Page 95 of Magic's Rise

Tris and I stumble toward the vehicle, legs wobbling like noodles.

“I’ve gotten so out of shape since I turned back to human,” Tris wheezes.

I catch myself against the Jeep and struggle to open the door. “You’ve definitely downgraded to a four-pack.”

Tris’s head whips up. “Excuse me?”

“Your Adonis belt is vanishing, too.” I try to pat him in comfort, but my shaking muscles turn it into a slap. “It’s okay to be soft. I still love you.”

“I want a divorce.” With a glare, he climbs into the Jeep. “You’re dead to me.”

He slams the door and clicks the lock into place.

“But I love soft Tris!” I wiggle the handle. “So much better to snuggle!”

Levi’s hand lands heavy on my shoulder. “You dug your grave with that one. It’s going to take some serious groveling to crawl out of it.”

With a little shove, he pushes me toward the other side of the Jeep, where I struggle to climb into the front. As soon as I’m sitting, the last of my energy seeps out of my body, and I sag against the door.

I must fall into a doze, because the next thing I know, we’re parking at the pack compound.

Rubbing my eyes, I open the car door and tumble out. Sleep tonight is going to feel so good that I might skip lunch and dinner to start right now.

Like zombies, Tris and I shuffle behind Levi toward the Alpha’s house, but as we reach it, a young werewolf rises from the porch steps.

I recognize him as Jacob, Kaela’s suitor from the night before. In the bright light of day, I notice his shaggy, brown hair and blue eyes.

He stops in front of Levi, his shoulders hunched. “Hey, um, I wanted to ask about Kaela. Does the Alpha think she had something to do with the poisoning last night?”

“We’re not sure of anything right now.” Levi ruffles his hair, making it even more messy. “But she and the others are being treated well while we investigate. For now, stay away from the witches, you hear?”

“Okay.” Jacob drops his head and shuffles away.

As Levi leads us into the house, he lets out a heavy sigh. “I hope Kaela isn’t involved in all this.”

He glances back toward the door and lowers his voice. “Jacob hasn’t shown interest in anyone since his high school sweetheart broke his heart and left Silver Hollow. And now this happens with the first person he’s opened himself up to again.”

“I hope none of the young witches had a hand in this mess.” I like Aris and really don’t want to find out another member of my family—however distantly related—is evil. She deserves better than what life has dealt her.

Everyone is so excited that I’m part of the lost Rothaven coven, but she’s more of a Rothaven than I will ever be. She’s earned the right to gain access to the ancestral grimoire and fully embrace the power that was denied her simply because her however-many-greats-grandma was adopted into the family.

“Come on, I’ll show you where we store the moon-madness amulets, so we can put that question to rest.” Levi leads us through the living room and down the hall on the right, into their personal quarters.

With everything else going on, I had almost forgotten about that, and now excitement shoots through me. If Aris turns out not to be an evil cousin, maybe she can look at the charms again under Aspen’s guidance to see if our great and powerful mentor can give her some insight into their recreation.

We follow Levi past a series of doors, and he stops in front of what appears to be solid wood paneling. He presses his hands against it, and the entire wall shifts inward, and then slides to the side.

“Holy shit,” Tris breathes. “A secret treasure room.”

“Well, I don’t know if I’d call it a treasure room.” Levi steps into the narrow, dimly lit hall that’s been revealed. “But it is secret, so lips zipped about this.”

Even though he can’t see us, Tris and I mime zipping our lips.

I struggle to orient myself. “Does this lead behind the kitchen?”

Levi shakes his head. “It’s between the pantry and the powder room.”

He stops in front of another door and pulls an ancient key from his pocket, fitting it into the lock. “Only Griffen, Ezra, and I have a key to this room, so even if someone found our secret passage, they wouldn’t be able to get in here.”

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