The Coven

by Cate Tiernan

  "What time?" she asked, making notes.

  Cal leaned against the counter, pulling me against him.

  Jenna hung up the phone. "Okay. It starts at eight-fifteen,

  so we should leave here around seven forty-five."

  "Cool," said Matt

  "So we've got some time. You guys want something to

  drink?" asked Cal. He looked apologetic. "We have to keep the

  noise down because my mom's having a circle in a while."

  "What time do they usually start?" I asked.

  "Not till ten or so," he answered. "But people come early,

  hang out and talk, get caught up on their weeks."

  "I wanted to tell your mom thanks again," I said.

  "Oh, well, come on, then," he said, taking my hand. "You

  can see her. We'll be right back," he told the others.

  "Did you take the last Coke?" Sharon accused Ethan as we

  left the kitchen.

  "I'll split it with you," was his muffled reply.

  Cal and I shared a grin as we walked through the foyer

  and then through the formal living room and the more casual

  great room. "There is definitely something happening there,"

  he said, and I nodded.

  "It'll be fun when they get together. Sparks will fly."

  Cal gave two quick taps on the tall wooden door that led

  to the huge room Selene used for her circles. Then he opened

  it, and we walked in. It was quite different tonight than it had

  been the night I'd arrived here alone, shaken and upset. Now it

  was aglow with the light of at least a hundred candles. The air

  was scented with incense, and there were people, both men

  and women, standing around chatting.

  "Morgan, dear, how nice to see you." Turning, I saw

  Alyce, from Practical Magick. She was wearing a long, purple,

  batik robe, and her silver hair was loose and hanging around

  her shoulders.

  "Hi," I said. I'd forgotten she belonged to Starlocket

  Quickly I searched for David, the clerk who made me nervous.

  He saw me and smiled, and I gave a tentative smile back.

  "How are you?" Alyce asked, seeming to mean it as more

  than just a polite question.

  I thought. "Up and down," I said honestly.

  She nodded as if she understood.

  Cal had left my side for a moment, and now he returned

  with his mother. She was also wearing a long, loose robe, but

  hers was a brilliant red and painted with gold moons and stars

  and suns. It was stunning.

  "Hello, Morgan," she said in her rich, beautiful voice. She

  took both my hands in hers and kissed both of my cheeks,

  European style. I felt like royalty. She looked into my eyes and

  then placed a hand on my cheek. After a few moments she

  nodded. "It's been difficult" she murmured. "I'm afraid it will

  be more difficult still. But you're very strong...”

  "Yes," I surprised myself by saying clearly. "I am very

  strong."

  Selene Belltower gave me an assessing glance, then

  smiled at me and at Cal as if in approval. He grinned back at his

  mother and took my hand.

  Her eyes swept the room then, and she focused on

  someone.

  "Cal, I want you to meet someone," she said, and there

  was an undercurrent of something I didn't understand in her

  voice.I followed her gaze and almost jumped a foot in the air

  when I saw the same pale-haired girl that Bree and Raven had

  met with in the cemetery. My mouth opened to say something,

  but a tension in Cal's hand made me look up at him.

  He had the most extraordinary look on his face. As best as

  I can describe it, it was ... predatory. I barely controlled a

  shiver. Suddenly I felt like I didn't know him at all.

  I found myself following him as he crossed the room.

  "Sky, this is my son, Cal Blaire," said Selene, introducing

  them. "Cal, this is Sky Eventide."

  Wordlessly Cal pulled his hand free from mine and held it

  out to her. Sky shook it, her night dark eyes never leaving his

  face. I hated her. My stomach clenched as I saw the appraising

  way they looked at each other. I wanted to scratch her, tear at

  her, and I drew in a shuddering breath.

  Then Cal looked at me. "This is my girlfriend, Morgan

  Rowlands," he said. He called me his girlfriend, which was

  mildly reassuring. Then her dark eyes were on me, like two

  pieces of coal, and I shook her hand, feeling its strength.

  "Morgan," said Sky. She was English, and she had an

  incredibly musical, lilting voice, a voice that made me instantly

  want to hear her chanting, spelling, singing rituals. Which

  made me hate her more.

  "Selene has mentioned you to me," said Sky. "I'm looking

  forward to getting to know you."

  Over my dead body, I thought, but forced my mouth to

  stretch into something resembling a smile. I could feel Cat's

  tension, feel his body next to mine as he looked at her and

  practically drank her in with his eyes. Sky Eventide regarded

  Cal calmly, as if she saw his challenge and would meet it

  "I believe you know Hunter," she said, gesturing to

  someone behind her, who had his back to us.

  The person behind Sky turned, and I almost gasped. If

  Sky was daytime, Hunter was sunlight His hair was a pale gold,

  and he had fine, pale skin, with some freckles on his cheeks

  and nose. His eyes were a wide, clear green, with no traces of

  blue or brown or gray in them. He was stunningly good-

  looking, and he made my stomach turn. Like Sky, I hated him

  on sight, in a primitive, inexplicable way.

