38 | Stroke of Midnight

Seaside, California March 16, 2013

Celesta

JUST as Lily and I hurried down the corridor to the meeting chamber, I could feel the nervousness radiating off of my cousin in waves. I tightly linked my arm around hers and led her into the chamber.

Two factions had already formed. On one side sat my mother and most of the coven, the other side sat Lily's parents and a few others. I even noticed Cynthia had come, she sat beside Laura, her arms crossed.

That was strange, she wasn't even affiliated with the coven.

My father was at the forefront of this God-forsaken meeting, he stood at the center, speaking to two men I realized were enforcers like he was. They were Amberly's father Andrew and Lily's great-uncle Peter.

Shouldn't our enforcers be out, you know, slaying everything that wasn't a witch or human?

He looked up and noticed us entering, but I just gave him the nastiest look I could manage. I led Lily to her parents and sat her down beside Samuel. I turned my head back to my father and as our eyes locked, I promptly took a seat beside Lily.

His expression darkened. I just gave him a smile and broke eye contact.

"Celesta you do not need to get involved with this," Laura murmured. "Why don't you go sit with your mother?"

"I will not," I announced. "In fact, this is just a personal issue my father has, why he needs to bring the whole coven into it is beyond me. I will not support him."

"Francis told Scott and me that this was because of our relationship, is it or is it something bigger?" Lily asked her parents.

"We won't know until he starts running his mouth," Laura remarked and gave my father a death glare.

I turned to see my mother looking over at us, her face a mask of calm. I didn't know how she could stand behind my father in this. It just wasn't right.

The doors suddenly slammed shut, and Lily's grandmother Lydia strode in, her expression not too happy.

"Let the shitshow begin," I heard Cynthia mutter to herself.

I couldn't help but snicker as Laura gave her an agitated look.

My father stepped to the side and let Lydia have the room to begin talking, Andrew and Peter took a seat on their side of the room.

"Thank you for coming on short notice," Lydia began, her voice echoing throughout the chamber. She glanced at my father, looking slightly annoyed. "State your business, Jeffery."

He just gave her a slight nod and took a step forward.

"In two nights we are to welcome two young witches into our coven, yet as we all know there are some things in this coven that are forbidden," he began, his voice loud and domineering.

He stared right at Lily now. "I have come to inform you all of a relationship between a witch and a vampire."

A view audible gasps went through the room, all on my father's side. I felt Lily stiffen beside me, she even seemed to have stopped breathing.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I barked out.

About a hundred pairs of eyes locked on me.

"You and I both know daughter a witch in our coven cannot be with a vampire, those unaffiliated can dirty themselves as they please—"

"How about you shut the hell up?" Samuel thundered and jumped up from his seat. He was about to lunge at my father until Laura pulled him back down beside her.

"Samuel!" she cautioned just as everyone started to talk at once.

Lily looked like she was about to pass out now as her parents started to bicker back and forth, Cynthia was just shaking her head. I just felt nothing but disgust and rage at the audacity of my father.

Who the fuck did he think he was?

"Everyone! Enough of this absurdity! Now be quiet!" Lydia shouted, her voice slicing through the room and silencing everyone.

"Jeffery you told me you would see a solution to this, not insult my family," she hissed.

"I did not mean that as an insult," my father remarked. "Only that what others do outside the coven is none of our concern."

I could see through his facade, he hated seeing a witch be with anything other than a witch.

"Then why was my daughter called here then, hmm?" Laura quipped and stood up.

"Because behind you Laura, she is the future of this coven, do you not understand?" my father fumed. "It is against our covenant for any of our members to dally with the undead."

"Do you forget one of our own family members is both a vampire and a witch?" Laura retorted. "He has dedicated his life to our coven, yet you all treat him with disdain."

"Francis understands our rules," Lydia spoke up and glared at her daughter. "You of all people should know this, I raised you to lead us yet you continue to disappoint me."

"Forgive me for not being as forward-thinking as you, Mother," Laura replied sarcastically.

