Everwild (The Healer Series, #1) (3 page)

“Indeed it has,” the witch named Dromeda
replied and looked over at the three witches. “What brings you into
town this afternoon? I haven’t seen you around these parts for
quite some time.” Her gaze then caught Willow’s and her small eyes
grew wide. “Ah, I see! So this is the precious Willow Rose I’ve
heard so many stories about.”

Pandora introduced them. “Willow this is
Dromeda, Second and Head of the Westwood Coven. Your friend…oh,
what was her name,” she looked at Dromeda contemplating “…one of
your Firsts.”

“Constance? Prudence? Belinda? Tally-May?”
Dromeda started listing off the Firsts in her Coven. Willow
recognized one.

“Belinda,” she said nodding. She was a good
friend of Willow’s, even though she only saw her every so often.
She wasn’t allowed to have a cell phone or any form of technology,
but every time the Covens got together, they hung out. Willow
considered her a friend.

“She is a sweetie, isn’t she?” Dromeda
clapped her hands and fluffed her orange hair with pride. “One of
our best, she is. I remember her talisman ceremony last year. How
fun! Dancing, music, flowing wine…”

“Dromeda,” Pandora interrupted her tangent.
“Will you be attending this evening?”

“Oh, no I’m afraid not. I have Nights potion
brewing for my client that needs constant tending. But I will be
sending another Second in my stead as well as Belinda. Would you
like that, dear?” Dromeda addressed Willow jovially. Her round
cheeks glistened pink in the sun.

“I would,” Willow said smiling kindly. If
Belinda came, that would be at least one person she could talk to
that was her age. She wished she could talk to Belinda about how
her talisman experience went. Somehow in the back of Willow’s mind,
she felt like something horrible would happen; a gloomy foreboding
was constantly nagging her. She envisioned horrible things
happening, like her talisman wouldn’t work, she would trip and fall
in front of everyone, or make a complete fool of herself in front
of Hekate, the one person she wanted to impress. Willow had only
met the great witch once, when she was very young and was blessed
with the witches of Southwick Manor. They’ve been her family ever
since, and she couldn’t be happier with the sisters and the home
she was given.

“Then that’s settled!” Dromeda threw her
hands in the air. “I have a few more ingredients to pick up and be
on my way. Pandora, always a pleasure.”

“Indeed,” Pandora smiled.

“Let’s not wait until the next ceremony to
get together, dear,” Pertussia chimed in as Dromeda adjusted her
purse and took off down the road saying farewell.

Someone huffed beside Willow. “It’s nice to
be recognized sometimes, don’t you agree, Willow?” Portia-Anna said
mockingly. “I was standing here the whole time, too, and you’d
think I was a ghost!”

“Dromeda’s the Head of her Coven,” Pandora
said walking down the sidewalk again, as if that was explanation
enough.

“It’s not like being Head of a Coven has gone
to anyone’s head or anything, huh?” Portia-Anna nodded her head in
Pandora’s direction and stuck her tongue out. Willow stifled a
laugh.

“I saw that Portia,” Pandora said, her back
still turned to them. Portia-Anna looked at Willow with raised
eyebrows and shrugged. They made it to the forest and found their
brooms. Pandora did a fancy arm swirl and Willow’s dress and
accessories disappeared.

“Your clothes will be in your room,” Pandora
told her mounting her broom. “We have four hours until our guests
start arriving. Willow, I want you to focus on getting ready, while
the rest of us have to decorate the main hall and dining room. We
want everything looking orderly and perfect for Hekate. Am I
correct in this, sisters?”

“Yes, mother,” Portia-Anna muttered under her
breath. Pertussia just had a far off expression on her face. She
must’ve been thinking about Hekate.

The witches took off into the sky once more.
The afternoon sun was high in the sky, and soon, the familiar
Southwick manor could be seen. Even from above, the manor looked
marvelous, luxurious, and inviting. It was Willow’s home, where she
belonged, with the witches of the Southwick Coven. Tonight, she
would receive a talisman. Her magic would be doubled, and soon,
Willow would be just as powerful as her sisters.

