Chapter 40

CHAPTER FORTY

FRANKIE

Silence.

"I'm done talking now. It's your turn to speak."

My friends just stared at me with wide eyes and dropped jaws, their food forgotten and getting cold. I glanced over my shoulder but no one else had reacted. Everything had been so crazy since we left Tampa that I hadn't gotten to talk to them. So much had changed. My memories made me feel like an entirely new person. Sure, the version of me these friends met in Tampa was authentically me, but things had happened to me in Avolire that would affect my personality forevermore.

I needed these friends to know the entirety of me. It was important if our friendship was going to last, and I desperately wanted it to. Mei-Ling would always be my best friend, but she was a human. While she was hiding out among The Coven, she wasn't able to go everywhere I went. I needed witch friends too. This group of teens had taken me in without hesitation or question and really saved my mental health when I arrived in Tampa. I didn't want to lose them.

So I'd told them everything. The whole truth of it all from waking up to Tegan's reveal. Except I didn't tell them the spicier parts of my time there. I wasn't ready to talk about Everest, not about that. Actually, I hadn't told them about the vampires I thought were on The Coven's side. I was afraid to betray their secret and get them hurt, so they got the watered-down version of the story.

I hadn't wanted to tell them anything out in the public like this, in the middle of the Great Hall where all the students of Edenburg were having lunch. Together. And it wasn't like Gulf Shores High or my school back home, every single student here was a witch. Luckily one of the tricks Esther knew how to do was create a sound barrier so we could talk without anyone hearing us.

And now that I had, they were just gawking. At me.

"Dude . . . vampires? " Tomás shuddered. "I didn't know they were real. That's so creepy."

Birdie leaned forward and whispered, " Did any of them drink from you?"

"Everest did," I whispered back and felt my face warm like I was blushing. "But only because he had to."

Jo's dark gaze swept the base of my throat like she was looking for signs. " ?a t'a fait mal? "

"Yeah, did it hurt?" Madge wagged her eyebrows.

"No, it didn't hurt." It actually had felt pretty good, but I didn't think that was a safe thing to tell people.

Seamus was staring at his plate of food. "I can't believe Braison is a vampire now. Poor Albert."

Ava ran her hands through her boyfriend's hair. "Rootbeer and Albert used to have play dates."

"Oh. Well, Albert is at Coven Headquarters. He's been staying with Chutney. Also, there's a few other dogs in the house and now mine, so he's got friends." My heart broke a little remembering the mastiff smelling his owner on me after weeks of not being around him. "I hope they see each other soon."

Esther rolled her wand between her fingers. "What are they doing with your human friend and her brother?"

"Keeping them in Headquarters. Apparently they have to stay hidden until Sweyn, and the threat to their safety, is dead."

They cursed.

Esther shook her head. "I feel like this is a lot to process and I need to sleep on it and then ask questions tomorrow."

"Honestly, that's fair." I took a sip of my soda, then licked my lips. "Okay, your turn. What did I miss at the assembly?"

Esther scowled. "Tenn didn't tell you?"

"Yeah, Archie didn't tell?"

"I haven't seen him yet. Or Tegan." I looked out the window to the clouds in the sky. "Katherine gave me a strong sleeping potion after what happened last night."

"What happened last night?"

"Oh . . . right . . ."

Esther hissed. " Frankie . . . "

"So, I had this dream I was being chased through Avolire by Queen Sweyn and then when I woke up, I was outside at the border of Eden by the forest and then she, like, suddenly . . . appeared."

They gasped.

"The Coven was there, or a good chunk of them. Tegan was playing Sweyn again and she fell for it again. " I shuddered. "Then Tegan threw her through a portal and put up some spells and shit."

"So you got good sleep after that courtesy of Katherine." Esther chuckled. "Sounds about right."

"Yeah, and when I woke, I found a note from Tenn saying to skip the assembly." I tapped my nails on the table. "So what did he say?"

"He explained the new training plan for students."

"Basically, fuck math, hit the mats." Tomás chuckled. "No, seriously, he's scrapped academic classes for the rest of the school year."

I blinked in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Birdie swung her talisman amulet in circles. After my initiation, I could now identify just how anxious she was. "All of our classes are now geared toward war."

"Rootbeer's getting a special vest." Seamus fed her a piece of grilled chicken off his plate. "It's gonna light up if demons are near."

