6. Chapter Six #2
She just hoped they still felt that way after what she was about to tell them.
Reverently, she took the chalice back from Thyla, who had taken it from the final Coven member.
The chalice was now full of fragrant herbs and the deep-red wine—a communally made potion.
Once she drank it, she would be bound to her oath until her death, thanks to the spellword they had all spoken.
If she ever broke it, she would descend and lose her access to Gaia and her Gift forever.
No pressure.
“Mother Gaia,” Greya began, speaking the sacred vow.
Her voice rang out strong, and she was glad for that.
She had big shoes to fill, and Heran’s voice had never wavered.
“Giver of life and Bringer of death, she who maintains the Turning of the seasons and celestial bodies, and balances the Light with the Dark, I stand before you chosen to serve as matriarch of the Auster Coven.
“From this day, until my death, I vow to protect, serve, and guide this Coven in pursuit of our Sacred Duty, to maintain the balance and enact your will.
“In your name, I will protect them—for a witch’s life is sacred.
“In your name, I will serve them—for only together do we thrive.
“In your name, I will guide them to your intended path—for by your grace do we live.”
Her vow complete, Greya brought the full chalice to her lips and drank deep.
The wine tasted of a million things at once, the herbs combining to create something wholly unique.
But in it, she tasted so much more than that.
She tasted home, and trust, and love, and family, and community.
She felt the potion hit her stomach, and she Knew she would do her best by her people for the rest of her days. There was no doubt in her mind.
And that started right now.
She looked out across the sacred circle that surrounded her. Their smiling and proud faces greeted her warmly in the spot where only weeks ago, Ena, Cris, and Mel had stood with daemons to break the bond to Iblis.
It was time now to live up to her oath and tell them the truth.
“My friends, my family—witches of the Auster Coven. I am humbled by your trust and faith in me as your new matriarch. I know there is much grief for the passing of Heran—a witch who led and cared for us all to the best of her ability for many decades. But now…there is change coming.”
Some of the witches around her murmured in confusion, looking to one another.
It was customary for a new matriarch to say a few words, but it was usually just a thanks to the previous matriarch and a prayer for the future prosperity of the Coven, and that was it.
Thyla looked at her, brow furrowed, but Perse, he just stood there, stalwart, and nodded to her. She could do this.
“Something has recently come to my attention—some old knowledge that has been forgotten and, I fear, hidden from us. For many years, it was the choice of previous matriarchs to keep this secret, and I know that, just like me, they were bound by the oath to do what they thought was right for the Coven. But I have communed with Gaia, and I believe circumstances have changed, and that this information now needs to be revealed, as it does not serve her or us to keep it hidden any longer.”
The murmuring grew louder, as concern started to rise among the witches, but she paid it no mind and powered through. This was right. This was Gaia’s will.
“Daemons and witches are not as distinct as we have been led to believe.
While we have been told that daemons were granted their magic from Iblis, and witches were granted their magic from Gaia, the truth is that all magic, Gifts and Powers alike, come from the same source.
Many years ago, Gaia and Iblis came together to grant magic to mortals, and while it is true that some daemons chose to serve Iblis with their magic, not all of them did.
“I have been in contact with the Occidens Coven, and learned of the existence of a magical amulet—one which was used centuries ago to bind all daemons to Iblis, cutting them off from their natural ability to sense Gaia’s will, regardless of their choice.”
The whispers around her escalated, the mood of the group turning frantic and confused as some people instantly denied what she was saying.
“And now,” she spoke louder to be heard over the confused murmurs, “that bond has been broken.”
“What?” voices called. “How?”
“How do you know this?” someone asked.
“What does this mean?” another echoed.
Greya could feel their concern spiraling out of control, so she held up her hands to silence them.
“The circumstances of how the bond was broken have not yet fully come to light,” she said.
It was a lie, of course, but she’d given it much thought, and while she did not relish adding more lies onto the ones they’d been fed already, she did not think revealing the entire story at once would be beneficial to the Coven.
It would only stoke more fear or resentment towards her, and her sister Ena, who, as a member of the Coven, was hers to protect as well.
“But I tell you this now, so as a Coven, we can be prepared for how things might change. So we can all take the time to commune with Gaia, to learn how we can best proceed with these new circumstances. I do not yet know what will come of all this, and I know it is a lot of new information to digest. But trust me now as you once trusted Heran—as your matriarch, I will do my best to guide you and serve Gaia’s will, no matter what. ”
A loud, slow clap echoed through the woods as all the witches in the Sacred Grove turned to find its source.
“Aw, what a sweet sentiment,” a gruff male voice said.
Out of the darkness of the woods, three large male figures emerged, one of them holding a young woman by the hair with one hand. She was bound and gagged, and the man held a sharp, glinting dagger to her throat.
The breath Greya took went nowhere. The woman they held was Daria, a young witch in their Coven who she’d thought was home ill with a fever, and thus by necessity had to miss the ceremony. The woman sobbed with fear behind her gag, and Greya’s stomach dropped.
“Too bad we don’t want your sympathy, or more of your tricks, witch,” the large man holding her spat. He wrenched the girl’s head to the side, the light of the bonfire behind her illuminating dark tattoos on his forearms that looked all too familiar.
“Now tell us where the witch Ena is, or we start killing.”