Page 4 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

Barrow was next to speak. “This coven must now pave the way for your accession to leadership. Are you prepared?”

No amount of purification and centering could counter the tension of this situation, but I’d done my best in the hour left to me after the quad’s surprise visit. “Yes, sir.”

His face softened. I no longer had to call him sir, but I did respect Barrow after spending more time in his company. He’d witnessed my deal with the Astars over Wild’s near-lifeless body a week ago when he could’ve done nothing. That move would have secured the Astars’ disapproval, pretty much ensuring he’d never get an invite to join their midst—something he’d wanted for a long time. That took guts. Life had taught me not everyone had guts. In fact, precious few possessed that quality.

Delta enhanced her voice with battle magic to push her words to the far corners of the chamber. “Stand, coven of the Buried Knolls. Join hands. We welcome our long-awaited leader. Though uncertainty resides on our doorstep, this moment is ours. We rejoice together. Stand.”

The coven did as requested. Too quietly in my opinion. Shouldn’t there be more noise?

“Calm,” Wild murmured.

I focused on my breathing as he left my side to join the council.

From the corner of my eye, I watched as the coven joined hands. Ruby with Berry. Bedwyr with Josie—guess they were back on again. Rooke with Sven. Huxley with Spyne. Did they make up already?

Wild’s voice filled the chamber. “Open your magic.”

I felt the whoosh as the coven obeyed him. When was the last time they’d done this together? Certainly not at esbat or at other celebrations for the Mother. Perhaps the last time was during my initiation months ago. The power level in the chamber was incredible. Warmth and hope filled the space, and I took my first full breath in a week. Though the children in the chamber may not know how to release their magic yet, even they could feel the effect of it judging by their wide-eyed expressions.

I was meant to be here. Maybe not in this spot, but I belonged in this coven. I’d protect this place and the people here with my life. They knew that I would.

That meant something.

“Center,” Wild said in a softer tone.

His calm floated to me through our green strand. He accompanied this with a soothing push through our purple strand—what I’d dubbed the body strand. My shoulders relaxed at his magical touch. I stood taller and felt my heartbeat slow. My eyes were closed, but I sent him thanks through our connection.

I opened my four affinities and heard the gasps as a robe blurred out of nowhere to cling to my back. The pendant weighed around my neck, and a gemstone weighed in my hand. The hilt of a dagger thumped into my right hand. I’d purposefully left the relics off at Sven’s suggestion. More dramatic, he’d said. He should’ve been a ringmaster. Having been an intuit in the circus, I could appreciate such antics.

I started the process of drawing my magic to the space under my ribs. Centering was easy today—easier than ever if truth were told. I hadn’t noticed, but I felt so together. I never felt together. I’d struggled with chaos since my family’s murder. Then I’d discovered my demon, and I’d assumed that struggling with chaos was the price of holding her in my divination affinity. I had to wonder if gaining the fourth affinity had helped to align the rest of my magic.

Corentin had once remarked that his affinities behaved like they couldn’t find north. With me, it was as though north wasn’t where it should be—like I always set a little east or west of the real center.

This was what it felt like to be truly centered.

I inhaled and exhaled long and slow. A smile touched my lips, and joy spread fast through the room as others found their connection with the origin of their gifts. The cave was abuzz with it. We reveled together in shared energy.

This had to become a more regular occurrence after my accession. We were missing out on so much.

“The time has come for our leader to ascend.” Opal broke the humming in the chamber.

I opened my eyes as she descended the three stairs from the stage. Her magic glowed at her fingertips, and she hovered her hand over my face and head, not quite touching me.

I accepted the heat and welcome of her power.

The rest of the Fertim members of the council followed her, and it seemed purposeful that they accepted me first and foremost. Vero—my team—had been on the path to winning Caves. Ryzika’s relics choosing a new leader should have made the end of the game a simple matter, but with a lot of long-held division involved, Fertim could choose to take exception.

Wild took his time hovering his hand over my face. His question vibrated to me, and I pushed my resolve in his direction.

Frond descended the stage as the last council member of Fertim. His magic was at his fingers, and he hovered his hand over my head as the others had done. Cold. Rejection.

I smirked.

He was outvoted and furious about it. I couldn’t give a shit when it came to this magus. Where Barrow had been put to the test and won, Frond went through the same test and failed magnificently. I’d learned that some people were redeemable—that I shouldn’t always trust my first impressions while also learning that some people weren’t worth my time and effort and entirely deserved my first impression.

The Vero council members were next. Straightaway, I could feel the difference in the openness of their magic. In comparison to those I’d received from Fertim council members, their welcome was absolute.

The council now stood at my back. I sheathed the dagger in a white-leather holster Rooke surprised me with a few days prior. One that had belonged to our grandfather.

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