The Promise (Book 1, The Coven Series)

Chapter Six

Ethan dragged me out of Lucy's and across the street to the park where he settled me under the first set of trees he came to with a stern, "Don't move." Then he turned around and went back into the café.

My chin hit my chest. I felt my face heat with rage and wouldn't have been surprised to see smoke coming out of my ears. Oh, he so did not! The wind picked up and blew through the trees with a force that matched my anger. I grabbed my bookbag and started walking deeper into the park. Angry and embarrassed, I trudged along for another ten minutes or so before collapsing under a tree. Mr. Melt In Your Mouth Gorgeous was turning out to be a royal pain in the ass. Stay put? As if!

I sighed. This had to be the worst first date of my life. I'd gotten a crappy note taped to my locker while he was with Kay and then, when he'd finally shown up, his high-handed tactics only managed to piss me off. This was worse than when Craig had taken me to the Nascar Hall of Fame and proceeded to drone on and on about cars. Sure, my dad was a mechanic, but why would he just assume I'd know all about cars? I'd been bored within minutes and he'd gotten irritated when he figured out I wasn't paying attention to his babble. Needless to say, that had been our first and last date. I couldn't help but to wonder if Ethan and I would end up on that same course.

The rustle of leaves caught my attention and I looked up to see Sara Jordan and Megan Parker, Jeff's little sister, heading down one of the trails. Megan jumped up and down, barely able to contain her excitement.

"I can hardly wait," she said. "Can you believe it's on Saturday, Sara?"

"How could I not?" Sara asked dryly. "You won't let me forget."

"Well, it's not every day a girl gets inducted into the Junior Coven," she said defensively as they continued on down the path and out of hearing distance.

I smiled at the excitement in her step as she bounced from one foot to the other. Megan always did get a little over excited about things, but I suppose she had a right. Her induction into the Junior Coven was a big deal. Entrance signaled the beginning of the training that would end when she turned eighteen. Junior members were inducted at age fifteen and spent the next three years learning their craft from respected teachers of the Senior Coven.

Megan's excitement made me remember the night of Emily's induction. I wasn't allowed to go, but I'd stayed with her right up until she'd gone to the Hall. I let myself drift back to that moment.

Emily twisted her hair up and then let it fall back down. She turned in front of the full length mirror in her room and frowned. Her hair went back up and she flipped back and forth, trying to see it from all sides in the mirror. It blazed with life, all the colors shimmering as she moved. Her hair fascinated me. I'd never seen anyone's with so many different colors. It was beautiful.

"What do you think, CJ?" she fretted. "Up or down?"

"Up," I said promptly. "It makes you look older." I was obsessed with being older, especially tonight. I wanted to go and see Emily inducted into the Junior Coven more than anything, but my parents said no, I was too young. You had to be fifteen to go to the meetings and I was only twelve.

She saw my disgruntled face and smiled. "It'll be your turn before you know it."

"I don't want a turn," I rolled my eyes at her. "I just want to go and see you."

"You'll change your mind when you're older," she promised. "The Coven is everything you could ever want, CJ."

"Would it give me the new Nintendo Game Boy?"

She laughed. "I don't think even the Coven has that much pull. You'll have to work on Mom and Dad for that."

"So what use is the Coven then?" I grouched and crossed my arms over my chest.