by A. N. Sage
Forming a circle around Evanora, the witches salted the earth and worked their magic to render her useless until they could transfer her to the prison. In any other situation, I’d have been terrified for her but I had no emotions left. She deserved everything she got for the horrific things she did.
“You’ll take her to jail now?” I asked.
“She will be handled accordingly,” Sebyl answered.
“Wait, what does that mean?”
The four high priestesses exchanged looks but none of them spoke up. Luna shifted her weight next to Rhiamon and refused to meet my eyes. Her green eyes locked on Rhiamon who twisted the large crystal choker on her neck over and over.
“WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?” I demanded, surprised at the strength of my voice. “You can’t kill her. Those aren’t the rules.”
Sebyl glanced at Theodora and plastered a fake smile on her face. “Don’t be silly, girl. We are not killing anyone.”
“Then what?”
“The witch will be transported to the prison where we will use all means necessary to divulge any information she may process that might be useful to the coven. I think we can all agree that her knowledge of dark magic is exceptional and while we do not abide by its use, we cannot let it fester and rot inside the body of someone so wicked.”
“You’re going to torture her to tell you what she knows, aren’t you?”
“As I said,” Sebyl sneered, “we will do what is necessary.”
My skin paled and the ground under my feet got so soft that I thought I was standing in quicksand. I tried to focus on Sebyl’s face but I could see it distorting in front of my eyes. Her grin spread across her cheeks until she didn’t look like a person at all. It was as though her skin was melting like those Dali paintings I saw in a gallery once. Time stood still around me as I thought over her words. They would torture Evanora until they got what they wanted from her. But why did they need to know? What use could the High Coven have from dark magic or fae energies? And what was I going to tell River later?
“Billie?” Luna asked and I shook my head to look at her. “Is everything all right?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Yes. Sorry, I think I’m wiped out from tonight. I used up a lot of magic and my body is not cooperating.”
“You poor dear,” Theodora said, her words almost believable. “Not to worry. As soon as we get back to Stamwick, we’ll have the healer witches look at you and make sure everything is as it should be.”
“Stamwick?”
“Well, of course. You’ve done us proud and its time to come home.”
A breath lodged itself in my throat and I rubbed my hands over my eyes so hard that my entire face flushed. I’m going home. I’m actually going home. Why wasn’t I happy about that? My head ached and sweat formed at the base of my back as I pictured myself going back to the coven. Ever since I arrived in Shadowhurst, I wanted nothing more than to return but somewhere along the line, everything changed. I changed. I didn’t want to go back and I didn’t want to be around the high priestesses, not when I knew how little they cared for me. Much like the other witches that stood obediently behind them with a restrained Evanora in their grasp, I was just a tool for the High Coven to use as they pleased. That wasn’t the life I wanted. Not anymore.
“I don’t think I should go back,” I said.
“Pardon?” Sebyl arched one eyebrow, or at least I thought she did since I couldn’t see her forehead under all that black hair. “You don’t wish to return?”
“It’s not that,” I lied. “Of course I want to come back. I miss you all so much!”
My voice was so sugary sweet I almost barfed. I was laying it on thick.
“Then what?”
I looked from one high priestess to the next and widened my smile, trying to look as reassuring as possible. “It’s just that with all this stuff with the witch, I didn’t have time to figure out who the hunters are. They’re still dangerous and I can’t leave until I find them. It’s my duty to the coven.”
Lowering my head, I peeked over to Evanora whose eyes widened at my words. Don’t worry, bitch, I’m just as shocked as you right now. I grimaced then squared my shoulders to face the priestesses again.
“So what do you think?”
The four looked past me then to each other.
“Ladies?” Sebyl asked.
My body froze as I waited for the others to speak, praying they wouldn’t send me back just yet. There was still so much I wanted to see in Shadowhurst and I needed time to do that. I wanted more time with River and Peyton and the Chandlers. More so, I had to find out what these damn shadows were and why I had them in me. They were unlike any magic I’ve seen and being able to call on them without an elemental connection was both intoxicating and scary as hell. What worried me most was the extra energy boost I got when using them, unlike other times I’ve used my magic, the shadows stole nothing from me and I felt more powerful than ever now. Somehow, I had the feeling that if the High Coven found out, I’d be a magical lab rat before I knew it. No, thank you.
In front of me, Theodora leaned in and grinned. “That is a wonderful idea, dear. But only if you’re sure this is what you want. We are already very impressed with you so if you’re doing this to prove something, it isn’t required.”
“I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Very well,” Sebyl said. “Then you’re approved to stay. But you must keep us informed at all times on what you discover. We will not be kept in the dark like last time and if we ever feel that you are no longer needed in Shadowhurst, you will return immediately.”
I nodded. “Thank you. And yes, of course.”
“Very well. We will speak with the Chandlers and come up with a reason for you to stay.”
“I don’t think you have to,” I interrupted. “I’m pretty sure they enjoy having me around and wouldn’t mind. I can talk to them when I get back tonight.”
