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The evening sky was aflame with sunset colors by the time she pulled up to the Espinozas’ home. A few cars already sat in the wide driveway and lined the curb on either side of the Craftsman-style house, so Hazel parked a bit down the street.
Merle ambled up the sidewalk from the other direction, her cute bump proudly displayed with a babydoll shirt that featured a bow just underneath the bust. “Hey,” the younger witch said with a smile as they both veered onto the path to the front porch.
“Hey yourself.” Hazel nodded at Merle’s belly. “I swear it’s gotten bigger since I last saw you.”
Merle beamed. “Yeah, she’s growing like a champ. Which means”—she pulled a breadstick out of her purse—“I can’t stop eating.”
Hazel laughed.
“No, I’m serious. I literally can’t.” Merle waved the breadstick around while she chewed. “I have to have a snack bar on my nightstand because I will randomly wake up during the night ready to eat the bedsheets.”
Hazel grinned. “I’m sure Rhun is more than happy to hand-feed you at any time.”
A dirty chuckle from Merle. “He’s delighted to wait on me.”
Warmth blooming in her heart at her friend’s happiness, Hazel rang the doorbell and greeted Sonia when the other Elder witch opened the door. Pleasantries exchanged, they were led to a large room at the back of the house that was most often used for the rituals involving the attendance of all Elders.
It was big enough to comfortably seat all members of the council in a semicircle on the provided chairs and still leave a space of about ten square feet in the middle, reserved for the actual ritual setup. The dark concrete floors showed signs of past usage, with scuff marks, some scorched spots, and even a stain here and there. The scent of chalk, salt, candles, and herbs hung in the air.
Merle exhaled heavily. “Oof, I still remember when I had to do this.” She shuddered.
Hazel patted her shoulder. “You were scared for nothing, though. With magic as strong as yours, there was no way you would have failed.”
Merle shrugged. “Yeah, well, doubts and insecurity are hardly rational. And it wasn’t like I had much support from the Elders.” Her eyes narrowed. “Juneau and Isabel sure talked to me like I was a novice dabbling in something I wasn’t strong enough to control.”
“They did, didn’t they?” Hazel pressed her lips together, old hurt pulsing to painful new life. “For what it’s worth, I always knew you were powerful. And I’m glad you found your confidence.”
“Thanks.” A small smile from the ginger-haired witch. “Let’s greet the others.”
Shobha and Kristen stood talking together in one corner, while Susanne, Tanya, and Nora lingered in another, the groups not accidentally delineated by old loyalties. Hazel sighed. It would take a long time yet for the Aequitas and Draconians to truly come together, wouldn’t it? If they ever did at all. Maybe some fissures ran too deep, some resentments too stubborn to be eroded.
Not for the first time, Hazel wondered if she was chasing a dream long since dead, an illusion of fellowship and support, when reality showed her again and again that there were some differences that simply could not be bridged. The part of her that roared with a mother bear’s fury at the threat these witches had posed to her daughter, it still lived inside her, still fumed at the weak punishment doled out.
With effort, she pushed that rising rage back down.
Minds and hearts wouldn’t be changed by violence. They had yet to be diplomatic if they wanted to reunite the community. So she put on a smile she didn’t feel and walked over to say hello to the group of former Draconians.
They responded with equally forced courtesy, a chill in the air that could have formed ice crystals.
One by one, the rest of the Elders arrived, as well as Beth Callahan. Her face drawn, dark rings under her eyes, she greeted the others with a somber voice…and met Hazel’s hello with a wordless stare of contempt.
A ball of unease formed in Hazel’s gut.
Let her stay mad. Tallak’s words whispered through her mind then, dispelling some of the anxiety wanting to take root inside her. Hazel took a deep breath, held it, and blew it out slowly, forcing the budding feeling of failure out along with it.
The Elders took a seat on the chairs around the empty ritual circle, and Sonia opened the meeting as hostess.
“A few points of business before we get to Beth’s request,” Sonia said with a nod at the head of the Callahan family. She addressed the new patrol schedule, followed by a short discussion about who would go with whom for the next week, and who would renew the wards around Randall Children’s Hospital next. Hazel volunteered.
“Speaking of wards,” Patricia chimed in. “Apparently, the ones around OHSU’s maternity ward failed last night.”
Gasps all around the room.
“What?” Kristen sat up straight, eyes wide. “That’s impossible.”
“Were they yours?” Patricia asked.
“Yes.” Kristen swallowed. “How do you—did anything happen?”
