The Promise (The Coven Series) (12 page)

I
glanced over her shoulder and saw my mom.
 
She was talking to Kay’s dad and leaning in very close.
 
I frowned.
 
They looked more than just friendly.
 
What was that about?

“CJ?”
Kay moved and blocked my view of them.

“I
had a reason for coming,” I told her distractedly.
 
Why did Mom and Mr. Martin look so cozy?
 
“I need to talk to you later.”

“What’s
wrong?” she frowned and threw her heavy mane of hair over her shoulder.
 

I
opened my mouth and then closed it as I got a good look at her.
 
She wore a white dress similar to the one
Emily had given me, but hers was made of satin and lace.
 
It came to about three inches below her
bottom and was held up by two spaghetti straps.
 
Small crystals were sewn into the bodice and shimmered in the
light.
 
The stark contrast to her dark
hair and skin created a devastating effect.
 
A sort of energy radiated off her.
 
She stood tall and proud, every inch the Coven leader she was.
 

“Kay,
you look amazing.”

She
smiled.
 
“Thanks, but don’t deter.
 
What’s wrong?”

“Later,”
I told her as I was knocked over by Megan as she hurled herself at me.
 
Jeff caught me from behind and steadied me.

“You’re
here!
 
At my initiation!
 
I can’t believe it!”

“I
think she gets the point, Meg,” Jeff laughed.
 
“She might turn around and leave if you don’t let go.
 
You’re choking her.”

“Sorry!”
 
She turned me loose, her blonde hair swaying
as she bounced on her feet.
 
“I’m just so
excited you came.”

“I
wouldn’t have missed your initiation for the world, Meg,” I told her.
 
“Now, shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

“Oh, yeah!”
 
Her eyes
widened and she hurried back to where her mom waited with an indulgent
expression on her face.
 
Kay followed her
over.

“Thanks
for that,” Jeff told me.
 
“It meant the
world to her to think you came just for her initiation.”

I
nodded and looked up at him.
 
He wore an
expression of concern tinged with a sprinkle of fear.
 
His blue eyes were wary as he gazed around
us.
 
He leaned down.
 
“You shouldn’t have come, though.”

“What?”
I asked, but Kay was back and Jeff’s perpetual smile was firmly in place.
 
His eyes warned me not to say anything.
 
I pasted a smile on my own face and made a
mental note to grill Jeffrey later.
 
Why
wouldn’t he want me here?
 
He’d always
been one of the worst hagglers trying to get me to attend a meeting.
 

“Come
on.”
 
Kay grabbed my hand and pulled me
to the front where Ethan and Billy waited.
 
Jeff trailed behind us.
 
“You’ll
be able to see everything here.”
 

“The
prodigal daughter returns,” Billy winked at me.

“Hardly,”
I scoffed, aware of every eye in the place on me.
 
My mom beamed at me from across the
clearing.
 
People whispered, pointed, and
just plain stared.
 
I shifted,
uncomfortable with all the attention.
 
It creeped me out.

“Behave,”
Kay warned Billy and gave him a quick kiss before she went back to her own
preparations.
 

“CJ, welcome.”

I
turned to see Kay’s dad standing to my left.
 
He was the head of the Senior Coven now that my father had stepped
down.
 
Kay bore a remarkable resemblance
to her father with his jet black hair and dark, olive skin.
 
They might look alike, but that’s where the
resemblance ended.
 
The biggest
difference was that Mr. Martin was only out for himself.
 
While Kay could be, and was the Queen Bitch
of the school, she was also fiercely loyal and would defend her friends to the
death.
 
Her father wouldn’t think twice
about throwing his friends under the bus to save himself.

“Thank
you, Mr. Martin.”

“We
are all delighted that you have finally joined us, CJ, and it will give me
great pleasure to formally welcome you into the Coven tonight.”

“No,
you won’t,” I told him.
 
“Tonight is
about Megan and only Megan.”
 
It would
crush her if they tried to make it about me and I wouldn’t put it past Kay’s
father to do just that.
 

“Yes,
of course it is,” he frowned, “but we can still welcome…”

“NO.
 
If you try to take this night away from her,
I will leave this minute.”

He
sighed.
 
“You’re right.
 
We can welcome you at the next meeting.”

“I
don’t think so,” I shook my head.
 
“My
coming doesn’t mean I’m joining anything.
 
It just means I’m curious.”

His
nostrils flared and his eyes hardened with anger even as his face turned an
ugly puce color.
 
Definitely
mad.

“Kay
is trying to get your attention.”
 
Ethan
cut off whatever he was about to say.
 
“I
think it’s time to start.”

“He’s
such an ass,” Billy growled.
 
“I don’t
know how Kay puts up with his crap.”

She
gets dead dog drunk, I thought to myself.
 

“Yeah,
he is,” Jeff agreed.
 
“Thanks, CJ.”

“It’s
her night.
 
No one, especially me, should
take it away from her.”

“Why especially you?”
Ethan asked.

“Because I don’t believe in it.”

“Are
you sure about that?”

No,
I wasn’t sure, but neither was I about to admit it.
 
Fortunately, Mr. Martin saved me from
answering when he called everyone to attention.
 

“Welcome.”
 
His voice boomed throughout the clearing and
the noise died down instantly.
 
Everyone
turned to look where he stood beside the makings of a smaller circle.
 
“It is my honor and privilege to open
tonight’s meeting on this very special occasion.
 
A child has been decreed ready to join us.
 
