Constance hung her head, and tears dripped down her face. “Timothy… He…he’s gone.”
The girl from the video chat, Henley, pushed forward. Her sapphire gaze swept the yard then resettled on Constance. “What do you mean he’s gone?” she growled through clenched teeth.
Constance let out a horrifying sob that would haunt me forever. She didn’t try to hide her pain or tears. She balled her hands in fists at her sides and stood tall. “Timothy was killed yesterday. That’s why I called you.”
There was a split second of silence, and then The Coven erupted in shouts. Everyone rushed toward Constance. The brunette woman pulled Constance in close, and I saw the Mark of the Chariot on her arm. Holy hell, that’s Devon Bishop. She was a legend in the Sword Suit. She would’ve been Sword Major had her Mark not appeared. Everyone knew she was a beast. Gen and Erin worshiped her. Timothy used to talk about her all the time.
Devon held on to Constance, then with her Marked arm, she yanked her soulmate in with them. That means that guy is Hunter Bishop, Temperance Card…and the bigger one who looks like him is Kessler Bishop, the Strength Card. The adult Coven members embraced Constance and Daniel, both seeking and giving comfort.
But it was too much to watch. I was going to lose it if I didn’t look away.
“Not him, too!” a girl cried, pulling my attention before I broke down. She had strawberry blonde hair and big brown eyes that were filled with tears. Blue magic flickered around her, and then I saw the Magician’s Mark on her arm. “We just lost Larissa. Not Tim now!”
“Why does this keep happening?” the Fool Card cried. She had her arms raised over her head and tugged on her curly brown hair, leaving her Mark for me to see.
Pain swelled inside me so intense I thought I was going to crack. I hadn’t expected them to react like this…like it hurt them as much as it did me. It was like experiencing it all over again. My eyes burned, and a hot lump formed in my throat. I shouldn’t have been here for this moment. I wasn’t in The Coven. I didn’t know these people. I wanted to be with my friends, with people who could provide some kind of comfort. Watching the two other couples holding on to each other with tears in their eyes was a knife to the severed heart. Salt to the wound.
Every part of me wanted to go to Bettina, and it just made the hurt so much worse. My heart told me she couldn’t have done this, but my brain kept saying don’t be so foolish. It was a raging battle inside me, logic versus what I knew of her. And even if she was as innocent as I thought, there was a damn good chance The Coven would charge her with murder.
I scrubbed my face with my hands, then looked up in search of my escape… That was when I spotted Tennessee, the Emperor. His face was ashy pale as he stared down at the ground. The expression in his eyes matched the pain trying to swallow me whole.
“Damn it,” a guy who looked exactly like Henley shouted. “It was the Old Lands, wasn’t it? I knew we should’ve gone with him. Was it the balefire? One of those creatures? Cooper, what was that thing called we saw—”
“I don’t know,” the guy he’d called Cooper said with a sigh. But then his green eyes flared. “Wait a second. You said he was killed? Not he died, but was killed. By what?”
The guy in the tux gripped his chest. “A demon?”
Henley’s eyes widened.
It was Hunter who spoke. “No, no, this feels…much worse. It hurts more.”
“Do you have them in custody?” Tegan said in a voice barely more than a whisper. Her pale green eyes were shining bright and sharp, and it sent a cold chill down my spine. “Or do we need to go hunting?”
I shivered. The High Priestess was even more intuitive than I’d expected. She knows.
“Who?” The blonde in the gown frowned. “Tegan, who?”
“The witch who killed Timothy,” a small voice said from off to the side, where I almost didn’t see him.
Everyone turned toward him. I knew without asking or seeing his Mark that this was our Hierophant. We’d all heard he was nine years old, but still, the sight of him next to everyone else surprised me. They stared at him for a second, then turned back to Constance with wide eyes.
“Yes. One of our own.” Constance held both hands up. “But before I take you to the dungeon to see her, there’s something we must handle first, even before the funeral.”
“What could be more important than this?” a red-haired guy asked from the back.
