Page 4 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part

Rene was ready, looking like a Greek god, so I dipped into the bathroom and quickly brushed my hair before we exited the suite. There were always glances of apprehension when I descended the stairs to the parlor, but several men glanced at me with obvious interest. While everyone knew I was Rene’s fledgling, they were oblivious to our relationship. I couldn’t blame them for that either. As amazing as I looked, Rene was otherworldly beautiful.

Cass was waiting for us by the front door, and she opened it to allow us to exit. The limo was in place at the end of the canopy, and we passed the series of lights that accented the shrubs before getting into the back seat.

Rene guided me beneath his arm as we pulled away. “These tests do not hurt the witch in any way, correct?”

I patted his leg. “Not at all. Every magic has a signature of sorts. Provided it is not a brand-new magic and something that a coven member possessed at some time in history, the high priestess can identify it.”

“What if you possess a new magic?”

I shrugged. “It’s possible, but unlikely. We are talking about every witch that ever lived.”

Rene shifted in his seat as the hum of the road attempted to soothe my frayed nerves, but the closer we got to the coven building, the more I fidgeted.

Cass leaned forward in her seat. She was wearing one of her favorite one-piece leather suits, but no jacket and her weapons were distinct and threatening on her belt. “We don’t have to do this, Raven. I don’t care what Rene or Ursula say.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Cass, I appreciate that. I do. But I need to know what is going on with me... magically speaking. I seem to have ridiculous amounts of power, and I don’t want to be out of control again. If I don’t get myself sorted out, I could hurt someone, and that is not an option. Every witch has to swallow her pride at some point in her life.”

Cass leaned back in her seat. “Really? I don’t get the impression that Ursula has tasted much in the way of crow.”

I chuckled. “True. While it’s a bit before my time, I have heard the stories. Ursula began to develop her magic, far younger than most witches do. She was more powerful than any other coven member by the time she was nineteen. So yeah, she doesn’t know what it’s like to be second best.”

Cass crossed her arms. “Until now. Have you considered that she is jealous of you?”

I pursed my lips. “There’s no way to know I’m more powerful than her. No one in the coven knows the true extent of her magic, with the exception of Brigid. The high priestess must groom her second and that is Brigid.”

Cass glanced at Rene. “Your magic isn’t the only thing she is jealous of.”

I frowned. “She hates vampires. Regardless of how hot Rene is, she would never be jealous of our... relationship. She can’t even be sure I have one with him.”

“It’s obvious to most people Rene is taken with you, but it isn’t his looks she is jealous of.”

“His power.”

Cass nodded. “Ursula is like every high priestess ever born in that regard.”

I contemplated her words as we drove the rest of the way to the coven building. The gravel crunched beneath our tires and my shoulders sagged. Cassara’s assessment made me even less enthusiastic about my impending tests.

We entered the coven building to find Ursula and Brigid standing at the head of the table. There were various crystals, potions, and other implements on the polished wood. I recognized many of the items from my testing as a teen, but several were new to me.

The high priestess stood like a figure of ageless wisdom and her eyes held an ancient knowledge, but they gazed at me with a mixture of trepidation and anger. When she beckoned me closer with a curt gesture, I feared Cass was right.

“We will begin the tests. I will start with proprietary powers. This is the same test you took as a young girl.”

Rene moved closer to me. “Explain the tests to me.”

I touched his arm. “This test will expose telekinesis, protection barriers, glamors, and other similarly common powers.”

Cass nodded. “We know you have those. What is the test called?”

“This is the test of bronze. The most common powers belong to this category.”

Cass grunted. “Like the witch Olympics. That’s just great.”

I pursed my lips so I wouldn’t laugh. “Yeah, basically. But some bronze-level magics are still very powerful.”

She shrugged. “I noticed that when you blasted Kirnen.”

Ursula pointed to the circle of salt near the table. “Stand in the circle, Raven.”