Well, now I knew why Lily's grandmother hadn't been around her much growing up. She was an asshole too.

"We will settle our matters later," Lydia said dismissively. "Finish up what you have to say, Jeffery, before you draw more of my ire as well."

"The solution is simple, either she ends the relationship or she can give up her magic," my father announced. "The magic she received was to strengthen and protect this coven, she cannot do that if she is with a vampire."

"Give up her magic?" Samuel gawked. "Are you a lunatic?"

"Am I?" my father remarked. "You and your wife are both duty-bound, the fact that you stand against us is treachery against the coven."

"How does being with Scott stop me from being a part of the coven?" Lily spoke up, her expression defiant and unyielding.

Whatever was bothering her before was gone. I just smiled at seeing how pissed off she was now.

"It seems to me all of you are stuck in your ways of thinking," Lily spat, glaring at each person on the other side of the room.

Her mother walked to her side and stood with her. "You know removing her magic will result in her death, the fact that you had the balls to ever say such a thing—" Laura stopped, too angry to even finish her sentence.

Lily glanced at her mother, shocked as was I. I didn't know removing a witch's magic would kill them. Then again, once we went through the settling, our magic literally becomes a part of our soul.

"You did not let me finish speaking," my father put forth, "She can survive it and be with the one she wants to be with."

"And just how can that happen without her dying?" Samuel snarled.

"She can become a vampire then," my father suggested, just as Samuel jumped up again from his seat and landed a punch right across my father's face.

Then the entire chamber erupted into chaos.

Andrew and Peter both dove toward Samuel and pried him off of my father, I could already see blood across his face. Everyone started yelling at one another and trading insults.

The doors to the chamber burst open by themselves, to reveal a very angry Francis, his eyes glowing green and fangs out for all to see.

"Well isn't this lovely?" Francis hollered, silencing everyone again.

"Francis, what the hell are you doing in here?" Lydia hissed.

"Calming things down obviously, since all of you grew quiet when I walked in," Francis murmured.

"You need to get out," Lydia ordered. "I have things under control here."

"Oh really?" Francis rebuffed, he walked over to our side and promptly took a seat behind us. "I think I'll stay and finish listening to Jeffery's idea."

My father stood up, blood dripping from his nose. "It is not an idea, it is one of her options."

"Yes her death, I am very aware," Francis quipped. "That option being suggested itself Jeffery is treachery."

My father didn't even bother replying, he just waved his hand toward Francis and forced him to fly backward, right into the people sitting behind him.

And the melee began again. I pulled Lily toward the back as everyone started throwing shit at one another and trying to magically throw others around. Lydia was attempting to force everyone to stop but it was to no avail.

If this is how meetings went down normally then perhaps it wouldn't be too bad to join. Seeing as this whole thing was a joke.

I turned my head to the exit and had a death grip on Lily.

"I need to help my parents!" she shrieked as I yanked her away.

"No what we need to do is get out of here and let them settle their differences," I muttered.

The both of them were edging toward some of my father's followers, just as my mother was trying to defuse the fighting with Lydia.

I saw Cynthia grab Laura's hand, the two of them giving each other a nod before they raised their hands simultaneously and blasted the right side of the room to their asses.

Combining their magic, now that was a smart idea. Too bad I wasn't sticking around for the ending. Just as I was getting out of this hell hole, I saw Scott burst through the front door and glanced at us eyes wide.

I'm surprised he didn't come in with Francis, then again my father probably would've killed him on the spot.

"Are you guys okay?" Scott asked as Lily wrapped her arms around him.

"Yeah, except right now my family is busy killing each other," I breathed and looked back at where Lily and I had come from.

You could still hear people yelling and shit breaking.

"We need to stop them," Lily put forth and let go of Scott and started going back.

Scott and I both grabbed Lily and stopped her.

"Are you crazy?!" I gawked. "We can't fight against dozens of witches!"

"The hell I can't," Lily muttered and shrugged out of our grip. She glared at both of us, her eyes glowing. "This ends now."

