Henley turned her sapphire eyes to the sky while holding her palms out to her side. The narrow crescent moon sank lower and grew bigger. In the blink of an eye, a massive full moon shined down on us, and my jaw dropped.
Tegan took a deep breath then exhaled. She walked forward until she stood right in front of the wooden pyre. Rainbow magic swirled around her hands. She raised her arms, and her magic poured off of her and hit the ground in front of her feet. The dirt shimmered and turned a frosty white as it turned to ice. Within seconds, Tegan’s magic froze the entire pyre, and it glistened under the moonlight. She said something in the old language then turned and walked back to stand beside Tennessee. I didn’t know much about the Aether Witch, but they had taught us that she was all magic manifested into one. She was everything all at the same time.
And Ice was Timothy’s magical gift. I’d seen him use it myself. I’d never seen a frozen funeral pyre, but I loved the notion. It was for him. We didn’t have his body, but we could honor his soul. Plus, it would take longer to burn, and that made me happy.
Emersyn whispered something then marched up to the frozen pyre. She held her arms out to the sides and balled her fists. The wind made her long blonde hair sway around her, and for a moment, standing in front of the ice, she reminded me of Elsa from Frozen. She flexed her fingers straight, and bright orange flames shot out of her palms. The muscles in her arms twitched as she threw her flaming hands toward the pyre. Raging wildfire danced over the ice. The flames rose up into the sky, flickering against the darkness like they were trying to reach the moon.
Without a word, she turned and marched back to stand at Tegan’s side. Holy hell. I hadn’t seen that coming. Between her and Tegan, there was a crazy amount of magic. Too bad we didn’t know that at The Gathering.
Henley’s brother Royce stepped out of our circle. He wiggled his fingers like he was playing a piano, and then the dirt lit up bright white. I blinked and stared down at my feet—then gasped. There were flowers. White roses. I looked up and almost smiled. Every inch of ground between us and the pyre was covered in white roses and lilacs.
A soft, sad silence fell over the crowd with only the sound of flickering flames and cracking ice to fill our ears.
We all just stared at the pyre. After some time, the crowd of students and civilians disappeared, with only a handful of stragglers still watching. I couldn’t shake the pain and regret, of knowing I could’ve done more.
Constance sighed and said something in the ancient language, then she stepped forward. The rest of The Coven followed her, but I stayed put. I wasn’t one of them. I didn’t belong with them. So instead, I stood there while they moved to stand in a circle around Timothy’s pyre. I looked away. I didn’t want to see how much my failure had hurt them…and then my gaze landed on the one person I was afraid to see.
Jackson.
He was off to the left, standing by himself, looking destroyed. I started walking toward him before I’d even realized I’d moved. By the time I got over to him, my chest was burning from the breath I’d been holding. I exhaled and looked up into his broken aquamarine eyes. If he asked me to leave him, I would. But I had things to say.
“Jackson?”
He jumped, his eyes widening. But then he saw me standing there, and his posture relaxed. He sighed. “Bettina.”
“Hi,” I said, wishing my voice was stronger than my emotions. I licked my lips and looked up into his eyes. “Jackson, I’m so sorry. I know he meant the world to you…and I failed you. I tried to save him. I did what he asked me to, but I just wasn’t enough and I’m so sorry.”
He cringed and squeezed his eyes shut. Then he reached out with his red-rose tattooed hand and pulled me into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and held on tight. His pulse raced under my ears and his breath was ragged. He sighed sadly, and it broke a piece of my heart that even his Christmassy scent couldn’t fix.
“Bettina,” he whispered against my hair. “It wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry you’re the one who was there, and for what you had to do and what you’re going through. It should have been me, and I’m so damn sorry.”
I pulled back and looked up. He groaned and pressed his forehead to mine, still holding me tight to his body like I was a life raft. Our noses brushed. I wanted to kiss him more than I’d ever wanted anything. All I had to do was tilt my face up, and our lips would touch.
But then he was gone.
