“Read through the pictures I took of Adara’s Book of Shadows. See if you can figure out what Adara is planning.” She wanted to keep her attention on the coven members, Adara in particular. While she scanned the crowd, Raven pulled on Ena’s HPS robe.
Mick turned her back on the clearing to keep the light from Raven’s phone from giving away their position and went to work reading the pages from Adara’s book.
Raven located Adara near the front of the circle. She was wearing a black robe signifying her status as a third-degree priestess. She could have formed her own coven years ago. It was even encouraged that second and third-degree priests and priestesses break off and form their own covens, expanding and growing the Wicca community. Instead she killed her best friend in order to take over the Solstice coven. Raven couldn’t come to terms with it. It had to be more than just the coveted High Priestess role that fuelled Adara’s murderous actions.
Use your gift, angel. You will see what’s inside of her.
The last time she tried that, she was sure Adara had known. Raven didn’t want to spook her yet. She wanted Adara’s surprise reaction to what they planned.
Kiran and Simone were just beginning to complete the Esbat Ritual. Raven figured she had less than five minutes before making her grand entrance.
“Oh, shit,” Mick gasped. “Adara isn’t going to hurt Kiran. She’s going to bind him to her with a Black Magick love spell.”
Raven shot Mick a look over her shoulder. “What? She’s going to do what?”
“That concoction in her creepy black room? Kiran and Adara have to drink some of it on the full moon and Adara has to chant the spell thirteen times. She’s also going to rig the vote for High Priestess. There’s a spell here to make everyone vote for her.”
“Jesus. She doesn’t just want Ena’s role in the coven. She wants Ena’s life.” Did Adara know the house would go to Raven and not Kiran? Did she think she would move into Ena’s house with Kiran, have Ena’s money, and live Ena’s life? Raven found Adara at the front of the gathering. She didn’t appear to be carrying anything. Then her eyes went to the tall figure looming over Adara’s right shoulder dressed in jeans and a dark hoody with the hood pulled over his head. He leaned forward as if whispering something in her ear. Hanging over his shoulder was a messenger bag. Was he carrying the potion for her?
“Can you communicate telepathically?”
Mick handed Raven her phone. “No, why?”
“I need to warn Kiran.”
Just as she said that, Kiran faced the coven members and announced it was time for coven business.
“The Elders have expressed their wish to select a new High Priestess by election,” he began. “Those of you who have been nominated, please step forward.”
That was Raven’s cue. She pulled the hood of the robe over her head and continued to watch.
Adara took a step forward and Simone left the altar to stand at her side.
“As High Priest, it is my right to appoint a High Priestess and I have chosen to do so,” Kiran said. There were gasps and whispers throughout the membership.
Adelle Warren, Mick’s mother, opened a gate in the protective circle allowing Raven entrance and then closed it behind her. Raven walked to the altar and stood beside Kiran with her head bent low. Kiran stepped in front of her, lowered her hood, and grinned.
“Adara’s going to try to put a love spell on you,” Raven whispered. “Don’t drink anything she gives you.” She would have sworn Kiran’s eyes twinkled in response to her warning.
“Oh, love. You needn’t worry about that.” He turned and addressed the membership. “I introduce to you the new High Priestess of the Solstice coven, my daughter, Raven Sage.” With that he stepped back to Raven’s side.
“No,” Adara shouted. “She’s not even a member of the coven. She hasn’t practiced the craft for years. You must be a third-degree priestess to be eligible for High Priestess.”
Kiran stared her down. “Ah, but she is a member of the coven. She has been initiated as a third-degree priestess. Simone?” He nodded in Simone’s direction.
Simone took a short step forward then turned to the gathering. “I can attest to witnessing Raven’s initiation as a third-degree priestess.”
Adara’s face turned bright red. She glared at Kiran. “You can’t do this. You must put it to a vote. You must heed the desires of the Elders and the membership.”
Raven heard Kiran’s sharp intake of breath over Adara’s shouts. His jaw clenched tight, as did his fists at his sides.
