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Grabbing tourists?
Just men.
Wtf4?
TBD
K. I’ll check it in a few hours. Stay clear.
Will do.
If Egan is gathering men, I have a bad feeling I know why. Hopefully I’m wrong.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
JOSIE
The Sun Witch coven home is a traditional century home with a vibrant façade adorned with ornate wrought-iron balconies. The large, shuttered windows, the colonnade front porch, and the purple double doors welcome us to the next phase of the High Priestess trials.
“Will you boys need an invitation to get in?” I ask as we hustle to climb the stairs.
Finn waves my concern away. “Och, no. The Coven House is owned by a corporation, not a person. No entry restrictions apply.”
“Yay, you’re here!” Elara opens the double doors wide and waves us inside. “I was getting worried. You left the store hours ago.”
“Sorry. I needed to make a stop.”
For all the good it did me.
Inside, high ceilings, hardwood floors, and intricate crown moldings reflect the home’s historical elegance. It’s beautiful, and if I remember correctly, it’s been in the possession of New Orleans witches since the French arrived in the late 1600s and founded the city.
I briefly wonder if that’s when Sebastian arrived here. Was he part of Robert Cavelier’s expedition that claimed this land for France?
Elara leads us through the old home to a hidden courtyard garden at the back. We walk the brick pathways past a small fountain and into a tranquil oasis.
There is a raised dais on the left with the elders of the coven seated so they can watch the trial. The five ladies—Elder Edith, Zana, and Francine included—give me a brief nod of welcome and I bow my head.
Opposite them are five workstations draped in a ritual cloth, each table set up with a mortar and pestle, a small burner, an assortment of bowls, spoons, and a ritual athame.
“Oh, you came.” Beatris looks down her nose, a clear air of disdain directed at me.
“Yep. Wouldn’t miss it.”
Since three of the other four witches in the competition are already here, I take one of the empty workstations and start unpacking the supplies I brought with me.
Huh, I’m not the last to arrive.
Summer Saint-Claire isn’t here.
She’s likely preparing for a grand entrance or something equally dramatic. Maybe she thinks it makes her look more confident if she doesn’t need the prep time the rest of us do.
My familiar bond lights up and I know Phi is close by. Quit worrying about her and focus on your own process. What’s your potion?
I have a few in mind.
What? You haven’t even narrowed it down?
Calm down. Mother Gaia will guide me.
