“No, my apologies,” Greya said as she stood up, smoothing her dress and fixing her composure. Ena hoped they hadn’t been overheard arguing with one another; that would not be good for the Coven’s image.
Heran turned to face Ena, her arms outstretched. Her face was wrinkled and her eyes kind. Her brown- and gray-streaked hair was tied tightly back in a bun. “Ena, my child. Are you alright? We’ve been so worried.”
Ena smiled warily at Heran, her heart and mind still thrown from the argument with Greya, and moved closer to embrace her. “Yes, Heran.”
The smell of lavender surrounded Ena as Heran held her. Heran’s body was small, but sturdy. The feel of it comforted her, and she felt her own body calm slightly. It felt good to be safe again, with people she trusted.
Pulling back, Heran held Ena by her shoulders and studied her intensely. “We have much to discuss. The Occidens witches have agreed to let you return home with us. They do not consider this a willing breach of the treaty, so you will see no punishment.”
Ena breathed a sigh of relief at that, but tensed at Heran’s next words.
“Greya, would you please step outside for a minute? I would like to speak to Ena alone.”
Greya looked warily between her and Heran, but nodded dutifully and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.
“Sit, my child,” Heran said, gesturing to the bed. She herself sat on the lone chair in the room and reached out to grab Ena’s hands. “I know you have been through much and must have a lot of questions, but I need to know: the amulet that was stolen, did they tell you why they wanted it?”
“No, Heran. They didn’t tell me anything. But…” Ena paused. She was cautious to share what she knew, especially after theway Greya had reacted. “I was the one to find the amulet first. I intended to take it and hide it from them, and hoped to bring it home with me when they let me go.” She looked at Heran for assurance. She wanted her to know her intentions had been good. She had tried so hard to serve Gaia and to disrupt the daemons’ plans. “But when I touched it…I saw something.” Ena paused again, gauging Heran’s reaction.
“You had a vision?” Heran asked calmly.
“Yes. And what I saw…well, it was unsettling.” Ena described her vision in as much detail as she could to Heran. Heran remained silent as she spoke, slowly stroking her thumbs over the back of Ena’s hands in comfort. When she was finished speaking, she released them with a gentle pat.
“Thank you for sharing that with me, child.” Heran’s reaction was not what Ena had expected. She did not seem surprised or confused, only calm and contemplative. She rose to stand and turned away from Ena. She paced the room a few times, before seeming to come to a decision as she sat back down.
“I believe Gaia has seen fit to reveal this vision to you, so I will tell you what I know.” Taking a deep breath as if to steel herself, Heran continued. “Hundreds of years ago, when witches and daemons came to the split, it was true that many daemons willingly chose to serve Iblis. But it is also true that some did not. You must understand, it was a dark time. There was significant discord and disillusionment between witches and daemons. It was decided that, although some daemons wanted to remain connected to Gaia and continue serving both their Master and our Goddess as they saw fit, they could not be trusted. Daemonic gifts were too insidious, too disruptive to be allowed access to Gaia. They were simply not suited to serve her. So, one witch from each Coven came together to bind all daemons into servitude with Iblis, removing their ability to access Gaia’s power and interpret her will. It was a necessary sacrifice, onewhich has allowed witches and mortals to thrive, relatively free of daemonic influence. The daemons have since been confined to the Underworld, and though they occasionally emerge to create chaos and disrupt the balance, witches have been able to, for the most part, maintain control.”
Ena was silent for a minute as she tried to process this information. “So, the vision I had when I touched the amulet. That was the binding ritual?”
“Yes, I believe that is what you saw. The amulet is a crucial conduit which allowed the witches to terminate the daemons’ connection to Gaia. I am not certain of the details, those have been lost to time, but I believe the daemons who took you intend to use the amulet to break the bond to Iblis.”
Ena’s mind spun. Was this true? Was this what Ty and the others intended to use the amulet for? To regain access to Gaia and her power? What would that mean for them, for witches, for mortals? Ena didn’t know how to feel about this.
Heran, misinterpreting her confusion for distress, reached for her hands once more. “Do not fret, my child. The daemons may have the amulet, but Syrelle and I are confident that they will not be able to break the bond to Iblis on their own. It was done with witch magic, and daemons alone cannot break it, even with the amulet.”
“Oh…okay,” Ena replied flatly. That was the least of her concerns right now.
“But Ena, I’m not certain why Gaia has seen fit to reveal this to you. Only time will tell, but this information is strictly guarded. Only Coven matriarchs have been entrusted with it, and it must remain that way. You cannot tell anyone, not even Greya. Do you understand?”
No, Ena didn’t understand. She didn’t understand at all. Why was this being kept secret? Why were they so sure that cutting off daemons from Gaia’s power was a good thing? She wantedto ask these questions, and so many more, but that was not her place. She had never argued with Heran, so instead, she lied.
“Yes, I understand, Heran.”
Heran nodded and cupped her cheek gently. “Good. Now come,” she said, rising to stand once more and bringing Ena with her. “We were given nicer accommodations for the night, and you’ve been given permission to come stay with us. We’ll leave for home first thing in the morning.”
Ena sighed deeply. She was more than relieved to be leaving this tiny, dark room, but as Heran moved to open the door, Ena’s heart sank.
Heran had said only Coven matriarchs knew about the amulet, which meant Syrelle already knew. There was no new information Ena could tell her that might sway her to let Ty live. She had no more cards left to play.
Her mind spun in frantic disbelief. Maybe they’d decided to let him go anyway. Maybe his heritage had been enough. Heran had been talking with the Occidens matriarch, so she must have new information.
“Wait,” she said, her voice shaking as she stopping Heran. “The daemon I was found with. Did they tell you if they came to a decision about what to do with him?”
“Don’t worry, my child. He is to be drowned in the Endless Ocean at dawn. He won’t be able to haunt you anymore.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Itwastheearlyevening when Ena found herself in the bath. Heran had led her through the house she’d been held in and down the street to a larger home where they had been given a nicer room. Ena’s legs moved automatically, but she didn’t see or feel a thing.
