Salem, Massachusetts. 1939
"Thank you, Rosemary, for doing this for me," Audrey muttered between hits of her cigarette. She sat, legs crossed casually, across from seventeen-year-old Rosemary. There was something graceful about the old woman's appearance. Her gown flowed an uninterrupted periwinkle from her shoulders to her feet. She was the epitome of beauty and style in her prime, and the style had clearly transcended her age.
"It's my pleasure. You're not up for it anymore, anyways." Rosemary looked away from the withering Supreme of the coven in disgust, instead looking at the beauty of what would become her bedroom.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. You couldn't revive a fly if you wanted to, let alone rule an entire coven."
"I could throw you six ways from Sunday if I truly had the desire to do so, you ungrateful-"
"No, you couldn't," Rosemary cut her off abruptly. Audrey was shocked. "You're weak and old. You're practically dead." Rosemary tore the cigarette from between Audrey's fingers across the room and began to inhale from it before spitting on the floor in disgust.
"If you can't handle a little tobacco, you won't even make it through one of the seven wonders," Audrey sighed at the fate of her coven. "Foolish girl."
Rosemary laughed in her face. "The tobacco? No, that cigarette just tasted like cobwebs. Brush your teeth, please. I know you'll be alive for another week, tops, but that doesn't mean you should head to hell with bad breath." She stomped out the old cigarette and pulled a new one from the box, lighting it with her finger and inhaling. As she exhaled intentionally into Audrey's face, the coven's Supreme stood up and looked at the Supreme-to-be in disgust.
"I'll see you downstairs for the ceremony. Wear your finest dress; with any luck, you'll be buried in it," Audrey smirked at Rosemary, who scoffed as the old woman exited her office with the assistance of her cane.
"I'm burying you," Rosemary whispered at the closed door.
Downstairs, all forty-seven witches of the coven waited for their Supremes; both current, and future. Finally, a made-up woman of seventy-four years landed her first step on the spiral staircase with Rosemary at her side. Their arms intertwined as they stepped gracefully down the steps, smiling as if they each took great pleasure in the other's company. Rosemary looked in awe at Audrey as they reached the last step and Audrey halted.
"Hello, my children," Audrey whispered just loud enough that it was audible.
"Hello, Audrey," scattered voiced collected into one to greet the reigning Supreme.
Audrey grinned. The respect shown to her was heartwarming, especially when she had just experienced such a lack of said respect from the one person who should respect her the most. "As most of you know, Rosemary here has exhibited tremendous ability and garnered my attention in such a way that I have been considering her worthiness of taking my position as your Supreme."
The witches applauded at Audrey's statement in acknowledgment before quieting to allow her to continue.
"Today, we are going to get on with the Seven Wonders. As you well know, the Seven Wonders are a series of tests used to determine whether or not a witch is the Supreme. The Seven Wonders include Concilium, Divination, Transmutation, Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, Vitalum Vitalus, and Descensum. The seven tests are all extremely deadly, and failure to complete even one will kill you, meaning you are not the Supreme. I completed them successfully in my prime. Rosemary, we will begin with Concilium today at sundown and, should you pass, carry on with each test each day at sundown until you either fail one or pass Descensum. I thank you all for your time, and we will see you all at sundown to support your fellow witch."
