  Just when Vivi thought she couldn’t take any more, that she’d explode from the surge of energy coursing through her, Dahlia shouted, louder than any of them, “As above, so below. So mote it be!”

  The wind died down. The flames stopped leaping toward the stars, and Vivi dropped back like a rag doll, falling helplessly until a number of Ravens caught her just before she hit the earth.

  One of them was Scarlett, who gave Vivi the most genuine smile she’d seen since they’d met. “Welcome to Kappa, sister.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Scarlett

  Tiffany had outdone herself.

  Every year, Kappa organized the Homecoming Ball. As the social chair, Tiffany had planned this year’s dance, and from the moment Mason opened the door of the limo they’d rented with a few other PiKa-Kappa couples, Scarlett couldn’t stop staring.

  After Dahlia’s big thank-you at initiation night for the pledges, Scarlett thought she had the presidency nomination in the bag. But she had to admit this was impressive.

  “What do you think?” Her best friend swept up to greet Scarlett and Mason with cheek kisses. She wore a slinky golden sheath dress, which stood in contrast to Scarlett’s midnight-black gown. Scarlett looked like the sky on a moonless night next to Tiffany’s bright, glimmering sun.

  Tiffany’s gown matched the glittering shrubbery behind her. She’d decided to throw the ball at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens. It was a perfect choice. The Ravens were glamorous creatures but they never forgot where their power came from: the earth. And coming to the gardens in their ball gowns felt like coming home.

  Scarlett had been to the gardens during the day but it was different at night. Lit up by the moon and delicate strings of lights, it was the kind of woodland you found only in fairy tales.

  Too bad she wasn’t sure how this fairy tale would end. Was she the fair maiden or the evil witch? Depended on who you asked, maybe. She glanced around looking for Jackson, though guys like him didn’t usually come to these events.

  She hadn’t seen him since she left Gwen’s apartment. She’d denied his accusation, of course, and stalked off. But she hadn’t felt totally like herself since then. What did he know? What did he think he knew?

  The only consolation
was that Gwen didn’t have her magic back. That, and the fact that there hadn’t been a single strange incident since the scarecrows in the yard. Tiffany was right; despite Gwen’s beef with the Ravens, at least she didn’t have any magic to back up her threats. Let her try to come at them. A single mortal girl was no match for an entire coven.

  Well? Tiffany’s voice sounded in Scarlett’s head. She blinked at Scarlett, clearly waiting for praise. Scarlett realized she hadn’t actually given it.

  “Bestie, I’m jealous I didn’t do it myself,” she said. Tiffany beamed at her.

  “It’s amazing, Tiff,” Hazel said, coming up behind them.

  Overhead, the string lights that had been spelled through the branches of the Spanish oaks shimmered as they moved like bright golden serpents. Flickering candles lined the central path, and Tiffany had created, in place of the usual dirt track, a solid sheet of ice, clear as glass, that reflected the lights above—an impressive feat given the eighty-degree heat.

  “Too bad I forgot my skates,” Mason said with a smile.

  “Not to worry.” Tiffany took a big step back onto the ice on her sky-high stilettos and gestured around her. “It’s a special design.”

  Magic, obviously. And that was the least of it.

  The leaves overhead kept shifting, turning brilliant fall colors—yellow and red and bright orange—then falling from the trees in a shower of what looked like snow, after which buds grew and re-sprouted into spring. It was as if the whole forest were fast-forwarding through the seasons every few minutes.

  “These projectors must have cost a fortune,” Mason said when they stepped onto the ice, which felt as steady underfoot as pavement.

  “How did you pull all this off?” Scarlett asked Tiffany quietly.

  Tiffany shrugged. “Mei helped a lot. And Dahlia and Etta, of course. I even convinced Juliet and a few sophomores to pitch in. Your Little came up big, actually. She’s powerful, that one.”

  “You didn’t need me?” Scarlett arched an eyebrow. Between Hell Week and Gwen’s reappearance, she hadn’t had much time to talk to Tiffany. Still, knowing that Tiffany had asked everyone but her for help stung.

  “You had your hands full with the new members.”

  Scarlett didn’t miss the implication: You’ve already had enough chances to show off.

  Mason took it all in, his gaze distant, unreadable.

  She squeezed his hand. “Everything okay?” He’d been a little quiet in the limo. She hadn’t thought much about it, but he did seem distracted.

  “Sure,” he said, pushing ahead.

  A jazz band played in front of a wooden dance floor. Tables dotted the perimeter, and tux-clad waiters circulated with hors d’oeuvres. Westerly students in dresses and suits mingled with alumni and top college brass. Lights twinkled in the tree overhead, these branches also dripping with Spanish moss.

  Just to the left, Scarlett saw her mother, draped in a gorgeous jewel-blue satin sheath dress. She was standing with Scarlett’s father and Tiffany’s mother, Veronica. Marjorie and Veronica had overlapped for one year in Kappa. They weren’t close at the time, but they had become friends through their daughters.

  Marjorie waved Scarlett over, a strained smile on her face—the one she wore when she had to mingle with attorneys from rival firms. Scarlett was surprised to see it now; Homecoming was her mother’s favorite social event of the year.

  “Mother. Mrs. Beckett.” Scarlett hugged Tiffany’s mom. “Tiffany didn’t tell me you’d be here.”

  Scarlett couldn’t help but notice how thin Mrs. Beckett was. She wore a scarf bound tightly around her head, and she had deep bags beneath her eyes and hollow cheeks. Scarlett could feel every vertebra in the woman’s back when they embraced. Her heart sank and filled with guilt. How had Scarlett been worried about being left out of Tiffany’s decorating efforts when she should have been asking about Tiffany’s mom?

