Trial by Fire (Covencraft Book 1)

by Margarita Gakis

  But picking up her whole life and just leaving was… Much. Not that she was overly attached to her apartment or her job. Sure, she liked her apartment, she didn’t loathe her job, but she wasn’t emotionally invested in either one. The idea of abandoning her life and starting a new one had a strange, romantic and carefree appeal to it.

  But she also liked the structure of her life, the routine. She recalled, growing up, how chaotic things had been. Unstable and unsafe. Her mother had been emotionally absent from life in general and her father…

  When it rained, Jade still felt every single one of her broken bones ache with the weather change.

  She didn’t like being out of control. She swore when she was younger that when she grew up, she would have a nice, steady life and she’d never be held captive by anyone else’s terms again.

  What would life with magic be like? What did it mean to live in a coven? Would people treat her like family and how would she react? Would she have a home, finally?

  She’d always sensed she was different. When she was little, she wondered if that was why her mother had been so cold and indifferent, why her father hit her. As she grew, Jade realized those things weren’t her fault, but she still couldn’t help but wonder what it was about her that set her apart, even from her own parents.

  Maybe this was it. Maybe the same way she’d known she was different, they’d known too.

  But there was something that Paris wasn’t telling her. He wasn’t lying, not outright, but there’d been something hesitant in the way he spoke, something reluctant in his eyes. She didn’t know what to make of it.

  She could always go, she supposed, and see what she thought. If she didn’t like it or it felt wrong, she would leave. Just walk away and come back to her steady, simple life.

  Where she had no close friends and no contact with her family.

  She didn’t mind being alone. In fact, she generally preferred it. While there were times when she got lonely, it passed quickly enough. If there were other times when she felt the pang of loneliness deep in her chest, late at night, well, the sun always came up the next day and she lived. It wasn’t like she was going to die from loneliness.

  Jade looked around her apartment, wondering, if she went, what she would take with her. She wasn’t surprised to realize there wasn’t much she felt particularly attached to. She could list the possessions she absolutely couldn't live without on one hand. Her laptop, her phone, her special shoebox, her favorite sweater.

  That was about it. Everything else, she could probably leave and decide to take it later.

  She could take some vacation time at work as she had plenty banked. There was never really anywhere she wanted to go and staycations were already stale for her. She liked staying busy so she worked.

  With some mirth on her lips, she wondered what she would say to her boss about finally going on vacation.

  Hi, I’m having a personal emergency of the supernatural sort. Turns out I’m a witch, which I’m sure many of you already thought. So, I’m going to run off for a month with these people who say that they’re witches too and figure things out. By the way, the stats for the chemical corporation account are on my hard drive, and I’ve configured my email to send a vacation response. Buh-bye.

  She snorted to herself. Yeah, that’d be awesome.

  Jade was back on her computer, combing the internet for information about covens and witches. Unfortunately, her searches revealed the same things repeated over and over again: witches were born into covens, able to use magic for simple spells, generally weren’t too powerful but could band together for more difficult and complex spells, were governed by a coven which in turn answered to the representatives that sat on the Council for Supernaturals. Articles and information after that tended to devolve into political mumbo-jumbo on how the Council worked and who was involved.

  As far as researching actual magic, Jade came up empty. Constantly. Apparently, covens diligently sniffed-out unsanctioned magic and blocked it - most humans couldn’t work a spell but there were some who apparently had enough residual magic in them - likely from ancestral witches - to wield a minor spell or two. Covens around the world were dedicated to detecting unsanctioned magic use and they cast counter-hexes, essentially nullifying any residual magic.

  It seemed like a full time job for some covens.

  Jade wondered if they’d tried that at all with her. That Paris guy hadn’t mentioned it but maybe she should ask.

  That thought implied she would be contacting him. When she sat with that thought, it felt right. She nodded to herself.

  She didn’t look at the clock until she’d already picked up the phone and dialed. Three o’clock? What was she doing? She considered hanging up but realized that if someone called her and woke her up in the middle of the night, they damn well better stay on the phone so she could curse them out at the very least. She toughed it out and stayed on the line.

  When Paris answered, his voice wasn’t sleep rough or unclear in any way. She wondered if he’d been awake still or if he always woke up so alert.

  “Yes?” he asked.

  “Uh, yeah. So it’s me. Jade.” She rolled her eyes at her own inanity.

  “Hello, Jade,” Paris intoned.

  “So, I’ll go. To your coven. I’ll check it out.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  She could hear some kind of rustling in the background but couldn’t tell if it was paper or if it was bedclothes.

  “Sooooo,” she said, drawling, “when do we go?”

  “How soon could you be ready to leave?”

  She thought for a moment about packing, taking some leave from work, clearing out the perishables in her apartment. “Um, tomorrow afternoon, I think? Say, around three?”

  “Callie and I will come by your apartment. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

  “Sure. You do that.” She tapped her fingers on the computer in front of her restlessly. “Okay. So tomorrow.”

  “See you tomorrow then.”

