This Coven Won't Break - Isabel Sterling Page 0,92
“If it’s not one of you, it has to be Tori. She hated Alice. She hated me, too, by the end. She could have helped the Hunters create their drug.”
But Coral shakes her head. “It’s not Tori.” She glances up at Lexie and continues when the other girl gives her an encouraging nod. “Tori was out of control after you left. Always ranting about how it was our fault that her plan failed. We turned her in to the Council.”
The Elemental Elder’s forehead creases with thought. “Tori Whitman?” He turns to Keating. “We sentenced her back in June, didn’t we?”
After a beat, Elder Keating nods. “I remember her. She couldn’t be reasoned with, so we stripped her magic and took her memories. She was reunited with a parent, wasn’t she?”
“Hannah?!” The front door slams, and Gemma’s voice rings through the house.
A sinking feeling pulls at my heart.
Morgan appears a second later, Gemma a moment behind. They stop short when they see the assembly of witches. My best friend and my girlfriend share a worried look.
And then all hell breaks loose.
26
ALICE IS ON HER feet first, color rising in her cheeks. “Who the hell is that?” She shifts her attention from Gemma to me. “Is she another one of your suspects?”
“Gemma’s not—” The words die on my lips, and my skin crawls under the attention of every witch in the room. There’s no way to finish that sentence without creating more questions.
Gemma’s not a witch.
Gemma’s not part of this.
Except . . . she is.
I look to Mom, but her expression is guarded and suspicious. I can’t even look at Lady Ariana. They’re both going to kill me when they realize what Gem knows. Across the room, Gemma’s eyes are wide with fear, but she tips her head into a shallow nod.
She’s in this with me.
No more secrets.
Elder Keating steps forward, her face completely neutral. “What’s going on, Hannah?”
“Gemma would never betray us, but she . . . she does know. About me. About the Clans.”
“Hannah.” Mom’s shocked voice stills the rest of the room into silence. It steals all the warmth from the air, but Lady Ariana or Elder Hudson must take back control, because it doesn’t stay cold long. I feel the weight of their stares, the weight of their anger and betrayal and mistrust.
“This is just perfect,” Alice mocks. “How can you sit there and accuse us of being traitors when you’re the one who already spilled everything to a Reg?”
“Gemma hasn’t told anyone,” I argue, but the excuse sounds weak, even to my ears. I look to Mom for support, but her disappointment is too much to bear. “I didn’t mean to tell her, Mom. I didn’t have a choice. When Benton pushed my car into the river, I had to use magic to survive. We would’ve drowned without it.”
Mom shakes her head. “But you said Gemma lost consciousness once you were in the water.”
“I’m sorry.” My voice cracks, and tears threaten. “I should have told you the truth, but I was scared.” I search for Archer and Cal and find only cautious interest. “I swear I never told her about anyone else in the coven. I never even intended to tell her about Blood Witches, except—”
“Except she overheard me and Hannah talking about it at the hospital,” Morgan cuts in. “Gemma has always been there for us. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt the Clans.”
From her perch on the chair, Lexie pinches the bridge of her nose. “Witches in this town are out of control.” She looks over at Archer. “Can we get back to work now?”
There’s this beat in the room, a second of silence when I think maybe this will all be okay. Maybe there’s enough going on that Gemma knowing about us will be too small of an issue to worry about. I let myself believe in a world where Gemma could come to coven meetings and hang out around my mom without me having to hide that she knows.
“No one is leaving until we untangle this mess,” Elder Hudson says, his voice rich and resonating. “Your friend will not be harmed, Miss Walsh, but her memories must be erased.”
His words cut like a blade, and my knees go weak. Morgan reaches for me, but I force myself to rally. He’s not the only Elder here. Keating can help. She can fix this. “Please don’t do this. Gemma won’t tell anyone. She could help us.”