Page 22

CHAPTER 21

NOVA

“I can’t say I ever expected to be back here,” I murmured, feeling very cozy between Everett and River. My hands were clasped around a travel mug of tea as we drove through the gates of the coven land. Shock was evident on the faces of the guards, making me wonder if Claudia had warned them like she said she would. Either way, their reactions had been really fucking funny.

The street was lined with cars, leading toward the estate on the hill. The one I had grown up in—the one that was tainted by Earnest. No more. My lips pressed into a small smile, thrilled with how yesterday had gone, even if I’d barely been able to stay awake long enough to make it through dinner. It was a pattern I was starting to notice.

I had unlimited power, but the consequence of using it was that I had to sleep a fuck ton. I supposed it was a fair trade, and it was honestly fantastic for my self-care schedule.

“Not even to kill Earnest?” Everett asked, River shaking his head as he smoothed his hand over my leg. Everyone in the car was a bit on edge, but I really wasn’t concerned.

Even if for some reason this ended up being a trap, it would be one that they would grossly regret—especially after I rained down hell on them.

Or rained down hell—it’s more like it.

“Honestly, I would’ve been disappointed if he’d been hiding right at home,” I said. The others were talking quietly in the SUV, and in a surprising move for River’s controlling tendencies, Ramsey and Nour were sitting up front.

We figured that since Earnest had cleared them as visitors before, it would be a good move. But the guards stared too long at the list, so I unrolled the window and told them to let us through. They had done so pretty damn quickly, so like I said—either I was terrifying or they’d been warned.

“Well, he was pretty disappointing as a human,” River said.

“Even his death was a bit meh . I will say, though, using all that power? Fantastic night of sleep, so I won’t complain.” Seriously, I didn’t have one dream, and I woke up feeling very refreshed. Considering the type of day it was, that was probably necessary—I had a feeling that sharing magic with so many witches of this caliber would be very different from what I’d done so far.

My good mood was only enhanced by having access to the wardrobe I’d left behind when we left for Arizona. A simple trip that had resulted in traveling to the Demonic realm, the God realm, the Horde, the Old Realm of the Ethereal Sea, and then the Garden of the Beginning. I know. Yet my wanderlust was still not satisfied!

The point? I had done all of that amazing travel without my badass wardrobe. It felt nice to be wearing my own clothes again.

Unlike yesterday when I’d brought down cold sheets of rain, today it was actually snowing. Unsurprising for late winter, but it meant wearing a long dress coat. I’d paired it with black pants, a dark V-neck, over-the-knee boots, and even some jewelry I’d had to leave behind.

I felt badass and professional and completely myself. My hair hung down to my waist now that it’d been weeks since Earnest had made me cut it, and the bright colors were on full display. I was hoping my expression of personal style could encourage other coven members to express themselves, even just planting the seed of thought about it. It obviously wasn’t our main purpose here; it was just a secret side agenda of mine.

“Where should we park?” Ramsey asked as we got closer to the estate.

“Take the long driveway toward the back of the house, through the trees. I want to slip in from the back.” Claudia had left us a letter while we were gone about the time of the meeting and how to enter to keep our presence a secret until we were ready. Something I may have ruined at the gate…but oh well.

I could already feel that every important witch representative we knew—called by Earnest’s sigil paper—would be gathered in the ballroom. A room I hadn’t been in since the welcome party for my men.

“You know…last time we were in this ballroom, I also had a ring on my finger,” I teased River and Everett, both of them snapping their heads toward me. I laughed at their expression as River shook his head, mumbling under his breath. Everett grabbed my jaw in a hot, firm touch.

“That ring didn’t count.” He leaned forward to brush our lips, stopping an inch away. “Say it. Say that it didn’t count.”

“Hmmmm.” I tapped a finger on my chin. “Only if you give me a kiss.”

Which he did. Shivers rolled over my skin as I pulled back and offered him a wink. “I suppose you’re right. It wasn’t my style, anyway.”

Before he could respond, Ramsey put the car in park at the end of the back driveway. Hopping out, I looked up at Nour as he slid out of the passenger seat.

