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“Hey! Maya!”
Maya looked up from locking her car to see Steve jogging towards her. Relief washed over her; she was glad he was the first person she encountered at school today. Her smile was genuine as he reached her side. “Hey, Steve!”
“I am so sorry about last night,” he said, flinching a little as he fell into step beside her. “Mom was really unfair.”
“It’s okay,” she shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant.
“That’s it? Really?” He blinked in surprise. “Beverly slapped me first thing this morning.”
“Ouch.” She examined his face. “There’s no mark though, so thankfully her nails didn’t scratch the skin.”
He nodded, walking alongside her towards the school building. “So, did anything interesting happen last night that I missed out on?”
Oh, had it ever! But Maya kept her expression neutral. “Not really, it was a bust,” she lied, giving him her most disappointed look. “It wasn’t even spooky.”
“Well, still, sorry I didn’t make it.” He looked up when some of his friends called his name, nodding in their direction. “Talk to you later then.”
With that, he jogged over to his friends, exchanging high-fives and laughing.
“I never liked high-fivers,” Angelo declared from behind her.
Turning around, Maya came face to face with Harper and the Drones—though she wondered if she should still call them that. Jason stood closest to her, holding out a single rose with an apologetic and hopeful expression. “A rose for a rose?”
Maya felt a swirl of resentment, anger, and inadequacy. The hurt from when Jason and Dawson had left her still stung. A part of her wanted to be spiteful. She still felt betrayed by Dawson and Jason, unsure about Angelo or Sam, and resented Harper Medley for her role in it all. It was childish to blame everything on Harper, especially when the girl had never been unkind to her. But Maya had abandonment issues stemming from her mother’s departure and then her best friends had left too. It had really messed with her mind and self-esteem, making her wonder if something about her drove people away.
Yet, she missed Dawson and Jason so much that she was willing to give these others a chance just to have her boys back in her life. So, she received the rose gracefully and pressed a kiss to Jason’s cheek.
Blushing, Jason gave her a beautiful smile, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. Harper beamed, hugging herself. “I’m so glad that you and the boys are reconciled. They really missed you.”
Maya wasn’t sure what to make of the brunette, so she just nodded and looked around.
“Now that you’re awakened and Dawson says you actually believe us, we should meet up after school to explain things to you,” Harper announced, clearly in charge of the operation. “Though, to be fair, Aunt Clarissa will have most of the answers. She’s the only one from the old Coven who’s still around and active, so she’s been mentoring us.”
“Old Coven?” Maya frowned.
“Yes. Remember, I told you we were connected.” Harper smiled brightly, sensing Maya’s interest. “This goes way back, especially your family, Sam’s, and mine.”
“Huh?” Maya was getting more and more confused.
“I say screw school,” Sam announced, searching in his leather jacket for something. “Let’s swing by the Brew now and get this over with.”
“The Brew?” Maya turned her green gaze on him. “The old abandoned restaurant?”
Angelo nodded, his hands in his jersey’s pockets. “Apparently, it’s where the old Coven used to hang out and practice magic and stuff.”
They kept mentioning this “old Coven,” driving her insane with curiosity.
“I don’t know if we should skip,” Harper said, making a face, clearly uneasy with the idea.
“Me neither,” Dawson agreed, looking around nervously as if the principal might appear at any moment.
“I’m going to skip either way.” Sam pulled out a cigarette, whispered something, and the end lit up as he took a drag. “So who’s coming with me?”
“You’re going to get cancer like that,” Harper scolded, making a face at his cigarette.
“Or worse, give it to us,” Angelo grumbled.
Rolling his eyes, clearly uninterested in their opinions, Sam turned to Maya. “You in?”
From the outside, the Brew looked rundown, unattractive, and in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint. The inside wasn’t much different, but it held a certain fascination. The smell of incense permeated every corner of the building, mixing with the musty scent of old books and herbs. Symbols adorned the walls and floors, and calendars displaying the moon’s cycles and their magical properties hung prominently. Shelves held an array of magical instruments that Maya recognized from the countless magic-oriented movies she’d watched growing up.
There was a section dedicated to growing herbs and plants, another section that housed a miniature library filled with ancient-looking books, and yet another with a table engraved with mystical designs, scattered with various magical tools. There was also a cozy area with sofas, clearly a recreational spot for the group when they weren’t engaged in spellwork. The signs of recent use were unmistakable.
“Welcome to home sweet home,” Sam announced, arms spread wide as he did a little twirl before throwing himself down on one of the sofas.
