Everything in me raged below the surface.

'How could I stand there and watch this? Two flames? Shrouded in darkness?'

I rubbed the outside my shirt as I stood beside Mora, feeling the band-aid that adorned my chest where the gem had cut me days before.

'Not hurt one bit? And unusual beings - you mean demons - why aren’t you saying anything about them? About the possibilities, especially with what we found in the scrolls?'

This was quickly becoming so much more than I had signed up for. I wanted to help the coven but not at the cost of betraying this poor girl. She had no idea what was happening to her or what had happened in the past. But if there was something more in Savi, they would need to know. The two conflicts warred inside me, but I stood in silence and watched.

“I need your permission before we continue. I promised we would help, but only if you desire it.” High Elder Mora held her hand as she asked.

“Yes. If there’s a chance you could see more of my past, I’m willing to give it a try.” Savi’s chest rose and fell with her deep breaths.

I wanted to vomit again; I worried for Savi and for myself. The pain and sorrow I had felt the night of our interaction were intense. It had taken days to pass, and I didn't want to repeat that night ever again.

Mora turned to me.

“You may have a seat, please, dear Aster.”

As she spoke, a new chair manifested from thin air beside my grandmother. I walked to take my place at the table. The place I longed to have.

Mora addressed the room. “We need not vote this time. The girl has agreed to the scrying and so scry her we shall.” She snapped her fingers and her amulet appeared beside her, making Savi gasp.

‘Here we go again. Please don’t let anything happen this time.’

I gripped my hands together in my lap. I watched Savi crawl up and lay down on the pentagram. Mora instructed her on her positioning. Once her hands and feet were matching the points, Mora picked up her amulet and placed it on Savi’s sternum. As they had with my scrying, the torches dimmed.

My concern grew greater with the darkness of the room. I was closest to the hallway, so if anything went wrong, I knew where to go. I pushed the thought out of my mind as I reminded myself I couldn’t leave Savi to whatever fate might happen. I would help her no matter what. Something pressed deep inside, warning me—but what?

'She wouldn’t hurt her on purpose, right?'

High Elder Mora stopped and held her hand on Savi’s head. “I’m going to first try to scry through to your flames. I want to see if we can gather anything about the second flame before we try to see to the past. Is that all right?"

Savi cocked her head back and nodded.

‘What? She’s changing the spell?’

Mora reached forward and closed both of Savi’s eyes, then placed her hands on either side of her head and began to chant. “Untral bayes pyre. I call to the power within. Spirits guide me to the flames.” She closed her eyes and repeated her words. “Untral bayes pyre. Reveal to me the flame. Let me reach the root of the magic.” Bowing her head, closer to Savi’s, she repeated, “Untral bayes pyre. I seek the knowledge hidden within its spark. Show me its power.”

Savi’s feet twitched, arms shook, and her body bent upward, her stomach far off the table arching her back to its extreme. She let out a gasp, and her body slammed back to the table. Her eyelids shot open, and I could see the light radiating from her sockets. One eye was glowing bright white and the other a hazy purple. The scrying amulet, somehow still lying on her, glowed with a dull white light. I could see the same purple haze glowing from Savi’s scar on her neck, pulsating in and out of view.

The coven Elders all stirred in their seats, unsure of what to do. High Elder Mora stared at Savi’s body on the table. Fear struck her face, but she still held her hands out to settle everyone else.

“Please, quiet all of you. Now.”

She squinted and moved her face closer to Savi’s head. Mora tilted it upward to get a better look. As her fingertips left her chin, a deep bellowing laugh exited Savi’s throat.

“Uh, uh, uh - not so fast. That one’s not for you, witch," came a voice from within her.

The scrying gem shot off her body toward the High Elder. It slammed into the wall behind her, narrowly missing her head. An eerie green glow formed underneath Savi’s shirt where the gem had been.

Everyone in the room froze. The voice wasn’t Savi's, yet it came from her lips. It was deep and rasping, yet powerful and booming. It seemed to tease Mora with its words, lingering on the word "witch." We all watched as her eyes faded from white and purple to a sickly green that matched the glow of her chest.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Mora had taken a step back, pushing her chair from the table after her scrying gem had flown past her. She looked frozen like the rest. I saw her gripping the long protection-spelled amulet she wore around her neck as she stared at Savi. She stepped toward the table and held her gaze.

“Who are you?” Mora’s voice held strong though her face betrayed it.

The voice laughed, an eerie, cunning laugh; a cat toying with its prey. “I have been known by many names by many people.” It breathed through Savi, and I saw her chest rise and fall as it wheezed in her throat.

“A demon’s name is its most prized possession; I don’t fault you for denying me the knowledge," Mora shot back, just as cunningly.

“Clever, clever little witch. And you who would know oh so much about demons. Tell me, was your pact a success all those years ago?”

I forced my gaze from Savi to Mora. Her eyes had already turned to me, a look of panic in them.

‘What? Mora has never entered a pact before. At least not one that she has ever shared with the coven or that I've heard of. It wouldn’t be possible. What is going on?’

