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  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  One bright blue eye and one glistening green eye locked onto mine. Neither of us said a thing; we just stood there staring at each other, unable to look away. My hand still rested on his cheek, but he didn’t seem to care. Something metal crashed to the ground. I didn’t even flinch. His hand came up and grabbed me by the jaw. He gently stroked my cheekbone with his thumb.

  His hold on my face tightened, and then he pulled me closer to him to where I felt the heat coming off of his chest. He angled my face upward right as his lips met mine. His lips were warm and velvety soft. I sighed and leaned into his kiss. There was nothing sweet or tender about it. He kissed me like he was starved for it, like I was the oxygen he needed to live. I reached up and tangled my hands into his long hair, the way I’d wanted to back at The Gathering. I got up on my tiptoes and pulled him down to me.

  Something crashed at my feet, but I ignored it when his warm hand wrapped around my waist and slipped under my hoodie. His skin felt like fire against mine as it burned through my thin shirt. I’d never known a kiss could feel like this, or that I’d need it. His hand left my face and I moaned at the loss, but then he wrapped his other arm around my waist and lifted me off the ground. He deepened our kiss, pulled me in closer to his body. I twisted my dangling legs around one of his and gripped his hair. I was dizzy. I wasn’t even sure I was breathing. The burning in my chest intensified. I didn’t care. My body tingled and my head was woozy. I was probably on the verge of passing out…but I pulled him in tighter.

  “Tegan?” Someone screamed my name off in the distance. “TEGAN!”

  His hands squeezed my waist, digging into my skin. I fisted his hair and twisted so he’d have to untangle me after.

  “Tegan!” This time I registered the terrified voice as Emersyn’s.

  He broke off our kiss and dropped me to my feet. Without taking his eyes off mine, he slid his hands up my arms and untangled my fingers from within his hair. His full lips curved up to one side, and I leaned in for another kiss.

  Just as our lips were about to meet again, Emersyn screamed and slammed into us at full force. All three of us crashed to the ground in a giant tangle of limbs. Somehow, Emersyn got to her feet first. She grabbed me by the arm, pulled me to my feet, and dragged me away from him.

  My mind reeled. I was confused…and excited. I had no idea who he was. Or why he’d been at The Gathering. Or why he was here now. Why was he in the park at night? And why were his swords glowing? What if he was some mystical creature like the ghost-fairies or red-eyed monsters?

  I’d let him kiss me. And I’d kissed him back.

  Chapter Seven

  Tennessee

  What. Was. That?

  I sighed and pushed my hair out of my face. Did that really just happen? My body shook with every pound of my heart as I watched her disappear. Every breath I took seared my throat like I’d swallowed battery acid, and it burned the second it hit my lungs. I leaned forward and rubbed my face with my palms. What the hell just happened? My mind raced as I struggled to put the pieces together.

  The girl from The Gathering. The girl. The one who lingered in my mind like a song.

  She looked exactly like I remembered. Her dark hair framed her perfect face and made her eyes shine like diamonds in the moonlight. The pale green stood out like the North Star in the darkness. I wanted to follow after her, to chase her down and find out who she was and why she was here. If only my body would get with the program and unfreeze itself from this pose.

  I can’t believe she’s here. I had assumed she was a witch once I saw her leave our parking lot at The Gathering, but what was she doing here? Constance had assured me our situation was not common knowledge yet.

  Did I seriously just kiss her? I shook my head and chastised myself for not introducing myself properly. If I had just gotten her name, I could’ve looked her up or asked around Eden about her. If I was smart, I would’ve gotten her number instead of her lips. My stomach twisted, like fairy wings fluttering inside at the way she felt in my arms. That kiss. It was unexpected and incredible. I’d never experienced something like it. Holding her was the sweetest relief and sharpest cut all at the same time. In that moment, I knew what drug addiction must feel like because I knew I’d do anything to be with her again.

  God, even her voice was precisely the way I remembered, warm but powerful. It was intoxicating. Like I’d been hypnotized and sucked right out of the world and into hers. Or maybe that said more about what she did to me? I didn’t know, but I needed to find out.

