Book 2: Chapter 67
Heidi
“I have trained in combat. I have defeated one equal in strength to him.” Said John a little defensively.
“Be that as it may, even then, you may not be enough.” She sipped her tea again. John did too. It tasted of lemon and honey. It really was good. “He will gain more power passively just holding something made from a god. So if you wish, you may train with Hag’dahrraam.” She gestured her demon.
“Brother.” Said Rahrraam stiffly.
“Do you enjoy being flesh littlest brother?” Grinned the demon.
“Have you seen mother lately?” He asked, and he stiffened.
The High Mother and Maiden came to this talk as well. They were both young women with long silky red hair, and they sat next to their leader, being served tea. Usually the Maid, Mother, and Crone would look about 10, 40, and over 70, but they all chose to show us their true face. It was a sign of confidence… they KNEW they could vaporize us. She even told us her demon’s name… They came with their demons too, and they all stood behind them while their masters sat on the couch. They were all in suits looking stern.
“I wish to ask something.” Said the High Maid. She flicked her hair behind her shoulder. “How did you come about summoning Master?”
Her question made me shake. I could not best them… I couldn’t escape being so close if I made them upset, but I also couldn’t offend my god by not at least trying to defend myself… They’d made him irate if he would not come to their pleas…. And I didn’t want him to be with me too.
“Um… I don’t know if I should answer that….” I looked down, afraid of displeasing them…
They were, but the High Crone, Lady Tiffany spoke up. “It is our fault you are half…. It is my fault you are not My daughter…. Nothing is free….” She said quietly. “Thankfully… I already have daughters to continue my line,” She motioned the witches at her left and right. “but that didn’t mean I didn’t want you…. I wanted to help Yolina…” she mumbled.
“What exactly happened?” I asked.
“If I must come clean, so be it.” She growled. She waved her hand, and the table showed images as she spoke. “I am Theophania, only daughter of the first witch created by the Horned One Gultheer, leader of the Phantom Coven. Each coven is led by one of my brothers… do not Ever repeat this to anyone…. I only tell you this because what I have done affects all who are born here… even if they leave... the curse lingers… More and more of us are being born with no powers….”
“Mother no.” Said the witch on her left.
“Grenadinia no. I must.” She chastised.
“But mother, we already told them too much!” Said the other.
“Shush Hellinia.” She scolded. “Ezabi came as a friend. She shared tea with us, bringing her daughter and wolf mate with her… it was the first time ever having a wolf in the Coven House… but... They loved each other so much. Ezabi pleaded to me that the earth goddess was offended that she used flesh magic, and taught it to her daughter. She refused to make a soul for Youlina’s children… so I gave her the spell. We would have sex with our partners the same night after we both did the spell the same time at our homes. But I would miscarry, and she would have My child’s soul but birth her own flesh and blood… the Master was against this, but he allowed it. I didn’t know Ezabi… She Killed Yolina and Dr. Hinds…. And she treated the Master’s gift as trash…”
“That’s probably why Master is angry…” I mumbled. “He told me that he makes us one at a time… and carefully places us in homes with compatible parents….”
“And I saw what she did to you…. she blamed you, but she should have known better… I thought she Knew that’s what Yolina was going to do. It’s what any rational person would have done…Any rational husband and wife if given the chance would procreate and birth their own children. Ezabi asked too much of them. It wouldn’t have been fair to Dr. Hinds to raise another man’s child…nor fair to Yolina to ask her to have sex with another man and cheat on her husband….”
“Mother… why did you not tell us this?’ Asked the sister on her right. Helllinia was the High Mother, so she was the older sister… but they looked very similar, almost like twins.
“I gave them that ritual. I taught her how to cheat her way into getting children while sterile. I heard about her birthing Agatha, but I also heard she was of Lia’s line… so she did that ritual to her own people as well…. I didn’t know she was doing … all This.”
“… I was told never to say anything…. But you already saw, didn’t you?” I mumbled.
“Yes! She kept trying to summon Master… it only made him more upset.” She looked at her hands. “This is my fault. I should have just left them as Master said.”
“… What if I summoned him for you? If he’s that mad at you, telling you what I did won’t work…”
“And I will give you my personal spellbook.” She whispered.
“Mother!” They both shouted at the same time.
“No! It is right. She would have been of My Blood Anyway had it not been for My mistake! She would have been High Maiden if I passed…. She would have been mated to her mate possibly too, but without burden…” she shed silent tears into her tea, and I sat there looking at mine… the High Crone of Emerald even robbed me of my lineage… but I wasn’t angry.
“Don’t cry. If I was pureblooded, I wouldn’t have my wolf. I probably wouldn’t have had a mate either… I wouldn’t have met all the Good people of the royal family, nor be adopted by them. I wouldn’t trade this life for anything… even if it was really bad at first.” I smiled. “What all the lines need... is forgiveness… That’s something that cant be taken, but given…”
“But could you?” Asked the High Crone. I looked down at my hands. I could still see the old lines on my hands, arms…. anywhere that held exposed skin there was some old hex burn or another… but I would do this.
