Chapter One

Chapter One

My heart hammers in my chest. It’s racing, beating so fast it should hurt, but everything moves in slow motion. Blood sloshes through my veins and every single nerve in my body prickles with anxiety.

How do you plead?

I blink, swallow the lump of vomit that’s rising in my throat and look at the witches standing before me. Ruth from the Grand Coven is at the podium at our altar, and the council members behind her don’t look too sure of themselves. Even Ruby Darrows, who’s hated me since the day she met me, is looking at Ruth in question.

Ruth crosses her arms as she waits for me to answer her question, only it’s not a question. It’s a confession. One I’m actually completely guilty of.

I did show Lucas where the door to the Covenstead was.

I do let him drink my blood.

The first crime is punishable by death, but the second isn’t. Though I suppose if you combine the two… My eyes slam shut, and I part my lips, but my mouth is suddenly too dry to form words. Somewhere in the back of my mind, the rational part of my brain is screaming at me. This isn’t right. This isn’t how things are done.

No one is brought in and immediately questioned like this. I have a right to a fair trial, and it’s not like Lucas has threatened any witches. The Grand Coven is taking this threat more seriously than they did the hunter—which turned out to be a demon. And in that case, many witches did die.

Speaking of the Grand Coven… I look behind Ruth. She’s the only one here. How did she get here so fast? Tabatha only called on the Grand Coven a few hours ago. There’s no way she was able to get here that quickly, unless she was already here.

But why?

My mouth falls open again and I suck in air. Witch law is similar to human law, and I don’t have to say anything without first consulting my own defensive council. There was no warning, no serving of paperwork.

“Well, Ms. Martin?” Ruth leans over the podium.

I clamp my mouth shut again and try to think straight. So many thoughts race through my head with the most prevalent one being I’m so fucked. I’m too rattled to protest, to state my rights and remind the others in the council that partaking in a trial like this is against our laws as well. Our numbers are dwindling, and sentencing another witch to death is not something to just throw about like this. It’s debated amongst the entire Grand Coven as well as a panel of non-biased coven leaders from across the country.

Ruby’s brows pinch together, and she shifts her weight in her chair. She’s always hated me, but would she actually go so far as encourage my death? I have a feeling I’m going to find out before dawn.

Suddenly, the double doors at the back of the gathering hall fly open.

“What is the meaning of this?” Tabatha storms in, brown eyes flashing with anger.

“High Priestess,” Ruth says, a small smile pulling up the corners of her lips. “Very timely of you to make it. I summoned you nearly an hour ago. Are you aware one of your witches has exposed the door to the Covenstead to a vampire, putting us all at risk? The same witch has allowed vampires to drink her blood. Willingly.”

“You have no proof of the crimes you accuse her of. And even if so, this is not the way things are done.” Tabatha stops next to me and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Those are heavy crimes with fatal sentencing. You know the proper channels necessary to go through to accuse a witch of treason on that level.”

“As a member of the Grand Coven, I feel it is of utmost importance to have these crimes investigated as soon as possible. Is your Academy’s history department lacking or have you simply forgotten about the War of Light and Dark? Vampires are our enemies. If one got in…” She clicks her tongue and shakes her head.

“He’d be burned alive before he made it through the warding,” Tabatha says, voice strong. “And you know it. Our Covenstead is protected.”

“From one vampire, yes, but let’s not be foolish. A mass attack would break through, and there’s no telling what they’d do to us. Protecting the coven is always my first priority, as it should be yours.” Ruth sweeps her hand out at the council members behind her. Their eyes flit from Ruth to Tabatha, and I know they are all struggling with where to put their loyalty. Tabatha is our High Priestess. She knows us on a personal level. She’s helped each and every one of us at some point or another.

Ruth is more or less a stranger. She doesn’t know our names or what type of familiar the kids hope to get when they come of age. But she’s a member of the Grand Coven and has more authority than anyone else in this room.

