The Maze (The Coven, Book 2) Read online

  Avery almost bolted up the steps when she spotted the coven gathered inside. She’d only known them for a couple of months, but they were her friends, her blood, and her history. Not to mention, some of them survived Regan’s nightmare realm with her, and they had all worked together to bind him before he could destroy them.

  When the coven turned to look at her and Reid, a tingle of shock ran through Avery. The power oozing from their pores lit their eyes and skin. After her powers awakened, Avery had also acquired this inhuman luminescence, but no matter how often she saw them, she couldn’t get used to the inhuman radiance they all emanated.

  Rosie beamed at her as she bounded over to squeeze Avery’s arm. Her short, strawberry blonde hair bounced against her neck as she hopped from one foot to the other. A smattering of reddish freckles decorated her button nose, and her large, sky blue eyes shone with warmth.

  “How do you like the school so far?” Rosie asked.

  “She hasn’t seen much of it yet,” Isla said, rolling her eyes.

  Isla’s disapproval didn’t deter Rosie as she beamed at Avery. “I know you’ll love it!”

  “Would somebody gag her?” Isla groaned. “How can anyone be so happy on the first day of school?”

  Isla leaned against the wooden railing as her almond-shaped, golden eyes focused on Rosie. Her knee-length, coffee-colored hair was pulled into a ponytail that emphasized her pixie-like features and delicate cheekbones.

  “It’s better to embrace the inevitable than dread it,” Rosie said.

  “Would you tell a death row inmate that?” Mario inquired.

  “Grumpy,” Rosie muttered at her cousin.

  “Dopey,” Mario retorted with a mischievous smile on his full lips and a teasing glint in his forest green eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the railing, stretching his long legs out before him. His dark, wavy brown hair framed his handsome, olive-skinned face.

  “What is this, the seven dwarves?” Shawn huffed.

  He looked utterly bored as he gazed at the back of the school. The gold streaks in his brown hair matched the gold flecks in his chocolate eyes. He had classic all-American boy features, and she’d recently learned he was the quarterback for the football team.

  “There are too many of us to be the dwarves,” Eric replied with a grin.

  Avery loved it when Eric smiled or laughed, as his amazing red-brown eyes sparkled when he was happy, and his fiery red hair brought out the red in his eyes. His warm, honest features put people at ease, and she’d seen girls melt because he bestowed one of his grins on them.

  “The ten dwarves then,” Landon said and smiled at Avery. Landon stood in the center of the pavilion with her hand enclosed in Alex’s. Her deep auburn hair shone in the sunlight as it flowed down her back. With her elegant features and blue-green eyes, she was beautiful.

  Beside her, Alex’s masculine perfection only emphasized Landon’s beauty. Tall and lean, Alex’s white-blond hair contrasted with the black luminescence of his eyes. Michelangelo himself could have carved his sculpted features.

  “Don’t be a bear, Shawn.” Sandra, Avery’s cousin, flicked a strand of her golden blonde hair with her bloodred nails over her shoulder. With her straight nose, emerald eyes, and thick red lips, Sandra was beautiful and oozed confidence. Aware of the effect she had on people, she reveled in her ability to make people gawk in awe or scatter at her approach.

  “Are you nervous?” Rosie asked her.

  “A little,” Avery admitted.

  “A new school can’t be any worse than Regan,” Mario said.

  Avery’s heart contracted at the mention of Regan. For a moment, she was back in her nightmare, staring into those electric blue eyes. She contemplated telling them about it but decided not to. There was no reason for them to be concerned because of a stupid dream; Regan was gone.

  “What’s your first class?” Shawn asked her.

  Avery looked up in surprise; Shawn was the last person she expected to show any interest in her schedule. “History of Ancient Civilizations.”

  “Not my kind of class,” Mario said.

  Rosie wrinkled her nose. “Mine either.”

  The dull ring of a bell in the distance caused Avery’s breath to catch. The day was beginning, and she had no idea where to go. Reid squeezed her hand, and she had to tilt her head to look up at him as he was nine inches taller than her five-foot-six height.

  “I’ll walk you to class,” he said.

  She smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him.

  “Ugh,” Eric grumbled. “Get a room!”

  Avery chuckled as she dropped down, and Reid wrapped his arm around her waist. “We’ll see you later,” she said. Now that it was time for this day to start, she was eager to plunge into it.

  “Good luck!” Rosie called after them as they left the pavilion.

  “Thanks,” Avery called over her shoulder. “What class do you have first?” she asked as they entered the school.

  Blue and gold streamers hung from the ceiling and covered the stair railings. Signs painted in the same colors were hung everywhere to welcome back students. Though the school colors and layout were different from her old school, it smelled the same, and the white concrete walls and metal lockers weren’t any different.

  Maybe this won’t be so bad.

  “Photography,” Reid said, patting his camera case. “I’ll be down the hall from you.”

  He swung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer as he led her through the school.

  CHAPTER 3

  Avery sighed as the bell ending class rang and students leapt up from their desks. When her aching shoulders sagged, she realized she’d been sitting as straight as a pole in her chair. Rolling her shoulders, she stretched her back to ease some of the tension in it, but it didn’t work. She’d been right; it wasn’t as bad as she thought… it was worse.

