“I hope so,” I mumbled as I followed him to the large double doors.
He opened one of the doors and stepped aside. “Ladies first.”
Taking a deep breath, I entered the Main Hall. My sandals clicked against the shiny black and white checkered marble floor. Surprisingly, the oversized foyer was eerily quiet. There was no one around, not even on the staircase leading to the second floor. Large wooden doors stood at the far end, and in the corner, a waiting room like at a doctor’s office—with chairs, couches, and a coffee table.
As I followed Garrett, I admired the portraits with brass nameplates hung on the walls. Faces and names of witches and warlocks foreign to an outsider like me. Perhaps one of them was a distant relative or an old friend of Marie’s.
Garrett knocked on the wooden doors before placing my plastic bag on the coffee table and taking a seat on a couch. “Are you thirsty? There’s a snack room with drinks and junk food over there. I can grab whatever you want.”
“No, thanks. I’m okay.” I sat next to him and placed my backpack on the floor. My stomach twisting into knots, I glanced at the wooden doors.
“You’re going to be fine.” He nudged me with his elbow. “I’ll stay right here until it’s over.”
“I know, but…” I rubbed my temples, trying to shake off the weird vibe. “Something doesn’t feel right. Like I shouldn’t be here.”
“Are you having a premonition? Maybe that’s your power.”
“No.” I shook my head, realizing I hadn’t finished telling Garrett about my real birth mom. “Do you remember I wanted to tell you something about my birth mom?”
“Yeah. Before those wolves interrupted us. You were saying something about Calandra.”
“Well…she’s not my birth mom. Marie Dinescu was. I should’ve told you sooner, but Calandra insisted I tell no one until I’d met the High Council.”
He frowned. “You’re telling me you’re from one of the oldest, most powerful bloodlines?”
“I guess.” I shrugged. “I don’t know much about Marie except she used to be a High Council witch, and she gave me to Nells. She died in a fire. The Romanies say she was crazy in the end.”
“I remember hearing about a witch dying in Woodlake, but I’ve never paid much attention to our coven’s history.” He glanced around. “Listen, it’s best if you don’t tell anyone about those wolves. It’d be hard to explain why they didn’t attack us without telling the truth.”
“I agree. The less I have to explain, the better.”
His gaze drifted to the floor. “What’s in the backpack?”
“Books and money. I packed it the night the wolves kidnapped me.” I grabbed my backpack and looked inside, and was happy to see my hunting knife—the one Drina, my cousin, bought me for my eighteenth birthday. I tilted the opened backpack toward Garrett. “I stand corrected. My hunting knife, books, the stuff you bought me, and an envelope of money. It’s tips from the café.”
“What’s this?” He reached into the backpack and pulled out a tattered brown book with a wolf on the front. “It looks like a grimoire.”
“That’s weird. I’ve never seen that before.”
“Someone must’ve put it in your bag.”
“My mom said she knew where Marie’s grimoire was.” I took the book from Garrett and placed it in my lap. “If the witches and wolves are enemies, why is there a wolf on the front?”
“I don’t know. The Raven witches usually have a raven or a dragon with a pentacle on the front of theirs, but I’ve never seen one that looks this old.”
“Maybe it’s not Marie’s grimoire.” I opened the book. “The pages are blank. Every single one. Maybe it’s just a journal my mom bought me.”
“No. It’s a grimoire. I’m sure of it. It’s common for witches to put a spell on their grimoire before they die.” He touched a blank page. “I can feel energy vibrating from the pages. She definitely—”
The door in front of us flew open, and we both jumped up, sending Marie’s grimoire flying across the floor.
A man wearing a long black robe with a purple raven stitched on the right side strode through the door. From Garrett’s descriptions, this warlock had to be Boris—poufy red hair, a wiry red beard, and a tooth necklace around his neck. He was much shorter than I’d imagined.
“What do we have here?” Boris picked up Marie’s grimoire from the floor and returned it to me. “Is this yours?”
“Yes,” I said as I shoved it into my backpack.
