@ Piroska
Eva stood at the crux of 4 different paths that all led to the heavy oak doors of the Aequus Manor, the agreed upon safe location for all the covens. The bells above the manor just stopped ringing, though the sound still vibrated through the air. She knew that everyone was already inside. The electricity and importance of this night weighed in the air and she felt her stomach twist. She wanted so much more than she had before. Her hand fell around the moonstone that rested on her chest. She felt the hum of its energy and focused on that rather than the uneven beating of her heart. She wrapped her fingers around, breathing in its energy. She wiped her nose, blood trickling out of it. Now was not the time to lose control.
She wondered if she was walking to her death rather than to her future. Would she be killed upon arrival? Would she die if she stepped one foot onto sacred grounds? Were the rumors of her magic true? She always wondered if her coven was, in fact, evil. There were so few left of them that she only was able to piece together some history. The Southern Coven, her people, had been tracked and murdered for the last century. Their ‘dark magic’ somehow caused others to persecute them and destroy them. She wondered how they could possibly believe that her people were responsible for the death of the Supreme. They barely had enough people left to qualify as a coven. Of course, that was exactly the plan. Either the Southern Coven would be dead or would be too small to sway magic their way. She was their only hope for a semblance of a life. She had to become the next Supreme lest the Southern Coven be destroyed forever; she really had nothing to lose. She took a few gentle steps across the cobblestone paths.
Kieran leaned against the white walls of the manor, behind a large group of people. He looked just over their heads to the three that stood in the middle of the marble floors. The witches and wizards in front of him were twisting and craning to see the middle and get a look at who may be the new Supreme. It seemed like only a minute ago he found out the Supreme was dead. While he didn’t always agree with any coven, he felt the late Supreme did her best to manage the rising tensions. Kieran suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Even in this room, a place where the covens agreed on peace and unity, there was clear separation. The quest for a new Supreme only brought out the worst of witches, not the best. The fight for power and control was the reason that witches and wizards were slowly dying, starting with the Southern Coven. It was clear that the covens did not want to get along or join together in unity. No, this was a test to see who would be in power.
If he did not know Thalia, he would place his vote on the North once again (at least they were the purest of all magic). When he thought of her, as he often did, his eyes found her dark hair. He could almost see the down turn of her lip as she stood there, stoic. He was practically holding his breath for her, just as he did on Divination Day. The magic that selected her was truly amazing and what was more amazing was the fact that she represented everything he cherished. Thalia broke out her mold and was able to experiment and try all forms of magic. She tested her limits and still maintained her purity. Surely she was the better choice than the other two candidates. While he thought that he would pick the North, the smug look on the North's wizard's face made him change his mind. It was obvious to Kieran, if there must a choice made, it should be Thalia.
Kieran took a deep breath to settle himself just as the door to the manor opened. In walked a girl, no more than 5 feet tall. Her blood hair cascaded down her shoulders and she almost looked like she was floating. Was she covenless? He was not sure, but he knew that she did not belong. If he was any closer to Eva, he would have been able to hear the hammering of her heart or, at least, Eva thought so. Every head had turned to her as she interrupted just before the ceremony was to begin. She knew that she should say something, but her mouth remained practically sewn shut. She looked around, almost frantic. Finally, she spoke and Kieran was surprised at her soft yet strong tone.
“My name is Evanora Cane, daughter of the late Southern Coven leader, Artemise Cane. I am here to petition to be the next Supreme, as it was decided by our ancestors that covens will participate in this ritual," Eva said, her voice sounding far more even than she expected. She expected to be overwhelmed with nerves or even grief, but neither came. She heard the doors shut behind her and braced herself for the yelling, for the danger, and for the possible attacks. Would they spill blood on this sacred soil or was Aequus Manor going to save her life?
July 25th, 2018 at 04:53am