Maya gazed around, taking it all in. Who would have thought that the Brew hid something like this inside?
“I’m going to get something to drink, would anyone like something?” Harper asked, heading towards a door at the back.
“Coke,” Sam called from his spot on the sofa, still in his combat boots.
“Me too, please,” Angelo nodded, surprising Maya when he picked up a watering can and began tending to the plants.
“I’ll help you,” Jason offered, following Harper into the other room.
“It’s a lot to take in, I know,” Dawson said from beside Maya.
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“Yeah...” Maya blinked, watching Angelo adjust some special lights over the plants. “I didn’t think he even knew what plants were.”
“I, uh, meant this place.”
“Oh, right.” Tearing her gaze away from Angelo, Maya sent Dawson a sheepish smile. “I’m still trying to process everything that’s been happening.”
The front door opened and closed. “And that’s completely understandable.”
Maya turned to see Clarissa Jackson sauntering towards them, a smile on her face.
Clarissa was known as the town’s “gossip,” despite being only in her early forties. Rumor had it that the reason she’d never married was because Mr. Woods had been the love of her life. There might have been something to that, considering the always polite but distant relationship between Mrs. Woods and Clarissa. Now that Maya thought about it, Clarissa didn’t really have “friends.” People had noticed that while she smiled a lot, the smile never reached her eyes. There was something unsettling in those eyes that had always unnerved Maya, and still did.
“So, Harper tells me that the blackout near the Shack was your doing.” Clarissa announced as she reached Maya, circling her with an odd smile. “That’s impressive, especially considering you’re the least trained. When Harper awoke, it started to rain.”
Maya didn’t like giving this woman her back, having never really liked Clarissa and liking her even less now that she was examining her like cattle.
“You don’t have to be so wary, honey. You’re amongst family now.” Clarissa finally stopped, clasping her hands in front of her.
“Everyone keeps saying that, but I don’t get how being witches makes us family.” Maya didn’t back down, staring into the older woman’s eyes.
Clarissa nodded, as if she’d expected this. Given that Maya was the last to “awaken” magically, she probably had had to answer these questions for the others as well. “You see, doll, it’s much more than just the witchcraft that binds us together. There are other witch families in Harvest Grove, but they’ve never been a part of our coven. It’s always been the Dawsons, the Stiles, the Grants...names that have been altered and changed over time to hide from Witch Hunters.”
Maya listened, her curiosity piqued despite her wariness. “So, it’s about bloodlines?”
“Exactly,” Clarissa affirmed. “Our coven is bound by blood and magic. Our ancestors made pacts and sacrifices to protect our lineage and power. It’s a legacy we all share, whether we realize it or not.”
Maya took a deep breath, trying to absorb everything. “And now that I’m...awakened, I’m part of this legacy too?”
“Yes,” Clarissa smiled, this time more genuinely. “And with your awakening, our coven grows stronger. You have a vital role to play, Maya. More than you can imagine.”
Maya felt a mix of fear and excitement. Her life had changed so drastically, and it seemed like it was only the beginning. “What happens now?”
“Now,” Clarissa said, placing a hand on Maya’s shoulder, “we prepare. There are threats out there, both old and new. But together, we can face them. You are not alone in this, Maya. We are your family, and we stand together.”
Maya nodded, feeling the weight of her newfound responsibilities but also a strange sense of belonging. She looked around at the others, realizing that despite everything, she wasn’t alone. She had a family now, bound by blood and magic, ready to face whatever came their way.
“So, you’re saying there are other witches in Harvest Grove?” Maya asked, her surprise evident.
Clarissa pouted slightly, appearing put out. “Yes, but they don’t matter. They are practically not even witches. Our six families were the ones with true power.”
Maya wasn’t interested in the other families. “So, my mother was in your coven, which I’m assuming is the ‘old’ coven everyone keeps mentioning.”
A flicker of annoyance crossed Clarissa’s face before she exhaled and smiled. “Yes, Gale was a very strong witch, made the Burns name proud. Her sister... not so much.” Clarissa’s expression soured briefly. “Back in the day, as you kids call it now, we had a coven of our own. Your mother, Dawson’s mother, Angelo’s father, Sam’s father, Jason’s mother, and I... we were all part of it.”
“Why you and not Harper’s mother?” Maya asked, still confused.
Clarissa’s smile brightened. “Oh, you see, honey, in powerful families, the eldest child is usually the one with the most power. If a family has many members of both sexes, the eldest male and the eldest female will inherit their parent’s true powers. Still, the firstborn of all the siblings will be the strongest overall.”
