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True to my word, I flag down a taxi. I give him the address to the laundromat that my sister’s been using lately. While she believes it’s giving her a good cover, I think that she’s been binge-watching too many episodes of The Sopranos.
The laundromat is a couple of blocks from the quiet apartment community. Hekate set it up there because she knew that the neighbors would bring in the business which would make her front legit and useful.
“Thank you,” I say to the taxi driver, handing him several bills.
Not wanting to be seen by the laundromat’s customers, I walk behind the building to use the back door. I don’t allow myself to ponder about the reasons for it being massive and thick. The hair on my arms pricks up, some part of me reacting to the heavy protection spells around the building. Unfortunately, they don’t always work. Like the elements, so do the spells have their weak points.
“Good to see you again, Helia,” an old witch greets me when she opens the door.
“Jasmine!” I cry out. My lips curl up into a wide smile as I immediately recognize the grey-haired woman with a weathered face. Without hesitation, I rush forward to embrace her.
The old witch laughs, her arms wrapping around me. “You and your sister have come a long way.”
“That’s all Hekate,” I tell her, assuming that my sister’s the reason why Jasmine traveled here from India. I pull away to look her in the eyes, searching for a flicker of disappointment as I admit, “I spend most of my time working in the White Sparks Medical Center.”
To my surprise, Jasmine’s brown eyes soften, and she smiles. “Us witches are first and foremost healers. All the rest comes second.”
I don’t bother telling her that lately it’s been the other way around. She must’ve known it already, otherwise she wouldn’t have traveled all this way. The witches claim that the order needs to be restored before we can return to our origins. I’m afraid that after the war ends, we will be too far gone. Sometimes I wonder if there is such a thing as the point of no return.
“Hekate told me to come,” I tell her, eager to see what my sister has to say, so I can return back to my life as a doctor.
“She’s on the second floor,” Jasmine says and closes the door, locking it tight. She leads me toward the stairwell, which despite her age, she ascends with surprising speed. “There’s a bit of a crowd up here, so don’t be alarmed.”
I nod, appreciating her warning. Though I know my sister is up to something, I have no idea just how much she’s achieved in a relatively short amount of time, which is why I stop in surprise when Jasmine opens the door at the end of the corridor.
The open space room is full of life, the crowd being a lot bigger than I expected. There are fifty-something people here, sitting in chairs that are all facing the same direction where a mock podium is. Seeing Hekate standing on it, addressing the crowd is the part that doesn’t surprise me at all.
“Most of you already know her, but for those that are new here, it’s my honor to introduce you to my twin sister Helia,” Hekate says the moment I enter the room as if she has planned it down to a second.
The entire room turns around in their seats, their eyes drilling into me. Hating the attention, I awkwardly lift my hand and wave.
The spotlight was always Hekate’s thing. She inherited all the charisma and the ability to charm just about anyone. Our parents knew it, which was why they took her to all the important events. They were grooming her as a leader, which was a job I never wanted, and was more than happy to let her have it.
“Come on up,” Hekate tells me, waving me over.
Though her smile is wide, her green eyes are just as cold and emotionless as ever. She’s a master at playing the game, her skills so great that she could’ve fooled even me if not for our twin bond.
Warning bells suddenly go off in my head. Everything has happened so fast that I didn’t have the time to consider why she has called me here. My entire body stiffens, horrified by the possibility that she has somehow found out about Grayden.
I press my lips together in silent determination, lift my chin up in defiance, and confidently walk to the podium. If there’s a punishment to be taken, I’ll accept it without a fight. While I’m not as weak as many might believe, I’ve also taken vows that are sacred to me. As a doctor, I have promised to myself and all the higher powers that listen, that I will do no harm.
When I reach her, Hekate opens her arms wide and gives me a sisterly hug with a kiss on my cheek. I force a smile on my face, not daring to be the one to ruin her show. She takes my hand into hers, presenting a united front in front of the crowd.
I take a good look at the witches. There are a lot of leaders from the covens all over the world here. Jasmine’s presence has already told me that. I have to admit that I’m impressed with Hekate’s achievement. Our parents had tried to bring the witches together, but throughout the centuries, there has simply been too much bad blood between the covens. It would seem that Hekate found a way to convince them to put that aside and focus on the bigger picture. The enemy is strong enough that it pushed the witches to do the impossible and form the ultimate alliance. The Ultra Coven.
“Before we take a break, I’ll leave you with this thought,” Hekate says to the crowd. “As a coven, we are a powerful force, but the wolves and their packs are trained to swiftly take us down before we can do too much damage. Think about what I said. Think about what we could do. The Ultra Coven would travel the world together to exterminate the wolves one by one until there were none left. We would put an end to the curse that should never have lasted that long in the first place.”
The room bursts into applause. Hekate has them wrapped around her finger, which means that the Ultra Coven is a serious possibility.
She tugs on my hand, guiding me to the corner for some privacy. Her security team approaches us, but Hekate waves them away.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Hekate tells me with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.
I brace myself, waiting for her request. She never does anything without a reason, so I have to be here to fulfill some wicked plan of hers.
“This has to end now,” Hekate continues, and I furrow my brows in confusion. “You’re done playing a doctor. It’s time that you join us and help us defeat the wolves.”
“I will do no such thing,” I say firmly.
