Initiate

by Christina Garner

  “Ooh, presents before breakfast.” Paige clapped her hands. “Maybe these morning sessions aren’t so bad after all.”

  “Each of you has strengths and weaknesses,” Carolyn said. “These talismans are meant to help you stay balanced. Use them to aid your concentration as you practice, and bring them to the test.”

  The first item she pulled from the bag was a polished rock—green with red flecks. She passed it to Paige. “Bloodstone, to amplify your power.”

  She took it with eager hands. Everyone in the group knew Paige was one of the weakest, just barely passing her last skills test, even after her third try.

  And she’s still better at this spell than you…

  Carolyn handed Jules a piece of tiger’s eye. “This will bolster your confidence.”

  Jules blushed and accepted the stone. She was one of the most talented sisters at Coventry House but seemed perpetually worried that she was on the verge of being kicked out.

  The next talisman was a heart-shaped piece of rose quartz, which she handed to Alex.

  “This will help you open to more subtle, gentler energies.”

  Eden pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. There was definitely nothing subtle about Alex.

  “I’m their mentor.” Alex watched Carolyn coolly. “I’ve already passed this test.”

  “Take it anyway.” Carolyn’s tone made it clear it wasn’t a suggestion, and Alex snatched the pink stone from Carolyn’s hand and shoved it into her pocket.

  When it was Eden’s turn, she smiled. Anything to help her pass this test would be a blessing. Carolyn glanced up at Eden but closed the sack.

  “Eden, I’d like you to use the artifact you won on Samhain. It should balance your energy nicely.”

  Balance her energy? The stone made her flesh crawl. The last thing she wanted to do was use it during a spell, especially one she was already struggling with.

  “All right, lesson over.” Carolyn waved her hand, and the thick drapes covering the basement windows eased open allowing shafts of sunlight into the room. “Get to class, and carry your talismans with you as you go about your day. That includes you, Eden.”

  The girls filed out while Carolyn tidied up the area. All but Eden.

  “I know that thing is supposed to be powerful, but do I have to carry it around and use it for this spell? I really don’t want to.”

  “It’s not a question of what you want, but of what you need.” Carolyn snuffed out a few more candles.

  “You won’t say that once you’ve seen it.”

  “I have seen it, when it was last sold at auction to the coven who so generously gifted it to you.” Carolyn flashed Eden a measuring look.

  “I don’t mean to be ungrateful,” Eden said quickly. “It’s just…why would you want me to practice with something so disturbing?”

  “The reason it upsets you is the exact reason you need it.” Carolyn extinguished the last flame.

  Conversations with Carolyn often went in circles. Eden fought the urge to grind her teeth in frustration.

  “What kind of coven was that, exactly?”

  Maybe those black robes weren’t just for Samhain.

  “A highly respected one with a long lineage.” Carolyn placed a large quartz crystal back on the altar at the far end of the room. “A shadow coven if that’s what you’re really asking.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m asking.” Eden had been disgusted to learn such covens even existed.

  Worshipping the dark? Why hadn’t the Council of Magic shut them all down?

  “As I’ve already told you, shadow covens sanctioned by the Council are not evil. This particular coven is devoted to learning all they can about the dark forces.”

  “Unless they’re using that knowledge to fight it, I don’t really see the point.”

  “I take it you haven’t read Ethics in Magic.” Carolyn’s tone held more than a hint of disapproval.

  It was on the first year reading list, but Eden had fallen behind. She placed a crystal wand on one of the shelves that held ritual objects.

  “I’ve tried, but all that stuff about good and evil being the same… You can’t seriously believe that.”

  Carolyn fixed her student with a firm gaze. “It doesn’t say they are the same. It says they both make up the whole. Everything has a light and a dark. Even you.”

  Eden’s spine tingled, and an image of the borahn being consumed by flames flashed in her mind. “If that’s true, how can I know that I’ll only do good with my magic?”

  Carolyn shook her head. “You can’t. Any act has the potential for both, which is why you need that artifact. If you cannot be present with darkness, it will always have power over you.”

