It’s an ethereal type of grace and beauty that makes others pale in comparison.
“Why are you here?” The last time I saw Mom, she was, quite literally, shoving me out the door. No passing go. No collecting two hundred dollars. She wanted me out of her life once and for all, if only to secure her position as head of the coven. My power has the potential of surpassing hers, and I truly believe that terrifies her. Terrifies her enough to rid herself of her one and only daughter.
“We need to talk,” she states primly, and over her shoulder, on the second sofa, I see Nana sitting ramrod straight. Her hands ball into fists on her lap as she glares at a second figure, one who I hadn’t noticed initially.
“Ryan, come here.” Mom snaps her fingers like an owner summoning a dog, and a moment later, my ex-boyfriend’s brother comes shuffling forward, looking demure and positively fearful. I don’t know Ryan well, having only interacted with him a few times, but I do know that he’s a powerful warlock. I suppose that power makes up for his less than impressive looks. Mousy brown hair tumbling across his forehead, in desperate need of a cut. Shrewd, narrowed eyes, an unassuming shade of brown. Teeth that are slightly too large in his small mouth. Large, prominent nose that crooks at the end from the time he broke it.
This is the man my mom wants me to marry.
“What the fuck is this? Why is he here?” I demand as I look back and forth between the two of them suspiciously. Mom simply puckers her lips, almost like she’s sucking on a lemon, but Ryan gives me a predatory leer when my mom isn’t looking, one that makes me feel dirty. When I catch his gaze, he drops his head to the floor with a submissive whimper.
“We need you to return to the coven,” Mom announces, sashaying forward to tenderly brush at my tangled white hair. Her lips protrude out even further when she takes note of my faded jeans and sweater. Fortunately, Karsyn remembered to put my wet clothes in the dryer before we fell asleep after sex, so I wasn’t forced to wear his T-shirt and boxers home. That would raise a whole multitude of questions I wouldn’t know how to answer. Still, I don’t like my mother this close to me. Something about her sets off every one of my instincts, warring voices inside of me telling me to scream, to run, to fight, to hide. My necklace warms on my skin, and I wrench my hair free of her grip in abject horror.
“Did you just try to use magic on me?” I ask, horrified. Using magic on other witches, especially those in your coven, is as taboo as they come. It’s not a punishable offense, but everyone knows the unspoken rule. And to use it on your own family?
“What is this?” Nana demands, stalking forward until she can wrap a protective arm around my waist. She all but drags me a step behind her, blocking me from view.
Once more, Mom purses her ruby-red lips.
“It was a simple persuasion spell,” Mom dismisses, as if we’re being ridiculous and over-dramatic. But doesn’t she know how intrusive a persuasion spell can be? Is she really that desperate for power that she’d attempt to take away my free will? My stomach turns somersaults as I stare at my mother with new eyes.
“Why do you want her home?” Nana interjects, sounding furious on my behalf. She glares down at her daughter, eyes almost incandescent in anger.
“The reasons are between me and my daughter,” Mom hisses, refusing to be intimidated by the more powerful witch. Her nose wrinkles as if she smells something particularly pungent before she steps away, closer to me. “Peony, please come home. Your coven needs you.”
“What is he doing here?” I point with my chin at Ryan, who lowers his gaze to his shoes. I can’t help but grimace at the squirming man. Ryan and Uriel could not possibly be more different from each other. It’s like a night and day comparison, the moon versus the sun.
Mom appears annoyed by my incessant questioning. She stomps her foot, eyes spewing vitriol, before she gestures for Ryan to step even closer.
“As you know, Ryan is one of the most powerful warlocks of our generation. He’s slated to join the witch’s council once he’s older. The two of you together…”