  The second she’d walked through the door of her class, people stopped talking to stare at her. She’d expected some curiosity. She was new after all, but no one had approached her, and the conversation that filled the class before her entrance never resumed. She never even heard one whisper asking who she was.

  Feeling self-conscious at first, she’d tugged on her hair and shirt, but by the end of class, she realized it wasn’t her looks they didn’t like—it was her. She’d felt them staring at her all through class. Even the teacher paid more attention to her than the others. She hadn’t dared to raise her hand, so he hadn’t called on her, but he’d watched her often.

  For some reason, they were suspicious of her, and she suspected it was more than her being the new kid. The coven had said no one knew they were witches, but she doubted that was true. People weren’t stupid, and they had instincts. Maybe the people in this school didn’t know exactly what the members of the coven were, but with the aura of power they exuded and their strange inner glow, it was easy to tell they were different from other people.

  And humans feared different.

  Over the years, the residents in town and these students had become accustomed to the presence of the coven. They’d accepted them and grown secure in the fact that the coven wouldn’t hurt them, but she was a newcomer. Maybe they would have thought her just an ordinary person if she hadn’t arrived with Reid, went to the pavilion to meet with the coven, and if she didn’t also radiate power.

  The people here didn’t know what to expect from her, and because of that, they didn’t trust her. She didn’t blame them—she hadn’t trusted the coven in the beginning either—but this wariness and scrutiny certainly didn’t make her already nerve-wracking first day any easier.

  Chairs scraped and feet moved past as she bent and slid her book into her backpack. When she sat up, a folded piece of paper sat on her desk. A sense of foreboding crept through her as she glanced around the empty room. Whoever left the note fled as soon as they dropped it.

  Chewing on her bottom lip, she stared at the note like it was a rattlesnake pr
eparing to strike. However, it remained sitting innocuously on her desk. Her skin crawled at the idea of reading it, but she had no choice. Before she could change her mind and leave the room, she snatched the note up and unfolded the piece of paper.

  Her mind stuttered to a halt as her eyes tumbled over the hastily scrawled words.

  Witches are burned for their sins!!!

  Fury and terror warred within her as she reread the words. It was bad enough she had to deal with a new school, new people, and being deemed the social outcast, but she also had to deal with threats! She wanted to flee back to Rhode Island and her old school where no one, other than her friends, knew what she was.

  “Avery.”

  She jumped and crumpled the note as she spun in her seat. Reid was gazing at her from the doorway, but when he saw her face, his smile slid away. “What’s the matter?” he demanded.

  Avery snatched her bag off the floor and rose from her seat. She preferred no one knew how much of a pariah she was, but she had to tell him. If whoever left the note knew about witches, then it affected him and the rest of the coven too.

  She strode over and thrust the crumpled note out to him. A line creased his brow as he stared at it before taking and reading it.

  “Did you see who left this?” he demanded when he finished.

  “No.”

  “Cowards!” he hissed.

  “Do you have any idea who could have left it?”

  “No. Come on, let’s find Landon.”

  He clasped her arm and drew her against his side as they walked through the crowded hallway. Practically jogging to keep up with his brisk pace, Avery barely noticed the people they passed. A small girl stumbled out of Reid’s way before turning to gape after them. Avery started to apologize to the girl, but then she remembered the hostility filling her classroom and clamped her mouth shut. She doubted anyone wanted to hear what she had to say.

  When they turned down another hall, Avery spotted Landon leaning against a wall while she laughed with a group of girls. She looked up, and her smile faded away when she spotted Reid stalking toward her.

  The rest of the group turned to look at them, and some of the girls gave Reid desirous looks; Avery scowled at them. Three of the girls looked away, but a pretty brunette met her stare. The animosity in the girl’s brown eyes startled Avery. Then the girl turned to Reid, and her face softened.

  It seemed the people in this school had accepted the rest of the coven and it was just her they didn’t like. Yep, this was officially one of her worst days ever. Nothing would ever top Regan, or at least she hoped it wouldn’t, but being despised and feared for being her was awful. Never mind someone thought she should burn for being born a witch—something she could not change.

  Avery squeezed Reid’s hand and stepped possessively closer to him. He didn’t notice her subtle movement as he stopped in front of Landon, but the girl who’d given her the death stare returned to shooting daggers at Avery with her eyes.

  “We have to talk,” Reid told his twin sister. “Alone.”

  Landon glanced at the group. “I’ll see you in study hall, and we can discuss the Halloween dance then.”

  “Bye, Landon,” a small redhead called.

  “Bye, Landon. Bye, Reid.” The brunette brushed against Reid as she walked away and gave him a smile that made Avery see red.

  Amazed by her brazenness, Avery turned to stare after her. “Who is that?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Reid said as Landon said, “Dottie. She’s on the dance committee with me.”

  She knew Landon was excited about being the head of the dance committee this year. Avery stared at Dottie as the girl glanced back at Reid. “Is she an ex?” Avery asked Reid.

  Reid’s hand tightened on her arm before he released it and slid it around her waist. “We dated a few times.”