Constance sighed. “We must select our new male Coven Leader.”
At once, without a fraction of hesitation, everyone turned to Tennessee.
Our Emperor sighed, though it sounded like he’d been gutted. He squeezed his eyes shut…and nodded.
Chapter Six
Jackson
Everything after that happened so fast.
One minute I sat outside Coven Headquarters dropping the worst news of my life, and the next I was surrounded by hundreds of people waiting to watch the Emperor be crowned Coven Leader. I couldn’t believe how many people were here. Once the word got out, it spread like wildfire. A small part of me wondered if I was the one who’d let the cat out of the bag, but it was just beyond my ability to worry about that now.
There were too many people here, all dressed in white. Students in their cloaks, the civilians in street clothes. I pulled my white hood up over my head then slipped around the massive crowd until I reached the spot my friends were in.
Gen looked up at me immediately. “This is all so jacked up. Erin isn’t here to see this, Bettina is in the dungeon—”
“For now,” Harlan grumbled. “Who knows where they’ll bring her.”
“Or what they’ll do to her,” Trey whispered. “I mean, they’ll definitely strip her magic, but what else? She killed the Coven Leader.”
“We don’t know that!” Gen growled.
He threw his hands up. “I know that, but what if they say she did? What if there’s no evidence that she didn’t?”
Lennox shuddered, then wrapped her arms around her waist. “I met the High Priestess, Tegan… She seemed really cool. We just need her to listen. Give Tina a chance.”
Harlan sighed. “I want to believe she’s innocent, but I’m struggling.”
Trey pursed his lips and looked to me. “You met them this morning. What were they like? The Emperor? The High Priestess?”
“Like they wanted to make someone pay for this,” I mumbled.
Gen cursed and shook her head. “Why are they dragging this out? Why are we doing this first?”
“Coven law states they must always have two Coven Leaders at all times.” Lennox shrugged when we all turned to her. “They have rules, too.”
Harlan scoffed. “For what?”
“For balance,” I said softly. “There’s no point in being mad about this. They have to appoint Timothy’s replacement before they can make any judgement on Bettina’s case. But I did hear them say they’d see to her immediately after, before we have his funeral.”
“Why is it back here?” Trey pointed to the edge of the forest. “That’s literally the Old Lands. Why are we back here?”
At this, they all turned to me. Even Lennox, who knew more than most.
“It’s holy ground.” I pointed a little ways in front of us, to a grassless clearing of land. “Sacred land, connected to the Old Lands but safe. It’s why Coven Headquarters is back here.”
“I wish Bettina could be here to see this,” Lennox whispered.
Me too. I cleared my throat. “Have you seen her today?”
Lennox shuddered. “Yes. She’s not okay.”
A hushed murmur spread through the crowd and everyone turned. The sea of white parted…and then The Coven emerged. Constance stood in the front, with a crystal crown on her head and an ornate scepter in her hand. She wore a sleeveless white sheath that fell to her knees, and a silver arm band. Tucked between her skin and the metal was a dagger slightly longer than my hand. She walked forward, her bare feet gliding over the raw earth.
Behind her, The Cov
en followed in a single-file line. They all wore the same sheath and serious, stone-cold expressions on their faces. No one wore shoes.
The crowd didn’t dare to make a sound. We all stood there in captivated silence in a crescent shape around the holy ground. The air was different back here. It was crisper and cleaner, and it shimmered with the palest hint of golden glitter. Like the air itself was iridescent. The trees and grass were brighter green, the earth richer brown.
As Constance led them down the narrow path and into the circular opening that was tucked up against the edge of the Old Lands, the trees swayed toward them.
The Coven marched like this was something they did often. They moved soundlessly and confidently until they made a large circle. As they stood there in their places waiting, I took the opportunity to look at their Marks. The pretty blonde I’d seen in the gown earlier turned out to be our Empress, and her tuxedo man was the Devil. Beside them were two more blond guys with the Marks of the Star and Lovers, followed by a raven-haired Sun Card. The last person in the line was the young Hierophant. He carried a large book and a golden chest.
