Fern's Flight (Sisters of Hex: Fern Book 3) Read online

  “Was?” Accacia asks before I can.

  “Yes, was. He gave up that magic the moment he sacrificed it to save us all. We’ve been working on trying to gain some of that old magic back, but I realise now it is better he is free of it. Free of that bond with his sister. He’s sick because he’s a witch and he’s meant to have magic. That is why I must Entwine with him, not for my gain, but for his. As his soulmate, I believe I can share some of my magic with him.”

  “Then he must let you,” I say.

  “Try telling him that… As I said, he’s stubborn, pig-headed.”

  “Then persuade him. We will give you space to do that,” Accacia says. “Do whatever it takes. If anyone can make him see sense, it’s you.”

  “Believe me, I’ve thought about strapping him down…” Lissandra says with a wicked twinkle in her eye. “But, non-consensual sex isn’t something I’d ever partake in, that’s more Adrielle’s style. She’s bewitched too many people for her own gain, my best friend included.” Lissandra’s eyes turn stormy, a whiff of grey smoke unfurls from her fingertips.

  “Lissa, you’re smoking,” Accacia says, pointing to her hand.

  “Sorry,” Lissandra responds. With a flick of her wrist, the smoke disappears. “I have until Fern returns to persuade Nostra to Entwine with me. After that he will be too concerned with battling his sister.”

  “He won’t have the strength to do any fighting if he doesn’t Entwine with you,” Accacia says with a shake of her head.

  “You know that, I know that, and so does he. I’ve just got to convince him it’s the right thing to do.”

  “I’m pleased you might have a solution to help Nostra, but I’m confused too. You mentioned you have a theory and it involves us all. So where do we come in?” I ask.

  Lissandra squeezes my hand. “You take life like the rest of the cursed angels of Clan Vitae, but more importantly you can give life, Fern. That has nothing to do with the curse, or your heritage. That is a gift of magic.”

  “I thought maybe it’s because my parents gave life, because before the curse the whole of Clan Vitae did.”

  “No one in Clan Vitae gave life, they delivered it. Two very different things.”

  “What are you saying, that I’m a witch too?”

  Lissa gives me a bright smile, it chases away the sadness at Nostra’s refusal of her help.

  “I believe so, yes. And more importantly, we are of the same coven. That’s why you can hear me.”

  My mouth drops open in shock. Could this really be true? That I am part witch too? “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. It makes perfect sense.”

  I look from Lissandra to Accacia, both of whom are grinning.

  “And Accacia? You mentioned all the sisters. Are they witches too?”

  “Yes,” Lissa confirms.

  “Wait, I have no magic powers, unless you include the ability to drink blood and run faster than a cheetah on land. Though I’m pretty sure all members of Clan Lux have those abilities too,” Accacia says with a light laugh.

  “No magic you say? What about your ability to heal?”

  “I’m a vampire, we can all heal,” Accacia reminds Lissandra, shaking her head in bemusement.

  “But what about before you changed? You told me yourself that you healed faster than any human could. That you kept it quiet because you knew it wasn’t normal. The gift to regenerate, that is magic, Accacia. Not only that, you told me that you can communicate with Clover without the need to go to the stone room. Your connection to her, isn’t because of the prophecy. It’s because of your bond as coven members.”

  “Well, shit,” Accacia says, a little flabbergasted. She puffs out her cheeks, blowing the air out slowly.

  “But there’s a flaw to your theory. I can’t hear Accacia or Dani for that matter. You said that I could hear you because we are of the same coven. So why can’t I hear Accacia or Dani then if that’s the case?” I ask.

  “That’s simple. Right now, I have more magic. Accacia and Dani need to practice cultivating theirs. Soon, you’ll be able to them too, and the others.”