There was a struggle to my right and I turned to see Evanora wrestle with one of the head witches. Her face was bright red and she was mumbling something over the dirt in her mouth. Her bound hands shook behind her, but she trained her eyes only on me.
“Control your prisoner, sisters!” Sebyl snapped.
My gaze met Evanora’s and I narrowed my eyes. “It’s okay. Let her speak. What harm can it do now?”
Reluctantly, Sebyl agreed and the head witch shoved her hand into Evanora’s mouth and dug out the dirt, throwing it to the side in disgust. As soon as she was free to speak, Evanora growled and leaped forward but the head witches yanked her restraints back so hard I was shocked they didn’t dislocate a shoulder. Her fiery eyes burnt into me and I took a step back for fear she might break free and I’d have to fight her all over again.
“Believe nothing they tell you, kid!” She yelled and her eyes dropped to the moonstone on my finger. “Seek the truth. Find what they’re hiding!”
“ENOUGH!” Sebyl roared. “Shut her up before I lose my patience!”
The head witch that bound Evanora before forced her to her knees and muzzled her once more. Tears streamed down Evanora’s face but this time, she didn’t struggle. Her eyes pled with me to listen, to hear what she was trying to say even though her words were unclear. I wanted to ask her more but my gut told me it was best to keep quiet. This wasn’t the first time someone warned me to watch out for the High Coven’s lies and though I didn’t believe Beatrix when she said it, I sure as hell was starting to believe her now. Something wasn’t right in the coven and I would get to the bottom of it.
As I watched the witches drag Evanora down the field, a fire blazed in my stomach. These women lied to me, in more ways than one it seemed. They pushed me into the shadows and forced me to hide who I was. They taught me to hate and I let them. Well, not anymore. I didn’t know if what Beatrix and Evanora said was true, and a big part of me wished it wasn’t, but I needed to know for myself. And if I was wrong and the High Coven wasn’t up to something, I wou
ld say goodbye to everyone I met here and return to them. I would come home to my people and force myself into the shadows of Stamwick alleys as I had done for many years before. Except this time, I’d have some shadows of my own.
New Magic
“You’re staying?” River asked.
We sat on the front steps of his porch and his fingers had been playing with my hair for hours. It was starting to hurt a little, but I didn’t want to ask him to stop for fear he may never touch me again, and not being touched by River was not an option. Sure, he was a hunter and trained to kill my kind but he was so much more than that. Just like I was much more than what I’ve been raised to be. We were both the same kind of lost and confused and I hoped that maybe, by some luck, we could unravel the pieces together. Shadowhurst was not what I thought it would be but a lot has changed since I first drove in through those massive iron gates. I changed. For the better, I hoped, but it was much too early to tell at this point. The only thing I was sure of was that I made the right decision in staying and not telling the High Coven what I knew. Witch or not, I would not betray the people that had my back when it mattered and that was enough for now. As far as a plan went, I had none. Keeping secrets from the High Coven would be the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do but my choices were limited and if I wanted to protect my friends, I saw no other way than to keep the lies twisting. At least this time around, I had some support to help keep the balls in the air. My legs rested on Rivers and I leaned back on my elbows, staring at the hanging planters above our heads.
With Evanora gone, I was surprised to see the house hasn’t fallen apart in seconds.
“Yep. Looks like you’re stuck with me,” I teased.
“I like being stuck with you.”
River leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. His breath was heavy and hungry, paralleling my own. My legs tensed on top of him and when he pulled my hair to deepen our kiss, I almost imploded. I was still getting used to the fact that I was dating a witch hunter and every time we touched, a pang of guilt rushed through me. But one look at River’s V made all of that go away because come on, how could it not? The boy was perfect.
He growled against my lips and I laughed before pulling back, instantly missing the warmth of his body. Frigid Shadowhurst air wrapped around me and I inched closer to him to nuzzle my head on his shoulder. “What will happen now? With you, I mean?”
River shrugged. “I don’t know. My dad’s coming back so that should be interesting.”
“For real? That’s good, right? It’s what you wanted.”
“I guess. Not how I wanted it to go down but yeah, it’s good.” He rearranged himself but kept my legs just where they were. “I still can’t wrap my head around it. My real dad was a shifter. It’s messed up.”
“Yeah, it’s not great.”
“Thanks.”
I laughed. “I’m kidding. Look, you’re almost seventeen and you’re as human as they come so if you’re worried about shifting, I don’t think that’s going to happen. And hey, even if it does, we’ll deal with it.”
“Like ‘you’ll vanquish me’ deal with it?” He asked, eyebrows arched.
“Yeah, I’ll smoke your ass, buddy. Watch out!” I joked. “No, I mean we’ll figure it out. Together.”
River’s jaw relaxed and he lazily swirled his thumb over my thigh. Bolts of energy ran through me with each passing circle and I cursed him for having this effect on me. River made it impossible to keep my head straight. “Thanks for helping me through this. I’m pretty sure if you weren’t here, I’d lose it.”
“I’ll always help you,” I whispered. “Ever since we met, I couldn’t get you out of my head. When your mom told us about your shifter bloodline, I thought that it was just my magic reacting to your blood but I don’t think that anymore.”
