The Secret Witch (The Coven: Academy Magic Book 5) Read online

  As soon as their heads were free, they began panicking. They twisted and turned while the ice still covered their lower halves. They slashed at it with their swords and cursed. The one in the front pulled a dagger off his hip and threw it right at Tenn’s face. It was aimed perfectly and flew pretty fast, but Tenn just flicked it away with a nod of his head.

  “We don’t want to hurt you,” Tenn said calmly, like we were discussing dinner plans. “We want to help cure you.”

  The rest of my ice exploded, and they were free. They charged for us. One step and they were two dozen human men; the next, they were shadows and glowing eyes. I held my hands up, ready to freeze them again if I needed to. Tegan still hadn’t thrown the elemental orb. The shadows threw daggers and swords at us, but Emersyn threw her hand up and they all froze in midair.

  “Stop now and I’ll let you live,” Tenn yelled out, still standing calmly. “Stop.”

  But they didn’t. They moved faster.

  Tenn twirled Michael’s sword and leapt straight for them. He moved so fast he was just a blur of light shooting across the dark sky like a comet. Michael’s glowing sword sliced through three shadows in the flash of a second. They exploded into dust while Tenn moved to the next.

  I glanced over my shoulder to my Coven-mates and found them separated from us by a ring of fire. When I turned back around, Tenn had taken out half of the shadows. The others stopped running for us and turned on him. Tegan threw the orb of elemental magic right at the ring of shadows circling around Tenn. But I realized there were only five of them left.

  Tenn jumped straight up in a vertical line about thirty feet until he about disappeared into the black sky.

  The magic ripped through the first shadow then exploded like an atomic bomb. They all screamed and jumped back. They patted their bodies and panicked.

  Tenn landed in a crouch right in the middle of them. “Stop and let us help—”

  The shadow-man right in front of him screamed and dove forward with a serrated dagger. His blade swung right at Tenn’s face. Tenn used Michael’s sword to block the hit, and the guy exploded into a cloud of dirt. Another guy tried to jump on Tenn’s back, but his hand touched Michael’s sword and he burst into bright golden flames. The Heavenly fire was so big that it hit the guy next to him, and they both went up in flames.

  The last two shadow-men froze with wide eyes as the Heavenly fire danced around Tenn without hurting him. A second later, they turned and sprinted away from us, heading straight for the Old Lands. Except they were running straight for Em’s fire border, and they weren’t slowing down. I opened my mouth to yell for them to stop when the flames turned them to ash.

  Tenn cursed. “That is not how I wanted that to go.”

  “They ran into my fire. Y’all saw that, right? Like, I didn’t torch them.” Emersyn flicked her wrists, and the flames vanished. “So that’s not on me, right?”

  “If it helps, they were wanting to kill us all,” Deacon said from by the building.

  “They also killed those humans,” Ellis grumbled. “Disgusting.”

  I sighed and dropped my hands. “Well, at least we know that trick Ellis told us worked—” I gasped as heat exploded in my chest. It felt like I’d swallowed a piece of coal. I gripped my chest and tried to breathe through the fire in my lungs.

  “B, you okay—” Tegan stopped and stared at something over my shoulder. A huge grin spread across her face. She threw her hand up and waved. “JACKSON!”

  My heart stopped.

  Oh, Goddess. He’s here. Finally.

  Chapter Six

  Jackson

  It was just after three in the morning when I finally pulled my truck into the front parking lot at Edenburg. I knew by the fire and glowing sword my Coven was up here, so I threw my truck in park and hopped out. By the time I shut my door, the flames were extinguished.

  I saw no sign of Joseph or his creepers.

  I sighed with relief.

  My entire Coven stood there with their backs to me, looking at something in the distance. I frowned and followed their gaze—and my jaw dropped. A giant wall of solid ice blocked off the border to the Old Lands.

  Bettina. I smiled and shook my head. I was so damn proud of her. She’d come so far in three months.

