“They investigated the crash, and they concluded magic had to be involved in the plane’s landing. You were the only known supernatural on board,” she says.
When I don’t respond, she goes on. “Do you know how incredible what you did was? You saved hundreds of lives by landing that plane. The media may never hear of it, but you’re a hero, Selene.”
I lick my dry lips, feeling confused and still nauseous.
A hero?
My mind flashes to the unsealed tomb and the empty sarcophagus.
I…I don’t think that’s the right word for what I am.
“Selene Bowers,” she says, “on behalf of the entire Henbane community, I’d like to formally invite you to join our coven.”
Two days later, I stand on the pathway leading up to Henbane’s residence hall, Nero at my side.
I’m not entirely positive that this is real, not until I open my notebook and see the printed housing instructions with my name on them taped in my planner. I circled the room number—Room 306—several times.
I head up the pathway toward the front door.
This time, as I approach the lamassu, I pause to touch one. I don’t know why I love these half woman, half beast statues so much, but I get a thrill when I realize they’ll be guarding me every day.
I drop my hand and head the rest of the way up to the front door. The dark water-stained door is fitted with an elaborate bronze knocker held between the pointed teeth of Medusa. Like the lamassu, this is another threshold guardian.
As soon as my hand closes over the doorknob, the metal Medusa moves, the snakes in her hair writhing, and her metal lips part.
“Welcome home, Selene Bowers,” she says.
For a moment, I smell rosemary, lavender, and mint, scents associated with protection. Women’s voices whisper in my ear, and one of them laughs, the sound morphing into a cackle.
And then, whatever witchy ritual that was, it’s done. The phantom smells and sounds vanish, and the Medusa head freezes back into place.
I push the door open and enter the building, Nero following behind me.
Women’s voices fill the space. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.
To my left, there’s a living room and a kitchen for spellwork. Beyond them is the house’s actual kitchen, where food prep is handled, and across from it is our dining hall.
To the other side of me, there’s a library, an atrium, and a hallway I know leads to a study room and the Ritual Room. And straight ahead is the main staircase.
Just like the harvest party, the building slowly goes quiet as the witches catch sight of me and Nero.
Right when the silence is about to feel awkward, Charlotte, a witch I recognize from Peel Academy, leans out of the kitchen and shouts, “Welcome to the family, Bowers!”
Several other women follow suit, calling out their welcomes to me. My shoulders, which had tensed, now relax. Whatever caused that silence, the women here moved past it to make me feel comfortable.
“Thanks,” I call out to Charlotte and the others.
I cross the foyer and head up the stairs with my familiar at my side. The wooden stairs creak as we climb them.
I step off on the third floor and head to my right, my eyes scanning the brass room numbers until I get to mine.
Room 306.
The door has been propped open. Inside, there’s a single twin bed and a blue velvet chair next to it. Pushed against the adjacent wall is an empty bookshelf. Next to it is a large window that looks out onto a gnarled oak tree.
Across from my bed rests an ancient-looking desk with an equally ancient lamp. Sitting on the center of its surface is a massive iron key.
I walk over and pick up the key.
This is a joke, right? I mean, how am I supposed to put this on my key chain without looking like some old-timey prison warden?
I glance at my door with its ornate bronze doorknob and the large keyhole above it.
All right, so this isn’t a joke. The coven just hasn’t updated their rooms’ locks in a century or so.
Really hoping those lamassu do a decent job protecting this place because my lock obviously does shit.
I pocket the key anyway.
“What do you think?” I say, glancing down at Nero.
My panther looks out at the room, then rubs his face against my leg.
My eyes sweep over the place. “I’m glad you approve. I love it too.”
CHAPTER 12
“Fuck. Moving.” Fuck it so hard.
I collapse onto my bed.
My arms shake from carrying things up three flights of stairs over the course of the day, and my ass and legs are numb from the exertion. And that’s not even getting into the fact that many of the notes and labels I put on my stuff have fallen off. And Great Goddess of Earth and Heaven, everything is not where it’s supposed to be, and my head hurts from it all.
But you know what? It’s done.
I stare up at my ceiling, hearing the muted laughter of witches in nearby rooms.
A thrill runs down my spine. This is my life now. I attend Henbane Coven. No more waiting and yearning. I get to live here and learn here and lean into all my long-awaited dreams.
I survey my tiny room all over again, and my eyes eventually rest on Nero.
My familiar lounges on a throw blanket I’m pretty sure he dragged off my bed and onto the floor and is chewing on a bone I got him from the butcher’s. The bone makes a sickening crack; then I hear Nero’s rough tongue lapping up Goddess knows what.
“Can you not do that on my blanket?” I ask him.
He ignores me.
Defective familiar.
“I should return you,” I say to him. “I bet I could buy like fifty cute, fluffy familiars for the price of you.”
Now Nero glances up at me, and he licks his lips. Pretty sure that was panther for sounds tasty.
I sigh.
After heading over to the window, I shimmy the pane up, letting in a gust of cool air.
Outside, the giant oak tree I saw earlier looms like a dark shadow. One of the tree’s thicker branches tees off just beneath my window. The location and sturdiness of it is so convenient that some previous witch must’ve spelled the branch to be that way, either for herself or her familiar.
I turn to Nero. “I’m going to leave this window open for you so you can come and go as you please.”
In response to my words, my familiar rises to all fours. After giving a satisfied stretch, he hops onto the bench seat beneath the window.
“Now, remember, no hunting humans or house pets, okay?” I tell him. “They’re not on the menu.”
Nero glowers at me.
“Oh, and no eating other witches’ familiars,” I say. “Oh, and definitely do not attack lycanthropes. It won’t end well for you.”
Nero gives me a disgruntled look, like I’m the world’s cruelest master.
“Just about everything else is free game. I’ll leave my window open so you can get back inside.” I chew on my lower lip. “You can climb, right?”
He gives me another disgruntled look.
“Geez,” I say, holding up my hands. “No offense meant.” Well, maybe a little offense meant. He is an ass, after all. “I just wanted to make sure.”