Tomás nodded. "Like that hobbit's knife in the movie, so I'm sticking with them."

Esther rolled her eyes and popped a grape into her mouth. "He wants everyone to learn how to defend themselves if attacked, so the non-Swords students have to spend their afternoons learning how to fight. And as a person who was recently attacked by demons, I am grateful he's enforcing it."

Ava cringed and pulled Float up into her arms, running her fingers over her white fur. "It's crazy to think back to that night now . . . knowing we had two Coven members there. And one was Tenn."

" Nous aurions pu mourir."

"Yeah, I'm actively trying to not think about all the ways we could have died that night." Madge kissed Jo's cheek. "But thanks, love."

"What about the Swords students?" I pointed across the hall to where Peabo and Atley were sitting with some boys and comparing daggers. "They're already doing that?"

They all frowned.

"You know . . . I don't know." Birdie scowled. "I don't think he said?—"

"He said he had plans for the Swords and they'd discuss with their Sword Leader in class." Esther looked over her shoulder to our two friends, then back to us. "Which probably means he didn't want to say and risk terrifying everyone else."

They all nodded and stared at their plates of mostly untouched food.

"Are y'all okay?" I gestured around the group. "Because Coven magic is insane, and I can legit sense your auras like flashing lights. This evacuation was sudden and huge. How are you?"

Madge snorted. "Girl, we've all secretly been wishing we could go to school here. The only thing we've lost is the beach, but we're about to learn so much more magic that it's worth it. I'm excited. Nervous but excited."

"It's not the being moved to a new town and school that's bothering us—and I think I speak for everyone at this table here—it's the reason it happened that has us a little uneasy."

"War," Jo said softly as she untied her braids and started over. " Tu ne peux jamais vraiment être prêt pour la guerre ."

Esther leaned forward until her chest pressed against the edge of the table. Her gray eyes looked like storm clouds. "You're in The Coven. You know war is in your future. You know you'll be in the battle on the front lines. You can prepare for that. The rest of us? We have no idea if we're gonna have to fight, and that unknown is unnerving."

Tomás nodded. "Shit just got real."

"So then prepare for war. Prepare as if you know you'll get called up?—"

A little boy went flying in the air about a table length away from us. His food flew everywhere like a tidal wave. He landed with a thud and his beans splashed into his face. My heart stopped. Oh no.

"You shouldn't wear skates in school, kid," Aaron yelled with a sinister chuckle. "How do your beans taste with dirt in them?"

Jacob leaned out from behind him holding his cellphone out, and I knew by the flash that he was filming the whole thing. "Tomorrow we should try to catch this in slow motion."

"Maybe Shaun White can give us a one-eighty."

The kid tried to stand but his knees slid in the Jell-O and he belly-flopped back into his spilled food.

Jacob cackled.

Aaron shook his head. "That'll never get you on the medal podium."

Tenn emerged from the shadows behind a column at the front of the hall.

Everyone gasped and sat up straight.

Aaron and Jacob stammered and backed up like they were actually considering running.

Tenn marched up the aisle, his mismatched eyes locked on tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum with a glare that even made me cringe. He stopped right in front of them, so close their bodies might've been touching. He didn't speak a single word, just glared down his nose at them. He towered over them by at least six inches. They didn't even reach his shoulders. Tenn's nostrils flared. He flicked his wrist and the poor kid lifted up onto his feet, then he slid the boy behind him.

He held his hand out to Jacob who had the brains to place his phone in Tenn's palm. The second he let go, Tenn curled his long fingers around it and crushed it with his bare hands. He dumped the pieces back into Jacob's hand.

Jacob's face paled. Aaron cringed like he was bracing himself.

"Do not misjudge my leniency for cowardice. I will strip every ounce of magic from your veins and send you into the human world to suffer a mundane life." Tenn's voice was calm and steady, but barely more than a growl. The air around him pulsed. "I am your Coven Leader, and there is no mortal in this world who outranks me. So go ahead. Try me. Your magic is the least of your worries. I can take your voice so you can never speak another word. I can rob you of your senses. I can break you any way I want to, and there's no one who can stop me."

Chills ran down my spine.

Tomás cursed under his breath beside me.

"Do not mistake my compassion, empathy, and kindness for my own people as weakness. I would re-open the dungeons from three centuries ago with barbaric punishments before I see one of my own causing any harm to my people. Do you understand me?"

