My phone vibrates against my butt, making me jump.
I pull it out of my pocket and squint at the bright screen.
Natalie
Where are you? We’re getting ready to go.
I’m out of time.
And I’m more confused than ever about what I’m supposed to do.
I return the alcove to what it was (uh, except for the broken padlock) and head back toward the lobby, a strange tingling in my head.
Ever since Natalie brought me into the coven, I’ve been trying to prove my worth. I showed the witches my ability and let them use it—useme—for their benefit, all to achieve some sense of purpose and belonging. I swore their oath and spent my time and energy hunting down curses, and now, I’m hunting chimeras.
But what if my ability isn’t meant for hunting chimeras, but for protecting them? What ifthat’smy purpose? This deep sense of right and wrong inside me is trying to tell me something, waving a red flag while I obediently run around with a golden net.
I turn a corner in the empty brick hallway, my rapid footsteps echoing my pounding heart. Who, exactly, am I trying to be? Who am I betraying by ignoring what feels true?
The same intuition that pulls me toward magic is telling me I shouldn’t be trapping chimeras. Even if it means stepping away from the coven I’ve been trying so hard to fit into, and even if it means facing the rejection I’ve been afraid of, I have to do the right thing.
But it’s not as simple as that. The cost of choosing this path would be more than just isolation from the coven—it would be five years of isolation from everybody I know and love. Five years of my life, wasted while I rot in prison.
I slow my steps before I get to the lobby, my chest fluttering. Do I follow my intuition and do what feels morally right? Or do I keep fighting for the belonging and purpose that comes with being in Natalie’s coven?
I have minutes left to decide. On the one hand, I could listen to the ancient Guardians who protected the balance between magic and humanity—witches who are long gone and have no influence over my life. On the other hand, I could listen to the coven—the people who are here and now, a community I can be a part of if I do what they say.
So, do I follow in the footsteps of the ancient Guardians…or do I keep fighting to prove my worth to a coven that doesn’t respect me? The choice seems obvious, but I suspect Natalie might try to change my mind.
From the Journal of Hazel Okada
I did something terrible tonight. Or maybe I did something necessary. I honestly can’t tell where the line is anymore.
The evening started as a perfect date night. Oaklyn picked me up in her FJ Cruiser, and after dinner on a patio, we drove to a viewpoint to watch the sunset—though we accidentally missed the sunset. Her hand found my thigh as we parked, and soon I was fumbling for the button of her jeans. Within minutes, we were in the back seat, fogging up the windows like a total cliché.
It was what happened on the drive home that’s making my pulse race.
“I need to make a couple stops,” she said, her voice husky and her hair tousled from our backseat activities. “Mom wants her fancy chocolates and groceries.”
Cold sweat prickled on my back as the words left her mouth. This was it. I was about to learn where Sophia Madsen lives.
After the grocery store—the most expensive in town, of course—we pulled up outside a ritzy downtown high-rise. Its glass exterior reflected the city lights, and a crystal chandelier glowed in the lobby. Given the building’s size, I could have had an excuse to say I couldn’t figure out which unit Sophia was in.
Instead, I heard myself say, “Nice place. She on the top floor?”
“Nothing but the best for Sophia Madsen.” Oaklyn sighed.
My two-faced inner voice made a note: Cascade Tower. Penthouse suite.
Fuck. I knew the address—now what was I going to do with it?
I stayed in the passenger seat while she strode inside with Sophia’s groceries and chocolates, my hands shaking so badly I could barely drop a pin on my phone’smap.
That little pin had the power to change everything.
I stared at it, trembling, not ready for what came next.
Helping Katie should’ve been my priority. She’s been my best friend for years and has always had my back. She needs me.