I groaned at the loss of his touch. I glanced up to see where he went when I saw him standing tall with a guarded expression and his arms behind his back. He wasn’t looking at me. I frowned and turned to see what he was looking at—and gasped.
Tennessee and Tegan stood behind us, looking tall and terrible.
But then my best friend smirked, and I knew by the glint in her eyes there would be questions about the moment she’d just witnessed.
“Bettina,” Tennessee said with a velvety voice that made the hairs on my arms stand tall. “Your judgement awaits you.”
Chapter Twelve
Jackson
This was it. The moment of truth.
The moment I learned if my intuition was broken. If my gut was wrong. If my attraction to this beautiful girl in front of me had cost me the most important person in my life.
The moment I learned whether or not I could be trusted.
I cleared my throat and met Tennessee’s stare. “May I stay?”
He nodded and relief washed through me. I wanted to see this firsthand.
The Coven walked over with sad eyes and heavy auras. Without speaking, they moved to make a circle around me and Bettina. When they stopped, they were shoulder to shoulder like they were caging us in. Bettina backed up until she slammed into my chest. I put my hands on her shoulders and rubbed little circles with my thumbs on her back, hoping it provided some comfort. I couldn’t imagine how this moment felt for her.
A woman emerged from the circle and walked up to stand across from us, inside the circle and beside Tennessee. She was tall and lean, with wavy brown hair and dark green eyes. I didn’t recognize her, but I had a good feeling I knew who she was. The Coven’s ceremonial white sheath was kind of a giveaway. That, and there weren’t many adults left in The Coven. I looked down at her left arm and caught a fleeting glimpse of her XXI Mark.
Evaline May. The World. She’d always been a bit of a mystery because The Coven had stationed her in Salem as a teenager to watch over the town, and she hadn’t left since.
Evaline marched straight up to Bettina with narrowed eyes and a serious expression. She didn’t introduce herself or smile. She just looked her up and down, and then said, “Bettina Blair, did you murder Timothy Roth?”
“No,” Bettina answered without hesitation.
“Did you have any part in Timothy Roth’s death?”
The energy around Bettina pulsed with pure fear. “No,” she said vehemently.
The entire Coven turned to Evaline, their eyes sharp. I held my breath.
Evaline frowned so hard her eyebrows dropped low over her eyes. “Good news, she’s telling the truth. Bad news, she’s telling the truth.”
My breath left me in a rush. I wanted to lift her in the air and spin her around in circles. I wanted to hold her, let us both seek comfort in each other. Thank you, Goddess.
Bettina swayed in front of me, but I caught her by the waist. My fingers burned and tingled every time I touched her.
The Coven sighed collectively. Several of them cursed. Some others scrubbed their faces and tugged on their hair. I understood how they felt, though I was surprised by it. Then again, I wasn’t the only one who saw Tegan’s reaction to seeing Bettina. It was obvious the Bishop family knew her, which was interesting.
“Evaline, thank you.” Tennessee sighed. Then he turned to us. “Bettina, thank you for your patience. You are hereby officially acquitted of your accused crime and are free to go.”
Bettina cried out and leaned into me. “Thank you.”
“On a
more personal note, thank you for trying to save him.” Then he smiled; he actually smiled. “We’ll be picking your brain again, but no more for tonight.”
Constance ran over and pulled Bettina into a hug. When she stepped back, she grimaced. “I’m so sorry, Bettina. I believed you were innocent, but I couldn’t do anything until they got here. I promise you the Knights were supposed to feed you and give you a blanket. I didn’t know they hadn’t. I will make sure they’re reprimanded for it.”
Hunter Bishop pushed Constance aside and wrapped Bettina in a massive bear hug. He set her back on her feet and grinned. “Go get some rest, okay? I’ll have some food sent to your dorm, so just relax tonight.”
Bettina sniffled and pushed her hair back. “Thanks, Hunter.”
Tegan bounced over to her soulmate and tugged on his arm. “We need to clear her name—”
“You’re not going to telepathically tell all of Eden that she’s innocent.” Tennessee rolled his eyes and smirked. He tapped the underside of her chin. “I need to talk to everyone anyway. Constance, can you ask Daniel to call for an assembly in the morning at school?”