  She hung up without saying goodbye, tossing her cellphone onto the couch cushions.

  It appeared, for the next month, she was visiting a coven.

  *

  Paris released a sigh of relief and felt the tension he’d been pretending he wasn’t holding bleed out from his shoulders and neck.

  Jade would come back with them to the Coven.

  There was no guarantee she would stay, but it was a step in that direction; more than he had a day ago.

  Of course, Jade coming to the Coven brought its own set of problems. Paris would be responsible for her magic. He couldn’t think of anyone that would have remotely enough power to train her other than himself. He’d never taken on an apprentice - he’d never had to. There’d always been more suitable witches about - witches who were born to teach, to nurture. Paris wasn’t sure how apt to the task he would be.

  He supposed he had more than enough time to worry about that when they returned to the Coven. Now that Jade had called, now that she had agreed to return with them, he found he was finally getting sleepy. He had blamed his lack of desire to sleep on a need to get some work done but as soon as he hung up the phone, he could call it what it was. He’d been anxious she’d say no and he somehow ridiculously felt that as long as he stayed awake, waiting for her call, then she would call and it would all work out.

  He powered down his computer and stumbled over to the couch where Callie slept. The apartment they’d leased had only come with a few items of furniture: a couch, an armchair, a coffee table. After a brief disagreement, he’d finally gotten Callie to accept the couch and he took the floor. While it wasn’t as bad as sleeping in the forest for his training sessions when he was younger, he was glad this was the last night he’d been spending stretched out on the threadbare, suspect carpet.

  He closed his eyes and settled his nerves, reciting a quick invocation to keep his dreams at bay. At least for the night.

  *

  Jade
started her day at the normal time, went into work, booked four weeks’ vacation, spoke quickly to her manager and conjured some story about a family emergency.

  The fact that she’d never taken any time off for her ‘family’ before probably worked in her favor. She managed a few silent nods to the sympathetic head tilts she received from her boss, gave a few noncommittal answers to the gentle, if somewhat slightly invasive, questions and was back at her apartment by ten.

  She cleaned the perishables out of her fridge, powered down and unplugged her appliances and packed a suitcase.

  Jade laughed when she realized the majority of her packing consisted of a phone, laptop, e-reader and power supply cords for all of the above.

  And, of course, her running shoes. Shoes always took up the worst amount of space when packing. Ugh. She changed into some more comfortable clothes, settling on blue jeans, a gaming t-shirt she’d gotten online with some prancing ponies and some tennis shoes.

  Ready much sooner than she anticipated, she didn’t quite know what to do with her extra time. She stretched out on the couch figuring even if she didn’t sleep, she could rest her eyes for a bit.

  She was asleep in about five minutes and woke up with a start, bleary eyed and confused when she heard knocking at her door. Her phone told her it was five minutes after three - she’d slept the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon away.

  “Yeah,” she hollered, pushing herself off the couch and toward the door. She yanked it open at the same time as she used the other hand to check her ponytail, feeling half of it escaping out of its rubber band.

  Paris stood in the doorway with a petite blonde woman who smiled brightly.

  “Did we wake you?” Paris asked politely.

  She half-grunted in reply, pulling the door open and then stepping back to let them in. She yanked at her hair and undid the ponytail and quickly re-secured it.

  “You must be Callie,” Jade said with a nod toward the blonde as she finished pulling her hair through the knot.

  “Yeah,” Callie said with a smile, coming forward with her hand stretched out for a handshake. Jade took it and grasped it firmly and then had a sudden thought that she probably had mascara or drool all over her face.

  Well, it wasn’t like they wanted her for her looks, she thought dismissively. She was pleased with Callie’s firm shake.

  “I’m really happy to meet you,” Callie said with a warm, friendly smile.

  “Apologies for our tardiness,” Paris said and then looked at Callie pointedly.

  “You said three! I was ready at three!” Callie defended herself.

  “Generally, when one says three, one means a little before the actual time.” He gave her a slightly disapproving look.

  “Then you should have said two-forty-five,” Callie replied easily.

  They were comfortable with each other, Jade thought. This was clearly a discussion they’d had before. For a brief flash she envied them - their ease with one another. Jade fidgeted a bit not quite knowing what to say or do in their company.

  “I guess you were close by,” Jade finally said, figuring they must have either made obscenely good time or been close enough to reach her apartment in five minutes.

  “Just across the street,” Callie said brightly. At Jade’s sharp look, Paris cleared his throat awkwardly.

  “That’s not creepy at all,” Jade replied sarcastically. “You guys really were watching me, huh?”

  “Oh, it wasn’t like that,” Callie said quickly. “We just, wanted to… I mean, we didn’t know anything about you and we figured… Well-”

  Callie appeared to finally realize there really wasn’t a graceful way to end that sentence and her voice trailed off. Instead of finishing her thought, she looked at Jade sheepishly and shrugged.

  “Um, so are we going or what?” Jade asked, still feeling slightly awkward.

  “Yes, we’ll be taking the train so we should head out. Are those your things?” Paris asked, gesturing toward the small suitcase and carry-on bag Jade had by the front door.

