Page 19 of The Redd Key (Bone Coven #1)

“D id you get everything?” I asked as Bridget and Sarah walked into my apartment. Bridget tossed an overstuffed duffel bag on the living room floor. Seeing them allowed me to release the tension I had held in my shoulders since the morning’s assault.

“Yes, yes we did—” Bridget responded wearily.

“I concocted something extra special for tonight.” I flashed an impish grin as I pulled out a glass bottle full of cider-red liquid.

When I got home from the harbor, I abandoned work altogether and spent hours studying the Archer Book of Shadows, searching for answers, reassurance…anything. So many intricate spells and recipes that were tantalizing, but one in particular seemed to be helpful for tonight.

“It’s a potion,” I blurted out, my words bouncing from delight. Both Sarah and Bridget raised their eyebrows in response. “It’s called Liquid Fire, and it is supposed to keep us warm, and…” I paused to smile, “It makes us immune to Fire’s burn. ” I pointed to the words in the book as I said them.

“What? No way,” Sarah exclaimed.

“Let me see the Book.” Bridget held her hand out, and I followed her order, directly, smiling widely. “Honey mead, cinnamon, celery seed… Wow,” she read, mumbling the remaining ingredients. “Heat, simmer…stir counterclockwise…chopped fresh sage.” She looked up, “Raina, this is some pretty awesome stuff.”

“Let me see!” Sarah snatched the book from Bridget. She scanned the text intently, her eyes widening as she looked up in astonishment. “It really does say we can touch Fire.”

“It was so fun to make, too. I felt like a real witch.” I smiled at the sentiment. “I seriously cannot wait to try it out.”

Of course, I had practiced some witchy things my whole life—burning sage and other herbs, using protection salt, applying essential oils for ritual baths—but this was my first time exploring my true power. As I mixed the Liquid Fire ingredients, I could feel that magical, powerful part of me pouring into the creation. It was intoxicating.

“I wonder what it will feel like once we are bound to each other,” pondered Bridget.

Sarah was by the window and had her face all but pressed to the pane as she stared out at the night sky. “It’s still clear.” Her breath fogged the glass. Starlight twinkled in response. “We should head out to the cove soon.” Collectively, we decided Bailey’s Cove would be the best location for our spellwork. All of the requirements for the Binding ritual would be there, and it was going to be perfect.

Our cell phones were our only source of light as we trudged through the brush behind my apartment. Butterflies beat their tiny wings inside my belly, and I was absolutely giddy with excitement. Ferran, Martin, and Pilot all matched my energy. The three creatures dashed by us, into the thick of the trees in a flash of orange, grey, and shadow black. Above the sleeping island, the night sky was moonless with stars glittering prettily. Other than the dead end at Mapleshade Lane, there wasn’t an ideal place to park the car to reach Bailey’s Cove; plus, we didn’t want to draw any attention to what we were attempting.

As if the island had been waiting to greet us, a footpath was carved into the earth, directing us to the cove. Stones, brush, and limbs drew themselves up and away from where our steps met the rocky soil, clearing the space ahead of us. We arrived at the cove in less than twenty minutes, barely warmed from the effort of the walk.

“Anyone else feel like it was way easier to get here than last time?” Sarah clutched an armful of twigs and small branches for a bonfire.

“You mean when a complete psychopath was chasing us?” Bridget bent to pick up a sturdy log. Sarah hmph’d . Smiling at the dynamic between the two of them, I walked out towards the heart of the cove.

Home .

As the freezing, gentle wind blew against my cheeks, my head cleared with every sharp inhale. The ocean was calm and quiet as it caressed the line where it met the rocky shore. Watching over us, the stone giants were pinnacles of protection, and arching above, the limbs of the tall pines shielded us like the rampart of a fortress. The horizon was our witness in this ethereal amphitheater.

“The cove is where three of the elements meet. The sand is Earth, the sea is Water, and obviously, Wind.” I gestured around us as we entered the enclosure. “It says that we need to invoke all four elements…which leaves Fire.”

“What time is it?” Bridget asked.

“Just before midnight.” I peeked at my phone.

Sarah strode off to gather larger pieces of driftwood. Twigs, branches, and kindling were piled in the center of the cove, surrounded by the stone giants.