Then she took off and ran back into the room, Scott and I chasing after her.

The room was completely destroyed now. Every chair had been broken, people were lying on the ground injured. I saw my father standing before Samuel just as he shoved him against the wall.

He didn't get back up.

Lily's entire body went still. Just as time felt like it had gone to a crawl.

Lily stalked forward, her hands raising slowly just as a green light started to emit from them, and then she screamed.

A bright green flash went through the room, sending all of us backward.

My ears were ringing, and my back slammed against the hard ground, knocking the wind out of me. My vision had blurred as well. I rolled over to my side, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

I saw one figure standing. After blinking a thousand times I saw it was Lily, her eyes still glowing but with a look of devastation on her face.

Then she collapsed.

I started to pull myself up and half dragged myself toward her. Everyone around us was also slowly coming around, though Lily's father was still not moving.

I rolled Lily onto her back and checked to make sure she was breathing. A scary amount of blood had come from her nose, it was all over the floor.

She was lucky that stunt didn't kill her. I don't know how many times we have all told her to not use her magic until the settling.

"Hardhead," I muttered and sat up, my entire body aching like a bitch.

Scott appeared out of thin air and was pulling Lily up toward him, his eyes frantic.

"She's fine!" I stressed, seeing how he was about to lose his mind too.

"Is everyone okay?" I heard Lydia call out.

I noticed Francis sitting up against the wall, still looking very much pissed off.

"Okay? Your granddaughter nearly killed all of us!" one of the witches shouted.

"Maybe she should be stripped of her magic, don't you think?" I heard another witch suggest.

Laura stood up, her face a mix of pain and anger. She hobbled over to where my parents were, my father looking even more beaten to hell.

"You started this," she choked out and looked over to Samuel. "You are lucky he isn't dead you bastard."

"He attacked me first Laura," my father spat. "If all of you had  let me finish talking, none of this would have happened."

"Well, you attacked me for no reason," Francis interjected, then glared at Lydia. "You know the rules."

Lydia looked down, almost ashamed of herself now.

I turned away, not bothering to listen to any more of this crap. Cynthia came over to us, looking disheveled as the rest of us.

"Is she okay?" Cynthia murmured and bent down to check on Lily.

"Yeah, she just used way too much magic," I replied.

"I haven't seen that amount of power in my life," Cynthia mused and stood back up.

"You better take her home Scott, we will take care of this," I suggested and got back up onto my feet.

Hell, I felt dizzy.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Scott muttered and once he got Lily into his arms he was gone.

I followed Cynthia to the front of the chamber, where my mother and Laura were arguing intensely.

"How could you stand beside him?" Laura questioned, a look of pure betrayal across her face. "Even your own daughter knew better than to back his ridiculous ideas."

"Don't bring my daughter into this," my mother hissed. "I know my husband messed up and he knows the consequences he faces."

"You see it now?" Laura laughed in disbelief. "Have you been blind to his actions these last twenty years? And now he almost killed Samuel."

"You know he would never actually do something like that," my mother reasoned, trying to calm the situation now. "And he was only defending himself against Samuel, he did strike him first."

"Yes, he decided to hit him after suggesting that my child should die," Laura snorted. "After everything, you still defend him."

My mother, looking ashamed, could not even reply. She glanced at me, teary-eyed. I knew how much she loved my father despite the way he was. Yet now I knew because of him, our family was shattered.

Lydia approached her daughter, who gave her a cold glare. I saw my father had been placed on the ground, his hands bound behind him. He just stared at the ground, yet he looked deep in thought.

Perhaps now he felt some sort of guilt? I doubted it. That man was cold and unforgiving.

Two men made him stand up and they hauled him out of the room. I stared helplessly after them. What would they do to him?

"He will be punished for attacking your husband," Lydia said quietly.

"It doesn't matter if he is punished or not," Laura spat. "Today I want it to be known that I will sever ties with everyone who supported him. Even this coven."

"What do you mean Laura?" her uncle spoke up. "You can't just cut ties, you are a part of this coven, this family."

