The forest floor around the door has been worn down from the many feet of witches and warlocks passing through. Once a week someone comes out and uses magic to regrow the trampled underbrush to help keep this location hidden, though the whole woods has heavy warding put on it to keep humans away.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I grumble when I see Ruby Darrows standing next to the door, torch in hand. We’ve never really seen eye-to-eye, though it’s all due to her own insecurities. She vouched for me when I was on trial for exposing the door to Lucas, and she didn’t turn me in when she saw me rip the molars out of Dr. Howard’s mouth.
Though if you ask me, that bastard deserved worse. I should have ripped his testicles from his body and let him bleed out on the pavement.
“Ruby,” I say, putting on a pleasant smile. She turns, greeting me with a sharp expression.
“Callie.”
I stop just a few feet from her, waiting for her to open the door and let me through. A few seconds tick by and she looks at me, slowly shaking her head.
“Are we going in?” I ask as Binx winds around my feet. “Or are we going to stand here so you can stare at me all night?”
“I just…” She trails off shaking her head again. Then she lets out a laugh. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“By what?”
“You being selfish enough to leave the coven. To abandon those who raised you.”
I curl my fingers into fists. “I’m not abandoning anyone.”
Ruby raises her eyebrows. “You’re not? Because from where I’m standing—from where the whole coven is standing—you chose a vampire over your own family.”
“That isn’t fair,” I say slowly. “I shouldn’t have to choose, but the rules forced me to.”
“The rules are in place for a reason.” Ruby throws up one hand, looking exasperated. “Vampires and witches are mortal enemies. And you married one.”
“Lucas isn’t like that.”
“Please,” she huffs. “Spare me the sob story of how he’s so different blah, blah, blah. He’s still a vampire, Callie. And I can see by the bite marks on your neck he’s just like the others.”
My hand flies to my neck. Shit. I forgot about that. “Everything between us is consensual and very enjoyable,” I rush out, though I know I’m not helping my case. “Look…you wouldn’t get it. You wouldn’t get anything about love.”
Ruby takes a step closer. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
If she wasn’t pissing me off so much right now, I’d compliment her for having a backbone. I respect her for putting the coven first. “I’m not going to insult you,” I say, letting out a breath. “Now let’s go. The Grand Coven is waiting for me.”
“Insult me? You think I don’t know what it’s like to be in love?”
I’m fairly certain she’s single at the moment, but that doesn’t mean she’s never been in love…or isn’t right now. “I don’t know. I don’t know you, Ruby. You don’t approve of my lifestyle…get in line. I’ve lived my whole life being told how wrong everything about me is.” Blue light starts to sizzle around my fingers. “I’m not out for anyone’s approval, let alone yours. Now step aside and let me in so I can get back home to my vampire husband. I can’t wait for him to get on top of me and sink his fangs into my neck.”
“I see you’re still as mature as ever.” She holds my gaze.
“Yep. On a scale of one to ten, I’m a sixty-nine.” I lower my hood and push my shoulders back. “I thought we had an understanding,” I say, letting go of some of my anger. “You vouched for me when I was on trial.”
Ruby’s brows furrow. “I stand by what I said and don’t believe you intended to harm the coven then. There’s no denying that vampire helped kill the demons, which allowed the others to pass through the door. But that should have been it. You couldn’t leave well enough alone, and now look where you are.”
“I’m not explaining myself to you,” I say firmly. “I love Lucas and wish more than anything I could remain in the coven and be with him. But I can’t, and this is my only choice.” The emotion I’ve been holding back comes crashing down on me.
I’m leaving my coven.
This might be the very last time I ever set foot through the door.
I’ll never see the long, stone hallways of Grim Gate Academy ever again. I’ll never smell the comforting scent of lavender and sage. Never sit in the back row of a Gathering, grumbling to Kristy about how I want the meeting to be over. Never walk through the library…
The Covenstead shaped who I am today. It was my safe place.
It was home.
I turn my head down, blinking rapidly to keep any tears from forming.