  “And the prophecy? It mentions five sisters…”

  “That’s correct. I’m not one of the five, no, but we are of the same coven and that makes us connected, related if you will, by magic. Nostra helped your mothers to protect you all. He spelled the rings to keep you safe, so that one day your men could find you. I am fated to Nostra, he is my soulmate. We are all bound to each other, connected by a common goal, by magic, by friendship, love. Even your men, though they don’t realise it yet will be friends, I’m sure of that. This is what will defeat Adrielle, because we have each other.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I say, and I mean it. I really hope we defeat Queen Adrielle. I can’t bear to lose anyone else to her wickedness.

  “Speaking of which, we are here because you need to make contact with Dani.”

  “I’m not sure I can. I’ve tried so many times since the last time we spoke…”

  “But you haven’t tried with our help,” Lissandra says with a determined smile.

  Accacia squeezes my hand. “We can do this… together, Fern.”

  “Together,” I repeat.

  Chapter Three

  “The first thing you must do is empty your mind of everything else apart from your friend Dani,” Lissandra explains.

  “Where have I heard that before?” I mutter, remembering Ether telling me the exact same thing when he was teaching me to read his thoughts. Back then it had been easy. Simple.

  I hear Lissandra sigh and feel immediately ungrateful. She’s trying to help me.

  “I’m sorry. I can do this. I will do this.” It’s not as though I haven’t done it before, though I’m not convinced it will work as well this time given I’ve failed so miserably the last few occasions I’ve tried to reach Dani.

  “Not the easiest task at the moment, I imagine,” Accacia says, giving me a sympathetic smile.

  “No, not really.” I scrape a hand over my face. How can I empty my mind of all the thoughts that keep filling it up? It’s overflowing with them. My mother’s blank stare, Abanthe’s severed head in my hands, the light fading from Ether’s eyes, Clan Vitae willing and ready to go to war for me, the threat of Queen Adrielle’s army. All of that weighs heavily. My wings are featherlight in comparison.

  Accacia lays a gentle hand on my arm drawing my attention back to her.

  “It’ll get easier… the responsibility. Believe me I get it, but however hard this may be to take, Fern, this isn’t just about you and your men anymore. This is about so much more than that,” she says, not unkindly.

  She knows, she’s been there. I’ve heard the story of what she did to save Devin. The sacrifice she made for him, for them all. She didn’t take the easy route, and neither will I.

  In front of me, Lissandra shifts to a more comfortable position. She crosses her legs, the material of her trousers bunching up at her calves. I notice a tattoo curling up from her ankle. It’s not a Bluebell like mine, no, this is something far more abstract. Two wisps of colour curling up from her ankle to her mid-calf. Lilac and grey intertwined. It’s beautiful. My eyes flick to her fingertips, the same powdered grey staining them.

  Lissandra notices me staring. “I’m trying out some magic. One down, four more to go,” she says by way of explanation, before reaching over and pressing her stained fingers against the back of my hand.

  “We’re doing all of this for one reason, and one reason only,” Lissandra says, changing the subject once more. “This is about stopping Queen Adrielle once and for all. It’s about freeing the people of Ever Vale. It’s about saving the ones we love…” Lissandra’s voice trails off. I see the pain in her eyes, darkening the dove grey to a cloudy steel. She regards me a moment like she’s deciding whether or not she should say what she’s really thinking. I nod my head, giving her the permission to do so. Not that she needs it really, I already know that Lissandra isn’t the type to ever hold back the truth. I respect her for that.

  “Fern, I was forced to watch my parents return to the Light. I had to listen to their screams as the skin was stripped from their bones and the sun they once worshipped turned them to ash. I was nine. That day I vowed I would have my revenge, that somehow, I would do something to save the people of Ever Vale. It was years later that I got the chance. Nostra, he gave me that opportunity and I intend to see it through. Whether that means I, we, die doing that, then that is the price I’m willing to pay.”

  “I’m sorry…” I murmur.

  “I’m not saying this for sympathy, Fern. We’ve all lost someone because of Adrielle. No one is left without scars. My best friend was taken from me too, made sick by Queen Adrielle’s spell. He had loved her, but it was a disease and nothing like love should be. She took his life and his joy and cast him aside when he was no longer useful. I’ve watched countless men and women pass into her chambers never to be seen again, even more lives destroyed by her rage and her wickedness. There’s no goodness left in her, if there ever was.”

