Page 75 of This Coven Won't Break
“Why don’t you girls take a moment for yourselves,” Archer suggests. “I’ll supervise the Casters.”
“What about me?” Alice asks.
Lady Ariana levels her cold glare at the flippant Blood Witch. “You can stay here.” She speaks the words with a quiet coolness that drains the color from Alice’s pale face.
“Come on,” Morgan prompts, something catching in her voice. Gemma and I follow her to my room, and the moment the door closes behind us, tears spill over Morgan’s face. “This is all my fault. My mom wouldn’t let me come see you, but I had to know if you were really okay.” She wipes the tears off her cheeks. “I was so scared.”
“We both were,” Gemma says. “And it’s just as much my fault. I’m the one who convinced you to sneak out so we could come see her.”
I don’t blame either of them, but my lips won’t form thosewords. “I hate this,” I say again. Apparently, it’s the only thing I can say anymore.
I hate that I’m losing my best friend.
I hate that it’smyElder taking Gem from me when Keating seems so ready to make a change.
I hate that every time I think I’ve reached the limits of how awful my life can get, the universe laughs in my face and makes everything so much worse.
“It’s going to be okay,” Gemma soothes. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be your best friend.”
“But I hated hiding things from you.” My voice catches, and this shouldn’t be the thing that breaks me, but it is. It’s a loss I never prepared for. “I can’t go back to that.”
“You can and you will.”
“Gemma...”
“Hannah...” She mimics my whining tone, drawing out the finalahsound. “You are going to be fine. I will always love you, whether I know you’re a witch or not.”
“Promise?”
“Obviously.”
“Well,” I say, trying to get a grip on my emotions, “since it’s your last day knowing about witches, is there anything you wanted to ask?”
“Besides everything?”
I laugh. It’s a sad, wilted thing, and then I spend the next two hours telling Gemma absolutely everything about my Clan. The stories and beliefs of how we came to be, the years of practice, wearing binding rings until we’re thirteen. Morgan does an impressive one-handed push-up and admits that Blood Witches can regulate their periods, even skip them altogether if theywant, which draws serious jealousy from both Gem and me.
But we laugh. We get to forget—if only for a few minutes at a time—what’s waiting for us on the other side of the door.
“Girls?” A knock interrupts Morgan mid-handstand, and she nearly falls. Mom’s voice penetrates the door, but she at least doesn’t try to barge her way in. “We’re ready for you.”
Gem blows out a slow breath. “I guess this is it.”
“I’ll be right there the whole time,” I promise, even though I don’t know if Archer will let me. “I’ll never forget how great you’ve been. I’ll never forget what you’re doing for me today.”
Gemma crushes me in a hug, her long arms wrapped tightly around me. “I’ll be okay, Hannah.” But she sounds less sure of herself, and when she pulls away, there are tears in her eyes. “And even if you forget, it’s not like I’ll remember to be mad at you.”
A laugh catches in my throat, and it takes all of my strength not to burst into tears right there in my room. “At least with this, you’ll have met someone from all three Clans. You’re probably the only non-witch who’s seen all our magics.”
“You’ll have to remember for me.” She smiles, but it’s a sad thing. A curve of the lip that doesn’t fully hide the pain in her eyes.
Gemma and Morgan leave first, but Mom stops me from following them.
“Mom, I need to be there.”
“I know, baby.” She reaches out, and I step into her hug. “I need you to know I’m not angry with you. Gemma is such a good friend, and I’m so glad you have her. She’s still welcome here anytime.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I squeeze back, but I have to pull away first. When we get to the dining room, only Archer, Cal, and ElderHudson are waiting for us. A glass of shimmering opalescent liquid, like melted pearls, sits on the table.