Bridget walked up to the nearest pillar. “How is it so warm?” She ran a hand across the rock face, tracing one of the spirals with a finger.

I shook my head. “I haven’t the slightest idea, but they seem like siphons of Aecor or something. It’s like someone put them here to magnify their abilities.” I had no idea where the thought came from, but it felt true.

“What would make someone do that here?” asked Sarah as she placed the driftwood on top of the pile.

“Maybe the cove lured someone here before us. Aecor called out to me the moment I stepped foot on Redd Hills Island. I can’t possibly be the only one it happened to,” I shrugged.

“Speaking of Aecor, Happy Birthday, Raina,” Bridget smiled.

“Oh!” Sarah looked at her phone. “It’s midnight!”

“I didn’t realize,” I noted the time on my phone. “Um…” I trailed off as a text notification popped up. “Nathan just sent me a birthday surprise …” I felt the blush rise in my cheeks, grateful for the veil of darkness.

“Let me see!” Sarah dove for my phone. She playfully snatched it from my hands and caught sight of the risqué text. “Oh shit!” she yelled. “He is… endowed .”

I snorted at the word. “Mhm, you could say that,” I laughed, prying my phone out of Sarah’s grasp.

“Alright ladies, let’s get it together.” I could almost feel Bridget roll her eyes at our giddiness. “I didn’t bring matches, did either of you?” she asked us as she walked back towards us and the woodpile.

“No, but I think we can manage.” I pulled my sleeves up and moved closer to the stack. “Sarah, why don’t you do it first?” Sarah stood stock still, looking at the wood apprehensively.

“What am I even supposed to do?” she hissed quietly.

“Just push out with it, like from here.” I patted my belly.

“Like a fart?” Sarah asked, dead serious.

Bridget choked on a laugh, cracking her usual stoic appearance. “Wow, Sarah,” she said, gasping for air. Tucking blonde strands behind her ears, Bridget quickly regained her composure.

Sarah scoffed and then closed her eyes, holding her hand out over the driftwood. Her mouth shifted into a half-smirk, and a tiny flame, flickering like a birthday candle, formed in the middle of the woodpile. She opened her eyes. “I knew I did it before I looked. I felt Fire leave me. But I don’t think I can light the whole thing by myself.” Sarah looked intently at Bridget and me, her quiet request for help clear.

All three of us stood equally apart, admiring the tiny glow. As we attempted to spark a larger flame together, none of us could close our eyes—we were too excited to look away. Our chests heaved as we swallowed chilled breaths. A gust of crisp wind swept through the cove. Our hands danced with the gale as it swirled around us. The ground beneath our feet steadied us like roots, anchoring us into the earth below. Sea spray tickled our skin as a wave crashed against the outlying boulders. The elemental energy filled each of us. Simultaneously, we all felt Fire flare within our circle, and a moment later, the driftwood bonfire was ablaze, rising in various shades of greens, purples, and blue.

Eyes as big as orbs, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the technicolor flames.

“It is so cool how driftwood does that,” Bridget breathed.

“ Magic is so cool,” Sarah added, and the three of us burst into laughter.

I grabbed the Liquid Fire from my bag and took a small sip. It was surprisingly delicious. Taking a larger gulp, I savored the warm, spicy flavors as the bold heat lingered down my throat. Cinnamon spread through my senses as bergamot energized me from within. I passed the bottle over to Sarah, who looked at me for confirmation. Once I gave her a thumbs up, she then drank deeply, and Bridget did the same. I wasn’t sure about the alcohol content, but it burned on the way down like a shot of tequila would. Instantly, coziness, warmth, and contentment bloomed throughout me.

Only moments passed before the two of them were as buzzed when fits of giggles plagued us. Our laughter didn’t cease as pure elation pulsed through us. Lost in the feeling of it all, we became curious about the world—and the Aecor—around us. We tried to maneuver pebbles using our magic, racing them across the rough sand as we waited to see the meteors.

“I mean, what else would you do once you learned you have actual magical abilities?” Bridget teased, twisting her wrist as her designated pebble curved in the rough sand.

“We’re literally racing rocks with our minds,” I said, growing more awestruck with every passing moment.

“A shooting star!” Sarah gestured, pointing up to the sky. “And another one. And look – another.”

