Page 22

Chapter 22

A Guardian’s Oath

“ N othing is more important than keeping magic safe and regulated,” Fiona says, her sharp voice pulling me out of my fantasies.

I blink and focus on her stern face. I’m going to have to say an oath in a minute, and I need to pay attention.

Even if all I can think about is Natalie’s mouth on mine, her hands under my shirt, and her body pinning me to the door. I’m aching to feel her bare skin beneath my palms, her breath on my neck… and a whole lot more.

Amid our kissing earlier, she forgot to mention that being inducted into the coven would mean partaking in a ceremony tonight. So it was with a little confusion that I let a couple of witches whisk me into an office after dinner.

Now, I’m standing in a high-ceilinged chamber, the brick walls cloaked in thorny roses, sconces casting flickering shadows over everyone present. It’s my first time in the Library wing, and magic crackles in the air, as tangible as if I’ve been plunged into hot water .

Fiona stands in front of me holding a leather-bound book, which she’s opened to a page with beautiful hand-written calligraphy.

I shift under everyone’s stares. Beneath jeans and a soft pink blouse, I’m wearing my sexiest bra and underwear set made of barely-there red lace.

Natalie and Sky are seated at a long wooden table, along with Will, Sebastian, Agnes, Hayley, and three others I haven’t met. If I’m right in guessing all their jobs, that’s two witches from each of the five guilds to witness my oath. Natalie and Sky smile encouragingly, steadying me as I battle stage fright. The rest wear deep frowns, probably wondering why I’m doing a rite meant for witches.

And yeah, I’m not so naive as to think I belong. I’m the only non-magical person who’s ever sworn this oath. But my ability is enough to have earned Fiona’s acceptance, so it’ll have to be enough for the rest.

“You’ve shown a dedication to our cause,” Fiona says, fixing me with her stern gaze. “But to be a member of the coven is to walk the path of secrecy. All of what we do must remain hidden from the world. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Guilt twists in my gut. Natalie risked a lot by telling me she’s a witch. I guess she trusted me more than I thought. Would she have been punished if I turned out not to have an ability and she’d spilled their secrets for nothing?

“As a non-magical member, you will only be given knowledge about our operations on a need-to-know basis,” Fiona says. “Accessing information beyond your station will result in punishment for all involved.”

I nod solemnly. I’m getting a rising feeling that I’m going to have to work extra hard to prove myself.

“This means,” she continues sharply, “you are not to try and coerce information out of anybody here. You are not to accept information should somebody offer it. You are not to mingle with others in any way that could compromise their oath. ”

I nod again, discomfort writhing in my stomach. Okay, Natalie really did tell me more than she was supposed to—about CSAMM, the guilds, earth magic… And my repeatedly asking her to spill confidential information might qualify as coercion…

Agnes gives a very audible, “Hmph!”

Fiona raises her eyebrows.

Agnes flushes. “Suffice it to say she’s been mingling already. A non-magical member … What’s next, inviting the Madsens for coffee? Honestly, she’s not even wearing ceremonial robes. This is a mockery of our practices.”

Nausea rises as she confirms what a total outsider I am.

“Interrupting a ceremony,” Sky snaps, “is a mockery of our practices.”

“Quiet, everyone.” Fiona’s eyes widen in stern warning, and Agnes and Sky sink back in their seats.

Fiona returns her attention to the book, and I catch Natalie’s eye. She gives a reassuring half-smile and eye roll, a silent dismissal of Agnes’s grievances, and the tension in my shoulders melts away.

After spending so long wanting nothing more than to join CSAMM, I just want this rite to be over so Natalie and I can head back to my room and pick up where we left off. My skin tingles where her hands were all over me, my heart flipping as I recall how she felt pressed up against me. Her taste lingers on my tongue.

Dammit, focus, I tell myself. This ceremony is important, and you’ve been wanting this for ages.

It doesn’t help that Natalie’s gaze is traveling hungrily up and down me, a flirty look for me alone.

Her thoughts, like mine, are clearly elsewhere.

“Objections?” Fiona asks.

My heart lurches. Of course there are objections. Look at all the frowns .

Sure enough, Agnes’s hand shoots up, followed by Will and Hayley. Nausea bubbles again at all the hands in the air—at the disapproving atmosphere penetrating my skin.

Before Fiona can call on one of them, Agnes lifts her chin. “Why do we need someone to help detect curses when we’ve been doing fine for all these years?”

“Because fine isn’t good enough,” Natalie says coolly, peeling her gaze away from me. “We have to move faster. Oaklyn Madsen has already gotten her hands on a dagger because we didn’t get there first, and God knows what they’ve got in place around their house that fucked up Trevor like that. The last thing we need is them obtaining something even more serious.”

Agnes shrinks a little under her sharp tone.

The others put down their hands.

