But still themselves. Still here. Still together.
“Where’s my mother?” Ramona asked. “Iris?”
“They wanted to give you some space,” Kashvi said. “They’re not here. They left this morning. Said something about last-minute Ostara Gala things.”
The Ostara Gala.
Tonight.
“Speaking of, I had an idea,” Felix said. His voice was too casual. Too bright. Definitely trying to distract her from the grief. “What if we officially became a coven?”
Ramona looked at him. At all of them. “What?”
“Think about it. We just performed three rituals in one night. Cleansed a corrupted convergence point. Broke a twenty-seven-year-old curse. Survived a ghost attack and came out of it with amplified abilities.” Felix gestured around the room. “We work well together. Why not make it official?”
Cammie smiled again. “I like this change. I want to be an honorary coven member.”
“Covens can have non-magical members,” Posey said quietly. “Support roles. Historians. Chroniclers.” She looked at Cammie. “Endless possibilities.”
Ramona looked around at her friends, her real family, sitting in the room with her. An oddball group of outcasts who had come together and created change. Had helped her when she needed it. She couldn’t think of any other coven members she’drather have by her side. She felt the tightness loosen in her chest, just barely. The grief stayed, but something was standing beside it now. Hope, maybe.
“Okay,” she said. “Okay. We could be a coven.”
“Should we have a name?” Kashvi asked. Percival the ghost cat purred on her lap.
“The Exile Coven,” Felix said with a grin. “Since that’s basically what we are. Outcasts and exiles and people who don’t fit the Council’s narrow definitions.”
“That’s terrible,” Kashvi said. “Very on the nose.”
“I like it,” Posey said softly.
“So what do we do first as the Exile Coven?” Cammie asked.
“We could register with the Council,” Kashvi said. “Which means filling out approximately seven thousand forms and probably getting interrogated about our intentions and practices.”
“Or,” Felix said slowly. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “We could just show up at the Ostara Gala tonight andmakethem acknowledge us.”
Silence.
Then Ramona started laughing. “That’s insane.”
“It’s perfect,” Felix corrected. “Show up at the biggest magical event of the year. Make them acknowledge us as a real coven. Put them on the spot in front of everyone to celebrate the fresh start and endless possibility of spring.”
“They’ll hate it,” Ramona said.
“Good,” Posey said. There was an edge to her voice Ramona had never heard before. Anger, maybe. Determination.
“We’ll need outfits,” Cammie said. She was looking at her phone again. “The Ostara Gala is tonight. Like, in six hours. And it’s formal. Ball-gowns-and-tuxedos formal.”
“I know a place,” Kashvi said. “There’s a cool vintage shop in Thornwood not too far away. They have a whole section of formal wear. If we go now, we might have time.”
Ramona shook her head. “I don’t think I’m ready to go.”
Silence.
“What?” Felix said.
“I’m not in the mood, and I don’t particularly want to be recognized anywhere as a Greenbriar right now.” Ramona’s voice was flat. That was only half of the reason. The other half was the huge, gaping hole in her chest where her heart once was. “You all go. Make your statement. I’ll… I’ll be at home.”
