Page 119 of The Witch and The Blood Oath

As we followed Gloria through the foyer and past the grand chandelier, my gaze flitted to the tall windows. Outside, the moon remained high in the sky. We had time to discuss what I had learned before attempting the spell to transform Clyde.

When we reached the expansive lobby, the six Elders waited for me at one of the many mahogany tables. All of them wore their plum cloaks, though Gwyneth’s long, dark locks were so rumpled, I wondered if Gloria had pried her out of bed. Poised as always, Lyra sat with her spine straight and her dark eyes alert, though her tan skin was a shade paler than usual. Anise sported her signature frown and tucked a piece of her short, pin-straight hair behind her ear.

Surprisingly, they had reserved the head of the table and the seat beside it for me and Walker. Gratitude warmed my chest—perhaps my coven believed in me after all.

Artwork decorated the walls, and light glimmered on the black-tiled floor. As Walker, Gloria and I sat, I studied the tiny, white sculpture of Hecate on the center of the table and silently prayed for wisdom.

I laid the book on the table, and the Elders recoiled.

“Greetings, Elders,” I said before they could pepper me with questions. Though they eyed the book with suspicion, they murmured their own welcomings. “I apologize for waking each of you, but I trust Gloria has informed you of what we learned on our journey?”

Luckily, their focus returned to me. My confidence grew—they trusted me to explain the book and its thrumming magic in due time.

“Yes, Coven Mother,” Mabel said. The Elder’s white curls billowed around her tired face like a cloud. “We know of your plans for the hunter.”

“We know the child plans on dooming our coven,” Anise muttered.

I flinched.

So much for trusting me.

Maeve laid her umber hands on the table and shot her fellow Elder a glare. Rage blazed in the usually serene witch’s green eyes.

“Cordelia harmed one of our young,” she countered, “it is time to play by new rules.”

“Exactly,” Walker agreed.

“Let us hear what you learned from the betrayer before we get into that messy business,” Lyra suggested. She frowned at the book. “And I hope you can provide an explanation forthat.”

I took a deep breath and recounted everything Josephine had explained, except for the emotional bits and details. I couldn’t talk about those without crying, and I would not cry in front of my Elders.

When I finished my retelling, Gloria was the first to break the silence. She toyed with the silver chain around her neck. “Thatthinghas been in our home for years, now?”

“Josephine was good at keeping her secrets,” I said and swallowed. “So was my mother.”

“Evidently,” Mabel agreed. The Elder studied me with a steady, brown-eyed gaze.

“She never mentioned the chimera to you?” she asked.

I shook my head and buried the pang in my chest. Arion leaped into my arms and nuzzled my stomach. Gloria dropped her chain and sighed.

“I can’t believe she kept that insidious book here,” Gloria said, “but I might know how she obtained it.”

My jaw slackened. “Youdo?”

“Oh shit,” Walker murmured.

The other Elders voiced their surprise, and Gloria held up her hand to silence them. When the table was quiet, she continued.

“Years ago,” Gloria explained, “the High Witch tasked Sybil with locating the chimera, and your mother leaped at the chance for glory. Josephine and I were the only ones she told about her assignment because she wanted to return victorious and surprise the coven with her triumphs.”

“But Elle can’t be much older than us,” Walker argued.

Gloria nodded. “She’s not.”

“Thechimera?” I repeated. “The High Witch implied Elle was the only one of her kind too, but how is it possible that there is only one?”

A realization struck me, and my magic swelled in response to my growing frustration.

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