Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten

by C. C. Wood

Belinda began by saying that this was an emergency meeting and normal protocol would be suspended. Though I hadn’t thought it possible, two of the elders faces’ became even more pinched and annoyed. Still, no one objected until she mentioned me.

  “With so much upheaval in the underground community of Dallas, I decided that I should choose my successor as High Priestess. I have selected Kerry Gayle and would like the ritual to be completed today.”

  Several of the coven members objected, most notably Janice March. She was the newest of the elders and a few years older than Belinda. She’d also wrongly assumed that she would be the next High Priestess.

  “Absolutely not!” Sharon Greene, Janice’s mother, jumped to her feet. “She isn’t fit to be a member of this coven, much less the leader. I’d rather see you choose a High Priest than her,” she hissed.

  I tried not to flinch. I knew what they all thought about me, but this was the first time that anyone had said it so bluntly. Most of the time, I endured thinly veiled barbs and backhanded compliments. High Priests were rare, not that male witches were rare, but likely because the men knew better than to take on all the drama that came with the job.

  Sharon glared at me, her eyes shimmering with actual loathing. She had always been the most toxic of the elders, despising me since I was little more than a child. She also tried to push her daughter, Janice, on my mother as the next High Priestess, but my mother had chosen Belinda, which meant I was even more hated.

  “I concur.” This was from Beatrice Donaldson, another elder who’d disliked me for most of my life.

  Their vehement objections fueled other coven members.

  Constance Stern also stood, her hands fisted to her side. She wasn’t an elder, but likely would be in another ten to fifteen years. She was five years older than me and even bitchier than I was, which was saying something. “You can’t do this!” she exclaimed. “The coven has a right to object to any successor the High Priestess chooses.”

  Belinda raised her hands and their voices died away. “You may. But the only way for another witch to take Kerry’s place is if she challenges Kerry and wins. However, it is my right to perform the ritual and declare the successor of my choosing, then, and only then, can your choice be presented as challenger.”

  It was an archaic rule, one that hadn’t been enforced in centuries. If enough of the coven disagreed with the High Priestess’ choice of successor, they could vote on their preferred candidate and the two would engage in a contest of knowledge and power. The victor was given a choice at the end of the contest; they could allow the loser to leave without punishment, banish them from the coven, or kill them. Most often, the losers were left alone or banished, but I had a strong hunch that, if I was challenged and lost, I was a dead woman.

  The elders bombarded Belinda with arguments, their voices getting louder and louder. The witches in the room who were not involved merely sat in their chairs, staring at each other with wide, frightened eyes.

  “She sent Saundra Abrams to her death!” cried Beatrice.

  I vaguely heard Sally, Saundra’s sister, gasp before other voices drowned her out. I’d accepted my part in Saundra’s death, and would always regret it, but Beatrice made it sound as though I’d purposefully hurt someone I considered a friend. I felt anger building within me at the ugliness spewing from the mouths of the women around me.

  “Everyone knows her father practiced black magic and tried to kill her. Evil begets evil. He turned and so will she.”

  My skin went ice cold when Sharon spat those words at Belinda. Instantly, I was reliving the moment I killed the vampires at my cottage and the dark pleasure I felt at their deaths. But, after, when I was no longer riding the hard edge of raw power, I’d felt regret. Until I’d found out what they’d done to Saundra. I felt a niggling sense of doubt in myself. Was Sharon right? With what I would need to do in the coming weeks and months, would I turn as my father had?

  Clear as a bell, I heard my mother’s voice and the words she’d said to me the day I turned sixteen, “Every witch’s soul holds good and evil, Kerry, but we each have a choice to make. Some are weak and cannot resist the evil inside. Others skirt the line by saying and doing cruel things under the guise of righteousness. Then there are those that are too afraid to take risks, so they limit their experiences and power, ensuring that they will never grow as witches or people, yet they will remain pure. A wise witch recognizes her strengths and her weaknesses and constantly questions if her actions and choices do more harm than good. She takes risks, but does not endanger others. Always strive to be a wise witch, my girl, careful but not fearful and forever in search of knowledge.”

  I looked up and saw that Belinda was staring down at me and I knew why I was hearing my mother’s voice. No doubt she’d shared that same speech with Belinda when she’d named her as successor. Though she didn’t say it aloud, she told me what I needed to know.

  Show them why I chose you, Kerry. Be the wise witch.

  Several witches were shouting now, offended at Belinda’s obvious inattention to their objections. I could feel anger building in the corner from the vampires and werewolves seated there and knew I needed to do something before one of them snapped.

  Slowly, I stood and took a deep breath. Then I whispered an incantation. When the spell was complete, I clapped my hands once. The sound reverberated around the room like thunder and everyone fell silent, staring at me with hostile or fearful eyes.

  I projected my voice so that it would carry without requiring me to shout. “That is enough.” When several elders started to interrupt, I lifted a hand. “You have had your say. It is time for me to have mine.”

  Everyone who was standing sat and I felt every pair of eyes in the room riveted on me. My nerves felt frayed, but I swallowed them back and tried to project the same serenity that Belinda did.