A few feet after him came the High Priestess. The crowd whispered and murmured in excitement. Her long black hair whipped around in the autumn breeze, and for the first time, I realized the ends of her strands were violet. She held her head high with a dangerous sparkle in her pale green eyes. She wore crystal rings on several fingers and had a few more hanging from chains around her neck. As she walked, the sun shining down made the pink heart-shaped crystal of her soulmate glyph on her hand sparkle like a real diamond.
She marched slowly and precisely, each one of her footsteps leaving a little swirl of rainbow-colored mist in the dirt. When she got to the opening of the circle, she twirled her wrists and wiggled her fingers—and light flashed from the ground under their feet. Runes of sparkling blue were etched into the dark brown dirt.
My eyes widened and my pulse did a little skip. This was a level of magic I’d yet to ever witness.
She turned and the air shimmered around her…and then she was gone. A flash of a second later, she reappeared on the other side of the circle, staring expectantly at the pathway they’d all just walked across. She smiled a devious little smirk, and her green eyes twinkled. In that moment, all of the rumors I’d heard about her made sense. Especially the ones about her giving in to her dark side. She was wicked, and I was glad she was on our side.
My heart sank. Bettina should’ve been here beside me to watch this. She would’ve found this all so exciting. She’d been dying to meet The Coven, to even get a glimpse of them…and this was something spectacular already. If I were a human, I would’ve pulled out my cell phone and videotaped it. But I wasn’t, and this was a sacred ritual ceremony. Besides, who would allow me to share the video with someone accused of high treason and murder?
The ground rumbled under my feet. A wild gust of wind swept through the clearing, brushing through the tree branches. I frowned and looked around, and my gaze landed back on the High Priestess. Her devilish smirk had turned into a full-on beaming smile, full of pride and love. Soft pink light poured out from her hand and chest.
The crowd gasped.
I jumped and spun around…just in time to see the Emperor step onto the path.
Chapter Seven
Tennessee
This was it.
The moment I’d been dreading for twelve years.
I knew it would come eventually. I just never thought it would be like this. Deep down I just assumed at one point we’d revote for our Leaders. It was a fairly common thing to do throughout our history. Never had I imagined—
Stop. Hold yourself together. Fall apart later.
I stood at the base of a dirt pathway that led straight into the holy ground. My Coven-mates were in a circle, ready and waiting to crown me. Between me and them was a sea of white, like I was walking through the clouds. This ceremony was open to the public, and obviously news had spread fast, because there were hundreds of civilians surrounding the circle. Their energy was pure excitement. I just wished I shared the feeling.
Focus, Tenn. I took a deep breath then looked up at the circle. My father stood on the far end, beside Constance. His amber eyes met mine and he smiled and nodded. Beside him was my adoptive brother, Cooper, and he, too, nodded his head at me. I closed my eyes and tried to rein in my runaway pulse.
Babe. Tegan’s voice popped into my mind.
I looked up and met her stare. She stood in a straight line out from me…and the smile on her face took my breath away. I licked my lips and shifted my weight around.
She arched one eyebrow slightly, her eyes sparkling like diamonds. Babe. Just breathe. You got this. You’re going to be amazing. We all know it. You were made for this role.
I sighed and swallowed through a rush of emotion.
I’m right here, with you every step of the way. You won’t be doing this alone. We’re here.
I nodded.
She grinned. I love you so damn much. Now get over here so we can crown you.
I chuckled and shook my head. That girl. She did things to me I still wasn’t used to. Every day I thought I couldn’t possibly love her any more, and then the next day arrived to prove me wrong. And right now, she knew exactly how I felt.
I knew I was a good leader. It was natural to me…but the idea that I was in charge of the entire arcana race just— It was overwhelming.
I love you, Kitten, I mouthed to her.
