Orpheus

2

Will could remember the heavy blows, the yells, the sound of skin hitting skin with brute force, then white pain near his throat. The first initiation.

He couldn't keep the memory's panic away as he stood there watching the initiates follow in after Kennedy and Chauncey. The fear crawled throughout his chest, squeezing uncomfortably, almost painfully.

He cleared his throat when the initiates stood in front of him, and Kennedy and Chauncey fell into their places behind him with the rest of the group. The shorter of the initiates glanced at the chairs in a circle around the room and then threw a questioning glance towards the coven.

"You won't need to sit," Will said, "We'll be leaving this room soon anyway."

The black-haired initiate nodded and shifted awkwardly. Will could tell the younger boy felt uncomfortable, so he sent a glance at Grey, hoping he would get the message.

Grey's sharp eyes met Will's, and he nodded. The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. The coven seemed to let out one audible breath as one; the two freshman initiates' shoulders slumped at the newfound calm.

Will shifted how he stood, angling himself more towards the initiates. Then he began.

"You've been chosen to join the Society of Orpheus."

His voice was calm, soothing, but strong and constant. A quiver never made itself known in his speech, and he never stuttered. The inerrancy of the way he talked could have been unsettling, should have been unsettling, but it wasn't. It was comforting, lending consistency to the unsure.

Will's eyes flitted between both of the initiates, one with black, inky, cropped hair, and the other with short, light brown hair. He wondered what power their beings would take from the lake. That was always his favorite part of initiation, seeing a glimpse of who the new members of the coven actually were through their power. It was amazing to him.

"Most believe we are a secret society," Will continued, "That's true, but we are not a secret society just because we can be. We are a secret society because most would not understand or believe what we truly are."

He took in the two young men's expressions. Their eyes were hardened in skepticism but curiosity still tinged the edges of their irises. If Will was truly a dictator, he would have Grey change their demeanors, but he wasn't a dictator. He wanted every person in Orpheus to be there because they wanted to be.

"What are you?" the shorter one with the black hair — Sam, he thought Kennedy had told him the boy's name was — asked.

Will was surprised at Sam's question. No one ever really interrupted him during his small entry speech. Nevertheless, he answered, "We are warlocks, a coven." Then his hands found his tie, quickly removing it and slipping the silky material into his pocket. He started unbuttoning his shirt to reveal the sign of Orpheus, the sign that unified them: a scar running from his right collarbone, right next to his throat, to his right shoulder.

The other seven in the coven followed Will's action, each revealing a savage scar in the same place Will's was. The leader gauged the initiates' reactions. Both seemed confused, shifting uncomfortably and looking anywhere in the room but at the warlocks surrounding them.

"I assure you," Will stated, "we are not Satanic or anything of that nature, as most seem to think. We have more of a bond with nature and the Earth, as that is from where we derive our power."

The taller of the initiates turned his sharp eyes to Will. "This is stupid. How can you expect us to believe you?" he spat.

"If your skepticism is full-proof, going through with initiation will prove us wrong," another warlock said. Kingston's voice was nonchalant, relaxed, and his stance mirrored his tone. He was slouched, his average frame losing a few inches, and his lips were pursed loosely, always prepared to tilt up into a disarming smile.