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Ash groaned. “It’s barely dawn!”
“She’s awake, and you know it. I bet we can catch her for morning tea,” Dani cajoled.
“I hope so! I’ve been dying to try the tea now that I can eat again. It tasted bad with vampire taste buds.”
When they knocked on Eiko’s chamber door twenty minutes later, she immediately asked them to come in. The Japanese witch was seated on a pillow, pouring tea at a low table. “Good morning, girls. Please join me. What brings you to my door so early?”
“I need to know about the different witch bloodlines, Eiko-sensei. The world’s governments will expect someone to represent the witches’ interests in the global arena. I want to invite witches to join the international response team and help us manage rogue attacks. Particularly those capable of creating portals.”
Eiko smiled. “Thank you for the consideration, Ash-sama.” She levitated two more teacups to the table and poured them all tea. “Witches don’t have a unified structure, and there are many magical bloodlines, some purer than others. We are aware of each other but don’t usually interact without cause, though we have a communications network. I can arrange meetings with the heads of each family to elect representatives.”
“How does the power of the bloodlines play into a family's strength?” Dani asked.
“The magic becomes more diluted with each generation, and it grows weaker the longer it isn’t used. When witches take a human spouse, they use their gifts less and less, losing more of their powers each year and further weakening the bloodline. My ancestors took another path.”
Dani grinned at Ash. “Eiko storytime is the best.”
Eiko looked fondly at the younger women, appreciating their eagerness to hear an old woman tell tales. “After Maghda’s supposed death, she fled to Japan and started a new life there. Nadya knew enough of the story to hunt witches as relentlessly as the dragons. She lived in constant fear that Nadya would discover she’d cast the curse that had made her a vampire and took steps to protect her bloodline so the secret wouldn’t die with her.
“She married again and had another daughter, Alyona. Alyona never married, but she gave birth to three children, identical twin girls and a boy later in life. Swayed by her mother’s insistence that their bloodline must survive, she raised the twins as one child, always leaving one home with Maghda, who taught both girls to use their magic. Curiously, the boy did not have power.
“When the twins were old enough to have children of their own, Alyona and Maghda used their magic to create a tonic that would guarantee conception and that each pregnancy would be identical twin females. The pregnant twin remained hidden until after the birth, and they told everyone the child was an adopted orphan. Over the centuries, my family took in many ‘orphans.’”
Ash’s mouth hung open in shock. “Do you have a twin, Eiko?”
She nodded. “I do. Her name is Keiko. She stayed behind to raise her children and continue the family tradition. It was a huge scandal when I left.”
The old witch smiled as she remembered the audacity that had driven her from her home. She’d been such a headstrong young woman. Not much had changed since then, and she didn’t regret the path that led her to the two extraordinary women across the table. She wasn’t young anymore, but she’d earned those years.
“How many witch families are there? Do I need to find a venue for everyone to meet?” Dani asked. “How long will it take everyone to get there?”
Eiko laughed. “We don’t need magic for everything. I know thirty families, though new bloodlines sometimes emerge. I figured we could hold a video call on Skype. The logistics of getting everyone here make my head hurt, and some of the matriarchs don’t travel anymore.”
Ash guffawed. “I’m sorry, but picturing it tickles my funny bone. I’m not sure why.”
“Oh, hush, child.” Eiko kept grinning. “I know how to use the internet. I’m not that old.”
“Aren’t you over a hundred?” Dani asked.
Eiko scowled. “It’s rude to ask a lady her age.” She retrieved her laptop and pulled up a list of email addresses and phone numbers. Eiko typed a quick message and sent it to the thirty heads of the witch families.
“How long do you think it will be before we get a response?” Ash asked.
Eiko shrugged. “Give it a few hours. We should be able to arrange something for later today or tomorrow. We all monitor these emails closely in situations that affect witches. They will be watching since I sent out the news about revealing ourselves alongside the vampires and Therians.”
Therian Palace, Early Evening
The witches had a magical equivalent of video calling in the form of a miniature portal that opened a small window between speakers, regardless of location. It was a simple spell that didn’t require much power, and it had been their standard communication method for centuries. Unfortunately, while it hovered at face level and offered instant communication, it only worked one-on-one.
Eiko arranged a video call with the witch families, but she was expecting issues. Many of the matriarchs had never used a video call with a more efficient method available. They hadn’t gathered like this for nearly a century and had no procedures for a remote meeting. One of the witches lived deep in the mountains near the fae lands and actively shunned technology because it disturbed her cats.
“Thank you for joining me, ladies. Earth’s blessings upon you all. I know this is not how we’re used to communicating, and I appreciate the assistance of our technically-minded witches as we get everything working. We have never been a particularly structured group, but I believe we can navigate this new territory together. Before we proceed, can everyone hear me?” Eiko began.
“Marcelene, you have to hit the microphone button. We can’t hear you, darlin’,” a witch said in a syrupy Southern accent.
“There. It’s working now. I’m making a magic equivalent for this as soon as possible. This is so inefficient,” Marcelene grumbled.
“Clementine, for Gaia’s sake, if you’re not going to wear pants, please sit,” another witch requested.