"Yes I can," Laura affirmed. "I will leave this bigotry behind me, and start my own coven, one where one is not looked down upon because of how they wish to live their life."

"You cannot start your own coven!" her mother shrieked. "You are my daughter. You can't throw away your duty to this coven. I do not care if Lily is with that vampire or not. She can join regardless of that."

"Now you change your mind?" I gawked. "Seems if you just said that earlier then we would all be going on our merry way."

"Mind your tongue child," Lydia reprimanded.

"Your words now mean nothing to me!" Laura cried. "I know you will not do anything to Jeffery. As long as he is a part of this coven I will not be affiliated with it no longer."

"You can't start your own coven," her mother repeated. "You do not have an elder to create one."

"Oh she does," Francis chimed and stepped between Laura and Lydia. "I will also be leaving. This coven has become something I do not recognize."

"Francis," Lydia breathed. "So help me I'll—"

"You will do what?" Francis rebuked. "Shun all of us? Do not bother. I will always protect this family, even if you all despise me. But I will be a part of this coven no longer."

Everyone who had been on our side of the room gathered around Laura, who looked at her mother defiantly.

Laura held her hands out, as did the others around her. A golden glow started to emit from their hands, almost as if it were a cord.

Lydia looked upon all of them with sadness just as all of them stretched their hands and twisted them, the golden cords snapping all at once.

A force of energy went through the room, making everyone clutch their chests except for Cynthia, Francis, and me. I just realized what it meant to get initiated into the coven, you are bound.

Literally.

"I renounce my birthright to lead this coven," Laura choked out as tears flowed from her eyes. "And my daughter's. It can pass on to Peter now, and eventually to cousin Mason's descendants."

My grandfather.

My eyes widened in shock. My mother looked completely heartbroken now, I saw just how much she wanted to go over toward Laura. But their relationship was ruined because of my father.

Francis sighed deeply. "This has been one of the darkest days in this coven's history. Because of one man, this coven is damaged beyond repair."

"Get out Francis," Lydia said, barely above a whisper.

Francis just nodded. Some of the witches with Laura lifted Samuel up and started to haul him out of the chamber. Laura and her mother were just staring at each other, neither of them speaking.

And without another word, Laura turned on her heel and left. I also started to leave, until I felt a tight grip on my arm.

My mother tightened her hold on me, her blue eyes begging. "Do not leave with them."

"I have no reason to be here," I remarked.

"Yes you do," she pleaded. "Because one day, a long time from now you will lead us one day."

I felt my body go cold. As Laura's words replayed in my mind. My grandfather's descendants would become the elder of the coven after Peter passed.

The only descendants of him were my mother and me.

I felt like a weight had been dropped on me. My future had always been laid out for me, my father teaching me everything he knew so I could become a strong enforcer for the coven. And now one day, its leader.

A responsibility I never thought I would have to take.

But an idea sparked into my mind. Perhaps I could turn the coven and mend everything that has been broken.

In time.

"I need to go check on Lily and Samuel," I muttered and ripped my arm from my mother's grip.

"Honey—"

"No Mom!" I retorted. "I can't be here right now."

I sprinted outside, the cool air hitting me as I kept running. I knew I just wanted to be as far away from this place as I could. I pulled my phone out and dialed Zach immediately so he could take us over to Lily's.

I didn't know what the future held for me now. In two days I turned eighteen and being born right at midnight, that was when I would have to join the coven.

And I would. Not for my father or my mother. But because I felt the need to better it.

FOR the last two days, I had been staying at Lily's house. I already assured my mother I would join the coven, as she was freaked that I would abandon it too.

My father had been taken into custody by the coven and was undergoing "counseling" according to my mother. Whatever that meant.

Samuel had been recuperating well, despite his whole face being black and blue and a sprained wrist, he was cracking jokes and laughing often. He even seemed to have warmed up to Scott a bit.

It was almost time for me to get initiated into the coven, at midnight I was to go with my mother to some location. I felt my magic under the surface of my skin, wanting to be let out.

