When it comes toThe Ravens, it takes two best-selling authors to tango.
Heres the official synopsis: Kappa Rho Nu isnt your average sorority.
Their parties are notorious.
Credit: Laura Hanifin; Michael Bisberg
Their fundraisers are known for being Westerly Colleges most elaborate affairs.
For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nus Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself.
For both Morgan and Paige, this book felt like a long time in the making.
HMH
Its their power, the potential for darkness, the idea that they are even more powerful together.
But most importantly, its the sisterhood.
Thats why it is so much fun to write a modern take on witches with a friend.
I am such a fan of her writing, and I couldnt have asked for a better sister witch.
EW can debut an exclusive first-look atThe Ravens, in the form of a cover reveal and excerpt debut.
The novel publishes Jan. 5, 2021.
Dont look at me that way.
The knife, already sharpened, glinted on the altar next to her offering.
The girl moaned in response, tears streaking down her face.
Her mouth was bound, but her words sounded crystal-clear in the witchs head.
Remember who I am.
Remember who you are.
The witch hardened her heart.
No doubt the girl thought she saw an opportunity in her captors apologetic tone.
A chance to convince her to stop.
A chance to hope.
A chance to live.
It was too late for that.
It gave and took.
This was the gift.
This was the cost.
The witch knelt beside the girl and tested the bonds one last time.
Tight, though not enough to cut off her circulation.
She wasnt a monster.
The girls screams began again, piercing through the gag stuffed in her mouth.
The witch gritted her teeth.
Shed much prefer the girl to be unconscious.
But the rite shed dug up had been very specific.
If this was going to work, she needed to do it perfectly.
She shut her eyes.
She couldnt think about that possibility.
It had to work.
There was no other way.
She picked up the knife and began to chant.
In the end, she was surprised at how easy it was.
Magic that was now all hers.
CHAPTER ONE
Vivi
Vivian.
Daphne Devereaux stood in her daughters doorway, her face twisted in exaggerated anguish.
Ive had a premonition.
Vivi glanced at her mother, suppressed a sigh, and returned to her packing.
Luckily, Vivi had had a lifetime of practice.
You dont want to carry that bad energy with you.
Let me guess, Vivi said now, shoving several books in her backpack.
Youve seen a powerful darkness headed my way.
Its not safe for you at that .
Vivi closed her eyes and took what she hoped would be a calming breath.
Her mother hadnt been able to bring herself to say the word college for months.
Its not a curse word.
Westerly was Vivis lifeline.
Daphne, however, had been adamantly against it.
Youll hate Westerly, shed said with surprising conviction.
Id never set foot on that campus.
Thats what sealed the deal for Vivi.
Of all the places theyd lived over the years, this apartment was her least favorite.
Much like the whole dusty state of Nevada.
Vivi abandoned her packing and took a few steps across her cramped bedroom toward her mother.
Its going to be okay, Mom, Vivi said.
I wont be gone long.
Thanksgiving will be here before you know it.
Her mother sniffed and extended her pale arm.
Vivi shared her mothers coloring and was fairly sure they were the two palest people in all of Nevada.
Look what I drew as your cross card.
It was a tarot card.
As a child, Vivi had loved watching her beautiful mother dazzle the customers with her wisdom and glamour.
Vivi had finally found a way out.
A new beginning, far from her mothers impulsive behaviors.
Let me guess, Vivi said, raising an eyebrow at the tarot card in her mothers hand.
Her mothers face darkened, and when Daphne spoke, her normally melodic voice was chillingly sharp and quiet.
Vivi, I know you dont believe in tarot, but for once, just listen to me.
Vivi took the card and turned it over.
Sure enough, a skeleton carrying a scythe glared up from the card.
Its eyes were black, hollowed-out gouges.
Its mouth curved up in an almost gleeful leer.
Disembodied hands and feet pushed up from the loamy earth as the sun sank in a blood-red sky.
Westerly isnt a safe place, not for people like you, Daphne whispered.
You have an ability to see beyond the veil.
It makes you a target for dark forces.
I thought you werent going to say stuff like that anymore.
I cant control which card I draw.
Its foolish to ignore a warning like this.
A horn honked outside and someone yelled an expletive.
Vivi sighed and shook her head.
Vivi tried to hand the card back to her mother, but Daphnes arms remained resolutely at her sides.
Obviously thats what it means.
College is my fresh start.
For the next four years, she could reinvent herself as a normal college student.
Theyd moved around so much that she hadnt had the chance to get good at anything.
Her mother shook her head.