  “Hi, friend Tennessee. Hi.”

  I flinched then recognized the voice. I smiled and looked up to find a certain red-haired fairy hovering above the ground. “Hi, Saffie.”

  She blushed and chewed on her fingernail. “Sorry I scared you. Saffie hates being scared. Not fun.”

  I shook my head and tried to ignore the burning in my chest. “It’s okay. You didn’t mean to. Are you okay?”

  She grinned and sat down on the ground in front of me. “I am good, yes. Thank you. Stardust ring keeps me safe.”

  “I’m glad the ring is helping.” I rubbed my chest to try and soothe the pain. “Saffie, why did you warn me those girls were in the park?”

  I’d been on the opposite side of the park, doing my final rounds of my shift before heading home, when Saffie raced up to me. She’d been flushed and slightly out of breath. The second she’d told me there were humans in the park, she’d disappeared again.

  “I promised on a sea of spider lilies I am friends with Tennessee,” she said with a grin that made me feel good. “So, I warned you of intruders so they won’t hurt you.”

  I still had my doubts and concerns about our oath of friendship, but each interaction with her chipped away at that worry a little more. “Thank you, Saffie. You showed them which way to go to get out, didn’t you?”

  She nodded rapidly. “Yep. Yep. Yep. Those are bad fairies. They’re mean. They hurt Saffie. Those girls were scared like Saffie was, so I show them. Out. Out. Out. Safe.”

  I noticed the more nervous she got, the less articulate she became. “That was very nice of you. Thank you, Saffie, for helping.”

  “You’re welcome, friend.” She grinned and fluttered into the air on her little pink wings. “I’m going to rest now. Be safe, friend Tennessee.”

  I smiled and waved as she flew away. I’d found them right where Saffie said I would, standing by the fountain. The fountain. The one we built to cover up the Gap in our dimension’s wall. I meant to approach them and use my magic to steer them out of the park…and then I saw those gemstone eyes. That was when I realized it was her. Shock had glued me in place instead of approaching her.

  God, that kiss. It was completely unlike me to behave like that, to…to kiss a stranger without any kind of introduction. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat. She was ice cream on a summer day. I still felt the heat of her on my skin. My muscles tingled and twitched, like they, too, wanted to chase after her. The burning in my chest was powerful and relentless. The intensity kept my pulse racing and my heart struggling to calm its pace.

  Hold up. Maybe I got sliced? I’d taken on at least a dozen Oozers, and given my distraction and concern for her, odds were good I’d taken a scratch or two. I took a deep breath, and it singed my air pipe. I grimaced through the pain and slouched forward. The contorted pose intensified the burn, like gas to a flame. The fire in my skin spread across my chest to my right shoulder. I gritted my teeth and looked down to inspect the wound. The racing of my heart sent adrenaline through my body like I was plugged into an electrical socket. My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled my shirt down. How much blood do we have toda—what the…?

  My breath caught in my throat. There, in the center of my chest directly over my heart, a bright pink beacon of light glowed brighter than the sun. I reached forward and pressed my fingertips to it and hissed. I yanked my hand away and cursed. The light burned. My already racing pulse skyrocke
ted. What is this?

  An image popped into my mind and I froze. All of my other thoughts disappeared. I knew exactly what this was… I’d just seen it on someone else a few days ago…

  Chapter Eight

  Tegan

  “What happened to ‘don’t stop running’? Or ‘as soon as we get an opening’? Huh, Tegan?” Emersyn shouted at me.

  We were back in Devon’s little green Passat, and Emersyn flew down the road, going well over the speed limit. On our way to the park, I would’ve been thrilled to see these speeds, but now I worried.

  “That guy looked like he wanted to eat you!” she continued screaming. “Lord only knows what kind of creature he actually was!”

  Just the mention of him, and my mind replayed the images. My cheeks warmed as blood rushed to my face. I turned to face the window to hide my blush from Emersyn’s rampage. I knew she had every reason to be upset, confused, furious. After all, she only went because of me. Because she didn’t want me to go alone. It was my fault.

