Spells on Shelves

Chapter 26 || The Coven

The coven was built like a fortress, surrounded by barren land, thick walls, and imposing gates, looked about as inviting as a cemetery. All it needed were tombstones lining the perimeter and a few skulls mounted on the gates to complete the look.

We had arrived in Kansas City two hours ago. After leaving the vehicles a few grids behind, we were now crouched behind a cluster of run-down, abandoned buildings in the northwestern outskirts, waiting. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon about twenty minutes ago.

Twilight deepened, stretching long shadows across the forest. I shivered and burrowed deeper into my hoodie. The temperature had plummeted since we'd neared the compound; the air dense with the unmistakable chill of concentrated dark magic.

I suppressed a shudder. Just as suffocating and gloomy as my old coven.

Maybe it wasn't surprising that many covens resided in similar strongholds. The towering stone walls around the compound were imposing, but the real danger lay in the spells woven into the structure, humming beneath the surface.

The coven had torn down the old city workhouse castle in the center of town and rebuilt it here, expanding outward over the years, adding more structures until it became the fortress it was now. Covens were drawn to old buildings. The older, the better. Arcane spells synced more strongly with aged stone.

An invisible pressure settled on my shoulders the closer we got to the outer ward. It ended a few yards before the walls. Night was fast approaching. Seeing as the light in the surroundings dimmed, Paxton gave us a quiet nod and we set out.

Everyone was quiet and focused. We stopped a few yards before the boundary. Since I was the one working magic so close to the ward, I carried the second amulet as a precaution.

Kai quickly unpacked five alexandrites and spread them out as close to the barrier as possible without touching it. He spread out the five large crystals and placed them in a half-moon shape, half a foot wide, before the center of the barrier.

Paxton moved in first. There was barely any space left.

"That looks cozy," Taji offered.

"If I make it any bigger, a five-circle spell won't cut it," I muttered, measuring Paxton's broad frame. "Can't you just hold your breath or something?"

Taji snorted quietly. "If you could exhale and deflate, that'd be great."

Abigail emerged silently behind our backs, stepping smoothly into the cramped circle. No wonder she was Paxton's best inspector. Even Kai and Taji blinked in surprise.

Paxton had sent her scouting the area for any activity and her sudden reappearance almost gave me a heart attack. "When did you get back?" Taji whisper-asked, voice indignant.

Abigail fixed him with a flat stare. "Five minutes ago. You should work on your awareness."

Thankfully, she was on the smaller side. The boys would have a hard time fitting in without brushing the barrier.

I finished the last circle, drawing on the arcane energy around us. Every nerve in my body was taut. If my magic so much as grazed the barrier, we'd be caught. I had to fool it into accepting the circle as part of the original ward.

The alexandrites pulsed faintly, shifting from teal to a reddish-purple, ready to snap the field outward and burn through their energy reserves.

"Remember, in and out," I said, unable to mask the worry in my voice. "We only get two tries."

Lines of pale purplish light spread out like veins through the ground. The crystals answered, sparking with energy. Here's to hoping no one would notice the light show.