Natalie’s faith in me is like a supportive hand squeeze from across the room. After all the time she spent trying to keep me safe, she’s making it clear whose side she’s on. And her assertiveness is… super hot.

Let’s get a move-on, I think, shifting impatiently.

“Yeah, look at the Pet Emporium,” Sky adds. “We couldn’t find that one at all until Katie came along.”

My fondness for her grows. I catch her eye, hoping she can read my gratitude.

Hayley nods and drums her fingers on the table, looking thoughtful. “You raise a good point. She might be the advantage we’ve been waiting for.”

Will scoffs. He won’t look at me or Natalie, his lips puckered like he’s eaten something sour. Beside him, Sebastian’s eyes are bright as he studies me, fidgeting with his beard.

Fiona waits for any other arguments or objections. Everyone stares at me, making sweat prickle beneath my shirt—but nobody else speaks. Agnes’s face is so scrunched up that it looks like she’s bracing for a punch. One thing’s clear: several people still need convincing that I am who I say I am, and that I’m not about to sell CSAMM’s secrets.

My ability had better be up to snuff. Fiona made it plain that I can get fired, so I have to take my assignments seriously.

“The oath, then,” Fiona says, turning the book around and presenting it to me.

I place my hands under the worn leather book to bring it closer. I lick my lips, willing my mouth to cooperate and read the words without stumbling. “I, Katherine Medina Alexander, hereby swear upon my induction into the Coven of Shadows and Alchemists for Managing Magic to uphold and defend their mission of protecting the world from the dangers of magic. I vow to do everything in my power to keep magic classified, secure, monitored, and regulated. I understand that the consequences of breaching this oath are severe, and I accept that if I am found to have violated this oath, I will be subject to punishment as determined by a jury of my peers.”

Damn, Natalie and I are getting off easy. She must be thinking the same because I sense her shift in her seat. I’d also better put a lid on the details I’m sharing with Hazel, if I want to avoid a trial by jury.

I draw a breath and continue. “As a Guardian, I pledge to use my knowledge and skills to protect the public, to work in harmony with other members of the coven, and to never use magic for personal gain or to harm others. May my commitment to this oath be unyielding, and may my loyalty to the coven be unwavering, for as long as I shall live.”

I look up, my heart pounding. The parts about using magic don’t apply to me, but I’ve definitely just sworn to something I have to take seriously. No hinting at magic to Pearl in the hopes that she guesses it, and no chickening out when it comes time to grab hold of a curse. I have a responsibility—to CSAMM and to the world.

I hope this doesn’t make it difficult to be normal around family and friends. I’ll have to watch what I say and come up with a plausible story .

Anyway, no going back now.

Fiona shuts the book with a muffled thwap . “The ash ritual. Sebastian?”

The what? Hearing the word ritual from a literal witch isn’t exactly comforting.

“Coming right up, m’lady!” Sebastian stands, his chair scraping on the stone floor. He takes a tray off a small table in the darkest corner of the room and brings it to us with a pompous air, as if delivering a crown on a velvet cushion. “The elixir of ash, distilled from the essence of a thousand twilight blooms and infused with the tears of a unicorn.”

Fiona looks at the ceiling and sighs.

Sebastian sets the tray on the edge of the long table and offers an elaborate bow, trotting backward and sweeping out his arms. On it is a mortar and pestle filled with fine ash, a potted lily with beautiful pink-and-white petals, and a small metal watering can.

What will they have me do? Am I about to have some magical charm placed on me to make sure I don’t break my oath?

I glance to Natalie, who shifts, her chair creaking. “It’s just a tradition,” she says, the words blurting out. Everyone turns to look at her. She taps her fingers on the table and clears her throat. “It’s symbolic. It won’t do anything to you.”

Fiona shoots her a glare. “Yes. As Natalie boldly interjected, this is an age-old rite that signifies your rebirth as a member of the coven. Please nurture both ash and flower with life-giving water, then mark the inside of your left wrist with ash and your right with the flower’s pollen.”

“Okay.” I step up to the tray. My hand trembles as I pick up the watering can and splash its contents on the ash and soil. I mix the water into the ash, forming a paste, then dip two fingers in and smear parallel lines over the inside of my left wrist .

My skin tingles and burns. I know it’s in my head—I trust Natalie when she says it’s only symbolic—but it feels like something real is happening. I’m leaving my old life behind, reducing it to ash.

I lift my right arm and brush my wrist over the lily’s pollen, drawing an orange line. It, too, leaves a tingling sensation that spreads to my palm and fingers. I can’t help thinking of earth magic, and the way Natalie and Sky can manipulate their surroundings just by opening their palms.

A deep longing fills me—a wish that I could manipulate earth’s elements too. But I should be grateful I have any ability at all.

I drop my arms to my sides and look up, ready for whatever comes next.