A small tapping on Willow’s door could only
mean one person-Pertussia. Willow was dressed in her gown staring
at herself in the mirror, somehow wishing she was more beautiful.
Her hair was done in tight spirals, and her makeup was completed,
but something was missing, she just wasn’t sure what.

“Come in, Pertussia,” Willow said and smiled
as her sister walked in shyly. Pertussia was amazingly dressed,
wearing an elegant silver gown that clung to her figure. Her long
blonde hair was curled and she complimented her green eyes with a
colorful green necklace and long dangly earrings that touched her
shoulders. She was breathtaking, but was looking at Willow as if
she were the beautiful one.

“Oh Willow, dear,” she said and put both
hands on her cheeks, “You look beautiful, love.”

“Thanks,” she said solemnly and turned back
to the mirror, not feeling very beautiful at all. Willow had put
gray eye shadow and black eyeliner on her eyes and had ruby red
lipstick on her full lips. The light of the bedroom turned her hair
a deep red tint. She inhaled in shock as all of a sudden beautiful
diamond teardrop earrings appeared on her ears. Willow whipped
around to stare at Pertussia, who was smiling brilliantly.

“I couldn’t let Pandora outdo me by buying
that stunning dress, now, could I sweetie?” Pertussia said quietly
coming up beside her. She took Willow’s hair and tucked it behind
her ears in a loving gesture. The simple earrings matched the studs
on her gown, and now her outfit was complete. It was the very item
that was missing.

“I love them, Pertussia,” she sighed, tears
pricked behind her eyes. She loved her sisters, but secretly,
Pertussia was her absolute favorite. Pertussia treated her so well,
always making sure she was happy, comfortable, and had everything
she needed. Willow just couldn’t imagine her life without her.

“I just wanted to let you know how proud I am
of you, darling. This is your special night, made just for you,”
Pertussia said softly, her green eyes glowing and grew watery with
emotion. “You are so special to us…and to me. Soon, you will learn
your true potential, dear. You have no idea what powers you
possess. I am so proud to call you my sister.”

Willow was speechless. Pertussia’s words hit
her hard and her heart swelled with love. She was so dear to
Willow, as was each of her sisters. Every witch of Southwick was
unique in their own way. They looked after each other, cared about
each other, and lived to make each other happy. Of course they
could irritate each other at times, and have arguments, (more often
than not), but those were only signs of a healthy family. It came
with the package.

Willow stood and gave Pertussia a big hug.
“Have all the guests arrived?” she whispered, her nerves picking
up. All the attention would be on her tonight, and she didn’t
really know if she was ready for it.

“Yes, it is time,” Pertussia took Willow’s
hands in hers and regarded her carefully. “Enjoy your moment,
Willow. It’s all for you.” She gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek
and turned to walk out of the door, but then stopped and smiled
coyly. “And if that Declan Aldridge gives you trouble, you could
always spike his drink with a sleeping potion.”

Willow laughed and followed her out of the
bedroom. Pertussia’s teasing helped to ease the tension in her
body. “I’ll keep that in mind, Pertussia,” she said, but Pertussia
was already gone. She would let Willow make her grand entrance
alone.

Willow stopped at the top of the steps
looking down at the main foyer. All the guests were down there,
mingling about and talking with each other. Many of the witches
wore beautiful, flowing ball gowns. Willow saw bright colored hair
on a few of the witches, and most of the warlocks wore expensive
tuxedos. She recognized a few faces from this distance, but didn’t
see Hekate yet.

“Witches and Warlocks,” a voice announced
loudly, gaining the undivided attention of everyone in the room. It
was Pandora. She was standing at the base of the staircase. The
talking died immediately as everyone turned to face her. “Thank you
for coming to our home in honor of one of our magic casters in the
witch bloodline. Tonight, it is my greatest pleasure to introduce
you to our First Degree of the Southwick Manor, the beautiful,
enchanting, Willow Rose!”

She pointed to Willow who was frozen at the
top of the stairs as all eyes fell upon her. Her heart pounded in
her chest at the silence. She slowly descended the staircase. Very
slowly. One thing was running over and over in her mind:
Don’t
fall. Don’t fall. Don’t fall.
Willow breathed a heavy sigh of
relief as she made it to the bottom in one piece. Smiles and
greetings met her, and she was swiftly ushered to the ballroom by
Pandora, who held Willow’s arm firmly, somehow knowing she needed
an anchor to keep her stable.