“What do you think now?”
My lips spread into a stupid grin as they often did when he was nearby. “I think I kinda like you, hunter,” I said. “Sorry, do you prefer shifter? I wasn’t sure what we were going with here.”
“River’s fine, witch,” he teased.
A gust of wind ruffled his soft hair and I reached up to brush the strands back into place. The waves fell over his forehead and I stared at him as I worked to imagine what he must have felt at that moment. His father that left him when he was young was coming back and despite the joy that must have brought, it couldn’t be enough to make up for what his mother did. I knew a little about having a criminal for a parent so I could totally relate but unlike River, I didn’t also just find out that my mom was a witch that killed one of my close friends. My heart broke for him and I pressed my lips to his again.
“What was that for?” He asked.
“For being you. And for taking all of this so well. Me, I mean.”
River sighed and I pulled back, wondering if this was when he would break up with me. Instead, he smiled and flashed his adorable dimple my way. “To be honest, I’m surprised you’re sticking around. Or that you haven’t put some hex on me or something.”
“What? Why?”
“Hello? Hunter over here!” He gestured to his body and I tried not to picture him topless. “I’m impressed you’re able to look past that.”
I ran a finger over his pecs and grinned like an idiot. “Yeah, well, you’re hard to hex I guess.” I laughed then looked up at him from under my lashes. “But seriously, it will not be easy. At least not at first. The rest of your friends are not going to come around to this anytime soon, especially not Savannah. Then there’s your dad to worry about. And Peyton. It’s going to be a hot mess for a while.”
“Don’t worry about the hunters, I’ll talk to them. They might not like it but most of them know you’re not the bad guy here and I’m sure they’re all pissed our parents didn’t give us the entire story when they pushed us into this whole witch-hunting thing.” His hand found mine again and he smiled. “And as far as my dad goes, he might not like the hunter business but he knows how important it is to me. Though I don’t think I will tell him about you being a witch just yet.”
“Probably a good idea.” I nodded. “And Peyton?”
River’s jaw slacked like he was hearing about Peyton being a soul sucker for the first time. In the two days that followed Evanora’s arrest, I tried to fill him on as plenty as I could about the paranormal world around us. I told him about the shadowers and explained the history of my kind in so much detail that I sounded like an occult encyclopedia rambling off facts. But he had to know everything if he was going to stay safe and now that we knew how dark Shadowhurst was, I couldn’t leave him unprotected. As it turned out, Evanora didn’t do much in the way of preparing the hunters for what was truly out there though I understood why; opening that gateway would only distract from hating my kind so completely. So it was up to me to get them ready in case any of the shadowers I’ve encountered came knocking. I even promised to help train the hunters to get them up to speed though we decided it was best to keep Peyton’s true identity a secret until she was ready to talk about it herself. After all, it was her life and I would not force my friend out of the mystical closet if she didn’t agree with it.
“I still can’t believe Peyton is a badass,” River said.
“The baddest badass. Soul suckers are no joke.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and rolled my shoulders. “What I can’t believe is that I’m with a witch hunter and my best friend is a freaking shadower. That’s cray.”
“HA! I mean, if anyone messed with this crew, they’re in deep shit.”
A laugh bubbled out of me as I imagined that situation when it hit me. Evanora might be gone but something still didn’t sit right with me. In the wake of her arrest, I have given little thought to the High Coven situation and my stomach turned just remembering that they were still there. As much as I wanted to go back to school and have a normal life, there were still too many unanswered questions and I was more in the dark now than when I first came to town. Couple that with the
new magic I now had and I was a walking wreck. At least now, I didn’t have the guilt of lying to River and my friends eating away at me but somehow it wasn’t enough. Deep inside, I knew I wouldn’t feel right until I figured out what the High Coven was keeping from me and the rest of the witches. Evanora might have been a murderer and my mom was a downright asshole but they both hated the High Coven and I was determined to find out why.
“You’re doing that thing again,” River said and tugged my chin forward.
“What thing?”
“That thing where you get all wrapped up in your head.”
I smiled at the notion that even after such a short time, he had my weirdo faces down pat. “Don’t be a creep. Quit staring, I’m fine.”
“I’m just worried you’re overanalyzing as always. Not that I mind how cute you look when you’re all serious like that.” His fingers tightened around my chin and his eyes took on a stern expression. “Stop freaking out. We will be fine.”
Doubt that. “Promise?”
“Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. Together.”
I was about to lose myself in River’s kisses again when a bike skidded to a stop in front of us. Peyton jumped off, heaving over her thighs as she tried to breathe. My best friend’s hair was an unbrushed mess and her eyes looked like she’d been crying. In an instant, I was off River’s lap and kneeling by her side.
“Peyton? What’s wrong? What happened?”
She held up a finger and took a few more ragged breaths before straightening her back and looking from me to River. “Sorry to bust up this make out sesh but…” She took another wheezing breath. “God, I’m out of shape.”
“What’s going on?” River asked, his eyes stern and dark.