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Nearly three weeks after the battle in Slovenia, the New Orleans estate bustled with witches from both Covens, gathered around crammed brunch tables filled with delicious morsels and overflowing glasses of mimosas.
Feeling fresh and alert despite my sleepless night, I kept my gaze directed towards the room Grandmother had ushered Liliane into moments after their return from Slovenia.
“Relax, Jade. This is meant to be a celebration of unity and forgiveness. The talismans will be there tomorrow for you start tinkering with,” Audra rambled, already tipsy.
Her well-meaning words of comfort did little to allay my fears.
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” I muttered darkly, my heart catching on thoughts of Alexei. Without the amulet to harness my emotions, I felt them all staunchly, the most egregious being my withering irritation at Alexei’s continued radio silence and the gleaming orb of love still warming my heart for the reckless, infuriating vampire.
According to Grandmother, Alexei was helping the vampires build their own Council.
He would take on a leadership role, making amends for the vampires’ brutish acts throughout the centuries and hopefully work towards mending burned bridges between our people. Our paths, while breathtakingly beautiful when they crossed, seemed to always drift apart.
I would know if the bastard responded to any of my messages.
As Audra and I walked through the crowd towards the back gardens, Elaine approached, followed by Genevieve, Sara, and Tabitha.
“Jade, there you are. We’ve been waiting to speak with you all morning.” She pulled me into a swift hug, and her bright green scent reminded me of the beautiful aspects of my time in Salem that I wanted to bring back to my new life here in NOLA.
Sara and Genevieve joined in and when they dropped their embrace, Tabitha surprised me by offering a quick but heartfelt hug that promised future opportunities to smooth past our outdated rivalry.
“Have you heard the news?” Tabitha whispered.
She hadn’t lost the gleam illuminating her ethereal face after Grandmother finally offered her the role of High Priestess-in-training. Despite her past refusals of not wanting the role, she had accepted the promotion with unabashed glee.
I was ecstatic for her, knowing she deserved it more than anyone else.
My heart stuttered as she turned to watch the procession of witches coming outside to join the gathering. “No. What?”
At that moment, Grandmother and Liliane strode through the back patio and smiled at the witches and warlocks already drunk from Mr. Simmon’s generous portions of sparkling wine. Grandmother lifted her glass with a stiff smile.
“Thank you all for being here today, and thank you to the Salem witches and warlocks who fought in Slovenia to stand against the vampires and protect my granddaughter.”
I flushed at the attention and downed half my glass.
“As for the vampires,” Liliane continued, rubbing her hands together conspiratorially. “Alexei Vasyliev and the Vampire Council has agreed to our terms, and no acts of retaliation will come for either the attack on the Boston Court or in Slovenia.”
The crowd erupted in cheers as the last hurdle finally zoomed past us into the distance.
“To celebrate, we have planned some pre-Imbolc activities,” Grandmother said, raising her brows at her sister. “You can make your way through the gardens to our hedge maze.”
At the push of exuberant witches, I held back. Leaning towards the girls, I said, “Y’all go ahead.”
Tabitha sent me a curious look but wound her arm through Elaine’s and let herself be dragged to whatever inner healing spell the Coven had concocted.
My great aunt crossed her arms at my approach, but beneath her hard expression I could sense her relief. She had been so busy traveling between Salem and Slovenia that I hadn’t spoken with her since the night everything went to shit.
Her peasant shirt danced in the breeze, sending a wave of her incense perfume towards me before I was in her arms. “Dearest, you mustn’t frighten old ladies. I’m already halfway in the grave as it is, but losing you would surely send me over.”
“I’m sorry.” My lips trembled, but I held back my outpouring of emotion that fought to flow past my well-established dams. “There were so many secrets I had been harboring for months that I didn’t know how to open up and ask for help. Your lessons made all the difference in the end.”
She glanced at my neck, free of the amulet’s power, and smiled. “You never needed the talisman to reveal your true power, Jade, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t help you along your journey. What was it Genevieve’s mother wrote?Talismans find the witch that needs their magick the most. You were meant to possess the amulet, and it brought you to where you needed to be.”
Tears glinted as I thought about Vera and the other spirits who, after the battle, passed on to the Beyond as their ultimate purpose dwindled alongside Alistair’s ashes.
“Don’t fret so much, deary. You’re going to give yourself wrinkles with all your worrying.” Liliane patted my shoulder and stepped into the grass. “You know, the happiest I’ve seen you were those weeks when you finally released whatever holds kept you back from being your true self. Spirit magick, newfound friendships, and a smoking-hot vampire clearly obsessed with you—not too shabby.”
I gaped at the wink she threw over her shoulder.
