The Promise (Book 1, The Coven Series)

Chapter One

Why does it always happen to me? What did I do to piss off the Fates so badly? I stared down at my puke-covered Mary Janes and winced. Eww, gross. So much for my brand new shoes.

"Come on, Kay, let's get you home." I pulled my best friend up and put my arm around her. She smelled like stale beer and vomit. Rancid breath. I should leave her here, I thought spitefully. I hadn't even wanted to come to the stupid party to begin with. It was just another one of their attempts to get me into the fold, but I had no intention of getting involved in any that nonsense. Just look what it had gotten me tonight-Jeff hit on me yet again...ugh... and then my shoes were ruined. So wrong.

"S-s-sor-ry," Kay slurred as she focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

"Where's your car?" I asked as I scanned the vehicles parked too close together on the fringe of the lake.

"Jess."

Perfect, I groaned to myself. I'd seen her sister earlier arguing with her loser boyfriend, but didn't know she'd already taken Kay's car and left. I used my cell to try and call her, but wasn't surprised it went straight to voicemail.

Just fabulous. It's not like I could even call Kay's boyfriend. His parents had cornered him into some kind of family night.

I searched the mass of bodies looking for someone who'd loan me their car. The raucous laughter of teens filled the air as they danced around the mummy of the headless horseman they'd built, his pumpkin head ablaze, to usher in the month of October and the ritual of Samhain. Bonfires decorated the shore to welcome our most celebrated holiday.

The haze from the bonfires made it hard to see anyone. Jeff caught my eye and waved. I could ask him, but Neighbor Boy would think I owed him. Uh, definitely not. He was one of my best friends, but he had a serious crush on me. Loaning me his Jeep would equal a date in his eyes. Not gonna happen. I didn't see anyone else that I knew well enough to ask.

Kay made a horrible retching noise and threw up all over my shoes again. Why me?

"Looks like we're walking." Thank the Fates she didn't live far.

I half dragged the semi-conscious girl away from the lake and towards the outskirts of New Salem. I still couldn't believe I was stuck hauling her drunken ass home. She owed me big time.

It was dark, but I knew my way through the woods. I'd spent enough time in them growing up to be able to walk through blindfolded. Kay, however, made it more difficult. I had to stop every few minutes to let her throw up. By the time we finally reached the first house on our street, Gallows Lane, I really was ready to leave her.

She groaned and pitched forward, dragging me with her. Now I could add scraped knees to my list of things that had gone wrong tonight, I thought as I fell. Fingers curled around my arm and yanked me backward before I could hit the ground. Kay fell flat on her face.

I turned around to say thank you, but the words froze in my throat. I looked up and up. The light from the street lamp illuminated hair the color of rich, dark chocolate. It swept down almost to his shoulders in a perfect mess that framed a face of sharp angles and strong features. Sculpted perfection was my first thought. Gray eyes that reminded me of the fog swirling over the mountains after a rain, stared steadily down at me. My mind focused on one fact-he was absolutely gorgeous.

"Are you okay?" he asked. His voice was deep and gravelly. I liked it.

I nodded, not trusting my own voice. I was in full ogle mode.

He looked down at Kay and sighed. He lifted her into his arms and turned to me. "Where does she live?"

"Just up the lane," I told him, grateful my voice didn't crack while I admired the way his muscles rippled under the tee shirt as he shifted his hold on Kay. "Thanks."