“The paper wanted a profile on your plans for university, but if you ask me, the Coven is far more interesting.”
That investigative twinkle in her eye that made me idolize her flashed in my direction. I couldn’t believe it.
I assembled my confidence and I followed Therese over to a quieter part of the gymnasium, collecting the release my dad would sign off on. If all went well tomorrow, she would be publishing this interview. I was finally news, and the biggest thing in my entire life was about to happen tomorrow.
I was mere hours away from my destiny.
CHAPTER TEN
Auditions
Rose
On the day of auditions, there was still a voice in the back of my head that reminded me I had to do the work to fulfill the prophecy. It sounded a lot like my dad at the dojo, but this time, it wasn’t telling me to do push-ups when I dropped a weapon. There was no more university or being a martial arts assistant instructor. There was only crushing pressure to perform my best.
I made my bed for what might be the last time and stood with my hand on the light switch of the bedroom I had ever since I was born. My fingers twitched idly, tapping across the plate. I’d miss everything in here.
The snow-white rocking chair I had since I was a baby.
The crystal vase I’d only fill when I got my pink birthday rose from my dad.
My dog-eared books on astrology and planets.
I bid them all goodbye.
I clanged down the steps of our two-story house with my suitcase in one hand and a duffle bag in the other. We were instructed to pack our bags for the first three months. If we were initiated, we would be going straight to our new house from auditions.
I set the bags down with a clunk and joined my family at the long table in the dining room, catching the smell of pancakes and strong coffee over the mild scent of hair dye. I had to hand it to my parents. They were trying to make this day seem ordinary to ease my mind.
“Woah,” Gray gawked. “What did you do?”
“To what?”
“To your hair.”
“I dyed it blue. Brittany did at our girls’ night last night.” It started off a sapphire color, and got gradually lighter, fading into a light blue when it reached the middle of my back in curls. “I’m channeling my element, officially ready to ace this test.”
“You look beautiful,” dad said, pouring another cup of coffee. “Like a water witch.”
“I think your Grandma is going to freak out when she sees you today,” Mom said smiling. “Well done, oldest child.”
“It’s alright,” Gray added in approval.
I managed to eat breakfast despite my nerves, and before I knew it, it was time to leave my family. It was time to think about that harmony my dad reminded me to have, and the driving force of my element. I knew that everything today would go by more quickly than I’d want it to.
“See you guys soon,” I said, as my parents hugged and kissed me, and Gray threw a thumbs up in my direction.
I breathed out when I shut my front door feeling as nervous about failing as I was about moving and having to prove myself. The luggage felt foreign in my hand, and my bag of weapons was awkwardly lumpy.
But God, the excitement. There was nothing like it.
I cleared my mind as I walked up the stairs of the promenade, but as I entered the auditorium library of Block Thirteen, my ravenous nerves returned. I opened the door to a crowd of my chatty peers, looking for one face in particular. I felt so much nervous energy from everyone in the dim lobby that I had to concentrate extra hard to push down its burning presence.
“Helaine!”
“Rose, I am so nervous,” she said as soon as she got over to me. “Your hair looks brilliant.”
“Thank you.”
“You are incredibly polite. My words of advice? Leave that at the door today.”
“I will,” I promised.
I unzipped my sweater and shoved it in the top part of my suitcase before throwing the identification tag on it, and left both the rolling case and duffle at the luggage area.
“Is that a little shorter than what you originally sketched for Kalista?” Helaine asked me. The slit in the snow-blue fabric now revealed my left leg up to my mid-thigh. I also thought the straps were more comfortable splayed over my shoulders. It reminded me of what Changelings used to wear before they dared come to London, something I had seen in a secret book at the Hallowed Locus’s library.
“Yes, I took a few stitches out, last minute.”
“It’s hot, and you look absolutely piff.”
That’s how I felt too. While it was different than what I was used to wearing, this was a performance, and my part needed to be played perfectly.