They nodded. I was pretty sure they'd shat themselves by now.

"We're being hunted by demons, vampires, Unseelie fae, fallen angels, and Lilith—and whatever new monster she creates to torment us. We have to stick together. We, as a community of arcana, must be able to trust that the witch beside us will have our back whether we've been attacked or if we trip in the lunchroom." He leaned forward. "And do not think I missed the pencil Aaron slid onto the floor to make someone trip."

They blanched.

My eyes widened. I had missed that Aaron put a pencil on the floor.

Tenn crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the mess. "Clean up this mess."

"We don't have wands anymore."

Tenn smirked. "I know. I took them, remember?"

They paled.

He nodded to the mess. "Guess this is your first glimpse at life as a human. Clean it. Now."

They scrambled to get napkins, running into the line.

Tenn shook his head and turned to the kid who couldn't have been more than ten and looked ready to sob. His whole face and demeanor instantly softened. "You all right?"

The kid sniffled and nodded.

Tenn crouched down. "Are you hurt?"

" I don't think so ," he whispered.

"That's a lot of food. Did you just get that?" When the kid nodded, Tenn turned to glare at the boys who were rushing back with cleaning supplies. "Did you get to eat any of it?"

The poor kid shook his head.

Tenn stood back to his full height and yelled, "Hey, Gloria, you back there?"

The lunch lady stuck her head out and smiled. "Yes, sir—oh boy, got a spill? Well, come on back, sugar. I'll get you a new plate."

When the kid froze like a deer in headlights, Tenn crouched back down. But this time he whispered, " Where are your friends sitting? "

The kid bit his lip and shook his head. " I'm new here this semester. I haven't made any yet. I'm shy. "

"We're new here too." When I looked over, I recognized the boy as Chutney's little brother, but I'd forgotten his name. He grinned. "Today's my first day. I'm Sean."

"I'm Alex," he said timidly.

Sean pointed to two other kids about their age that I recognized as Willow's brother and Easton's sister. "Come sit with us. We're kinda shy too."

The other little boy cleared his throat and whispered, " Tenn, his clothes are wet now. "

Tenn frowned and looked down. He held his palm up and the boy's clothes dried instantly. They were still stained from food, but at least they were dry. "Now they're not. Good lookin' out, Ryan."

Easton's little sister jumped up and walked over, her blonde curls bouncing with every step. "I was going for seconds, so I'll grab your food from Gloria."

Alex relaxed and hurried over to sit next to Sean and across from Ryan, his back to the lunchroom, which was probably a good idea as everyone was still watching. Myself included. But seeing the difference in Tenn's entire aura between the bullies and the bullied was hypnotizing to watch.

Tenn smiled down at Easton's sister and held his fist out, which she bumped with her own immediately. "Thanks, Kaelynn."

"Now you should probably do something about the fear of God you put into everyone else or you'll have an even bigger mess to clean than these two buttheads." She gestured to the lunchroom. "I'm not sure they're all breathing."

Then she was gone, skipping back into the lunch line toward Gloria. I snickered.

Tenn looked around the room and sighed. He threw his hands up. "Don't be dicks and I don't have to be a dick. ‘Kay?"

Everyone nodded.

"Show's over now." Then he walked a few feet over and sat on the bench right next to me, leaning against the table with his long ass legs stretched into the walkway. He glared at the bullies, which made them spill the beans they'd just scooped up.

"Feel better?"

He grimaced. "Not really. I hate being a dick."

"I love that all the little kids in here are gonna go home today and tell their parents The Emperor said the word dick. Twice."

His face fell. "Shit."

I giggled. "Your dad's gonna love that phone call."

He threw his head back and sighed dramatically. "This is why I didn't want to take the role from Uncle Tim. He was so much better at this."

"I don't know, crushing the iPhone into pieces with your bare hand was epic."

Tenn looked over to Seamus and grinned. "Felt good too."

Birdie leaned over and whispered, "Did you really suspend their magic?"

"Except for in self-defense, it'll only work for that. Can't have them murdered by demons just because they're a couple asshats." He arched one eyebrow at Aaron who was trying to pretend there wasn't food under the table. "I genuinely hope they just start being better people."

"And if they just aren't?"

I smiled. "I bet Tegan has ideas for you already."

"I'm afraid to ask." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I have to tread carefully though. Lilith likes to prey on the slighted and give them a reason to turn on us. We've already suffered that fate and it hurt."