“Of course. And I have an easy way to contact Eden’s civilians we can discuss later.”
“Perfect.” He nodded and glanced around the circle. “All right, Jackson and Bettina, you’re free to go. The rest of us need to go see Kenneth, though not dressed as we are.”
Bentley smiled and skipped by, and as he passed Bettina, he held his hand up and gave her a high five. Emersyn and Deacon followed immediately behind him, giving out high fives as well. To my surprise, each and every single member of The Coven gave Bettina a grin and a high five as they headed back toward Coven Headquarters.
Tennessee was the only one who stopped in front of me and held his left hand out, which I knew was a sign of respect from The Coven. “Jackson, I’m sorry for everything. But thank you for your help.”
I blinked and tried to pretend I wasn’t flattered. I shook his hand. “Thank you, Emperor.”
“Call me, Tennessee. Let us know if you need anything.” He nodded then walked off.
I turned back around to find Tegan squeezing the life out of Bettina. Their hug actually looked painful.
Tegan chuckled as she pulled away from Bettina. She had a wide grin plastered on her face, and for a moment, she wasn’t as intimidating. Then she sighed. “I have to go handle some Coven business, but will you be okay in your dorm tonight?”
“Yeah.” Bettina nodded and wiped tears from her cheeks. “Yeah, my roommate, Lennox, is awesome—”
“Wait.” Tegan frowned. “Lennox? With indigo hair and sick tatts?”
Bettina gasped. “Oh my God, that’s right! You met her! She told me.”
Tegan giggled. “Yeah, I handled that in true me form.”
“You mean like a total weirdo?” Bettina chuckled.
“You know how I do.” Tegan brushed her shoulder off and giggled even harder. Her pale green eyes twinkled. “Well, anyhoo, Lenny seemed cool. Okay, go to your dorm, hide out for the night until Tenn can make the announcement. Try to get some sleep, but tomorrow I need to hear how the hell you ended up in Eden.”
Bettina scoffed. “Uh…right back at ya’.”
Tegan winked then turned to me. “Jackson, would you do me a huge favor and escort my best friend back to her dorm? I don’t want anyone to bother her.”
Best friend? This is Bettina’s best friend? I shook myself, smiled down at our High Priestess, and gave her a little bow. “Anything for The Coven, of course.”
Chapter Thirteen
Bettina
Tegan took a step then froze. “Actually, on second thought…”
She leapt over to us and grabbed each of our hands. The air around us flashed bright white, and then we were standing in the stairwell of the Swords dorm building. Before we could speak, Tegan winked then vanished into thin air.
I squealed and spun to face Jackson—then threw myself on him. I was so happy I didn’t care about anything else. I slid my arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. He chuckled against my ear, and it sent my pulse in a tailspin. His big, strong arms wrapped around my body, holding me flush to him. That Christmassy scent of his invaded my senses, piecing together all the broken shards.
We were in public, right on the stairwell that every single Sword used. We could’ve been caught at any moment, but I didn’t care what anyone thought in that second. All I knew was I’d been frozen deep down into my soul since Timothy went down, and the heat coming off of Jackson’s body was chasing it away. I could’ve stayed wrapped in his arms forever.
Is this real life right now? I was proved innocent, without even a smidge of wiggle room. Jackson was being nice and holding me like he actually felt something for me. And my best friend was a witch, just like me. Well, not just like me. Tegan was much, much more powerful and important than my measly little self. But I didn’t care. We were both witches, and I didn’t have to lie and hide things from her. Our bestie-ship could continue on.
Jackson slid his hand down my waist, and electricity shot through my body. I pulled back and looked up at his beautiful face. His aquamarine eyes sparkled like the ocean in the sunlight. My feet hovered in the air, suspended by the strength of his arms holding me up. When his fingers tightened on my hip, I bit down on my lip to stop myself from sighing. His eyes tracked the movement, and then his lips were on mine.