  Done with the cleanup, Eden and Carolyn left the basement and climbed the steps leading to the first floor.

  “Are you saying that some things aren’t undeniably good?” Eden said. “What about love? Love is good.”

  Carolyn returned a wry look. “There are a lot of blues singers out there who might disagree.”

  “But that’s the pain of losing love, not love itself.” For once, Eden was not going to let herself get twisted around by Carolyn’s theories.

  They emerged from the stairway and headed down the hall.

  “How are they separate? Whether the tide ebbs or flows, it is still the tide. As long as you see the Universe as split, you will always be fighting something.”

  Despite her best efforts, Eden felt herself floundering. “But some battles need to be fought. Horrible things happen every day, and the world needs people who try to stop them.”

  They entered the common room to find it a kicked-up ant hill: young woman eating, talking, and dashing off to class.

  “Your charity work is exemplary,” Carolyn said. “And I encourage you to continue it. But sometimes life gives us enemies we cannot fight—not with petitions, or protests, or magic. What then?”

  It wasn’t the first time Carolyn had posed such a question, and as was always the case, Eden didn’t have an answer.

  What evil couldn’t be fought? Even if you lose, you have to try.

  “All right, enough for now.” Carolyn waved her hand. “But think about what I’ve said.”

  “I will,” Eden said, grateful for an escape. “I promise.”

  And she would; she’d just continue to think Carolyn was wrong.

  Something warm and sticky trickled down Eden’s lip and onto her chin. Her hand flew up to wipe it away. Panicked, she glanced up to see Carolyn had turned and was admonishing some sisters to clean up after themselves.

  Eden exhaled in relief but glanced down at the smear of blood on her hand.

  You’re the perfect kind of monster…

  Eden hurried down the hall toward her room, no longer convinced her problem was dry sinuses. Whatever darkness was in her, she had to get it under control.

  Sarah feigned sleep.

  Kai was waking her with kisses, and she knew if she let on, it might stop. She also knew Kai needed to shimmy down the trellis very soon or risk getting caught by Carolyn.

  “You’re not fooling me, you know.” Kai gave Sarah’s ear a playful nip.

  “You can’t blame a girl for trying.” Sarah rolled over and looked into Kai’s onyx eyes.

  “I guess I can’t.” Kai grinned, and when she turned her head, her sleek, black hair brushed Sarah’s collarbone.

  As Kai kissed her, Sarah wondered if there would ever be a better way to start the day.

  The sound of someone bursting into her room made both girls spring apart.

  “Sarah, have you seen my—” Eden halted, her cheeks crimson. “Crap, sorry. I didn’t realize you were here, Kai. Sorry.”

  Eden averted her eyes and backed out of the room.

  “Eden, it’s OK.” Sarah propped herself up on her elbows. “Just grab whatever you came in for.”

  Eden stepped forward again. She wore jeans and a bra, her hair still wet from a shower.

  �
��I will be out of here before you know it.” She rummaged through a pile of clothes on Sarah’s chair. “And then you two can get back to…whatever.”

  Kai sighed. “As much as I enjoy the whatever, I should go.” She slid out from beneath the covers, the loss of her warmth palpable to Sarah. “So far I’ve avoided the wrath of House Mother Superior, and I plan to keep it that way.”

  Sarah suspected Carolyn knew about overnight guests and turned a blind eye. She was teaching college girls how to use magic without killing anyone, so it was a safe bet she picked her battles. Still, better safe than sorry.

  Kai grabbed her jeans and pulled them up over her slim hips.

  “How about you, Eden? What’s your hurry?” Sarah asked. “You don’t have class until later, so I’m guessing a committee meeting.”

  Eden reached for her black sweater from the heap of clothes. “Does this say, ‘feed the needy?’”

  “Ah…the food drive.” Sarah smiled at her do-gooding best friend. “A classic choice.”

  “You know me.” Eden wriggled the sweater over her head. “Totally old school when it comes to charity.”

