Chapter 12 Gracie #2
“Ezra’s right,” Puck adds. “You’ve always shouldered a lot of the responsibility for your friends. It’s admirable, Gracie. But you also need to acknowledge that you’re taking on too much responsibility.”
Ezra wrinkles his nose and whispers, “He’s right.”
I chuckle. That admission has to irritate him. But when it counts, Ezra is willing to put me first. And that means something.
“You’ve talked about leaving the coven. What exactly does that entail?” he asks.
“Oh. Well, it’s kind of dangerous, for one. Being part of the coven offers us some protection, but in exchange we have to basically give the coven control of our lives. Who we marry, to some extent. What our jobs are. What roles we play. And a good chunk of our magic.”
“What?”
“Did you know covens in other parts of the world don’t practice elder worship the way we do here?” Luciu says.
I frown at him, the question not making sense. “Huh?”
He peers around Vyslan. The single shock of platinum hair falls over his eyes.
“The way we did high holy days in school was totally different. Students would submit research projects they were working on. Teachers would pick from those submissions, and we’d use the magic from those events to fuel research or help students with ailments, break curses… ”
“You mean… What?”
“Gracie, I don’t think the way the elders run things is how it’s supposed to be. And the only place that has ancient elders is here in America.”
“Hold up.” Ezra shakes his head. “Elders? What?”
I bite my lip. It feels like I’m betraying my people to explain this.
But what loyalty do I owe them? “The way I was taught, every coven has a circle of ancient elders. Witches who are sustained on the magic the coven offers during high holy days. It’s the elder’s responsibility to keep our traditions and history alive.
Under the elders is the council of elders, witches from the coven who handle the day-to-day running of the covens. But… This feels blasphemous to say…”
Luciu’s gaze bores into me. “I’ve probably thought whatever you want to say.”
“The wars. The never-ending conflict between covens. Would it still be a thing if it weren’t for the bag-of-bones elders?
Are our covens being run into the ground to satisfy some sort of ancient conflict that doesn’t fucking matter?
And why is it that I don’t know a single witch our age or younger that has a familiar? What is up with that?”
Luciu nods right along with me. “It’s not like this anywhere but in the States. All of my mates from boarding school have familiars.”
“So, they want to keep the three of you in the coven to siphon off your power?” Ezra asks.
“Yeah, something like that. And to make more babies for the coven.” I relax against his chest and ignore the whole covered in blood thing.
It’s hard, but my will to stay awake is weak.
“Anyway, there is a provision for leaving the coven. The paranormal council insisted on it, and they’re very proactive about supporting any witch that wants to leave, supposedly.
Not that we’ve heard of any. But to do that, we have to have a clean break.
And we can’t do that as long as the loan for the shop is hanging over our heads.
We’ve had one foot out the door, with a clear-cut exit date.
That meant the coven couldn’t do anything to prevent us from leaving or they’d be in breach of their own rules.
Because we were very formal in our proceedings to leave, if the coven were to go against the rules, there would be a rebound effect that would…
I don’t exactly know, but it would potentially harm the elders. ”
“Goddess forbid,” Luciu mutters.
I snort. I like him. “But we’ve barely been scraping by with our personal finances.
Because we use the non-human bank, things are very tricky with how we pay ourselves.
We can’t borrow from the shop or increase our pay or anything, which was a major failing in our planning.
But that’s beside the point. Basically, we needed to make a lump sum payment to the coven today before noon.
But if we did that, we’d miss a mortgage payment.
We were originally hoping to take some cash from people to do illegal summons, but that’s how Vyslan wound up here.
So, we’re still fifteen hundred short. We had a few ideas, but with everything happening all at once, nothing really worked out for us.
Our personal deadline has been Poppy’s twenty-fifth birthday, and that’s coming up. ”
“All of this has been over money?” Ezra blurts out.
“Gracie!” Puck snaps.
“What?” I frown and glance from one man to the next. When did they gang up on me?
“This is what you three have been whispering about all this time?” Puck demands.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Ezra hugs me even tighter. “After the other day, you know. I could have done something. I could have helped.”
“I don’t know anything, Ezra. What we talked about was very specific.
I don’t know anything about your situation that would help me.
And even if I did? This is our mess to figure out.
” I’m not dumb. I know what he’s insinuating.
That I could have asked him for money. The thought had crossed my mind.
But after how his parents used him and what came of that?
No. That wasn’t a door I wanted to open.
It wouldn’t be a solution, anyway. Not in the grand scheme of things.
“Gracie,” Puck growls.
“Time out,” Vyslan bellows and slashes his arms across the car. “Time out. Time out. Time out.”
I get a hand to the face and bat it away.
He twists, and I hear an, “oof,” from Luciu.
“Sweet witch, can you explain why you feel you have to figure this out on your own?” His tone is gentle, but his eyes are practically swimming in his face. He’s quite high.
I frown at him and think about the question. “Because… We have to do this for ourselves.”
“But—why? Why is accepting help not an option?”
I blink at him and gather my words. “Because then we wouldn’t really be free. We’d just owe someone else all over again.”
Vyslan’s tone is far kinder than I expected. “Even if that aid was a gift?”
I wrinkle my nose and grimace. “I see your point, but yes. Even if it was a gift, it still wouldn’t be us making a clean break.
I can see how it sounds… But this is important.
Maybe less so for me. I don’t have nearly as much at stake as Briella and Poppy.
But for them, this is a really important sticking point.
They’ve lived by the coven’s rule their entire lives.
It’s shaped them into who they are. And they need this.
Even if we fuck up. Even if we get it wrong. We have to do this ourselves.”
“I see.” Vyslan takes my hands in his. “Then there’s no fault to be found.
But perhaps we can figure out a way to help within those boundaries?
For instance, you’ve allowed me to stay with you for the last week.
Given our current situation, it’s more than fair that I would also contribute to living expenses going forward.
That would reduce the burden on you three and allow you to focus on cutting ties with the coven. ”
That is so reasonable, but my mind stalls. “I can’t… This is something we have to discuss with the others and Hausé.”
“That is perfectly reasonable.”
Vyslan leans against Ezra and me. I cannot wait to get out of this car and stretch, but it’s also kind of nice being together like this.
“What do you mean by going forward?” Ezra asks slowly.
Vylsan reaches up and pinches Ezra’s lower lip, rubbing it between his fingers. “I mean, my plans have changed. I have no intention of leaving. So long as I’m wanted here.”
Ezra jolts. “Y-you are?”
I swallow and squirm a little.
This is such an important point between Vyslan, Ezra, and me. It’s something I would have wanted to be just between the three of us. But there’s no escaping our audience in the car. And besides, Luciu is part of the bargain now by virtue of being attached to me.
“I was planning on a more romantic reveal.” Vyslan covers Ezra’s hand with his own, their fingers weaving together against my stomach. “Gracie and I discussed things while you were running your errand yesterday, and we agreed that things have changed.”
Ezra gapes at him, no longer the badass vampire. He’s looking at Vyslan like someone that just wants to be loved. To be made a priority.
The moment stretches on with the two of them staring at each other, having a wordless conversation. Then Ezra shakes his hand out of Vyslan’s hold and hooks his arm around the demon’s neck. Ezra pulls the three of us in close, kissing our cheeks.
This is where I want to be. With him. And Vyslan. I don’t know how things will work out with the other three. If we have any hope at all of making this work, then it has to start here. With them.