  She turned to her friend. Oh, Tiffany . . . why didn’t you tell me? she asked silently.

  There’s nothing to tell. She’s stronger than you think, Tiffany responded.

  Scarlett nodded, playing along, but they both knew better.

  “Veronica and I were just reminiscing,” Marjorie broke in, speaking in a false, overly bright voice.

  “Yes, we were discussing the importance of sisterhood. As you near the end of your life, it becomes incredibly clear what—and who—matters.” Mrs. Beckett’s words were warm, but her tone was icy. Scarlett looked at the two women, wondering at the tension between them.

  “I’m sure Tiffany’s glad you could be here to see this. She did a wonderful job,” Scarlett said, trying to shift the mood.

  “She certainly did,” a familiar voice said behind her.

  Scarlett spun slowly, forcing a smile as her sister, Eugenie, leaned in to kiss her cheek. Hooked on her arm was a new man, but that was hardly surprising. Eugenie went through dates the way debutantes went through ball gowns.

  “I figured this was your doing,” Eugenie said to Tiffany. “Scar would never have the imagination for it.”

  Scarlett stiffened. Her best friend rested a placating hand on her arm.

  “Actually, Scarlett’s had her hands full this term initiating five new Ravens. That’s more than either of the years you were in charge, isn’t it, Eugenie?” Tiffany’s smile could cut diamonds.

  Scarlett resisted the urge to kiss her friend. Even in her darkest hour, Tiffany was still protecting her.

  “You should have heard Dahlia at the ceremony,” Tiffany went on. “She couldn’t stop talking about what a great job Scarlett did with the pledges. She’s a shoo-in for president.”

  “That’s my daughter,” Marjorie said with an approving smile.

  Scarlett shot Tiffany a look of gratitude.

  “Well, good luck locking it down, sis,” Eugenie said quietly as Marjorie excused herself to talk to the provost of the college. “My money’s still on Tiffany.”

  Before Scarlett could respond, Mason gestured at her. It was subtle, just a tilt of his head and a one-shouldered shrug. They’d developed that deceptively simple signal long ago at a mixer at Epsilon Omega Tau, the broey-est frat on campus, when Scarlett had gotten stuck talking to a pledge about beer pong for an entire hour. It meant: Get me out, now.

  “Don’t fret, Eugenie,” Scarlett said just before she left. “One of these days, you’ll manage to lock down a man for more than three dates.” And with that, she ducked away to snag Mason, Tiffany’s soft snicker ringing in her ears.

  She steered him toward the bar, letting out a sigh only once her sister was safely out of earshot. But a part of her was still with Tiffany. She felt like a total asshole for being bothered about Tiffany not including her in the party decorating when Tiffany clearly had bigger concerns.

  “Thanks for the rescue,” she murmured. “I needed that.”

  “Actually, I was asking for me.” Mason’s mouth flattened at the edges. “I hate the way they talk to you. Family or not, no one gets to talk to you that way.”

  “Tell that to generations of Winters. Passive-aggressiveness runs in our blood,” Scarlett said sarcastically, expecting a laugh, but Mason looked serious.

  “You get to choose what kind of Winter you’re going to be,” he said gently.

  Before she could ask him what he meant, the crowd of people waiting to get to the bar suddenly parted, the way crowds always did when Ravens arrived, thanks to their subtle mental suggestions.

  Mason, however, waved for the nearest couple to go ahead of them.

  “Why do you always do that?” Scarlett asked, feeling more annoyed. She needed a drink stat after her chat with Eugenie.

  “I just don’t like skipping ahead in lines all the time.” He nodded to where the line had slowly re-formed. “We should wait our turn like everyone else.”

  Scarlett laughed. When he didn’t join in, though, she stopped. “What’s with you tonight?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I’m not an idio
t, Mason. I’ve known you for two years. I know when something is off. You’ve been weird all night,” she replied. She took a step toward him, but he mirrored her, backing away.

  “Scarlett, we’re at a party. Let’s just try to have fun and we’ll talk about it later,” he said, looking at the bar, at a couple dancing, at anything but her. “I don’t want to do this right now.”

  Her heart skipped a beat, fear flooding her veins. Dimly, in the back of her mind, she was aware of a few Thetas side-eyeing them, watching the show. Fuck off, she thought viciously, and almost instantly, every single person within a ten-foot radius turned away from them.

  “Look, I know things haven’t been completely normal between us lately,” she said, trying to stay calm, trying to reason with him. She could save this. She was Scarlett Winter, after all. “You were gone all summer, and I’ve been distracted with the new members’ education. But we’ll get back on track. We’re great together. You know that.”

  Mason took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. His nervous tic. His poker tell. One she’d always found adorable until right this very second. Because when he did that, she knew.

  Such a tiny gesture to snap her heart in two.

  He moved closer, and despite her throat squeezing shut with panic, she held his gaze, like a drowning woman who wanted one last gasp of air before she went under. He put his hands on her shoulders, his touch ever so careful. Like she was something fragile, breakable. Like she was a stranger.

  “I care about you, Scar. I always will. That hasn’t changed. But I have.”

  This was really happening. He was using all the words and phrases of a bad romantic comedy. He was a breath away from saying, It’s not you, it’s me . . .

  He shook his head. “I don’t think our futures are as compatible as our pasts. And deep down, I think you know that too.”