There were more guests lingering in the
ballroom. Willow saw Portia-Anna fluttering around in the short,
black dress from the store earlier. It was
very
short,
barely covering her bottom, and far different than what she
normally wore, but she rocked it. She caught Willow’s stunned
expression and shook her butt, laughing at her. Willow laughed and
lightened up immensely at seeing Portia-Anna so loose and playful.
Willow knew that this dress was something Portia-Anna would never
wear, and it just made it all the better. Portia-Anna did this for
her. Her heart burst with even more joy.

Willow took in the room with bewilderment. It
had been transformed into a silvery wonderland of twinkling lights
and flowers. An enchanted orchestra (no players-only instruments)
began playing upon her entrance, but she couldn’t take her eyes off
the beauty surrounding her. Hanging from the ceiling in long vines
were white flowers, mostly roses and hydrangeas, Willow’s favorite.
The scent hit her nose and filled the room with an intoxicating
aroma. There were dazzling stars dusted in a black sky poking out
between the flowers on the ceiling. It was hexed to look like the
real sky, but Willow felt like she had walked straight into an
enchanting dream.

There were tall silver candle holders all
around the room that lit the room with flickering light that
bounced off the walls playfully. Tables and chairs with white
tablecloths were set up in a semi circle around the dance floor in
the center. Tall vases filled with the same flowers on the ceiling
were in the center of each table, and silver goblets and silverware
were spread out on the tops of them. Beyond the dance floor, a
small platform had been set up with a podium, most likely where
Hekate would give her the most prized possession of any young
witch.

Where no one was before, Hekate suddenly
appeared on the platform and Willow gasped in surprise, as anyone
would upon seeing the Head Prophesier. Hekate’s hair was blacker
than a raven and her skin was as pale as a corpse. Her hair flowed
down to the back of her knees. She was thin, yet filled out in ways
that men would drool over. She wore a dark emerald gown that
billowed all around her and wore a long red cloak that matched her
thin, red lips. Her eyes were amazing. They were constantly
changing different colors. She was everything mysterious, ancient,
and powerful.

Yet it was her essence that truly caught
Willow off guard. She wore a thick gold necklace with a large
sapphire stone on it. The stone glowed and pulsed with an unnatural
light, sending waves of power throughout the room. Willow could
literally feel the power radiating from her. She probably knew
spells that were so far over her head, she couldn’t even fathom the
depth of her knowledge. On each of her long fingers, she wore
rings. The rings were more talismans, only adding to her power and
majestic position among their kind. Willow couldn’t believe that
Hekate, Queen of Witches, Head Prophesier, was here for her.

As if knowing Willow was thinking of her,
Hekate caught her gaze and curled a corner of her mouth. Other than
that, she regarded the proceedings like a stone, never moving, yet
movement flowed around her. She watched idly as the warlocks and
witches filled the room. Pandora came up to Hekate and curtsied
respectfully before approaching her on the stage. Hekate whispered
something in Pandora’s ear and Pandora then turned to the crowd to
announce for everyone to take their seats.

As they sat, Portia-Anna and Pertussia
approached Willow. They helped her to a table, which was near the
front, close to where Hekate stood. The table had a golden
tablecloth, designated as the honorary guest seating. Her sisters
and Willow sat at the table so they could see the guests in front
of them. The presence of Hekate at her back, however, unnerved her,
and Willow fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. She knew Hekate was
staring at her. Willow could feel her ever-changing eyes on her
back, and her face automatically heated from nervousness. She
didn’t want to disappoint her, and she hoped she carried herself
well.

Pandora clapped her hands and the plates
filled out with a delicious meal. Corn bread, cooked duck and
quail, asparagus, broccoli, and potatoes appeared out of nowhere,
smelling absolutely delectable. Soon, the clinking and clattering
of silverware filled the hall, the guests enjoying the company of
each other. There was so much power that filled the room it was
almost tangible, buzzing around in the air in invisible waves of
energy. Even though there were different ranks of power present,
Firsts, Seconds, and even Thirds such as Declan’s father Emerson
Aldridge, everyone would respect the other. At least for tonight
they would.