I stepped forward, my bare feet sinking into the cool dirt. The crowd of civilians whispered, and it sounded like a swarm of bees buzzing by my ears. But I ignored it. I glued my eyes on my soulmate and marched forward.
The Coven Elders had explained to us how this ceremony went down, because none of us had been alive the last time it happened. I knew what I was supposed to do, and I also knew Tegan would whisper it in my mind if I somehow forgot. There was so much going through my head: demons on the loose, setting up new schools, the people lost in the Old Lands, Timothy’s murderer. But there was plenty of time to stress over that later… I just had to get through this first.
As I got to the entrance of the circle, runes glowed bright blue from within the dark dirt. I stepped inside the circle, and the runes turned bright green. The ground rumbled under my feet, and it sounded like a cat purring. Strong gusts of wind wrapped around the circle. The crowd gasped. I felt their eyes on my back like little needle pricks.
Ignore it. Just keep going.
In the direct center of the circle was the rune symbol for the Goddess. It looked like embers from a fire. That was my target. I walked over then dropped to my knees right in front of it. An eerie, calm quiet fell over the crowd.
Here we go.
I took a deep breath, then said, “By The Coven’s magic, I shall be heard, with mine Emperor’s power, I give my word.”
Tegan winked then raised her left hand out in front of her, the Mark of the High Priestess peeking up at me from her pale forearm. She twirled her hand and wiggled her fingers. Bright, shimmering silver magic shot out from her palm then swirled in the air until it formed a single silver glowing orb the size of a softball.
Light flashed in my peripheral vision as the rest of my Coven-mates summoned magic to their hands. Orbs of silver and gold surrounded me. I kept my eyes on Tegan. If I looked around at them now, I might fall apart. Their faith in me was too much sometimes.
Tegan flicked her wrist, and her silver orb floated toward me then stopped above the Goddess’s rune and hovered. I felt her magic right in front of me. It was incredibly powerful, but it soothed the panic threatening to surge to the surface.
There was a blast of heat, and then a glowing golden orb floated over. I didn’t need to look to see whose it was. There was no mistaking the fire in Emersyn’s magic. Her orb floated right into her twin’s then merged together.
There was a moment of pause, then one by one my Coven-mates sent their orbs to join Tegan and Em’s. Gold and silver joined
together, morphing into one basketball-sized ball of magic.
My pulse skipped a beat. The weight of this moment crashed into me. This was my Coven-mates choosing me as their Leader. This was them pledging to the Goddess that they wanted me to guide them. This was them vowing on their magic that they trusted me.
My heart swelled as my emotions tried to overpower me. I just didn’t understand…why me? What had I done to deserve this honor?
My Coven-mates raised their arms and held their palms out to the sides, pressing into each other. Gold and silver magic coiled around their arms and over their bodies until they were connected by vines of magic. They looked to the sky.
“We call thee Goddess to honor thy name,” Tegan chanted. Then she looked back to me, and my heart fluttered. Her eyes glowed pure bright white, the green lost from sight.
“From among us all, this one we claim,” Bentley called out. His gaze moved to me, and his eyes were still the same golden color as his father and sister.
“For deep and dark, through light and air,” my Coven-mates crooned together in perfect unison. “To lead us all with right and fair.”
Sharp light shot through the embers of the Goddess’s rune on the ground in front of me. Rays of silver and gold shined up into the orb of my Coven’s magic. The runes around the circle changed from green to blue, then back again, over and over.
“By word of will, and vail of vow, search his soul here and now,” my Coven-mates chanted. They turned their eyes to me and continued, “With ancient strength and blessed power, our trust is his this sacred hour.”
This is it.
No turning back now.
I never wanted this job. Never asked for it, never hoped to have it. My Coven had decided it for me. I kept thinking they’d snap out of it, that they’d wake up one day and realize I wasn’t fit to be their Leader. That one day they’d see what I saw. I wasn’t any more special or incredible than them. Yet here I was, on the cusp of being crowned.
The Fallen Witch (The Coven: Academy Magic Book 2) Page 3