Page 29 of Midlife Witch Unexpected

“We can work it out later,” Hilda said. “The Hayes rules this region.”

I rule.

Yes.

Not that I had any idea what I ruled, but at least it was better than being told you were going to be a peasant in the new world order. “What would happen if I didn’t become The Hayes?” I asked, watching the light dance around my hands. “Like, besides the imminent threat of death by vampire, are my hands going to explode or something?”

“Your power would fade and so would the power that’s holding the seat and protecting the cemetery,” Trina said, leaning against the banister, cleaning his fingernails. “It might be that we’ve already lost some between your aunt and your mother and you. There has been some concern over the bodies in the cemetery.”

“The bodies?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Anita said biting into a spicey Cheeto. “They’re moving.”

“She has to do the ceremony first.” Trina hushed her daughter up.

Hilda nodded at me. “You’ve got to step forward as the High Priestess of the Cougar Creek Coven. Then we can tell you more.”

“There’s no other way around this?” I asked. “Like we can’t just pinky promise and agree to secrecy, and you can get the vampire out of my life? I go back to my normal life and you don’t have to put up with me.”

“You know there’s no other way or you would not have called us,” Branson said moving towards the room with the altar. “Let’s do this. I don’t feel like fighting a fanger today.”

Everybody followed him and took a place in a chair around the circle. I stared after them.

Shit.

I mean, okay, I didn’t have a choice. I needed to solve the vampire problem and handle my hands.

"Let's do this," I muttered, following them into the room. My last-ditch at sanity was gone.

What they had said was true. I had asked them to come here because I needed help because come Hell or high water, I was the inheritor of the house and the holder of the title, The Hayes. Apparently, my ancestors had died defending this land. And my guess was my daughter would inherit it after me. We need to do this thing right.

I stepped into the room and took the head place in front of the high back chair.

Branson stood in the back by the door his arms casually at his side but every muscle in his body taut and on alert, watching. His eyes glowered at me, his concern showing through. It took me by surprise. He looked genuinely worried about my welfare.

Trina stepped forward and dropped some herbs into the copper pot. Hilda began to chant and waved her hands over the chalice until the herbs caught on fire. I couldn’t stop my surprised gasp. Drake smiled at me encouragingly as they all began to chant with Hilda. I couldn’t even understand what the fuck they were saying.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, raising my hands like they did, feeling the energy crackling in my palms. I turned them towards the copper pot.

“Ceangail linn. Ceangail linn. Ceangail linn. Ceangail linn.”

All their voices rang in unison. I knew I needed to join.

“Ceangail linn. Ceangail linn. Ceangail linn. Ceangail linn.”

Fire exploded in the copper pot and energy sizzled through the room the moment I added my voice. My eyes opened wide as light engulfed the room. Sparkling lights flew up from the copper pot and I was compelled to step forward, feeling the words uplift my spirit, echo in my heart, and through my head. Suddenly I could feel the energy of the other people in the circle. It felt like they were a part of my soul. I gazed at each of them in turn, somehow recognizing them from a deeper part of myself I didn’t understand. It even stretched to Branson. Our eyes connected and I could feel my energy expand to his. Then it filled the space, seeping into every nook and cranny of my ancestral home.

As the energy pulsed through my body and my coven, there was suddenly no doubt in my head and my heart that I was putting down my roots. It permeated beyond the room and into the rest of the house.

Chapter 18

“This calls for a celebration,” Hilda said with a gleam in her eye. “We need some Witches’ Brew.”

“Don’t we have to ward off the vampire now?” I asked.

“It is done,” Hilda responded with satisfaction. “You are bound in the circle with us, and our coven protection is now upon you.”

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