  “I’m afraid,” I say.

  It’s the truth. Ever since I took that monster’s head, I’ve been afraid. Not of the demons, not of Queen Adrielle even, but of myself. That moment when I’d addressed the people of Clan Vitae I’d been so fired up, so full of anger and rage that fear hadn’t chance to fester. Since then the fear has taken hold. How can I lead these people if I can’t pull myself together enough?

  “Whatever fear you hold,” Lissandra says, as though reading my mind. “It is nothing compared to what Adrielle will do to you, to your men, your people, if she ever gets the chance. Be that person who took off Abanthe’s head. Find that courage now. Push every doubt away, there is no time for it. We have strengt
h in each other’s support, yes that’s true, but the real strength is what comes from within. I know you have it. I saw it,” she says, placing the flat of her palm against the middle of my chest. I feel a warmth emanating from it.

  “You were fierce, and powerful. That is who you need to be to lead your people. That is who you are. Close your eyes, reach out to Dani. We need Clan Spiritus on our side. Do it now,” she demands.

  My chest heaves under her touch, not because of it, but because of the truth of her words. Lissandra is right, there’s no time for self-doubt and self-indulgence. I need to pull myself together and fast. We lock eyes and I nod.

  Behind me my wings spread out and I tip my head back, loving the feel of their release. Lissandra’s hand falls away from my chest, instead taking my hand in hers. Accacia grips my other one tightly. I close my eyes.

  “We don’t have long, Fern. Find her for us,” Lissandra murmurs. Her voice fading out as the stone room appears.

  “Dani, you’d better be here,” I say, twisting on my feet and facing her door with the sunflower etched into the surface. Not even a second later, the door swings open, followed by a warm blast of air as Dani comes rushing in. This time she’s completely naked, unashamedly so. Her body is lean, strong, and a dark umber colour. Golden lights highlight her reddish-brown hair. She must have spent a lot of time naked given there’s not a single tan line anywhere on her body. The amount of time we spent sprawled out in the sun during summer trying to get a tan was crazy. I’d remain stubbornly pale, whilst Dani would turn a beautiful shade of golden brown.

  “You’re…” I don’t get to finish my sentence because in a few strides she has rushed forward and pulled me into her arms.

  “Fern, fuck. I’ve been trying to get back here for so long…”

  The relief I feel is overwhelming. But we’ve no time to indulge ourselves in this hug. Things need to be said. I pull out of her arms, resting my hands on her shoulders. She’s still beautiful, more so if that’s possible. Her eyes have taken on a permanent amber glow. If I look hard enough I can see her wolf prowling just behind the dark pupils.

  “Queen Adrielle has made an army of demons. One of them killed my mother, he nearly killed Ether too, but I saved him. I had the power to choose who lived and who died, and I chose him over Mum.”

  Dani looks shocked, but she doesn’t try to interrupt, knowing what I need to say is important.

  “I am both an Angel of Death and something else, something more.”

  “What, Fern?”

  “A witch.”

  “A witch?!”

  “Yes. I take life just like the rest of Clan Vitae, but I can give life too. That’s a gift of magic. Magic that makes me a witch as well as an Angel of Death.”

  “Shit, Fern…” she cocks her head to the side, her nose crinkling as she sniffs at the air. Recognition passes across her features.

  “Come to think of it, you do smell like a mixture of angel and witch. I’ve meet both, one was a pleasure, the other, definitely not.”

  “What’s been going on?” I ask, forgetting for a moment the urgency of our meeting and needing to know what the hell she’s been up to.

  “Let’s put it this way. It’s been an eventful time since I last saw you, but I don’t think now is the right time to talk about it. I can tell by your face there’s a lot more you need to say. So, spit it out, Fern.”

  “We believe you are a witch too…”

  She pulls a disgruntled face, but I plough on, needing to tell her. “All five ‘sisters’ mentioned in the prophecy are part of the same coven.”

  “I’m a witch…? I know I can turn into a wolf, but that’s because of the curse, because of my mark…”

  “Mark?

