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“No, I just haven’t found a place for it. I’ve had it since last Halloween. Grant bought it for me.”
“That’s sweet,” I said. “You guys make a great couple. I’m glad you’re together.”
She blushed. “Thanks. I’m glad you and Lucas worked things out, too.”
The door opened, and Lucas stepped inside. “Did I just hear my name?”
“We were just gossiping,” I teased. I wrapped an arm around his waist and placed a kiss on his lips. My heart fluttered.
“Don’t let me interrupt,” he joked. “But everyone else is on their way.”
“Including Everly,” I said. I’d already told them about what happened last night. They agreed that we could trust her, and that we needed her on our side.
“Do you think anyone else will show up?” Talia asked.
Lucas sighed. “I hope so.”
Lucas had written an article for his new publication containing a secret message. We’d dropped stacks of the printing all around school, and I’d seen people with copies all week. The secret message told anyone who was willing to fight with us to meet us here today. I really hoped a few people had deciphered it. We needed more people on our side.
It wasn’t long before our friends arrived. Chloe and Mandy sat across from each other, and Miles lounged on the counter. All the cats had gathered on the table, licking their paws and grooming each other. Grant arrived last.
I checked the time. A light knock came at the door then, and I opened it. Everly stood there, wearing a kind smile on her face.
“It looks like I found the right place,” she said.
I opened the door wider. “Yes, it’s a bit crowded, but come on in.”
Everly entered the room, and her gaze traveled over our group. She nodded to each person in turn. “Hello, how are you?”
Chloe sat up straighter in her chair. “Look, we agreed to have you here, but before we get into any details, I’d like to know something first.”
“Anything,” Everly offered. “I have nothing to hide.”
“Why do you want to help us?” Chloe asked.
Everly took a deep breath, carefully considering her answer. “Because the priestesses intend to break the coven. I wish to heal it.”
Chloe eyed her longer. “She should take the witch’s vow. The same one we did.”
“If that will make you trust me, then I’ll do it,” Everly agreed.
Grant got to work on the brew, and Everly took the same vow we had.
Mandy glanced around the room. “I don’t know if anyone else is coming. Should we cast our ward now?”
“Let’s give it a few minutes,” Grant suggested. “Someone must’ve deciphered Lucas’s clues.”
Lucas frowned. “I don’t know, guys. It was a good idea, but maybe we were too subtle about it.”
Grant sighed. “It looks like this is all we have, then. Let’s cast the ward and get to work.”
The ward Mandy had found was pretty straight-forward, but with all five Casts together, we were certain it would hold. We all joined hands and spoke an incantation. Magic shimmered throughout the room, before settling into the walls.
Once we cast the ward, I cleared my throat and stepped forward. “As you all know by now, Everly has offered to be the face of The Coven’s Shield. No one decoded our secret message, so we need to be more aggressive about getting our message out there. We need people to see that we can challenge the priestesses and change what they’re doing. The system is made by people, and it can be changed by people. Everly can help with that.”
“What are your ideas?” Chloe asked.
“We have to be loud enough that people hear our voice, but not so loud that the priestesses strike us down right away,” Everly said. “I host weekly Seer classes at my shop. I teach crafting to help Seers hone their powers through art. I know most of my students will join us. The Miriamic Messenger is writing a feature about the classes this month. I can use that platform to voice opinions that oppose the priestesses.”
