Covens and Coffins

by Lily Webb

  “Don’t worry. If I use it all, I’ll get something in exchange. This isn’t my first rodeo,” I said. I had no intention of handing over all my power to Eden and Ivy, considering they had so much over me already, anyway.

  Lydia, Ivy, and Eden seemed closer than most sisters, and with any luck, I might sniff out some information about Lydia’s past — her friends, her enemies, her rivals, anything that might give me a lead.

  “Before you go, change her robes. Something bigger and baggy would be best,” Raina said as she pulled out her wand. She waved it at us and when I looked down, I found an oversized brown cloak draping from my shoulders. An equally large hood hung from the back, and Mallory matched.

  “It’s not glamorous, but it should give you a little more cover. Make sure to hold on to your hood so it doesn’t blow off and give you away,” Raina said.

  Mallory picked up her broom from where it sat leaning against the wall by the front door and gestured for me to follow.

  “Anything I need to know before we give this a try?” I asked. “I mean, other than not falling off?”

  “Yeah, we all know you have trouble with that,” Mallory ribbed me with a smile. “Honestly, no, not really. Just hold on and try your best to lean with me whenever I do.”

  “Right, easy,” I sighed as Mallory kicked one leg over her broomstick and scooted forward to make room for me behind her. With my arms safely around her waist and eyes squeezed shut, she kicked off the ground. The wind roared in my ears and raked my hair as we rocketed upward.

  Despite myself, I peeked down to see Moon Grove whizzing below us in a whirl of color. Ahead, the five imposing towers that formed Veilside Academy filled my vision, and I had to hold my hood in place as we soared through their clawing fingers and further out into the Witches’ Quarter.

  The Crowes’ Keep wasn’t far of a ride from there, and though we could’ve flown right into the courtyard, instead Mallory landed outside the gates — which was probably for the best.

  “That wasn’t so bad, right?” she asked as we dismounted.

  “No, actually, it was kind of fun,” I said, despite the pounding of my heart.

  “Who knows? If this meeting goes well, maybe the Crowes could still hook you up with some flying lessons like Lydia offered?”

  “I’m not holding my breath,” I said and Mallory laughed.

  “Yeah, probably not a bad idea. Anyway, do you want me to come with you?”

  “I think it’s best if I go in alone. It’ll look less suspicious to them, anyway,” I said.

  “All right, Godspeed,” Mallory said, and kicked off to leave me to my fate. I gulped as I approached the gates. Just like last time, they rolled back as if they were expecting my arrival at any moment, and the same two gargoyle guards greeted me.

  “Wand,” one ordered as the other searched me, but I didn’t need to reach for it because the gargoyle found it first.

  “They’re waiting,” the gargoyle snapped and stepped aside. I didn’t know what to expect, but there was only one way to find out, so I put one foot in front of the other until I reached the red door of the Keep.

  I climbed the near endless stairs as fast as I could and entered the grand room at the top, but all the warmth I’d felt the last time had vanished. Ivy and Eden sat next to each other on the sofa, seemingly unable to look at each other or speak, and neither looked up when I entered the room.

  “Good evening,” I said to a frosty reception.

  “Sit,” Eden commanded, pointing at the sofa across from them. Like a scorned child, I sat and avoided their eyes, though I’d done nothing wrong.

  “I’m so sorry about—”

  “Every person in Moon Grove could apologize, but it wouldn’t bring Lydia back,” Eden cut me off. “But you know what could’ve prevented all this? Our bill. If it was already in effect, this attack never would’ve happened.”

  I knew factually that wasn’t true — limiting the capabilities of new wands wouldn’t do anything to curb those already out in the wild, so to speak — but I also knew better than to say so. I had to tread delicately.

  And despite Raina’s advice to the contrary, I leaned into the direction the conversation had taken.

  “I’m glad you brought that up, it’s part of the reason I wanted to speak with you both tonight,” I said and dared to look each of them in the eye for the first time. Eden’s brows stitched together as she steepled her fingers in her lap and searched my face.

