“Do you think we should wait here?” Sonali asked. They’d spent most of the walk from campus in silence, too preoccupied by their own worries to speak.
“They told us to meet them in the woods, so I guess we should keep walking?”
Wordlessly, they stepped into the forest. It was like entering another world—the tangle of thick tree branches blocked most of the setting sun, though every now and then, they’d pass a pool of light on the mossy ground.
“I think we should go that way,” Sonali said, pointing to the right.
“How do you know?”
Sonali laughed and nodded at a flowering vine with pink blossoms growing in a peculiar pattern that formed the words Initiates, this way. The end of the vine had been transformed into an arrow. Despite her nerves, Vivi laughed too. The Ravens could be infuriatingly cryptic, but they certainly did everything with style.
She and Sonali walked on until the trees began to thin out, revealing patches of indigo sky above them. Up ahead, they could hear the murmur of quiet voices; they followed the sound until they stepped into a small clearing. The entire sorority was there, all of them dressed in black robes except for Dahlia, who was in blood red. They were standing in a large circle, and as Vivi and Sonali approached, the circle opened to let them inside, where the other pledges were waiting. Ariana was looking around with wide eyes, while Bailey had gone still and rigid, though her darting eyes betrayed her anxiety. Even Reagan, who usually maintained an air of ironic detachment, was fidgeting nervously.
Without saying a word, the pledges’ Bigs stepped forward and approached their Littles. Scarlett’s face was unreadable as she came up to Vivi and draped a black robe around her shoulders, then placed a garland of white flowers on her head. The other Bigs did the same, although with different colored garlands, then returned to their spots in the circle.
Dahlia, who’d been standing next to a large pile of wood, stepped into the center of the gathering. “It’s time, witches. Welcome, Vivi, Bailey, Reagan, Ariana, and Sonali. You’ve entered the woods as pledges, but you’ll leave it as sisters. This is your initiation to Kappa. Now, please, take your rightful places in the circle.”
Despite the solemnity of the setting, Vivi couldn’t keep an enormous grin from spreading across her face. Next to her, Sonali let out a long sigh and muttered, “Thank God,” while Ariana squealed and clapped her hands.
“So, just to confirm,” Bailey said slowly. “This means . . .”
Dahlia laughed. “Yes, you made it. All of you did. You’re here to become full sisters.”
It took all of Vivi’s self-control not to skip as she joined the circle, which had widened to make room for the new sisters. She’d done it. For the first time in her life, something she’d dreamed about had actually come true. Nothing would ever be the same again. She was a witch with magical powers, and, even better, she was a Raven.
“We’ve gathered here to cement the bonds of sisterhood and welcome our newest initiates into our family. But first I want to thank Scarlett, our pledge master.” Dahlia turned to face Scarlett. “This is the first time in several years that all of our pledges have been accepted to full sisterhood, and we have her training to thank for it.”
Scarlett grinned, her eyes shining with pride.
“And now we begin.” Dahlia picked up a branch from the mossy ground, and an instant later, one end exploded in flames. “Join hands, and let us cleanse this space.” Vivi smiled as she clasped hands with Mei and Scarlett, then watched as Dahlia dropped the branch onto the pile of wood, setting it alight. The flames leaped around them, beating back the encroaching dark. Vivi could have sworn she saw images of soaring birds and dancing girls.
The sisters began to hum, producing a sound that made her scalp prickle. A shiver passed through the circle where their hands were joined, and for a moment, it felt to Vivi as if they were one creature, breathing together, vibrating in sync. In the firelight, the coven looked spectral, like spirits who’d appeared in these woods, hair loose and wild in the wind.
“By my will,” Dahlia intoned, “I cast this circle. By my word, it is conjured.”
Mei and Scarlett released Vivi’s hands. Together, the sisters turned in one direction, arms raised. Vivi did the same, following the others.
“We call upon the Queen of Swords, spirit of the East,” Dahlia cried. “Hail and well met.”
They pivoted south. Vivi caught Ariana’s eye for a second and smiled.
“We call upon the Queen of Wands, spirit of the South,” Dahlia continued. “Hail and well met.” The wind picked up. Vivi’s hair swirled around her face like a miniature tornado.
They turned again.
“We call upon the Queen of Cups, spirit of the West. Hail and well met.”
As one, the sisters in the circle turned north. Vivi turned with them, hands raised in the air.
“We call upon the Queen of Pentacles, spirit of the North. Hail and well met.”
A crackle of energy ran through Vivi’s whole body, starting at her feet and extending all the way to her palms.
“I invoke the Empress and the High Priestess, spirits of magic, witchcraft, and the divine feminine,” Dahlia called. Her voice had turned deeper, as if the ritual had loaned her some of its power. “We bid thee join us tonight as we initiate these new sisters into our fold. Look upon them and bless them with your strength, your knowledge . . . your power.”
Vivi shuddered as the buzz of energy grew stronger, making the hairs on her arms stand on end. Although most of the wood had turned to ash, the flames were burning even higher and brighter than before.
“Who ushers Initiate Sonali into our sisterhood?” Dahlia asked.
Mei stepped forward. Tonight, she had her hair in a gray pixie cut shot through with streaks of black. It made her look witchier than ever. Especially because, even without makeup, her eyes still looked unnaturally big, her lips a perfect bow. “I do.”
“Who ushers Initiate Vivi into our sisterhood?”
Scarlett stepped forward. “I do,” she said seriously.
One by one, Dahlia called the initiates and their Bigs until they all stood slightly inside the circle.
“Kneel, initiates,” Dahlia said. “From this moment on, this ritual is binding. Once you rise, you will be full members of this sisterhood, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. Do you accept the laws of Kappa and agree to abide by them from this day forth?”
“I do,” Vivi said at the same time as Bailey, Ariana, Sonali, and Reagan.
“Prepare to accept your sisters’ power.” Dahlia looked around the circle. “We will now raise our magic and direct it at all our initiates. If the magic becomes too strong or too much, Scarlett, you will step in to assist the initiates in grounding the excess energy. Do you consent?”
“I do,” replied Scarlett.
Vivi shivered at the words If the magic becomes too strong, remembering what had happened back in the cemetery when she’d nearly caused the tunnel to cave in. Could something like that happen tonight? Magic wasn’t all charms and glamours—it was a system connected to the most powerful forces in the universe and it had the potential to go very, very wrong, just as it had for Evelyn Waters.
Dahlia nodded and all the sisters in the circle raised their hands, facing their palms at the initiates. “Empress and High Priestess, grant them our power,” Dahlia chanted. “Empress and High Priestess, grant them our power.” The others joined in, their voices growing louder with each repetition.