Even the house was uncertain.
Hopeless.
They decided on sitting out back, where at least the garden could offer them reprieve from the lifelessness they felt.
Eloise was chewing her thumbnail when she looked nervously to Crystal who looked, for the first time, worried. Her face had lines, her eyes seemed older and the glow that her cheeks usually carried had dulled.
What was happening to them?
"Anyone have ideas?" Carol was sitting forward in her chair, her knee bouncing as she looked around the unlit fire pit. The cafe lights wouldn't light above them and the wood wouldn't take flame.
They were in darkness.
"We will," Jen looked uncertainly at the other women, hoping someone had a thought, an idea, a salvation.
"Dark magic," Tilly said, drawing all eyes to where she sat in her adirondack chair, her brows furrowed. "You said that The Covenant is the police for dark magic."
"Yes," Crystal replied with a slow shake of her head.
"Did Margaret ever use dark magic?"
Crytal's eyes flashed. "Once. When she bound my magic. That can only be done by The Covenant and it requires mixing pure magic with dark magic to neutralize a witch's magic, holding it hostage and out of their reach. The Covenant cannot use any other dark magic. It's against the foundation of who they are. The punishment used to be death, " she added with a shrug.
"Damn," Eloise whispered.
"This is getting pretty dystopian, right?" Carol whispered back.
"So dark magic is our key." Tilly looked around at unsure faces. "I have a feeling that since dark magic is the accusation, which none of us are using, there is a truth in there. Carmen Frederick came forward and admitted that Astra had handled the peach shortcake."
Awe and understanding ran through the circle of women.
"It's not worth it," Jen argued. She looked to Crystal for confirmation and when she nodded slowly, Jen looked back to Tilly who shook her head.
"No, not us. We need to talk to someone about dark magic."
"Okay," Jen said the word drawing it out as she tried to connect the dots of her friend's thoughts. "Why?"
"To know dark magic, you must know the origin of magic without bastardizing it," Crystal responded, her eyes thoughtful as she looked at Tilly, clearly picking up something in Tilly's mind.
Eloise nodded. "Keep going with your thought," she encouraged Tilly.
Tilly sat forward further. "If we talk with someone about the dark side of magic, then we can maybe better understand what we are up against."
"Knowing the way an enemy thinks," Carol added, nodding along. Tilly snapped her finger, pointing to what Carol had said.
"Okay, but we have Crystal. She knows more about magic than we do," Jen said.
"I've never handled dark magic." Crystal connected eyes with Tilly. "Like I said - death. You want to talk with someone who has wielded it."
"And wielded it well," Tilly replied, a new spark in her eyes.
It was Crystal's turn to sit forward in her chair. "And someone who has used it against us wouldn't hurt."
The words zipped around the circle until Eloise groaned. Tilly smiled. Jen sat back with a sigh, slumping in the chair.
"Are you suggesting we go talk with..." Kelsea paused, not wanting to invite the name into their circle.
But Tilly nodded, a settled feeling in her chest. She felt brave and big and like she could take the world on.