  Jade nodded, slinging the carry-on strap over her shoulder and grabbing the suitcase. When Paris stepped forward to take one of the bags, she moved a bit back. “I got it.” She didn't like people touching her things. “I just need to stop for coffee and I’m good to go.”

  Paris looked at his watch. “Oh, I don’t believe there is time for coffee.”

  Jade gave him an even stare. “Oh, there is always time for coffee.”

  “I could go for a coffee,” Callie chimed.

  “I’ve made travel arrangements for us already,” Paris said. “And since one of us was late,” he eyed Callie meaningfully again, “I’m afraid we really need to get going. If there’s time once we reach the station, perhaps we can stop there.”

  “No, absolutely not. I know the train depot and the coffee there is - blergh.” Jade shuddered. “We can hit the place around the corner. It’ll take, like, five minutes.”

  “We really don’t have time,” Paris said simply and Callie sort of sighed, apparently resigning herself to a lost point.

  Jade pushed past them toward the elevator. “I’m telling you, coffee break will take five minutes.”

  Paris turned with a strange look on his face and Callie looked stunned. Jade stared back at them as she stabbed the button for the elevator. She got the impression that no one had ever really argued with Paris before.

  “I said we don’t have time,” said Paris plainly. He wasn’t angry or rude. He seemed completely flabbergasted they were still having the conversation.

  “We have tickets, don’t we? And those things hardly ever leave on time. Who cares if we’re late?”

  “That is hardly the point,” Paris said frowning.

  Callie’s face turned back and forth between them like a tennis match.

  “It’s totally the point,” Jade replied, stepping into the elevator when it arrived. “Make the train late with magic or something.”

  “That is completely not allowed.”

  “Then what are the perks of being a witch?”

  Paris looked stymied. “There are no perks.”

  Jade gave a snort. “Well, you got screwed over then, English.”

  Paris had nothing to say to that. It was like his brain had frozen at the irreverent tone of her argument.

  The elevator gave a ‘ding’ and they were at the main lobby. Jade pulled her suitcase behind her, rolling it across the tiled floor with a clack at each groove.

  Paris stepped up beside her. “I cannot believe you are arguing with me about this.”

  She stopped and turned to face him. “Me neither, I could have had coffee by now.” At his blank look she rolled her eyes. “Just… Go without me, I’ll meet you there. Honestly.” She turned to Callie, “I can get you something if you want.”

  Callie’s face lit up and she was about to speak when Paris interrupted her. “We’ll go as a group.” He strode out in front of the women and Jade took a second to look at Callie and smirked. She mouthed the word ‘coffee’ with a smile.

  Callie looked like she was stifling a laugh as she fell alongside the other woman.

  Twenty minutes later, Jade sipped her coffee, content and victorious. She eyed Paris, sitting across from her, stonily staring out the window of their train compartment.

  “See, time to spare,” she said as the train lurched forward and started rolling away from the station.

  He turned his gaze on her. “If you count running through the train station in a most undignified manner ‘time to spare.’”

  Jade shrugged. “Yet here we are, on the train. With our coffee.” Jade turned to Callie, sitting next to her, staring at the lid of her cup like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

  Paris stood up as he took his phone out of his coat pocket.

  “I’m going to call the Coven and let them know we will be on time.”

  “Unless we run into some dire straits that set our pristine schedule back,” Jade
said, barely hiding her grin. “Who knows, I may need to stop for a hamburger.”

  Paris ignored her tone and shot a glare that had Callie averting her eyes. Jade smiled at him and batted her eyelashes. She got the feeling he tried not to slam the door shut as he left.

  He was somewhat unsuccessful.

  “He’s a little too easy to rile up,” Jade said, pulling her e-reader out of her carry on and flicking it on.

  “I probably should tell you,” Callie said, fingering the rim of her cup, “that no one in the Coven talks to Paris like that.”

  “Like what?” Jade asked, taking sip from her coffee.

  Callie blinked twice in succession. “Like they don’t care if he gets angry.”

  Jade shrugged. “I don’t care if he gets angry.”

  “It’s just that he’s the leader and he is the most powerful witch in the Coven.”

  Jade paused. “So when he kept saying ‘come to my coven’ he really meant his coven?”

  Callie nodded. “Yep.”

  “Uh.” Jade fumbled for something to say. “Isn’t this kind of errand a little beneath him then? Shouldn’t he be off doing… Coven running things?”

  “Well, you’re very unique,” Callie said quickly. “This has never happened before.”

  Welcome back, discomfort – did you miss me?

  Jade loathed continually hearing how much of a freak she was. Even if it was said with the nicest expression possible, it still made her tense and edgy.

  “Yeah. So you said.”

  “He’s just usually afforded a little more respect,” Callie said, either not noticing Jade was awkward or trying to smooth it over. “He’s sort of separate from us, you know?”

  “You seem comfortable enough around him. Are you two…?” Jade trailed off and raised one of her eyebrows.