Raven and Sage Nightshade's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Raven watched her twin sister pull the wings off a demon dog, and she knew the stories were true. In the dream realm, every witch wanted to crown the Nightshade twins as the most feared coven. But power had a price, and tonight Sage was paying it with pieces of her soul. The little hound whimpered, its one red eye dimming, its ragged green wings crumpled in Sage's fist. "Stop," Raven said. Her voice came out as a whisper. It always did. People saw her black lace and skull beads and expected cruelty. They never expected a girl too shy to shout. Sage laughed. Her emerald hair caught the swamp light. She wore the green dress Raven loved, and the sweet smile that fooled everyone. "It stopped begging an hour ago," Sage said. "That's the fun part." She dropped the hound. It limped into the roses and vanished. Raven crossed the wet ground to her sister. She studied Sage's eyes. A week ago they had been soft. Now something cold moved behind them, like a stranger wearing her sister's face. The corruption was spreading. Raven just couldn't tell how deep it had gone. "Do you remember feeding that hound?" Raven asked. "You named him. You cried when he was hurt." Sage's smile flickered. For one second, confusion crossed her face. "I... did?" Then the coldness slammed back down. "No. That was you. You're the soft one." She turned toward the gothic greenhouse at the edge of the swamp, its windows boarded, its gravestones half-sunk in black water. A woman stepped from the greenhouse door. She wore a mud-stained white dress, bare feet red at the hem. She held a black sunflower and smiled the way a doll smiles. "Petra Roan," Raven breathed. Their mother had warned them about her. The botanist collected broken witches. Her whole flock smiled that same empty smile. And now she was smiling at Sage. "Your sister found me first," Petra said softly. "She's so hungry for power. I can give it to her. All she has to do is let go of the last little part that still loves you." Raven's heart pounded. She had spent her whole life hiding behind Sage's boldness. But if she stayed silent now, she would lose her sister to this smiling woman forever. She grabbed Sage's hand and squeezed hard. "The hound," Raven said, louder than she had ever spoken. "His name was Pip. You said it this morning. You're still in there." Sage gasped. Her green eyes brimmed with tears, warm and real. "Raven?" The name cracked in her throat. Petra's smile fell. She stepped back into the greenhouse and shut the door. Raven had reached her sister. But Sage's hand still burned cold in hers, and Petra now knew exactly which twin to break. The hunt for the coven's crown had just become a hunt for Sage's soul.