I gasped against his mouth then collapsed into his kiss. Everything else in the world disappeared, and all I knew was the feel of his lips on mine. I dug my fingers in his hair and pulled him down to me. I needed him closer. We stumbled until my back slammed into the wall. We both groaned. He pushed into me, pressing his body hard against mine and pinning me to the wall. I wrapped my leg around his, trying with everything I could to get him closer.
His hands left my hips and cupped my face, leaving a blazing trail up my body. I felt like I was melting from the inside out. His thumbs pressed into my jaw then tipped my face back so he could deepen our kiss. There was nothing sweet or calm about this. We were fire and ice, raging against each other. Both of us squeezing and pulling and trying to get a tighter hold. Each time his tongue brushed over mine, my heart skipped and a volcano erupted inside me. I felt like I was going to spontaneously combust, yet I didn’t want him to stop. I bit down on his bottom lip and pulled—and then he was gone.
I gasped and slid down the wall. My vision tunneled and my lungs screamed in protest. My hands hit the cold hard wood of the stairs before I could get a full breath in. My chest was on fire from how long I’d held my breath. I frowned and searched for him…only to find him leaning against the other wall panting and gripping the handrail.
“Jackson—”
“Don’t,” he growled and threw his palm out. “Just don’t.”
Tears stung my eyes. What just happened? “I’m innocent. You heard them. Why—”
“It’s not that,” he said between deep breaths. Then he looked me in the eyes. “And I knew you were innocent.”
Pain shot through my heart. “Then why?” I cried.
“We just can’t, okay?” He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “I can’t, I just can’t. You’re a distraction, the biggest distraction I can’t afford. This last week proved that.”
“But, Jackson—”
“I won’t be mean to you again, not intentionally.” He cursed and helped me back to my feet. His hands burned a path up my arms. “But we can’t be… We have to be just friends. I have to be ready for Michael.”
He started to pull away, so I gripped his wrists. “Jackson—”
We crashed together, and his lips found mine in an instant. I sighed with relief and slid my tongue against his. He cupped my jaw and kissed me until my lungs burned and screamed. He kissed me with everything he had in total abandon, like I was the oxygen he needed to breathe.
Like he might not ever get to do this again.
And then a wall of ice-cold air slammed into me,
and I stumbled back. Except this time, he didn’t wait or stop to explain. He leapt up the last few steps and sprinted down the hall toward his room. I cursed and leaned against the wall as my heart did flips in my chest. It took several long minutes for my vision to clear and the feeling to come back to my legs. But my breath was still ragged and short as I scrambled my way up the steps and into the hall.
Tonight was not the night to be caught out here by myself.
When I finally pushed into my dorm and collapsed against the door, Lennox jumped out of the bathroom and gripped my arms. She squealed in excitement, her yellow-green eyes wild. “Oh my Goddess, tell me everything!”
I opened my mouth then frowned. “Why are you dressed like that? Are those…scrubs?”
“Oh these?” Lennox looked down at herself then back up to me. She shrugged. “Kinda, yeah. I was down at the infirmary to check on Erin but then they needed help and I was there so they gave me—”
“Help? For what?” I pushed off the door and strolled over and threw myself onto my bed.
Lennox skipped after me then climbed up and sat on the edge of my bed. “There’s some kind of witch flu going around, a bunch of people were coming in for help. Mona and Katherine, The Coven’s Lead Healer lady, are focused on trying to save Kenneth so the other healers needed some extra hands…I just happened to be there and I’m friends with them, soooo…yeah.”
Erin. Yeah, I needed that reminder.
Wait, did she say witch flu?
I narrowed my eyes and pointed to her white scrubs. “So you’re covered in flu germs?”
“Nah. These have spells and charms to block germs.” She grinned and scooted closer. “Now, stop stalling. Your lips are all puffy and red, and you smell like Jackson. So, spill it.”
Chapter Fourteen
Tennessee
Of course my first task as Coven Leader was handling my soulmate’s best friend’s murder case. Of course it was. And then my predecessor’s funeral. Of course. Naturally.
The Fallen Witch (The Coven: Academy Magic Book 2) Page 6