BitchCraft: Covens and Tribes.

Chapter 2: The Council

Queenie, Zoe and Kyle walked down the majestical staircase silently. Each in deep thought, as the hot night air violently wrapped itself around them, coaxing it's way into their lungs. 

They moved in unison through the white walled hallway of the building, none admiring it's delicate, simplistic grandeur.  These were no longer the hormonal young adults that had walked through those same hallways less than a year ago. No, they were all new creatures, born again, if you will. In three weeks they had learned more spells and devised more survival plans than in all their previous months at the Academy combined. They were knowledgeable, they were confident. They had to be, after all, they were The Council.

Now in the green room, Zoe made her way through the brushes, expertly picking leaves from different plants, while Queenie and Kyle stood on opposite ends of the wooden table in the center of the room.

"Whatchu doin'?" Queenie was the first to ask, her eyes following Zoe around the room as she dashed from one end to the other. In a second, Zoe was standing by Kyle.

"Baby, I told you not to do that anymore. It's too dangerous. What if you land in the middle of a wall or something. Remember what happened last time?"

"I've been practicing, I'm better at it now. Open." Sorting a few of the leaves she had just gathered together,  Zoe held her hands up to Kyle's face. Kyle opened his mouth, Zoe stuffed the herbs in. In a nano second she was standing by Queenie. "Your turn."

"Oh hell nawh. What the hell is this shit." 

"It's a mind sedative and stimulant." Queenie stared at her confused.

"Think of it as a contradiction, like a Starbucks. It relaxes the mind, while enhancing positive focus at the same time. It's what I've been using these past weeks. How do you think I've managed to stay so cool about everything?"

Zoe did have a point, Queenie noted. Usually, she was the weakest of them, quickest to panic when shit hit the fan, but, somehow during these past weeks, she and Kyle had been the calmest in the Academy. 

"Eat some first." Queenie shot back. As much as she wanted to wholly trust her fellow council member, she just couldn't bring herself to do so. After all, the former council had met their demise the same way. 

Zoe placed some of the herbs in her mouth and chewed, visible irritated. Queenie reluctantly opened her mouth. Zoe fed her the leaves.

Almost immediately Queenie could feel her muscles relax, as the herbs worked  their magic.

They all exchanged glances.

"Calling the council into order!" Zoe's voice was youthful, yet firm.

"First things first, how do we get rid of those bastards outside?"

"I can take care of that." Kyle spoke, his voice equally as firm. He might not be as powerful as the girls, but he was no mere human, either.  Against the witches he fell short, but against the humans, he could definitely put up a good fight.  This was his school, his home. These were his girls.  He was willing to die, again, defending and protecting them.

"No!" Zoe quickly interjected. "There's too many of them. They could hurt you, maybe even..."

She let the word hand in the air.

"What other choice do we have? We're running out of options... Miss Cordelia should be here, helping us make these decisions."

"Let her sleep. Ain't like she gonna say anything helpful, anyways." Queenie said. Zoe had finally succeeded in convincing Cordelia They had all watched her quick decline following following the Ascension. Almost as abruptly as she had gained all that glorious power, so had she lost it. She was back to being the Cordelia they were accustomed to. Fiona's fidgety, self-doubting potion making daughter, not the Supreme they needed during such troubling times. As much as they all hated to admit it to themselves, they needed something different. Someone opposite to Cordelia. She had to be cunning, and manipulative and without fear or remorse. 

Queenie knew understood what she had to do! 

Referte ad me dolor! 

Instantaneously Queenie fell against the hard surface of the green house, her big black body, writhing as she cried in pain.

Zoe and Kyle hurried to her side.

"What happened?" Kyle asked, as they both hovered over her.

"I don't know...Queenie, what's wrong? Queenie, say something. Damn! Kyle, go get Cordelia!"

Without another word, Kyle jumped up, charging for the exit door. Suddenly, the lights flicker, then go off completely. A cool most sips into the the potted room, bringing with it varying smells. Some sweet and bold, others rancid and vile. 

Zoe shivered. Queenie stops trashing about on the floor, laying absolutely still. 

A tall, drawn out shadow runs across the wall. 

"Who are you?"

Kyle braces himself, fist raised, ready for a fight. "Show yourself!"

From behind him Zoe screamed. Kyle swiveled around, growling like the guard dog Fiona has enchanted him to be. Starring down at Zoe and Kyle was an unusually lanky Blackman, dressed in formal overcoats and a cowboys hat. His lips pulled apart in a nightmarish smile, revealing fang-like yellow teeth. But the most terrifying thing about this creature hovering over them was not his alabaster white face, or his claw like hands, but those eyes. Glistening red in the darkness. Vicious. Deadly. This was no ordinary apparition. Death, itself, was standing in the green house of Miss Robichaux's Academy.

"What the...what are you?" Kyle managed.

"I was called, I have come." The creature said, almost jovially. His voice rumbling like a silent storm.

Kyle glances at Zoe, questioningly, she shakes her head, no.

"Who--who summoned you?"  Zoe's voice was but a whisper in the night. 

"I did!" Queenies eyes fly open, she stares up, directly into the glowing red eyes of Papa Legba.