  “You do?”

  “Yes. I’ll be honest, it’s not entirely altruistic of me, but I’ve changed my mind. I’d like to endorse the bill, if you’re still interested in partnering with me,” I said.

  Eden and Ivy exchanged confused looks.

  “It’s obvious what we stand to gain from such a partnership, but I’m puzzled what suddenly brought you around,” Eden said. I glanced at Ivy, uncertain why she seemed to have abdicated all her conversational skills to her sister after the way she insisted it was me who killed Lydia, but decided not to linger on it.

  “The attack. It’s past time we did something to curb the violence in Moon Grove, and though your bill won’t solve everything, it’s a big step in the right direction,” I said.

  “I see.”

  “We need each other, whether we want to admit it or not. Lydia’s murder and accusations of my involvement in it have done major damage to my campaign. I need a lifeline, I’ll be honest, but it’s not just because of that. I want to know who’s behind this myself, because it wasn’t me,” I said.

  Ivy finally looked up at me, her lower lip cracked and bleeding from where she’d chewed it to shreds.

  “And what makes you think we need you?” she asked.

  “You can’t pass this bill without me. Though Lorelei and Ruby weren’t able to tell the public their position on wand reform before the attack, neither of them support it. I’m your last hope,” I said.

  Ivy glanced away in defeat.

  “What made you think it was me, anyway?”

  “After you refused us, we assumed it must’ve been at someone’s direction,” Eden said. “No witch in their right mind would’ve said no to the offer we made you — unless someone had already presented a better alternative.”

  “That’s not a lot of evidence to base an accusation of murder on,” I said and Eden’s face flushed. She glanced over at Ivy and opened her mouth to say something but must’ve thought better, because she snapped it shut again.

  “I agree,” Eden said. “And for that, I sincerely apologize. My sister can be impulsive, even in the best of conditions. Please forgive her,” she continued and Ivy dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “She’s forgiven. That said, if I’m going to endorse the wand restriction bill, we have to work out some terms,” I said and a smirk wrinkled Eden’s face.

  “Spoken like a true politician,” Eden said, her eyes twinkling. Did she ever think I was guilty, or was it only Ivy? As difficult as Lydia had been to read, Eden was even more mystifying to me. “Go on then, lay out your terms.”

  “I want your cooperation on the investigation, in every way,” I said and Eden nodded.

  “You need not ask for that. We’ll cooperate in any way we can. We’ve already spoken at length to the police, but if you want more information, we would be happy to provide it,” Eden said. Good, that meant she was serious about my offer — maybe even desperate for it.

  “There is, actually,” I said, watching Eden’s face like I was scrutinizing a piece of art. Her expression betrayed nothing.

  “Such as?” she asked, one eyebrow rising.

  “I want to know about your relationship with Lydia, both of you,” I said. Ivy’s eyes locked on mine and her pupils narrowed as if she were trying to will me out of existence.

  “How is that relevant?” Ivy asked.

  “I’ve heard that your relationship may have had some wrinkles, that’s all,” I said, speaking carefully. If I said the wrong thing, they both might shut
me out and the game would be over before it’d begun.

  “What sisters don’t fight from time to time?” Eden asked. “If you can point me to a pair, I would reward you handsomely.”

  “Fighting is one thing, but the wrinkles I’m talking about run deeper than a dispute over sharing clothes, for instance,” I said. “I’m talking about the rifts that could drive someone to do something, well, drastic.”

  “I don’t like the tone of this conversation,” Eden said. “What rumormonger whispered this nonsense in your ear? It wouldn’t be the first time someone has tried to tear us apart from the inside.”

  “The photographer sitting next to Lydia during the attack,” I said and Eden scoffed.

  “You’d take the word of an NWA mouthpiece over the two sisters who knew Lydia better than a best friend could have?” she asked.

  “I meant no offense, I shared only because I thought we were being open,” I said, trying to walk it back. Eden narrowed her eyes at me.