In the reading, Death was accompanied by the Ten of Swords and the Tower.
Betrayal and sudden violence.
This is a big change for both of us.
Its okay to be upset.
Her mother squeezed her hands tightly.
I know I cant make this decision for you
Then stop trying to.
Vivi laced her fingers through her mothers the way she used to when she was little.
I dont want to spend our last day fighting.
Daphnes shoulders slumped as if shed finally realized this was a losing battle.
Promise me youll be careful.
Remember, things arent always as they appear.
Even something that seems good can be dangerous.
Is this your way of telling me Im secretly evil?
Her mother gave her a withering look.
Just be smart, Viv.
That I can definitely do.
Vivis smile widened enough to make Daphne roll her eyes.
Ive raised an egomaniac.
But her mother leaned in to hug her all the same.
Ill be careful, I promise.
And she would be.
She knew bad things could happen in college.
Bad things happened everywhere, but Daphne was fooling herself if she thought some silly tarot reading meant anything.
There was no such thing as magic.
Or so Vivi thought.
CHAPTER TWO
Scarlett
You dont choose your sisters.
Somewhere in this sea of girls was the new class of Kappa recruits.
Once they passed through the gates, she felt freer and stronger.
As if she were stepping out of her familys shadow and into the light.
Their pictures were in the group photos on the wall.
Their names were on the lips of the older sorority sisters.
They had made their mark here before her.
That was the beauty of coming after: She could still exceed them.
Or so she told herself.
it’s crucial that you convey power, taste, leadership capability .
Scarlett caught her reflection behind her mothers in the rearview mirror.
Scarlett, Eugenie, and Marjorie were all different shades of brown.
Scarlett smoothed down her green A-line dress.
And wearing red when your name is Scarlett is a little on-the-nose.
Marjories expression went deadly serious.
Scarlett, everything goes into consideration.
Shes right, you know, Eugenie put in from the front seat.
Listen to your sister.
She was president two years in a row, Marjorie said proudly.
And now its your turn to carry on the family tradition.
Unless, of course, youre content with just sitting on the sidelines.
Im a Winter, arent I?
Scarlett straightened her spine and glared at her sister.
Then again, Eugenie took every opportunity she could to put Scarlett in her place.
Including managing to ride shotgun on Scarletts first day back while Scarlett herself was relegated to the back seat.
Her mother nodded sharply.
Dont ever forget it, my dear.
Scarlett always pretended to be sleeping, because her mother tried so hard not to wake her.
But she didnt mind being woken.
It reminded her how much her mother cared, something that Scarlett didnt always feel during her waking hours.
Scarlett grew up hearing, A Kappa president cannot be just one thing, Scarlett.
She must be everything.
Smart, stylish, kind.
The pop in of girl who inspires envy and respect in equal measure.
The key in of girl who puts her sisters firstand is powerful enough to change the world.
Each sign was aligned with a suit in the tarot cards, which always amused Scarlett.
Scarlett was a Cups, which meant she was strongest working with water elements.
Failure was not an option.
Marjorie pulled up in front of Kappa House, and Scarletts heart skipped a beat.
Marjorie turned off the engine and surveyed the scene like a commanding officer might survey a battlefield.
I wanted to hear all about his travels.
Hes not getting in until tomorrow, Scarlett said, trying to contain her giddy smile.
She hadnt seen Mason in almost two months.
It was the longest theyd been apart since theyd started dating two years ago.
On a whim, Mason had decided to backpack through Europe after attending a family friends wedding in Italy.
Hed skipped out on his internship at his fathers law firmand all the plans Scarlett had made for them.
It wasnt like Mason to shirk his family duties or keep her waiting all summer to see him.
As a general rule, Scarlett didnt wait for anything or anyone, but Mason was worth it.
Eugenie shifted in her seat and began to aggressively scroll through her work e-mails.
Scarlett hid a smug smile.
Mason was the one place Scarlett had Eugenie beat.
That was the word the sisters used to describe those worthy of a Raven.
And there was an incredibly high bar for who qualified as a complementary.
Only the best would do, and Mason was the best.
He was at the top of his class, athletic, dead sexyand all hers.
The icing on top: her mother absolutely loved him.
Thanks for the ride, Mama, Scarlett said, her hand on the door of the car.
Oh, here, her mother said as if she were remembering something suddenly.
She handed a wrapped box over the back seat.
It was a deck of tarot cards, beautifully rendered.
I ordered them from a powerful Cups who is very high up in the Senate.
She painted them herself, she boasted.