Helaine had on a royal blue dress that made her ginger-colored hair vibrantly pop. Sequins on the underlayer glittered like sea glass, and her arms were free and flowy, covered in thin transparent tulle.
“Thank you,” I said. “I mean, may the best girl win.”
We filed behind the stage when everyone was checked in. In just a short time, we were seated on the bleachers to the right of the stage in reverse alphabetical order. The witches announced names from Z to A. By some luck, I would be announced last. It would give me plenty of time to over-rehearse. I had smothered my legs in Aunt Jen’s calming lavender shimmer body butter and was still anxious. I needed to save my powers for the right time. My control and power reserve wasn’t endless.
I was now on my own, Helaine rows below me, and my eyes were fixated on the burgundy skirted Table of Judgment, facing away from us at the foot of the stage. The three remaining Coven members would be sitting down soon, and it was the very first time I would be in the same room as them. I couldn’t pick my family out in the bleachers opposite of ours. I knew the Weltiers would all be there, as well as Helaine’s extended family in the Raleigh line.
The lights in our rows went out and the stage lit up.
Two guys and a girl exited from backstage, quieting the room down so much that even the emotions went silent. The Coven was dressed in ceremonial clothing, with the unique symbols around their necks clearly displayed. It was rare that I let anyone intimidate me, but seeing the three of them made my breath hitch in my throat.
The first boy had sun-kissed skin and sandy-brown dreadlocks that reached the middle of his back, and he was the only one of the three who smiled at the crowd of spectators as he walked to his chair. He wore a bell-sleeved traditional green cloak trimmed in gold and bronze. It draped over his shoulders instead of tying. The garment pooled on the floor as he walked. I knew he was Earth, and that his impressive hair had only been at his chin when he was inducted five years ago. Gregory was arguably the most popular Earth witch since the rules changed.
The next Coven witch was a girl, whose intimidating gaze fixed on us initiate hopefuls as she walked out. She added a closed-mouth smile to her gesture before taking her seat. Her clothing consisted of a black form-fitting, long-sleeved dress. It was tied off with a ceremonial sash that sat just below her hips, dipping lower as its magenta brocade pattern reached the floor, accentuating her hips. Her cloak was a short pink and purple design that reached only to her waist after tying off at her clavicle. The collar split into two sections on either side, one stiff branch of fabric on the shoulder, and one splaying over her chest, gesturing towards her elbows. The favorite witch in the Coven had bright red hair and flawless dark skin. Everyone knew her as Maddi. She was initiated as Air, the same year as Gregory was.
The last member was a boy with short dark hair, whose eye contact was fixated on his other comrades as if they could read his subtle facial expressions. I knew he was inducted about two years ago, but I forgot his name. He was Spirit. Had he been the one kicked out instead of Fire, mine and Helaine’s lives would be exactly where they needed to be. I saw Helaine glance back at me with a grimace. I returned a smile, but my eyes were soon back on him, the boy I didn’t remember.
The third’s cerem
onial clothing wasn’t anything special, an untied cloak of gray and midnight blue that hung over his shoulders like Gregory’s, but didn’t have the large sleeves or pooling fabric at the bottom. His hands were free to move as he wished, and I noticed that we wore quite a few rings. I only got a quick look at him before his back was turned to us and he sat in his chair. Two empty seats rested to the right of him.
“Welcome,” Gregory said, standing to face the crowd. “I’m Gregory. As the eldest member of the London Coven, I will be presiding over today’s challenges and auditions. Let the record state that there are two positions open this year for fire and water, and we are surprised at the large number of initiates. It is even larger than when Maddi and I were inducted together five years back. We are pleased to see your supportive friends and family, and we look forward to welcoming two of you to help us protect our beloved city.”
The test would take up to three hours, and the first section was us formally stating our heritage and powers, and the element we were auditioning as. Easy? No, not at all.