“Hey, remember when you used to meet me right here”—I pointed to the ground, as if he didn’t know exactly what I was talking about—“and then we would go on our walks… and you would lie about being a witch?”

“Nova,” he groaned, lifting me off the ground and kissing me hard. “I swear, you will never let that go.”

“I will,” I said, kissing him again. “Or maybe I won’t…”

“Let’s do this,” Ramsey grunted, rubbing his forehead as he joined us. “I can feel all the damn witch magic. I have no idea how it’s possible, but mage magic doesn’t bother me half as much as witch magic.”

“I’d be offended if I was a witch,” I stated seriously.

“What would we be offended by?” Rowan asked.

“I like the we.” I flashed him a smile. “That was cute, Row-baby.”

“I can be cute too,” August volunteered as I intertwined my fingers with his, approaching the back door of the estate. Before I could respond, Volkan provided an explanation for Ramsey’s discomfort.

“Witch magic bothers most species that are non-Earth based. We don’t know why, but it’s a pretty consistent theme.”

“Odd,” Fox concluded. “Wouldn’t we feel that way about anyone not from our own realm, then?”

“Probably has something to do with Earth being the center, so the power is stronger.” But witches weren’t considered particularly stronger in normal times, so that also struck me as an odd fact.

“Nova!” Our conversation was swiftly cut off as the back door opened to reveal Claudia, her excitement and relief palpable.

In true fashion, she was wearing a stiff knee-length navy dress with loafers and pearls. She looked beautiful; exactly how I remembered her, yet somehow different. Her hair, which had always been pulled up and styled, hung loose to the middle of her back. It was a tiny act of defiance, but I saw it for what it was.

“Hey!” I greeted her with a hug as she ushered us through the back hall and toward the kitchen. “Your hair looks great, by the way.”

Her eyes softened as she gave me a smile. “Edmund hated when I wore it down, but he’s not around anymore.” Her brows furrowed. “How did yesterday go? Did Earnest die? I don’t see my husband.”

“Edmund is imprisoned in a shadowscape. We can grab him when needed,” Rowan explained.

“And Earnest is no longer a problem,” I assured her. She let out a breath of relief, folding her hands in front of her and nodding.

“Understood, and thank you. Really. Okay, so.” She straightened herself up. “You’ve got a real job on your hands because many of these witches loved Earnest, but if anyone can do it, it’s you, Nova. I know that when they hear what you told me, they’ll believe you. I can even tell them myself.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely, “but I actually think I can handle it. If they don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do, and whether they believe me or not doesn’t change what will come next. The world eaters are coming, whether the coven believes it or not.”

“Claudia?” A younger woman, a few years older than myself, turned the corner into the room. I didn’t recognize her, which meant she had probably already been married when I was in high school, but her features were soft and filled with a lightness that made me hope that things weren’t so terrible across the coven lands. “Oh! I had no idea they’d arrived.”

Her squeak at the end and the way she took half a step back told me she was nervous at the sight of our group. I looked up and behind me at my men. They were trying to not be all hulking and intimidating, but that was a challenge for them.

“Yes, Amy, this is Nova and her…”

“Bonded,” I offered. It was not only true, but it fit nicely between ‘boyfriend’ and ‘fiance’ since I didn’t think we were that either…or maybe we were. It would be way easier when I could say ‘husband,’ but I had to wait for that. I didn’t want them thinking I was crazy or anything…

“Right.” Amy straightened herself and nodded in understanding. “Nova, I’ve heard so much about you. My sister loves you. I’m not sure if you remember Diana but you defended her against bullies often. She’s never forgotten that.”

Oh. Oh shit. The girl that Tara McGraffy had been bullying.

“Of course I remember her. How is she?”

“Good. Not here, of course—all the younger witches are at their homes—but they’re part of the reason that I wanted to be here. You started something of a rebellion with the younger witches—I think that’s why so many of the men ran. Their kids were no longer under their control, and most of us would never leave our children…so they ran to hide away with Earnest.”

“They got a deserving punishment for that,” Claudia said in a placid tone that totally didn’t match her words.

Amy let out a huff. “Hopefully death— shit. I have to stop saying stuff like that.”

I let out a laugh. “Don’t, please. I love it. Anyone who was with Earnest is dead. The only one still alive is Edmund, and that’s because we need him.”

