us should go? Would too many of us frighten him off?”
Midas set his taco in the middle of his plate. “I can’t go. I’ve got to make some headway on my thesis.”
Chandler viewed Midas as both an exciting new coven member and a mystery. As a person who worked in frayed sweatshirts and welder’s pants and rarely made it past 9:00 a.m. before being covered in grime, she could hardly fathom how Midas managed to always look impeccable. Even the layers of his tacos were as neat as his bead-studded dreadlocks and button-down shirts. Then again, Midas approached everything, including his geomancy, with scientific precision.
“How about if Gar and I go,” Devlin said. “And maybe you too, Chandler. Does that sound good to everyone?”
“I’d like to go,” Chandler said.
As Chloe reiterated where she’d previously seen The Thinker, Chandler got up and fetched an extra napkin for Peregrine. When she returned to her stool, Devlin tapped his knife against his wineglass. “If we can forget about the shapeshifter for a second,” he said, “there’s something else I’d like to discuss while we’re all together. I was going to wait until we finished eating. But, frankly, I can’t keep it to myself any longer.”
“Sounds serious,” Midas said. His attention whipped back to his taco as Brooklyn pinched a ribbon of cheese off the top of it. He playfully swatted her hand. “No stealing.”
She popped the cheese into her mouth. “If you’re not nice, I won’t tell you what Devlin’s talking about.”
Midas frowned. “You know?”
“Uh-huh. I saw it in the cards this morning.” Brooklyn licked her lips, drawing out the suspense. Today, she was dressed in turquois and dark purple. An embroidered talisman bag and shells dangled from her beaded necklace. Of all of the coven members, Brooklyn always looked the most like the mainstream concept of a witch—albeit, a young Haitian version. Chandler liked Brooklyn and trusted her, though she did have lingering mixed feelings about how Brooklyn had continued to support Rhianna even after the rest of them had realized something was horrifically wrong with her. Still, when it came down to it, Brooklyn had turned her back on Rhianna. An act that was admirable and took a lot of courage.
“Want to give us a clue?” Chandler said to her.
Brooklyn smiled smugly. “No. But I know exactly what Devlin has in mind. And I vote yes.”
Chandler rubbed her upper chest, sensing the warmth of her most recent dragon tattoo. “I’m guessing this doesn’t have anything to do with Lionel?”
Devlin lifted his wineglass, toasting her.
Chandler forced a smile, totally confused by the gesture.
Lowering the glass, Devlin continued. “Gar wisely advised us last week to appoint a temporary high priestess. Chloe hoped to fill the position until the situation with the High Council was completely squared away. However, she’s worried about keeping up with her classes.”
“It’ll be a miracle if I pass organic chem,” Chloe said.
Chandler nodded. Actually, she couldn’t see how Chloe kept up at all, let alone achieving the grades she needed to get into medical school.
“At any rate,” Devlin said. “We’ve been talking about who should take Chloe’s place as the coven’s high priestess. I think the choice is obvious.”
As his gaze came her way, Chandler’s breath stalled in her throat. Her? The Northern Circle’s high priestess? She was an adept witch, not a new initiate like Chloe and Em. She’d helped Athena with the day-to-day running of the coven for years. Maybe the choice was obvious, but she’d never considered doing anything other than serving at the right hand of the Circle’s high priestess. “If you’re thinking of me, I’m not the only choice. You need to at least consider Brooklyn.”
Brooklyn held her hands out, like she was fending off the plague. “No way. Without even mentioning how I screwed up with Rhianna, there’s too much garbage that comes with being a high priestess, like dealing with High Council assholes.” She shot a look at Gar. “Sorry, kind of.”
“No insult taken. I pride myself on my asshole ability.” Gar’s expression grew serious. “You want to remember—every coven’s high priest and priestess are automatically eligible to be included on the High Council election ballot. With all the duplicity and political maneuvering currently going on, the possibility of election makes choosing a self-confident and smart high priest and priestess even more vital, and it makes serving more hazardous to those who are chosen.” His voice lightened. “That said, if I were a Northern Circle member, I’d vote for Chandler.”
Midas waved his hand. “I second Chandler’s nomination.”
Chandler could barely think as everyone else raised their hands. She certainly hadn’t seen this coming.
Devlin looked at her steadily. “What do you say, Chandler? I’ve already got absentee votes for you from everyone at the vineyard and from the coven’s other auxiliary members.”
Peregrine gripped her arm. “Do it, Mom. It would be the best thing ever.”
“Ah—” She swallowed hard. Since Devlin had a full-time job as a landscape architect, the high priestess position included managing the complex and overseeing the coven’s businesses. With Brooklyn’s and Em’s help, she could accomplish that as well as her art commissions. Of course, another set of problems could arise if Peregrine did develop the sight and had to be homeschooled.
“You handled the situation with Lionel perfectly,” Devlin said. “I was bordering on trying the same truth-telling technique myself.”
Chandler let her thoughts go deeper. Athena had worked hard to make the coven profitable after her and Devlin’s mother had embezzled from the Circle and run off. But that wasn’t all Athena had done. Athena had seen to it that the coven supported local charities and organizations.
“I can’t think of anyone better.” Em’s voice drifted in the room’s silence. “You’ve supported me, encouraged me to go to AA meetings and driven me to them countless times. You made me feel welcome.”
“You’d be high priestess right away,” Devlin said. “But we could hold off and have the official swearing-in next week on Samhain.”
Sadness swelled in Chandler’s throat. Athena wasn’t coming back, at least not physically. Thanks to Rhianna and the cambion, Magus Dux, Athena was a spirit bound to a diamond that was attached to the key that opened Merlin’s Book of Shadow and Light, a book that had been given to Em by Merlin himself. Athena was now capable of only a fleeting manifestation or a few words. If the book was close by, she could conjoin her magic with the coven, but only briefly.
Chandler looked at them all, one at a time. She wanted more than anything to honor Athena’s memory, to carry on her best friend’s dreams and legacy of charitable works.
“I’ll do it,” she said. It felt terrifying, and beyond right. It felt as if she’d stepped out of a dark forest and into a future she’d been walking toward forever.
Chapter 4
Oak for sovereignty, power, and protection.
Willow
