Asha threw her arms around him in a hug that warmed her from the inside out. She knew her father sometimes felt out of depth with the amount of magic that surrounded him, and secretly she wished her mother would have another child, a boy with no magic who would keep her father company and learn to be a true heir to the kingdom. But even though he had no magic of his own, and probably never would, she knew he grounded her mother just as he grounded her.
“Come on, we best get going.” He said at last, patting her hair lightly as he pulled away.
“Will you be riding with us?” She asked hopefully.
“I asked to but your grandmother says this is wytch business. The entirety of the Light Coven will be present however. I think your mother is using it as an excuse to show off.”
“And finally hand over all those dark wytches she’s been discovering.” Asha remembered one of the generals talking the day before about how many untrained wytches were going to be riding with them. Many of them had come to the Isle of the Gifted only to find that their mentor was a dark wytch. Some had been residents there before the split only to feel their link to Romana severed and replaced with a link to Silver.
“So you won’t be alone.” Her father reassured her, grabbing her satchel for her and guiding her out of her room.
When they reached the courtyard it was to see horses milling about everywhere. The Light Coven, hooded to protect their identities, worked on arranging the procession. A quick count revealed 40 wytches in total, with the majority being young girls barely in their teens.
Her mother, crimson cloak billowing, rode up to them on her black mare.
“Is that all you’re taking?” She looked at Asha’s single bag with surprise.
“I didn’t have much in my room besides children’s clothes.” Asha explained, embracing her father one last time.
“We’ll sort that out in time for your return, and redecorate your room.” She promised. “Your horse is at the front of the column, just behind the coven wytches.” She didn’t move, yet Asha felt the air around herself solidify and squeeze her gently as if in an invisible hug.
The column was arranged in rows of three, with Romana at the front and centre between Cass and Leanne. Coven wytches took positions at the front and rear of the procession for security, she noticed as she swung up onto her bay stallion’s back.
They rode in silence through the unusually quiet streets of Morendor, where people watched from windows as the wytches passed the night time streets and stared after them long after they were gone. When they were in the forest that surrounded the city, she felt the sensation of being teleported and looked around at the location that the covens had decided upon. It was a large flat grassy plain, almost so completely ordinary that it was hard to believe two deadly factions of wytches would be meeting there.
The coven wytches moved to the front of the column, establishing a row behind Romana which stretched out across the plane. The newbie wytches’ horses automatically filled in behind the coven without their command, and Asha was simply glad she was directly behind her mother when the group sorted itself out. The milling horses getting into formation was almost enough to distract her from the fear and anticipation that made the air heavy in her lungs.
When the shimmering portal appeared opposite them and expanded rapidly she let out a breath, sensing Aunt Silver’s demonic power.
The wytches that rode through the portal were mounted on hellhounds and Asha saw her aunt roll her eyes when two of the wytches about to join the Dark Coven actually fainted at their first glimpse of a demon and almost fell from their horses. Though the Dark Coven was small, they were no less impressive thanks to their entrance and harsh expressions.
“You just couldn’t stand to be outdone, could you?” Romana yelled across the twenty or so yards between the factions, her humour was apparent in her voice.
“Horses are so very last century.” Silver retorted and Asha could sense the Light Coven relax slightly at the lack of open hostility.
“Well met.” Romana replied, spurring her horse forward.
Asha was partially aware of Silver and Theria meeting her mother in the middle but her focus was actually on the six wytches behind Silver.
Where the Light Coven was large and wore all manner of brightly coloured cloaks and fabrics, each of the seven dark wytch queens wore a set of unique armour in a shade of black, brown or dark blue. Their armour didn’t obscure their faces, though some of them did wear war paint, and this contrast to the light wytches gave Asha a chance to study them properly.
Each of them was muscled in a way that spoke of how magic was not the only weapon they could use, and though their appearances varied dramatically, they were all beautiful in a way that made the words femme fatale spring to mind. It was as if nature had asserted its power to mark them as predators in that way for those who couldn’t sense the powerful auras of magic that pulsed from every one of them.
She felt eyes upon her, and since every member of the Dark Coven was focused on their leader in the centre she drew her eyes to where her aunt sat astride Theria clutching a long piece of paper, eyes wide and focused on Asha. A quick glance at her mother told her all she needed to know; Aunt Silver had been told what Asha’s mysterious powers were, and from the carefully concealed look of pride she was receiving, Asha knew she was definitely a dark wytch.
Chapter Fifteen
A SANCTUARY FOR WYTCHLINGS
When Romana handed over the parchment containing the names of all the wytches she expected Silver to initiate and told her that the powers the Light Coven knew about were written down as well, Silver’s immediate thoughts were dread at the thought of yet more paperwork. She paid the list of powers no mind as she skimmed the list. Many of the Dark Coven had been reinitiated and found subtle changes in their titles since leaving the Light Coven. At the time she had reasoned it was because the old coven had not accepted truly dark gifts, and so the initiation had made slight corrections to ease the wytches’ lives, for example the wytch queen of emotions had been reinitiated to discover her title was actually the wytch queen of sorrow. The only wytch whose title would almost certainly remain unchanged was Asha and Silver didn’t have to peruse the list long before she located her niece’s name and the power scrawled beside it.
