“And how do you suggest we ‘reconnect’ with Hekate? She turned her back on us and let our ancestors burn on pyres, and drown in rivers, did she not?”
I ignored his jibe. It was worthless arguing such a nuanced point to someone who clearly couldn’t tie his own shoelaces up even if he was paid.
“I have ideas,” I replied, a smirk calling up at my lips at the pure shock upon Kai’s face. His nose was coated in freckles, so faint that I wouldn’t have noticed until he was up close. And those eyes, darkened by his dislike for me, were impressive as they housed four different shades of green.
“Don’t mock me,” Kai warned. “It’s been a long day. I’m really not in the mood.”
I reached between us and took his hand. Kai flinched, but I held firm. “Trust is important, Kai. I trust that you will not punish me as you desire, and you must trust me to show you the way to our success.”
“This is ridiculous,” Kai started, but Romy was beside him in a flash, guiding his hand back up into mine.
At her touch, he faltered.
“Please,” Romy pleaded, “just listen to Hector. If you can’t do it for the Coven, do it… for me.”
She whispered the last two words so only Kai and I could hear. Shocked as I was, I did notice that Kai paused, took in her request and then agreed.
“If you do anything to harm me, Hector, just know I still have a scrap left of my Gift. Enough to use against you.” Regardless of his warning, Kai let me take his hand. His eyes glowed with a ring of cerulean as if in warning. I wasn’t aware what his Gift was, but something about his demeanour told me to be wary of it.
“Water-witch,” I declared, keeping my voice loud so the room could hear. “That is helpful to know where I should begin.”
“Begin with what?” another witch called from the crowd, brow furrowed as they watched on. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“I might not have won the Witch Trials and re-claimed Bahmet for our control, but Ididsurvive with knowledge that’s been lost to us for generations. I don’t know why such knowledge was forgotten, but I’m pretty confident that Bahmet had something to do with it. I have a way to make sure we all can protect ourselves against a world who will hate us for what has happened today. We cannot andwillnot hide in the shadows like history wanted us to do. Kai, don’t grieve the loss of Bahmet’s Gifts, when I can offer you something far greater. True power.”
Kai hesitated when I took my finger and drew the symbol for fire upon his upturned hand. The cerulean circlet around his iris glowed brighter, as the air sparked above his palm and a kindling of flame danced to life.
“What is this?” Kai gasped, drawing back as the fire continued to burn. His panic likely came from expecting my actions to cause him pain, but his skin didn’t singe or blister. Instead, as the fire spread across every slender finger, casting a warm glow from beneath him, he looked almost… pleased.
“Power,” I replied. “Old magic.”
Kai fisted his hand, and the flames extinguished. Smoke curled into the air, but the scent was of bonfires on a cold autumn night—pleasant and welcoming.
“I don’t understand,” he gasped, eyes still fixed to the sliver of dark smoke dancing from his skin.
I fished into the Witch Hunter’s bag at my feet, finding Eleanor’s grimoire laid at the top of the stuffed contents inside. My fingers trembled slightly, as if my body didn’t want me to give it up, but for them to trust me I had to give them a reason to.
Romy felt the same, as she laid a hand on my shoulder. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I nodded, sweat trickling down my neck. “There is no other way. Anyways, I’ve practically memorised it now. I’ve learned as much as I can from it.”
Romy swallowed hard, and nodded.
I handed over the source of my knowledge to Kai, who still looked down at his once-burning hand in wonder.
“I’m surprised someone who evaded witch-kind for his life has access to a Book of Shadows,” he said, finally regarding what I offered him. “This is old… I haven’t seen one so well-kept.”
“This, although borrowed for a time, is not my grimoire.” My empty fingers tingled without the familiar brush of leather. I fisted them, dropping hands to my sides and pinching mytrousers just to give them something to do. “It belonged to a witch called Eleanor Letcombe, who burned for the crime of witchcraft in 1563. Eleanor was the witch who made a deal with Bahmet to protect those who came after her, thus making her the last witch who practiced the old ways of magic. In that grimoire you will learn magic that you would never have believed possible. Rune-work, spells, conjuring of elements. This”—I pointed to the grimoire, almost grieving it as Kai skipped through pages—“is the key to our future. To our survival.”
Kai was silent as he flipped through the yellowed pages. Romy shared in my anticipation for an answer, practically buzzing at my side. When Kai broke out of the book’s secrets, he handed it over to an older woman with a nest of grey hair, who took it and also began to read the contents.
“If what you are saying is true, then we do have a chance to fight.” Kai wasn’t entirely pleased to admit it, I could tell from the pinch of his lips as he spoke. But I felt a sense of success, like a tide had changed. “But it will take time to train witches in the old ways. Not only that, but we are also scattered. What you see is the last of the Coven. Every witch outside of it will be watching the news, worried for their futures. It will take time to reach them, to pass this knowledge on…”
I could see where Kai was going with this, so I finished his sentence for him. “Time we do not have, right?”
Kai nodded. “Father Tomin has made his first move against us, and it was a powerful one. Whatever is going to happen next will be premeditated and likely prepared. Grimoire or not, we are forever going to be on the back foot. The Coven’s focus must be protecting witches that we can reach, we do not have the numbers or the strength to go against Tomin, especially not now.”
Emon tightened around my arm, and it took effort not to shake him free. The pinch of his scales against my skin felt vile. “You’ll leave Tomin tome.”
