This Coven Won't Break - Isabel Sterling Page 0,108

Walsh. I’m finished.” He stands and pulls a card from his wallet. “If you or Hannah ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”

We wait for Archer to leave, and as soon as his taillights have disappeared, I turn to Mom. “Where is she?”

Mom grabs her coat and keys. “They’re bringing her to Lady Ariana’s house. The other Elders will be there.”

I zip my sweater and slip into my shoes. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Elder Keating is a witch of great power.

But now, she stands alone.

Without the support of her Clan, and without the power of the Council, it didn’t take long for the agents she betrayed to find her. It seemed only fitting that they dragged her back to Salem to stand trial for her crimes.

The entire coven is here, even the youngest children, and there’s this hush in the air. Mom and I pause at the altar, adding our magic to the Middle Sister’s flame, before continuing toward the gathered witnesses. Morgan and her parents are here, too. Though her injuries have fully healed, I catch Morgan tracing her thumb over the spot where Keating’s knife pierced her chest. Where it narrowly missed her heart.

“You okay?” I ask when we reach where they’re standing.

Morgan drops her hand and smiles. “I guess so.” She reaches out and threads her warm fingers through my freezing ones. “She looks so different now.”

I follow her gaze and examine the fallen Elder.

Keating stands alone, her arms secured tight behind her back with a binding cord that severs the connection to her power. One of the Elementals—Lady Ariana or perhaps Elder Hudson—coaxed the earth into holding her still, the ground rising up to her knees to pin her in place. Her mascara runs in streaks down her face, with small flecks of black on her muddy shirt. Even her hair looks different, more white than blonde now.

Morgan leans her head against my shoulder. “I still can’t believe Riley got to go home like he did nothing wrong.”

After our final mission, the police questioned everyone outside Hall Pharmaceuticals. One of the Hunters, overcome with guilt, confessed to shooting David O’Connell in Ithaca, but when the fire marshal ruled the building’s demise accidental, no one else besides Benton’s parents was arrested. According to Riley’s social media feed, he’s been back in Minnesota for a few days now. The only consolation—besides the gunshot wound I like to imagine still hurts—is that he missed so many classes that they kicked him out for the semester.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t do more.” I rest my head on top of hers.

She shrugs. “It sucks, but at least he’s out of my life. My parents like it here. They don’t have any plans to take me back to Minnesota.”

“Good,” I say, squeezing her tight, “because I’m not letting you go.”

“Am I interrupting?” Veronica asks, eyebrow raised. My cheeks flush hot, but she smiles and nods over her shoulder to where Cal is standing alone, glaring at his former Elder. “He wanted to talk to you before we start.”

“Of course,” I say, but Veronica shakes her head.

“Not you, Han. Your girlfriend.” Veronica watches Morgan leave, and when we’re alone, V bumps her hip against mine. “She makes you happy.”

“She does.”

“I guess that means I’m not allowed to hate her anymore.” Veronica smirks at me.

Though I roll my eyes, thoroughly, I appreciate a bit of lightness before what’s about to be a very heavy day.

Lady Ariana, Elder Hudson, and a woman I don’t recognize exit my grandmother’s home. A shudder travels through the earth, silencing conversation.

When Elder Hudson finally speaks, his voice fills the air with the energy of a storm. “Katherine Keating, you have been found guilty of breaking the highest laws of this Council. You have torn magic from innocent witches and instigated the death of others. For these crimes, your magic will be stripped away and you will be banished from our community.”

The other woman, who I assume is the Blood Witch Elder, steps forward and pulls a long knife from a hilt around her waist.

Keating’s wild blue eyes catch in the fading sunlight. “I only did what had to be done. I tried for decades to push us into the future, but you were too weak to do anything about it.”

If not for the earth slithering higher up Keating’s legs, I might have thought the other Elders hadn’t heard her at all. Their expressions remain unmoved by her pleas.

“Secrecy has cost us more good witches than anything I’ve done.” Keating is