Chapter 242

Joseph’s POV

Everything happened so quickly.

I heard the gun going off and at the same time everything went white, and the explosion sounded around the house.

I quickly got to the ground, unsure if I was hit or not. I heard screaming coming from the floor above us and then I heard the clinking of the gun dropping to the hardwood floors. Everything went silent momentarily as my vision cleared but I could smell the smoke.

Not knowing where it was coming from, I tried to search the area for Esmeralda who was no longer in the same spot she was in. Lucias was on the ground, scrambling to grab his gun but then I saw a heal dig into his hand and when I looked up, I was shocked to see Esmeralda standing over him with a scowl on her face.

“Lucias!” I heard from the stairway as some of the witches came pouring down the stairs, led by the guy who shot me a couple of weeks ago.

He was also carrying a gun again and some of the witches had wands in their hands. I knew witches didn’t always need wands when casting spells, but they helped make the spells more powerful and deadly.

Esmeralda picked up the gun and pointed it at Lucias, while the witch with the glasses pointed his gun at me, though his hand was trembling.

“Take another step closer and he will die,” Esmeralda growled to them.

“Esmeralda?” One of the women said with huge eyes, staring at Esme like she had seen a ghost. “How… what?”

“Stay back,” Esme said, glaring at the woman. “I don’t want to hurt you, Patty.”

“What are you doing? What’s going on?” The woman, Patty, asked, breathlessly.

Before Esme could say anything, there was another explosion that rattled my brain and nearly knocked me off my feet. As for everyone else in the Coven, they fell to the ground as their vision was once again blinded by the white light that poured in through the windows.

I heard the clattering of the gun from the witch who was pointing it at me and as hit the ground, it went off, causing another witch to scream.

The frantic screaming of the others started immediately after, and I was too confused to even grasp what was happening. Esme on the other looked incredibly pleased with herself. While everyone was distracted, she lowered the gun and motioned for me to follow her.

We wasted no time in running toward the door.

“Don’t let them get away!” I heard Lucias yelling just as another explosion erupted.

I didn’t let this explosion distract me and neither did Esmeralda, we were outside within seconds, breathing in the fresh cool breeze and running from the house before they could even get on their feet. Esmeralda still held the gun firmly in her hands and only stole quick glances over her shoulder to make sure we weren’t being followed.

I also chanced a look behind me and that was when I saw it. My steps faltered when I saw the dark clouds hovering over the coven house and lightning was striking it as if it was on a mission.

The front lawn was catching on fire with the lightning bolt going across the grass and into the house.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen.

“Did you do that?” I asked as we ran toward my waiting car.

“Served those assholes right,” Esmeralda said, grinning from ear to ear.

I wanted to laugh, but my main focus was getting to Tessa.

“Why did you stay behind? I thought I told you to get out of here as soon as you got her,” Esmeralda yelled as we continued to run.

“I didn’t want to just leave you in there,” I said over my shoulder. “Tessa is safe; she’s in the car. I told her to leave if I’m not back in 5 minutes.”

As we rounded the corner, I saw the car coming to life as Tessa put the key into the ignition. It was a little past the 5-minute mark.

Shit.

I heard the voice of Lucias as he stumbled out of the house and realized what was happening. He called for the coven to help him stop the storm. Esme cursed under her breath; we both knew we didn’t have long before they caught up to us.

I saw the brake lights of my car turning on as Tessa put the car in drive.

“Tessa!”

….

Tessa’s POV

I wasn’t sure when I came out of shock; maybe I was still in it. But Joseph was alive. He was standing in my room, and he was holding me. He was telling me that it was all going to be okay, and I couldn’t even grasp what was reality and what was a dream.

I have dreamt of Joseph coming to me for two weeks and at first, I didn’t think this was any different. But as he looked into my eyes and told me the plan to get out of here, I knew this was real. He was here and he was getting me out of this house.

Joseph’s car was exactly where he said it would be. I wasn’t sure where this hole in the wooden fence came from, but I’m sure he will fill me in on everything that happened once he gets here.

My heart was pounding as I slid into the passenger seat of the car. Everything was so dark, and I was terrified to turn any lights on out of fear that Lucias would see and come to investigate. I couldn’t let anyone from the coven know that I was out there.

As the 5-minute mark came and went, my heart began to grow heavy in my chest. I didn’t want to leave without Joseph, but he told me if he wasn’t here in 5 minutes, to leave without him and go straight to my father’s house.

