32. Adrian
Adrian
T he sun was setting by the time Cori boarded the boat with Adrian and Seth. It had taken a significant amount of arguing to allow Cori to leave the island.
Prudence had suggested that Cori go into hiding and permanently move to their headquarters in the cove. They had taken up residence in the little fishing cabin, and Adrian had been surprised to find that the inside of the dwelling was much more charming and cozy than he remembered.
Apparently, the Gray witches had no shortage of spells to fix up the dilapidated old shack.
There were eight of them altogether. A witch named Zion explained to them that Gray witches were known for buying the most haunted-looking house in a neighborhood, banishing all the dark magic and lingering spirits, and using Gray magic to restore the house to its former glory. A heavily tattooed witch named Fern with a nose ring stared at them from the periphery as they spoke.
In the end, it was Cori who convinced the Grays to move to the mainland now that she was aware of their presence. There was no point in trying to remain hidden now that she knew the full truth. She concocted a plan for their cover story.
They were friends from Yale, eager to visit her new home and meet her new friends. Lionel, a witch from the Boston Gray Coven, suggested camping out in his dad’s RV. All of them could boondock near the beach together comfortably. At least until the weather turned.
Seth had suggested camping out on the clearing just north of the farm. He had assured them his parents wouldn’t mind.
What his parents would mind was their disappearing act today. Adrian rested his elbows on the rail at the stern of the ship, watching the thin shoreline expand into view as they sped toward it. He felt her arm brush against his own as she settled onto the rail next to him.
“Are you OK?” he asked through the wind. She nodded softly in return, looking up at him.
“Thank you for coming to my rescue,” she said.
Adrian shrugged. “I’m sorry you had to see me almost kill someone because of it.” He was embarrassed, but he knew that he would do it again. Cori pulled her arms around herself as the chill of the ocean grazed the gooseflesh on her arms. He pulled one of his sweatshirts out of his backpack and draped it over her shoulders.
She looked up at him, her lips twisting into a fleeting smile before her eyes glowed. He knew instantly that she was reading him, and he allowed his emotions to intensify. He fed her the sense of relief that had overcome him the moment he felt her embrace on the beach.
As his gaze traced over the curve of her cheek, down to the angle of her jaw, he imagined what it would be like to kiss her neck. He allowed himself to crave what his lips would feel like brushing against her skin, and her eyes widened.
His lip curled up mischievously, a flush rising in her cheeks despite the cool mist in the air. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she responded, allowing the glow to dim in her eyes as she turned her gaze back to the growing shoreline. He could hear Seth on the phone now that they were in cell service range offshore.
“Ma, I’m sorry we didn’t make it to the farm this afternoon. I know it was our day to help—No, that storm wasn’t in the forecast. Listen, Ma something big happened, and everyone is OK, but we have a lot to explain to you—Is Pop back?—OK, well listen, I should be home in less than thirty minutes. I’ll give you the full update, but when Dad gets home, we can come up with a game plan.”
Cori’s shoulders tightened under the thick cotton of the sweatshirt. Of course, they needed to tell his parents, probably even Ariel. Cori knew the involvement of the Huxley family was a big part of the plan, allowing the Grays to keep a closer watch on her.
“You know what, Cor, the best part of this day is that you don’t have to be alone anymore,” Adrian assured her. Even though he was skeptical of this mysterious group of witches that appeared out of nowhere, he was relieved that she wouldn’t need to do this alone.
Her eyes met his, wild with fear and worry. “But that was never the plan.”
“Well, to be honest with you, the original plan was kind of shitty.”
Her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I could never imagine someone I love being sent out into the world to face this burden alone. I know your mom had no choice, but don’t you think she would be happy and relieved that you have people here on your side? Especially since there’s—what—less than three months until the solstice?”
Her shoulders relaxed slightly. “December 21st.” Cori tilted her head to the sky as the first few stars peeked out from behind the dissipating clouds. She looked up at them with a pleading expression on her furrowed brow. “That’s Venus, low on the horizon.”
“What do you hear?”
She shook her head heavily. “Nothing.”