  She went to the bathroom that adjoined her room with Sarah’s and started brushing her teeth.

  “Keep up the good work,” Sarah called. “The more you do to save the world, the less I have to help. Kai, remind me not to recycle my water bottle at lunch. Wouldn’t want the Universe to be out of balance.”

  “Sounds like somebody’s been listening to Carolyn,” Eden said around a mouthful of toothpaste.

  Kai pulled her t-shirt on and grabbed her bag. “I’ve gotta say, Eden, you definitely put a new face on sorority girls. I usually think of them as self-centered, elitist—”

  “Hey!” Sarah swatted her hip.

  “Well, not you.” Kai bent down and gave her a light kiss. “We wouldn’t be dating if I thought that about you.”

  Sarah smiled against Kai’s lips. “Okay, then.”

  “I’ll see you later?” Kai reached for her coat.

  “Definitely.” They met for lunch on the days their schedules lined up.

  Kai opened the window and slipped out of the room. Sarah got up to close it and watched as she dropped gracefully to the frozen ground. She was dating a ninja.

  “Okay, I’m out,” Eden called from her room. “I’ll catch you later tonight.”

  Sarah walked through the bathroom into Eden’s room.

  “Hey, big test in a few days. You nervous?”

  Neither of them liked not being in the same practice group anymore. Carolyn had told them to get used to it. Being too comfortable led to bad habits.

  “Not really.” Eden shrugged, but Sarah knew from Jules that Eden was not doing as well as she let on. “I mean, how hard can it be? A few fireworks and it’s over in a minute. I don’t see what the big fuss is about.”

  Sarah grinned. “Okay, we are still talking about the test, right? I mean, if there’s something you want to tell me about you and Quinn…”

  Sarah knew full well Eden and Quinn hadn’t slept together yet, but she liked teasing her about it.

  Eden gave her a playful shove and spun on her heel. “Leave me alone. I’ve got people to feed.”

  “Try not to forget to feed yourself,” Sarah called after her.

  She admired Eden’s passion for service, but lately, it seemed she was becoming a bit too selfless. Eden had taken on even more charity work—almost as if she was trying to make up for something—but what?

  Without Eden killing the borahn demon, she and several other sisters would have been kidnapped and sold on the black market. She couldn’t feel any guilt about killing him, could she? Even a heart as bleeding as Eden’s couldn’t extend to demons.

  Whatever the reason, something was definitely off with her friend. Even her powers seemed wonky, and Eden was the strongest of all of them. As Sarah walked to the bathroom, she considered having a talk with Carolyn about it but dismissed the idea. Eden would freak if she went to Carolyn behind her back, and Sarah wouldn’t blame her.

  Besides, she told herself. If there were anything seriously wrong, Carolyn would have sniffed it out by now.

  Jules frowned into the empty cup. She was drinking coffee like water, and it wasn’t even finals week. Of course, at Coventry House, almost every week was finals week. She knew she shouldn’t complain—she loved learning new things and understood why the tests were so important. She just wished she got a chance to breathe once in a while.

  Jules stretched and settled back into the overstuffed couch, relishing being in the house while most of the girls were at class. She loved her sisters, but something about the quiet—something about the house itself—made her feel peaceful.

  In the back of her mind, the clock for leaving clicked.

  But what if it didn’t have to?

  It was an idea she’d been toying with. The junior and senior sisters acted as mentors for the freshmen and sophomores, but who helped Carolyn? This semester it was Alex. Those two had a weird relationship Jules couldn’t quite figure out. Alex was a talented witch, but Carolyn often passed her over when it came to accolades. Yet she seemed to rely on her for important matters—more so than the other mentors.

  But Alex was graduating, and Jules hoped to fill the void she left behind. Not just as a student, but after even her own graduation. Magicians had assistants, why not High Priestesses? And if there ever came a time when Carolyn retired or was transferred… Jules would already be there, fully trained and ready to take over.

  She wasn’t sure what had made her get off the sofa and head to Carolyn’s study, but now that she had, her mouth was dry. She gave a tentative knock.

