“Ditto,” Asher said.
“Same,” Haley said. “Come on, Gray. Really.”
“That isn’t up for debate, love.” Darius peered out from the other side of the basement door. It seemed he didn’t want to sleep through the excitement, after all, but he still couldn’t risk sunlight exposure. “All we’ve left to do is deal with the outcome. How we arrived at that outcome is now irrelevant.”
Emilio laced his fingers through mine, giving my hand a squeeze.
“Alright, we need to divide and conquer on this one,” he said. “Let the governor coordinate with emergency services and deal with the human population. As for the rest of us, our job description hasn’t changed. We need to stay on track with our plans.”
“The mayor wants all hands on deck at the precinct,” Elena said. “I don’t see how I can refuse.”
“No, don’t refuse,” Emilio said. “You, Lansky, and Hobb should do whatever you have to do to maintain status quo. We don’t want to arouse any suspicion from the humans, so if coordinating from the precinct is what you’d normally do in extreme weather, then that’s what you need to do now. But Elena, you need to be very, very careful out there. Don’t travel alone, and don’t take any unnecessary risks. Your job is not worth your life.¿Claro?”
Elena nodded. “We’re clear.”
“In the meantime, I’ll reach out to Verona and start coordinating with the witches in the area,” Emilio said. “It’s more important than ever that we stick together on this.”
“We’vealwaysbeen stronger together than scattered,” Haley said. “It’s time we start remembering that.”
“It’s happening.” In a swirl of cold air, Deirdre stepped in through the front door, her coat and boots thick with snow, her eyes wide with excitement.
Either she knew something the rest of us didn’t, or she’d finally gone off the deep end.
“I sensed a sudden shift in the universal energy,” she said, breathless. “Can’t you feel it? I came as soon as I could. We have so much to prepare for, and very little time to do it.”
“Deirdre, slow down,” I said. “What’s happening? What are you talking about?”
She beamed at me, locking me in her bright blue gaze.
I knew in a flash what she was going to say next.
“The Silversbane Prophecy, child. This is how it begins.”
“With the blizzard from hell?” I forced out a laugh, but a bolt of nervous energy shot down my spine, and inside, everything was trembling.
“You’ve already begun gathering witches,” she said, gesturing toward the sea of faces around us. “And now you will gather more.”
“Okay, and then what?” I laughed again, but anyone in that room who knew me could’ve seen right through it. “I just stand on a chair, bang on a glass, and roll right into it? Like,Hi! I’m Gray, third daughter of a third daughter of a third daughter, Silversbane heir, destined to unite everyone. By the way, how do you all feel about uniting? Hope no one’s got any plans tonight! Let’s do some icebreakers!” It sounded ridiculous, even without my added snark. These women were strangers. Many of them had their own covens or had been practicing solitary for years. Who was I to come in and claim such a powerful legacy?
Who was I to unite them? To lead?
All the old doubts rushed in. But then Emilio squeezed my hand again, and Haley came to stand at my side, and Ronan gave me a crooked grin, and Asher winked, and Darius offered a single nod of unwavering support.
And Liam’s eyes blazed bright, just for a moment.
“Yes, Gray,” Deirdre said, her own eyes softening. “You do just that. Perhaps with a little more finesse, but the principle is there. You tell them about yourself. Your magic. What you’ve learned. What’s to come. Remember, child. Most witches are already aware of the prophecy. And while some have dismissed it as legend, many still believe. Many still hope.”
Hope. That little word again, four letters and one syllable, strong enough to carry the most powerful essence we had.
But wasIstrong enough to carryit?
Maybe not on my own. But I wasn’t on my own anymore. I had my rebels. My grandmother and my sister. Two more sisters still to meet. New friends like Elena, Lansky, and Hobb. And the kind, supportive smiles of all the witches surrounding me now. I hadn’t even made time to learn all of their names, yet here they were, ready to cheer me on. Ready to trust me. Ready to help me carry that hope for our entire sisterhood.
My blood warmed, the magic settling into a comfortable hum. Suddenly, a sense of purpose rose inside me like a helium balloon, and I finally felt it. The energetic shift Deirdre had mentioned, like a warm wave of energy that radiated across my skin.
I smiled—a real one this time. “I think I’m… I’m actually ready for this.”
“Sounds like shit’s about to get real, Silversbane,” Asher said with a big grin of his own.
