As soon as I step outside, arms envelope me in a tight hug, almost knocking us halfway down the steps. A familiar scent fills my nostrils, and I press my face into my cousin’s chest; another person I can’t predict how I’ll act around later.
In some ways, this feels like the beginning of the end. Alive or dead, I won’t be returning to Highridge as the same witch the coven knows, the same daughter Mom’s raised, or the same cousin Jasper grew up with.
“Fuck, Carina, almost had a heart attack when Aunt Morgan texted me you’re home.”
“For now.” My shoulder lifts, calling his attention to the backpack slung over it. “She tell you everything?”
A shadow passes over his face that has nothing to do with the sun disappearing between the clouds. “You’re insane, but it’s admirable too.” He swings an arm around my shoulder and walks me away from Mom to speak discreetly in my ear. “For someone who has zero interest in becoming a High Priestess, you sure have a funny way of showing it.”
I lean back until his face fills my vision. “You didn’t want me to go with the pack at all, but now you approve of me going to Twilight Grove?”
“There’s a huge difference between the pack and them.”
“Yeah. One is believed to be crazy”—I jerk my chin towards the shifters off to the side, indicating who exactly I mean—“and the other actually is. They’re gonna make me evil, haven’t you heard?”
His chuckle ruffles my hair as he pulls me in close again. “You’ll never be evil. A pain in the ass, but not evil.” There’s a shadow to his eyes, however, that suggests otherwise. Says he’s concealing his true thoughts, which I’m grateful for.
“I’ll be okay,” I reassure him in what we both know is a lie, and duck from beneath his arm. My gaze goes immediately to the wolves, only to notice three is down to two. Ryder’s gone.
Jasper follows my gaze. “They’re being good to you?”
“Surprisingly so. They’re nice. Ryder’s a bit rough around the edges but hasn’t hurt me. There’s a woman there who’s super friendly. The pack’s children seem like typical kids. Those who hang around Ryder”—I gesture to Xander and Conan—“mainly act indifferent. For the most part, they haven’t been bad, no, just different.”
“Give ’em hell if they cause any trouble.”
“It’ll be fine,” I repeat my earlier sentiment, only this time feel I’m telling the truth.
Jasper steers me back towards where Mom waits by the front lawn, a small cloth bag in her grip. Inside, there’s two glass vials and bushels of healing herbs. “Give Alaric my best, would you? I truly hope he makes it.”
I slide the items inside my backpack for safe keeping, using clothes to wrap the glass. “I will.”
Behind me, the wolves creep a bit closer and above head the clouds shift. Everything and everyone is waiting for me to leave, to accept this might be the final time seeing Mom and my cousin.
I will not cry. High Priestesses do not cry.
“I’ll be alright.” No one believes that lie. Most of all me. “Look for my signature. As soon as I know anything, I’ll try to get home.”
Key word: try.
Mom rapidly shakes her head. “You get us a message, and we’ll come for you.”
“You can’t. Unless Twilight Grove attacks Highridge, it’d be you starting that war. You have to let me figure it out.”
Jasper rests his hand on her shoulder. “You know she’s right, Aunty. Control what you can from here.”
It’s weird, after decades of us looking up to her as family and our leader, to be the ones demanding which actions she takes, which emotions to react on.
“Presumably, Sloane’s already turned her own child Dark, which means after you, Starfall Coven is the only of the original four who’s left. I’m going to attempt to contact them, to warn them, for one, but they may be numbers on our side.”
Two covens against Dark witches still doesn’t make me comfortable about leading people to their deaths. Arguing about this will get us nowhere, so I pull her into a final hug instead and whisper, “Let’s see how it all plays out.”
Her lips brush my forehead. Jasper squeezes my hand.
Then I head for the two shifters who’ll lead me to my fatal future.
And their Alpha is still mysteriously missing.
Nineteen