Disappointment tightened Scarletts chest.
As much as Scarlett loved political royalty, how could her mother give her these now?
These are lovely, Mother, but I already have Minnies cards.
Scarlett didnt understand how her mother could know so little about her.
She would never replace Minnies deck with a shiny new set of cards.
New year, new start, her mother said.
I know Minnie meant the world to you; she meant the world to me too.
You being a Ravenyou becoming presidentthat meant the world to her.
You mean it means the world toyou.
Scarlett pocketed the cards, bent over the seat, and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek.
Of course, Mama.
Thank you, she murmured, though she had no intention of ever using them.
When she took a step back onto the sidewalk, she collided with a solid, muscular body.
An indignant voice sounded behind her.
Youre the one who ran into me.
Sweat beaded on his dark brown skin, and a soaked shirt stuck to his muscular frame.
His lips turned down in a frown.
But I suppose I shouldnt be surprised.
You Kappas act like you own this place.
Wedoown it, Scarlett said without missing a beat.
Youre standing in front of our house.
Jackson wasnt from Savannah.
His consonants just sat there stubbornly, unlike hers, which she stretched out for effect.
A gentleman would offer to take the suitcases from her.
Then again, a gentleman wouldnt have reprimanded her for standing on her own sidewalk in the first place.
Jackson leaned closer to her.
She knew how he saw her, and she knew why.
And unfortunately, there were way too many real videos and stories that backed up that image.
Not that she could explain that to Jackson.
All at once, Scarlett said.
At least we agree on one thing.
Jackson crossed his arms, his brown eyes flashing.
Is that a threat?
He arched a single eyebrow, seeming to consider her anew.
It was like shed just vanished from his world.
His head snapped to the side, and without another word, he resumed his jog.
Scarlett turned back to Kappa.
They walked arm in arm, Dahlias blond ponytail a shade darker than Tiffanys platinum one.
Dahlia winked, making it clear who had just enchanted the boy.
Scarlett dropped her suitcases and shot one last glare at Jacksons retreating form.
She had no idea what was wrong with him or why he seemed to hate Kappas so much.
A sister had probably rejected him last spring.
Guys could be so fragile and petty.
Whats with the drama?
You looked like you were this close to whipping up a category three, Dahlia said.
A boy like that certainly isnt worth getting soaked over.
Why were you even talking to him in the first place?
He ran into meliterally.
Tiffany just laughed and held out her arms.
Tiffany turned to give her a peck on the cheek.
Her dark red lipstick hadnt left a single mark.
Ravens makeup never smudged.
A shadow crossed Tiffanys face.
Were trying a new treatment.
Well know more soon.
Scarlett gave Tiffany another hug.
Her friend had spent the summer in Charleston with her mom, who was battling cancer.
As president, Dahlia chose what spells the group would take on, a role she unabashedly relished.
And according to Dahlia, Kappas history was riddled with failed healing rituals of this magnitude.
Some things just arent within our power, Dahlia had said.
What she didnt know at the time was that Minnie was close to death herself.
If there were a cure for dying, we wouldnt be witches, wed be immortal .
the only spells that touch death touch back in equal measure, Minnie had warned with a sad smile.
Now, Tiffany pulled back from the hug with a bright smile Scarlett knew was fake.
How are preparations for rush going?
Scarlett pivoted, letting Tiffany off the emotional hook and looking up at the house.
Tradition dictated that the sophomore sisters decorated the house for recruitment.
This year was speakeasy-themed; she couldnt wait to see what her sisters had come up with.
Did you bring the sparklers?
Theyre right here, Scarlett said, tapping one of her suitcases.
I enchanted them last night.
Minnie always said that the magic did the real choosing, and she was rightmostly.
All girls grew up with magic in them whether they knew it or not.
The strength of the magic was what mattered.
But it wasntwabout ability.
The Ravens had to be exemplary.
It was about personality, pedigree, intelligence, and sophistication.
And above all, it was about being a good sister.
Only the best will do, of course, Scarlett said.
Finding powerful witches among Westerlys froshlings was like searching for diamonds in a sea of cubic zirconias.
She didnt want an unruly sophomore crop when she became president.
Of course, Dahlia echoed, a frown marring her perfect features.
We have to protect Kappa.
The last thing we want is another Harper situation.
Scarletts stomach twisted and she carefully avoided Tiffanys eyes.Another Harper situation.Something dark and unspoken passed between Scarlett and Tiffany.
Something Scarlett never let herself think about.
Something that could ruin everything shed worked so hard to get.
