Page 37 of Her Dreadful Will
Soleil almost said she didn’t need any book, that she had taken Advanced Alchemy with the Institute—but she bit back the words just in time. No use rubbing her Institute education in their faces. The school only accepted those with power beyond the first quarter of the Radiant Scale; it would be rude to boast about her training to cognizants, sensitives, and low witches who would never have the same opportunities.
“Thanks,” said Soleil. “But I’m not sure I’ll be ‘stripping down.’ “
The girl nodded sagely. “That’s how I felt at first. But it’s not some crazy orgy. It’s beautiful. You’ll see.” Catching Soleil’s arm, she tugged her along. “Let’s meet the others. I’m Angelou. Everybody calls me that except Achan—he started calling me Angel when we met and I just let him do it.”
Soleil’s heart flinched jealously. “Are you two—”
“Oh, no! We’re not a thing. I’m nineteen and he’s what, like twenty-six? Nope. He’s like a big brother. Plus I have a boyfriend.”
“Does your boyfriend know about all this?” Soleil gestured to the entire clearing.
“Nope. All he knows is that I’m into tarot cards and crystals, herbal remedies and essential oils. Oh, here’s Lindsey. He’s our sound guy.”
The witch whose volisphere Soleil had glimpsed earlier was approaching them with a benevolent smile. He was Soleil’s height, handsome, with a luxurious mane of half-braided strawberry-blond hair and a gold ring through his septum. He wore a gold chain around his head, with a broad crescent moon hanging above his brows. And he had the prettiest eyes—ice-blue and lined with metallic shadow.
“Welcome, Sister.” He bowed with his palms pressed together.
“Thank you,” Soleil murmured. Should she call him “brother” or something? But the moment passed, and he moved on, still smiling placidly.
Next Angelou introduced Sharee, a tall woman clad in a dress of filmy flowing black, with deep umber skin and rich coils of dark hair. Her ears and fingers sparkled with rings. “Sharee is a sensitive, like me. She and Achan started this whole coven thing,” Angelou explained. “Over there is Rick.”
Rick, bearded and glowering, faced them with his tattooed arms crossed. His earlobes were stretched out like rubber bands, carved wooden discs swinging on either side of his face.
“He’s the antigen of the group,” said Angelou, lowering her voice. “He blocks corporeal magic—strength enhancement, healing, that kind of thing. Don’t mind him, or Delaney—that’s the other witch, standing next to him. They’re always suspicious of anyone new. Delaney still doesn’t trust me, and I’ve been coming to these things for like, a year.”
Angelou pulled Soleil toward Rick and Delaney. The witch was a thick-boned girl around Soleil’s age, with a waterfall of inky hair over one shoulder and smudges of sooty liner around her mournful eyes. Her purple-painted mouth curved down disapprovingly. Soleil immediately envied the girl’s tall, strappy platform boots.
“Delaney, Rick—this is Soleil,” said Angelou. “Rick works here at the park, so he lets us in and arranges things so nobody bothers us.” She nudged Rick’s elbow companionably, and his expression softened a little.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Soleil gave Rick and Delaney her most charming smile—the sparkly, friendly one that warmed even the most curmudgeonly people.
“Yeah.” Rick gave her a curt nod.
“I love your boots, Delaney,” Soleil ventured. “Where’d you get them?”
“Violet Vixen.” Delaney’s gaze remained hostile.
“Cool.” Soleil wracked her brain for another conversation topic. “What’s your affinity?”
Delaney tilted her head. “You’re the newbie. What’s yours?”
Soleil cursed inwardly. She walked right into that one.
“Yeah, Achan wouldn’t tell us what your power is.” Rick scratched his ear and refolded his arms. “Says it doesn’t matter.”
“He’s right—it’s not important,” said Soleil.
“Oh, I think it is.” Delaney’s thick brows drew together. “We’re all going to strip down and share energy, right? I think we should know what your affinity is, at least. I’d prefer to know a lot more about you before we let you into this group, but—”
“But that’s not necessary.” Achan’s voice, smooth as honey, slid past Soleil’s ear. When had he come up behind her? “It’s enough that I speak for her, and I say she’s no threat to us. Now—are we ready to begin?”
“What about Yasna and her wife? Or the twins? Are they coming?” Lindsey asked, approaching the group. The gold chain across his forehead caught the light, shining like a halo.
“Not tonight,” Achan said. “Yasna texted me that her baby is sick, and the twins are at a wedding.”
“If you’d check the Discord server once in a while, you’d already know that.” Angelou twirled a strand of loose blue hair from one of her knots.
“You know I like to keep my mind free of digital noise,” said Lindsey, with another beatific smile.
