Alice's POV
"I knew it," I leaned against counter. Jasper and I were in the garage, we stepped away while Bella was calling Jacob about the information we'd found. Jasper was on his laptop working on getting into the bank records.
"Knew what?"
"That Raena was a witch. I told you, I saw it, I saw her."
He kept his eyes on the screen," You know Bella would never accept that, neither would Embry."
"But it's true. Why else would they take her? We know it has nothing to do with Embry, or the pack, and nothing to do with us. It's all about Raena!"
I could tell Jasper was running out of things to tell me, this was all I talked about now, ever since my vision. When we were alone, all I did was wonder why Rena was a witch and Jasper was getting tired of it.
"Maybe she knew she was a witch all along and was just waiting for them to come get her?"
"But why stage such a big scene at prom? Why not go with them quietly one night," he asked typing furiously.
"I don't know, but something is not right. I keep replaying what I saw over and over but when I think out it, it's all just too fast and nothing is clear."
"You just have to focus, Alice. Don't let anything distract you."
"I know, I know. It's just hard, it's the closest I've felt to passing out since I was a human."
"Well maybe once we find Raena we can find out how she's doing this."
"But she doesn't know we're vampires and we can't tell her... so I can't just ask why I can't see her future. Just like Edward couldn't just ask Bella straight up why he couldn't hear her thoughts."
"But maybe you can get closer to her," Jasper still hand't looked at me. "If she is a witch and she knows werewolves exist, how much of a stretch can vampires be?"
Raena's POV
Adrian lead me into the study down the secret passage behind his picture and into the maze. I followed him and he took me in a room I'd never seen, it was basically a giant closet. He gave me a red robe, it was so soft but it was the only one there, all the rest were black.
"Go ahead and put it on," he pointed to the back room. "Everyone else will come and get their own robes and once everything is in place. I'll come get you," he smiled. "You'll do great, my filia."
"Wait,"I grabbed his wrist. "Adrian... I'm getting kind of scared, there's a lot of people upstairs. I... I just..."
I wish Embry was here... but can I tell him that? Will he be mad?
Adrian faced me," Raena, don't be worried. We are all here to celebrate you, they are here to welcome you. Soon they will be part of your family, you'll be a true blood member of the coven," he comforted me.
"So robes, chanting, that's it? It sounds like a cult," I knew it was harsh to say but it was true.
His face faltered for a quick second," I don't want you to worry, but... I will prick your finger, just for a drop of blood."
"Blood? Why?"
"I just need a drop, it's like a signature almost. It's a way to give a piece of yourself to the magic mother, a gift for her to be accepted into her world."
"Like a magic signature?"
"Exactly."
I bit my tongue and nodded, turning towards the door.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"I wish Embry was here," I felt my heart pick up.
"You will do great, my daughter," he rested a hand on my shoulder. He looked into my eyes and I felt a little more relaxed, peaceful. The ceremony felt like it was going to be easy now. Then Adrian smiled and left. I went and changed into my robe before there was a knock and Eva popped in.
"Is it time?," I asked.
"Almost," she shut the door. "Jordan is here! I can barely believe it!"
"Jordan? Your fiance?"
"Yeah," she beamed. "He... He's here with his whole family."
"Wow, that good?," I wasn't sure.
"Yeah, it is," she nodded. "Just wanted to make sure you're ready?"
"Ready?," I nodded.
"You took off your clothes, right?," she asked.
"Wait what?"
"Raena," she giggled like I was being silly. "You have to be naked under the robe."
"You're not naked!"
"I'm not converting," she told me. "Be quick! they're ready for you," she shut the door behind her.
I took off my clothes quickly, I didn't want to keep them waiting then I put the plush robe over top. It covered everything, I didn't even really feel naked at all. I opened the door and Eva grabbed, the room was now bare, all the robes had been taken. Eva guided me back to the house and through the rooms to the backdoor, in the yard there was hundreds of lights, all fire candles. Woah, it's beautiful.
At the edge of the yard was a path, Adrian stood in front of it.
"Where is everyone?," I asked.
