Turning the lock into place, Serena felt a strange but familiar energy around the door. She pulled the curtain aside and peered into the night. The parking lot was filled with her coven members’ vehicles, but nothing seemed out of sorts.
With the smudge stick in hand, she hurried to join the others.
The basement was unfinished. There was no foundation or flooring, so dirt covered the ground from wall to wall. It was a wonderful space for them to remain out of sight yet grounded to the earth. At the base of the stairs lay the multiple pairs of shoes they’d removed and set aside for their ceremony.
All the witches stood in a circle, with the strongest elemental witches standing before a representation of the power they possessed. Cable stood before a white, lit candle. In front of Terra was a snake plant. It was great for not only protection but it released more oxygen into the air. Iris placed a clear glass bowl of water before her. Hugh had drawn a pentacle in the dirt, and a dust devil swirled within the center.
Serena lit the sage with Cable’s candle and circled everyone present. She blew the smoke over each person, all the while asking the goddess to cleanse their space, bodies, and minds of all negativity and darkness.
No one spoke as she began their ceremony. Serena set the sage and abalone shell onto a small altar on a shelf in the corner. Next to it was a small rosemary plant she used to add peace to their space.
Joining the circle, Serena took her spot and invoked the final element: air. She possessed multiple powers, but manipulating air was her strongest.
They called on the goddess, asking her for protection and guidance. Magic filled the room, and she stirred the air until a breeze carried it along, swirling it around each coven member. Each time an element filled them, they gave thanks.
Serena called Ethan into the center of their circle. Once he stood before her, she reached into her skirt pocket.
“Sit,” she demanded, and pleasure filled her when he did so without question.
Serena rounded him, dropping cloves from her closed fist. She did this three times before facing Cable and nodding. The cloves burst into flames, forming a circle of fire around Ethan, whose eyes widened with a flash of fear. Once he confirmed he was not at risk of being burned, his eyes met hers.
To Serena’s left, Ryan held his bride back. Her eyes shined brightly with concern for her brother.
Serena shoved her emotions aside and focused on the man at her feet. “Ethan Broderick of the Broderick Coven family line, you’ve been given the power of sight, have you not?” she asked, her voice bouncing off the walls with the power the goddess had bestowed upon her.
Ethan hesitated a moment. “I have…”
Serena raised a brow at his uncertainty.
“I have,” he stated, his doubt gone.
Serena nodded and could not help the burst of pride bubbling within her. “Are you ready to accept your position as oracle to the Bishop Coven?”
“I am.”
The flame encircling him rose to the ceiling, blocking him from their view, and her heart dropped into her stomach. Though she’d studied it extensively, she had never performed the ceremony, and for the first time as high priestess, she worried she did something wrong.
The flame became a brilliant white, blinding them all. Before any of them could react, a force knocked them onto their bottoms, and they were left in the dark. Gasps of surprise sounded. No one spoke as Serena noted the air was thick with magic. It had to be the most powerful, brilliantly peaceful magic she and her coven leaders could dream of experiencing.
“Blessed be,” Serena called and bowed her head.
A round of “blessed be” filled the room. Each candle in the room lit, drawing their attention to the center of their circle. Everyone stared at Ethan who was now standing.
Gone were his dark-colored eyes, and in their place were the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen. His irises then filled with an eerie white, causing them to almost glow, quite unlike the milky color she was used to seeing when he practiced.
“Take care. There is a snake in your garden. Betrayal and jealousy an enemy makes. Blessed be, my children.”
The woman’s voice ended, and Ethan blinked. His eyes, now dark again, rounded as he turned and spotted everyone still on their bottoms.
“What just happened?” he asked.
Serena was the first to rise to her feet. A grin split her face, and surprise rounded her eyes. “You have officially accepted your powers.”
Chapter 13
Ethan vibrated.
There was no other way to explain the sensation coursing through every cell of his being. The group of witches rose to their feet and each returned to their positions in the circle. He did not know whether to do the same or remain where he stood.