“You dare to speak of the desires of the coven? You, who have made a mockery of everything we stand for?”
Raven closed her eyes and took three cleansing breaths then reached out with her mind, like a wave spreading out until it engulfed the entire gathering. Most of what she picked up was surprise and wonder at Raven entering their circle in Ena’s robes. Raven honed in on Adara’s energy. She could feel Adara’s shock and anger, but she had a block in place preventing Raven from reading her thoughts.
The man at Adara’s shoulder was a different story. He wasn’t experienced in the ways of the coven and had no idea what was happening. He stood a few steps behind Adara, as if awaiting her command. He was nervous and confused. This wasn’t what Adara told him would happen. He began looking over his shoulder, looking for a way to escape.
Adara shot her arms up in the air and began mumbling a spell over and over. Lightning formed and shot down from the sky, striking the altar just behind Raven and Kiran. Splinters of granite shot all around them as heat sizzled and the air emitted a distinct electrical odour.
Raven jolted, but Kiran didn’t move. Slowly his arms rose from his sides until they were in the air, his palms facing the coven members. “Beloved coven, I give you Ena’s murderer, her own best friend.”
This wasn’t going as they planned. Gasps and murmurs rose as Raven’s eyes danced back and forth between Kiran and Adara.
“Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill – An it harm none, do what ye will,” Kiran quoted the Wiccan Redes. “’Tis the Old Law that no one may do anything that may harm any of the Craft. You have broken our truest laws, Adara Kirby, and you must be ousted from the coven.”
“You simple man. You understand nothing. She stood at the helm of this coven for over thirty years with the prestige of the Bowen name and the Bowen money. She had everything, including you. I worked just as hard. I put all of myself into this coven for just as long as she did. It’s my time to reign.” Adara shot her arms into the air again.
Kiran’s arms shot out over Adara and Raven stepped between them. “Stop.” The crackle of lightening sounded above her and without conscious thought, Raven placed a dome of protection around the entire coven. Lightning strikes surged towards the clearing, one after another, bouncing off the protective shell. “Stop,” she screamed. The spell wouldn’t withstand much more. She felt like everything was happening in slow motion as she watched Adara lower her arms until they were outstretched towards Raven. Adara’s eyes narrowed, her nose scrunched up, and her mouth set in a twisted snarl.
How could this be the same sweet and loving woman who raised her? The woman before her was filled with hate and resentment. In her anger and loss of control, Adara dropped the protection she had placed on her mind. Raven felt the loathing and jealousy Adara had been harbouring for years, all the way back to when Ena and Adara were young girls. And now she was turning that loathing on Raven herself. Blue sparks arced between Adara’s fingers. A bright blue bolt shot out of Adara’s hands and Raven simply raised her right hand, palm facing Adara. The bolt came to a halt and then shot back at Adara, hitting her mid-abdomen. Adara screamed and sank to her knees.
“Sisters and Brothers,” Ena’s voice came calm and serene. It wasn’t in Raven’s head this time and she watched in shock as Ena appeared before her, faint at first and then becoming a solid form.
Kiran stepped forward, his voice cracking, “My love.” Tears formed in his ice blu
e eyes as Ena faced him, her palms coming up to cup his cheeks. Her smile was bright and her hazel eyes sparkled. This wasn’t the sick and hollowed form of her mother Raven had seen in the videos. She was healthy and vital.
“You’re dead,” Adara growled through clenched teeth, still doubled over, clutching her belly. “I killed you. You’re dead.”
“Sisters and Brothers,” Ena began again. “You’ve heard Adara’s confession. Her actions go against everything we believe in and so, I put to you that this woman is no longer Wiccan. She is no longer a member of this coven.”
Adelle Warren stepped forward. “High Priestess, who would you have as head of our coven?”
Ena seemed to float to Adelle. She brushed her hand over Adelle’s hair and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek before drifting back to Kiran. Her hand slipped through the crook of his arm and he looked down at her adoringly.
