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With a deep, even breath, I began.
“Thank you all for meeting me today on such short notice. As you all know, the shifters have lost their wolves, and while they have good intentions of putting an end to it, we’re all aware that nothing has become of it.”
The women in front of me all nodded, intrigued by what I had to say.
“I believe it’s time that we came together to fight Keres ourselves,” I announced, feeling as their energy as a whole seemed to spike slightly with anxiety. “Kai and the shifters are normally the ones who keep Rose Valley safe, but with their powers gone and tensions incredibly high between them, it’s our turn to do our part.”
Their murmurings moved through the room, but nothing more disruptive than that.
Alora took a step forward with her arms folded in front of herself. Candlelight flickered across her strawberry-blonde hair as she spoke. “How can we do that since we know nothing about Keres? Where do we even begin?”
“For starters, we’re witches,” I said, reaching for the tome I had placed off to the side. “We have spells and charms and the ability to bring our powers together when we need to. We also have access to entrapment techniques. Our numbers are great enough to create the sort of strength we need to stop her once and for all.”
While interest appeared on the many unique faces of the witches in front of me, Hayley gave me a questioning look. “What are you proposing we do?”
I let a knowing smile settle on my lips. “I’m saying that we will summon Keres and trap her, then we can try and get answers from her. From there, we’ll find a way to help the shifters regain their powers. If we must, we’ll perform an exorcism to keep her away.”
While I felt it was our only option, my coven sisters glanced around nervously. They were hesitant, and I couldn’t entirely blame them.
It was a new sort of threat, and certainly uncharted territory for us.
A girl with long, thick blonde hair cleared her throat. “We’ve never gone up against anything like Keres before.”
Another girl with cropped black hair added, “And we’ve never attempted to trap a demon before.”
“Those are valid concerns,” I began, offering them genuine support. “Yes, we have never entrapped a demon, and we don’t even know how powerful Keres is, but we have to try something. If we do nothing, she will only return and wreak as much havoc as possible.
“I understand your concern, but we need to remember who we’re doing this for. The shifters are angry and devastated, and if they become desperate enough to get their wolf connections back, there will be more chaos and accidents. Keres promised to return when that happened, and she is betting on the collapse of our town. We need to prevent that from happening, even if we’re afraid. Our fellow friends and family need our help, and I believe we’re the only ones who can stop her.”
Pensive looks became of the women as they thought about my words, and with some consideration, I noticed a change in all of them.
A spark of bravery moved throughout the room, and Hayley stepped forward with her arms crossed.
“You’re right, Willow. It’s about damn time we did something. If you think we can manage this, then we’ll follow you.”
Alora nodded in agreement. “What do we need to do?”
Those murmurings of confirmation made my heart squeeze, and pride swelled within me.
With my coven sisters by my side, I knew we stood a better chance of helping everyone out.
“We’ll need to make a circle big enough for all of us to fit, which means we can’t perform the summoning ritual here. We’ll go to the meadow, where she touched down, and we’ll try it there,” I said, pointing to the book in my arms. “Every spell we need is here. I’ve been studying them closely, and I’m certain they’ll work. We’ll need salt, protection charms, and as many white candles as we can get.”
“When do we start?” Sara asked, looking ready to put her energy somewhere.
“At sundown. Our powers are strongest then.”
Once everyone knew what needed to be done, the coven got to work in preparation for the summoning ritual.
As I oversaw everything with the help of my friends, I silently hoped and prayed that our combined powers would be enough.
Even if it was our only option, the sinking feeling in my stomach returned.
Chapter 27 - Willow
A low breeze traveled through the meadow and tousled our white gowns as we walked barefoot through the grass. We each walked with a white candle in our hands, lit to help us center ourselves. The cool, dew-soaked grass grounded us and became a sort of conduit for our powers to manifest.
Humming as we went, the night around us didn’t feel quite so dark while we were united under a common purpose.
