The witches’ voices rose, the low chanting taking on a new life. The hair stood up on my arms as a cool, unnatural breeze swept over everyone in attendance.
“Today we send our sisters to the afterlife,” Gemma’s voice carried over the chanting. She released the hands next to her and stepped forward. Behind her, the circle formed once more.
“We call on earth.”
Several humans looked spooked as the ground shook beneath us. A trickle of dirt raised up from the ground beneath Gemma’s feet and into the air, slowly circling the coffins.
Ainsley stepped forward. A small basin of water waited near her feet. “We call on water,” she said, lifting her hand as she continued to chant. Her face flushed with the effort, but the water slowly rose from the basin in a long stream, formed a ball above her head, and then began to whirl around the circle, as if chasing the dirt.
Freya stepped forward next. “We call on air.”
The breeze kicked up again, leaves from a few nearby trees flying into the circle. What looked like a mini tornado formed within Freya’s hands and I raised one eyebrow. She had power. A lot of it.
Evie stepped forward next. A candle was waiting at her feet, and Caroline leaned down to light it for my sister. Her hand shook, as she flicked the lighter a few times. Finally, Evie gave a tiny shake of her head and raised one hand.
“We call on fire,” she said, her voice clear and confident.
I tensed as her hand sparked, and suddenly, a small ball of fire appeared in her palm. It slowly rose to join the other elements, lazily circling the coffins.
Shocked murmurs began, and I couldn’t help it, I reached for Samael’s hand.
Gemma sent one glance over the crowd, and the murmurs ceased.
The rest of the ceremony passed without incident. Each witch in the coven spoke about a memory they had with one of those who had been killed. By the time it was over, most of our faces were wet.
Once the coffins had been placed in their graves, Evie found me. “It feels real now,” she said, her eyes dark. “It felt almost like a nightmare before.”
“I know.”
Liam approached, nodding at me. “How are you doing?” he asked Evie.
“I’m okay. It’s… a lot.”
“How’s the neck?”
She attempted a smile. “Better now.”
Nathaniel stepped toward us. Since I was looking at him, I caught the moment the wind changed. He stared at Evie, and his eyes turned such a light blue they were almost white. Next to me, Samael tensed. He’d seen it too.
Nathaniel gave me one sharp nod, turned, and stalked away.
23
Danica
Igroaned as my phone rang. Next to me, Samael nuzzled closer, sliding his leg along mine and I nestled further into the soft down of his wing.
I groped for my phone. Kyla.
“Yeah?”
“Got him. I’m on my way back from Emporia.”
God she was good. And she was definitely getting a pay raise. “How’d you find him?”
“Swung by his mom’s house on my way out of town after I saw Riona. Took one of his hoodies. The brownie wasn’t pleased. But I showed Peter’s picture around once I got here. Place is tiny, and once I caught his scent, I found him sleeping in his car.”
“Not the one he used–”