  “Let me address Sharon’s accusation first,” I stated, staring the elder in the eye. “Yes, my father was a warlock who practiced the dark arts. However, my mother was a witch you all respected greatly. I carry both of their blood, just as we all carry good and evil within us. Where we stand is based on the choices we make. We have all made mistakes, I’m sure, but we choose to do the right thing afterwards. That’s what separates us from black witches and warlocks. I’m sure if each of you investigated your ancestry you would find at least one or two practitioners of the dark. Should you be held accountable for their actions?”

  There were murmurs throughout the room, but no one spoke up.

  “Secondly, I do feel responsible for Saundra’s death. At the time, I didn’t understand what we were dealing with in regards to the Faction. Now that I do, I regret what happened to a witch I considered a dear friend. I have tasted the power of the vampire warlock in their ranks and he is strong. I will not underestimate him again.”

  “You have no place at the head of this coven,” Janice sniped.

  “A week ago, I would have agreed with you,” I responded.

  Once again the room fell silent, almost preternaturally so.

  I continued. “A week ago, I would have told Belinda in no uncertain terms that I had no desire for the position of High Priestess. Now, I think that’s exactly where I need to be.”

  “Even if your lineage was of no concern, you are not powerful enough to be High Priestess.” Sharon’s voice rang out, full of hate.

  Belinda answered before I could. “Kerry is more powerful than all of us, even me. She alone will have the strength to overcome the Faction’s warlock.”

  There were scoffs and exclamations of disbelief.

  “I don’t believe you,” Beatrice argued.

  Then, to my surprise, Belinda snapped. “I have always been a fair and impartial High Priestess and I have always tried to respect your opinions, even if I didn’t agree with them. You dare to call me a liar?” she asked. “Since you think so little of my word, why don’t we allow Kerry a chance to demonstrate? Or do you think I lied when I said that she killed four vampire
s completely unaided?”

  There was an uncomfortable silence before Janice responded, “I don’t think you intend to be deceptive, Belinda. It’s just difficult to believe that Kerry is so powerful when none of us have seen her cast in years.” Though her words were carefully selected to seem respectful, I could see the malice sparkle in her eyes.

  “I see.” Those two little words from anyone else would seem innocuous. From Belinda, they sounded like a warning. “And how would you like Kerry to demonstrate her abilities?”

  From the back of the room, I heard a voice. “Let her share power. Only the strongest can disperse to a group of this size. In fact, in our recorded history, the only witch who could share power with more than fifteen witches was her mother and she barely managed eighteen. If Kerry can do more than that, then this argument ends for today. Will the elders agree to that compromise?”

  Everyone turned and Sally Abrams stood up. She had been the one speaking. Shocked, I wondered if it was because she was angry with me over Saundra or because she knew I could do it. As one, the elders gave her their backs, and she met my eyes. Though her expression was sad, she nodded to me. She supported me, despite what had happened.

  I tilted my head.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Sharon spoke first. “That’s fine. If Kerry can share power with, say twenty-five of us, then I am willing to forgo the elders’ right to present a challenger as the successor.” She glanced at the rest of them. “Do you all agree?”

  One by one, each of the ten elders agreed, even Janice and Beatrice, which didn’t surprise me. They didn’t think I could do it or they never would have agreed to this. Over the years since my father’s death, I’d withdrawn farther from the coven. I hadn’t casted a spell in front of anyone but Belinda since my mother’s burial rites, which had been four years ago.

  I glanced at Belinda out of the corner of my eye, but her expression was serene and unconcerned. She knew what I was capable of but nothing on her face gave away her thoughts.

  “Very well.” Her voice was just as calm as her appearance. She turned her eyes to me. “Kerry, are you ready?”

  I nodded and stepped back from the table, surveying the forty or fifty witches crowded into the room. I didn’t have an exact head count, but I knew that if I could disperse magic to each of the witches here, then there would be no question about my strength and ability to lead the coven.

  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and began to recite the basic incantation used for a witch to give power to another. It was intended to help practitioners who were in danger and in need of a boost. The strength and breadth of the spell would expand based on the amount of magic I filtered through my body. It would require a great deal of control and skill to do this without injuring myself or someone else.

  As it had the night of the attack on my cottage, it was as though the power was waiting for me to call upon it with words or even will alone. I drew it into myself with each breath, gathering more. As it built within me, I continued to chant the spell. Then I reached out. First to Belinda, then the elders, one by one, giving them parts of the force that surrounded me.

  I felt my hair lift from my shoulders as though I were standing outside in the wind. The magic solidified in the room, rubbing against my skin as though it were corporeal. I heard gasps from the elders as the power spread to them in turn and knew they were feeling what I was; each hair on their body standing at attention, the blanket of magic like a physical caress on their skin, while a pressure built from within.

  As I unraveled braids of magic, directing it to the rest of the witches of the coven, something happened, just as it had before. It was growing almost beyond my control. If I didn’t release more, I felt like I might explode.

  Still whispering the words of the spell, I opened the dam within me wider, the power no longer a small stream, but a turbulent, fast-moving river, rushing over the entire room. Someone cried out as more filtered through me.

