The Dark Society

62

 The coven toured a remote stretch of woodland this morning, dubbed Spring Creek. Teeming with abundant wildlife, it's the perfect setting to reunite with nature. The temperatures were mild. So, they preyed on the conditions as the dark specter of Saint Anthony's loomed.

On another note, persuading Sabrina would be difficult. Because Paul was influencing the ascension against Julia's wishes. Yet despite her inexperience, she recognized the coercion. Meanwhile, the sisterhood remained persistent, hoping she'd help the cause.

They'd investigated the Morgan legacy amid Paul's attempts to conceal the truth. Never discovering the location of Harold's journals or details of Katherine's final night. Thus, Raina also realized the deception and signs of a conspiracy.

"What should we do?" Denise questioned while tending to the scriptures.

Raina sneered.

"We're part of something that's lasted a thousand years," she confessed. "Others have come, others will follow, but we live in the present day."

Rachelle stepped forward.

"The psalms aren't conclusive."

"She's right," Kim interjected. "But they do depict the elders' return."

After grasping a rosary, Raina gestured.

"It's already begun."

Denise groaned.

"What of the coven?"

"Our loyalty is to each other and Saint Anthony's," Raina asserted.

"How can you be sure Sabrina will comply?" Kim inquired.

Raina clasped her hands.

"The sacrificial ritual," she declared. "Then our sect will reign without opposition."

Rachelle moved closer.

"And the medallions?"

"Safeguarded until the elders reclaim them," Raina clarified.

Kim gazed.

"The scriptures speak of only two," she reported. "A mother and daughter."

Raina reflected.

"No, there's a third."

Everyone instantly gathered around her.

"Siblings?" Denise asked.

Raina sighed and prepared the embers.

"Yes," she confirmed. "And though separated for a quarter of a millennium, they'll reunite."

"How can we be sure?" Rachelle questioned.

One by one, Raina ignited the tapers.

"Because the eldest daughter has returned."

Denise moved closer.

"Samantha."

The fate of the missing journals remained uncertain. Though, they chronicled the Morgan family's lifetimes and customs. However, names and locations of their children were missing. Together with any evidence proving their true allegiance.

Be that as it may, witches and warlocks escaped, so the elders' return felt expected. A new era of authority where traditional power structures stood challenged. Aside from that, one mystery remained: the notorious day witch. Labeled "the Gray Wrath," this seasoned figure appears once every thousand years.

Disguised among mortals, their identities remained anonymous. But, each existed for a purpose: rescuing fallen witches from obscurity. A resurgence Raina and the others anticipated. Whatever might happen, Michelle's silence revealed an inner conflict. Marc had remained loyal to Paul's regime. A situation that created lasting tensions in their relationship.

Additionally, any connection to the coven or Saint Anthony's felt jeopardized. Validation for Michelle's absence from the sect and Marc's indifference toward Harold's journals. Duel pursuits with dreadful consequences.

"You're worried," Raina observed.

"He's my brother," Michelle confessed. "However, like Karen, Marc seems obsessed with obtaining power."

"I know, but Paul will oppose such ambition," Raina assumed.

"In that case, what happens to Marc?" Michelle questioned.

Presenting a lone, smoky candle, Raina contemplated.

"Your siblings are his only connection to reality," she explained. "Although, like many others, he'll have to make a choice."

"Choice?" Michelle whispered.

"Between family and power," she admitted. "The same choice Katherine faced seventeen years ago."

"Except, like her family, she's gone," Rachelle said.

Raina smiled.

"Don't be so sure."