  No one appeared to have noticed my arrival yet, or they sensed it was just me and therefore weren’t concerned. Their energy was tense and sharp. Something had clearly gone down just now. I glanced around, silently counting all of them in my head to make sure everyone was there. No one seemed to be hurt. Everyone was standing. Tenn, Tegan, Emersyn, and Bettina stood a little bit in front of everyone else.

  “If it helps, they were wanting to kill us all,” Deacon said from up by the building.

  “They also killed those humans. Disgusting,” an unfamiliar male voice said.

  I frowned and looked toward the sound. Kessler was holding a guy down on his knees. He had long, wildly tousled hair not unlike Tenn’s. But other than that, I didn’t recognize him, or anything about him. I couldn’t even see his face. I also didn’t understand why Kessler was pinning him down or why my Coven-mates seemed to be standing guard around him.

  If it helps, they were wanting to kill us all. Deacon’s words registered. Joseph. Whatever had just happened, he must’ve been behind it. I was just glad everyone survived it. I didn’t see Daniel or Mona, but Constance and Kessler looked calm—and they wouldn’t be if their soulmates were in danger.

  I froze a few feet away from my truck.

  Soulmate. That was why I’d been called back. That was why I drove over a hundred miles per hour just to get here as quick as possible.

  My soulmate was here. That was what Tegan had said.

  Except…where is she?

  I scanned every face again, searching for one I didn’t recognize.

  But there was no one except the guy. And Tegan had definitely said SHE. Not that I thought my soulmate was a guy, but— My heart fluttered. What’s going on here? Had she left? No, that didn’t make sense. Tegan wouldn’t have let her leave before I got there. She wouldn’t do that to me. Where is she? Maybe she’s inside the building?

  I started walking toward them again, desperate for answers. I needed to know who she was. I needed to see her face, to see the glyph on her chest that would match mine. I needed to feel— Fire exploded in my chest. I gasped and stumbled a few feet. The heat grew more and more intense, scorching a path up my throat and melting my insides. I stopped and gripped my chest. It burned against my hand. I clenched my teeth and tried to breathe through it.

  Where is she? This pain…this…burning…meant she was nearby.

  But I still saw no one I didn’t already know.

  Bettina sighed and dropped her hands. “Well, at least we know that trick Ellis told us worked—” But then her words cut off, or maybe I was burning too much and my senses were shutting down.

  “B, you okay—” Tegan spotted me in that moment, over Bettina’s shoulder. A huge grin spread across her face. She threw her hand up and waved. “JACKSON!”

  Everyone turned toward me at once. They grinned and waved.

  I tried to wave or smile or nod—or something –but the pain was debilitating. It had never hurt like this before. I felt like I was burning at the stake like Joan of Arc.

  Bettina spun around, and I told myself not to look away but then our eyes met.

  Those big, beautiful royal blue eyes watered the second she saw me. Tears rained down her face, and that last part of my heart broke. I hated this. It wasn’t fair. How could I feel like this for Bettina yet be meant for someone else? I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve this kind of punishment. I was supposed to be looking for my soulmate, meeting her for the first time, letting my heart be open to her. But instead, I was helplessly stuck on the one I really wanted.

  I didn’t think I was ever going to heal from this. Not really.

  I wished I could ask Ruth, Timothy’s sister, how she’d handled it because I w
as broken.

  Tennessee appeared right in front of me. He stepped into my line of view, blocking Bettina from my sight. I sighed at the lifeline he’d just unknowingly given me. Or maybe he did know. Maybe they all knew how I felt about her. I forced myself to focus on him. He arched both eyebrows. There was something off in his mismatched gaze that made my heart skip beats.

  He stopped in front of me. “You ready?”

  I frowned and nodded. Then shook my head. I cursed and scrubbed my face with my hands. When I pulled my hands back, I found Tenn smirking and it made my stomach turn.

  “What?”

  His smirk widened into a full grin. “Brace yourself, Lancaster.”

  My chest tightened, and that fire spread. What the bloody hell does that mean, mate? It felt like every muscle in my body was spasming at the same time. Anxiety rushed through my veins. My heart was pounding so fast I was definitely about to have a heart attack.

