“It’s time, Blair. Time for you to stop being so selfish and take your place as High Priestess.”
My eyes are wide as I look at her. “I’ve never wanted that. You know I’ve never wanted that.”
“It isn’t a choice. The magic chooses.”
“What? So you and your band of woodland bitches can fuel off my power? I don’t fucking think so. Stevie, let’s go.”
“Blair, I don’t feel good.” My beautiful, usually lively cousin is on her knees, her fingers reaching for purchase in the grass as she heaves. Her long red hair is like a curtain flowing over her face.
“Stevie?” I get down on my haunches next to her and rub her back. “What did you do?” I shout at my mother, knowing full well my irises are flaming red.
“I figured you would be difficult. I didn’t go out of my way to create you so you could be insolent, Blair. Do your duty to your coven and your precious Stevie will be released from the spell.”
“Stevie, can you sense what the spell is?”
“Sana. Sana. Sana.”I whisper it with intention each time, it heals her momentarily and then she begins vomiting again. The spell must have been cast by the entirety of the coven to not allow me to heal her.
“She’s your niece,” I say to my mother.
“She’s cannon fodder.” I look into my mother’s evil eyes and I wonder how I got designated as the coven bitch. Maybe it’s hereditary, and it just trickled down to me, but I would never do this. I would never hurt Stevie, or try to push a witch into a role she doesn’t want.
“Stevie, I’ll find another way to heal you. We’re leaving.” I place my cousin’s arm over my shoulder and the farther away we get from the ceremonial site, the more she convulses against me. “Fuck.”
I walk her back to the circle, trying to think of ways I can get out of this. I’m not a healer, it’s not the magic I’m good at. I’m good at offensive and defensive magic, but not healing or diagnostic. I can’t even figure out whose magic is affecting her.
“You’re going to pay for this. Stevie…Stevie.” I smack my cousin’s flushed face to wake her up.
“Get in the circle, Blair,” my mom orders.
“Fuck you.”
My mom flicks her wrist and whispers under her breath. Stevie falls out of my arms and starts convulsing on the ground. Her eyes are rolling into the back of her head and I watch as her veins start to protrude over her pale skin.
“STOP!” I scream feeling the ground shake under me. My mother doesn’t stop and I go to move. It’s like my limbs are being held by vines. I look over my shoulder and see coven members chanting.
Stevie starts gurgling on her vomit and I can’t take it anymore. I fall to my knees. “Fine! I’ll do it. Release Stevie.” My mother gives me a cruel smile as she releases my cousin. I crawl over to her and start my chanting.
“Sana. Sana. Sana.”This time the healing spell works as her lungs fill with air and she gasps for breath. Her fingers cling to my arms as I watch the color return to her face.
“I’m so sorry, Blair,” Stevie whispers to me.
“Shh, it’s not your fault,” I tell her, petting her hair. Part of me wonders if I could just get us out of here now. She’s lifted the spell. But there are too many of them. Stevie is weak right now, and I’m strong, but not strong enough to take on the entire coven. There are a dozen witches to consider. These bitches are going to rue the day they wanted me to be their High Priestess.
“Let’s get this shit over with.”
“Middle of the circle,” my mother directs me, and I take my place as the rest of the witches close their hands together and form a circle around me. Two of the witches force Stevie on her knees to be a part of the circle. You need the entire coven for a ritual like this.
I stand in the middle just thinking about how fucked up today has been. The betrayal tastes like ash on my tongue. It fuels me for retribution. I know becoming High Priestess means the coven will pull from my power, but it also makes me all knowing and the highest power of these witches. My word is law, and they just made me their enemy. I will turn this coven inside out before I let them hurt Stevie and me again. A manic smile takes over my face as the coven starts to chant.
Surge novum. Tempus advenit. Surge novum. Tempus advenit. Sacerdos non decet. Surge novum. Tempus advenit. Surge novum. Tempus advenit. Sacerdos non decet.Sacerdos non decet.
“You all sound like a bunch of mindless assholes,” is the last thing that I say before I feel it, the pull. It shakes me to my core and brings me to my knees. My breathing is labored, and it feels like my heart is going to explode out of my chest.
My hands claw at the ground, trying to find anything that will give me purchase. All I can smell is the misty air and the stench of dirt. I can’t see anything and all I feel is pain. Their chants increase and I’m flailed onto my back. My chest is rising and falling at a rapid pace. My fingertips clutch at my chest. I feel like I’m dying. My body rises to the air, elevated and held in the midnight chill like a sacrifice.
A sacrifice.A fucking sacrifice.
I try to steady my breathing to hear their chanting, and it all becomes clear. They don’t want me to be High Priestess at all. They want to take my power from me. I look around the circle, I see Clover’s smug face, Jenna’s blue eyes are almost as wide as her smile. My mother’s eyes are closed as she leads the chant. No, Hell no. I’m not going to let this happen.