  “Then let’s continue being open. The photographer you mentioned, Damon Fade, that’s his name, isn’t it? Don’t you find it odd that a man like that would be seated next to the woman his organization has been trying to tear down for years?” she asked.

  “I did, and I asked him about that personally when we spoke a couple of days ago,” I said.

  “And what did he say?”

  “He swore it was a coincidence. I wasn’t sure I believed him, and I’m still not, but I had no proof it was anything else,” I said.

  “It wasn’t a coincidence, you can bet your broom on that,” Eden said. “Since the day we introduced our bill, the NWA has been relentless in its attacks against Lydia and our family. Some of the vile things they’ve said in their ads… So while there may not be proof that this photographer was involved in the attack, he wasn’t placed there by accident.”

  “He let me look over the photos he had from that night. They showed nothing revealing,” I said.

  “Of course not. He wouldn’t self-incriminate,” Eden said. “Even if he had no involvement with the attack, it’s almost certain that one of his fellow members did, and the NWA doesn’t take well to rats.”

  Had Damon played coy along, only to show me photos he knew would prove nothing to throw me off his and the NWA’s scent? I’d already gathered that the NWA was sly, but it seemed like I’d underestimated them.

  “Sounds like you know a lot about the NWA,” I said.

  “We should, after all the times we’ve tangled with them,” Eden said. “We’ve been working toward this bill our entire lives. It was truly Lydia’s lifework, so in a certain sense, it’s almost poetic that they would take her from us this way.”

  “Your entire lives?”

  Eden sighed and shook her head. “You don’t know?”

  “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”

  “It’s a long story, but the short version of it is that when the three of us were young girls, someone killed our parents in a random attack at wand point. We never found their killers,” Eden said and my breath caught in my throat. At once, it all made perfect sense, and I felt foolish for daring to believe that any of the Crowe sisters might’ve turned on the others.

  “Which is why it meant so much to Lydia and why she wanted to make sure the bill passed,” I said and Eden nodded.

  “Exactly. So I don’t take it lightly when you offer to work with us to make this bill a reality, especially now that she's gone. We would much prefer Lydia were alive to see it, but if the best we can do is to pass it in her memory, I think she’ll be happy with that, wherever she might be,” Eden said.

  “Let’s do it then,” I said and though it was obvious she was trying to resist, a smile appeared on Eden’s face. She took Ivy’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. Ivy’s eyes sparkled with tears as they seemed to communicate silently with each other.

  “Do you mean that?” Eden asked at last.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Even with all the risk and scrutiny it will attract to you and your campaign?” Eden asked.

  “Bring it. I’m not afraid, not with our combined forces,” I said.

  “Perhaps Lydia was right about you,” Eden said, her eyes twinkling as she offered me her free hand to shake.

  “But if you’re going to win this election, we need to make sure you learn how to ride a broom,” Eden continued, and my cheeks ignited. “I’m sure Lydia’s trainer, Helena Howler, could squeeze you into her schedule if we asked.”

  “Lilith help me,” I groaned. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were trying to kill me.”

  Eden laughed and waved me away. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, from us or from your broom. I’ll have our people call yours with a time to meet, probably sometime this weekend,” she said.

  “Thanks, I guess,” I said and stood to see myself outside.

  “Will you be at the memorial tomorrow?” Eden asked as she joined me. I sighed and shook my head.

  “Given everything that’s going on right now, it’s probably not a good idea. I think we should keep lying low, especially now that we’re working together,” I said.

  “She’s smart and image conscious to boot. Ivy, I think we have ourselves a winner here,” Eden said.

  “Let’s not count our spells before they’re cast,” I said, and left feeling much better than I had when I arrived.

  Chapter Seven

  I arrived at Veilside Stadium with my broomstick in hand and a lump in my throat. True to their word, Eden and Ivy had arranged a private broom flying session for me with Lydia’s broom trainer.

