I flinched and spun around, thinking she was talking to me only to find her standing beside Everest on the back porch. My soulmate was sitting on the step, still wearing Tenn’s hand-me-downs. He spoke to her but it was too low for my ears to hear. Saber patted his head, then strolled into the yard.

“Where is she?” she asked softly.

Everest stood and strolled over to where she stood in the middle of the backyard. “In bed, asleep.”

I crept closer, then stopped myself. This was eavesdropping. It was wrong to be here. No one who ever eavesdropped heard things they wanted to or should. Everyone knew that. My curiosity had gotten the best of me for a moment, but I had to be better than my temptations. So, I wrapped my hand around my bracelet and closed my eyes to try and pull myself out of this projection, yet nothing happened. Whatever these stones did that allowed me to project like this . . . I was not in control of it. They had a mind of their own.

“I like this Eden.”

“This Eden?” Everest’s voice held enough chuckle to force my eyes back open. He stood there smirking at her. “Why this Eden?”

“I don’t know . . . this one . . .” She waved her arms around like the answer was obvious. “In all the Edens I’ve seen in my life, this one feels like them. Something about it just feels magical.”

“It’s the Appalachian Mountains.” Everest eyed the tree line. “There’s old magic in these hills . . . the Garden of Eden’s entrance being nearby doesn’t hurt either.”

“I know but just look at this place.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. “I can smell the power here.”

“Ancient power here.” He smirked. “Eden finally returned home.”

Saber and I both frowned at him.

He shrugged. “At the dawn of The Coven, of Eden, it was right here where we stand now. It is no surprise that The Coven felt drawn to return after the Gap in Salem. Lilith is coming. They will be strongest here.”

I shuddered at that. I wonder if Tegan knows that. Then I realized I was still listening to their conversation. With a silent curse, I rushed to the back door to go inside and yet my hand passed right over the handle. I couldn’t open the door. Someone would come out eventually. I just needed to wait, so I hid behind one of the wooden posts of the porch to wait, but my attention went right back to my soulmate and Saber.

Normally Everest always saw me in my projected form, so the fact he hadn’t registered my presence told me he was weaker than he was letting on. That thought made my stomach turn.