Some initiate hopefuls stuttered through their introductions, and some were even a few shots of hard liquor in. Inebriation was always easy to sense.
My heart skipped when Helaine took the stage, and I had to stop myself from mouthing her answers in an effort to coach her.
For the thirtieth time, I heard the Coven state in unison:
“State your name and purpose.”
“Helaine Laurence. Water witch line. Spirit witch line. Daughter of one of The Nine. Testing for the element of water.”
There was a great applause for Helaine, but it wasn’t as loud as it was for the last few initiates. I hoped she remembered that she didn’t need to impress anyone but the Coven.
Finally, when I was so nervous that I could barely speak, I was called onto the stage. The walk up there was excruciatingly long and silent, and I stared at the five steps as I climbed.
Standing in the middle of the stage, the lights were so bright that I couldn’t see into the audience. I could feel them watching though, and I kept my mouth parted, drawing in the energy, awakening my spirit, and pulling the emotions I wanted through the crowd and into me. I had to think like my element and I had to gradually charge the energy for the show of powers that would happen today.
“State your name and purpose,” said the three voices.
“Rose Avereis. Changeling. Water witch line. Daughter of two of The Nine.” I gulped nervously but recovered with a smile. “Testing for… the element of fire.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Water Web
Helaine
As soon as everyone stated their names and elements, we had a small intermission shorter than a quarter of an hour, and I ran backstage to find Rose. All I had to do was look for blue hair. The Mages backstage frowned at us talking since there had been incidents in the past, so we waited to speak until we both met inside the girl’s loo.
The element of fire? Was I hearing things?
There were still chills all over my body as I remembered her words, running over to her, fast on my goose-pimpled legs.
“What in the bloodiest of hells is wrong with you, Rose?”
“Trust me,” she mouthed back, knowing we shouldn’t be talking right now. I had to obey the sharp-as-a-knife glint her eye when it appeared, confirming that she was not only up to something, but that she had formed a plan for it. “You did great, Helaine.”
A Mage walked over to hush us, so we turned from each other and fixed our hair in the mirror. Rose steadied her breathing just as I did, as if we were back in front of the mirrors in the dojo, readying ourselves for a form. Her bombshell was officially the hardest part, and now, everything else would be easy—well for me at least.
When the Mage walked out I whispered again. “What are you doing? You’re not your father. you’ve never been a Changeling who can control fire!”
“But some can.”
But some can? I thought as the Mage peeked back into the loo. I motioned for Rose to follow me further down the line of sinks.
“Rose, your dad has powers we don’t even know about. He’s a freak of nature.”
“Well, we better hope I am too.”
Our ten-minute break was up before we knew it.
We lined up on the bleachers in the same order as before, only more nervous, and Earth, a guy called Gregory, gave us more instruction as the auditorium lights dimmed. Everyone’s eyes held to the main stage.
“Each contestant will now answer oral questions about the traditions and history of the London Coven. They will also show us their proficiency in their element. This is the second round.”
The last round was my favorite, but we only needed basic proficiency and creativity to show that we could use our elements. The answers we gave verbally were far more important. I had to be careful and calculated to impress them with my answers.
Starting with “Z” the questions began, and Maddi read them. Everyone was as quiet as a graveyard as she spoke. She had undeniable natural charisma and even with all the stutters in the room, she didn’t mess up once. No wonder everyone loved her.
The water elements who went before me all showed the crashing, aggressive force it had. One boy even sent a tidal wave off the stage, and Maddi and Gregory both had to hold their hands up and work some magic of their own to stop it.
The fire elements were the most creative. One girl made embers appear to resemble stars in the sky. I hoped that wasn’t what Rose was planning on since she was so obsessed with astronomy, and I grew more nervous for her by the second.
“Helaine Laurence,” Gregory announced.
I stood from the bleachers before I could think who, me? Straightening my posture, I threw my waves of hair over my shoulder and out of the way to take the stage.
