Coven - Book I

☆ 33

☆ thirty-three

"What do you think did it?"
Black Wisteria was gathered on the beach, sitting around a small fire that Dean and Corey had made.
"I don't know. But it was something sinister." Alec glanced at Blaire and Jenna, who were glued to their phones.
"Any word from Meredith?" He asked. They shook their heads simultaneously, tapping at the keys on their iPhones.
"Then what are you doing?"
"Posting on Instagram,"
"Updating my profile picture on Facebook,"
Rose stared at them with wide eyes.
"Blake Foster was just murdered, and you're updating your Facebook?" She asked incredulously.
"Instagram," Blaire muttered. Jenna rolled her eyes and fixed Alec with a steely glare.
"Well, let's hear what you think. We've been avoiding all these problems since the garden situation. We ignored Amber Crowley, and her sister, Elena, who clearly knows stuff about us, and finally, after a second person has died, you want to talk?" Blaire nodded her head in agreement and Chloe wrapped her arms around herself. Jenna was right; they'd been avoiding their problems for far too long.
"What should we do?"
"What can we do?"
"How do we fix this, Alec?"
"Please enlighten us with your bright ideas, Blackwell,"
The last remark was from Nick, who was sitting beside Rose. The image of them kissing on the dance floor flashed through Chloe's mind and she looked away quickly. Alec slid a fraction of an inch closer to her.
"Well, I think it might have been Elena." He said. Everyone blinked at him.
"But Elena is human," Sebastian said.
"We don't know that. We never tested her. I think Blake was a witch, too, but we can't exactly ask him now." A few of the members lowered their heads.
"Look, all I'm saying is that we need to test her. If we can prove she's a witch, she might have sensed our energies or something." Alec rubbed his temple and leaned back on one elbow in the sand. Chloe bit her lip.
"What if it was Amber?" She whispered. Everyone turned their heads to look at her. Chloe's cheeks reddened, but she forced the words out.
"If it was Amber who snuck into our gardens, and maybe had told Elena about it, it would make sense why she assumed we killed Amber, right?" She shrugged, "I'm not really sure but it seems to me like Elena just wanted someone to blame, and who better to blame than a group of kids who shun all outsiders?"
Rose nodded slowly. Jenna smacked the gum in her mouth together obnoxiously. Some of the guys were yawning, nobody caring that their clothes were being dirtied by the damp sand. It was well past midnight now, and the warmth potion Eden had made for everyone was beginning to wear off.
"Let's just meet tomorrow to go over it." Dean offered. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. They'd already avoided their problems for this long, what could one more day hurt?

       "Chloe, stop moving." Alec muttered, shifting his grip on her waist and tugging her closer. Chloe sighed sleepily. Her father was asleep in his room, and in a last minute decision she'd agreed to let Alec sleepover. Again. She'd checked the lock on her bedroom door three times out of fear that her dad would walk in in the morning and find a boy in her bed. A shirtless boy, too. She'd be grounded for the rest of her life if that happened. Yawning, she glanced down at the boy in question. His black hair was out of its messy bun, hanging down the back of his neck and onto her pillow. Silver studs glinted in his ears. His head was resting in the crook of her neck and she could hear his light breathing get slower as he relaxed into sleep.
"Alec?" She whispered.
Nothing.
"Hey, Alec."
"Hm?" He opened one honey colored eye and looked at her. Chloe leaned down and touched her lips to his gently. He didn't hesitate to kiss her back, and Chloe knew in that moment that she'd made her decision.
"I'm gonna pick you," she murmured, "please don't break my heart."
But his eyes were already closed once again, and he was smiling.

☆
The fire was blazing. Chloe pushed through the bush that looked down on the beach where the coven usually met. Funny, usually this was where the parking lot would be. . . Chloe padded barefoot down to where the bonfire was, watching the orange flames leap ten feet into the air. Eleven shadows surrounded the pit.
"Finally, she comes." One said. Chloe stepped forward hesitantly, dressed in her ratty blue shorts and I ♡ Cereal t-shirt.
"The one of prophecy?"
"Yes, yes, she has Lilth's hair, don't you think?"
"No, she looks much more like Elspeth."
"Hello?" Chloe called. Their chatter about who she resembled stopped and they turned toward her. The orangey glow lit up their silhouettes and Chloe was taken aback. They were all so old; their skin was wrinkled and their backs stooped, some clutching canes to hold themselves up.
"Hello, child of prophecy," a lady with white hair pulled back in a braid smiled at her. They were all dressed in black robes, and long, sticks of wood were held in ancient hands. Wands?
"Child of prophecy?" Chloe asked. They all nodded simultaneously.
"Yes, yes, finally!" One man cheered. He reminded Chloe oddly of Dean. A woman with ink-black hair moved forward and stared at her with steely blue eyes.
"You do not know of the story?"
"Um, no, I don't. . ."
"Just tell her, Beatrice!"
The woman glared at the others and held up one hand.
"The prophecy goes like this, young one," she cleared her throat.

"Twelve together, twelve as one,
To finish what we started
It must all come undone.
One of the fire, for whom life becomes dark,
One of the gold to bring a new start.
Eleven together to finish the fight,
One to give everything for all to be right."

Everyone's eyes were set on Chloe.
"What does that all mean? Eleven? There's twelve in a coven. . ." She said.
Beatrice nodded curtly.
"We cannot explain more; it is your duty to figure it out, child." And then they turned away from her and began chanting around the fire.
"Wait!" Chloe cried. Their figures began to fade until everything went dark.
☆

"Holy shit," Chloe breathed. She slapped Alec's hand, which was steadily sliding up her top, and then hit his shoulder a few times. His lazy, golden eyes opened a moment later.
"What's wrong, Chlo?" He asked.
"I just had the weirdest dream. Did you by any chance have a relative named Beatrice?"