“Hello, Boris.” Garrett bowed his head slightly. “This is Sienna. She’s here to fulfill her blood oath and present herself to the High Council.”
“Yes. We’ve been looking forward to meeting her,” Boris replied in a pleasant tone. “You can leave now, Garrett. She’s in good hands.”
“I can’t.” Garrett shook his head. “Calandra told me—”
“Never mind what she said,” Boris snapped. He turned his gaze to me. “Hello, Sienna. The High Council’s waiting in the Great Room. Follow me.”
I looped my arm through Garrett’s, not wanting him to leave. “I’d like him to stay. He’s giving me a tour afterward.”
“You won’t have time for a tour today, and I’m sure he has duties he needs to attend to. Isn’t that correct, Garrett?”
“Yes. I’ll catch up with you later, Sienna.” Garrett pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear, “Remember what I said and don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“I know.” I swung my backpack over my shoulder and picked up my plastic bag.
Garrett walked back toward the main doors. As he reached them, he glanced over his shoulder and gave me a thumbs up.
“Shall we?” Boris held out his hand, reaching for mine.
“I’m…” My heart raced. What had Garrett said about Boris? He could see auras and had visions. “Sorry. I’m a germaphobe.”
Boris dropped his hand, showing no hint of displeasure. “If you’d like, I could whip up a potion to cure your issue.”
“No, thanks.”
“As you wish.” He stepped aside and held the door open.
Taking a calming breath to steady my nerves, I held my head high and entered the Great Room.
Chapter 5
“This way,” Boris said as we entered the room. He closed the door and walked toward the front as I followed.
With three rows of tiered purple plush seats along both sides of the room and classic gold sconces on the walls, the Great Room looked more like an elaborate throne room built for kings and queens. A red-carpet runner led from the doors to a raised platform in front, where five ornate gold chairs faced the room. Two witches and a warlock occupied three of these chairs, all wearing the same black robes as Boris.
“Please, sit.” Boris grabbed a wooden chair from a stack in the corner and placed it on the floor, facing the platform. Then he walked up the platform’s five steps and sat in the chair between the two witches.
I sat as the witch with wavy light brown hair and brown eyes smiled at me. I immediately recognized her as Grace, the witch who’d tried to goad Kaleb into biting her. The same witch who couldn’t read my mind. I smiled back at her before letting my gaze drift to the other High Council witches: Ava and Julius.
Ava, who had piercing dark eyes and black hair styled into a bob, wore a gold chain with a large heart pendant. After giving me a stern look, she returned her attention to the cell phone in her hand.
Julius was nothing like I remembered from that night in Woodlake. With his shaggy blond hair that accentuated his chiseled jawline and striking hazel eyes, I could see why Garrett thought I’d drool over him. Julius looked to be in his late forties and had that distinguished, sexy movie star vibe. When he stared at me, I had to suck in air to steady my nerves.
“Hello, Sienna. I’m Grace. This is Julius and Ava, and you’ve met Boris. The four of us, along with Calandra, make up the High Council,” Grace said in a gentle tone. “You might remember seeing me at the meetin
g in Woodlake? Garrett and another witch were there too.”
“Yes. I remember.” I glanced down at the oath reminder on my finger. It still hadn’t disappeared, even though I’d now met all of the High Council witches. My gaze drifted to the empty seat. “Is Calandra joining us?”
Grace nodded. “She’ll be here soon. She had an important errand this morning, and it took longer than she expected.”
“What important errand was this?” Ava snapped, tucking her cell phone into a pocket.
“I didn’t ask.” Grace’s eyes narrowed.
“We have better things to do than sit here and wait.” Boris folded his arms. “I expected someone more muscular, not skin and bones. Is it true what they say? That you killed an olden and cast a love spell on a Norwood alpha? The wolf who tried to burn you alive, what’s his name?”
“Kaleb.” I shifted in my seat, realizing they had no idea Kaleb had been in on the plan to rescue me. That meant Calandra hadn’t told them about the deal she made with him. “It’s all true.”
