The Coven

Chapter 2

"She's mad, but she's magic. There's no lie in her fire." - Charles Bukowski

"Bye darling." Ember dwindled away with a snap of her fingers. Her flames wearing out her body only to be reborn in a new place. A Phoenix emerging on a crossroad polluted by the fall leaves and dead grass. Gravel crunching under her feet as she headed down the weary road.

The road swirled down with a broken down house at the end of it. Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The house was an old mansion overrun by mold and desperation which housed the Coven. Hidden from sight from ordinary humans by an simple cloak potion. Anyone who recalled the house simply forgot it as a dream from ages ago.

Ember titled her black hat at the cat placed on the porch. She used to think that the cat had been a person when she was young, like Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter. It was not. It was only a stray that had been used for target practice by the angry witches and stuffed with lavender to give off a nice aura. As if it justified what they did.

Knocking on the door Xander opened it, the servant.

"Yes?" Xander answered winking at the witch. He was a thin boy no older than 18 appearing as if he was suffering from starvation. His bones daring to escape his pale skin frame.

"Could you be anymore a player?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"  A nauseating feeling aroused in Ember.

"Slaves don't get to fuck queens. Light my cigarette?" Pulling out a cigarette from her pocket she placed inbetween her lips waiting for him to light it.

"Yes ma'am." A useless task. Ember could've done it with a tap of her index finger. Though it wasn't quite as much fun as making Xander do it.

"The Mistress is in the study."

"Thank you." Ember said sarcastically shoving past him. Walking down the hallway of the beaten house, excitement daring to burst her apart.

This was it. Ember's moment. Everyone has that moment they have been working for. This was hers, to finally be a member of the Coven. No longer a puny student at Saint Mary's academy. No longer barely making it through the aching days where she would be lit on fire. The jokes, lighting her clothes on fire yelling her name. She could still hear the other witches laughter, taunting her. It was still more vivid than her begs to stay alive before Ember made them an inferno.

Her past will burn with the brightness of her future. Working hard to pass the initiation was what kept her going. Through the Trials and torture to even homicide. She did it all for her future.

Bringing her beaten knuckles to knock on the door.

Knock

"Come in." Her future was not bright, it was not a flash, not a realization. Instead it was an old woman sitting in front of the desk wearing an invisible self proclaimed crown. Around her stood her court clad in black. The two stood to her left with no names given to them. The Mistresses pouring herself another drink.

The Mistresses. A silly name she had given to herself to cover her childish one given at birth.

"I suppose you passed and if not then this, it is just embarrassing." She said with a monotone voice. The Mistress did not even look up at her. Instead she was glued to paper work laid out in front of her and the alcohol in her bloodstream.

"I did it." A smile formed against the Mistresses wrinkly skin.

"You did?"  Ember nodded happily,

"I made sure she screamed." The Mistresses laughed. Loudly. The court stood next to her in full attention frightened. She never laughed.

"You imbecile!" Laughter silenced and hollering followed.

"I told you to kill a person. Not make a scene!" The Mistresses fist banged against the table.

"I'm sorry ma'am."

"and put out that fucking cigarette." With a roll of the Mistress's eyes the cigarette flew out of Embers hand and darted across the floor. Fueled with rage Ember almost dared to hurt the Mistresses. She was going to if it was not for a member of her court who spoke out.

"Another witch?" It was not a voice, but echo running through Ember's head. A whisper.

"Another witch!" The Mistresses yelled pointing her finger at Ember,

" you weren't going to tell me?" Ember didn't feel the need to.

"How did you know?" Ember asked, her whole body shaking from fear but never daring to show it. She could not.

The Mistress made an annoying ticking noise with her mouth.

"See my blind friend?," pointing at a hunched over woman with cotton eyes "She is gifted. She can read your pathetic mind. Now, the witch?"

"The witch is gone. I left her."

"Another witch of Salem and you just give her up?!?" The Mistress's bony fingers rubbing her forehead in angst.

"What is her name?"

"I don't know."

Juniper Bishop.

"Why did you not tell me?" Ember could not find a reason why not.

"You are lucky you were blessed with pyrokinesis or else you would be burned at the stake for withholding. Not as if that would kill you. If it was not for my kindness and generosity you would be a low life, married to a gardener with too many children that you somehow put in a single car. You aren't even a true witch a Salem, you are Mixed,

But we are low in sisters, and your powers are rare. Lucky Mix. Leave. Now! Someone call in the replaceable servant." The Mistresses demanded coldly. The air around her making Ember shiver.

Everything! Everything she had worked for was thrust aside because Juniper had to be there. She was being treated like ash. Anger raged in her making her face burn red. Storming out of the room she slowed her pace to take it all in. All of the anger.

"Goodbye Darling." Xander called out placed against the broken stairs fixing his greasy hair and smiling with his crooked grin.

"Darling, that is my line." Flames rose capturing Xander and his screams. He was a Christmas tree being turned on. The lights flickering on, one by one.

Running around in circles trying to escape the fire wrapping so tightly around him. The scent of burning flesh filled the house making The Mistresses coughing loudly down the hall. 

Ember grabbed her hat and tilted it towards him before heading out leaving a dying Xander. He was replaceable anyway.