Seeing her parents like this made Raven wish she could have the last twelve years back. Had Adara not kept them apart, she would have had over a decade with them, surrounded by their love.
“That is for Kiran and the Elders to decide,” Ena answered. Her arm encircled Raven’s waist and pulled her into her side. “Of course, I would like my daughter to lead the coven, but it is her choice whether or not she wants to return to the Wicca way of life and step into her destiny as a daughter of the Bowen line.” She looked up at Raven with a smile and tears in her eyes. “She has great power, as you’ve just seen, but she also has the kind and loving heart of a Wiccan. She would honour the coven in the HPS role.”
As she spoke, Ena began to fade and Raven’s heart sped up. “Can’t you stay?” Raven whispered. “I don’t want to lose you now we’ve found each other again.”
Ena hugged Raven and kissed her cheek then just stood staring into her eyes. “I’ll always be watching over you, my sweet angel. Always. I made many mistakes with you, Rave. Perhaps the biggest was in thinking I needed to protect you from your powers. I understand now how wrong I was. You, my darling angel, are our salvation. Not just for the life you carry and the Bowens to come, but for all of our kind. I’ll see you in your dreams, for there we will meet many times throughout your life.”
With a smile she turned to Kiran. “And you, my love. Don’t mourn for me.” She wiped tears from his face with a gentle caress. “Within a year, you’ll find a new love. Just know that she’s someone I approve of, someone who will make you happy. You’ll never forget what we shared and that is all I can ask. I want you to be loved and happy, Kiran, and know that I will love you always.”
Kiran lowered his forehead to Ena’s. “You are my always and forever. I love you with all of my heart and soul. I don’t know how to survive without you, love.”
Oh, my God, Raven thought. They’re going to kiss right here in front of everyone. She turned away just as their lips met and focused her attention on Adara, still doubled over. She signalled for Mick and Adelle opened the circle to allow her in. Mick bent over Adara, pulling handcuffs from a pouch on her belt, and began to recite the Miranda warning.
Raven scanned the crowd for the tall man with the hoodie and wasn’t surprised to find him missing. Coward. But, that was okay. She caught a glimpse of his face when she was facing down Adara. She glanced over her shoulder expecting to see her parents still wrapped up in each other, but Ena’s form was fading to nothing but a glowing golden light.
“Blessed be,” Ena said and the light vanished as if it imploded in on itself.
“Blessed be,” Ena’s coven answered back in unison.
Raven bent over clutching her chest, feeling the loss so deeply she thought she might be having a heart attack. Strong arms wrapped around her and she was drawn in to Kiran’s muscled chest, engulfed in his warmth. He rocked her back and forth, brushing a kiss over her temple.
“We’ll get through this together, aye?”
The lump in her throat prevented her from responding, so she nodded against his chest.
Kiran lifted his head and addressed the coven with a gravelly voice, “Sisters and Brothers, please join us at the house for a celebration of Ena’s life.”
Raven smiled at that. Kiran hadn’t been able to attend Ena’s funeral and he deserved this celebration. It was a chance for her to have a do-over as well. She harboured so many resentments towards Ena during her funeral. This time she would pay her mother the proper respect.
* * *
Raven stood against the wall in Ena’s great room, watching and listening as Ena’s closest friends passed around champagne and shared stories of their experiences with Ena. She found herself doubled over laughing on occasion, but overall she felt a deep sadness at not having shared those kinds of moments with her mother. The last twelve years were now a huge, gaping hole in her soul.
Simone joined her, sipping on a glass of champagne. “That was quite a spectacular display of power, Raven.”
Raven snorted. “It wasn’t all me.” In fact, she was sure that it was mostly Ena. She hadn’t even thought about what she was doing, she just acted.
“Oh, no,” Simone said with a sultry smile. “That was all you, darling.”
Raven’s eyebrows drew together. “What makes you say that?”
“It was all your energy, Rave. Ena’s energy didn’t join in until she appeared before us, after you took Adara down.”
“She did that on purpose, didn’t she? She wants me to have confidence in my powers.”