  "Yes. I know Hunter," Cal said flatly, not extending his

  hand.

  "Cal," said Hunter. He met Cal's gaze, then turned to me. I

  didn't smile. "And you are?"

  I said nothing.

  "Morgan Rowlands," Sky supplied. "Cal's girlfriend. Morgan,

  this is Hunter Niall.”

  Still I said nothing, and Hunter looked at me hard, as if

  trying to see through to my skeleton. It reminded me of the

  way Selene Belltower had first looked at me, but it caused no

  pain. Only a strong urge to be away from these people. My

  insides felt hollow and shaky, and I suddenly wanted

  desperately to go back to the kitchen, to be just a girl waiting

  to go to the movies with my friends.

  "Hello, Morgan," Hunter said finally. I noticed that he was

  English, too.

  "Cal," I said, trying not to choke, "we have to go. The

  movie." It wasn't true—we had nearly half an hour before we

  had to go—but I couldn't stand another minute of this.

  "Yes," he said, looking down at me. "Yes." He looked at

  Sky again. "Have a good circle."

  "We will," she said.

  I wanted to run out of there. In my mind I wildly pictured

  Sky and Cal kissing, twining together, wrestling on his bed. I

  hated the jealousy I felt about him: I knew all too well how

  destructive jealousy could be. But I couldn't help it.

  "Cal?" asked Selene as we were almost at the door. "Do

  you have a minute?"

  He nodded, then squeezed my hand. "I'll be back in a

  sec," he said, and walked over to his mom. I kept walking, out


  the door, through the great room, through the living room and

  into the foyer. Feeling hot and clammy, I couldn't face Jenna,

  Matt, Sharon, and Ethan just yet. There was a powder room

  down the hall from the foyer, and I locked myself in. Again and

  again I splashed cold water on my face and cupped my hands

  and drank some.

  What was the matter with me? Slowly my breathing

  calmed, and my face, despite its lingering, faint bruises, looked

  pretty normal. In all of my life I had never had such a strong

  reaction to anyone. Ever since Cal had first come to Widow's

  Vale, my life had changed with huge, sweeping movements.

  Finally I felt capable of seeing the others. Opening the

  door, I headed down the hall to the kitchen.

  But then my skin prickled. In another moment I heard

  voices in the hall, low, murmuring. They were unmistakable:

  Sky and Hunter. And they were coming toward me.

  I shrank against the wall, trying to fade into the

  woodwork, and suddenly I heard a click and fell backward.

  Catching myself, I didn't tall, but gaped in surprise as I realized

  there was a door hidden in the hallway.

  Without thinking, hearing the voices grow closer, I

  slipped farther into the room and closed the door with a tiny

  snick. I leaned against it, my heart hammering, and listened as

  the voices moved past, down the hall. I strained to concentrate

  but couldn't make out any words. Why were Sky and Hunter

  affecting me this way? Why did they fill me with dread?

  Then they passed, their voices faded, and silence filled my

  ears. I blinked and looked at my surroundings. Although I

  hadn't even noticed the door in the hallway, in here it was

  clearly outlined, and a small inset clearly showed me I could

  get out again.

  It was a study, Selene's study, I realized quickly. A large

  library table in front of a window was draped with a tapestry

  and held a display of various mortars, pestles, and pint-size

  cauldrons. There was a sturdy leather couch, an antique desk

  with a computer and printer, and tall, oak bookcases filled with

  thousands of volumes.

  The desk lamp was on, providing an intimate light, and I

  found myself drifting toward the bookcases. For the moment I

  forgot that my friends were waiting for me, that Cal had

  probably returned, that we had to leave for the movie soon. It

  all went out of my head as I started reading titles.

  20. Knowledge

  September 9, 1984

  The child moves inside me all the time now. It is the most

  magickal thing. I can feel her quicken and grow, and it is unlike

  any other feeling. I sense that her powers will be strong.

  Angus is after me to get married so the child will bear his

  name, but something in me is reluctant. I love Angus, but I feel

  separate from him. The people here think we are married

  already and that is fine with me.

  --M.R.

  Angus just came in. He found a sigil on the fence post by

  our driveway. Goddess, what evil has followed us here?

  Selene Belltower had the most amazing library, and I felt

  I would be content to be locked in it tor the rest of my life, just

  reading, reading everything. The top shelves were so high that

  there were two small ladders on tracks, library ladders, that

  ran around the room on brass rungs.

  In the dim light from the desk lamp I peered at the book

  spines. Some books had no titles at ail, others were worn

  down, some were stamped in silver or gold, and some had titles

  that were simply written on the spine with a marker. Once or

  twice I saw a book whose title appeared only when I was very

  close: It glowed softly, like a hologram, and then disappeared

  when I looked again.

  I knew I should go. This was obviously Selene's private

  place; I shouldn't be in here without her permission. But

  couldn't I just sneak a quick peek at a book or two first?

  Did I even have time? I glanced at my watch, which read 7:20.