I had no idea why he would ever want me to go to my father’s house after what my father did. He got me kidnapped and brought to this coven. He’s the reason for all of this to begin with. Why would I ever want to see my father again after all of this?

The thought weighed heavily in my mind, and I thought I was going to get sick to my stomach. But I trusted Joseph more than anything and if that’s where he wants me to go, then that’s where I’ll go.

I slid into the driver’s seat and turned the car on.

As I put the car into drive, I closed my eyes, saying a small prayer for Joseph, and just as I lifted my foot off the gas, I heard my name being yelled. I completely froze and looked in the side mirror only to see Joseph running in my direction.

Relief flooded through me as I put the car in park and quickly slid back into the passenger’s seat.

The driver’s door flew open, and Joseph was standing before me.

“You made it,” I gasped, trying to maintain my rapid heartbeat.

He gave me a lopsided grin and then winked as he shut the car door and put the car into the drive.

“Did you doubt me?” He asked, teasingly.

Before I could answer, I heard the door of the backseat opening and I screamed. I thought for sure it was someone from the Coven, maybe even Lucias. There was no way they weren’t going to come after me as soon as they figured out I was gone.

Telling from Jospeh’s urgency, I knew they probably realized I was gone already.

But what I wasn’t expecting to see was that witch from the town near Joseph’s village sliding into the backseat.

I remembered her when I went to her witchery shop with Carter to get that antidote.

What was she doing here?

As soon as she was inside, Joseph wasted no time peeling away from the house. I was too shocked to say anything for a long while but once we were far enough away and I felt we were at least semi-safe, I chanced a look in the backseat and saw her leaning against the door, looking half asleep and very breathless.

“What’s going on?’ I finally got the courage to ask, peering over at Joseph.

He looked at me and then in his rearview mirror at the witch.

“Esmeralda helped me get you out of there,” he explained. “She summoned a lightning spell. I think it used a lot of power and wiped her out.”

“She helped you?” I asked, raising my brows.

I remembered when Carter asked for help to get that antidote and she was reluctant to do so. I found it hard to believe that she would willingly put herself in danger to help Joseph like this.

But he nodded.

“I don’t really understand it either. But Lucias knew her. I think she was once a part of this coven,” Joseph surprised me by saying.

“What?” I gasped, staring at him with wide eyes. “She was?”

Before he could say anything more, I heard her soft voice from the backseat.

“I will explain everything once we get to your father’s house.”

My eyes grew impossibly large, and my heart hammered against my chest.

“We are still going there?”

“Yes,” she answered before Joseph could speak. “It’s important that we do.”

The way she spoke left no room for arguments. I sat back in my seat and stared out the window, trying not to let my anxiety get the best of me. When Joseph reached over and took hold of my hand, I felt my entire body relaxing.

“I got something for you,” he said softly.

I glanced at him; my cheeks warmed. He released my hand and reached into his pocket to pull out a ring.

My ring.

My heart swelled and tears welled up in my eyes.

“You got the ring,” I whispered, staring at it like I was afraid it was going to disappear at any moment.

“I did,” he said.

I held out my trembling hand so he could slip it onto my finger. My heart swelled and I couldn’t help the smile on my face.

Our happy moment only lasted until my father’s farm came into view. Then, my smile was quickly wiped from my face and anxiety consumed me once again.

Just as we pulled up to the front of the house, the door of my father's house flew open and he stepped out onto the porch, seemingly confused. He squinted in the direction of the headlights and cocked his head as we approached.

When Joseph parked the car and my father got a good view of the vehicle, he folded his arms across his chest and waited for someone to get out of the car.

Esmeralda was the first to open the car door; it startled me because I thought she was asleep. Joseph also opened his car door, giving me one last reassuring smile as he slid out of the car. I remained frozen in my seat, staring at the man who got me kidnapped and not believing it actually happened.

My father’s eyes grew large when he saw Joseph and he stepped back like he was afraid Joseph was going to attack him. He knew what he did was wrong, and his face alone was evidence of that.

I clenched my fists as anger consumed me.

“I thought you were…”

His voice trailed off when Esmeralda came into view and his eyes grew even bigger. For a second, I thought he stopped breathing. I wasn’t prepared for the recognition that flashed through his eyes when he looked at her though.

“Esme???”