Claudia’s face lit up. “We’re going to use him for the sacrifice to do a protective blood-binding spell of loyalty.”

“Oh, that’s a fantastic idea,” Amy agreed.

I couldn’t help but watch the entire interaction with fascination. There was totally a dark edge to both of them despite their very polite way of communicating—or maybe they’d just finally broken under the pressure the coven had exerted on them as women. Maybe they’d decided enough was enough, and I loved that for them. I took more than a bit of pride in any involvement that I had in them reaching that milestone.

“Besides the two of you, who else knows I’m here?” I asked.

“A small counsel of women and some of the younger witches,” Amy said. “They actually wanted me to give this to you.”

The woman fumbled with her purse and brought out a small wrapped item. Undoing the cloth, I examined the black tourmaline necklace, the delicate crystal hanging from the end. I clasped it around my neck, the jewelry having almost no magical signature.

I had never been into crystals, but many young witches practiced in them since they were pretty and fairly harmless. This one in particular was supposed to fend away negative energy, acting as a ward when spelled correctly.

The thought put into the gift was incredibly sweet, and it made me determined to make sure this went well so that I could place each of them under the protective umbrella of my magic.

“Tell them thank you for me,” I said, clasping my hand around the gift. When I looked up at my men, they were all watching me with expressions of curiosity and warmth. I knew they could feel what the gift meant to me through our bond. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

With that, Amy and Claudia led the way to the ballroom. I knew exactly where I planned to stand—the same place Earnest had stood when addressing his followers. This was going to be a very different gathering, though. I could scent the magic from witches around the country, connected to our coven in various ways. I could also sense that their power was surging under their skin, impatient to be used, whether they realized it or not.

As we strode through the halls, I couldn’t understate how well taken care of it appeared. Surprising, since I assumed it’d been empty since Earnest went into hiding. Everything was polished, the dark wood warm beneath the golden lights, and the few people milling in the hallway were dressed in formal wear that greatly contrasted our outfits.

I could feel their attention on us, but I didn’t worry about being stopped. I did, however, let my magic seep out to the perimeter of the property so I could sense if anyone left. I couldn’t have anyone slipping away until they heard me out—that would just be rude.

As we entered the ballroom, I found myself in awe of the number of people gathered. Classical music was playing, and the crowd shifted, then parted for us as we made our way across the space. I saw familiar faces and strangers, individuals I’d once considered ‘family’ and ones I’d never met. All of them were witches. Every single one knew who I was, and I could hear the hushed and almost panicked whisper infiltrate the room.

My men were feeling on edge and protective, our bond lighting up with their emotions, but I kept myself cool and calm, knowing that we were in no danger. As I stepped up the few stairs to the stage, the musicians slowed to a stop, and the crowd stared at us in fear and shock.

“Nova?” A man stepped forward, and I recognized him as Earnest’s brother. “Why are you here? Where is Earnest? He warned all of us that you would try to come after him?—”

“Stop. Whatever Earnest has told you is as far from the truth as possible, which I’ll explain in a moment. He did not call you here, I did.”

In true witch fashion, no one else spoke up in dissent—a nice contrast to the gods and Titans I’d addressed recently. Then again, their silence indicated a group of people who’d been oppressed. Beat down. I continued, taking a softer tone than I had with either of the other groups.

“What I’m about to illuminate for all of you is the path Earnest was trying to take this coven down—what he planned to do and why his ultimate fate was as pathetic as his actions in life.” At my statement, panicked whispers broke out. “Earnest is no longer important though. We have a much larger problem, one that could mean the end—the true end.”

I could feel the fear saturating the room, and I almost felt bad.

“With that being said, I understand that trusting my word may be difficult considering everything Earnest told you about me, so I want you to meet my allies.”

Right on the fucking mark, two energy signatures surged into existence on either side of me. My men were lined up on the back and side of the small stage, so it was just me and the two goddesses.

Hecate looked badass, wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and boots, while Isis wore classic dress clothes adorned with symbolic jewelry. I may have had an issue with her attitude, but once again, I couldn’t deny that the woman had style.

“Meet Isis and Hecate.”