  Great, she could add a jealous ex to the growing list of people who disliked her in this school. “Isn’t it too soon to be discussing the Halloween dance?” she asked.

  “It’s never too soon. We take dances seriously in this school,” Landon said with a grin.

  They take their death threats seriously too, Avery thought.

  “We’ve got a problem,” Reid said.

  “What is it?” Landon asked.

  “This.” Reid handed her the note.

  Landon took the note, and when she finished reading it, her jaw dropped. “This was yours?” she asked Reid.

  “Avery’s.”

  A deep crease formed between Landon’s brows as she looked at the note again. “I don’t understand. No one here knows what we are.”

  “Judging by the note and the way they’re reacting to me, I don’t think that’s true,” Avery said.

  “What do you mean?” Reid demanded.

  Avery shifted her backpack on her shoulder as she told them about the hostility she’d sensed in her classroom.

  “But…” Landon started, and her voice trailed off as she stared at the note again. “I guess if they do know about us, or at least if some of them did, it makes sense that if they wanted to start causing problems they would go after Avery first. They probably see her as the weak link.”

  “Are you ready for physics, Avery?” Rosie asked as she practically bounced up to them like Tigger on a sugar rush. “I’m so glad you’re in my class. I hate science, but I need the credit, and I could use help with…” Rosie’s smile slid away as she seemed to sense their tension. “What’s going on?”

  “Avery received this,” Landon said, handing her the note.

  Rosie took the note and read it. “Is this a joke?”

  “I wish,” Avery said.

  A bell rang, and a rush of straggling students scurried past them as they ran for their classrooms.

  “We have to go,” Reid said. He squeezed her waist before kissing her forehead. “If you need me for anything, text me and I’ll find you.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  Clasping her chin, he lifted her face, so she had to look at him. “I mean it, Avery. Contact me immediately if anyone else gives you trouble.”

  She nodded, and this time when he kissed her it was more demanding. For a second, Avery forgot all about this awful day as love suffused her. Then, he was pulling away, and she found herself gazing into eyes so gray they were silver.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured him.

  “Hmm,” he grunted before kissing her again and stepping away.

  “We have to go,” Rosie said, looping her arm through Avery’s. “Our class is on the first floor, and I’m not much of a runner.”

  Avery wasn’t in the mood for running either, but they didn’t have much of a choice as the late bell rang.

  CHAPTER 4

  Isla and Eric walked beside her around the back of the school and across the rolling green campus beyond. “We always sit at the tables out back when the weather’s good,” Isla explained.

  “We only eat in the cafeteria if we have to,” Eric added. “It gets a little too crowded in there.”

  When they broke over the top of a hill, Avery spotted Landon, Rosie, Shawn, and Mario sitting at one of the four picnic tables below. Beyond the tables were two baseball fields, a soccer field, and bleachers with more students milling around them and sitting down to eat. The three of them descended the hill and walked over to join the coven.

  “Any more notes?” Landon asked.

  “No,” Avery said as she settled beside her on the bench.

  “Has anyone said anything to you?”

  “There’s another new girl in my study hall, Talia. She’s the only person who’s been willing to speak to me outside of the coven. It was probably a bad choice on her part as I’m sure it’s not going to ingratiate her with anyone in this school, but she’s nice.”

  And Avery had been so excited to have someone outside of the coven acknowledge her existence that she’d plunged into a conversation with Talia. Normally, she could be shy around new people, but she’d soaked up Talia’s will
ingness to interact with her. She’d been starting to feel as if she was less than nothing in this place, but talking with Talia made her feel like an actual person again.

  She’d already invited Talia over to her house on Saturday to hang out with her and her friends. Avery also asked Talia to join her at lunch, but she had to get something with her schedule straightened out and went to the office instead.

  Avery glanced at the clear blue sky as she tried not to think about the note she received. Closing her eyes, she savored the power she felt flowing through the air and humming up from the earth beneath her sneakers.

  Until she’d become a witch, she hadn’t realized how much energy pulsated through the world, but now she felt it in every particle of air and every speck of dirt. She was connected to nature, and not only did it fuel her body, but her power also thrived on it.

  When she opened her eyes again, she spotted Reid, Sandra, and Alex cresting the hill and coming toward them. Reid’s lean body moved with effortless grace, and Avery’s throat went dry as she watched him.

  When they arrived at the picnic tables, Reid slid onto the bench beside her and kissed her. “Everything all right?”

  “Yes,” she told him.

  “Any more notes?”

  “No, but do you think they really know I’m a witch?” she asked as she looked at the rest of the coven.

  “Yesterday I would have said no, but now I’m not so sure,” Landon said.

  “None of you believed that anyone here knew you were witches, but they just have to look at us to know there’s something different. But they could have believed we looked different for any number of reasons, how did they know witch?”

  “Maybe they didn’t know and just guessed,” Isla suggested.

  “That’s a really good guess,” Mario said as he lifted a grilled cheese sandwich from his lunch tray.

  “Maybe Avery’s the only one they suspect,” Isla said.

  “Doubtful,” Landon said. “And if it was just Avery, they’ll suspect us too because they’ll know we’re all together.”