Book Club, Unite!

HOLLY

The wind bit into my skin as I made my way across the compound.

Even with spring approaching, it was colder during the days than I would’ve liked.

But it still beat living under Devina’s control—even if it was in the warm climate of South America…

It was approaching dinnertime, and the sun had already set. The only light came from the perimeter of the compound.

I could see my destination in the distance: a set of dormitories that rose three stories high.

Inside, I would find the person I needed…the only other witch who could help me power through my struggles.

~Tyler.~

The thought of another soul—another ~witch~—entering my body had left me in a state of panic.

I was already worried about suggesting such a crazy plan to Ekon. But once he’d agreed to go ahead, my stomach had tied itself into a knot and refused to ease up.

If this ritual was going to work, it would require every ounce of my powers…including using my body as a vessel.

I’d allowed someone else inside before. That person had been Devina, and she had nearly torn me apart from the inside out.

Finally, I reached the dormitories and bounded up the steps. As I threw open the door, I felt the warm air on my cold skin.

The first floor was a large area with tables, couches, and a small room for games and entertainment.

I walked down the rows of furniture until I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here,” Tyler said.

The young witch was sitting in a darkened area, staring out a window at the moonless night.

“Yeah…it’s not creepy ~at all~ that you’re sitting silently in the dark.”

She laughed and waved me over. As I approached, she stood up from her seat and hugged me.

Her touch was unexpectedly cold, even though she’d been in such a warm room.

I looked into her bright eyes and could see a sparkle of magic. Standing so close to her produced an odd feeling—as if I were in the presence of pure electricity.

~No wonder Devina had wanted her so badly,~ I thought. ~She’s powerful.~

Tyler continued to look deep into my eyes, almost as if she were reading my thoughts.

I suddenly felt uncomfortable and made my way to a cushioned chair across from Tyler.

“How are things?” I asked. “Now that you’ve had a chance to settle in.”

Tyler shrugged, and her gaze returned to the bleak landscape of the compound.

“It’s certainly better than Granny’s.” She smiled. “And I don’t even have to wear shackles.”

She lifted her wrists to emphasize her freedom. My attention was drawn to the symbol of a crown of thorns tattooed on her wrist.

I instinctively touched my own wrist, feeling the silent thrum of Devina’s dark energy.

She was still out there…

Even out of her control, I could feel her presence somewhere deep in my body…

She had taken over my mind and controlled my actions. A part of her might always remain inside.

“It’s a good thing you came before dinner when everyone’s ready to eat,” she said. “Their absence gives me time to think.”

Tyler turned her attention back to me, and I felt that awkward tightness in my stomach again.

“What brings you to my humble abode?”

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. My eyes left Tyler and stared out at the dark trees that were swaying in the cold breeze.

“Ekon wants to go through with the plan,” I said. “It was my idea, but I’m not sure I want to go through with it.”

Tyler sat silently, looking right at me.

“The one professor I trusted in school took advantage of me,” I continued. “Then she took over my mind. And I almost didn’t escape.”

“But you did,” Tyler said calmly.

I looked at her as if she’d said nothing but gibberish.

~Is she even listening to me?~

Tyler leaned forward and placed her hand on mine. The silent thrumming from earlier returned with even more intensity.

“The fact that you’re here tells me how strong you are,” Tyler stated. “Now, close your eyes and look inside.”

I hesitated a moment before doing as I was told.

At first, there was nothing but darkness. Then the shadows began to shift and swirl, taking me back to the hellscape Devina had created.

I wanted to open my eyes, but Tyler’s hand squeezed mine tighter, giving me the strength to go on.

“What do you see?”

“Darkness,” I gasped. “Shadows that shift and change.”

“Follow it,” Tyler said. “Move toward the shadows.”

I shook my head, unable to answer.

The shadows shifted into a series of images that flashed through my mind…

~Burning fields.~

~Buildings reduced to ash and rubble.~

~Smoking corpses.~

~Children crying out for help.~

My chest constricted, and I couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly, Tyler’s soft breath was tickling my ear.

“Don’t be afraid,” she said. “The darkness feeds off your fears. Don’t let it see what makes you afraid.”

Unable to break free, I could only move forward. Through the swirling shadows, I pressed on until I could see light.

“There’s something in the distance,” I said.

“Keep moving toward it,” Tyler commanded.

I wanted to open my eyes, but it was impossible— I took several deep breaths and willed myself forward.

The light began to grow brighter and brighter, casting the shadows aside…

~Whoosh!~

I opened my eyes and was greeted by Tyler’s smiling face.

“Good,” she said. “You know how to find your way back from the darkness. You’ll overcome your fears. Then, it will be the darkness that’s afraid of ~you~.”

BAMBI

With a backpack on my shoulders and enough snacks to keep me sustained for a week, I was ready to return to the library.

I’d made some good progress yesterday, but today I would have some help from my ~Book Club~!

As I stepped into the brisk evening air, I felt a hand grab my shoulder.

“Ekon,” I said, surprised. “You startled me.”

“Where are you going?” he asked.

