Chapter 31 #2
He supposed she was right. He had never asked her what she wanted because he’d never really thought a witch could want anything other than power. She was more classically a witch than any of the others in this coven, and he had just assumed…
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t realize you wanted anything different.”
She stiffened, but nodded in response. Perhaps it made her uncomfortable to know that a god could apologize, but it made him uncomfortable to realize that a god could be wrong.
After all these years with witches, they still surprised him—and he supposed that was part of their beauty. They were capable of great darkness and horrible magic, but they were also capable of understanding and kindness that, in the end, always persuaded him to sacrifice himself for them.
Jessamine looked between the two of them, her eyes missing nothing. “You two know witchcraft and covens far more than I do. What would you suggest?”
When Sybil looked at him to answer, Elric took a slow, deep breath and replied, “I don’t think any of us knows covens anymore.
It has been a long time since this kingdom has seen the true power of witches.
And I believe that means it’s all changed.
What we did two hundred years ago may be the wrong thing to do now. ”
Sybil nodded. “I agree. I think following in the footsteps of our predecessors is the wrong choice. They were known for cruelty and overlooking so many, even those of our kind who were simply less powerful. Perhaps we do not need to do the same.”
A sharp knock on the door drew his attention, and he glanced over to see both Agnes and Elissa standing in the doorway. The two women wore soft expressions on their faces, a strange thing indeed for a hard woman like Agnes.
She strode into the room like she owned the house, her grandson trailing after her and pulling the chair out before she sat down at the table with them. Elissa sat down on her right.
The once-old woman sharply said, “I agree.”
“You agree with what?” he asked dryly.
“I agree. We don’t have to follow in the footsteps of those who came before us.
I believe the covens were not run well. Giving more power to the most powerful person is simply foolish.
” She laced her fingers together and placed them on top of the table.
“I will gladly take over the position if I am asked to.”
Jessamine snorted. “I wouldn’t give you any more power than rule over the Pleasure District. You are too hungry for it.”
A quiet giggle filled the room. Then Elissa froze when she realized they were all looking at her. “Well, I’m not going to do it. The last thing I’m equipped to do is talk to large groups of people without having someone else beside me.”
Agnes sighed. “Then perhaps we should ask Hugo to do it? After all, if wanting the role is bad, why wouldn’t the coven agree to be run by a man who has no magic?”
Her grandson seemed to take offense. He took two healthy steps away from his grandmother’s chair and crossed his arms over his beefy chest. “If we’re doing that, why don’t we ask the man chained up in the basement?”
Jessamine slammed her cup onto the countertop, cracking the handle clean off.
Everyone’s eyes turned to the gravesinger, whose face was mottled red with anger. Jessamine took a deep, steady breath before hissing, “There’s a man chained in the basement?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Hugo replied. “He’s been there a few weeks.”
“Why is there a man chained in the basement?”
Elric answered before anyone else got their nose bitten off. “He was from the party. The one who recognized you and then found me before the curse spread and told me to get out. I believe he knows more than he’s letting on.”
“Why didn’t I hear about this the first moment I came home?”
“We were rather busy, darling.”
Sybil sighed. “A man in the basement or not, there is plenty for us to talk about here first. Let the man rot. Nothing he can say is more important than this.”
Agnes seemed to agree, because she immediately said, “Hugo will handle that business in the basement. For now, we must make this choice.”
Her face turned even more red with the memories that were rather blatant on her features.
Everyone started talking over each other then, arguing about who should run the coven.
Everything from insistence that Jessamine should do it, to perhaps they should seek out more coven members and perhaps one of them would be the right fit.
Finally, they all fell silent as Jessamine shouted, “Enough!”
The silence was deafening.
Jessamine leaned against the table, braced on both arms while looking down at the wood as she spoke.
“I wish for no one to be higher than any other. I am your sister, just as you are mine, and no one witch is more powerful than the others. Together we are stronger. We will not make the same mistakes as the women who came before us. We share our magic, our knowledge, and we fight for all witches.”
She looked up, and even Elric felt all the hairs on his arms rise. This was a queen who stood before them. A queen who knew what she wanted and did not fear taking it.
“There is no one ruler of this coven. We are a band of women who rule together or burn together. If you do not wish for this, you should leave this coven now. I give you your freedom. But if you are willing to fight with me, then this is how we must move forward.”
It was Sybil who made the first step, as always. “Rule together or burn together,” she said. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“It does,” Agnes agreed.
“I like it,” Elissa added, lifting Sybil’s teacup to her lips.
And thus Elric watched a new age of witches born right in front of him. A bloom of pride unfurled, along with the hope that perhaps it would really be different this time.
At least, until Jessamine looked at him and said, “Now about the man in our basement?”