  Helena “The Howler” Hallowell stood in the center of the stadium, resting against her broomstick. Her asymmetrically cut hair splashed across one side of her face, a curtain of black covering most of one eye. A series of elaborate tattoos snaked down her arms in a rainbow of colors, and a silver ring hung from her lip.

  She looked like she belonged more at a heavy metal concert than a racetrack.

  “You’re on time, that’s a good start,” Helena said, one corner of her mouth curled in a smile. Her leather gloves squeaked against the handle of her broom as she repositioned it to shake my hand.

  “You made room in your busy schedule for me, it’s the least I could do,” I said, trying not to remember what’d happened the last time I tried to fly. At least now there weren’t any cameras to catch me making a complete fool of myself.

  “As if I could say no to the Crowes anyway,” Helena said, smiling. She had that right — the Crowe sisters rarely took no for an answer in my experience. “I heard you aren’t the most graceful on a broomstick.”

  “You heard correctly.”

  “That can’t be good for someone running for Head Witch,” Helena said. “But don’t worry. I’ll get you whipped into shape in no time.”

  I wasn’t sure if I liked the sound of that. Still, had it not been for Helena, Lydia might never become the champion racer she was, so if anybody could teach me how to fly a broom, it was probably her.

  “We’ll see about that. I learn fast, but evidently flying isn’t one of my strong suits,” I said.

  “Then let’s not waste any more time standing around talking. Mount up, I want to see your form,” Helena said, gesturing at my broom. I wiped my sweaty palms on my robes and kicked a leg over the broomstick.

  As usual, it vibrated under my grip as if my touch had brought it back to life.

  “I see problems already,” Helena said as she stepped forward and jerked my hands further up the handle and spaced them out appropriately. “You need a good grip if you want to stay on your broom once it leaves the ground. I assume you can ride a bicycle?”

  “I can.”

  “Flying is just like that. You need to lean forward like you would over your handlebars,” she said. “It feels awkward on the ground, but don’t worry, you won’t be there for long.” I swallowed my reservation and nodded.

  “Okay, let’s see you fly. Nothing too crazy, enough
for your feet to leave the ground.”

  Despite the wad of nerves in my stomach, I took a deep breath and slowly stood up on my tiptoes, allowing the broom to work its magic. The tip of the handle tilted toward the sky and inch by agonizing inch I lifted off the grass.

  “Not bad, now hover there,” Helena said, her hands on her hips as she examined me. Hovering was easier said than done, as I’d learned in Raina’s backyard when she tried to teach me herself — and failed.

  I teetered back and forth, struggling to keep my balance and save myself from embarrassment.

  “Use your core muscles, that’s what will keep you upright,” Helena said, poking herself in the abs to demonstrate. I flexed that area and sat up straight, only to roll too hard to the right and land with a thump in the dirt. My shoulder flared with pain, but I didn’t dare let Helena see it on my face.

  “Okay, so balance is an issue for you,” Helena said, trying not to laugh as she helped me stand. “How long have you been flying?”

  “Just a few weeks. My fear of heights isn’t helping,” I said.

  “Yeah, that could be a problem, but once you get some confidence on the broom, a lot of that fear will go away.”

  “If I fall off it enough, maybe the threat will stop scaring me,” I said, and Helena chuckled.

  “That’s one way to look at it,” she said. “What are your goals for flying, anyway? Do you just want to zip around town where necessary, or are you interested in racing, or…?”

  “I’m definitely not interested in racing. Honestly, I’m only doing this because I’m running for office and I doubt anyone would vote for me if they found out I couldn’t ride a broom,” I said.

  “It might surprise you how many witches and warlocks are afraid of their brooms, the most basic tool in their kit,” Helena said. “When Lydia first came to me for lessons, she was just about as bad as you are.”

  I doubted that. When Lydia had saved me in this same spot, she seemed more at home on her broomstick than she did on the ground. Was Helena telling the truth or just trying to stroke my ego?

  “I’m not sure if I should feel better or worse after hearing that,” I said, and Helena laughed.