Page 50 of Dark Witch: Entangled Fates

She leaned over to Syssi. "Something big is about to happen," she murmured conspiratorially, her eyes darting between her mother, who had lost her easy smile, and the anxious-looking couple. "I can smell it in the air."

Syssi's only response was a slight nod.

"Good afternoon, Clan Mother." Aru bowed to Annani. "I apologize for us arriving last."

"No need to apologize, Aru. You are right on time. The others have arrived a little early."

"That's good to know," Gabi said. "Thank you for inviting us."

As Annani inclined her head magnanimously, the couple followed Ojidu to their seats and sat down.

Annani scanned the faces of her guests with a soft smile lifting her lips. "Now that everyone is here, we can start."

Amanda held her breath as she waited for her mother to reveal what the meeting was about, but Annani just lifted her hand to signal to her Odus that it was okay to bring out the food. The babies had been situated in the bedroom with a kids' show to entertain them and an Odu to watch over them.

As the Odus began to serve the fragrant dishes, the adults dug into the delicious pesto pasta and Caesar salad, and the conversation around the table turned to the latest developments, with Kian filling the others in on Karen's and Margo's progress.

"It's a pity that Frankie and Margo are going to leave right away," Alena said. "I bet Mia is disappointed. She hoped they would join her in the village."

"It's problematic." Kian spread a napkin over his knees. "Negal and Dagor can't join the clan for security reasons, and the same is true for you, Aru." He looked at the god. "Nevertheless, we need to extend our umbrella of protection to them. There should be no unaffiliated immortals out in the human world even if they have three gods to protect them." He shifted his gaze to Gabi. "You need a community. Especially if and when you have children. You already have family in the village, so it's a given, but I will have to talk with Margo and Frankie about their status."

She gave him a bright smile. "I thought that it was a non-issue, and that I could visit anytime I wanted, but thank you for the official welcome."

When their mother regarded Kian with pride in her eyes, Amanda wondered if that was what they had been assembled for. Except, Kian did not need their approval to welcome new members to the clan. If he thought that approval was necessary, he should have called a council meeting and put it to a vote.

Perhaps he wanted to make sure that the family was on board beforehand?

David chuckled. "You should have a 'Welcome to Oz' banner at the glass pavilion for the newcomers, and a yellow brick road painted on the floor."

Amanda lifted her hand. "I volunteer to be the witch, but I don't know which one, the Wicked Witch of the West or the Wicked Witch of the East, or one of the good witches. I need to read up on them again." She had read the original book version, which had four witches, two good and two wicked, but Amanda didn't remember who was who and what each was responsible for.

Kian groaned. "Again, with the nonsense about witches?"

Sari narrowed her eyes at him. "What nonsense?"

"Turns out that our rescued guest fancies herself a witch." Kian shook his head. "Jasmine is an active Wiccan who is convinced that she's destined to meet a prince. I wonder if Edgar fits the bill or if he's just a placeholder until she finds her dream royal."

Amanda snorted. "Edgar is a sweetheart, but he's no Prince Charming. I mean, he can be charming, but he is…" she glanced at her mother "not very discriminating with his affections, and very active."

That was common for young immortals, and until not too long ago, Amanda had been just as bad or just as good, depending on how one regarded raging promiscuity. She'd used to refer to herself as a slut, but it had become politically incorrect to do so because it was supposedly shaming. Except, she had always worn the title with pride.

Oh, well. She was a college professor, which meant that she was surrounded by the current generation of whiny ninnies who found every other word offensive but had no problem bullying whoever did not fit their extremely narrow and misguided worldview. The ignorance was just staggering, but thankfully, it wasn't as bad in her department. Scientifically inclined minds were a little better trained to ask questions and a little less susceptible to herd mentality, though not by much.

Amanda stifled a sigh. Her job wasn't to teach them right from wrong. That was their parents' job. She was there to teach them about the brain.

As the conversation turned to Wicca, Amanda discovered that Sari knew more about it than she did. Her sister had not taken part in any rituals, but she'd studied the subject because several of her people had gotten into it. She explained about altars, the different deities they believed in, and the tools they used to channel energy.

The soothing sounds of conversation mingled with the clatter of silverware and the clink of glasses, and even Aru and Gabi cracked a few smiles, the good mood around the table managing to break through the anxious veil that seemed to be hanging over them.

Something about Jasmine's prince quest prickled Amanda's mind, but before she could catch the string of thought, her mother distracted her with a comment about brainwaves that she had to respond to, but even though Annani nodded and smiled, it was obvious to Amanda that she wasn't really listening.

The glint of anticipation and excitement in Annani's eyes sent a shiver down Amanda's spine.

The luncheon wasn't about welcoming new immortals into the clan or even about Jasmine. It was about something else.

Leaning forward, Amanda asked, "What's going on, Mother?"

Annani smiled, the gleam in her eyes making Amanda's heart race. "Patience, my darling," she murmured. "All will be revealed soon. But first, let us enjoy coffee, dessert, and wonderful company."

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