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“Don’t you see that you’re embarrassing me?” Hekate hisses, her mask slipping for a quick second, but she quickly recovers and plants a smile on her face. “Witches from all over the world have come to join our cause. Have you considered how it looks when my own sister refuses?”
“I participate in earth and moon rituals to keep the coven strong,” I reply, fighting to keep my voice level. “I help heal the injured when the wounds are too complex. I come when you summon. I keep our secrets and I will continue to do so, but with certain limits. We’ve had this talk before. You agreed to it.”
“I only agreed to give you time to return to the fold of your own volition,” Hekate counters. “That time has run out. More good witches have died at wolves’ hands. You need to come back. Now.”
I narrow my eyes at my sister, taking in her mirror image that’s been darkened by the hate in her heart. When our parents died, she bleached her already blonde hair as if wanting to make sure that no one would ever mistake us again. It was only the first of the changes. With time, her green eyes, which are identical to mine, darkened. She lost all joy and emotion, turning into a scarier and more powerful version of the sister I grew up with. She’s a witch leader now, the Venerable Superior of the Ultra Coven in the making. Her charisma and charm got her this far, but it will be her ruthlessness that will help her keep the position.
“The answer is no,” I tell her again, keeping my head high with the confidence that I don’t feel. While I’m sad to hear about all the deaths, I also think that they could be avoided. There has to be a better way to do things.
Her jaw twitches and her smile falters, but she clears her throat, catching herself before she can make a scene in front of everyone. She slightly inclines her head, dismissing me.
Though I know better, I take a risk and turn my back on her. While I want to get out of here as fast as possible, I’m also aware of the role she has me playing, which is why I force myself to take slow, small steps and nod at the familiar faces as I pass them.
I might’ve gotten away this time, but I’m not a fool. Hekate will try again. She might even try to punish me for the way I’ve spoken to her. It won’t be easy, but I’ll have to stand firm and remind her that while she’s the coven’s leader, she’s not the boss of me. As long as I do my duties, which I did to the letter, she can’t make me do anything I don’t want to.
Or so I hope.
I don’t look over my shoulder as I leave the building although I can feel Hekate’s eyes on my back. The second-floor window gives her a perfect view of the path I’m on. I should call a taxi to take me home, but I need to walk off this excess of energy.
I’m only a couple of blocks away from the laundromat when my phone rings. I sigh and shake my head, my mind already preparing itself for another veiled argument with my sister.
“Grayden?” I answer, unable to hide the surprise to hear from him so soon.
“Where are you?” he asks, his voice frantic with urgency.
“Are you okay?” I ask, caught off guard by his tone. “What’s going on?”
“Where are you?” he repeats. “The pilot told me that you’re back in New York City.”
“If you already know that, then why did you call?”
“Stay away from your sister,” he warns, but his tone is the opposite of a threat. He’s afraid.
“Grayden, you’re scaring me,” I say quietly. “What’s going on?”
“The witches have made a mistake in trying to capture my brother, the Crown Prince himself. The wolves are planning an attack and I need you to be far away from your sister when the shit goes down,” Grayden tells me, the words bursting out of him in an unstoppable current.
My breath catches in my throat. This is really happening. I grew up with the stories about the war that was to come, but I never thought it would be fought in my lifetime.
“Helia?” Grayden urges with a pleading tone. “Promise me that you’ll stay away. Go to your apartment. Go to the hospital. Just be far enough away from your sister.”
I channel the skills I’ve picked up as an ER doctor. With an impressive strength of will, I force my head to calm, silencing the background noises. I clear my throat and summon the cold, neutral tone of a physician who knows how to stay cool under pressure.
“I appreciate the call, Grayden. I know how hard that must’ve been for you,” I tell him with a voice that doesn’t sound like mine. “I promise to stay away from danger.”
Grayden lets out a shaky breath of relief. “I have to go now. I’ll call you when I can.”
The call ends abruptly, but my inner doctor is still in control of the situation. I scroll through my call log and press on my sister’s name. Despite the way we’ve left things, she still picks up on the second ring, undoubtedly prioritizing me over her speech. I would be touched, but I know her too well.
“There’s no shame in changing your mind,” Hekate says as a way of greeting.
“The wolves know where you are,” I tell her, ignoring her arrogance. “They’re coming. You need to get out of there as soon as possible.”
“What?” she barks into the phone. “There’s no way you can know that.”
“For fuck’s sake, Hekate,” I hiss. “Will you for once pull your head out of your fucking ass and listen to me? They’re coming!”
Hekate’s silent for the longest of moments, no doubt thinking things through. When she finally speaks up, her tone is one of a leader. “How many?”
