"I'm sorry, I don't know, I'm not sure... Well, yes, I know what I saw... Sarah opened her eyes and looked at me, I swear." I rub my forehead with my fingers flopping down on the couch while Ruby stares at me, worried, leaned on the tattoo parlour counter. "Do you think I'm losing my mind?"
"No, babe. I think you're a powerful druid with an extraordinary sensitivity and Sarah was trying to communicate with you somehow... only we don't understand what she wanted to tell you."
"And why didn't she come when we summoned her spirit yesterday helped by Thyra, Annah and Elvira? My grandmother came and she was able to talk to us... It'd be very helpful if Sarah tells us what's going on..." The artist walks towards the couch slowly and sits down next to me, hugging me and sighing while keeping her eyes fixed on the window, Lester and Thrya are talking in the back room with Ivy while we all wait for the girls to arrive so we can go to Vinnia's fashion show. It's been days since the opening party of the exhibition and my hunter has been more annoying than usual, Ruby has made a great effort casting powerful spells to make me feel better.
"I think you know it, my love..." she answers quietly and my skin crawls.
"Something is holding her prisoner but... what can be so powerful to be able to keep the spirit of a witch tied up? What can stop her soul from breaking free and melding again with Mother Nature?"
"You also know the answer to that question, Iselen..." I look at my precious girl, scared, and she nods. "Yes, only something very bad and dark could do something like that... Nasty black magic... Your grandma told us something bad was coming and we should get ready."
"How? We don't know what's happening..." I complain angrily and Ruby holds me tighter to kiss my cheek.
"I'll talk to my mother and we'll see if she can tell us something since she's in contact with all kinds of witches and wizards from different religions. Savannah's grandmother is a member of the Council and we'll be able to explain what's happening to her when we meet her next week, I bet she can help us. Louisa has a friend in Montana who's trying to gather some information about Sarah's death but we aren't expecting news, it's true that she took those pills deliberately and fell asleep in the bathtub... It's so strange..." The artist shakes her head sadly, her former lover and friend's death shook her up and she's been trying to focus on her work, hugging me every night although I know it was hard for her to fall asleep and Morgan followed her, worried, every time she moved from the living room to the kitchen... I don't know what to do to help her.
"Ruby..." my girl nods absentmindedly, looking through the window. "I've been checking your tattoo portfolio again and I love your roses... What about here?" I ask lifting my shirt and showing my side. The witch blinks perplexed for a second till she understands and a smile spreads across her face, her warm hand rubs the skin on my ribs carefully and she sighs dreamily.
"It'll be a gorgeous tattoo, my love, I can't wait to do it... But it'll be tomorrow, we have to attend Vinnia's fashion show tonight and will have dinner later... We'll have fun with the girls..."
"Okay," I answer getting up to take my jacket and bag. "Wait... What Council? Is there a Witch Council? Why the hell you didn't tell me? Why my grandmother never told me about it? There're refuges that are pubs, witches visiting to New York, councils ruling over us... This is crazy." Ruby chuckles and shakes her head while Ivy comes walking slowly and looking at us confused.
"Not all practitioners of magic know about the Council and not all witches follow their rules to the letter although most of them do it..."
"I don't understand..."
"The members of the Council are old witches and wizards, sorcerers and necromancers with lot of experience and knowledge," Ivy answers while getting rid of a dry leave of a plant. "You could say they're the grandparents we ask for advice to because they've seen it all and have done it all, and in addition to that they keep old and valuable books, but we aren't obliged to obey their orders. They're determined to watch those who use magic in order to control them so normal people aren't affected by dark spells, they can't stop us from practising black magic but we all know that it's a bad idea to attract bad vibes so, in general, we pay attention to their advice because their rules are... common sense and they favour the peaceful co-existence of witches and non-magical people."
