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She fluttered her eyes open feeling an inner peace – a wholeness. The only thing she felt missing was the final connection of the mate bond. She looked up and was surprised to find tears in Galetia’s eyes as she regarded her in a near reverent way.
“What is it? Did I do it correctly?”
“Oh, my sweet dear. You did beautifully. You not only mastered your wild power, but you became one with them in a matter of moments. Look down at your arm. You now wear the black smokey magic under your skin. If you look at the crook of your right elbow you will see an eye just below it. This is to signify you are gifted with Sight. Did you feel the power settle anywhere else on your body?”
“My back. I felt it settle into some pattern I couldn’t discern. Should we take a look?”
The head witch was certain they should, and Etain was excited to see what beauty her magic had blessed her with. She wondered if this was how Ciaran got his black swirls all over his torso. Etain undid the top of her deep green gown and revealed her back to Galetia.
“Oh, my dear, you must see this. It is truly amazing.” She created a mirrored surface from thin air that wrapped around Etain so she could see.
It was as if smoke had formed in the shape of wings. There were no defining edges, though you could clearly make out what they were. Etain thought they were a beautiful adornment, and she sent gratitude to the power she recognized as the black effervescent entity.
“Etain, I apologize. I forgot you are brand new to this and assumed you knew what this meant.”
At Etain’s puzzled face, the head witch continued. “This mark is the rarest of them all. We have not seen a witch with this mark in ages, and I am not sure I could even find any written text on it here. You would have to go to the Coven of Remembrance for they are tasked with keeping all the histories of our kind. I do know enough to tell you that if you can master this magic, you will produce wings of black smoke. You will be able to fly wherever you wish just as your mate’s wings can for himself.”
Etain was stunned for several moments, unable to form words. Collecting herself, she was finally able to verbalize her thoughts and asked, “And what of this Sight you mentioned?”
“Some think it’s a gift, and others a curse, because you will see things that will come to pass, or evenmightcome to pass. It will be up to you to interpret the meaning of what you feel. Trust your gut and not your heart when it comes to these visions – do not ignore them. It will sometimes be joyful, sometimes sorrowful, and sometimes there will be warnings. Regrettably, I do not know much about this gift. I think it would be best for you to visit the Coven of Remembrance at your earliest convenience.”
Etain tried to take in what she said, but she was finding it difficult to come to terms with the dread Galetia clearly tried to keep hidden to not scare Etain. The feeling the magic was giving her was one of commitment. A commitment to help keep the Night Court and all of the witches of the Borderlands safe; she intuitively trusted it. Etain felt energized and exhausted at the same time, but also felt settled. And mostly, she felt powerful.
Galetia told her the work they had done with Etain’s power over the last several hours should have taken multiple sessions to conquer. She thought they had reached a great place to stop for the day, and Etain agreed as her exhaustion started to seep in.
“Out of all your colors, what do you wish to focus on next time? Perhaps you would also like to learn a little witch magic?” the head witch asked Etain.
“Oh, yes! I would love to learn anything you can teach me,” Etain said eagerly before considering the colors of her power. “I think the blue. It was one of strength and protection. It seems wise to learn to defend before learning to attack. All the more, I have found I do not have a stomach for bloodshed.”
Galetia laughed and told her it was probably for the best, considering her mate had enough of a penchant for bloodshed for multiple beings. Etain laughed in agreement.
“Etain, I know you are tired, and if you wish me to wait until next time, I will, but I have a question I would very much like to ask you.”
Etain felt like she owed this witch much more than an answer to a question, because she had given her peace in only one session. “Of course – you may ask me anything.”
“When your many great grandmother had to flee this realm, she and her sister decided it would be best if she herself were to take the family grimoire since it would be the only connection to who you all truly were. I was wondering…”
Before she could finish asking, Etain called upon the book and it lay resting in her lap. “Yes, I do indeed have it. Thanks to Ciaran’s forethought to grab my bag. He taught me that handy trick of tethering objects to yourself. Would you like to keep it for a time and see what the human witches were up to all these years?” Etain passed the book to Galetia. The woman held it with the utmost reverence, as if she were having a hard time coming to terms with the book finally being in her hands.
“Thank you, my sweet, sweet Etain. You have no idea what this means to me. If you ever need it, please do not hesitate to call it to you. Would you mind terribly if I linked it to myself as well?”
“Of course not. It is just as much yours as it is mine. We are the Walsh witches, and this is our grimoire.” Etain sent a message to Anin that they were finished, and if she could please come and escort her out of the maze that was this coven.
While she waited for Anin, Galetia told Etain stories of her youth. Her father had been a wood nymph, so that was how she got her beautiful antlers. They had bloomed in her youth with brightly colored flowers along the base of them, which prompted all the other young witches to wear crowns of flowers to mimic their beauty. Etain couldn’t wait for her next session with Galetia; she had already learned so much in the few short hours she’d spent with her.
Anin came strolling in a little while later. Etain embraced Galetia tightly and tried to convey her gratitude for all she had done for her today. Etain promised she would be back after the mating ceremony and her ascension to the throne. “Oh! You should come! The whole coven should come! You are my only known family member – well, besides Hecate. Unfortunately, I do not know how to contact her, but she seems to show up exactly where she needs to be. Perhaps she will surprise us.”
The head witch looked uncertain, but Anin voiced her agreement. She made the point that it was only fair the new queen had her people there to bear witness as well.
Etain promised she would make Ciaran keep the Night Court in check. It was also her understanding that witches knew how to have a good time, so they would likely fit right in. Galetia told Etain and Anin she would ask the coven immediately, but it wasn’t likely for witches to pass up a party. And, she would be honored to attend. Etain agreed to send a spelled parchment with the details as soon as she had them, then gave the head witch one last hug before she and Anin began their twists and turns toward the gate. As they walked, Etain sent a message to Ciaran to retrieve them, and within a few more steps, he’d responded they were waiting outside the gate.
Anin’s sisters joined them halfway along their journey, and Anin told them of the invitation that had been extended to the entire coven. Etain had never heard such squeals come from grown females before, and it made her laugh over their excitement. The sisters began talking about possible dresses they could wear and the many different ways they could style their hair.
When they finally made it to the gates, Etain turned around one last time to take in the ridiculousness of the building. She found she was already quite fond of it – stairs to nowhere and all.
Stepping through the gates, Ciaran was waiting for her just as he said he would be. She smiled at him and his face lit up as he smiled back at her. Soon they would complete their mating bond, and he would be hers forever. It was another thing she couldn’t wait for.
Forty Two
