The City Witch Read online

  The City Witch

  The Coven: School of Magical Arts Novella 1

  Chandelle LaVaun

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  About the Author

  For Liam and Scarlet

  Chapter One

  Emersyn

  “Tell me what you’re thinking about,” Deacon whispered into my ear. “Please?”

  Warmth tingled down my spine and I shivered. I bit down on my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling. He didn’t need visual proof of what his breath on my neck did to me. He was the Devil—he sensed it already. A girl had to have a little self-preservation.

  Especially when I was about to be face-to-face with Heather Redd English.

  My soulmate’s mother was a force to be reckoned with…and not the same kind as my twin. It seemed like months since I was in Deacon’s hometown of Manhattan meeting his parents, but it’d only been five days. It’d been a crazy week. Timothy’s death. Tennessee’s Leader ceremony. Bettina being accused of murder. Bettina being a witch, in general. Those shadow creatures snatching people. Evaline’s retirement. Jackson’s initiation. So much had happened in such little time that I’d actually forgotten how much of a monster Heather had been to me.

  But it all came spiraling back as our car turned the corner onto Fifth Avenue. And by car, I meant limousine. Because that was what Heather sent to pick us up from the airport. Because that was normal. I knew we were going to meet her. That was the plan before we left Eden. But my thoughts kept looping on my Coven-mates in the Old Lands. I was relieved to not be involved on a quest, for the first time ever, but I hated being away from Tegan. It had my nerves fraying to the very last sliver…and then I remembered what was on my agenda and my anxiety tripled.

  Deacon leaned closer, and his nose brushed over my jaw. “You know I can feel that, right?”

  I peeked up at him and arched one eyebrow. “That’s what she said?”

  He threw his head back and laughed.

  Cheryl glanced up from her notebook and grinned. Then she shook her head and refocused on whatever she was working on.

  “Oh, Butterberry,” Deacon said with a chuckle. Apparently my updated nickname wasn’t going to return to its former state…and I was surprisingly okay with that. He put his hand on my thigh and squeezed, sending hot electricity racing up my leg. “I love you.”

  My cheeks burned, and I knew I was blushing. I reached down and took his hand in mine, peeling it off my thigh before I spontaneously combusted. My body went nuts when he touched me, and I needed my wits about me for seeing Heather.

  I kissed his cheek. “I love you, too.”

  The limo pulled off the side of the road then stopped.

  My pulse went haywire and my stomach turned.

  Deacon squeezed my hand. “I promise I’ll call her out on any shit she tries to pull this time.”

  I sighed and nodded. “I know, but thanks.”

  “You’re wearing the boots I bought you…” He pointed to my feet. “You look beautiful.”

  The boots he got me were Swarovski-covered cowgirl boots that cost over a thousand dollars. I’d been dreaming of owning them since I was a little girl. They probably cost half as much as the Louboutin boots Heather bought me, or the Chanel ones. Both of which I’d considered wearing today to impress her by looking like I belonged in Manhattan.

  I lifted my feet up and smiled as the crystals sparkled under the sunlight pouring through the window. “I’ve never felt more like myself than when I wear these. I feel super confident in them.”

  “You’re so discreetly vindictive and spiteful. It’s adorable.” He kissed my temple then opened the door and climbed out. Then he held his hand down and pulled me out.

  Once I was on the sidewalk beside him, I narrowed my eyes. “Was that an insult or a compliment?”

  “Well, I certainly meant it as a compliment, my love.” He cocked a sideways grin. “It’s so rewarding to watch.”

  I rolled my eyes and turned to take in our location…then frowned. “Wait, I’m confused. I thought we were meeting at the first school site, not your apartment?”

  Deacon chuckled and pointed down to our left. “I live a couple dozen blocks north, Butterberry. This is the first potential site.”

  “Right here?” I scowled and spun in a circle. “On Fifth Avenue? Right across from Central Park?”

  “I guess?” He shrugged, his eyebrows scrunched together. “I didn’t actually ask where they were located.”

  Cheryl walked up beside us and craned her neck back as she looked up at the towering buildings. She pushed her burgundy-framed glasses higher up on her petite nose. “Can The Coven afford this?”

  “Technically, yes…but I’m not sure we should.”

  “Deacon!”

  My heart stopped at the sound of his mother’s voice.

  Oh God, here goes nothing.

  Deacon turned and smiled over my shoulder. “Hey, Mom.”

  He stepped around me and wrapped his mother in a big hug. I ran my fingers through my long hair to make sure it wasn’t a tangled mess. Then I smoothed the hem of my black velvet sweater that fell to mid-thigh. I’d purposely worn all black, like a New Yorker would. I wanted Heather to see that I could fit in, while still being myself. I just hoped it was successful.

  Heather pulled away from her son and turned to me. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink. She tucked her pale blonde hair behind her ears, even though it was securely in place already. She cleared her throat then stepped toward me with a timid smile. “Emersyn, welcome back.”

  Before I knew what was happening, she hugged me.

  She actually hugged me.

