Lily
The forest was quieter that night, as though the trees themselves were holding their breath for me. My second circle training had been a blur of sleepless nights, precise incantations, and barrier work so intricate my fingertips still ached from the sigil burns. But I'd done it.
The spellbook's shimmering seal had opened for me, its runes spilling light across the cabin walls as it marked my completion. The book itself had conjured the ceremonial badge; an obsidian crescent framed in silver and placed it gently into my hands.
"Witch of the Second Circle," I whispered to myself, a smile tugging at my lips. I had earned it; without shortcuts, without leaning on anyone's magic but my own. My path to the Grand Witch's rank was no longer a dream. It was waiting.
And then the air shifted.
Cold crept over my shoulders like a silk shawl, and the faint scent of white sage filled the room. I turned…
…and nearly forgot how to breathe.
She stood there, radiant and terrible in her power, her form shimmering yet solid enough to command the space. My grandmother, Miriam. Not as I remembered her in life, but in the full regalia of a Grand Witch—deep midnight robes stitched with constellations, a crown of woven silver and bone, the staff of moonlight clutched in her hand.
"Grandmother…" My voice cracked on the word. "Why…why now? You've been silent since I arrived. I thought…"
"That I'd abandoned you?" she asked, her tone both sharp and amused. "No, child. I wanted you to walk this path on your own. Every barrier, every sigil, every sleepless night, you earned. Had I stepped in too soon, the victory would not be yours."
Her words sank deep, a warmth blooming beneath my ribs despite the frost in the air. "So… this was all a test?"
"A proving," she corrected. "And you passed. With more strength than I dared hope for." Her gaze softened, though her presence still hummed with power. "You are ready for the next step."
I straightened unconsciously, my fingers curling around the obsidian crescent. "What is it?"
"At the next full moon," she said, her voice low and resonant, "you will find and gather your blood sisters again. My coven—now your coven—awaits its leader. The spellbook will guide you to each of them, but you must be the one to bring them home."
Blood sisters. The words stirred something deep inside me…a sense of belonging I'd never dared to hope for. "Grandmother, I…"
But before I could finish, the air rippled like disturbed water, and she was gone.
Only the faint scent of sage remained, and the thrum of the spellbook on the table, its pages already beginning to turn toward something new.
That night, in celebration of my successful Second Circle graduation, I decided to treat myself the way I deserved. I pressed fresh grapes with a simple spell, watching them burst into shimmering juice before the magic coaxed it into a rich, ruby-red wine. The sweet scent filled the cabin like a promise.
My stomach growled. It had been far too long since I'd had a proper meal. So, with a small hunting charm, I caught a plump bush animal, cleaned it, and set it to roast over a slow flame. The meat hissed and sizzled, its fat dripping into the fire and releasing a mouth-watering aroma.
By the time I stepped out onto the patio with my cup of wine, the forest beyond the cabin was bathed in silver moonlight. I was having a field day with warm fire, good food, fine wine, and the rare taste of peace.
And then… movement in the trees.
At first, I thought it was just the shadows playing tricks, but the figure drew closer. Step by step, the shape of a man emerged. My fingers tightened around my cup. His face came into focus, and my heart stuttered in my chest. I knew that face.
Elis.
The cup of wine halted halfway to my lips. I froze, the taste of grapes lingering unfulfilled on my tongue. He walked with that same steady grace, and when his smile broke through the night, it was the exact one I remembered; warm, knowing and dangerous in how easily it could undo me.
My breath faltered. My mind screamed that it wasn't possible, and yet there he was, close enough now for the firelight to gild his jaw, close enough for me to see the faint crinkle at the corner of his eyes.
"Elis…" My voice cracked on his name. "How…what are you doing here?"
He stood there at the edge of the firelight, leaning casually on a wooden pole as though he'd been there forever. His golden eyes locked on mine, that same look of half-admiration, half-awe he used to give me when we were alone. But there was something deeper this time… hotter.
"What do you think, Lily?" His voice was low, almost rough. "I miss you, goddammit. Tika's been too dormant and… I couldn't function. I just had to come looking for you."
I blinked, my grip tightening around the cup. "You… left the palace? The kingdom? Came all the way here… because you missed me?"
He smiled faintly, stepping closer, the firelight catching in his eyes. "Is this how you welcome me? You don't miss me?" He tilted his head, feigning offense, but there was an edge beneath the playfulness.
"I…" I faltered, then sighed. "I'm sorry. Of course I missed you. Come inside."
I led him into the cabin, my guard softening against my better judgment. I poured him a cup of wine, pushing it across the table. "Do you want meat? It's fresh."
He shook his head, his gaze never leaving my face. Or maybe my body. "No. I only want to look at you."
Heat crept into my chest. We sat and I started telling him about my graduation, about earning my Second Circle and Miriam's appearance. His lips curved in a proud smile. "I knew you'd make it. You're unstoppable."
But even as he spoke, he was loosening his robe slowly and deliberately, in that same private way Elis always used to, when the night was about to turn into something else entirely.
I should have stopped him. I shouldn't be sleeping with him since my training wasn't completely done. But I didn't.
Our eyes locked, and the air between us thickened. He shrugged the robe off his shoulders and pulled off his inner tunic, the firelight painting gold against his skin. Then he reached for my hand, his fingers warm and sure, leading me toward my room without a word.
My breath quickened. My fingers trembled as I reached to unfasten my gown…
And then the air dropped cold. From the corner of the room, a voice cut through like a blade. "That's not Elis."
I froze. James stood there; pale as mist and eyes hard, his ghostly form flickering against the walls.
The man holding my hand smiled faintly… but it wasn't Elis's smile anymore.