It was hard to remember that he was Archie when you looked at him, but when he said stuff like that, I realized why Archie had seemed so unique. Because he wasn't just some civilian. He'd seen some horrible things, That changed a person's outlook on life . . . and bullies.

Aaron and Jacob finally finished cleaning. They bowed to Tenn, then scrambled out of sight.

Tenn sighed. "Well, that was a tangent I wasn't prepared for."

"What do you mean?"

"I came to get you to pay a visit to the crystal ball, to get sorted into your Suit officially."

My friends gasped.

"Can we come? I wanna see?—"

"Tomás, no. We can't go." Esther shook her head at him. "People already are gonna think we get special treatment. We don't need to make that worse."

Jo nodded, her eyes watching the rest of the lunchroom. " Oui. They are watching."

Tomás sighed. "Fine. I hadn't thought about that. Sorry."

"We'll catch up with you guys soon." Tenn stood and stretched his arms. "We're going right into a meeting anyway."

I jumped up and smiled at my friends. "I'll text you the results."

They waved and yelled words of encouragement as we walked out of the Great Hall. I looked up to make casual conversation, but he seemed to instantly tense up. Either that or he'd let his mask drop once we left the public setting. His eyes were sharp and tired at the same time. His muscles were tight. Magic kept flickering around his fingers.

"There you are." Bettina stepped out in front of us on the sidewalk. She punched him in the arm but smiled and waved to me. "Hey, Franks."

"Hey, Bettina. We're going to see the crystal ball to get me Sorted."

"What are you doing here?" His pace slowed as she turned to walk with us. "Where's Tegan? Why aren't you two together? Should I be worried?"

"Your soulmate is in bed right where you left her, passed the fuck out."

His grin said he was proud of himself. "Well, I was gone for a couple weeks?—"

"Gross. We had a deal." Bettina cringed. "I'm not mature enough yet for that."

"I didn't say anything." He laughed and stepped aside to hold a door open for us.

Bettina slid in beside me as we walked through. "Your best friend dating your brother is all fun and games until she wants to talk about their sex life."

"You're so dramatic."

"Am I? Am I, Haven? " She turned to walk backwards down the hall as he followed. "Tegan likes to FaceTime me from bed, and she's really bad at making sure your body parts are covered."

Tenn snort-laughed and stopped in front of a door. "I'm sorry. That's terrible. Please don't retaliate."

"I won't." She shrugged and opened the door. "But Jackson might."

"Nah, he's a good lad. He wouldn't do that to me." Tenn led the way inside what appeared to be a normal-looking office, complete with a desk and filing cabinets. The only oddities were the weird columns on either side of the desk that were about hip height. Tenn went right up to one and waved his hand over the top, but nothing happened. "What the hell? Where is it?"

Bettina walked over and held her hand the same exact way he did.

He rolled his eyes and shoved her aside playfully. "Really? I just tried that."

She made a face at him. Tenn held his other hand out, then a giant crystal ball slid up from within the other column on the other side of the desk.

" Oh, " they both said at the same time.

"You're an idiot." Bettina snickered.

"Maybe if you weren't being such a gnat I could concentrate."

"Maybe if you actually ate lunch instead of having a lunchtime shag, you'd be able to concentrate?—"

"Well—"

She covered his mouth with ice. "Don't be gross. Who are you . . . Easton?"

He tried to get the ice off but it wasn't budging. She walked away. He tried to grab her, but she wrestled away from him, then he flexed his hand and her hand flew up and slammed into his mouth. The ice vanished.

"This is so entertaining." I sat in the chair in front of the desk and crossed my legs. "I need popcorn."

"Why are you so batty today?" He pressed his palm to Bettina's forehead and pushed her back enough where her swings missed his body. "Maybe if you had a lunchtime shag, you'd calm down."

"Maybe if you hadn't sent Jackson to teach the teachers how to train students to fight, I could have a shag."

Tenn's face fell. He dropped his hand. "This is retaliation."

She grinned and reached for the ball. He swatted her hand away. She hip-checked him. He shoved her. They may have both been super tall and terrifying with magic, but in this moment, they were typical siblings shoving at each other.

He palmed the crystal ball, but nothing happened. He shook it like a snow globe, still nothing. She stole it from his hands, but nothing happened, it just remained gray. She shook it the same way he just had, and again nothing happened.