  “Come in.”

  Jules entered to find Carolyn organizing the books behind her desk.

  “No classes today?” She arched an eyebrow.

  “Just a lab, but I can make it up.” Jules shifted her feet.

  “As long as you aren’t falling behind in your schoolwork. It’s important to be well-rounded. That’s why we have standards for grades.”

  Her grades had slipped, but nothing she couldn’t fix.

  “What can I do for you?”

  Jules licked her lips. “I-I had a question.”

  Carolyn motioned for her to take a seat and did so herself. “What is it?”

  “I was just wondering if you’d ever thought about taking on an assistant. You always seem so busy.”

  “Are you applying for the job?” Carolyn’s gaze was soft, but always penetrating.

  Jules looked at her hands. “I know I’m not ready yet. But I could be.” Jules looked up. “I’m a really hard worker, and there are lots of ways I could be useful: taking inventory, ordering supplies, harvesting herbs from the greenhouse—”

  Carolyn held up her hand and stopped the flow of words. “You don’t need to convince me of your work ethic. It’s exemplary. Unfortunately, the budget provided by the Council doesn’t include money for an assistant.”

  “Oh, you wouldn’t have to pay me.” She should have said that first. “I would do it for a place to… I mean, I could get a part-time job in town. If I weren’t paying rent, I wouldn’t need much. It wouldn’t interfere with any duties you gave me.”

  “It sounds like you’ve given this some thought.”

  Carolyn was hard to read, but Jules thought she sounded pleased.

  “I really have. Being a witch is so important to me, and I love Coventry House. It’s home to me. I know I could find another coven after graduation, but it just wouldn’t be the same.”

  Carolyn leaned back in her chair. “How about this? You concentrate on your studies—both magical and otherwise—and I’ll give it some thought. We have time. Who knows…in three years you might have had your fill of this place and be dying to leave.”

  “I won’t be,” Jules said. “But that would be great if you gave it some thought.”

  Jules closed the door behind her and made sure no one was around before jumping for joy.
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br />   She’s going to think about it!

  It was a start.

  “A rose quartz?” Sarah made no attempt to hide her laughter.

  She was with Jules in Eden’s room, watching her get ready for a date with Quinn.

  “You should have seen the look on her face.” Jules shook her head.

  “I wish I had.” Sarah knew Alex well enough to picture it.

  “Me too.” Eden’s mouth twisted. “I hate that we aren’t in the same group anymore.”

  Once they’d become full sisters, Carolyn had rearranged the groups, so now Sarah was stuck with Rebecca and two other girls she didn’t know very well. At least her mentor was Courtney, which was worlds better than dealing with Alex.

  “Where are you guys going?” Jules sat cross-legged on Eden’s bed, juggling spheres of light.

  She was always practicing. Always.

  “Not sure.” Eden turned, looking at her backside in the mirror. The jeans were definitely flattering, and Sarah gave her a thumbs up. “After six days of not seeing him, I don’t think it matters.”

  Sarah was glad Kai wasn’t majoring in something that required week-long field studies.

  “What are you up to tonight?” Sarah turned to Jules, who shrugged.

  “Practice.”

  When they were just pledges Jules had been interested in everything college had to offer—especially parties. As a sister, she focused on nothing but magic. Even going to class seemed like an annoyance.

  “Please, you’re acing this test.” A look of jealousy flashed on Eden’s face and quickly disappeared. She smiled and gave a spin. “Worth a one-week wait?”

  “Definitely,” Sarah said. “Trust me.”

  Eden’s phone chimed. “He’s here.” She grabbed her purse and did one more mirror check before opening the door. “Don’t wait up.”

  Eden hurried down the hallway chastising herself for becoming that girl—the kind whose body ached at the thought of seeing her boyfriend after a whole six days apart. However embarrassing, she couldn’t help it. She felt how she felt.

  She grabbed her coat from a hook by the door.

  “Nice sweater.”

  Eden turned to find Rebecca eyeing her up and down.