“How could you possibly kill an olden and cast a love spell? Your powers are still bound,” Ava said. “Lies. You’re spreading lies so—”
“She’s telling the truth,” Julius said. “I checked with our contacts in Woodlake. She killed that female wolf and convinced Kaleb to claim her.”
“Damn. That’s smart.” Boris let out a boisterous laugh. “If this wolf claimed you, let us see the mark.”
Julius sat up straighter, looking curious as they all stared at me, waiting.
“The mark disappeared,” I said.
“Of course it did. You weren’t foolish enough to have sex with a wolf.” Ava laughed.
“Sienna obviously got lucky when she killed the olden, and we don’t need to worry about Kaleb. He’s disappeared. Probably dead already or running from his pack,” Grace said.
I let out a slow breath, doing my best to keep my face emotionless and not react to what she’d said about Kaleb. Markus hadn’t mentioned the Norwood pack going after him, so it appeared the High Council’s contacts weren’t reliable.
“Let’s get started. I have more important things to do than dealing with an out-of-control witch,” Ava said. “The four of us can decide on an appropriate punishment.”
I swallowed hard. Did they think I was an out-of-control witch who needed punishment? No way would I sit there and let them decide what to do with me. My blood oath with Calandra allowed me to leave whenever I chose. I didn’t have to stay in the coven; I only had to present myself to the High Council.
“Ava’s right.” Boris patted his round stomach. “I’m hungry. Grace, let’s get this over with.”
A slight tingle hit the base of my neck and traveled to the top of my head. I frowned, pissed Grace was attempting to read my mind. Was she trying to learn the truth before they decided how to punish me?
“Shouldn’t you ask permission first?” I glared at Grace, who’d set her gaze on me.
Ava scoffed. “High Council witches don’t need permission. You should know that.”
I folded my arms, refusing to let Ava’s attitude get to me. It seemed Garrett had been right about her not liking me.
“Well?” Ava snapped, glancing at Grace.
“Nothing.” Grace sighed as the tingling sensation disappeared. “She’s still blocking me somehow.”
“If you have questions, just ask.” I looked at them one by one. They didn’t look scary. Powerful? Yes. But what could they do to me? I already lost my home, my family, and the love of my life. What could be worse than that?
“She’s not blocking you. It’s the spell that binds her powers. I’ve never seen one this strong before.” Boris rubbed his chin as he leaned forward and squinted at me. “She doesn’t even have an aura.”
“That’s not possible. Binding spells can’t block us from reading minds or seeing auras. Not unless…” Julius clasped his hands together and tilted his head toward Boris. “Can you tell if fae magic was used?”
“No, but we can certainly find out.” Boris pulled a cell phone from his robe pocket and sent a text message.
Fae magic, as in fairies? Little creatures flying around with wings? Had Boris texted a fairy? This had to be a joke.
“You’re saying fairies are real?” I cleared my throat, slightly embarrassed that I’d asked such a question. I knew so little about this world.
“Yes,” Grace replied. “Are you having daily headaches?”
I nodded. “Usually one in the morning.”
“That makes no sense,” Boris grunted, running a hand down his red beard. “You realize what this means, don’t you? If this binding spell has fae magic, then she’s—”
A door to my right flew open, and Calandra entered the room, dressed in a black robe and carrying an oversized book. She wore her long black hair neatly parted in the middle and pulled into a high bun. Although she looked tired and out of breath, she didn’t sit next to Julius. Instead, she stood beside the platform.
“You’re late,” Ava snapped.
“I had a few things to take care of.” Calandra glared at Ava. “I texted Grace and Boris. I’m sure one of them told you I’d be late.”
Ava smirked. “Was one of those things talking to Carter? We heard about his late-night visit, demanding to see you. What did he want?”
My head jerked back. Calandra had met with Kaleb’s cousin? Carter was a Kingsley wolf and not very nice. In fact, he’d planned on killing Kaleb with the help of a witch. Was Calandra the witch? Maybe that’s why she’d refused to help Kaleb that night.
“It was nothing,” Calandra replied. “He wanted a potion, and I told him no.”