  She shakes her head. “That’s not important… This, however, is news to me. Are you certain?”

  “Think about it. Even before you became what you are, you’ve always had a way with animals, Dani. It’s like you know what they’re thinking, feeling. This empathy, this connection you have with all living creatures. It’s why you were so good at your job… That’s your magic. It makes so much sense.”

  “Bloody hell!” she says with a bemused laugh. She splays out her hands in front of her, as though expecting a puff of magic to appear. When it doesn’t she drops her hands to her side and looks at me.

  “I’m not sure how this is going to go down with the wolf-pack. They’re not fond of witches, for obvious reasons.”

  “I get that, but you are a witch. We all are… Lissandra too.”

  “Lissandra?”

  “Yes, she’s been helping Nostra, helping us.”

  Dani’s eyebrows pull together, the deep groove between them punctuating her flawless skin.

  “Of course, Blake told me about her, about them both. Nostra is the witch who spelled the stones to find us, who spelled these rings we wear.”

  “Yes, and Lissandra is Nostra’s soulmate.”

  “She is?”

  “Most definitely. You should see them together. The chemistry, it’s unnerving. I’m not sure how they manage to keep their hands off one another. Actually, that’s not true. I know how and why they keep their distance. Nostra has enforced it on them both.”

  “Men! Why do they have to make shit so complicated?”

  “You seem to have experience in that?” I say, cocking an eyebrow. “Is it Finch?”

  “Definitely not,” she says, grinning.

  “Blake?”

  “No, never him.” Dani’s cheeks flush, a look of desire lighting her amber orbs. “He’s the least complicated man I know.”

  “Who then?”

  “Seb. He drives me goddamn nuts. He’s more wolf than human, and even his wolf is stubborn.”

  “There’s always one,” I say, thinking of Ether.

  I feel a sudden tug in my chest, speak of the devil. Images of Ether come to mind. He’s trying to call me back and I still haven’t said what’s needed.

  Time’s almost up. We need to go, he says. The words forming in my mind and leaving just as quickly.

  “You alright, Fern?” Dani asks.

  “We’ve got minutes and as much as I want to discuss difficult men with you, there’s more pressing things that I need to explain.”

  “I’m all ears,” Dani responds, waiting.

  “So back to witches,” I say quickly, the words coming out in a rush. “We are gifted our magic. Covens are formed by that magical connection, not by blood or by kin. Much like the five of us are connected through this curse. Lissandra is a part of our coven too, the magic bringing us together.”

  “Bloody hell, I’m not sure I can take any more surprises,” Dani responds.

  “Believe me, having Lissandra on our side is a good thing. I’ve seen what she can already do, and she hasn’t even Entwined with Nostra yet.”

  “Entwined?”

  “It’s a long story, and not the most pressing one. At least not for us, though I hope Nostra sees sense and soon,” I say, waving my hand in the air. Dani doesn’t press further, knowing me well enough to know that I would tell her should it be important enough.

  “Tell me about these demons,” she asks, her lips pressing into a hard line.

  “Queen Adrielle used her magic to change some vampires of Clan Lux into creatures even more hideous. Abanthe became a winged demon made of stone. I killed him,” I say without remorse or regret.

  “You killed him?” Dani’s eyebrows lift into her hairline.

  “You’re surprised by that fact?”

  “A little, yes.” Her eyes soften, the amber turning into a burnt gold. “That’s not the Fern I know…” she says softly.

  “He tortured my mother, Dani. He deserved to die.”

  “I’m not saying he didn’t. I know what he did to Blake and I’m glad he’s dead. But I worry for you.”

  “I’m not the person I was, and I’m coming to terms with that. Look at us, we’ve both changed. To survive this new life, we must adapt. We must be strong even when we feel weak. If I had to do it again, I would’ve killed Abanthe slowly. His death was swift, but Mum, she suffered.”

  “You said you had to make a choice. That you chose to save Ether?” Dani asks quietly.

  I grit my teeth, nodding my head. “It was the only choice I could make.”