Fiona nods, and I get a glimpse of something rarer than a cursed doll at a flea market. It’s a small smile. “Welcome to the coven, Katie.”

The words wrap around me like a warm embrace.

Sky whoops and claps, and to my relief, Sebastian and Hayley join the applause. A genuine smile dimples Natalie’s cheeks, crinkling her eyes. I grin back, joy filling me to the brim. The others don’t clap, but screw them. I’ll prove them wrong.

I’m officially a member of CSAMM. This is the first day of living my calling—to use my unique ability to protect the world from dangerous magic. What’ll my first assignment be? Where will this new path take me? An excited flutter builds inside me, making me want to skip.

What’s more, this means I get to stay with Natalie. And I’m desperate to act on this, fighting the urge to ask if we’re done here so she and I can race back to my room. It’s nearly eight, and my whole body is tight with anticipation.

Fiona has me sign some papers—a more detailed, documented oath and an employment agreement among them—but I’m in too much of a hurry to read them in detail. I skim and sign with a trembling hand, and then the witches around the table stand up to shake my hand and welcome me. Warmth floods my veins .

“Well, this should be interesting,” Agnes says loudly, doubt dripping from her tone.

Natalie steps close to me, clasping both my hands in hers. “Congrats,” she murmurs. “Welcome aboard.”

Her words are neutral, but her eyes are a fiery promise of what she’s going to do to me as soon as we can get out of here. Between that and her scent, my knees nearly buckle.

I’m ready to sprint out the door now, but everybody else has other ideas. Sky comes over to talk to me, telling me about the clubs I should join, while Natalie is swarmed by Sebastian, Will, and several others.

“Lucky that all worked out for you,” Will grumbles to Natalie.

“Oh, knock it off,” Sebastian says, cuffing him on the arm. “You know she’s going to be useful…”

“…there’s a great gym here,” Sky says, pulling my attention back. “It’s attached to a practice room, so you can watch the Shadows train if you want. It’s kind of cool.”

“Awesome. Thanks.”

Natalie catches my eye, her expression betraying her frustration.

“Feel free to head back to your room,” Fiona tells me as she walks past with the leather-bound book in her arms.

“Oh. Okay.” I glance longingly at Natalie. “Thanks.”

Sky claps me on the shoulder and heads for the door. “Night. Hope we get to work together on something.”

“Yeah, same.”

She leaves, and I linger, pretending to admire the roses on the wall.

“I’ll be off,” Agnes says loudly. “I have some very high-priority matters to attend to before turning in tonight.”

Nobody’s listening.

“Natalie,” Fiona says, pulling out her phone. “We got a call in Surrey that I’d like you to address. Not urgent, but very strange…”

“Send over the details,” Natalie says .

Fiona shows her the phone. “Have a look at this…”

A knot of frustration tightens in my stomach. Dammit, she’s never going to make it to my room if people keep talking to her.

With nothing left to do but leave, I brush past her on my way out the door.

Please tell these people you’ve got to go , I think.

The air between us crackles with tension, heat spreading through me. I feel her posture shift, but she keeps talking to the others, nodding as if fully engrossed.

Silence closes around me as I walk back to my room, my heart pounding in anticipation. The magic in the hall thickens with each step, as tangible as when I’m near a curse—maybe more.

Do others feel this when they’re near magic, or is this my ability again? And what is it about the Library wing, exactly? I look over my shoulder, but all I see is the empty corridor.

In my room, with something more important on my mind, I race to get ready. Makeup, perfume, hair, the works. I turn off every light except for the soft reading lamp on the desk, casting just enough to see.

What if she’s pulled away to other priorities? What if she’s hours late—or can’t come at all because she has to head out to the curse Fiona showed her? I can’t handle waiting. I need her like I’ve never needed anyone.

I check my reflection—my hair in loose curls, my eye makeup dark and sultry, my blouse low-cut—and I can’t help smiling a little. No wonder she had that hungry look in her eyes.

I pop open a button, making the shirt more risqué than I’d ever wear in public. A tease of red lace makes an appearance.

My inner wrists are still striped with gray and orange—the ash and pollen symbolizing my rebirth. I don’t wash it off, staring at the lines, craving everything they represent.

Knock knock .

I freeze. In the mirror, my pupils dilate.

She’s here.

Somehow, my feet carry me to the door, even as my mind dissolves into a giddy haze.

But as I seize the door knob, panic closes around my chest, making my breath catch.

What if it’s not her? What if it’s Fiona telling me I missed a signature on those papers, or Sky coming to tell me something she forgot to mention about the book club, or—

I swing the door open.

Flames lick through me, searing hot.

Natalie stands there with her hands in her pockets, her hair cascading over her shoulder, her lips parted. Her dark gaze melts me until I’m ready to yield to her every need.