A slow smile graced Simone’s face again. She took a small sip of champagne and said, “You’re a Bowen-Hayes, Rave. If you don’t have confidence in your powers, no one does.”
Raven’s hand covered her abdomen, thinking about the next generation of Bowen in her belly. God, she was going to have to teach her witchcraft because the poor kid would undoubtedly have powers she would have no idea how to control.
She watched as Kiran entered the room and was immediately engulfed in women. He smiled at them, but it didn’t match the overwhelming sadness in his eyes.
“You looked good up there with him tonight,” Raven said to Simone.
“Mmmm, it’s hard not to look good next to him.”
Raven laughed, studying the star struck expression on Simone’s face. “Ena doesn’t want him to be alone.”
“What he needs right now is a friend. The man is grieving the loss of the love of his life.”
“I know how he feels,” Raven mumbled to herself. “I suppose you’re right.”
Simone’s eyes left Kiran and roamed back to Raven. “The difference being, Riley is still alive and well. You can still get her back, Rave.”
Raven shook her head. “No. She’s done. She doesn’t trust me and she needs to.”
Simone put her arm around Raven’s shoulder and squeezed. “Funny thing about trust, Rave, is that you can rebuild it.” With that she walked away to join the assembly of women surrounding Kiran.
Raven followed her over to say her goodbyes. Adara was on hold at the detachment and she also had the matter of the tall guy in the hoodie to sort out.
* * *
LaCroix refused to allow Raven to question Adara, so she got comfortable in the the box while LaCroix and Mick took their seats across from Adara. She looked like a completely different woman than Raven had seen just hours before. She was back to being the meek and mild woman Raven had known.
“I’m not going to waste my time talking to you, Adara,” LaCroix said after reading Adara the charges against her, which ranged from first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder all the way down to illegal possession of a controlled substance for the arsenic they found in one of her bathroom cabinets. “We’ve got more than enough evidence to put you away for the rest of your miserable life.”
As he spoke, Raven watched the ire rise in Adara’s eyes. Her eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, and her face flushed red, slowly transforming back to the woman Raven faced in the clearing.
“Would you like to give a statement?” LaCroix asked.
Adara�
�s face softened and she gave LaCroix an evil grin. “No comment.”
LaCroix nodded to Mick, signalling her to take Adara back to lock up. Mick removed one of the handcuffs attached to a D ring on the table and secured Adara’s hands before leading her out while LaCroix joined Raven in the observation room.
“She’s up to something, Grayson, and I think I know what it is.” When LaCroix told Adara they have enough evidence against her, Raven could almost see her racing thoughts and she knew the moment Adara had come up with a plan.
LaCroix raised his eyebrow at Raven. “Is that so?”
“Yeah,” Raven grinned. “What time does Tate come on shift?”
CHAPTER 18
WHILE THEY WAITED for Constable Darren Tate to arrive for the night shift, Raven applied for one more warrant. Then she went to work setting up additional surveillance devices in the lockup area and in the evidence room before settling down to type up her reports.
Mick blew out a breath and deflated into the chair next to Raven’s desk.
“How about I run over to the café for a large double double decaf?”
Raven was half way through the second sentence on her report. She dropped her head back and closed her eyes. “Oh, God, yes.”
Laughing, Mick said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you just had an orgasm.”
She got a glare from Raven. “Really? Do you really have to go there?” She hadn’t had sex in far too long. Just hearing the word orgasm brought images of Riley to her mind and she really didn’t need that distraction at the moment.
“Sorry,” Mick said, but she had a smirk on her face. “I’ll be back in five.”
Raven ignored her, tapping away at her keyboard again. By the time Mick returned, she was filing her completed reports.
Mick had a cup in each hand and offered one to Raven. She accepted the decaf and peeled back the lid, breathing in the aroma before taking a sip. Damn, it was good.
“Bowen,” LaCroix called out from across the room. “Your warrants are in.”
Raven leaned back in her chair and smiled. “Ten-four, sir.” Everything was falling into place.
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