She stands on the verge of change and
growth.
 
We welcome you to our circle,
little one, and greet you with open arms and open hearts.”

Megan
stepped forward wearing a gown of white lace that seemed to flow and ripple as
she walked forward.
 
It had long billowy
sleeves that ended just at her fingertips.
 
It looked old, but very beautiful.
 
I’d bet anything it had been worn by all the women in her mother’s
family before her.
 
It had a certain Old
World feel to it.
 
Megan looked radiant
as she curtsied before him.
 
Wait, she
curtsied?
 

“Merry
meet, sir.”

“Merry
meet, Megan Allison Parker,” Mr. Martin bowed to her.
 
“Now, our Junior Coven Leader will guide you
through the Rite of Initiation.”

He’d
used her full name as was our habit.
 
It
was a witch’s greeting.
 
A person’s full
name held power.

Kay
stepped forward and held out her hands.

“I call upon the guardians of the
watchtowers to the north, the east,

the
south, and the west to aide us this night.

Earth, Fire, Air, and Water I summon thee to
do my bidding.

Spirit I call upon thee to bind them
together and close this circle.”

A
snap reverberated and a tingle went through me.
 
I felt the circle close.
 
Not
good.

Kay
turned to Megan, her expression becoming hard and unyielding.
 
It was a look I’d only ever seen on her
father’s face.
 
I frowned, unable to
shake a sudden queasy feeling in my stomach.
 
Why would that expression set off alarm bells?
 

“Do
you enter this circle with an open mind, an open heart and a purity of
purpose?”
 

“I
do,” Megan
nodded,
her face alight with joy.

“Do
you agree to pledge yourself to learning the craft of your people?”

“I
do.”
 
Megan’s answer came out strong and
proud.

“Do
you agree to respect and abide by the laws of this Coven?”

“I
do.”

Kay’s
face turned harsher, more demanding.

“Do
you agree to protect the secrets of our Coven from all others, even if that
means forfeiting your own life?”

Oh,
what was this juicy little tidbit?
 
I
leaned forward.

Megan’s
eyes widened and she swallowed.

“I
do.”

By
the nervous look on her face, I’d guarantee Megan hadn’t expected that question
either.
 

“Then
come forward, Megan Allison Parker, and follow me into my circle.
 
If you have answered truthfully, you have
nothing to fear.”
 

Kay
stepped into the circle of candles.
 
Megan took a deep and steadying breath and followed her in.
 
Kay nodded in approval.
 
“Now we will set our circle and let the
Elements decree your worthiness, Megan Allison Parker.”

Megan
looked nervous, but she walked to stand directly in the center of the small
circle outlined by candles.
 
She squared
her shoulders, held her head up, and nodded for Kay to begin.

“Earth,
enter our circle and judge this novice for stability of purpose.”

The
green candle flared to life.

“Air,
enter this circle and judge this novice for the intelligence needed to learn
our craft.”

The
blue candle flared to life.

“Fire,
enter our circle and judge this novice for the strength needed to protect us.”

The
red candle flickered.

Megan
took a shaky breath and closed her eyes, concentrating hard.

The
red candle flared to life.

“Water,
enter our circle and judge this novice for the wisdom needed to guide us.”

The
yellow candle flared to life.

“Spirit,
enter this circle and judge this novice for the purity of all and nothing.”

The
purple candle flared to life.

Lights,
like hundreds of fireflies, appeared around Megan and she stood, tall and
proud, as they swirled around her.
 
The
circle closed and the flames of all five candles shot at least ten feet into
the air.
 
I felt a rush of power as the
circle closed.
 
It spread outward and
settled into…me.
 
I twitched as it
coursed through my body.
 
My legs gave
out as it pushed into me.
 
Ethan grabbed
me before I fell.
 
No one else seemed to
notice, thankfully, as all eyes were on Megan.
 
He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his side, his gaze
questioning.
 
I shook my head at him and
motioned to Megan.
 

“The
Elements have decreed you worthy for entrance into our craft, Megan Allison
Parker,” Kay told her formally.
  
“We
welcome you into the field of apprenticeship.”

“I
thank thee for the welcome, Mistress, and pledge to honor the creed of our
Coven,” Megan replied, barely able to suppress the grin that kept trying to
explode.

“Spirit,
Water, Fire, Air, and Earth, we thank all of thee for thy service,” Kay
stretched out her hands.
 
“You may leave
these circles.”

Again,
there was a large pop as the circle broke and it almost knocked me to my
knees.
 
Ethan’s arm around me kept me
from falling.
 
This was so not good.
 

“Are
you okay?” he whispered against my ear.

“No,”
I whispered back.
 
No point in
lying.
 
He knew I wasn’t okay.

Kay’s
face changed into an expression of joy.
 
“I present thee, Megan Allison Parker, to the Coven. Friends, please
join me in welcoming our newest member.”

The
crowd converged on them.
 
Ethan and I
stayed where we were.
 
He looked
concerned.
 
I wanted to run.
 
Instead, I took deep breaths and felt the
strength creep back into my legs.
 
After
a few minutes, I was able to stand again.
 
I pulled away from Ethan just to test myself.
 
Good, no falling down.
 

“Better?”
he asked, his gray eyes burning with worry.

“Yes,
thank you.”
 

“What
happened to you, Cassie?”

“Here
you are!” Kay grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her.
 
I tossed Ethan a helpless look and he stared
after me, worried.
 
“So, what did you
think?”