Chapter 6

Evie

Barataria Preserve, Marrero, Louisiana

T heir trip back to the clearing was uneventful, which gave Evie plenty of time to think about what they had heard. She didn’t visit the area all that often—couldn’t even actually remember the last time she had gone there—but whatever was going on now hadn’t been around then. This was new, and it felt wrong .

“Evie?” Sandrine’s timid voice broke into Evie’s grim thoughts as they passed over the bayou using a mostly intact log.

“Yeah, little sparrow?” She hated the fear she heard in Sandrine’s tone, would do anything to keep her from being afraid of anything. No matter how unrealistic that goal may be.

Sandrine was quiet for long enough that Evie thought her sister may have forgotten what she was going to say. They had gone about half a mile before Sandrine spoke again, her voice wavering. “What was that? What were the noises? And those little yellow dots? It was... ” She trailed off, walked a bit further, then finished her thought. “It was scary.”

Evie looked to the heavens for guidance, but the evening sky gave her no answers. From a distance, she saw the trees circling their home, the slight waver in the air that marked the protective spells around it. She glanced over at her sister, wishing that the question had come about fifteen minutes later when she could pass it to the coven elders who were far better at handling scared children than she was. “I don’t know. I wish I did so I could tell you everything was going to be okay, but... ” She spread her hands wide and shrugged. “I really don’t know what exactly we heard out there.”

“Are we safe?” Sandrine whispered.

“Of course it’s safe in here,” Evie responded emphatically. She knew the answer to that, at least. “Just don’t wander too far from the wards and don’t go back there on your own, and I’m sure everything will be fine.” A small smile tipped up the corners of her mouth, and she reached over and sneakily pinched Sandrine, who let out a small giggle. “So no exploring on your own, okay?”

“Fine.” Sandrine rolled her eyes, her mood lifting just in time for them to arrive at the wards.

Evie, more familiar with the workings of the spell than Sandrine, drew the inverted runes for entry—a golden spiral and an all-seeing eye. It was the only way to enter their forest home.

A small blur rushed at them. “Girls!”

“Oh no,” Sandrine murmured as Cassandra, the coven’s seer, came to a stop in front of them. “We’re in trouble now!”

Evie nodded, not missing how Sandrine was wrapped in a warm hug from the prophetess while Cassandra stopped just far enough away from Evie that she wouldn’t accidentally touch her. Evie knew why; Cassandra suffered horrific visions any time she touched Evie but never remembered anything other than one ominous phrase. A lovely death. A deathly love . Cassandra’s recovery was so intense that, after a particularly bad vision, she just never came close to Evie again. Just because she knew and understood why Cassandra kept her distance, though, didn’t make it any easier. It was yet another glaring example of how isolated she was from the coven, had always been.

“Where have the two of you been?” Cassandra’s gaze darted between the two of them. “I had a vision of danger and screams, and the two of you were standing in the middle of it all. We’ve been worried sick.”

“We?” Evie asked, just as one of the coven elders, a red witch named Hesteia, came striding over to them from the tables where many of their sisters were sitting. A long sigh escaped her lips, quiet enough that only Sandrine heard it and cast her a confused look over the sound. Evie shook her head, silencing any questions that Sandrine may have. "Good evening, Hesteia.”

“Evie, my darling,” Hesteia remarked, a warm, low chuckle emerging from her. “I should have known you were the one getting our sweet Sandrine into trouble.”

Evie wrinkled her nose at the elder, a reluctant smile forming at Hesteia’s laughter.

“We didn’t do anything, elder Hesteia, I promise!” Sandrine blurted out.

A snort escaped the elder just before Hesteia bit down on her lower lip, smothering her laughter before it could bubble out. “I’m sure you didn’t, little love,” she responded, running her hand over Sandrine’s hair. “But I’m also certain your sister recognizes that any future nothings should be isolated to the daytime when she has you with her, isn’t that right, Evie?”

Evie nodded slightly. “Of course.” She tried not to take Sandrine with her when she went wandering because she never knew when she would be home. While it was fun to take her sisters with her sometimes, they usually weren’t prepared for Evie's nomadic tendencies general restlessness. “Only during the day for future nothings.”

“Well, now that that’s settled.” Hesteia shooed Sandrine towards the tables. “Go get something to eat, little one. You too, Cassandra.” As Sandrine darted away, Cassandra following behind, Hesteia stepped closer to Evie. “Did anything happen? Cassandra has been worried sick.”

Now would be the time to tell Hesteia what they had seen. What they’d heard. Evie opened her mouth, ready to share everything, but found herself saying instead, “No, everything was fine. Just took Sandrine to see the birds.”

Hesteia looked down at her for a long moment, brow furrowed. Then, as if she had gotten an answer to a question she hadn’t actually asked, she nodded. “Well, off you go then, Evie. Go get some dinner.”

“I think I’m just going to go back to sleep.” Evie shrugged. “Sandrine woke me up after only a few hours of rest, so I’m still feeling kind of tired.”

Hesteia nodded. “Then go rest, sweet girl.” Reaching out a hand, she pushed Evie’s hair behind her shoulder. “We’re glad to have you home after your time away. We’ve missed you.”

Evie kissed Hesteia lightly on the cheek. “I missed you all as well. Blessed be, Hesteia.” Without another word, Hesteia’s murmured, “blessed be” in her ears, she walked along the back of their clearing. Animated voices from the witches gathered around the fire filtered to her, but she ignored the sound, summoning the trees to lift her to her home.

Once she walked in through the entrance, she tugged off her shift dress and dropped it to the floor before crawling into her bed, tugging the blankets up to her chin. She dozed off to the sight of a pair of emerald green eyes looking down at her.