  I leaned back against the seat and tried to recall every detail of that kiss. I took a deep breath and winced. My lungs were on fire. With a shaking hand, I pressed against my chest. It wasn’t my lungs; it was my skin. On the outside of my body. It burned out of control, like I’d been branded. Every second that passed, the pain intensified. Any moment I’d be spitting fire.

  “Are you getting out, or are you sleeping in my mom’s car tonight?”

  “What?” I frowned and looked out the front window. Our red front door was only a few feet away. We’re home? Already?

  “Yes, we’re home. Already,” Emersyn snapped. “And in case you’ve forgotten, we have school tomorrow. So, can we put aside all that…that…whatever the hell just happened and get some sleep?”

  School.

  Tomorrow.

  An ice-cold chill ran down my spine. Nausea rolled through me, the pain in my chest forgotten. Those mismatched eyes lingered in my mind, but the fear of what was to come in a matter of hours blinded my thoughts.

  Chapter Nine

  Tennessee

  I was twenty feet from the cafeteria when I saw her sitting at a table outside. Her. The girl from The Gathering. The one who broke into Hidden Kingdom. The one I’d kissed. I hadn’t stopped thinking about her. No more than five seconds passed without her face in my mind. Of course, with the glyph on my chest radiating light and burning like a branding iron, how could I stop thinking about her?

  I’d spent at least an hour staring at the glyph in the mirror when I’d gotten home. It was spectacular, really. Except for the fact that I knew what it meant. Every witch knew about the soulmate glyph. We learned it in bedtime stories and in our history classes at Edenburg. When soulmates met each other, the bond was instant, and the glyph would burn its way into their skin. I never understood why it burned; I just knew it did. When I first met her at The Gathering, my chest had seared in pain, but I hadn’t put the pieces together. I should have, though. It was so obvious now. I have a soulmate. It terrified me more than I wanted to admit. I wished it had happened before Cassandra died. She would’ve helped me navigate these rough waters.

  Sure, I’d been intrigued last week when I saw Constance’s glyph, but this was a game changer for me. I’d watched it, waiting for it to grow and spread like all the books said it would. But the only change so far was the pain intensifying. It was constant, relentless.

  All night and morning I’d been trying to figure out how to find her. I’d have to tell my adoptive father and brother, probably even get The Coven’s assistance. I just hadn’t had a chance. Okay, maybe I was stalling. It wasn’t going to be an easy or fun conversation, and we had other dire situations to deal with. But there she is. Right here at my school.

  She sat at a table outside in the sunlight, more breathtaking than I’d thought. Now I could actually see the details that darkness had robbed from me. Her skin was fair, but I saw hints of pink and dark freckles on her nose. The top of her hair was black, and it turned bright purple at the bottom. Was it like that at The Gathering? It was perfect. She was perfect. I am so screwed. Of course I find my soulmate right after agreeing to the “Emperor can’t date” rule. Why is this my luck?

  I wanted to move closer. I wanted to sit down next to her. There were so many questions I had to ask. I’d never needed to know someone as bad as I needed to know her. Do you feel this too? Do you understand what you are to me? What I am to you? The burning glyph on my chest intensified, like a little kid in a classroom desperately waving its hand in the air to be noticed. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hear you. I don’t even know her name yet. Calm down.

  “Yo, Tennessee!”

  I turned toward the familiar voice on instinct, but my mind was fuzzy and unfocused. I blinked a few times before I recognized my Coven-mate Braison. Royce and Easton were right behind him. I nodded my greeting to them, but movement out of the corner of my eye made me look over at her. She stood on top of the picnic table and stared up at the oak tree like she was about to climb it. Did she know that was our lunch spot? Did she know The Coven always sat there? Did she know who we were? Because I didn’t know who she was, besides mine.