He stared at her with a deadpan expression. "Right, I didn't just try that."

He stole it back. She snatched it with both hands. He used his wind magic to fly the ball back to his hands. She turned the ball to ice and yanked it back.

"Would you stop?—"

"Just let me try," she hissed. "I'm better with this kind of magic anyway."

"It's my office."

"Well, technically it was mine." We all jumped and turned to find Timothy leaning against the doorframe. His dark eyes glanced around the office. "And since you haven't touched a single thing, I'd say it's still mine."

They both froze. Tim just shook his head, walked to the wall, then pressed his hand to it. A panel slid up and a crystal ball floated out. It landed in his palm and turned jet-black.

Tenn threw his hands up. "Why do we have a decoy ball?"

"Because, nephew, students used to try and put spells on it," Tim grinned and tossed it to him. "To get the Suit they wanted."

The ball was white in the air, but it turned black again before Tenn even touched it. He grimaced. "There needs to be a Coven Leader manual."

"I actually started making one for you last year, but then I died?—"

"HEY!" Bettina shuddered.

"No!" Tenn cringed.

They threw ice and water at him. He laughed and brushed himself off.

Bettina reached for the ball, but Tenn held it way above her head. She hissed. "Haven!"

"Hope." He stuck his tongue out at her. "Tell me what you want?—"

"I wanna touch the ball."

"You touched it in August."

"Yes, but I need to see it again."

"Why? It doesn't change."

"Really? Are you sure? Because it wanted to be purple."

"But you got Swords?—"

"And Uncle Tim said I could pay the ball another visit?—"

"What? When?"

"Before I died?—"

"HEY" Bettina full body shuddered.

"NO!" Tenn's cringe looked painful.

Timothy laughed. "Hope, I only said I'd let you touch it again because I needed to give you an incentive to try. You were too busy insisting it was wrong to actually let it prove it was right. Your Suit does not chang.-"

"See?" Tenn made a face at her.

"Maybe I'm both? It flashed purple. Uncle Tim, you saw it."

"I did. And it did consider Wands?—"

" See? " She stuck her tongue out at Tenn and elbowed him in the ribs to try and steal the ball from his hands.

"But you are Swords, if the elbow in the ribs wasn't an indication."

"See? Now go wake up Tegan and bother her?—"

"No, she needs to sleep. She rarely sleeps anymore. It's actually growing more and more difficult for her to be able to sleep."

"Yeah, hence the shag." Tenn rolled his eyes.

Timothy looked to me and shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"What is wrong with you today? Seriously, what is happening?" Tenn held the ball up in the air. "Answer me honestly, and I'll let you touch it."

"Listen, look, we've been killing demons all day, every day since you left—and before you left If you recall—but Bentley benched us two days ago, and if I don't kill something soon, I'm going to break something." She squirmed. "I have all this . . . this . . . it's like rage in my body and I have to do something with it?—"

"Hey, that's what I always say." I chuckled. "It's like restless leg syndrome but my whole body and I just need to hit something."

"She gets it!"

Timothy shook his head again. "What Michael was thinking when he chose a Proctor, I'll never know."

"Why?" all three of us said.

"Bishops may be the most powerful and Irits the most intuitive . . ." Tim held his hand out for the crystal ball. "Proctors are the warriors, which is why Uriel had Edward so that he could handle Michael's sword. So why Michael then chose the line with Proctors to procreate with really confuses me. Give your sister the ball, Nephew."

Tenn handed it to her. It flashed purple for a split second, then turned jet-black.

"I'm just saying Tegan got all the colors, all the Suits. Maybe I'm both."

"You're not both, the Wand influence comes from your mother's inherited gifts from Heaven." Tim held his other hand up as she started to speak. "We'll get you a talisman wand and see how that goes?—"

"Tenn blew shit up." I grinned when all three of them looked to me. "Him touching a wand was dangerous."

"Yeah, it's not fair."

"Mona told me all about it." Tim laughed and took the ball from Bettina. He turned to me with it. "Well, Ms. Proctor, let's see what it says for you."

"We think she's Cups," I said as I stared at it. "Remember?"

Tenn grimaced. "I knew you were the Tower already. That Card has the gift of potions. And the way you're able to create potions is indicative of your Coven rank. Normal Cups can't do what you do, which I believe should be obvious after what happened in Hidden Kingdom that night."