I open my mouth to tell her off, to remind her that she did a shitty-ass job of protecting us when we sent in reports of a witch hunter after the first witch had been found murdered in the woods. Tabatha presses her fingers into my shoulder, and I take it as a cue to keep my mouth shut.

“I have always protected my coven,” Tabatha fires back with venom in her voice. “I hold each and every member of this coven dearly, and they all know it. And of course vampires are a threat! One we all take seriously, and one that is not something we currently have to worry about. There is no reason to suspect any vampire of attempting a breach through the door. The witches of Thorne Hill haven’t had any issues with vampires for well over a hundred years, and we plan to keep it that way.”

“Showing a vampire the location of the door doesn’t sound like a good way to keep things peaceful. I can only imagine the temptation that vampire must feel, knowing there are many of us in here.”

I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to stand up and defend myself and Lucas. He’s never had issues with witches, and while I can’t say he’s innocent—because he’s far from it—he’s not a monster. He loves me more than I deserve and risked his own afterlife to help witches he didn’t even know pass through the door.

“If you are to accuse her of these crimes, you need proof and a fair trial,” Tabatha repeats. “This is not the way we do things, and there is no current threat. Raising false alarm is unnecessary.”

Ruth’s eyes settle on me. “My proof is in a testimony, though I’d love to go back and hear from you, Callie Martin, how everything went down that night.”

I don’t need to ask her to specify which night to know she’s talking about the night a third-hierarchy demon tried to burn me alive. I press my hands against the wooden bench beneath me and take in a slow breath. We’ve all told the same lie, but right now as I’m sitting here in front of Ruth and the council, I feel like they can all see right through me.

“How did you defeat that demon?” Ruth’s eyes narrow. “And how did the vampire come into play? Was it all part of your plan?”

“My plan?” I echo, shaking my head. I look up at Tabatha and see the same tension reflected back in her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve examined the evidence,” Ruth says. “And I’ll gladly present it again. But we all know there is only one reason brimstone would be found amongst the forest ground.”

A few members of the council turn to each other, speaking in whispers. The only reason brimstone would be found is if a powerful demon opened the Gates of Hell, which is exactly what happened.

And not what we reported.

“Question her as you wish, but you will do so properly.” Tabatha takes a few steps forward, dark purple robes flowing behind her. “There are more pressing matters at hand right now, matters that you had been summoned to.”

I swallow hard and let out a shaky breath. Even if this did go to trial, there’s still a chance I could be exonerated for my crimes since Lucas helped save us from a demon. Without him, our chances of making it safely through the door would have been slim to none. The witches who were with us know that, and some of them are sitting behind Ruth right now.

“More pressing?” Ruth steps away from the podium. “Dear High Priestess, don’t forget your place in this coven.”

“I haven’t but I fear you have.” The flames on the candles grow brighter. “Even if this were a proper trial, you do not have all your witnesses from that night. My son, Evander was there.”

“And where is he now?”

Holy shit. Ruth doesn’t know? She was here before they got back. It was her plan all along to accuse me of treason. But why go about it this way? It doesn’t make sense, and something doesn’t feel right.

And I mean something other than me being possibly sentenced to death.

Tabatha slowly shakes her head. I’m sitting behind her but can imagine the way her eyes are narrowing. The flames around us intensify again.

“My son,” she starts, speaking through gritted teeth, “is possessed by a demon.”

The council behind Ruth gasps, and Ruth herself looks stunned. Ruby’s hand flies to her mouth and she inches to the edge of her chair, staring at Tabatha and looking like she might burst into tears.

“A demon? How did this happen?”

“The Ley line,” Tabatha starts and my stomach flip-flops. The Ley line let off demonic energy because a demon from Hell opened a gate…and we’ve all lied about that. I feel like I’m tumbling backwards into a deep dark tunnel. I’ll save Evander no matter the cost, even if that means telling the truth about what really happened.

Though I still don’t know what did happen.

I don’t know how I commanded the hellfire.

