Page 34 of Blood Coven

Alina looked up, her mouth agape. “How do we protect Sorin from the town? Or me from love? We cannot kill everyone who might try to drive Sorin out. We cannot kill…” Alina trailed off.

“The Wolf has Red,” Sorin told the others, attempting to divert the conversation away from Alina’s negative train of thought. “If Lilianna is correct, we cannot waste any more time. We are stronger together.”

23

OCLEAU

THE YEAR OF THE CURSE

AZALEA

Faded sunlight filtered through the canopy above Azalea. The rays were cold this late in the season, the insidious chill making her joints ache and reminding her that she was not as young as she once was. As she grew older, she would be less able to protect herself and Juniper. If only Matthias’s father was still alive, she thought before chiding herself for thinking such things. Men could only do so much—but he had not been like other men. He had been kind and tender, coaxing her to unveil a part of herself she rarely allowed to show, even back then. He taught her there were two kinds of love: the mandatory love one gives to a child and a chosen love that one offers only to a partner.

Now Matthias was all she had left of him.

Azalea looked up at the sky. Her skin prickled with goosebumps as she whistled for her crow. The bird was impossibly hidden within the trees, only to be seen when he burst out with wings spread wide. A black spot against the sun, blocking it momentarily like an eclipse. Suddenly Aegidius dove and swooped with precision, landing on Azalea’s shoulder.

She looked into his eyes, searching for the man she loved, and was reminded of her failure. Cold sweat crept down her neck as she thought of her inability to put Matthias’s father into Aegidius’s body. What if I fail again? She trembled at the thought. Then she shook her head. I am a far more powerful witch now than I was then.

“You have news for me,” Azalea said, stroking his sleek feathers lovingly. She carried him to the house. The crow cawed, hopping onto the window ledge. She spread her fingers over his neck, thumbs at his throat, and bonded with the bird. Her head snapped back at an unnatural angle; Aegidius spread his wings and froze as she infiltrated his mind.

Azalea walking away from the house to go to the market. Aegidius soaring wide around the house until she was gone from sight, then perching on the window, unseen, listening. Inside voices reverberated through his hollow bones.

“You should leave while you still can.”

“I can’t leave Ana or…”

“Your daughter.”

“I need the curse out of me so I can take them away from here. Please, Juniper, I beg you. Do not tell Azalea.”

“I fear for you.”

Snapping out of the vision, Azalea stared into Aegidius’s eyes, hoping he was lying though she knew a familiar could not lie to its witch. She removed her hands. Her already stiff joints were near seizing; she cracked her neck to give it mobility back. But the tension did not release. “A daughter?” she whispered.

Her voice grew louder with her anger. “How can the one person I trust go behind my back?” she asked Aegidius, who cocked his head to the side in reply. Disgust made her stomach churn. Not only did Juniper know Matthias had a child, she had never revealed that information to her. “What does Juniper accomplish by trying to convince her brother to leave? Has his presence here tainted her?”

Rage boiled inside of her, enough to cause Aegidius to fly off. She stared out the open window, snarling as though everything outside the house was evil. But even those inside the house had become tainted. “So be it. She doesn’t trust me; in return, she has lost my trust. I will not let her stand in the way of my success.”

As the full moon grew closer with each passing night, Azalea toiled to find a way to control the Wolf. Her rage at her children fueled her, keeping her focused. Thankless, they are. I’ll deal with them both when the time comes. For now, I must find a way to control the beast.

The displacement curse would not be difficult for her, despite her inexperience in displacement of this magnitude. She was not worried about her ability. But as she scoured every last piece of historical information on spells and incantations, she came to the realization that she may have to create such a curse herself.

“Where to begin…” she mumbled.

Creating spells took many months, requiring focus and dedication, and Azalea only had a short amount of time before the full moon. With an exasperated sigh, she rose from her seat at the book-covered table and crossed the room. There was one book she hadn’t consulted.

Her fingers found the plank of wood that deviated from the others, normally hidden by her book-laden shelves. She slid it gently to the side to reveal several neglected volumes wearing thick coats of dust.

She found it easily, blowing off the dust to reveal black script that read, Daemonion. It was a book she’d acquired long ago but had never had use for. Though it was a simple brown leather-bound book, the title was one that, if found by the townspeople, would be sure to cause her strife. Although Azalea was a known witch in town, she made sure to keep items that could act as proof of what she and Juniper did well hidden.

When Azalea died, the house and the Craft would be left to Juniper. She wanted her daughter to remain safe from accusing hands. Despite her daughter’s betrayal, Azalea knew that in time, should things go her way, she would find a way to forgive her. So young and protective of her brother. I should not have been so open with the girl. She had to be more careful what she said to her now that she had proven to be compromised.

Azalea opened the book, pushing thoughts of Juniper aside. The spine groaned in effort, and dust fell from the pages, settling on Azalea’s skirts and the floor around her. Most of the pages contained sketches of familiars, a witch’s first companion in the Craft, an animal with the spiritual knowledge to guide a witch steadily and safely. Footnotes were scribbled in the margins, more of a journal than anything else.

Without putting the book down, Azalea reached back and felt for her chair, then fell into it. Careful of the pages, she gently flipped through the progression of the book. Mice, cats, and small birds were first. A section labeled ‘trying larger animals’ brought Azalea’s journey to dogs, ravens, and even deer. Some were noted as failures, others as successes. Most witches used small familiars, or birds, for they were easily concealed and inconspicuous. Larger animals like dogs and deer were protectors but not useful for stealth.

She read on.

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