“Asha is to become the wytch queen of… balance?” The last word slipped out in a tone of incredulity.
“I didn’t recognise the title either” Romana informed her. “Kate had to explain it to me.”
“But by all means, enlighten me.” Silver replied, “Unless you’re going to tell me that Asha’s great destiny is to join the circus as a tightrope walker?”
“Asha could heal someone.” Romana began, “But she’d then cause that injury to reappear on another person. She could cause a drought, but then she’d cause a flood in the next town over. Destroy one planet and create an entirely new one. Life and death, push and pull,” Her sister started on a list of opposites that Silver ignored.
“It all sounds rather limited.” She interrupted; disappointed that this great power that was supposed to hold the covens in check had such restrictions.
“Not until you consider the ability to steal another wytch’s power and give it to someone else.” Romana commented grimly.
Silver nearly fell off of Theria, and as it was she had to mentally apologise to her hound for the dig of Silver’s boot in her ribs as she tried to right herself. Still in shock, she sought her niece’s face in the crowd and stared as the hated feeling of missing something important came rushing up to her in full force.
“That is not a wytch power I have heard of before.” She started, “Nor is it an elemental power like the rest of your family possess, are you sure you’ve not been sleeping around, sister? I won’t judge if you have, monogamy is the death of love after all.”
The flames that coated her sister’s skin flickered wildly, even as Romana’s voice became chilled.
“Of course I haven’t.” She retor
ted. “And for your information, I believe monogamy is the very bones of love.” Silver smirked as Romana showed once again just how easy she was to provoke. Her sister took a deep breath and continued. “Kate said that it was a new power and refused to say anything more on the subject.”
“And what did your researchers find?”
“Nothing,” Romana replied, “Why are you so convinced that there’s more to this?”
“Because I know you’re not telling me everything,” Silver snapped.
“Yes, I am.”
“Liar!”
“I am not!”
“You know there’s more you need to tell me.” Silver warned.
The glare in Romana’s eyes was enough evidence to tell her she was right, and Theria growled beneath her.
“Very well,” Her sister sighed. “The problem is not with Asha having the power but with the nature of it. There are those in my coven who believe that it has no relevance to the light whatsoever. Some believe she is better off staying with the dark.”
Silver glared at the wytch queens behind Romana. “Kate would never allow it, even if I would.” At Romana’s look, she continued. “I don’t want to have to keep the brat for longer than necessary! Last time she was here she made a deal with your mother that nearly had you trying to burn me to death!” Even as she said it, she knew all of the words were a lie. Silver, for all her hatred of others, found Asha to be among the most tolerable of people she had ever met. And though the child was innocent in so many ways, because of her dreams there were few people who could truly understand Silver better.
“If you value your life, you’ll never make Asha feel anything less than welcome.” Romana threatened. “She already has fears about going to stay with the Dark Coven as it is, adding the fact that you think her a nuisance may just send her running away.”
Silver just nodded. “Is it over yet? I have to get them to their new homes.” She smirked.
Romana sighed and pulled a black velvet bag out of her saddle. “Kate gave me these for you. It’s a set of initiation crystals; try not to break them.” Without a goodbye, Romana handed them over and then turned to ride back to her own coven.
Silver peeked inside the bag to see the black quartz jug, bowl and crystal which was used to determine a wytch’s power and mentor. Great, how was she supposed to find water for the ritual in the middle of the meadow? The Isle of the Gifted had a fountain where such initiations were conducted using water that came from Kate’s realm and was regarded as sacred.
As the newbie wytches dismounted their horses and walked with difficulty across the long grass of the meadow towards her Silver fumbled with the problem in her mind. She could take to Dalmorin, but the entire point of taking over the fortress had been to have a secret base of operations, not to create a sanctuary for wytchlings. She could create a sanctuary, but that would take time she did not have. Why had she not thought of this earlier?
“Forgive the intrusion.” Her father spoke directly to her mind and she bristled.
“Yes?” She replied.
“Kate has allowed for me to give you a gift. If you take the initiate wytches to the following co-ordinates, you will find everything you need there.”
Silver frowned, noticing the co-ordinates were only a day’s walk from Dalmorin; she opened the portal and commanded the Dark Coven to round the wytchlings through it after her. She spurred Theria towards Asha, who stood in the midst of the grass, avoided by the rest of the wytches already. Holding her arm out as she rode past she was relieved when Asha grabbed it and swung up behind her, holding on around Silver’s waist as they rode through the portal ahead of the group.
“What is this place?” Asha breathed, looking up at the strange temple before them.
Cut into a mountainside the pillars and archways of black stone intimidated and impressed those who saw it, yet Silver felt the magic of this place from moment she set eyes on it. Gaillean’s magic was familiar enough to her by now that she could sense its purpose: hiding the temple from the sight of those without dark magic.