I don’t know who the blue-eyed man is or what he wants from me.

“Which you were also made aware of.” Tabatha strides forward and moves to the first step leading to the altar. “There was an influx of energy, which happens from time to time as we all know. With us coming off a Solstice, the energy was raw and powerful, and we know how that beacons other worldly creatures. The Ley line has been taken care of and the details don’t matter. What matters is my son. We need to perform an exorcism. Now.”

Ruth’s lips press together, forming a thin line. She has some sort of secret agenda here, I’m sure of it, but she is a member of the Grand Coven and really does care about the witches under her.

“Where is he?”

“In my office,” Tabatha’s voice doesn’t waver, and she holds Ruth’s gaze. Tabatha is ruthless when it comes to protecting her family. If I weren’t so scared, I’d feel emotional right now.

“Is he okay?” Ruby asks. Like Evander, she’s teaching summer classes here at the Academy, and is wearing the traditional dark blue robe most professors here wear. She had a crush on Evander back in our school years, and I used to think that was part of why she didn’t like me. Though I moved in with the Greystones when I was only ten, so he’s always felt like an older brother to me and nothing more.

“If we can tend to him, yes.” Tabatha turns, looking at everyone else in the council. Evander is well-liked and very respected amongst the coven, but even if he weren’t, we couldn’t turn our backs on someone in need. She turns back to Ruth. “What are your orders?”

Ruth purses her lips again and shifts her gaze from Tabatha to me and back again. “Put a temporary binding spell on Ms. Martin,” she tells Ruby, who looks all too happy to oblige. “And take her into an empty office. Preferably one with warding. Then we shall handle Mr. Greystone’s condition.”

“But I can help,” I protest.

“Help?” Ruth arches her eyebrows. “Have you preformed an exorcism before as well?”

I shake my head. “No…no, of course not. But Evander is my friend and I was with him when he got possessed. The demon spoke to me.”

“You were with him?”

I nod.

“Convenient.”

I can’t help it. I ball my fists and stand up. “You think I had something to do with him getting possessed?”

Ruth looks behind her, expecting to get full support of the council, but they know how much the Greystones mean to me. They don’t know what I went through before I got here, but it’s common knowledge here at Grim Gate Academy that I was mistreated by my non-magical family and that Tabatha had to come and get me out of a dire situation.

I might have stirred up trouble in my younger days, but as an adult witch, I’ve kept to myself and don’t upset anyone. Hell, I even fight demons so they don’t have to worry about it.

Ruby shakes her head. “She…she wouldn’t do that. Not to him.”

I meet her eyes, almost more surprised to hear her defending me than I was to be accused of treason the moment I stepped foot into the Covenstead.

“Take her and bind her powers. I assume you have a proper hagstone hex around this school somewhere?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ruby says as she gets out of her seat. Some of the smugness has worn off her face already.

“It’s going to be all right,” Tabatha tells me, though I’m not concerned with me right now. Evander is possessed by a demon. People don’t survive demonic possession for more than a few days, and even being possessed for mere hours can cause severe internal damage.

“I’m not going to have any trouble, am I?” Ruby asks as she ushers me out of the gathering room. I turn and meet her eye.

“Seriously?”

She shrugs. “You’re not really a rule follower.”

I’m not in the mood to argue with her. “Evander is more important. Just take me, bind my powers, and get in there and help them.”

“You’re worried about him.”

“Aren’t you?” We cross through a large stone corridor and then move down a hall to Evander’s office.

“I am. Demonic possession…it’s serious. You said the demon spoke to you?” Her gait slows.

“Yes, it didn’t say much. Just the usual come back to hell with me and have power bullshit.” I leave out the part about how it was waiting to possess a person I knew to ensure I wouldn’t kill them. And how it called me a half-breed and how “they” have been looking for me. “I tried to get a name, but it didn’t feel like sharing.”