I frowned. "Did I tell you about that night?"

"I was there. Watching." He shrugged and pointed up. "I was in the trees, waiting to step in if you needed it."

"You saw what I did?"

"I did. I couldn't see whatever you saw, but I know a normal Cup doesn't see that."

"Are there any Cups in The Coven?"

"Hunter and Bentley and Chutney."

"So if that's why I'm good with potions, then you're saying I might not be a Cup?" I scowled. "But you saw me with a wand . . . and the amulet did nothing . . ."

The ball floated into my palms and instantly turned black.

"YESSSS!" Bettina cheered and clapped her hands.

Tenn grinned. "Look at that! Another Proctor is a Sword."

"Next time you see Michael, you should ask him why?—"

"It's probably petty." When they looked to me, I shrugged. "He's probably pissed and just wanted to know that someone who was going to cause the utmost carnage would have his sword."

Tenn looked to his sister. "That feels like a you kind of answer."

"Yeah, it does. I'm so glad she's a Proctor."

The bell rang and it made the siblings jump. Both of them pulled daggers.

"Easy, easy. Whoa now." Timothy laughed and held his hands up. "Weapons down, you three. Goddess almighty."

Three? Tenn and Bettina looked to me with the same frown I had on, and we all realized together that I also had pulled out my weapon without knowing.

"Proctors. Bat shit crazy." Tim walked to the door and yanked it open. "It's the bell for class. C'mon, let's get back to Headquarters. Bentley and Cooper are back and looking for you."

"Right. I'm a little nervous about where Bentley went and why."

They grumbled something about Bentley being Bentley as we headed out of the building and across the courtyard. It amazed me how much these two siblings were like me, which shouldn't have since we were related, but I didn't have much experience in the sibling or big family thing. After watching these two bickering in the office, I knew they were scary similar and I felt like they had a lot in common with me. Then again, I felt a kinship with Timothy too.

"Tim, you're not a Proctor, right?"

"Nope. My sister's husband was."

"So you're both Proctors but neither of you use the name?" I scowled. "You're Wildes and?—"

"Blair." Bettina sighed, and it sounded a little sad. "It's a long story but from age four until December I thought my name was Bettina Blair, so that became my identity. Before that only my parents, Haven, and Uncle Tim called me Hope. I'm still trying to figure out how to handle the name thing."

"Because she's not a big fan of the name Hope?—"

"I never said that!"

"Out loud." Tim laughed. "It's okay, I didn't pick those names."

"Yeah, I don't know how to not be Tennessee. I'd like to carry on the Proctor name though."

"I thought you and Trouble didn't want kids?" Tim looked concerned.

"We're just low-key terrified, that's all." He shuddered. "And definitely not something we want to even consider until we're older."

"I think Cooper would have an aneurysm." Bettina grinned as she pulled her split-dyed hair up into a ponytail. "But it is a predicament because . . . Tegan's a Bishop. The Bishops are a massive name for us."

"Well, why can't you be Tennessee Haven Proctor and Bettina Hope Proctor?" I shrugged. "Or you could just become a Bishop."

"I'm scary enough to people now. If my name was Bishop . . .?" Tenn whistled. "Besides, Bentley and Cooper are Bishops."

"I think Deacon would be thrilled to leave the English surname behind."

"Deacon Bishop." I snorted. "That's amazing."

Tenn looked to me. "Yeah, once Deacon hears that, there's no turning back."

"You know, the Irit surname is passed on through Esther's middle name . . . and her mom's too." I gestured to them. "You could let Proctor be a middle name if you have children."

"That's a good point. Because Jackson worked so damn hard to get the Lancaster line back that I can't not take his name."

"OR you just scramble the letters in all your names and just make new ones." I held my hand up to block the sun from shining in my face. "Names are just words someone made up at one point."

Bettina stopped short. "What's Katherine's last name?"

"It's . . ." Tenn stopped and stared at the ground. "Shit, I don't know."

"Katherine the healer? Why?" When they both looked to their uncle with twinkles in their eyes, I gasped. "Wait, Tim, are you and Katherine a couple?"

"Yeah, Uncle Tim, are you ?" Bettina wagged her eyebrows.

He rolled his eyes, then started walking again. "Yeah, we are."

"But what's her last name?" Tenn whispered as he followed. "I can't believe I forgot it."

"Maybe Tim can give her a new one."

