Page 143 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

Josie looked behind her. “Bed, you too.”

Bedwyr’s eyes widened. He whispered loudly, “What?”

“We’re leaving,” she said, throwing another glare my way.

“Uh,” he lowered his voice. “Josie, I don’t think…”

She snapped, “You cannot be fucking serious.”

“I’m sure we can all work it out. Sounds like Frond wasn’t in the right.”

Any hope of accepting Bedwyr into her bed in the future dwindled and died with those words, judging by the chilling look in her gaze. “You spineless sack of shit.”

Bedwyr grimaced as she stormed out of the chamber, but Frond stepped closer to me. Or tried to.

A snarl ripped from Wild, who clutched Frond’s shoulder tight and wrapped his magic around the older magus’s body.

“Time to leave,” Wild purred, shoving Frond forward.

Frond obeyed the magic moving his legs, and we all listened to his furious shouting as he was marched from the chamber with Wild in his wake.

A good thing that Wild would be occupied for a while.

A good thing Frond and Josie weren’t here to overhear the next part too.

It was time.

I could take the easy road today, only to find it hard tomorrow or next week. Or next year.

The turn of events today had left the coven at a loss. Two coven members just left, one of them out of sheer hate, and one out of sheer ambition. I felt the impact of their departure, so the coven would more so.

“I’m sorry it came to that,” I told them honestly. “I’m sorry that some of you were used in the process. There will be no ramifications for those who supported Frond. I only ask you to consider why you did so. Was it just your belief in my use of dark magic, or are there other reasons you disagree so strongly with my rule? I am always willing to listen. A united and healthy coven is what I will always work toward.”

It's time, I thought at my demon.

We didn’t work like that anymore. We didn’t converse as such. She would have felt the pulse of my determination, and in return, I felt her cool acceptance.

“With you all here,” I said, interrupting the deep frowns and contemplative quiet of my community, “and considering why we gathered today, I believe it’s time to give you an explanation for these unusual aspects of my magic that several have witnessed. I have never practiced dark magic, and I never will, but there is a side to me that is directly responsible for things like the black smoke.”

My gaze swept to the wide-eyed panic blanketing Rooke’s face, Sven’s frantic head shaking, Huxley’s nod, and Corey’s quick scan of the coven. Varden had closed his eyes.

Not everyone agreed.

I didn’t need them to. I just had to agree with myself.

“The story is a long one,” I said, sitting in the chair Frond had occupied during the truth trial. “It begins for this coven when my mother and grandmother suddenly departed this coven and the knolls.”

The mood was subdued, and emotions were low after the intensity of the trial. As much as ever, the coven would listen to all I had to say.

“I grew up outside of the coven, as you’re aware, but I never knew the reason for that. My grandmother troubled herself to teach me and my twin sister coven etiquette. My mother never spoke of the coven, however, except to extract an oath from me and Syera when we were twelve years old. She made us swear to never come to this coven.”

Low whispers rang out.

I nodded. “I grew to believe there must be something horribly wrong or dangerous about this coven. She never told me more. Neither did my grandmother, Rowaness. Until a short while into my time here, I knew nothing of why they’d run from this place. I naturally suspected there was some issue with my father. I was never told who he was, and as the council can attest to our conversation during my initiation into this community, I held no interest in figuring out who my father was. The Mother had other plans for me, however.”

There was some exchanged looks at that. Was I about to reveal my father to them? I could tell the magus middle-aged and older were grossly intrigued by my tale. They’d grown up with my grandmother or mother and would recall the emotional impact of waking to find them departed. I only understood how much in the wake of Frond and Josie leaving today. My female ancestors had been greatly loved here too. That hurt would be remembered.

“The reason I came to this coven is that I gained a tether for no obvious reasons about a month prior to arriving here. The tether wasn’t a typical magus tether. I couldn’t locate the person on the other end. I couldn’t feel anything from them. Five years prior, I’d lost my tethers when my family was killed by a powerful supernatural—of whose race I was unaware until recently.”

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