Page 59 of Savage Hope

I don't move. I don't even breathe, yet one steps forward with an unfamiliar voice.

“Welcome to your initiation,” they boom, leaving me to gape at them.

“Do I get a choice?” I blurt, tingles shimmering over my skin as my pulse wreaks havoc through my body.

“The Renegade coven is the most sought-after coven, not only on campus, but in the world. It would be foolish to question us and even more abysmal for you to fail and prove we’ve chosen wrong. Now, are you ready?” they ask, and the words from class this week pass through my mind.

I have no idea where they may lead me or what it might entail, but the importance of a coven to not only my future as a witch but my magic, is paramount.

So, I ignore the grumble of my stomach and the desire for the bathroom and roll my shoulders back. Standing as tall and as proud as I can.

“I’m as ready as I'll ever be.”

25

POLARIS

When I said I was ready, I didn't think that meant I was going to have a sack thrown over my head. I also didn't think they would literally kidnap me from the witches’ dorm and take me to God only knows where. But even as I sit here now, with only the sound of dripping water to keep me company, I don't feel scared.

Maybe I should, but it seems I’m all too familiar with the darkness.

I’m too focused on the fact that coven initiation isn't as exciting as they first made it out to be, that's for sure.

My stomach grumbles, reminding me of the reason I left my room to begin with, and it makes me shift in my seat. The wooden chair is hard beneath me, the grooves pressed against my thighs and the air cool, almost damp, as I try not to fidget.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The sound is impossible to escape. As the minutes stretch on around me, the uncertainty and fearful thoughts of the unknown make their presence known, and an unease threatens to trickle in. I clear my throat, swallowing down the gnawing emotions as I barely manage to keep it all at bay.

I remind myself I’m safe again and again. Bryony told me to dress to impress, to be ready; she wouldn’t have said that if whatever was happening was an actual threat to my safety. Despite my mantra, my fingers itch in my lap. I’m desperate to feel the coin tucked into my pocket, but the fear of revealing a vulnerability keeps it firmly locked away.

I could probably tug at the sack and reveal my surroundings to my unknowing eyes. I'm not bound in any way, but something tells me the restraint I'm showing is what they're searching for. If that test is a part of the initiation, then bring it on; darkness is my best friend. I've spent a long time there; what’s a little longer going to do?

The real issue is what comes with the darkness: the wandering thoughts. I don’t like them. I’m powerless against them, and I like control—or the illusion of it, at least. My mind swirls with possibilities, as secrets and mysteries reveal themselves to me while I continue my adventure at Trinity Falls Academy.

When Professor Juniper mentioned coven initiations, I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. Despite my internal struggle, my breath remains steady, and just when I'm on the verge of throwing it all to hell, I feel the sack lift from my head.

I blink frantically, confusion clinging to me as I'm greeted with darkness, but then five figures come into view. My heart races and my breaths are shallow as the room floods with light, brought by flames that ignite around the exterior of the room. There must be one hundred of them, illuminating the space that holds me captive.

This is some theatrics.

Velvet robes shield all of them from view, keeping my audience a mystery to me.

My lips purse, nerves threading with a lick of excitement as one of them steps forward. Their head tilts, the hood moving with them as they assess me.

“You have been brought here to be considered for initiation into the Renegade coven.” Their words carry around the room, booming with pride and strength. “As much as we are the highest regarded coven within the witching world, it doesn't matter when it comes down to our core values. The foundations of any coven, any witch, remain the same for everyone. It’s a part of what makes us witches.” I don’t just listen to her words, but I try to focus on her voice. It’s not Bryony, I know that much, but I don’t think I recognize her voice at all.

“What you must understand before we proceed any further is what a coven stands for. We stand united as a found family, in a safety net that we call our home. We lean on each other while taking in each other's strength, and in doing so, we enhance our magic. Unfortunately, what comes along with that is the fact that there is no escaping us. Once you're in, you're in, and everyone knows everything that there is to know. To leave a coven would banish you from all covens. Luckily for you, here at the Renegade coven, we lost an elemental witch not too long ago, and if you prove to be the elemental witch we're looking for, you have a place among us.”

I blink, trying to process the words she’s firing at me.

A found family?

Safety?

Strength?

Enhanced magic?

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