He stopped on the steps to Headquarters and gasped, turning on me with wide brown eyes. "You're as bad as these two. What am I gonna do with three Proctors? Anarchy."

We laughed and walked across the porch to the front door.

"You're gonna train us is what. Well, maybe not Haven, Mr. Angel boy, but me and Franks, yeah." Bettina held her hand up to me for a high-five. "We're so gonna spar. I can't wait."

I gave her five and chuckled. "It's gonna be so nice to not have to hold back like I have to in class."

"Oh, that's right. Haven says you're a trained martial artist. Fuck yeah. I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" Easton said from somewhere out of sight.

Bettina bounced inside with a wide grin. "Frankie's a Sword."

There was a chorus of cheering and applause before I even got all the way in the house. Once I did it was high-fives in every direction. The entire Coven seemed to be in the living room waiting on something. It was a bit overwhelming, so I slid over to sit on the stone ledge in front of the fireplace to be out of the way a bit.

"Hey, boss, is this a lunch meeting or like . . ." Royce paused in the doorway to the kitchen. "Or is it like a meeting I can eat during?"

"Just bring me something back with you." Tenn cleared his throat and sat down on the big chair near the fireplace. He glanced around the room. "I thought you said Coop and Bentley were back?"

A white light flashed and then Tegan appeared in the middle of the living room with two guys. One of them I recognized instantly as Bentley. He looked the same as I remembered: a few inches shorter than Tenn with long brown hair and eyes the color of champagne. The black V on his left forearm looked less sinister when his skin wasn't doing the lightning and lava show.

"See, Coop? He's right there." Tegan pointed straight ahead to Tenn. "Just like I said he would be."

Tenn jumped up and gave Bentley one of those halfway dude hugs. But when Bentley stepped aside, Tenn threw his arms wide open. "C'mere, big guy."

"I need to put a microchip on you or something," Coop mumbled as he crossed the room to him. "Or like a GPS tracking device would be better."

Tenn gave Coop a proper hug. "Next time just come with me. It was fun?—"

"Don't encourage her, Tenn." Coop sighed and gestured to Tegan with his thumb. "You're the only thing controlling her at this point."

"Challenge accepted." Tegan went over and wrapped herself around Tenn's body.

"Now look what you did," Willow said with a grin from the couch.

I watched this Coop with curiosity. He was Tegan's older brother, and after everything I'd heard about the Bishop family, I was intrigued by them. Cooper's whole aura was a little firmer feeling than his siblings. Tegan, Emersyn, and Bentley were wild cards. That much was obvious. Hunter was chill but also nothing like Cooper's energy. Something told me Cooper felt like he was everyone's big brother and took on a lot of responsibility for himself.

Cooper sighed. "Did I miss anything?"

Bettina flopped down on a couch next to Willow. "Frankie got sorted into Swords, so the Proctor versus Bishop battle is starting to shape up."

"Yep, now I want to see that." Easton pretended to write in a notebook. "Let's not forget that idea."

Deacon waved his hand. "Actually, I think we already saw that battle back in October?—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Cooper grabbed a throw pillow off the couch and chucked it right at Deacon's face, but they were both laughing. "So where is this Frankie? Or did you scare her off with your crazy already?"

I laughed and stood, brushing my hand off on my jeans so I could shake his hand. "Crazy is about the only thing that makes me feel at home."

Cooper spun around with a smile on his handsome face. White light flashed from our chests. I froze. His pale-green eyes that were the same shade as Tegan's widened. Everyone in the room jumped up in shock. Their wide stares went back and forth between me and Cooper. He reached up and rubbed his chest. My skin felt warm and tingly all of a sudden.

Royce stumbled forward, then gripped Cooper's shirt and yanked the collar down. "WHAT?"

Everyone just stared at his chest.

I did too. Because I was trying to wrap my head around what I was seeing. There, on his chest, was a white, heart-shaped crystal with little black lines about an inch long sticking out from one side. I opened my mouth, then closed it.

Emersyn scowled and hurried over to me. She tapped her finger to my chest. "Can we see?"

"Does this . . . Is this . . ." I pulled just the top of my shirt down enough to see the same crystal on my chest. As we were watching, they both turned emerald-green. "Is this what I think it is?"

I knew it was. I'd seen too many of them now to not know.

But I needed someone to say it out loud.

" Soulmates, " Savannah whispered from the front door. "You're . . . soulmates."