  Suddenly, I could no longer hold it back. A shockwave originated from my body and ripped through the group, knocking over several witches, including me.

  When my body hit the floor, the impact severed the spell and the connection. Magic still hummed along my skin and I watched with wide eyes as small silver and gold starbursts danced in the air as the residual power began to fade.

  I looked around and saw most of the coven members lying on the floor as well.

  “Oh crap,” I whispered. “What did I just do?”

  Belinda, who was stretched out next to me, turned her head, a smile on her face. “You made them eat their words. You just shared your power with all fifty-five witches in this room, as well as all the vampires and werewolves on this floor.”

  Lachlan appeared, hovering over Belinda. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded and took his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. Then he aided me. I glanced over my shoulder to find Conner helping Finn and Donna off the floor as well, all of them wearing triumphant expressions.

  Are you okay? Finn mouthed.

  I nodded. I appreciated that he was standing back and letting me handle this situation, something I would tell him later. For now, I needed to focus on coven business.

  When I faced the rest of the witches in the room, I saw shock, awe, and a healthy dose of fear, even from the elders.

  Belinda waited for the room to settle before asking, “Is everyone all right?” She completely ignored the fact that it was my loss of control that knocked everyone on their asses. Then again, she probably thought I’d done it on purpose.

  There were nods and murmurs of agreement. Since I could feel the residual magic in the air, my skin tingling, I realized many of them were still shaky.

  Then the High Priestess fixed a steely stare on the row of elders seated in front of us. “Are there any more questions about Kerry’s abilities?”

  Seven of them shook their heads immediately. It was no surprise that Sharon, Beatrice, and Janice were stubbornly silent and still.

  “Beatrice?” Belinda prompted.

  “She has the strength to lead.” Her voice was muted and a little petulant.

  “Janice? Do you agree that her demonstration will suffice?”

  Janice refused to speak, only nodding her assent.

  Finally, Belinda met Sharon’s eyes. “Sharon? Do you concur that the conditions of our agreement have been met?”

  Though I could tell she would rather bite her tongue than answer, the elder said, “The conditions have been met. Kerry will be your successor.”

  But when Sharon looked at me, I knew with absolute certainty that she was lying and that this wasn’t over. As long as she was able, she would do everything in her power to prevent me from becoming the next High Priestess.

  Perhaps it was time to purchase a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People.

  Chapter Twenty

  Two weeks later, Belinda and I were sequestered in Finn’s solarium, arguing over the prophecy and the coven. After days and weeks of fruitlessly searching for some tidbit of information that would help me decipher the prophecy of the Five, I was ready to call it quits. Obviously it existed and it was coming to pass. However, none of the books I’d found regarding its foretelling seemed to have any suggestions or spells to help us win the coming war.

  Belinda disagreed, saying we had to keep reading and searching, that the answers we needed were out there. The only thing I’d managed to find of any interest was the spell that linked the life-forces of two people. The High Priestess was not as excited about it because, historically, it had been used by black witches to control other witches, vampires, and werewolves. Still, something about the spell intrigued me, so I tucked it away in one of my notebooks for further study. I was certain there were positive uses to be found. Though she wore an expression of tight-lipped disapproval, Belinda didn’t stop me.

  Once it was settled that we would continue researching the prophecy, the High Priestess began my training as her successor. Whil
e I suggested we had plenty of time and perhaps should wait until we were safer, she seemed determined. Her intensity was disconcerting. Belinda was the most composed person I knew and yet she was sometimes impatient and snippy with me, which rarely happened over the years, even when I tried jerking her chain.

  During the coven meeting two weeks ago, she had performed the ritual which would clearly name me as the next High Priestess. Though it was merely for show, it was an important part of the process as it demonstrated her faith in my abilities to do the job well.

  Once the meeting was over and she and I were on our way back to Finn’s house to discuss the next step, I suggested that perhaps she should rethink her choice. At the time she didn’t respond. However, I mentioned it again today and Belinda became agitated.

  “It’s too late to back out, Kerry,” she insisted. “Even if there was another suitable candidate, there’s no time to train anyone else.”

  “But it’s obvious that the elders don’t want me as the High Priestess. They’ll fight me tooth and nail and likely ignore any suggestions I make or treat me with complete disrespect. This isn’t going to work.”

  Belinda rubbed her forehead absently as though her head ached. “You can make it work, Kerry. I never said this would be easy. You’ll have to deal with initial mistrust and weak confidence, just as most new High Priestesses do. Be patient and start with the younger witches. Many of them grew up with you and don’t give the rumors about your father much credence. You can work your way up to the elders.” She paused, seemingly gathering her thoughts. “I don’t think you’ll have as much trouble as you expect, though. There are at least three elders in the coven who have admitted I made the right choice after your display at the meeting.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Yes, really. Now, we need to discuss what actions will be taken to establish civil relations with vampires and werewolves. I know that much of this wasn’t resolved in the meeting after your demonstration, but we need to have something to present to the coven in regards to our future.”