Freeing Anvi

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jackson and Vasily both buy my lie of being dizzy. Vasily even teasingly says it's from all the rocking that the bed did last night, which successfully draws Jackson's concern away from me and morphs it into a playful agitation. It's amusing, I decide, watching a fully grown wolf chase a cackling bat. Can bats even cackle? Vasily sure can.

Delia still eyes me suspiciously as we settle into Vasily's car and make our way to the coven grounds. Vasily casually begins to explain the history of the coven - how they were banished for using dark magic to save the life of an infant and therefore roamed the country, searching for a perfect place to stay until they found Hollowway. He tactfully avoids any of the gory details, even though I'm positive that his story wasn't the reason that I threw up. I've seen Alpha Banastre conduct executions. My mother worked at a butcher shop. Blood and gore didn't bother me as much, unless it was used against me. It confuses me why at breakfast it did, then.

Jackson and I don't get a chance to speak again until we've pulled into the human-looking parking lot of the coven. He's tapping away on his phone as usual, stormy gray eyes veiled with a look of passiveness. He's so concentrated on his work that he doesn't notice where he's going and bumps into my back as I'm closing the car door.

"Sorry!" He abruptly stuffs his phone into his pocket and hugs me, taking me by surprise. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yes...?" I try to make it seem like I'm not looking at the darkened redness of his eyes. "Jackson, I'm fine. I promise." I squeeze his hands and kiss him quickly, allowing him to pull me in for a deeper, passionate kiss. "Please, don't worry too much. Relax."

"Tell me that when Banastre is found," Jackson says. He squeezes my arm and kisses me again before following Vasily's lead. I fall into step with Delia, who's staring at the lush green and silvery camping ground with awe.

"This is my new home..." she gasps softly, her eyes wide and starry. "Can you believe it, Anvi?" She grips my arm excitedly.

"Yeah..." I try to match her enthusiasm, but even I can hear myself fail to do so.

The coven is small and dark, if I had to describe it in two words. It's a large patch of uneven, multicolored land strewn with garbage and colorful, big tents that seem too small for the number of witches and other hybrids that I see pass me. To my surprise, they bow or incline their heads slightly, offering me the respect of my title. How do they know that I'm Luna Queen?

"The message was sent out when you were discovered," Delia says, answering my unspoken thoughts. "I helped with my magic, of course." She flips her hair.

I grin. "Confident. I like that," I say.

"We'll be doing the ritual in the main hall," Vasily interrupts our conversation and points to a large, decorative tent across from us. "The elder council is already there waiting for us. We'll take the necessary ingredients after introductions."

"Alright. Will this ritual tell us a hundred percent where Banastre is?" Jackson asks.

"Yes. It's dark magic, Jack. There's no limit to our power." Vasily glances at me over his shoulder, and his ruby eyes soften. "We'll find him."

"If he doesn't find us first," I mutter with a quick roll of my eyes. Delia, who is within earshot of my acerbic reply, opens her mouth to presumably protest, but before I can come up with a comeback for her refute, my mind violently whirls and confuses my steps. I stumble and I almost take a mouthful of grass and dirt.

"Hey!" Delia grabs my arm and briskly pulls me up. She's soundless in her actions and the boys in front of us don't even flinch at her hiss of alarm. "What the hell is happening to you, Anvi?"