"We'll get there," he smiled. Eva ran off down the path and out of view while Adrian talked to me. "The ceremony has started, so any last questions?" I shook my head, not knowing what I needed to ask him. "Okay, from here on out you don't say anything, I've got you," he smiled an offered his arm.
I guided my arm into the crook and we walked down the trail slowly. There was candles just floating in mid air, lighting up the trail and casting shadows on the tress and bushes. Adrian started to talk, but it wasn't English, this must be the Latin he was talking about... he said now I'm not supposed to talk? what do I do? When is he going to take my blood? Where is everyone? I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as Adrian guided me further, still talking out loud. I thought back to the cabin, when I was Bella and her family, this trail reminded me of when I went down to the lake with Embry. It was where he first changed, told me he was a werewolf. Now here I was, on a different trail across the country converting into a coven. I'll get to go see him tomorrow! I can tell him everything and he can meet my dad and my brothers! He'll even meet Emelie, maybe Adrian will let him stay here for a while? I wonder if he'll laugh, a witch and a werewolf? What a combination we'll be together.
Adrian and I walked into a clearing, now I could see where everyone had went, the filled this clearing. They all looked so spooky in their dark black robes and hoods pulled up over their faces. The candles filled the air, but they were high above us now, no longer at my eye level like they had been before.I gripped Adrian tightly and we walked through the crowd and to the center, the people moved, forming a large circle around us. Adrian moved, pulling away from me but I wouldn't let him. He held a finger to his lips, reminding me to stay silent and gave me a warm smile, I could feel him trying to tell me it would be alright. I let go of him and he faded into the circle around me, I had never flt so exposed in my life as all of these hooded figures faced me. Oh my god... I'm naked in a field!
Everyone, almost as if in the same motion raised the hands and started to chant, at first is was low and then it got louder and louder. Not only were they chanting in Latin, the started to move, all together to he left in a circle around me. I closed my eyes and tried to drown out their voices, I focused on the past, drawn back to Embry. We went to prom, I remembered as I felt my robes, the flowed outward like a dress. My prom dress was tight, I thought back. It was red just like this. Embry asked me and that's when we kissed for the first time. We almost had sex... almost.
The chanting stopped, I opened my eyes and two of the robed witches walked over to me, I tensed up. The looked up to me, it was Charlotte and Eva, I didn't know what to do, but they apparently did. They stood on either side of me and the grabbed each others hands, closing me in between their arms hen they started to spin and sing. It was so high, like they were opera singers or something, I wanted to cover my ears it hurt. Then they stopped, Eva gave me a smile as they faded back into the crowd and then Kalem, Valerian and Cassia formed a line on the edge of the circle. I knew it was them because they got to pull of their hoods. Adrian went up to each of them, placing a hand on their forehead and as he moved down the line they repeated some Latin words he said to them and then kneeled on the ground. Was this a bad idea? Should I be doing this?
Then Adrian turned to me, he smiled as he spoke the ancient words, then placed a hand on my forehead. His hand was large and warm and it felt like he was stirring something inside me. I could fill something new, something pulsating through me, it started as a low hum in my stomach but it spread out to my entire body. Adrian pulled a book from his robes and opened to a blank page, he took my hand in his and in one with motion I felt a prick of the finger and I watched as my blood dropped on to the cream pages.
Then silence rang in the air, no one spoke, I could barely breathe. Adrian shut the book with a clap and stepped back, the book shoved back into his robes. He raised his hand and shouted something, everyone mimicked him immediately. Adrian was smiling ear to ear, he looked so happy as he kept shouting in Latin. I turned and watched as everyone had copied him, the feeling inside was getting stronger, building and pushing against me. A bliss rang through me, it was like I had taken a hit from a needle, it was more than than I could every imagined. It burst through me like a orgasm of joy and my arms shot up into the sky and I smiled brightly, everyone else lowered their hands and the chanting seemed to get quieter, but the sensation from within kept rolling. I felt it run up my arm and then just like that it escaped with a flash a white that blinded me for a moment.
Everyone stopped chanting, the silence rang again and then everyone was cheering. People through their hoods off and clapped, I turned back and Adrian wrapped me into a hug," Welcome to the family, my Regina!," he squeezed me tightly.
I couldn't help but smile as Kalem, Valerian and Cassia all joined.