I couldn’t help but notice the tone of his voice. It was almost as if he were worried about me leaving…

“Book Club meeting!” I chirped. “Care to join us at the library?”

Ekon shook his head quickly but said nothing else. For a moment, we stood silently in each other’s presence.

Finally, he cleared his throat.

“It’s getting late,” he said. “Are you sure you should go?”

I looked at my chauffeur, who stood at the SUV, waiting to open the door. I held out my finger to indicate I would only be a moment longer.

“If you keep asking me questions, I’ll never be able to leave.”

“But tonight is an important moment,” he replied.

“And I’ll be home well before the witching hour,” I responded.

Ekon’s brow furrowed as if he were trying to think of something else to say. I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss, catching him off guard.

Before he could respond, I was already inside the SUV. I shut the door and rolled down the window.

“Be careful!” he shouted.

“I always am!” I replied.

I continued to watch Ekon stand on the sidewalk as the SUV drove away from the compound.

He was acting oddly. But there was no reason he should be so worried about a trip to the library.

I sucked in a quick breath, suddenly realizing something.

~He shouldn’t be worried~, I thought. ~Unless there’s something in the library he doesn’t want me to see!~

***

“The Book Club is reunited!” I cried.

Victoria and Ela greeted me with warm embraces as I entered the History section of the library. They’d already arrived and prepared for our bookworm session.

“I’ve been looking through the firsthand accounts of the wars,” Victoria said. “Mostly memoirs or gathered letters from fallen soldiers. Interesting stuff, but ultimately nothing of use.”

I hadn’t seen Victoria in weeks, and her presence really made the library feel like home. By meeting at the library we’d started a tradition without meaning to. And because of that tradition, we were like a family.

I set my backpack down and scanned the plethora of books at hand. Once again, we practically had the entire place to ourselves.

“I haven’t found anything of use,” Ela admitted. “But I did stumble upon this volume of ~Werewolves in Heat~.”

Ela held up the book, and I could see her cheeks redden.

“I saw that yesterday,” I said with a smile.

“But did you open it up?” she asked.

I shook my head.

“Woo,” she replied, fanning herself with the book. “Let’s just say, there’s enough heat in the first few chapters to keep me warm all next winter.”

Victoria and I burst into laughter. It had been so long since we’d last had the club together.

It felt so good to investigate with my two best friends.

I grabbed a few books I didn’t finish the day before and set them on a table. In a matter of minutes, I would be lost entirely in the history of my species…

“Put that down,” Victoria said. “We’ve got important stuff to do.”

I looked up to see Ela still reading her sexy werewolf romance. She flipped her hair at Victoria and turned in her seat, facing away from us.

“Is the romance so bad at home that you have to get it here?” Victoria chided.

Ela spun back around to face us, but she wasn’t angry. There was an unexpected ~happiness~ in her eyes.

“Oh, no,” I said. “It looks like you’re about to explode, Ela.”

She nodded but remained silent, and Victoria and I shared a glance.

“I…I…” Ela stammered.

“It’s okay,” Victoria said. “Just breathe.”

Ela took several quick breaths before jumping out of her seat.

“I don’t know who else to talk to about this,” she admitted. “But Hunter and I actually…well, we have ~feelings~ for each other.”

Victoria squealed, and I clasped my hand over my mouth.

“Shut! Up!” Victoria exclaimed. “You used to hate being mated to him. What happened?”

Ela looked at the two of us, unsure of what to say.

“We went through hell and came out on the other side,” she said. “And I think that I might actually ~like~ being his mate.”

And with that, I tried to pick my jaw up off the floor.

I was pretty sure that nothing I’d find in these books would be as shocking a revelation as ~that~.

HOLLY

The ~witching~ hour was only minutes away.

It wasn’t necessary to wait until three in the morning to cast spells, but it was definitely as good a time as any.

I wasn’t alone, at least. Everyone was nervously anticipating the ritual.

Most had probably turned out to see the impossible, but it was a tense time for Ekon…and I was especially nervous.

Ekon had workers set up lights all along the glade, casting a harsh light on the otherwise serene space.

A portrait of Rose was set up beside the entrance to her tomb. She was beautiful, with long flowing hair, bright eyes, and a sharp, regal nose.

The smile on her lips made it look like she was smirking at those silly enough to be gathered…

“Are you ready?” Ekon asked.

I looked at him and nodded.

The air was cold, but my nerves were working overdrive, and my body felt like a sauna.

I tried to steady my breathing. One foot after the other, I carefully stepped over the lines of the pentagram drawn in salt.

Finally, I stepped into a small circle in the middle of the pentagram.

Tyler had made sure to bring a cat for the sacrifice, and it brought back memories of my last night with Zillana.

But the people around me were my friends. And the tabby Tyler had found wasn’t black, but a mixture of gray and orange.

I closed my eyes. My heartbeat turned into a drum, kicking my chest as it pumped my blood.

~Is this the right choice?~

~What if Tyler is wrong, and I can’t find my way out of the darkness…~

“Wait!” Tyler suddenly called out.

I opened my eyes to see her stepping forward from the small crowd.

“I’ll do it,” she said. “I’ll be the vessel for Rose’s spirit.”