Boris sneered. “Did he offer his blood as payment?”
“Of course not. If he had, I would’ve said yes,” Calandra said.
“That mangy mutt. I don’t know why we put up with him,” Ava said. “Are you sure Carter wasn’t here for Sienna? The Rocklin wolves have demanded we hand her over. We’ve worked hard to keep the wolves away from the coven, and now they’re showing up. You’ve put all of us in danger by bringing your daughter here. I don’t understand why you lied about her being dead.”
I looked at Calandra, expecting her to correct Ava and tell them the truth. They needed to know I wasn’t her daughter.
“What’s happening isn’t Sienna’s fault.” Calandra laid the book on the platform and thumbed through the pages.
Ava’s lips twisted as her face turned red. “Your daughter can’t go around killing wolves and casting love spells without facing the consequences. You had no right demanding we meet her. She’s a marked witch now, and we owe her nothing. I vote we hand her over to the Rocklin alpha. Let’s be done with this.”
I swallowed hard. Had Calandra really demanded they meet me? Would they hand me over to the Rocklin pack?
“Who cares if she’s marked?” grunted Boris. “We’re not handing her over. She’s a Raven witch by birth and deserves the coven’s protection.”
“He’s right,” Julius said. “We don’t hand over marked witches. If we did, we’d have handed Boris over to the Westland wolves when he was a teenager. Isn’t that right, Boris?”
My eyes widened. It seemed being a marked witch wasn’t necessarily a death sentence. Boris had to be over fifty years old. If he’d survived this long, then I could too. At least they weren’t handing me over. Not if Boris and Julius were on my side. And I knew Calandra agreed with them, even if she hadn’t said so.
“That was different,” Boris replied. “The High Council at the time sanctioned my actions. Sienna didn’t have our approval, but I’m not willing to hand her over. Not if she’s protected by fae magic.”
“Calandra, we need answers.” Grace tilted her head, eyeing the book in Calandra’s hands. “Did you use fae magic to bind your daughter’s powers? Because if you—”
I leaped to my feet, causing everyone to look at me except for Calandra.
If she wouldn’t say it, then I had to. “I’m not Cal
andra’s daughter.”
Chapter 6
“What do you mean, you’re not Calandra’s daughter?” Grace’s nose crinkled as she gripped the arms of her chair.
“Sienna’s telling the truth.” Calandra continued turning the pages of the book she’d placed on the platform earlier. “Her biological mother was Marie Dinescu.”
I sat down again, feeling my face heat as I glanced around the Great Room to avoid looking at the other High Council witches.
“She’s Marie’s daughter?” Ava’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“You know why,” Calandra said, finally looking at them. She picked up the book, her hand tucked inside, marking the page she’d found.
“Now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance.” Grace tipped her head, examining me. “You have Marie’s nose.”
“She can’t be a Dinescu.” Boris looked at Julius. “Did you know about this?”
“I knew Marie was pregnant, but Cyprian told me the baby died in the fire,” Julius replied, glancing at me sideways. “You look like him.”
“Cyprian Georgescu’s her father? The High Council warlock who died five years ago?” Boris asked. “There’s nothing in the coven’s records about him and Marie.”
“Obviously, they kept their relationship hidden,” Grace said. “If we’d known Marie was pregnant, we’d have updated the records. You should’ve told us about the baby, Julius.”
“How was I to know Cyprian was wrong? We agreed no one needed to know,” Julius replied.
Ava shook her head. “This doesn’t make sense. How did Sienna survive the fire, and why didn’t the Romani Elders tell us about her? They know better than to keep a witch hidden.”
“They didn’t know,” Calandra said. “Nells, a Romani woman, raised Sienna, away from Woodlake and the wolves. I only learned Sienna’s true identity because I touched Nells and saw what happened. Marie gave Sienna to Nells; she convinced her to raise Sienna and tell no one who she really was. The Ursitori blessed Sienna and cast the binding spell. That’s why our powers don’t work on her.”
Romani Magic (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 3) Page 3