Maddi was intimidating to talk to face to face, paces away from where I stood. The spotlight was so warm and blinding that I could barely see into the audience. Reporters were in the first row, and I recognized Therese Talborn. I’d give anything for her to publish that article tomorrow.
“Why didn’t the Coven interfere in the Witch Trials?” Maddi questioned.
“The witches feel that they shouldn’t be allowed to govern humans, as we are not superior beings to anyone. We must use our powers responsibly and in unison. After the Coven was more organized, they released a public statement in seventeen-hundred and eighty-eight, stating that the events of the witch trials had deeply saddened them, and should such a thing happen again, the course of action would be decided by the Coven and a council of Mages.”
“Very good. Certain situations are to be met on a case by case basis.” The audience applauded upon Maddi’s cue. “Your second question is: who was the first witch revealed as spirit?”
“Imogen—Raleigh was her last name at the time. Now it’s Laurence. She broke the institution by escaping confinement and revealing that Spirit is an asset to the Coven, and remains one today.” That got Spirit’s attention, and he nodded at me with eye contact. “It’s like karma that I got that question. She’s my mum.”
The crowd gasped. They all knew who I was beforehand, but it was my invocation of karma that had them murmuring in the stands. I knew it was a risk, but that’s what they wanted to see. I felt more confident now that Rose was initiating under fire, and Moon, my biggest competition, still had yet to answer her questions and show her element. I had an advantage going first.
“You invoke Karma, Laurence?” Maddi spoke as if she were enjoying the show. The grin on her face said it all. I could immediately tell that my risk was worth it.
“Karma isn’t something to be feared,” I stated. “Do no harm, and no harm shall come to you. It’s a simple principle, and I believe in karma more often than I believe in luck. A witch should never do anything with the expectation that he or she should receive favorable Karma for it. Karma is not a reward. It reminds us that the energy we put out comes back three fold.”
“Well done,” Maddi comm
ented, and I could tell that I had all three of their attention. If mum’s question hadn’t come up, I could have lost Spirit’s favor, but the hardest of the three to please was now watching my every move—even if it was with stoic fascination.
“Would you demonstrate your power for us please?” Maddi requested.
I began a martial arts form just like at a competition, but I channeled water between my hands through each movement. I chose a form without too many kicks or punches, letting water flow freely between my hands, making the invisible force ripple as I breathed out. My flowy blue dress was perfect, and the clear sequins on the bottom layer shone with each movement, like shells sparkling underneath breaking waves. By the end, the room was quiet, with the occasional ethereal murmur. So was the Coven. I was the first water element who didn’t try to be forceful and aggressive.
“Blessed be,” Maddi said to me, instructing me to sit back down.
There were a few angry faces when I took my seat, which meant that even from up in the bleachers I was impressive. My mum warned me to keep my body language neutral because the witches preferred a candidate that was respectful to the others. She said it was guaranteed that the Coven would know who was jealous and judging, even with their backs turned. A Cheshire sneer marked Bessie’s face as I walked past, dotting her high cheekbones and sealing her karma. I looked back with a straight face, knowing what it meant for her.
I sat back in my place and waited for Rose, finally able to take a deep, quenching breath inward. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. We were so close to being two points on the lotus pentacle, five witches with a purpose, connected by nature, charged with keeping the city safe. I zoned out on the oral questions but enjoyed watching the hopefuls show their powers. Even if they didn’t get into the Coven, they could still wield their element to some extent and practice their magic or religion how they saw fit.
We were all silent as Moon Halloran took the stage, but also when she aced her show of powers. She conjured a thin line of water as if she were plucking a harp, and wove a spider web with it. The detail and the intricacy were outstanding, and when she splashed droplets of water over the thread, it was a masterpiece. The flashes of the reporters’ cameras practically lit the entire room, and something sinking in my stomach said that her display of power was the best we had seen.
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