Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
However, when Tate sped past us on the freeway, I immediately felt lucky for any moments I could have. If I was jealous about something small like this, I couldn’t even imagine how Tate felt. He’d been in love with Simone since we were teenagers, and I was so sure she had feelings for him, too. But as I sat in the back seat, watching her talk and laugh with Daniel, I couldn’t help but wonder who was really in her heart. Did she no longer like Tate? Did she like both of them? Who was her real soulmate? Did soulmates exist?
Theseus told me his mother could see soulmates, that they were engraved on a person’s heart forever. So that meant they had to exist. But everyone couldn’t be with their soulmates, yet those people were happy, right? It might not be earthshaking, explosive, or unwavering, passionate love, but it was still love. Was that better than nothing, or was that settling?
“We’re here,” Simone said as the truck came to a stop at the Bymoor Falls, our favorite part of Great Falls Park. The falls were one of the tallest sets of waterfalls in the United States east of the Mississippi River, and because of that, it was always crawling with tourists, hikers on break, or park police. However, today there wasn’t a single person other than us, and when I stepped out of the truck, I immediately knew why.
“You guys cast a shielding spell on the falls?”
“Don’t freak!” Rue said as she hung her arm over my shoulders. “It’s only a few hours so we can celebrate.”
“And what are we celebrating?” I asked her.
She grinned before putting her hand to her lips, which she’d painted back, and whistled hard. One by one, everyone from all the circles, almost all the younger people in our coven, stepped out from behind trees, popped up at the top of the waterfall, and in the pool at the base of the waterfall. Tala, who still had bandages on up the right side of her body, was in my face, holding a two-tiered birthday cake with the number twenty-six on the top—even though I wasn’t a fan of cake.
“The winds howl, the forest obeys, the moon and the sun are one, all are astounded, for a Wiccan comes this way,” they all began to sing as I stared dumbstruck. “Today, today, her birthday! Her birthday! Druella, we call upon the goddess to give you a thousand blessings this day!”
I bit back a grin. “You all know my birthday is tomorrow, right?” I asked through my smile. Of course, they’d sing the Wiccan birthday song.
“Just blow out the candles. Today was the only day we could all get off!” someone yelled from the top of the waterfall.
Grinning, I leaned forward, inhaled a large breath, my chest rising, and just as I was about to blow it out, I stopped exhaling gently. “Guys, seriously, it’s tomorrow. I can’t do it today. It’s bad luck!”
“Oh, my God!” They all groaned at me as I laughed.
“Just blow out the damn candles, Dru!” Tala snapped at me.
“If the goddess is mad at me, I’m blaming all of you.” I pointed at them with my eyes narrowed before really blowing the fire out.
“You are surprisingly dramatic sometimes.” Rue rolled her eyes at me
“Hey, no bullying her today,” Adelaide ordered as she linked arms with me. “It’s her day.”
“This is different from every other day—how?” Simone asked, and I moved to kick her, but Adelaide held me tightly.
“Don’t mind her. Let’s get drinks!” Adelaide stuck her tongue out as she took me to the back of the pickup truck, which was now converted into a magical bar, and behind it was none other than Jericho.
“What are you having, almost birthday girl?”
“The strongest you’ve got,” Adelaide answered for me.
“No!” I shrugged her off me. “It isn’t even noon yet. Are you trying to kill me?”
“Live a little.” She winked. “You only turn almost twenty-six once!”
Fine. “Would you happen to have Moscato?”
He pulled out a bottle from the cooler for me to see. “We do.”
“Weak,” Adelaide muttered as she helped herself to rum, vodka, and gin. When she moved to add a shot of tequila to whatever godforsaken potion she was making in her glass, even Jericho gave her the side-eye. Noticing us staring, she frowned. “What?”
“Please do not overdo it again. I just cleaned my car,” Jericho begged her as he handed me my drink.
“I make no promises.” She giggled, tossing a lime and a straw into her drink before linking arms with me again. “Thanks, Jericho!”
“You are ridiculous,” I said to her.
“You love me, though.” She beamed and gripped my arm tighter. “And everyone here loves you. That’s why we wanted to do this. We know Axel and the elders have been putting a lot of pressure on you. They really wanted to do it exactly on your birthday, but we couldn’t get everyone’s schedules to work. Plus, we are on duty tomorrow night. So I told them not to worry about it. After all, I’m sure you’d rather spend your day with your mystery lover instead.”