My heart aches to see them with Veronica. For the past year, whenever we saw the Gillows at these gatherings, I’d whisper my hopes for the future to Veronica. We’d pester Rachel with hundreds of questions about how they met and how she knew Sarah wasThe One.
The sting of betrayal courses through me, even though I have no right to be jealous. We’re all covenmates. I have no more claimto Rachel and Sarah than anyone else here, including Veronica.
“How are you holding up, dear?” a soft voice asks.
I’m scooped into an embrace before I can respond. My muscles protest the tight hug Mrs. Blaise wraps me in, but my heart warms under her attention. Mrs. Blaise is one of the oldest members of our coven, second only to her husband. I spot him on the other side of the yard, nursing a cup of steaming coffee. Mrs. Blaise releases me and pats my still healing cheek with her wrinkled hand. “That’s a brave thing you did for Veronica. Foolish, but brave.”
“Thanks.” I loop my arm through hers, leading her to the center of the yard where the rest of the families have gathered. I’ve often felt like Mrs. Blaise was more grandmotherly than, well, my grandma, and her presence beside me is like being wrapped in the softest blanket.
That feeling dies when I see the look on Lady Ariana’s face.
A ripple goes through the earth, a silent call to order. The families form a semicircle around our high priestess. Our assembly is smaller than usual, some of the families with young children electing to send a single parent as representative. Twelve of the thirteen families who live in Salem are present. The last—the Leskos—flew to Colorado three days ago to visit distant cousins.
The coven is silent as death as we wait for Lady Ariana to speak.
Our high priestess turns once, meeting the gaze of each witch in attendance. I swear I see a subtle shift in her features when she looks at me, but it’s gone before I can name the emotion there.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard what happened yesterday.” No one speaks to confirm, but the air warms with our agreement. “Giventhe circumstances, I had no choice but to contact the Council.”
Beside me, Mr. Blaise drops his coffee, his hands quivering. Still, no one says anything. The ground trembles with our unease until Lady Ariana shifts her stance, stealing away control of the earth and forcing it to still.
“The attacks against our coven are not the work of a Blood Witch.” At that, she looks to me, and I feel both relieved and diminished. “The Council believes there is a Witch Hunter in town.”
Whispered conversation erupts around me. Mrs. Blaise stumbles and grips my shoulder for balance. I hold tight to her elbow, keeping her steady, and glance left to search for Veronica. Her gaze finds mine. Fear drains the color from her face.
“That’s not possible.” My dad’s voice finally cuts through the growing discord in the coven. “The Council destroyed the Hunters. There hasn’t been a confirmed sighting in over fifty years.”
Lady Ariana shakes her head, and with that simple motion, she seems to age a decade. “The Councilwoman I spoke with was quite sure. Their agents have taken out two Hunters in the last six months alone.” She sighs, her blue eyes almost gray in the pale light of morning. “They went after a third, but he slipped away before they could catch him.”
On the other side of the circle, Rachel places a protective hand over her stomach. “What do we do?”
“Does the Council think the third Hunter found his way here? Do we have permission to stop him?” Ellen Watson, a girl a few years older than Veronica, squeezes her hands into fists. The wind picks up around her, tossing her long, light brown hair over her shoulders.
Lady Ariana holds up her hands, and the coven quiets. “TheCouncil already has a pair of agents in the area. I’m meeting with them today to coordinate our search.” She drops her hands and glances momentarily to the heavens. When she returns her gaze to us, she’s all business. “For now, we take precautions. Keep an eye out for anyone new in your lives. Hunters are known to get close to their targets. They won’t strike until they have irrefutable proof of our power, so youmustbe vigilant about following coven rules. No one can be allowed to see your magic, no matter how subtle.”
At that, I glance at Veronica. She must know her carelessness caused this. And with a sickening sense of dread, I realize I’m in danger, too. The Hunter at her house saw my face. He saw me using the height of my power. It’s only a matter of time before he figures out who I am.
If he hasn’t already. The realization hits me like a blow. If he’s the one who threw the brick through my window, then he already knew. He said I’d be next.
Lady Ariana’s steady voice draws me back from the brink of panic. “... since the Hunter has already targeted Veronica at her home. We’ll start a protection detail immediately and watch her until the Hunter is stopped. Tuesday’s lesson will be mandatory for the entire coven. We’ll review defensive techniques.”
Conversation continues around me, but I can’t follow the volley back and forth as a dozen families compare schedules and figure out how to protect my currently powerless ex from a Witch Hunter. My mind stumbles on that reality, tripping over the meaning.
How did the Hunters manage to hide for fifty years? Why are they back? And more importantly,whoare they?
A hand at my elbow makes me jump, but it’s only Veronica.Her eyes are bloodshot and her hair is a mess, but I let her lead me away from the adults talking around us—talkingaboutus—like we aren’t even here.
“How did he figure out that I’m an Elemental?” she asks, her voice low. She glances back toward Lady Ariana, but our high priestess is too busy to pay any attention to our whispered conversation.
I search my memory for a clue, for a turning point, but it’s not as if Veronica’s been the picture of perfect coven etiquette. Ever since New York, she’s been quick to use her magic in public. “Maybe he saw you at the bonfire?”
Veronica shakes her head. “I was subtle. There’s no way anyone noticed.”
“He must have noticedsomething, Veronica. Why else would he attack you?”
“But I haven’t been hanging out with anyone new to town.” Veronica runs a hand through her hair, her fingers trembling. “What if it’s not the same Hunter that got away? What if it’s someone we know? Someone from school.”
I shiver at the thought of sharing the halls year after year with a Witch Hunter. Of them watching us, waiting for us to screw up and reveal ourselves. Everyone I’ve ever known, every interaction I’ve had, feels suspect.
