Nine high-back chairs gilded in silver sit around an ebony table so polished it reflects the chandelier above like a dark mirror. Inlays of silver trace the phases of the moon across its surface, from new to full to dark again.
The depiction is rendered in precious metal and a mosaic of gemstones. It’s stunning.
Nine witches occupy the chairs around the table, and I meet the gazes of the Elders of Emberwood.
Laurel sits at the head of the table, her silver hair swept back from her face, light gray eyes tracking our entrance with hawk-like precision. She gestures to two empty ladder-back chairs positioned at the opposite end of the table. “Poppy. Wylder. Please sit.”
Once we’re seated, more coven members filter into the room, taking a seat on the long bench that lines the four walls around us. I recognize several faces from high school, and a few of Mom’s friends from back in the day. Amber’s here, arms crossed, her perfectly pink glossy lips pressed thin. A woman with kind eyes offers me a sad smile. Orion is here and gives me a wink and…
“Dr. Anders?” I straighten in my seat, confusion hitting hard. “What are you doing here?”
Wylder follows my gaze and frowns. “That’s Marcus Lott.”
“No, that’s Dr. Anders, my dentist from Wichita. Trust me, I’ve seen him once a year for the past five…” It hits me then. “Dr. Thorne said the block on my powers had been reinforced yearly since I’d been gone. Seriously? You faked being my freaking dentist to spy on me and keep me under your thumb?”
Laurel sighs. “Let’s not be dramatic, Poppy.”
“Dramatic? That man had his fingers in my mouth!”
She pegs be with a bored look. “I’ve already explained to you how dangerous spirit magic can be. Of course we took measures to ensure you posed no danger. It was as much for your safety as for anyone else.”
I scoff. “Do you hear yourself? Are you truly so delusional that you can spew that bullshit and not have the taste of manure in your mouth?”
Wylder reaches to where I’m gripping the arm of my chair with a white-knuckled fist and rests his hand over top. A rush of soothing energy floods my cells, and I pull in a calming breath.
Okay, yeah. Not productive.
Dropping the betrayal of learning about my fake dentist, I center myself and read the room.
So many eyes.
So much mistrust.
Beside me, Wylder radiates tension like heat escaping hot asphalt in summer.
Laurel folds her hands on the table. “You requested this meeting. We’re listening.”
I place my hands flat on the table in front of me and begin. “My mother loved this coven.” My voice comes out steadier than I expect. “She believed you were her brothers and sisters. That together you protected this town, this land, and the balance between our world and the others.”
A muscle ticks in Laurel’s jaw.
“Five years ago, Sebastian came to you for help, and you turned him away. He was a stranger within your territory, and you didn’t want to get involved with his ‘demon drama’, so you dismissed him. How am I doing so far?”
Laurel dips her chin. “Go on.”
“But as the tears in the veil grew, my mother felt the suffering of the souls. She came to the council multiple times, begging for you to reconsider what was happening and acknowledge how theinnocent suffered. She wasn’t a stranger, and you had no reason not to trust her, but still you turned your back on the situation.”
A distinguished-looking man with silver hair and a trim beard frowns. “That is a matter of perspective. We were aware of the trouble and were monitoring it. We disagreed about how to move forward and your mother’s proposed methods of handling the situation.”
“But dealing with spirit magic and the souls of the dead was her wheelhouse. Why not acknowledge that when it came to working together with Sebastian, she might know best?”
Laurel pegs me with a patronizing grin. “Why can’t you acknowledge that the combined wisdom of nine Wiccan elders is far beyond what you can comprehend? You’ve been a witch for what, two weeks?”
Yeah, I saw that one coming. “Actually, I’ve been a witch all my life, despite you usurping the goddess mother’s intentions and banning me. I understand that spirit magic is the black sheep affinity of the Wiccan family, but it’s still an affinity designated by the goddess. Don’t you think Her combined wisdom and intention is beyond whatyoucan comprehend?”
The room falls quiet as I let that one land.Ha! Suck it.
There’s no way for Laurel to win that argument. If she defends their decision, it exposes them as putting their intentions over those of the goddess mother. If she can’t defend their decision, she’s admitting to targeting and ruining the life of a goddess-blessed member of the coven.