  We weren't leaving for the movies for almost a half hour.

  Surely no one would miss me in the next five minutes. I could

  always say I'd been in the bathroom....

  The room was heavy and full with magick. It was

  everywhere; I breathed it in as I inhaled, and it vibrated

  beneath my feet as I walked.

  Shaking, I read book titles. One whole bookcase held

  what appeared to be recipe books: recipes for spells, for foods

  that enhance magick, for foods appropriate for various

  holidays. In the next case were books about spell making and

  rituals. Some of the books looked ancient, with thin,

  disintegrating covers that I was afraid to touch. Yet I longed to

  read their yellowed pages.

  Looking around at the wealth of magick contained in the

  room, I thought of the Rowanwands, who were famous for

  hoarding their knowledge and their secrets. Could Selene

  Belltower be a Rowanwand? Cal had said he and his mother

  didn't know which clan they were from, but maybe this library

  was a clue. I wondered how I could get my hands on these

  books. Would Selene lend them to me? Could Cal borrow them?

  The books in the next case were labeled Black Arts, Uses

  of black Magick, Dark Spells, even one called Summoning

  Spirits. It seemed dangerous to even have such books in the

  house, and I wondered why Selene had them. I felt a chill, and

  suddenly I was even less sure that I should be in the study. I

  turned to leave, but then I saw a narrow display case, with

  glass shelves lit from below. Small marble cups held handfuls

  of crystals and rocks of all kinds and color. I saw bloodstone,

  tiger's eyes, lapis lazuli, turquoise. There were gems also,

  polished and cut

  It was incredible to me to have such materials at one's

  disposal: The idea that Selene could walk into this room and

  have in front of her everything she would need for almost any

  kind of spell—it was just amazing.

  This knowledge was what I hungered for, what I knew I

  had to work for. My parents' dreams of my future, my old, half-

  formed plans to become a scientist—those thoughts seemed

  like smoke screens that would only hamper me in my real

  work: becoming as powerful a witch as I could be.

  I knew I had to leave, but I couldn't tear myself away. I'll

  stay just five more minutes, I told myself as I moved across the

  room to die other bank of bookcases. Oh, the covens were here,

  I saw. Shelf after shelf of Books of Shadows. I took one down

  and opened it, feeling like a lightning bolt might strike me

  down at any second.

  The book was heavy. I put it on the edge of Selene's desk.

  Inside, the pages were yellowed and tattered, almost

  crumbling at my touch. It was an ancient book—one entry was

  dated 1502! But it was either in code or another language, and

  there was no way for me to decipher it I put the book back.

  I knew that I really had to get out of there and head back

  to the others. I started thinking of what excuse I would use for

>   my disappearance. Would it be realistic if I said I got lost?

  I moved sideways toward the door and bumped into a

  library ladder. Without knowing why, I climbed it Up high, the

  scent of dust and old leather and decaying paper was stronger.

  Holding the ladder, I leaned close to the books, trying to read

  in the faint light Covens in Ancient Rome. Theories of

  Stonehenge. Rowanwand and Woodbane: From Prehistoric

  Times Till Now.

  I knew there wasn't enough time to read everything, to

  linger and savor and devour as I ached to. I felt tormented by

  the knowledge that these books were here and yet weren't

  mine. A raging hunger had awoken in me, a craving for

  Information, for learning, for enlightenment.

  My fingertips skimmed the book spines, lingering on ones

  that were harder to read. On one of the upper shelves I found a

  dark red unmarked book tucked between two taller, thicker

  books on early Scottish history. As I passed its spine my

  fingers tingled. I brushed them over it again, forward and back.

  Tingle. Grinning, I pulled it out It was too dark to make out its

  title, so I climbed down the ladder and took the book closer to

  Selene's desk.

  Under the desk lamp I carefully opened the book to its

  title page. Belwicket was written there in a beautiful, flowing

  script I paused, the blood hammering in my ears. Belwicket.

  That was my birth mother's coven.

  Turning the page, I saw on the overleaf an inscription:

  This book is given to my incandescent one, my fire fairy,

  Bradhadair, on her fourteenth birthday. Welcome to Belwicket.

  With love from Mathair.

  My heart stopped, and my breath turned to ice inside my

  lungs. Bradhadair. My mother's Wiccan name. Alyce had told

  me. This was her Book of Shadows. But how could it be? It had

  been lost after the fire, hadn't it? Could there be some other

  Bradhadair, some other Belwicket?

  Hands shaking I started skimming the entries. About

  twenty pages in, "The whole town of Ballynigel turned out for

  Beltane," I read silently. "I was too old to dance around the

  maypole, but the younger girls did it and looked lovely. I saw

  that Angus Bramson lurking by the bicycles, watching me like

  he does. I pretended not to see him. I'm only fourteen, and

  he's sixteen!

  "Anyway, we had a lovely Beltane feast, and then Ma led

  us in a gorgeous circle, out by the stone cliffs. —Bradhadair."

  I tried to swallow but felt I was choking. I flipped through