“Our powers fall under the Earth sign. That means it’s a bit easier for us to influence or manipulate nature, whether that’s trees, animals, or”—she shook her hair and struck an exaggerated modeling pose—“our natural beauty.” Mei pulled her phone out of her pocket and tilted her head as if preparing to take a selfie, but as she pursed her lips, her straight bob turned into beachy waves, and her nude lipstick deepened into maroon.
“Can you teach me to do that?” Vivi asked, awestruck.
“Sure,” Mei said, staring at her phone as she uploaded the photo to a verified Instagram account. Vivi had Googled all the Ravens she could remember that morning and knew that Mei was an incredibly popular beauty blogger originally from the Bay Area with nearly a million followers. “Though you should probably start out by focusing on whatever Scarlett wants to teach you.”
Vivi suppressed a grimace as she imagined Scarlett’s fake, condescending smile. “Shouldn’t you be my Big, since we’re the same suit?”
“What makes Ravens special is how our magic plays off one another. It’s not what we have in common but the ways that we’re different—each of our unique strengths—that make us powerful. It sounds cheesy but it’s true. You have more to learn from someone different from you. Does that make sense?”
“Got it. So what’s the jar for?” Vivi asked.
Mei gestured to the front door. “I’m anointing the entry points of the house. A little extra protection against those who wish us ill.”
Vivi nodded, her mind flashing back to last night. She’d been on such a high after the ceremony that she’d barely processed the commotion with the dark-haired girl. But the more she thought about it, the more disturbing the incident seemed. Vivi thought she might’ve been the girl who’d stopped her on the quad to warn her about the Ravens, but her features had been so twisted by pain and anger, it was hard to know for sure. “Who was that girl?”
Mei pressed her lips together and glanced over her shoulder, though Vivi couldn’t tell if she was looking for backup or checking to see who was in earshot. “She used to be a Raven. We removed her a couple years ago after she broke our most important rule.”
“Which one?” Vivi asked, suddenly worried about what unnamed rules she might’ve broken already.
But Mei just smiled vaguely. “Don’t worry. Scarlett’s your pledge master; she’ll explain everything you need to know at your lesson. She’s waiting for you out in the greenhouse.”
“Okay, thanks.” Vivi could tell Mei didn’t want to discuss the incident further, but Vivi couldn’t quite banish it from her mind, couldn’t shake the image of the girl’s frantic expression or the image of her writhing on the front steps, trying to claw her way into the house.
All she knew was that she didn’t want to end up like her, on the outside looking in.
* * *
Vivi hadn’t spent much time in greenhouses, but even she could tell that this one was extraordinary. Despite the glass walls, it was surprisingly dark; everywhere she looked, enormous plants stretched out of large clay pots, their ample leaves casting myriad shadows. She inhaled, noting the unusual combination of scents: lavender, pepper, mint, ripe fruit, sage, and a hint of rot.
Four other pledges were already seated at a round table in the center of the greenhouse—Ariana, Bailey, Sonali, and Reagan. It took Vivi a minute to reach them since there was no clear path through the plants; she had to duck under a number of climbing vines, their dew-covered leaves brushing against the back of her neck.
She slid into the open seat between Sonali and Bailey just as Scarlett appeared carrying a woven basket covered with a gauzy purple scarf. “Welcome, ladies,” Scarlett said briskly as she reached into the basket and began setting items on the table. A few squat red candles. An engraved silver dish. A midnight-black feather. Across from Vivi, Ariana shuddered as Scarlett placed a final item on the table—a human skull—but Vivi nearly lurched forward with anticipation. This was it. After a lifetime on the periphery, she was going to learn the most powerful, closely guarded secret in the world—how to do real magic.
“The five of you have been invited to pledge Kappa because we sense promise in you.” Scarlett’s gaze drifted to each of them, lingering on Vivi the longest. For some reason, Vivi didn’t find this comforting. “But natural ability isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to witchcraft. Magic requires discipline. Magic can be your best friend. It can open doors for you—literally. Or it can make you a danger to yourself and everyone around you.” As if to illustrate her point, all the plants in the greenhouse began to sway and whisper, moving in an invisible wind. Vivi gasped as something brushed the top of her foot. She glanced down and then leaped to the side as something long and dark green slithered past her.
“It’s just a vine,” Bailey whispered, watching it with wide eyes.
Scarlett snapped her fingers and all the plants froze. “But before we go further, it’s essential that you understand and commit to our laws. The first is no infringing on anyone else’s free will . . . too much.”
“What does that mean, exactly?” Bailey asked, blinking behind her black glasses.
“That means distraction spells and influencing spells are okay, within reason. But we don’t use mind-control spells or spell people to make them behave in ways that could change the course of their lives or bring harm to them in any way,” Scarlett said. “The next law is that we don’t physically harm anyone unless it’s in self-defense. And of course, the third and most important law—”
“Never betray your fellow Ravens,” Sonali said quickly.
Scarlett nodded. “That rule isn’t just about magic. We have each other’s backs, no matter what. These girls are your sisters. When they need you, you help them. You walk in pairs at night, and you check in at parties. Never let a sister wander off alone at night after they’ve been drinking, and never, under any circumstances, go to a private room during a frat party. Remember that alcohol clouds judgment and magical abilities, and your safety is paramount.”
Scarlett paused as if to let her words sink in, then continued. “Most of the magic we perform is spell-based. You’ll start by learning your own minor arcana spells—those are the simple, everyday spells. We’ll save your major arcana—big, complex spells—for later in your training. The first thing you need is your own tarot deck.” Scarlett reached into the basket and placed eight different decks on the table. “Pick the one that calls to you.”
A few of the decks were familiar to Vivi from her mother’s readings, with bright, lurid art and figures in exaggerated poses. She reached out to run her fingers along a deck with lavender backs and delicate, black-and-white line art. But before she could pick up the cards to examine them further, something glinted in the corner of her vision. It was a stack of rich brown cards with gold-leaf drawings that shimmered like jewels, although there was barely any light for them to reflect. She brushed her fingertips against the top card and exhaled as a strange, soothing sensation spread through her, like sinking into an unexpectedly soft bed.
“Shuffle the cards and then place the top two figures face-down on the table,” Scarlett ordered. The pledges did as they were told. “Now turn them over.”