Morana knows she's different from other people in more ways than one. Firstly, she's sixty-seven years old but stopped ageing in her twenties. Weird things have also happened around her right after she's wished for it. But most importantly, no matte...
After Alejo had understood I wouldn't be a part of the ceremony, he had been much more positive about me joining in the festivities, though still definitely not happy about it. We had spent a lot of time talking about that we needed to leave, that we couldn't keep on going like we were. But we had yet to come up with a good exit strategy.
We had, though, together managed to come up with an excuse I could use to not want to join the coven. One that wouldn't risk putting any blame on Alejo and that hopefully the Priestess would accept.
I would simply say I was too used to moving places now and then, so I wasn't sure I wanted to settle in one spot.
It wasn't a perfect reason and definitely left it open for them to pester me more in the future. But it was the best any of us had come up with.
We were wrapped in blankets on the couch while hot chocolate was in front of us, a Christmas movie playing on the TV, when a popping sound came and Marianela appeared.
She looked us over with raised eyebrows before scrunching her nose together in distaste.
"What do you want now?" Alejo complained as he reached for the remote control and paused the movie.
"Don't worry, dear brother, I won't be long. You two can go back to... Whatever it is you're doing shortly," she answered and seated herself on one of the armchairs. "I'm just here to talk a bit about logistics for tomorrow. I assume you are coming, Morana?"
"Yeah," I answered.
"And I assume you'll decline the offer to join the coven," she went on and I nodded while Alejo took hold of my hand. "Well, Mother will be somewhat disappointed, but I'm sure you have a lie prepared to soften the blow."
I really couldn't understand her. By the way she looked at Alejo and her tone while talking to us, she obviously didn't care for him or me. But her words also gave away that she didn't care in the slightest about the coven neither. Just what was her agenda?
"So Alejo, ten as always," she said, turning to him and he nodded as a reply. "Then I'll come later and pick you up, Morana," she continued and looked back at me. "As Mother undoubtedly explained, there are certain parts of the celebration we can't allow witches that aren't a part of the coven to attend."
"I understand," I answered as I felt Alejo relax beside me. Before we had just assumed I wouldn't be allowed into the ceremony, but now we knew for sure.
"Great. That was all I came here to say. I suggest you both go to bed early today. Tomorrow will be a long one."
And with a popping noise, she was gone again.
"What is her deal?" I asked and turned to Alejo.
"What do you mean?"
"She just... she seems to completely dislike the coven. Or at least hold some sort of reservation against them. But she's also obviously mean to you."
Alejo nodded. "That would sum her up quite well. She's the only one of us Mom had with her mate."
"What?" I exclaimed, shocked by the fact. The way Alejo had been talking about mates, it seemed like an impossibility to me that your general witch would have any relations with someone else before meeting their mate. Definitely not to the point of having kids with them.
"It's quite common, at least among witches in higher positions," Alejo said, blowing my mind even more. "We do live for a long time, so some might have to wait like three hundred years, if not more, before they meet their mate. Or they meet their mate early, but the mate's life ends long before their own. Mom basically grew tired of waiting and wanted to have an heir. All four of us are actually from different fathers."
"Okay," I said slowly, letting that new shocking piece of information sink in. "But what does that have to do with how Marianela acts?"
"She believes she deserves to be next in line for the priestesshood. The common thing is that the eldest daughter takes over when the mother dies, so Senalda is the one posed to take over. But since Marianela's father is Mom's mate, she believes she's the true heir to the priestesshood. There are some that agree with her, but those are few. But that means she generally acts and makes decisions based on what she believes might benefit her in winning approval and the priestesshood."
"So drama with kids fighting over their parents' inheritance?" I concluded in disbelief.
"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."
"Well, one would have thought witches wouldn't be as petty as humans," I mumbled and Alejo chuckled lightly at my comment before starting the movie again.
We followed Marianela's advice and went to bed early. I couldn't help but feel uneasy and kept tossing and turning in bed without being able to sleep. It just felt like tomorrow would be a bad day. That something horrible would happen.
Alejo didn't seem to have the same worry, for he fell asleep relatively quickly. I spent some time watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful and calm and I hoped his sleep tomorrow would be the same, but my gut told me it wouldn't.
It was long past midnight when I finally succumbed to sleep. In my dreams, the voices returned. I had believed I would never hear them again, but there they were.
When I first noticed their presence, I felt content. But then they spoke and dread filled me.
"You are never alone," they told me over and over again. It was words that ought to have brought me some peace of mind. But they didn't, instead it only intensified my worries. What would happen that made them finally reappear? What would happen to prompt them to tell me I wasn't alone?
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