“This is yours.” Gaillean told her. “It is connected to Dalmorin via secret tunnels, there are escape routes and fortifications I think you will find to your liking.” As he spoke maps and images cascaded into her mind. Silver examined and committed each to memory as she walked across the open field between the portal and the temple.
A small flight of steep, winding steps was carved into the mountain side and Silver recognised the design was meant to stop enemies from using a battering ram to break open the impressive stone doors which opened at a touch, but were two feet thick. They walked through and under an arch carved with images of stars inlaid with gold. The entrance hall was vast and impressive, with stone benches around the walls clearly meant to keep the visitors in a position of discomfort that would leave the wytches at an advantage, in the centre was a statue of a hellhound, and from the doorway its eyes actually seemed to glow.
Silver smiled, thinking of the Light Coven’s stupid cushion covered reception area and fountain. It was fitting that the Dark Coven’s training centre would be the opposite in every way. A number of doors led off from the entrance hall, and Silver chose the one immediately on her left which brought her up some stairs and along a corridor with arching windows to where she knew her office would be. There were fifteen offices in total, one for each wytch queen, each with an escape route and a link to the maze of tunnel-like passageways that would lead to Dalmorin, Morendor and Elvardis. The door to her study was at the end of a long passageway and she sent the maps of the temple to the other wytch queens as she saw the wytchlings begin to arrive through the portal out of the window.
Her office - or should she say apartment? - was set high into the very front of the mountain, with daylight shining through the windows to illuminate the room. The main office consisted of a small fountain of sacred water carved into the left wall along with shelves full of books and records she may never even read and a desk that contained all of the paperwork concerning the Dark Coven. She ignored the rest of the rooms above, knowing she would find there were sleeping quarters and a conference room at the top of the small wrought iron staircase in one corner, and set the initiation crystals on the edge of the fountain.
“Are you nervous?” She asked Asha, filling the jug with the water.
“A little,” At Silver’s arched brow she corrected herself. “Maybe a lot,”
“I would be surprised and unimpressed if you weren’t.” Silver remarked. “It takes a lot of guts to be a dark wytch.”
She poured the water from the jug into the bowl and passed the hunk of black crystal to Asha. “Wave the crystal over the water.” She instructed, and was glad to see no hesitation from her niece. Whatever was scaring Asha, it wasn’t her powers. Writing appeared instantly on the water. “You’re to become the wytch queen of balance.” Silver informed Asha, annoyed with the formalities. “I’m your mentor.”
“What does that even mean?” Asha sounded frustrated.
Silver sighed and relayed the information Romana had passed on about Asha’s powers, by the end of it Asha was looking at her hands with a mixture of horror and surprise.
“Don’t look so scared.” Silver huffed. “I would have thought you’d be pleased, to have a power that no-one’s ever had before. At least this way you know for certain that your soul hasn’t been recycled.”
“But Aunt Silver, I can strip away a wytch’s power.” Asha looked up with frightened bunny eyes. “What if I do it by accident and I can’t undo it? What if I turn evil and start stealing powers for myself?”
Silver snorted. “Mind what you’re calling evil. You are aware I spent three thousand years murdering to steal wytches’ powers?”
Asha didn’t seem to hear her, damn, the child better not be going into shock.
“Asha,” Silver pulled the child to sit on the edge of the desk with her. “You realise evil is a matter of perspective right?” When Asha continued staring into space, Silve
r cursed, clearly she wasn’t doing something right.
“Romana,” She called out with her mind, “Can you talk to your daughter and explain to her that her power isn’t the root of all evil and she isn’t going to go power-mad because of it? She seems to be going into shock.”
There was no reply, however Asha’s brows furrowed slightly in concentration and Silver guessed her to be talking mentally with Romana. As her niece’s shoulders began to relax, Silver shepherded her up the stairs and into the conference room, leaving Theria to keep her company as she proceeded with the rest of the initiations.
Hours passed as she repeated the process she had with Asha. The Dark Coven stood only seven wytches strong, and while Asha would be the eighth when she gained her familiar she was not the only one. The future wytch queens of lies, paranoia, poison, pestilence, decay and nightmares all passed through the doors during the time she stood there and Silver quickly grew bored of filling the jug, transferring water to the bowl and interpreting the language. The most interesting part was tallying up the number of wytchlings each of the seven current wytch queens had. In total, Averna and Hannah had the largest numbers with nine wytchlings each, while Silver still had only Asha as her mentee. It was amusing when Grandmother Black returned again to collect her fifth student; giving Silver an exasperated look and Silver smirked. So far each of the other wytch queens had one future queen to train and a combination of at least three lesser and greater wytches. The last mentee to be summoned was almost certain to be the final wytch queen who would complete the coven and all of the existing queens had taken bets on who would be the unlucky one who would have to train not only one but two future coven members. Silver had bet on Lillian, the child queen had only four mentees making her the most likely. Unsurprisingly a number of them had put money on Silver being the one to train her; however she knew that Kate would never compromise Asha’s education by throwing a distraction Silver’s way.
Asha's Power (Soul Merge Saga Book 4) Page 10