Coveted [New/Revised Version]

CHANCELLOR CONVERGENCE

     A shiver travelled down Iris' spine while she stood outside of Zairian's future crypt. Only fifteen measly minutes passed since she arrived but it felt like hours. If there was anywhere she hated most in the world, it was cemeteries. It felt as if Death breathed down her neck at every turn and if that feeling didn't torment her, then the various emotions of the earthbound would. The could see some and some, thankfully, she couldn't.

Iris skimmed the cemetery grounds, but found no visible signs of the ancient warlock's approach. She started tapping her booted foot. Where was he? A glance at her phone told her it was drawing close to five thirty. So far, only she, Penelope, Sue, and Chantelle were standing in front of the notoriety's mausoleum.

She grimaced.

It would be a shame if Samael didn't show. Especially after all she and Sue went through. She wondered if he was planning his escape or revenge just then. Iris concluded it was likely the latter.

One of the ebony doors slid open, pushing back the downy blanket behind it, and Penelope walked out. She raked a hand through her hair while she looked at her three granddaughters. Iris noted there were heavy dark circles under the older woman's eyes. She probably hadn't had a good night's sleep in days or maybe even weeks. Between locating the remaining members of the First Coven bloodlines, then actually getting them to bless the stake was a challenge.

Perhaps the biggest challenge was the Miliano bloodline.

Very little was known about them after the disbandment of the First Coven other than Lola didn't want anything to do with the coven, surreptitiously or otherwise. Her views about what happened to Zairian caused her to form The Rectifying Order, which her family led until about six hundred years ago. It was then Iris discovered why Acadia's tattoos seemed familiar. She saw that image again in the family's grimoire—hooded women with viney markings. They were members of The Rectifying Order. However, a different pedigree led it now.

Thankfully, the world they lived in was small. As it turned out, Sky's wife, Nefarious, was a descendant of Lola's. In light of her recent death, Iris thought that it was all over. That they didn't have hope left but Nefarious wasn't the most "recent" progeny. She had a daughter named Serenity and after some convincing—meaning kissing up on Sky's part—she finally did bless the stake.

Now only one dynasty was left; the Ballords. Unlike the other Coven members who married each other, Slater chose to wed outside of the assemblage. Their fate was more of a mystery than Drusilla's bloodline. Sometime around the seventeenth century, track of them was lost. Now when it mattered most, they were nowhere to be found.

"Well," her grandmother said, drawing their attentions, "we'll do this the way we planned in the first place then."

Iris gave her a dim smile. She knew Penelope didn't like Samael's involvement. Neither did Sue for that matter. They only agreed to it because neither could come up with a good enough reason why not other than the obvious. And Iris had made some strong points about why his presence would be constructive.

Since he was their ancestor, most of their magic stemmed from him anyway. Besides, much like when Sky called Penelope Superwitch, he called him Superwarlock for a reason. Samael was gifted. She hadn't seen his abilities with spells firsthand but knew it took a hell of a lot of skill to put a curse like he did on Lisa—and that was in his rookie days.

That was what they needed. More power. It was ironic really considering what started everything. But that didn't change the fact they needed these wards and they needed them to be powerful to hold Zairian.