Page 29 of A Match Made in Coven (Paranormal Romance #2)

Chapter Twenty-nine

Love’s a Witch

SARAH MICHELLE

Sarah Michelle landed on the shadowed rooftop of Salem Hospital, her gossamer wings folding back into her shoulder blades as she reached for the service door handle. A whispered incantation, and the lock clicked open, granting her access to a dim stairwell.

She exited on the fourth floor and followed the hall signs to her grandmother’s room; her mom had texted her the number.

The hallway overflowed with anxious Callidoras of all ages.

Tonight—the only night of the year when it wasn’t frowned upon—all in witch regalia.

To a casual observer, they would look like a bunch of Halloween over-enthusiasts instead of an actual coven of witches gathered to support their matriarch.

Sarah Michelle pushed through the cluster of her relatives, ignoring their concerned glances until she reached the equally crowded hospital room.

The moment she stepped in, a sudden hush greeted her.

All eyes turned to her, narrowed in suspicion, thick with blame she didn’t understand.

Across the room, her mother stood vigil at her grandmother’s bedside.

“Mom, what’s going on? Is Nana okay?”

Her mother fixed her with a stern look. “We thought it was her heart, but thank the stars, it turned out to be only a severe panic episode.”

“A panic attack? About what?”

Her mom sighed and shook her head while Sarah Michelle shrunk under the weight of her family’s collective gaze. “Why is everyone staring at me like that?”

A tense silence stretched between them, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the monitors. Sarah Michelle turned to face the room at large, her voice rising in frustration. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”

Averted eyes and uncomfortable shuffling met her question until a shrill accusation cut through the quiet. “This is your fault, Sarah Michelle!” Her aunt jabbed a finger in her direction.

Sarah Michelle recoiled as if slapped, her eyes widening in disbelief. “What are you talking about? I wasn’t even here! How could this be my fault?”

Her aunt snickered, the sound grating against Sarah Michelle’s already worn patience.

“Oh no, dear. We know exactly where you were.” She paused for dramatic effect, her gaze sweeping across the room to ensure she had everyone’s attention.

“Making an absolute fool of yourself with a Black at the town hall ball, that’s where! ”

Many gasped, the shock followed by scandalized whispers. Her cheeks burned as the sting of her family’s judgment hooked into her flesh like barbs.

Sarah was already destroyed, but her aunt barreled on. “Your poor nana’s heart shattered when the news arrived. Millicent from the Witchly Herald fire-called us, hyperventilating. Said she’d never seen such a spectacle in all her years of reporting!”

Sarah Michelle’s mind reeled as she struggled to process the accusation. Before she could formulate a response, a weak voice rose from the bed, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Shelly…” Nana’s eyes fluttered open, her gaze locking onto her granddaughter’s face. “Promise me… promise me you won’t see that man again.”

Sarah Michelle’s heart plummeted, her nana’s words echoing in her ears like a death knell. The room shrunk around her, generations of animosity and mistrust pressing in, suffocating her.

She blinked, allowing herself to remember Lorcan’s touch, how his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the spark of electricity that danced between them.

It was like a vibrant, pulsing thread of magic, weaving them together in defiance of their covens’ ancient enmity.

But as she gazed at her grandmother’s gaunt face, that thread frayed.

She twisted the hem of her uniform shirt as she took in the faces of her relatives. They belonged to a world of spells and potions, of covens and sacred oaths. A place where loving Lorcan Black was as forbidden as using dark magic.

With the eyes of her loved ones upon her and the shadows of her ancestors looming large, Sarah Michelle made a choice. With a heavy heart, she nodded. “I promise, Nana. I won’t see him again.”

Relief washed over Nana’s face as she sank back into the pillows, her eyes drifting closed once more.

Just then, a nurse bustled into the room, ushering the family out with gentle but firm insistence. “Your grandmother needs to rest now. She’ll be home tomorrow. You can visit her then.”

Grateful for the excuse to leave, Sarah Michelle slipped away in the ensuing commotion, her emotions running too wild to interact with anyone.

She darted into the hospital’s dimly lit hallway, seeking refuge in a corner next to a vending machine that hummed, almost sympathetically.

She leaned against the wall, drawing in shaky breaths to steady the storm raging within her.

When tears rolled down her cheeks, she fled back to the rooftop where she had landed mere minutes ago.

Frosty air engulfed her as she spread her wings, tears blurring her vision as she took to the sky.

She flew blindly, her heart leading her to the one place she shouldn’t go.

Lorcan’s house loomed before her, and she touched down on his porch, her wings folding away with a soft whisper.

The wood planks creaked under her feet, a mournful sound that matched the ache in her chest. Tears streamed down her face as she raised a trembling hand to knock, but before her knuckles could make contact with the solid oak door, it swung open.

Lorcan’s blue-green eyes were wide with concern, his tousled blond hair catching the moonlight.

He was still wearing his tux and looked like a prince.

“Sarah Michelle? What’s wrong? Is your grandmother alright?”

“Nana’s okay.” Her voice cracked over the words, and Sarah Michelle felt as if she would never be okay again.

Lorcan’s eyes searched her face. “Then why are you crying?”

She shook her head, unable to form words. The lump in her throat threatened to choke her, and she feared that if she opened her mouth, she’d dissolve into sobs.

Lorcan reached out, his muscular arms ready to envelop her in what she knew would be a comforting embrace.

But Sarah Michelle couldn’t let herself fall into that warmth.

She couldn’t risk the sweet oblivion of his touch.

With trembling hands, she raised a magical barrier between them, her palms flat against the solid wall of air.

“We can’t be together, Lorcan,” she finally croaked out. “It’s my fault that Nana ended up in the hospital. I’m so sorry, but I have to do what’s right for my coven.” The words tore at her throat, each syllable a shard of glass slicing her windpipe.

Lorcan fought against the barrier to get to her—but he wasn’t the only one good at shields.

Once he understood the wall was staying between them, his eyes flashed with confusion and frustration.

“Sarah Michelle, this feud between our covens is absurd. It’s been going on for centuries, and for what?

I don’t give a damn about anything that happened so long ago. I care about you.”

“I can’t turn my back on my family.”

“But I love you!” The declaration burst from Lorcan’s lips, his voice raw with emotion. “Doesn’t that mean anything?”

His words sent a bolt of regret through her chest. Joy and sorrow battled within her.

How that declaration would’ve made her ecstatic only an hour ago, but now they crushed her.

She’d fallen for him too, but the reality of their situation was as inescapable as the iron shackles used to bind witches and stifle their magic.

Only now, it was the magic of their love being extinguished.

“I… I can’t, Lorcan. We can’t be together, no matter how much we might want it.” The words tasted like ash on her tongue.

Lorcan became desperate. “I’ll renounce my coven. I don’t care about wizarding politics, about any of it. All I want is you.”

But it wasn’t that simple. The bonds of family and tradition ran deep. She couldn’t bear the thought of causing more pain to those she loved. But she also couldn’t bear to stare into those depthless blue eyes for a minute longer, knowing she’d caused the pain swirling within them.

She met his gaze one last time, her heart shattering as she memorized every detail of his face. “I’m sorry.”

She spread her wings and took flight, certain Lorcan wouldn’t follow her this time. The silence that stretched behind her was a stark reminder of the choice she had made, the love she had left behind.

She flew onward. The moonlight guiding her path as she tried to outrun her heartache. But no matter how fast she batted her wings, she couldn’t escape the echo of Lorcan’s words or the cracks splintering her chest open.