This was my journey as much as John’s.
“It would be wrong of me to hold a grudge to curse your people….” I said quietly. “I hold no grudge to you and yours Lady Tiffany.” I bowed but she shook her head.
She bowed to me. “No. It is I who should bow to she who would save my people…. We came to this land years ago… hiding from the Bull…. We receive no protection from the Silver Circle Council of Witches as spawn of the Horned One…”
“It is only 4pm… please. We have a room prepared. I could have the ritual room ready for you in a few hours.” Said the High Maiden.
“Of course…” I said being patted on my back by John. He knew I was upset, and was nice enough not to reveal my weakness…. But they should know before I try anything.
“The problem is that I never learned how to perform magic the Horned One’s way….” I mumbled and she cracked a small smile.
“My dear… there is nothing to learn. I sense that you are a full fledged witchling. Half, but fully initiated. You would not have been able to summon the Master unless he did not recognize you….” She said quietly. “It is why some of our witches are born powerless. He is more and more disenfranchised with us these days. More and more of us cannot have children….” Said Lady Theophania.
“Mother, maybe she means flesh magic.” Said the High Mother, Hellinia. “I assume you tried healing someone, and you stopped because you were hurt. It is because He feels as though something must be sacrificed.” Her sister chimed in too.
“You must care about that person enough that you would make yourself, or even someone else hurt for them to be well… as for other things. It is about Dominance.” Grinidinia summoned a ball of hot black fire. “I can do this because I Will it. I am its Master, and I Bend it to My will. It should be grateful it came from my hand, and I will use it as I see fit.” She said aggressively, making the ball grow bigger before it disappeared.
“And I suppose you intend to use my mate that way?” Said John, standing up.
“The Horned One would flay us. She holds his mark on her soul as we do, but you, unmarked one, would be fair game.” She snarled. Making a mouth closing motion in front of her mouth and John was mute. I recognized that curse. The Curse of Silence…. It wasn’t painful but he looked upset. he didn’t know to attack or not.
“Release!” Said Lady Tiffany, and she was powerful enough to break the spell by just saying so….
“We’re leaving.” Said John, but she held her hands up.
“If you leave Babba Maggi will be waiting. She hungers for magic and flesh. Your mate would be in danger, and that I cannot allow.” She was firm in her words like a mother chastising her child, and my mate stared her down. He was the tallest person in the room besides the demons, and I didn’t know whose side to take.
If I left, I was sure we could dodge the danger somehow… but he Needed to get magic resistance blessings on his soul before we went anywhere…. These witches were in a class their own. No small charm could stop them.
“You would use my mate as a conduit for your own ends.” He said with crossed arms.
She summoned a knife, cutting her hand. “I swear on my blood that none in this coven, or under my control, lineage, or coven member will use your mate. May instead you both use me… as I oath my service to you…” She said quietly.
I blinked. She swore herself into servitude…. And John but a clawed hand on top of her head.
“Rise.” He said as an Alpha. “I will accept this because I don’t know what will happen, but know if you break this, your god will probably come after you.” He mumbled.
“That I know…” She whispered. The room was silent the rest of the time until we were escorted to a room. It was comfortable.
His eyes were a strange mix of brown and green…. But he stood facing the window, even though it was so dark out nothing could be seen….
“John-” He cut me off.
“It isn’t your fault. I spoke during a meeting of your people. Witches see my people as animals, no matter how nice. She could do that because I did not mate you. It is not the right time.” He said a little upset.
“Then when will it?” I asked “John you aren’t immune to magic because you’re being stubborn.” I said a little angrily… but I wasn’t. I was scared. That could have easily been a hex… one that could have killed him.
He turned, walking to me, and kissed me softly. “Whenever You’re Actually ready. You feel rushed and panicked to right now. It wouldn’t be right.” He said quietly.
“…. I don’t understand.” I looked down. He sighed.
“You are my mate. That never changed. Complete or not I would choose you every time.” He kissed me again, and I could feel the lust in it… he really wanted to take me I could feel it, and I wanted him to.
“Then…I Choose Now.” I said wrapping my arms around his neck. He was my mate. He was the one the Goddess made for me…. and I wanted nothing more than to have him safe from my people. “Ever since I was adopted, you’ve been in my life protecting me… please…. Let me do the one thing I can to protect you.” I mumbled. He growled a deep rumble that I couldn’t understand, and it sounded different from the other times…
He kissed me tenderly, slowly ripping the shirt off me with his claws as he held onto me, grumbling growls that I knew were wolf, but couldn’t understand.
“Heidi, I love you. I’ve loved you since the day I met you… all this time… I wanted nothing more than to complete the bond. You set my wolf on fire.” He kissed me, making his way to the bed. “You set me on fire.” He mumbled.
I felt tingles like when I first discovered my draining powers, and he hissed in pleasure… I only did it the smallest bit by accident. “Sorry….” I mumbled trying to pull away from him, but he stopped me.
“No… never apologize for who you are.” He mumbled.
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