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“It’s okay, Eden.” She looks over at Jesse, then Erik, then Leif before moving her gaze back to me. “I never thought I’d say this about vampires, but I trust you. I know you won’t use it against my kind the way they fear you will.”
I nod, saying, “Whatever it is, I’ll carry it to the grave. We all will.”
The others nod in response to my vow, and Bernadette heaves another tired sigh. Then she begins to speak slowly.
“When witch covens first started settling in what is now known as the United States, the separate covens weren’t united in any way. Squabbles were settled with spells and magic, regardless of who bore witness. The humans decided the casters were demons, minions of hell breaking into their world to take over. They started killing anyone they even suspected of practicing magic, most of which were their own people. People with disfigurements and disabilities, people with mental health problems, or people the leaders just didn’t like were burned by fire or drowned in deep waters.
“Some of the covens held no empathy for the wrongly persecuted, but others knew a solution needed to be found. We couldn’t continue to practice in the open. We needed to guard our secret and let the knowledge of witchcraft fade into legend. Scary stories parents tell their children to make them behave.”
“So, what did they do?” I ask when she pauses and closes her eyes for a moment.
“They formed a council. A powerful leader from each of the covens set on making a change was sent to form the alliance. The council brought the outliers to heel, and every coven in the country was bound by a powerful spell, one that linked us all together, forever.” She pauses again, and her gaze zeroes in on Jesse. “If any coven tries to break free of the spell or kills a member serving on the council, they lose their magic, entirely. And if the council is destroyed, if every member serving in its ranks perishes, every coven affected by the spell will be stripped of its power. The witches will be no more. We’ll all simply be…human.”
Holy shit. No wonder this is such a closely guarded secret. If the wrong vampire found out about the link…
“Why are you telling us this?” Jesse asks, his voice gentle yet filled with awe.
“Because I am the current leader of the council,” Bernadette says, her voice so quiet, I’m not sure I would’ve heard the words without my vampire hearing.
“What?” I breathe as tingles race down my spine.
Her expression turns sad. “Do you remember the story I told you of Malediction planning to use his children to destroy all the vampires?”
I nod slowly. “He would have turned Steph and Shannon’s magical connection into a weapon. That’s why their mother tried to get them out, but was only able to get Steph through the barrier spell he’d created.”
“That was true, but it wasn’t the whole truth. You see, my sister, Stephanie’s mother, was the head of the council. That is why Malediction wooed her into marrying him. He thought he could sway her into using the council’s power––in conjunction with his own dark magic––to eradicate the vampires. When she refused to comply, he was enraged. He tried to kill her despite the cost of his own magic and that of his coven’s, but she saved herself by admitting the secret she’d been carrying for weeks…that she was pregnant. Malediction knew her child would eventually take her place as leader. He changed tactics. Convinced her he’d changed, that the power of their love had destroyed the anger and violence within him.
“When the twins were born, their power-sharing abilities quickly became evident, and Malediction knew they were the answer to all his desires. They would rule the council together, and he could pull their strings, forcing them to accomplish all of his goals. When my sister figured out his agenda, she took the girls to flee…and you know the rest.”
“So, when your sister died, you took her place in the council?” Jesse asks.
“I did. The council knew of Malediction’s intentions for his daughters. They agreed to my plan of keeping Stephanie bound and in the dark until he could be dealt with. But now that he’s gone, and she has full use of the magic inside her, it’s time for her to take her rightful place.”
My eyes widen as the truth of her words sink in. “Steph will take your place as the head of the council?”
“It has always been her destiny,” Bernadette says quietly. “I’ve been but a placeholder. And now that she’s finally ready, my own powers are waning. I’m dying, Eden.”
“What? No,” I gasp, rushing forward and dropping to my knees before her. “Isn’t there some way to fix it? A spell or something?”
Lifting a hand, she strokes my hair. “I’m afraid not, dear. This is part of the original council’s spell. The leader will remain strong and powerful until their replacement rises to take the mantle. My sister was an anomaly, the only council leader to pass away of their own accord before the heir was prepared to take the reins. Her heartbreak over leaving Shannon killed her, and as Stephanie was just a baby and magically bound to protect her from Malediction, I volunteered to step in. I always knew it would come to this, but keeping the covens––and Stephanie––safe has been worth the cost. I’m ready.”
As I try to swallow past the large lump in my throat and put together an appropriate response, Jesse speaks.
“You told the covens who you are and what Steph is to you tonight. They know she’ll become the next council leader. How do you know they won’t just let Brimmwise kill Steph? If they do, they’ll lose all their power and no longer be a threat, right?”
“No,” Bernadette says. “Steph is not on the council. Not yet. Killing her would not cause Brimmwise to lose anything. And Windmere and Sabledown have delegates on the council. Both covens were involved in creating it to bring peace and protect our kind all those years ago. They respect the council and its power. But Brimmwise is one of those outliers I mentioned. The ones who wanted to use magic to gain power and control over the humans, a desire that still holds true today. As long as they don’t make the connection between Stephanie and myself, she’ll be safe.”
“Safe?” Erik cuts in, his voice filled with anger and disbelief. “They’ve threatened her if Eden doesn’t hand over her magic, a magic we cannot give them. How is that safe?”
“Because I am here, and I will not allow any harm to come to her,” Bernadette answers, her voice firm and stronger than it’s been since we walked into this room. “Rest assured, Viking, we will get her back unscathed. I will see to it, no matter the cost.”
27
IT’S GOING TO WORK
Ibarely slept a wink last night. Scenarios played through my head on a loop, all the things that could go wrong and cost us everything.
Sabledown and Windmere might refuse to help. I know they seemed acquiescent when Bernadette laid down the decree last night, but they’ve had time to think. To come up with a plan to thwart her. And us.