  I blinked and went with it, while praying my face held the composure my brain didn’t. The hug wasn’t the same warm kind I got from my parents, but it was a huge step in the right direction.

  When she pulled back, her smile had gotten wider, but kind of lopsided. It was like the act of smiling was foreign to her. Which I knew it wasn’t, but— Oh my God. Is she nervous to see me?

  I cleared my throat. “Thanks for having me…Heather.”

  Her shoulders dropped and her smile widened. She sighed.

  I glanced up to Deacon and frowned. What is happening? I couldn’t ask him, but I knew he felt how I was feeling.

  He winked at me and wrapped his arm around my waist. With his other hand, he gestured beside him. “Mom, this is our friend Cheryl Cole. She’s the Pentacles Suit Major at Edenburg.”

  Cheryl’s cheeks flushed a deep pink. She bit her lip and held her hand out. “Mrs. English, it is an honor to meet you. We’ve studied you in class. I am honored to work with you in person.”

  I frowned. Is his mom a big deal? I knew she was the Major of Manhattan, but I hadn’t realized there was more to it. Then again, I was still ridiculously new to this world. Hell, I’d only just learned that the word for witch in our language was arcana. It seemed a crime to be both Empress and ignorant of our kind at the same time.

  Heather chuckled. “Thank you. That’s very kind. I’m glad you’re here. We could use your opinions, I’m sure.”

  “So, Mom…Fifth Avenue for the school? What’s the deal?”

  “As Tennessee requested, we’ve found a few suitable options
for the school’s site.” Heather gestured behind her. “This is simply the first one. All of the locations we’re going to show you are within The Coven’s budget.”

  I sighed and glanced up at the building. It looked fancy as hell from the outside, which didn’t bode well for the inside. She said it was within our budget, which I believed, but I was agreeing with Deacon on whether it should be.

  Heather took a step back. “Come, take a look for yourselves.”

  Chapter Two

  Emersyn

  I made it five feet inside the front doors before I knew this wasn’t the right location for the school. The damn floors were white marble with metallic gold inlay. The elevator bank was entirely gold…as in, I could see my own reflection in them.

  This building looked like Deacon and Caroline’s apartment building …and that wasn’t a bad thing, per se. It just didn’t feel right. The arcana species had been around since the fall of the Garden of Eden. We didn’t belong in fancy buildings with floors more expensive than my house.

  “Emersyn!”

  I jumped and spun—then relaxed. Deacon’s father strolled toward us with a wide smile and sparkling violet eyes.

  I grinned. “Hello, Sebastien.”

  “So nice to see you again.” He gave me a big hug, then stepped away, turned to Deacon, and shook his hand. “Son, welcome home. Again.”

  “Let us hope this visit goes more smoothly, eh?” Marshall Davenport said with a booming voice and an air of confidence as he walked in behind Sebastien. “It may be incredible to watch you two in action, but I’d rather not be in the front row.”

  I chuckled. “I say almost the exact same thing to my sister and Tennessee.”

  “Oh, they are rather terrifying.” He grinned and inclined his head. “Deacon. Miss Emersyn.”

  Deacon shook his hand and pointed behind him. “Dad, Marshall, this is Cheryl.”

  Cheryl smiled and shook their hands. And then I saw a scar on Marshall’s wrist that I specifically remembered how he got—from the shapeshifting demon in Times Square. Anxiety fluttered through my body, and my stomach dropped. The smiles and warm welcomes were nice, especially after the last time I arrived here, but we needed to stay focused on why we were here. To pick a location to open up the new school. To prevent more injuries and deaths among the civilians. I’d never forgive myself for not saving Liam and Scarlet—

  I gasped.

  “How is Caroline?” I blurted, interrupting whatever conversation had been going on.

  Marshall’s smile turned warmer. “All healed and back to normal.”

  “Well, the new normal, anyway,” Claudia Davenport said as she entered the grand foyer. “She’ll be doing even better once we get the school open and running.”

  I grinned. I knew I liked her. “Couldn’t agree more.”

  Claudia said hello to Deacon and Cheryl, then turned to Heather. “Shall we get started?”

  Heather cleared her throat and straightened her black silk blouse. “As I said outside, this is the first option for a location. It has prime location here on Fifth Avenue, as you can see, but the nice thing about it is that it’s move-in ready.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Marshall grinned and gestured around us. “It’s ready. The work required to get the school up and running would be minimal. The company that owned it before us had the perfect setup for a modern classroom situation.”

  Modern classroom?

  “Plus, the dormitories take up the top floors.” Sebastien rubbed his hands together. “It’s a one-stop shop. All inclusive.”

  Heather took a step toward the elevator bank. “Let’s go upstairs and take a—”

  “No.” I shook my head.

  Everyone turned to me with wide eyes.

  I held my palms up. “I mean no offense to anyone, and I am grateful of the work you’ve done on this…but I do not want to see the rest of this place.”

  Heather opened her mouth then shut it. She frowned and shook her head. That sharp look I remembered from the night I met her came back in her eyes, but then it was gone. She licked her lips. “Emersyn…may I inquire as to your reasoning?”

