Chapter 14
Note to Self: Who knew forever came with such a sexy smile?
Tessa hadn’t had much interaction with supernatural people before she’d come to Sable Cove. After just a week, she’d met witches, dragons, a vampire, wolves, a merman, and a fairy. Not to mention her fallen angel sweetie.
She was excited to get to witness the witches doing their magical restock.
After dressing in jeans and a short-sleeved top, she looked through her closet and found a long-sleeved flannel in case it got chilly once the sun set.
“Is it a far walk?” she asked.
Venice leaned out of the bathroom, looking mouthwatering in a fitted dark tee and worn jeans.
“The overlook is on the other side of the lighthouse, a bit down the shoreline. There’s a parking lot, but it’s a bit of a climb up to the top.”
“So boots, probably.”
“If you have them. I could also be super chivalrous and carry you.”
She grinned. “It’s nice to know I have the option.”
He winked with a chuckle and went back to getting ready.
She found her only pair of boots in the closet and slipped them on.
They’d made a trip earlier that day to his house and spent a few hours packing the truck and moving him into the cottage.
On the way back, they’d spoken to the owner, who was happy to sell the cottage and be done with renting it, and they made plans to get it appraised, draft a contract, and settle on a fair price.
She was so happy to get to stay at the cottage with Venice. She adored the little house and could imagine having a long and happy life there with him.
“Ready?” he asked, joining her in the bedroom.
“Ready.”
They left the cottage and drove past the lighthouse to a small dirt parking lot at the bottom of the overlook.
Venice held her hand as they walked up a narrow path.
At the top, the ground evened out, with grassy patches and sand.
Beyond the edge was the ocean, the sky turning orange and gold as the sun set.
The moon was already rising, a faint glimmer in the darker night sky descending.
“Oh wow,” Tessa said quietly. “This is pretty cool.”
“I thought you’d enjoy another view of Sable Cove,” Venice said. He turned her away from the water view and pointed out the places in town, including the bookstore and the diner.
“Oh, there’s the cottage!” she said. “How freaking awesome.”
“Tessa, come meet everyone,” Delaney called. “We’re about ready to get started.”
She and Venice walked over to the small group, and she was introduced to two people she didn’t know: Hadlee, a member of the coven, and her falcon mate Anders, who lived on an island with his people and came by boat for ceremonies and get-togethers.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Hadlee said, giving her a hug. “This is my cat familiar, Osiris, and my swan familiar, Lily.”
“Swans can be familiars?” Tessa asked.
“Anything can be,” Delaney said, lifting a small plastic habitat with a turtle in it. “This is Mimo.”
Kinsley pointed to Zay, who was holding her cat familiar, Nysa. “I think they’re mostly cats, but you know we also have a raccoon and an owl.”
“That’s so neat,” Tessa said. “Thanks for letting me watch tonight; I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“We’re so happy to have you here,” Delaney said.
“Yes, definitely,” Kinsley said. “You’re welcome to join us anytime.”
She smiled at the witches, who looked at her with warmth and kindness. She’d lost a friend a little while ago. And somehow, fate had given her an abundance of them in return. She felt fully blessed.
Delaney looked to the sky and said, “I think it’s time to get this show on the road. I want to start by charging the stones we gathered from our trip down south.”
Venice and Tessa moved away from the witches along with Brody, Zay, and Anders. The familiars all moved close to their masters as Hadlee walked in a circle and spread a line of salt around them. The air shimmered gold for a moment, and Tessa felt the magic in the air.
Candles, stones, crystals, and plants were in the center of their circle, each one blessed through a spell spoken by the witches. The language was one she didn’t understand and she supposed it was some kind of ancient witchy language, which was pretty neat to hear.
She glanced up at Venice, who was scanning the area like Brody, Zay, and Anders, alert for danger. She was really proud of her mate. He was such a sexy protector. And all hers.
Her feet started to hurt in the boots she hadn’t worn in a long while, and she shifted on her feet to ease the ache. The heel of her boot slipped down into a shallow hole in the sand, and she grabbed Venice’s arm to keep from falling.
Her vision went black suddenly, and then images flashed through her mind like a movie: Venice with his huge, feathered wings as the sword severed them from his back…the betrayal of the woman who had treated him as an oddity, a toy to play with for a while.
Then she saw the moment he laid eyes on Tessa—felt his heart start to heal, soldered from shattered glass back into something whole by the love that grew between them.
Her vision slowly returned, her eyes filling with tears at the knowledge that he might not have fallen for her, but he had surely fallen for her.
Venice grabbed her close, breathing out a shaky breath.
“Oh, you’re linked together, true soulmates,” Hadlee said. “How incredible.”
“What was that?” Tessa whispered, pressing her cheek to Venice’s chest and listening to his heartbeat.
“My past,” he said. “I saw it too. When you grabbed me, I saw the visions of my past.”
She curled her hands into the fabric of his shirt. “You’re really mine.”
“One hundred percent,” he said.