“Those are meteors, Sarah, not shooting stars,” Bridget said dryly, and then snorted into the bottle before taking another sip of the potion.

“Same thing,” Sarah rolled her eyes as she swiped the bottle and took a swig before offering it to me.

“This is it,” I cried, taking the warming potion from her. My core was becoming very toasty. Our jackets and sweaters lay forgotten at the base of one of the stone giants as the Liquid Fire heated our blood. I kicked off my shoes and socks and buried my toes in the cool rocky sand. I passed the bottle back to Sarah. “Oh man, I’m sweating,” I giggled as I continued to strip.

Bridget wiggled out of her jeans while standing on one foot and fell over. With a laugh, she said, “I’m buzzed, and I’m dying. It’s so hot!” She oofed as she struggled to get her socks off. I looked away from the two of them for a moment, and when I turned back, Sarah was already in the nude. She was like a midnight nymph under the starlight, and I would have told her that if I wasn’t so drunk, but the sight of all three of us in the flesh made my laughter grow along with theirs.

“We’re all in our birthday suits,” Sarah slurred. “And it’s only your birthday!”

“Check it out.” I put my left hand into the flames. They licked and danced around my knuckles and palm, but the embers did not burn my skin.

“That is wild ,” Sarah gasped, her mouth hung open. She held her foot out to do the same. Bridget tried to cup the fire in the palms of her hands. They didn’t burn.

Once all our giddiness dissipated, we moved in unison to stand around the fire. Covered only in a sheen of sweat from the warming potion, we shimmered, almost iridescent in the illuminating flames. We held our arms out to the sides, our fingers barely grazing the hand extended next to us. Our eyes glowed with the power of the potion and of all the elements surrounding us.

Arching through the midnight sky, meteors rained from the heavens. They painted orange streaks in the sky, and their energy fell from above, showering us. Something within me swelled as I raised my arms and turned my gaze upward to the sky. Bridget and Sarah mimicked my movements, and we each spoke in harmony, repeating the incantation three times.

“Sky, set Fire to thee

Earth, Air, and Water, three

As Thy witness, Daughters we,

Become sisters, so mote it be.”

We twirled around the bonfire to a song from within our very souls. Ancient, ancestral, and organic. I became hyper-aware of Sarah and Bridget: sensing their racing thoughts, the rhythm of their beating hearts, even the blood flowing through their veins. It was like I was a part of their Spirit— their very being . Connected by every plane of existence, it became overwhelmingly clear to me that we all were simply tools of Aecor. The same Aecor which resided in me, inside each of us, and within everything around us.

Our arms were still outstretched to one another as we circled Fire. Our movements were adjoined through the expounded force which now connected the three of us; Aecor flowed between us as strong as a rip current. The otherworldly bond between our hands was as substantial as steel. We were daughters, three . Sisters of the same blood. Blood of the Salem Witches.

Aecor, channeled from Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, rushed through me like a melody. Beneath my bare feet, the pebbles’ strength held me up toward the heavens. Waves crashed in the vast sea, offering a comforting rhythm. Like an old friend, the breeze ruffled my hair playfully, and the licking of the flames against my thigh was like the caress of a dear lover. I let the tendrils cloak me like a blanket. Bridget twirled around in the sand, giggling uncontrollably as she sifted the pebbles through her loose fingers. The tiny rocks spiraled in the air, mirroring her insurmountable joy. Sarah stood at the water’s edge with her arms raised, swaying while the breeze played with her curls, like it was cradling her with an intimate lullaby.

Something changed for us during the ritual, and it was spectacular. Whatever it was, it felt really good. I absorbed the potion, which was almost gone. Some dribbled down my chin, leaving a tingling trail on my face. Sarah ran from the water to me and snatched the bottle, finishing it in one gulp. The three of us held hands and spun around the bonfire until we collapsed. Together, we laid, looking up at the sky, still grasping each other’s hands.

“The sky is falling on us,” Sarah giggled breathlessly.

“The sky is on fire ,” sighed Bridget, her green eyes widened, reflecting the midnight embers.

The heavens were alight with flame .

I watched; my gaze darting between each new trail of fire against the inky black sky. I quickly lost count of the falling stars speeding by. Turning to look at both girls, I smiled wide as chuckles filled my chest. My sisters.