  Tenn gripped my shoulder. He lifted his other hand and pointed. I looked at his Emperor Mark then followed the line of his arm and toward where he was pointing.

  My gaze landed on Bettina and my heart stopped.

  “There she is,” Tenn said in a soft voice.

  I stared into her eyes brimming with tears that glistened in the moonlight. She didn’t move or speak. She just stared back at me. “I don’t…I don’t…I don’t understand.”

  Tenn chuckled and squeezed my shoulder. “Turns out Tegan isn’t the only lying Bishop in the family.”

  No. No, no. This isn’t true. Don’t believe it, or it’ll hurt so much more. Panic surged inside. This had to have been some sick joke or miscommunication. It couldn’t be her. I wanted it to be her, and that’s why it couldn’t be. I’d checked her for a glyph several times. She didn’t have one. Don’t listen to him. Something is wrong here. I shook my head and started to look to Tenn to argue when something sparkled from Bettina’s chest.

  I froze. My gaze went right to the center of her chest.

  My breath left me in a rush. I swayed but Tenn’s grip on my shoulder kept me upright. I felt like I’d been kicked in the chest by a dragon.

  There it was, shining against her pale skin like the North Star.

  A soulmate glyph.

  And it was lavender.

  Just like mine.

  I took a shaky breath then looked down to my chest. My fingers trembled as I pulled my shirt down. My own lavender soulmate glyph shimmered and pulsed. I looked at the lines spreading across to my shoulder. Then I looked back to Bettina.

  They were identical.

  Fresh tears poured like rivers down her cheeks.

  I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My lungs forgot how to breathe. I just…stared.

  Is this real? How can this be real? How can it be her? I was afraid to believe it. I was afraid at any given second I would wake up, and this was all a horrible, horrible dream. I couldn’t be this lucky. I couldn’t have my deepest wish come true. Could I?

  Pain shot down my arm. I jumped and turned only to find Tenn grinning.

  He shrugged. “See, not dreaming.”

  My jaw dropped. I was confused. I was terrified. I was too full of hope for my own good.

  “Look at me.” When I did, Tenn pointed to his chin then nodded. “Jackson, Bettina is your soulmate.”

  The truth rune appeared on his chin instantly. Shining bright blue. I wavered and stumbled back a step before Tenn caught me. He was telling the truth. It was true. Bettina was my soulmate.

  “Turns out the glyph was blocked by that spell, but she forced it out tonight.”

  I gasped. Bettina is my soulmate?

  Bettina is my soulmate.

  Oh my Goddess, Bettina is MY soulmate?

  I spun back around, and my eyes found hers again. I knew everyone else was standing there. In my peripheral vision, I saw them looking back and forth between us. Hell, they were standing between us. But none of that mattered because Bettina was my soulmate.

  For a moment, or maybe an hour, we just stared at each other.

  And then she was sprinting toward me. All I could do was stare.

  Tennessee chuckled and moved out of the way just as she got to me. I stepped forward and threw my arms open. She lunged and tackled me. Her long arms wrapped around my neck and squeezed me like a boa constrictor. I gasped and buried my hands in her hair. I pulled her close to me, gripping her tight. Her heavenly floral scent invaded my senses until she was all I could breathe. I squeezed my eyes shut and lost myself in this moment.

  I was on fire. My chest burned with a heat I’d never felt before. She was shaking, or maybe that was me. Maybe it was both of us. I didn’t know. I couldn’t think. All I knew was my wildest dreams had just come true.

  She’s my soulmate. All this time. I can’t believe it.

  My brain was mush. My emotions had exploded inside me, and I didn’t know which way was up anymore. But I didn’t care. It didn’t matter.

  I pulled back, needing to see her face. She looked up at me with those big blue eyes, and my heart caught in my throat. I pushed her hair back then took her face in both of my hands. She sniffled and more tears spilled over her long eyelashes. I brushed my thumbs over her cheeks and wiped those tears away.

  She reached up and wrapped her hands around my wrists. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she whispered.

