“I feel incredible. My entire body is buzzing with energy, but it’s kind of sensory overload.”
Everyone laughed and nodded like they understood. I glanced around, still caught up in the new sensations, but my gaze landed on Bentley…who wasn’t smiling. His eyes were focused on something in the distance and his face was all scrunched up. His spirit thrummed with sharp energy. Something is wrong.
“Bentley?” I reached out for him. “What’s wrong?”
Everyone spun to face him.
Easton groaned.
Deacon cursed.
“Can we just ignore it?” Royce grumbled.
Tennessee sighed and hung his head. “Go ahead, let us have it.”
Bentley frowned and looked to Tegan.
She shrugged. “Show us.”
“Okayyyy…” Bentley sighed and slid his long-sleeved shirt up to his elbow. There, on his left forearm beneath his Mark were a few lines written in dark elegant script.
I leaned forward to read it and my blood turned ice cold. I’d seen this before. Elizabeth Bishop had shown it to me.
“When the Angel of Tides rings his drums, beware the time has finally come,” Bentley said softly without looking at his arm. “Sides of fate must be chosen, for the bonds of peace are unwoven.”
The Coven cursed around me.
“Why does this always happen?”
“Can’t we get a day off?”
“Why THIS one again?”
“I didn’t like it before…I hate it now.”
Tennessee pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Tegan, what does this mean?” Willow asked softly.
We all turned to Tegan and I felt all of the hopeful expectations.
“I need to think before we speak about it.” Tegan shook her head. “Benny, come with me for a second?”
“Come on, everyone.” Tennessee turned and headed for the house. “Let’s get changed.”
I turned to follow the others inside when I felt something I hadn’t felt in a while…something I’d forgotten about until I felt its energy pulsing through the air. I frowned and turned toward it. “Do I feel my wand?”
Everyone froze.
Tegan’s eyes widened. “Oh shit, that’s right. Yes, you do.”
“Why?” I narrowed my eyes on the distance, trying to see it. “Why is it here?”
“After your curse was broken and you were sent back to Salem, your wand was left behind.” Tegan bit her bottom lip like she was nervous. “At the time we were in the middle of a huge war with a strange type of enemy we were trying to keep off our land…so I borrowed your wand to use some of your fae magic to keep him out.”
My jaw dropped. “Did it work?”
“Not as well as we hoped, and not entirely,” Tennessee said with a sigh. “Though I like to think it’s helping a bit.”
Tegan appeared in front of me. She squeezed my arms. “You can have it back though. I was merely borrowing it. But it’s safe…I’ve been checking on it.”
Tennessee nodded. “We can take you to it now.”
I nodded but then glanced to the house. I’d already been away from Riah for long enough—
“She’s gonna need Riah,” Bentley with a smile and a shrug. He tapped on his locket. “I saw it.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Saffie
“Just let me go get him—”
“I called him,” Tegan said and tapped her temple.
The back door of the house flew open and Riah stepped outside still cradling Olli in his arms…and my breath left me in a rush. It was surreal to be allowed to feel the things I felt when I saw him. My pulse hammered in my veins and I wondered if all of my Coven-mates standing around me could hear it. Not that I cared.
Riah spotted me in an instant and his eyes flashed brighter than the sun over our heads. My pulse skipped. He walked toward me and as he stepped into the sunshine his blond hair looked like liquid gold draped over his shoulders. It was strange to try and think of him as Commander Zachariah in all that golden armor. That Riah was a stranger to me. My brain didn’t even want to hang on to the memory. I felt it was actively trying to erase it. But his gray t-shirt and jeans outfit was every bit the Riah I’d gotten to know the last few weeks in Salem.
But then he froze and his gaze snapped to his left. His eyes narrowed.
I gasped. You feel it too!
He looked back to me and arched one eyebrow. Then he crouched down and sat Olli on the ground. The second those big wrinkly white paws hit the ground he charged for me, his long ears flapping like a cape behind him. The Coven parted for him with grins on their faces. As he got to me, he leapt in the air and I caught him in my arms. He wiggled and licked the air and then my arm. His tail smacked my leg hard as it wagged a mile a minute.
“Olli needs to meet Albert,” Chutney said as she reached over and pet his head.
I frowned. “Who is Albert?”
“My puppy.” Braison chuckled. “Though he’s three times Olli’s size.”
Riah stopped in front of me and that burning ember scent slammed into my face.
I grinned. “Riah.”
“Saraphina,” he said softly, but his eyes were sharp as he glanced around us. “All initiated then?”
I nodded. “Yup, yup, yup.”
“How do you feel?”
“Amazing.”
“Do I sense your —”
“Wand? Yup, yup, yup.” I nodded my head to my right. “They had to use it to protect Eden while I was gone, but I can have it back now.”
“That’s why I called for you,” Tegan said beside me while tapping on her head again.
“She’s gonna need your help.”
We both turned to where Bentley stood beside Tegan.
I scowled. “Why? It’s my wand.”
Bentley shrugged. “Oh, I have no idea.”
Riah narrowed his eyes on Tegan. “Your brother, I presume?”
Tegan beamed and ruffled Bentley’s disheveled hair. “Obviously.”
I crouched down and sat Olli on the ground, then held his face in my hands. “Hey, Olli, where’s my wand?”
His ears perked up and he cocked his head to the side. He held his snout in the air and sniffed, then spun and took off in the opposite direction.
“Wow, what a good sniffer, O.” Chutney giggled and skipped after him.
I reached out and took Riah’s hand in mine. He jumped and looked down — and his cheeks flushed a soft pink. His eyes softened and a small smile pulled at his lips.
“Come on.” I stepped forward and tugged on his hand to pull him along with me. “Let’s go get my wand.”
He fell into step beside me without hesitation. His brow was furrowed and his eyes sharp – but distant. I wanted to know what he was thinking, but I knew he wasn’t comfortable with The Coven yet so I didn’t want to put him on the spot. I didn’t blame him. He didn’t know them like I did…and they didn’t know him like I did. They were going to need some time to be comfortable with each other. And that was okay. They all cared about me and I knew Riah was on our side.