The Ravens (The Ravens #1) - Kass Morgan Page 0,58

have to!” Sonali cried as the entire tunnel shook. “We’re going to be buried alive. Everyone else, keep chanting!”

Vivi clutched her friends’ hands tighter and pulled in as hard as she could, straining like she was trying to dead-lift a tanker truck. Just when she thought she was going to burst, the pressure in her limbs began to subside and the rumbling grew fainter.

“I call to the Hierophant and to the Star. We seek your wisdom to track from afar.” The words echoed off the tunnel.

After a moment, the chain around Vivi’s neck tugged.

“I call to the Hierophant and to the Star. We seek your wisdom to track from afar.”

The pendant lifted off Vivi’s chest and hovered in front of her. Then, with a sharp jerk, it whipped around and dragged her backwards, up the leftmost tunnel. She gasped as the chain around her neck bit into her skin.

“Vivi? What’s wrong?” Ariana called through the darkness as Vivi dropped her hand.

She tried to answer, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Desperate, Vivi yanked at the chain as stars started to appear at the edge of her vision. Using her last ounce of strength, she managed to pull the chain over her head. She took a huge gulp of air, grasping the pendant in her hands.

Flames flicked up in Bailey’s palms once more, revealing the pledges’ worried faces.

“You okay?” Sonali asked, her eyes wide.

Vivi nodded and took a deep breath, wincing with the effort. “This way.”

She led them in a stumbling parade, the pendant straining before her as if dragged by an invisible cord. Finally, she heard a thunk as the pendant collided with something solid. Ariana stepped next to Vivi and began to feel along the wall. “It’s a door.” She found the knob and wrenched it open, flooding the tunnel with light.

Vivi winced and shielded her eyes as Ariana grabbed her arm and laughed with relief. “We made it,” she said hoarsely.

“Made it where?” Vivi asked as she staggered out of the tunnel into what looked like a basement lined with dusty bottles. Some had strange labels: ADAM AND EVE, ATTRACTION, BETTER BUSINESS, DOUBLE-CROSS. Others, like wine bottles, were more recognizable.

The pendant gave a sharp tug and pointed at the nearby steps just as someone opened the door to the basement.

“You’re here already?” Tiffany appeared at the top of the staircase with Scarlett, who was staring suspiciously at the pledges.

Vivi released the pendant’s chain, and it went flying across the basement.

Scarlett caught it just before it collided with her. She turned the pendant over. “Did you use a locator spell on this?”

“What else were we supposed to do?” Vivi asked, glancing at her fellow pledges.

“The symbols on here were clues to the directions we painted in the tunnel. We wouldn’t expect first-years to do a locator spell.”

“Well, it was Vivi’s idea and it worked,” Ariana said, a note of defiance in her voice as she took Vivi’s hand.

Sonali told them how the tunnels had rumbled and almost caved in. “I’ve never seen power quite like that before.”

“Wow,” Tiffany said, looking impressed. But Vivi was focused on Scarlett, who was staring at her, stonefaced.

Vivi braced herself for a reprimand, but to her surprise and relief, Scarlett just smiled.

“Nicely done, Little Sis. Now let’s celebrate.”

Chapter Eighteen

Scarlett

A tiny witch’s mark hidden in the flourishes of the calligraphy on the sign was the only indication from the outside that the little shop in old Savannah was anything more than a plant store. The sidewalk was an explosion of succulents and orchids, herbs and mini–fruit trees. But inside, if you knew which mirrored, unmarked door to open . . .

“Whoa.”

Scarlett could barely suppress a grin at the new girl’s dazed expression as she walked into Cauldron and Candlesticks for the first time. Dried herbs dangled from the ceiling. Crystals lined one wall, and candles in every color and carving populated another. The last two walls were taken up by bookshelves crammed with everything from ancient tomes to modern-day pop-witch books.

“It’s like a magical speakeasy,” Vivi gushed.

In the center of the room were shelves for the larger ritual equipment: brooms, altars, god and goddess statues from just about every pantheon you could think of. And, of course, the cauldrons and candlesticks from which the store took its name.

“What are all these for?” Vivi gestured to a row of crystals.

“Rose quartz for opening the heart, obsidian for grounding, lapis for opening the third eye. People carry them to enhance their moods or