  I sighed and threw my hands up. “Y’all, this place is freaking gorgeous.”

  Deacon snorted. “Em, that sounds like a good thing. Care to elaborate?”

  “Right…” I took a deep breath then exhaled slowly as I chose my words wisely. “I hear what you’re saying about the perks of this location, but I have major concerns.”

  Heather nodded. “All right, I am listening.”

  “Well…the purpose of this school is to teach all of our civilian youth—not just the wealthy ones. I mean no disrespect, but if I wasn’t in The Coven, there would be no way in Hell I could afford to attend school here.”

  “Yeahhhh…” Cheryl said in a low voice. “This would scare my parents away, and we’re decently well-off.”

  “That was my concern when we arrived,” Deacon added. “We want to draw in students from the entire New England region. I fear a Fifth Avenue bill will be counterproductive.”

  Heather nodded. “I actually agree. Although, you would be surprised on the financial breakdown of this location. It’s not as bad as you’re thinking. Granted, it would still be more expensive than the other options.”

  “Can we see those first?” I wrung my hands together. “I’m sure the upstairs here is breathtaking, and the last thing I want to do is have that taint my opinion of the other locations before I even see them. If I don’t like your other options, I promise to come back here and give it a proper chance.”

  “Fair enough.” Marshall smiled and pointed toward the doors behind us. “Let’s go to the next location, then.”

  Ten short minutes later, the limo pulled into a garage underground and parked. I climbed out and looked around. The garage was dark and a bit dingy, and completely empty.

  “This place has been vacant and on the market for months, so it would need some sprucing up for sure,” Marshall said as he backed away from the limo. He turned and gestured for us to follow him toward the elevators.

  I wanted to say no, that I didn’t like this place at all…but I also didn’t want to sound like a complete brat. We hadn’t even seen the place yet. It wasn’t fair to judge it on its parking garage, at least not in the city of Manhattan. Besides, in the first place, I’d only seen the foyer and elevators. The least I could do was actually see more of the site on this one.

  The elevators were a shiny silver, and the inside smelled perfectly clean.

  Give it a chance, Em. You have to actually SEE the place first.

  Marshall, Claudia, and Heather were deep in conversation with Cheryl about the Pentacle Suit classes back at Edenburg—and which of those they wanted to carry over to here. Sebastien and Deacon were talking numbers, like actual financial breakdowns and stuff. I wasn’t following any of it. I felt antsy and uncomfortable. Like I’d been sitting in a car too long and needed to move. It was a strange feeling, but then again, I had been on a plane for a few hours so that might’ve been it.

  There was a ding, and then the elevator doors slid open. Everyone poured out in front of me. For some reason, I hung back. I didn’t know why, either. I wanted to see the site. I was desperate to pick any location other than the one on Fifth Avenue…yet something was holding me back.

  Snap out of it.

  This behavior won’t impress Heather.

  I took a deep breath then forced myself to walk off the elevator and into the open foyer. Directly across from me, the far wall was made entirely of glass—which I was suspecting was a common trait for New York City buildings. Out the darkened window, we had a perfect view of a river and land on the other side.

  “Which river is that?” Cheryl asked and pointed at it.

  “The East River.” Sebastien strolled toward her. “On the other side is Queens.”

  Marshall turned to me and grinned. “This building sits between York and First Avenue. There’s a
nice park over on East End Ave— Oh, and there’s even a 7-Eleven around the corner.”

  I nodded and moved across the foyer toward them. I’d tried to familiarize myself with the streets of the city on our flight over. A park nearby would be a nice touch, even if it wasn’t as big as Central Park. And who didn’t love a good slurpee from 7-Eleven?

  Deacon walked to the window, then turned to face me. He frowned and scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’ve always liked this part of town but— I don’t know.”

  I stepped off the tiled floor and onto the hardwood and gasped. My body locked in place. Heavy energy slammed into me like a brick wall. The air around me pulsed hot and sharp, prickling against my skin like needles. An ice-cold chill slid down my spine. My heart skipped a beat then kicked into overdrive. I took a step forward, and the air grew thicker around me, like it was pressing against me. I wobbled and stumbled back a few steps.

  “Emersyn?” Deacon asked, his voice sharp. I must’ve made a face because his face paled. “You feel that, too?”

  “We have to go. NOW.”

  I didn’t wait for the others, I turned and bolted toward the stairs. There was no way in hell I was getting in that elevator again—or going near that garage. I wanted out. NOW. I should’ve listened to my instincts the second we pulled onto the property.

  “Emersyn? Deacon?” Heather said from behind me. “Where are you going? What’s wrong?”

  “Everyone out,” Deacon said in a rush, his voice close behind me.

  My magic surged to the surface, ready to attack. There wasn’t anything to see, but I felt it. There was darkness here. It prickled against every inch of my body. Nope. Nope. Hell nope. I was three feet from the stairway door when a wall of cold pressure pressed against me. I cursed and pushed my magic out. Black mist that moved like fog shot out of my hands and across the foyer.