Page 96 of First Ritual

Wild crowded me. “You’re not going.” He gripped both my shoulders. “They’ll fucking kill you. Please don’t go through with it, Tempest.”

I mean, I’d be an idiot to go. Obviously. His parents didn’t want me for my magical prowess or community-centered attitude. “I’m not transferring yet. Or going anywhere. Not without figuring this stuff out.”

Tempest Bronte Corentine was all in with this bullshit despite her every intention to keep clear of it.

First things first. Wild’s parents had wriggled under his skin in the same way my past got under mine. I hugged him and slipped my hands under his dark tunic to rest them against the skin of his back. The skin there would be rippling with our connection. “You need to go into this calm.”

He shuddered under my touch, and I had to revel that the mother had created this phenomenon. As annoying as this mating thingy was. The power my touch held for this man. There was something to behold in the force of that connection.

“Why can’t they leave me and my life the fuck alone?” he asked me.

I hummed. “You can’t control them. You can control yourself. You won’t show any part of your frustration in what happens next. You won’t show your parents that they’ve gotten to you. That’s how you win for now.”

“Dare I ask what is happening next?”

He could ask. Not sure he’d like the answer. “You’re going to do my affinity test.”

“They’ve decided—”

I patted his arm. “No one decides things for me except the mother. And for the last twenty-one years, she’s mostly seemed happy to let me decide for myself.”

He pursed his lips. “How will you go about changing their minds?”

“I’ll figure that part out. There’s just one little thing for you to figure out in the meantime.”

Wild exhaled, wrapping his arms around me. I couldn’t have told you which one of us needed the hug more.

His words were heavy. “How not to attack your magic again like I did when we kissed?”

Yep. Exactly. Wild was doing my affinity test whether he—or I—liked it or not.

24

Delta’s right brow hadn’t lowered. The entire council sat at their round stone table, Wild included.

I stood, knees locked to remain upright, before them.

“Sorry to summon you from the bar this evening?” Varden asked, though his expression showed his bewilderment.

What a time to remember I was dressed in flannel pajamas when my cover story was the bar. “That’s fine. I was getting ready to turn in,” I replied calmly.

“Early,” he answered. “Seven-thirty.”

It was only seven-thirty. Fuck me. This day had become three. I swayed slightly. “A little under the weather.”

Opal frowned. “What does that mean, dear?”

Oh. “Unwell.”

Sage’s face pinched. “Never nice to do things when you feel unwell. Perhaps, we—”

“The original coven was quite right.” Barrow cut her off.

I tilted my head. “The original coven? Could someone explain what that is?”

“The first coven,” Winona said in a hushed undertone. “The one from which we are all stemmed.”

“I see. They rule the Buried Knolls coven too?” I asked.

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