The Ravens (The Ravens #1) - Kass Morgan Page 0,74

of blood on the floor, and for a moment, her steely resolve seemed to crack. Her face crumpled and she let out a sob. Scarlett had seen her president cry only once, when her grandmother died. Somehow, on this already horrible night, it made things feel even more hopeless. But the moment was over as quickly as it came; Dahlia regained control once more and set her jaw determinedly. She took a deep breath and gazed out over the coven: Juliet and Jess clutching each other. Vivi, pale as a sheet, standing next to Ariana, who had tears streaming down her face. Scarlett knew Dahlia must have felt the weight of every sister’s anxiety on her shoulders.

“We’ll find the Henosis talisman, like it says.” Dahlia refolded the letter carefully. “We don’t have any other choice.”

“But the talisman’s a myth,” Mei said, looking from Dahlia to the frightened faces of her sisters.

“So were witches. And then we came along,” Dahlia said.

“But we have only two days.” Scarlett pressed her fingers against her temples. “And if we don’t find it . . .” She couldn’t even manage to translate her terrifying thoughts into words.

“The Ravens have done the impossible before. We’ve been outsmarting our enemies for hundreds of years. Even the blackest magic can’t stand up to our combined powers. Tiffany is our sister. We will find her together.” Dahlia lifted her chin and gazed at each of the sisters. Hazel pressed her lips together and nodded. Vivi’s face was ashen but determined. Sonali had a hard look in her eyes.

“Together,” Mei repeated, reaching out to grab Scarlett’s hand.

“Together.” The word echoed like a chant in the hallway.

Together.

Scarlett forced a smile for her sisters, then turned to Dahlia. “I want to scry for Tiffany. Make sure she’s okay. The letter says no outside help, but it doesn’t say we can’t use our magic.”

“Maybe we can try to find the writer of the letter, too,” Vivi suggested. “There’s got to be a spell for that.”

“I’ll prep the kitchen,” Etta said. She nodded at Hazel and Juliet to follow her.

“I’ll check my grimoire,” Mei said, spinning on her heel.

“Meet in the greenhouse in fifteen.” Dahlia held on to Scarlett’s hand as the rest of the sisters dashed off to prepare. “Scar, are you with me?”

“Dahlia, I can’t feel her,” Scarlett whispered.

Dahlia tightened her grip on Scarlett’s hand. “She’s Tiffany. No one messes with her. Remember the time she got locked in the coffin during Hell Week? When she couldn’t spell her way out, she managed to claw her way out without an ounce of magic. She’s a survivor.”

Scarlett shook her head. “You saw all that blood. We’ll be lucky if she’s even conscious, let alone strong enough to fight back. We tell every pledge, ‘Just because you’re made of magic doesn’t mean you can’t be hurt.’”

“Tiffany has grit, Scarlett,” Dahlia countered. “And she needs your strength right now.”

“We need to save her, Dahlia.”

“And we will. But if this person’s looking for the Henosis . . . well. We all remember what happened to Evelyn Waters. We need to be careful, Scar. If anything goes wrong . . .”

“Then together we’ll be strong enough to beat it,” Scarlett replied, sounding far more confident than she felt. They would have to be strong if they were going to find her best friend.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Vivi

The rain landing on the greenhouse’s roof sounded like thousands of sharp-beaked birds trying to smash through the glass. It was still hours before dawn and pitch-black outside, with heavy storm clouds shrouding the stars. But although most of the Ravens had just been roused from sleep, there was nothing drowsy about their expressions as they stood holding hands in a circle ringed with white taper candles. Some of the girls looked frightened, some angry, but most of the older girls looked stony and fierce, gathering the strength and focus they’d need for the task at hand—finding Tiffany.

Vivi stood next to Ariana, who was gripping Vivi’s hand so tightly, it made her bones ache.

“Just a few hours ago we were in this room and she was teaching me how to perfect minor arcana skills. And now she’s . . . gone,” Ariana said, holding back tears.

“She’s not gone—she just needs to be found,” Vivi said firmly.

Tiffany was Ariana’s Big and the two had grown close during the rush process. But Ariana’s distress couldn’t compare to that of Vivi’s own Big, who was standing across the circle, trembling visibly as she watched Juliet light the