We stop outside Evander’s door. Ruby waves her hand over the lock, muttering an incantation to unlock it. I take a seat at Evander’s desk and Ruby pulls a large black box out of a wardrobe. It’s full of power-binding charms and hexes, meant to be used on misbehaving students who are abusing their powers.

I look around the office and am taken back to the days when Tabatha used to occupy this very room. It’s large, with gray stone walls and a massive fireplace behind the desk. Narrow windows cover the opposite wall, looking out onto the courtyard where we’d eat lunch when the weather was nice. The wall next to the desk is covered with bookshelves, and the smell of old paper and ink used to comfort me.

“How was he the last time you saw him?” Ruby pulls hagstone hexes out of the box. I’m really getting sick of that stuff…even though it doesn’t seem to work for me. I can still use my powers.

“Sleeping, thanks to a sleeping spell. It hasn’t been that long,” I say just to make myself feel better. “If we can get the demon out of him, he’ll be fine.”

Ruby nods, trying but failing to hide the fear in her eyes. “You two were always close.”

“He’s like a brother to me. He’s more of a brother than my biological brother is.” As soon as the words leave my lips, I feel like it’s a lie. Not about Evander, because he’s always felt like a brother. We got along like siblings from the get-go. He was annoyingly protective, and I got on his nerves like any younger sister would.

What feels like a lie is saying I have a biological brother. Scott told me we weren’t related. That he’s not really my brother.

“You’d never put him at risk.” She wraps another hex around my wrist.

“Of course not.”

She goes back to the desk and closes the black box. “I thought so.”

“What are you getting at?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. “You’re not telling me something.”

Ruby swallows hard and chews on her bottom lip. I’ve never seen her rattled like this. She’s always full of herself. Irritatingly confident. A stuck-up know-it-all.

The office door flies open and Ruth steps in. She flicks her wrist once she’s in and the door closes behind her.

“I’ll take it from here,” she says, and Ruby gives her a curt nod. She looks at me once more, eyes still full of fear, and then hurries out of the office.

Ruth perches on the edge of the desk and crosses her arms, pushing the sleeves of her dress robes up over her forearms.

“I reviewed your file,” she starts, and I slowly shake my head. What is she doing? Shouldn’t she be in with Tabatha, helping to get the demon out of Evander?

“Okay?”

“You graduated top of your class.”

I blink. “I, uh, had great teachers.”

“Tell me.” Her eyes narrow and she leans in. “How does a girl from a non-magical home, who didn’t start here until she was ten years old, end up with such high marks?”

“This isn’t important right now.”

“Isn’t it?” Ruth cocks an eyebrow. “Because I find it just as curious as a common witch being able to fight off a third-hierarchy demon.”

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” If Lucas were here, he’d be able to hear my heart rate increasing. He’d be able to smell my fear and panic.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Ms. Martin.”

“I’m not. I swear, I don’t know how I—”

“Cut the bullshit.” She stands up, blue eyes flashing. “You are in no place to lie to me.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Let me remind you that your charges are dire. You seem to care for that vampire you’ve been spending so much time with,” she says, recoiling from her own words, as the thought of sleeping with a vampire repulses her. “It would be a shame if anything were to happen to him. After all, who will be there to remove a curse after you’ve been burned at the stake?”

My eyes widen and all the air leaves my lungs. She’s threatening Lucas? He’s old. The oldest vampire I know. It would take a very powerful witch to curse him…and Ruth is a powerful witch.

She holds my gaze. “I’m willing to throw this all out, under one condition.”

My mind is racing, and I have no fucking clue what she’s talking about. All I know is Lucas could be in danger and Evander is in danger. We need to get the demon out of him like yesterday.

“What?” I reply, desperate to appease her and deal with the consequences later. “What do you want?”

“I told you. In.”

“In? In where?”

“Not where, but who.” Her eyes narrow and it hits me: the Grand Coven suspected me of Satanism but didn’t have enough proof to move past suspicion.

Holy shit.

Ruth wants me to get her a deal with the Devil.