GRAY
I spent the early morning sleeping in my own bed, blissfully alone and free from the restraints, blinds drawn tight against the daylight, door locked and guarded by both hounds to keep any would-be visitors away.
By the time I woke up, the sun had just set, and the lodge was buzzing with activity. I crept downstairs on quiet feet, hoping to catch my sisters alone. I found them in the kitchen; Verona had them working hard, pulverizing dried herbs and portioning them into glass jars while several other witches fluttered around them, collecting and labeling the full jars, looking over ingredient lists, taking stock of the herbs in the pantry.
They didn’t notice me at first, and I lingered in the doorway, taking a moment to soak it all in.
Haley was practically buzzing, talking a mile-a-minute, her smile bright and warm. If she was still dwelling on the blood oath she’d sworn in the crypt, she didn’t show it one bit. Her curves were coming back, as was her hair—the fuzz I’d gotten used to was now a cute pixie cut that made her green eyes pop.
Adele looked a hundred times better than when I’d last seen her in the cemetery, which was a huge relief. Her face was still gaunt, tattooed with the bruises and scrapes her captors had given her, but those marks were already beginning to fade. Her color had completely returned, those beautiful brown eyes sparkling. They were kind eyes, open and trusting despite the fear lingering there.
Despite our different eye color, she looked a lot like me. Same cheekbones, same blonde hair, though hers was a bit longer. Apparently, her captors hadn’t cut it, and now it curled over her shoulder in a low side ponytail.
I blinked back tears. I still couldn’t believe I had sisters, that they were here, that three out of the four of us had finally been reunited after more than two decades apart.
And we’ll find Georgie, too. Whatever it takes.
“Gray! You’re up!”
Haley’s squeal of delight snapped me out of my thoughts, and I stepped in through the doorway, beaming at her as she darted across the kitchen and launched herself into my arms.
“You look fucking amazing, girl.” She laughed as she pulled back and took me in, head to toe. “I missed you so much! I’ve been trying to get in to see you for days, but your supreme protectors were having none of it.”
“That was foryourprotection, not mine.” I pulled her in for another quick hug. It was so good to see her, to feel her, whole and alive. Despite all the obstacles we’d yet to face, I felt stronger just knowing we’d be doing it together.
“How… how are you feeling? I mean, is it… Am I… Do you…?” Haley trailed off, but I read the questions in her eyes.
Giving her a reassuring smile, I said, “I’m feeling better than I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s super weird. And no, you’re not in any danger from me.”
Haley laughed. “Good to know, because now that I’ve got you back, I’m not leaving your side. Well, other than when you need to pee, or you’re having ‘special’ time with—”
“Specialtime?” I rolled my eyes, cracking up. “That’s not… Hay, youreallyneed to get some ‘special time’ of your own. Sooner rather than later.”
“I keep asking if the guys have any hot brothers, but no luck.” Haley linked her arm in mine. “Come on. Come meet Addie—officially, this time. She’s dying to talk to you.”
She led me to the counter at the center of the kitchen, where Adele and McKenna, the boisterous witch who’d helped Asher and Haley take care of the witches in the cave prison, were pouring some kind of herbal powder into bottles through a paper cone. The cone tipped, and I grabbed it, catching it just before it spilled all over the counter.
“Thank—” Adele looked up, her eyes going wide when she saw it was me. McKenna winked at me, then slipped out of sight, leaving me alone with my sisters.
“Addie, meet Gray,” Haley said softly. “Gray, meet our sister, Addie.”
Adele—Addie—smiled, her eyes glazing as she took me in. “Gray, I… I just…”
She was suddenly overcome with emotion, unable to get the rest of the words out, and seeing her tears broke the dam on mine. Righting the cone, I walked around to the other side of the counter, then pulled her in for a hug. She stiffened at first, and I worried I’d done the wrong thing—maybe she didn’t like touching, or wasn’t ready for that kind of intimacy with me yet.
But just before I released her, she softened in my arms, her shoulders shaking as she finally let loose the sobs she’d been holding in.
My own tears falling freely, I held her close, rubbing her back, letting her get it all out. She’d just been through a torturous hell I could only imagine, and whether she’d known about us before or not, finding out you had a built-in family was beyond intense. The poor woman was on an emotional roller coaster—I had no idea how long she’d been on this ride, and no idea when she’d be able to get off.
When her breathing finally evened out, she pulled out of my embrace and met my eyes.
“Gray,” she said again, this time with a steady smile. Then, in a clear, determined voice completely at odds with her red nose and glassy eyes, she said, “Thank you for saving my life. For everything you’re doing here. For all the… I mean, Haley told me about the prophecy and the covens, and everything that’s happened, and the stuff in Blackmoon Bay, and your friend Sophie, and… Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…God.” She let out a nervous laugh, swiping away the tears from her bruised face. “How am I fucking this up so badly already? Five minutes into meeting you—that might be a new personal record.”
“You’re not fuckinganythingup,” I assured her, then smiled. “The first time I met Haley, she practically decked me.”
“Hey!” Haley said. “You’re conveniently leaving out the part about you acting like a complete bitch.”
“Okay, first of all, I wasn’t acting. And second of all, my best friend had just died. I should’ve gotten a free bitch-pass.” I winked at her to let her know I was teasing. I would never joke about losing Sophie, but somehow, making light of my own feelings felt okay—almost as if Sophie herself were watching, egging us on. As painful as that day at Norah’s house had been for me, it was also the moment Haley had come crashing into my life, slipping a note into my pocket that would lead me to Jael and Sophie’s book of shadows, and to everything that had come after.