  Oh no. The glyph. I glanced down at my chest to make sure my shirt covered it. I’d intentionally worn a black crew-neck shirt that fully covered me so no one would see it. Not that it was blatantly obvious…yet. It was small and light pink, so during the day, it wouldn’t be noticeable even with the glowing. And, well, my friends were used to me glowing. Soon I wouldn’t be able to hide it. The glyph would grow down to cover my fingers. I just wasn’t ready for them to know. When they found out, the harassment would be more relentless than the burning of the glyph itself. I wanted to know her first.

  “What are you looking—oh, are those the new girls?” Braison asked as he approached. His red hair looked almost orange in the sunlight. “I’ve been hearing about them all morning.”

  I nodded. “Well, I’m assuming so. I’ve never seen them before.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s them,” Royce confirmed as he reached us. His sapphire eyes narrowed. “I heard about purple hair on one and crystal cowgirl boots on the other.”

  “They’re hot,” Easton said from my left side. His baby blue eyes stared at her a little too intently for my comfort, and I briefly considered marking my territory right then and there.

  Instead, I arched an eyebrow at him. Easton was with Lily, anyway. Stay calm.

  “What?” Easton asked with an unapologetic grin. “They’re hot.”

  “Who’s hot?”

  All four of us turned at the sound of Cooper’s voice. Henley was right behind him.

  “The new girls over there,” Royce filled them in.

  “Oh yeah, they are pretty,” Henley agreed.

  “Come check for yourself, Coop. Blondie over there looks perfect for you.” Easton wagged his eyebrows at my adoptive brother. “Y’all are practically matching already.”

  Cooper scowled. “She is not perfect for me.” Though they both did have plaid shirts on.

  “Come take a look. You might change your mind,” Easton continued.

  “I do not need to take a look, nor will I change my mind.” A look of pure disgust filled Cooper’s face. He groaned and shook his head. “They’re my sisters.”

  What did he just say? The world rumbled at my feet. What? I… What? The glyph on my chest seared my skin a little deeper.

  “I’m sorry, say what?” Easton asked.

  “Blondie is Emersyn. The wild one is Tegan.” Cooper paused like their names were significant. Which of course they were. The Coven had been talking about them for days. Cooper sighed. “My twin sisters.”

  No. No. NO. No. No. Please no. This can’t be happening.

  “Holy hell,” Royce whispered. “How did I not realize it?”

  “You mean…the twins?” Braison asked with wide emerald eyes.

  Henley nodded. “The same ones we’ve been waiting for. They arrived last night.”

  I t
urned to look at her. Tegan, as Cooper had called her. Tegan is a perfect name for her. I saw her with new light. She wasn’t just some witch; she was the High Priestess. And her sister there was the Empress. They were the only two Cards with power to rival my own. They were the missing pieces to our puzzle. The holes in The Coven we’d been waiting sixteen years for. I narrowed my eyes and searched for their Marks, but their left forearms were bare. The Coven had put blocking spells on them as infants, but I assumed I would be able to see through it.

  This also meant that both of them, not just Tegan, were completely off-limits for me. For anyone. For romantic endeavors at all. I rubbed over the glyph on my chest that was sure to ignite the cotton into flame at any second. It would’ve been nice to know that last night.

  “Last night? What happened last night?” Cooper asked, his voice tinged with anxiety. “Tennessee?”

  I cursed. Did I just say that out loud? I sighed. I was going to have to answer that question. I glanced down at my chest, half expecting the glyph to be shining through my shirt. It wasn’t. Thank God. What am I supposed to do now? I wasn’t even sure who I could trust to ask.

  “Tennessee? Last night?” Cooper repeated. His pale green eyes pointed daggers at me. Pale green eyes, just like Tegan’s. Dammit. I’m an idiot. How did I not see?

  “I’ve met them… Well, kind of.” I ran my hand through the mess I called my hair. “They broke into Hidden Kingdom last night.”

  “They were at Hidden Kingdom?” Cooper’s nostrils flared in anger. “And you didn’t tell me this before now why?”

  I threw my hands in the air. “I didn’t know it was them. Sapiens have been known to break in, too. You know this.” I understood why Cooper was upset. I couldn’t blame him for worrying about his sisters, but he needed to direct his anger elsewhere.