Chapter 278: Abdicate
Even Celeste looked shocked at that. None of us expected Mom to go that far. Not even me. But there she was, hands outstretched while Erica gaped like she couldn't breathe.
"Miriam," she choked at last, "what are you doing?"
"The only thing I can do to keep my family safe." Mom had calmed, real calm this time, not the fake coven leader type I'd grown used to over the years. This was Mom fully entrenched in a choice and happy to have made it, utterly willing to face the consequences. "Now, will you accept leadership?"
It was then I realized she hadn't offered it to me. Probably knew I'd never take it. Or, more likely, that offering it to me wouldn't distance our family far enough from the rest of the coven for her to act. Grim and heart aching, I decided then and there I was behind Mom completely and sent her my support.
Erica had gone so pale I thought she'd pass out. "Miriam, I can't." She backed away a pace. "Don't you see this is what the Dumont's want? If we lose you, we lose everything."
"And yet this is the only way I can act to protect you." Mom didn't move, remained as she was, the power swirling around her. "You must."
Erica shook her head. "I won't."
"I will." Celeste stepped forward, hands reaching for Mom. "So you can do what you have to."
Oh no she did not. Mom didn't have to react. The family magic reached out and slammed Celeste into a stack of boxes, the sound of smashing plates and crumpling cardboard loud in the stillness. Mom's face grew cold and angry as Celeste found her feet, her own rage answering.
"The magic of your coven rejects you, Celeste," Mom said. "Why is that?"
The woman snarled. "How dare you attack one of your own?"
"I didn't." Mom let the whole coven feel it, how the family magic pulled away from Celeste even now. "Your own connection to the power you swore allegiance to doubts your intentions. What have you done to disturb it so?"
James looked ill, but Celeste drew herself up to her full height, hands jerking on her ponytail. "I am loyal to my family." Truth rang in her voice. No one could doubt it.
She was loyal to her family. Just not the one the coven thought she meant.
"The Puritys." The name came out before I could stop it, but from the way she flinched I knew I was right. Still loyal to a dead coven after all these years.
Celeste didn't answer me, but she didn't need to. She faced Mom down with as much self-righteous anger as she could muster. "This coven is clearly out of control." She looked around at the others, no one saying or doing anything, unable to respond. "You stagger from one disaster to another, putting your whole family in danger."
"And whose fault is that?" Again with the talking before thinking. I really needed to find a way to chain up my mouth.
Celeste's reaction was another flinch, if a subtle one. "I'm going to the Council," she pronounced, "to inform them of the travesty of leadership I've observed in this coven and to ask them to finally relieve you, Miriam Hayle, of your power and strip your ill-behaved children from this family once and for all."
The big woman strode from the room, pounding her way up the stairs. It wasn't until I felt her pass the wards of the house that Erica turned to Mom.
"Please, Miriam," she whispered, "we need you now more than ever." She spun then and ran after Celeste, the family drifting softly away after her as if embarrassed to be there.
Mom let the family magic fall, releasing it. It went with a soft sigh, caressing her as it did, sinking back into the ground under our feet. I left her there, pressing Meira into her embrace before running upstairs.
I caught the majority of the family in the driveway, milling about, no one really talking. Erica stood at the bottom near the street, staring out into the early morning. She turned as I exited the house, letting my magic out to touch them all. Their attention was mine, and I knew just what to do with it.
"The last time you doubted my mother," I said without compassion, shoving the image of Batsheva Moromond into their minds, "you were being misled and, because of that, this coven was almost destroyed."
They all flinched from my anger, but I saw them nodding, felt them listening. Good. About damned time.
"After everything we've been through together," I said, softening my tone and my magic, "I think it's time you had a little faith."
Martin and Louisa Vega were the first to approach me, hug me. Mutter their agreement and offer their support before strolling home down the street, hand in hand. James looked at me for a long moment as coven member after coven member came to hug me and whisper their promise to stand strong. He left before the last, Erica, came to my side and I knew then for certain he was Celeste's and would remain so.
Good riddance.
"Well done, Sydlynn Hayle." Erica hugged me, kissed my cheek. "We'll get through this. We always do."
She was right. Then again, we'd been lucky in the past. And who knew how long our luck would hold out?
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