The Promise (Book 1, The Coven Series)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Thirteen betrayed, thirteen avenged...

Invoke...blood promise....

Arwan and Agrona, hear us this night....

The thirteenth bearer of life...

I screamed in frustration and threw my journal at the door. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make myself remember. I'd only had the one dream. Stupid me had repeated my father's words verbatim: Show me now what she sees and forever let it be.

Everything was so muddled. I couldn't get past the terror. I could only remember snatches of the curse. Sara's spell was out of reach. Laura had been so horrified at the casting of the curse, she hadn't paid attention to Sara. Apparently neither had I.

Why couldn't I remember? I'd tried to write memory spells, but it was useless. The dream was gone. Maybe for good this time. Tomorrow was my birthday. Maybe the dream was only supposed to last until then as a reminder or a warning of some sort. I just didn't know and it was driving me crazy.

Some of my frustration was due to the fact that Ethan had been gone since last Saturday and hadn't bothered to call me even once. I was so pissed. I'd left messages for him, but no response. My boyfriend was ignoring me. Granted he hadn't told me why he needed to go home and there could be something wrong, but would it have hurt him to drop me a text? Just to say hi? No, it would not have.

He'd better be back by tomorrow or at least call me.

"What's going on in here?" Dad poked his head in. "I heard a thump."

"Sorry, Dad," I smiled. "I was just taking out some frustration."

He glanced down and saw my journal. Without thinking he picked it up, his eyes skimming over what I'd written. He let out a hiss and came in, closing the door behind him before making his way over to my bed.

"What the hell is this, CJ?"

Ohh, so not good.

"Nothing."

"Where did you see this?" he demanded, towering over me. His face had gone white and his eyes were wild with fear again. I shrank back from him, remembering the last time I'd seen that look in his eyes.

"In a dream," I whispered. "A dream you took from me."

All the anger fizzled out of him. He took a shaky breath and sat down. "How? How did you remember it?"

"Kay," I told him, scooting to the other edge of the bed. "She was having the dream and I repeated the same spell you cast on me and Emily."

His hands shook. "CJ..."

"Why, Dad, why did you take the dream from me?"

"Because it was a sign," he whispered. "A sign of the curse."

Oh crap.

"I thought if I could make you forget, no one would know. They wouldn't have any more reasons to suspect..."

"Stop, Dad," I whispered frantically. "Don't. I know what will happen if you tell me. You'll die, Daddy. I don't want you to die."

"It'll be worth it, pumpkin, if it saves you." He reached out, pulled me to him, and crushed me in a hug. "You're my baby. I can't let you die."

Die? I was going to die? No. It didn't matter. I did what I always did. I pushed the panic aside and focused. I could fall apart later. I was going to die...stop it. I needed to keep Dad from doing something rash.