  A wild, strangled kind of laugh escaped my lips. I shook my head. “I am going to bloody kill whoever put that blocking spell on you.”

  She groaned and nodded, then leaned into me.

  Our Coven-mates lost it. They cheered and applauded like this was some championship football game. Bettina’s face turned bright red, but her eyes sparkled brighter than I’d ever seen.

  I knew we had an audience. I felt their eyes on us. But my control snapped. All the pain and torture, all the heartbreak—it was finally over. I slid my hand to the back of her head then dragged her mouth up to mine. Our lips crashed together, and the rest of the world melted away. With every brush of her lips on mine, I felt the pieces of my heart glue back together. She was mine and I was hers, and that was all that bloody mattered in the world.

  Chapter Seven

  Bettina

  I could’ve stayed in that moment forever. I’d never known a heart could feel this happy.

  Jackson’s Christmassy scent was all around me. Warmth radiated out of his body, and I wanted to bury my face in his chest and just feel his arms around me. But then he’d have to take his hands off my face, and I liked the way that felt too much. I liked the way his lips felt against mine.

  My chest was screaming, but I didn’t know if it was from the glyph or because I’d stopped breathing. Maybe both. I didn’t care. I could breathe later. If I passed out, they’d wake me back up. I’d waited too long for this moment. I’d prayed too hard for it.

  He was MINE.

  I pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed him with force. He groaned against my mouth and met my force with his own. He fisted my hair and tilted my head back, deepening our kiss. It still wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed him closer. I wrapped my arms around his waist then reached up and dug my fingers into his shoulder blades. He hissed against my lips. Passion exploded between us.

  But then my legs started to give out, and we stumbled backwards.

  He broke away too soon, but he didn’t let me go. His big warm hands cupped my face. He pressed his forehead to mine, and our noses brushed. For a long moment, we stood there holding on to each other with our faces pressed together. Just breathing.

  Pardon me, lovers, Tegan said into my mind. I hate to interrupt this wonderful moment…

  I sighed.

  Jackson chuckled softly.

  But listen, the sooner Lancaster gets in here and uses his magic on Ellis…the sooner we can all go to bed and get some sleep…

  Jackson pressed his lips to my forehead then pulled away.

  I looked up as he glanced over my shoulder. “Is everyone watching us?” I whispered. r />
  He shook his head, then looked down at me and grinned a grin that took my breath away. “No. It seems they went inside the building. Though I suspect Tegan is watching from the window.”

  That made me smile. “She is a creeper like that sometimes.”

  He sighed. “Goddess, I can’t believe it’s you. This whole time…”

  I nodded. “If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake.”

  His smile widened until it dimpled his cheeks and made his aquamarine eyes sparkle like sunshine glistening on the ocean. “You are my dream,” he whispered.

  I didn’t recognize the noise that came out of me, but I pushed up on my toes and pressed my lips to his again. This kiss was rougher, wilder. His grip on my face tightened, and it still wasn’t close enough.

  Y’all. I can only keep Easton contained in here for so long, Tegan said into my mind, but I knew by the way Jackson froze that he’d heard it, too. Sooooo…if you want some privacy, then get in here and give me a moment of your time.

  I huffed and turned in his arms to glare at the building behind us.

  Don’t look at me like that. I had to save the world and play with demons instead of kissing MY soulmate. Get ya’ass in here. Responsibilities and shit, just like Uncle Ben said.

  “Uncle Ben?”

  I chuckled and shook my head, then turned back to face him. “Peter Parker’s uncle. Spiderman.”

  His eyes sparkled. He nodded. “Right. Great power, great responsibilities.”

  “Oh good, you know your Marvel.” I untangled my fingers from his sweater. “I would’ve hated to have to start your education from the beginning.”

  “Hey, I went to Comic-Con in San Diego twice—”

  I gasped. Then I smacked his arm playfully. Mostly playfully. “You’re taking me next year, got it? No excuses. And we’re doing cosplay.”

  He pursed his lips and took my hand in his. “Are we talking sexy cosplay, or accurate cosplay?”