“I do not know of what you speak. Tell me, demon, does this child know what lurks and hides beneath her skin?” She flicked her stare back to Savi’s body.

“So resourceful in years past. I can smell the lingering stench on you. My brethren, the lies, the stories you wove to hide your crimes, dear Sister."

“Answer me now, demon. Does the girl know?” demanded Mora, interrupting it from speaking further.

The demon tisked and Savi smiled wide. "So eager. So ambitious. Not that it will be any of your concern, but no. The child is unaware of my presence as of this moment, but things are getting rather… interesting in the long hours of the night. In the darkness, in her sorrow.” It chuckled deep, an almost guttural growl releasing from deep within Savi’s chest. “Much like the sorrow bestowed upon you, little Aster. Darkness given to you by those you trust.” The chuckle turned into full laughter, and Mora slammed her fist down on the table.

"Enough! If you will not answer my questions, then at least tell me what you are doing with the girl. What is your purpose if you did not enter a pact willingly?”

Ice crept through my veins, and my heart went quiet.

‘How did it know my name? Why did it know my name?’

"Oh, I entered rather willingly. Though I was not invited in the…proper…ways, I was invited nonetheless.”

“So it is safe to say that this girl is indeed one of our kind?” Mora nudged for more answers.

"Oh, most incredibly so and vastly much more. Your pathetic excuse for magic wouldn’t hold a spark to the true power held within this tiny, fragile body. This body not of your time, not of this maddening modern world. But beggars cannot be choosers, as they say. Intervening in ancient and powerful spells can leave you with a mess of your own to clean up. But you already know all about that.” Another deep laugh.

“Release the girl, give her over to us and we can help her. You do not belong in this child; you said so yourself. If she herself did not agree to the pact, then it is null and void, and you are to leave her at once.” High Elder Mora leaned on the table and peered down at Savi’s body.

“Awe, what a pity, you didn’t say the magic word. Her power is mine when the time comes for me to need it. I tire of your little games you play, Mora. You bore me. Be seeing you soon. Ta-ta, little Aster.” Echoing laughter boomed through the room before vanishing.

Savi’s body convulsed hard on the table, her hands and legs shaking violently. The brightness of the glow in her eyes and chest waned to nothing before her body stilled. A gasp loosed from her lungs, and her eyes shot open. She tried to sit up but fell back flat. I rushed to her, not knowing what to do or what to think. All I knew was I had to help.

“Savi, are you there? Savi?” I patted her cheeks, but there was no response. I laid my hand on her chest and could feel her shallow breaths. She was alive. My heart dropped, and tears flooded my eyes. I turned to High Elder Mora and screamed, “What was that? Is she okay? Help her now!”

Mora stood still. Her eyes frosted over somewhere far away. I ran and shook her arms. She snapped back and grabbed my shoulders to steady herself. She peered past me to Savi, still lying on the table. Mora pushed past to lay her hand on Savi’s forehead, closed her eyes, and a small dim light emitted from her palms.

“She is stable. Only resting. Her spirit is worn thin but she will recover. Silence everyone!” Mora yelled over the clamoring whispers around the room. “This is unprecedented territory, and we are to proceed with caution. There is no doubt now that this child is one of us and must be protected and saved no matter the cost. We are all in grave danger—her soul in greater peril. We must work quickly and silently to find a way to rid her of the demon.”

“What do we tell Savi?” I interrupted. “She needs to know—DESERVES to know what is happening.”

“In any other circumstance, I would agree, Aster, but this is greater than you or me. This is more than you can handle. I will give you strict instructions now, Sister, so listen closely. All of you. No one is to tell her what transpired here today. It is unlikely that she will be aware of any of what happened. We need to keep it that way until such time as I can uncover the name of the demon held within her. Then and only then will we work our magic—together—to bring this to an end. Do you all understand?”

She eyed the room, reading each one of our faces. I couldn’t hide the shame and anger from mine. I spoke again. “And what about what the demon said? How did he know me? What did he mean when he said all that stuff about you?”

She smiled and crossed her hands in front of her. “Aster, my dear sweet Sister. Demons will say anything to get what it is they seek. Know this and hold that truth deep in your being, for they will stop at nothing to cause chaos and confusion. You cannot trust anything it said. We must stand united and work together, as one, to bring it down. Trust me, child. We WILL bring it down and help our Sister here to understand what she is. For now, help her. Train her. Teach her our ways to better prepare her for the battle to come. But speak not a word of the unwanted guest hidden within. Promise? Everyone. Vow, now.”

She held a hand to her chest and waited for everyone to speak the sacred word. The word that would bind us all into a vow with one another from that day forward. One by one, every Elder stepped forward and spoke.

Once it came back around the room to me, I bowed my head. Everything in me fought the words as they formed in the bottom of my throat and continued fighting them as they left my lips. “Lamaiya.” My chest sank.

'What was to happen now? What did I just do to Savi? This poor girl.’