It felt wild and powerful. But I resisted the urge to unleash it, I didn't know if I could handle it before the settling.

The sun had just started to set over the ocean, and I noticed Laura sitting outside alone on the patio, looking off at it.

The rest of us had been inside. Lily and Scott were in the kitchen making dinner, and Zach was also "helping", but I'm sure he was just wanting to get first dibs on whatever they were cooking.

He would probably eat everything anyway.

Amberly, Elle, and Eddie were with Samuel in the living room, watching a race on the television. I heard them hollering now about some crash. I was just wandering around, to nervous to sit down or relax.

I needed some advice.

Laura turned her head to me as I stepped outside, closing the screen door behind me.

"Sit down," she murmured, knowing what was already wrong.

I sat in the chair across from her. "I'm nervous about tonight, I don't even know why I should join. Maybe I will just join yours."

Francis had assisted in helping Samuel and Laura form a coven, apparently as an elder, they had a power that could create the same cords that bound the Hathaway coven. And these cords were necessary to ground magic.

Something Lily was going to need.

"Nonsense," Laura chuckled. "You are what the Hathway coven needs. A bright girl who will let no one suffer injustice, no matter what or who they are."

"I can't force them to change," I put forth. "Most of them are loyal to my father anyway."

"As time goes on, that will change," Laura murmured. "His influence will not last forever."

I hoped she was right of course. As the night drew to a close and I went back to my house, everything felt wrong to me. This house no longer felt like home. I had barely spoken to my mother.

When I went inside, the house was dark and cold. The warmth in it had died along with any happiness that came from within it. This family truly was shattered.

My mother came downstairs, dressed in white. My father had gotten me a white dress for Christmas last year. It was embroidered with lace and had flowing sleeves on it. When I put it on this morning, I just wanted to take it right back off.

My mother had a piece of paper in her hand. "Your father wrote this for you."

I took it from her cautiously, wondering what he had the nerve to say now.

"Please read it, I will be in the car waiting," my mother said softly and left me standing in the entryway.

I unfolded it, and read through it, tears coming to my eyes as I did so.

Dearest Daughter,

My only wish is for you to be happy. I know I have torn this family apart, and for that, I am deeply ashamed. I must live with my actions, as I must come to terms with what I have done. But know that I couldn't be more proud of the woman you have became. Whether you follow in our footsteps or you take your own path in this world is your choosing. Just know I will always be there for you, even when I can not physically be with you. Happy Birthday my darling.

I folded the paper back and held it close. I still felt so much anger and pain from what he had done, yet he was still my father.

A while later, my mother and I went to where the initiation was to happen. It was on the beach of all places, a huge bonfire was roaring when we came. Several coven members were there, as was Lydia all dressed like us.

It was almost midnight now, the air had started to tense. I stood in front of the fire, as everyone started to form a circle around it. My mother and Lydia were at my side. And just as everyone started to begin the ritual, the worst pain I ever felt shot through me.

I cried out, just as my mother and Lydia both grabbed one of my hands. I looked down, to see the veins in my hands start to glow blue, slowly they traveled up to my arms, the burning getting worse.

"What is happening?!" I cried.

"It will cease," my mother consoled, and she and Lydia started to mutter words I could not make out.

All I felt was pain.

"Celesta Marie Moone, do you consent to join this coven and all the responsibilities that will be expected of you?" Lydia asked as a cord started to form in the center of our group.

Instead of it being gold it glowed blue. Just like my magic.

I gazed at her as my whole body burned. "Yes," I whispered, the pain intensifying.

Just as I was about to double over, the cord become gold and went through me, absorbing itself into my body. The veins were all over me now, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Just as I thought the pain couldn't get any worse, it stopped abruptly.

I fell to my hands and knees, just as Lydia finished muttering in Latin.

"Now Celesta Moone, what will you do next?" she asked.

I glanced up at her. What would I do next?

I knew one thing, my life would never be the same again.