AllFreeNovel
Share Us
How could I forget? The weight of more than one hundred stares isn’t easy to ignore.
The tradition of choosing a new high priestess may be a three-step process, but no witch can officially be in charge until approved by the rest of her coven and welcomed into power through a ritual ceremony.
A coven is nothing without the sisterhood that connects us all. We’re family, the way a vampire has its horde, or a werewolf has its pack.
And like all families, we fight sometimes.
“May Mother Gaia be with you. Blessed be.” With the formalities taken care of, Elder Edith raises her hands to the crisp night air and casts, “Septus.”
A pulse spreads through the courtyard arena, and my stomach churns so hard I almost lose the fancy shellfish appetizers all over my dress.
Is it too late to back out now?
As if in response, the ground rumbles beneath my heels as a spell takes hold. Rising all around us, a filmy bubble of magic encases me and the other competing witches in a battlefield that spans from the courtyard to the gardens.
I take my inclusion as a yes from Gaia herself.
The water in the cherub fountain gurgles and starts bubbling, catching my attention. That’s all the warning I get before it erupts into a spout of swirling water, funneling into the air and then arcing down towards a witch across the arena.
The target of the attack throws her hands up to defend against the assault, slicing the spray in two and freezing each into icy blocks that shatter into chunks against the stone of the courtyard ground.
I’m busy watching the water display and miss the witch barreling straight at me until it’s too late.
Running full-tilt, her body collides with mine with the force of a Formula 1 racecar and sends us both toppling over.
I grunt as I hit the ground, sharp edges of rocks digging into my arms. I don’t have time to block, dodge, or counter before the witch is on me, the bulk of her weight pinning me down.
She flattens her palms and elongates her fingers. With a surge of magic, the digits meld together and morph into sharp blades. The points of her sword hands descend toward my face, and I react on instinct.
My eyes squeeze shut at the same moment my magic bursts free, erupting from me in a blast powerful enough to send the witch into the air a good twenty feet. I watch the wind get knocked out of her as she hits the ground and struggles to push herself back up.
Rune’s right—I can do this.
I roll to my feet, tripping not once, but twice on the bottom of my tattered and torn dress.
First things first.
Bending at the waist, I take hold of the hem of my dress and pull. The fabric tears and it breaks my heart to destroy such a beautiful gown, at the same time is so satisfying to free myself from its constraints.
I test my range of mobility. It’s better, but still not great for moving around.
I’m jealous of the witch in the paisley-printed jumpsuit, her feet planted wide to steady herself as she wields a length of thorned ivy against two opponents simultaneously.
“This dress was not made for this,” I complain to my costume organizers and cheer squad watching from the stands.
“Sorry,” Finn calls from the front of the onlookers pressing up against the bubble encasing the arena. “I didn’t realize you’d be playing gladiator, or I would have gotten you sensible sandals instead of those heels.”
Speaking of…
I swiftly kick my shoes off, sighing when my aching feet touch the stones. They are still warm from being baked in the Louisiana sun all day, and that soothes my soul.
Much better.
“Josie, behind you!” Rune yells.
I lunge to the left without a second thought, trusting Rune’s guidance and having just enough forethought to tuck my head as I roll into the dirt. The jagged edges of little stones jab into my arms and I scrape the top layer of skin off my knee, but I don’t have time to assess the damage or think before Rune is yelling directions again.
“Five o’clock. Aim low.”