That was a long and complicated way of answering the question.
“And since I never had a child and Jessie did, our family gift passed on to Harper.” Clarissa flicked her long dark hair over her shoulder with a proud smile. “By birthright, she is the leader of this coven.”
“So, my father has no magical abilities?”
“Joseph Burns?” Clarissa chuckled, shaking her head. “No, child, your father is completely normal. Not a bit of magic in him.”
Maya felt insulted on her father’s behalf by the derisive way Clarissa said that. “Thank God.”
The smile slipped from Clarissa’s lips.
“Aunt Clarissa!” Harper grinned as she and Jason returned from what must have been a kitchen, carrying a tray with glasses of ice while Jason held a gallon of Coke.
“Oh darling, let me help you,” Clarissa said, moving to assist her niece.
Rolling her eyes, Maya turned her back on them and gazed around the room, curiosity drawing her toward the plants.
“I know she might seem like it, but she’s not such a total bitch,” Angelo said, surprising her. His expression was amused. “She’s just one of those old people who have only done one great thing in their lives, and they tend to live vicariously through those memories, you know? So try to go a little easier on her.”
Maya glanced over at Clarissa, who was charming Dawson into doing something for her, then back at Angelo. “Why are you being civil with me now? The kiss wasn’t that good.”
He snorted in amusement, tilting his head to the side, his golden hair falling into his face. “I was only such a jackass to you because I was getting sick of waiting for you to awaken. A coven is six. Extreme emotions are supposed to make your powers manifest quicker, and I figured anger should work on you like it did on me.” His lips curled into a smile. “Have to admit, though, if I’d known that kissing you was the key to everything, I would have done that a long time ago.”
Maya scoffed, trying to hide the blush darkening her cheeks.
“You know, that was your first taste of magic... mine,” Angelo leaned closer, his voice low and teasing. “For all intents and purposes... I was your first.”
“Dream on, Quarterback.” She slowly pushed him away, avoiding eye contact.
“Angelo!” Clarissa’s voice cut through the moment. “Why don’t you come and help Harper over here?”
“Sure thing.” Angelo nodded, moving away from the table and heading towards Clarissa.
Out of the corner of her eye, Maya noticed Sam beckoning her over with a curled finger. She narrowed her eyes but figured she had nothing to lose, walking over and sitting down next to him on the sofa as he slid to a seated position.
“She enjoys the attention,” Sam said, leaning in and casting a glance at Clarissa, who was laughing flirtatiously with the others. “I think she figures herself a MILF... which she kind of is, in an aunt sort of way.”
Maya’s lips twitched into an amused smile. Sam was the one person she hadn’t quite figured out. He’d been best friends with Dawson and Jason before she moved to Harvest Grove, but something had changed, and their friendship had faded by the time she arrived. He’d been a geek and loner fascinated with bugs, the one picked on, known to have a bad relationship with his mother. Yet, the guy sitting next to her now was none of those things.
“I’m probably going to hit that one day,” Sam said, nodding towards Clarissa.
Maya chuckled, shaking her head. “Is that so?”
“Oh yeah. I’m working my game plan. So far it involves a lot of rum.”
“For her or you?”
Sam turned to her, grinning a large, toothy grin. “Where have you been all my life? These guys are all uptight!”
She smiled, but her gaze shifted to something hanging above the sofa. Her smile faded as she stood, reaching up to pull the picture off its hook on the wall. Sitting back down, she studied the six young faces smiling at her in the faded photograph. Many were familiar, one horribly so. Her fingers trailed over her mother’s face, unable to believe that Gale had truly been a witch—and a happy one, judging by her huge smile.
“It’s trippy, huh?” Sam’s gaze joined hers on the picture. “Seeing them our age, knowing they were more advanced magically than we are...” His eyes lingered on his father’s face. “You’d think we would have been raised closely, the way they were.”
“They were raised close?” Maya looked up at him, surprised.
“Yeah. Apparently, most families groom covens before they’re formed,” Sam nodded. “And just like Clarissa said earlier, your family and mine, as well as hers, have been in a coven ever since medieval France.”
“Now that is trippy.” She shook her head before standing up to rehang the picture. Sitting back down, she wore a pensive expression. “This doesn’t seem real.”
“Want me to pinch you?” Sam waggled his eyebrows at her.
She turned her gaze on him and shook her head, lips twisting into a smile. “I’ll pass, thanks.”
He grinned back. “Probably a wise choice. I’ve been told I have a vicious streak.”