Sera sat on the chair, hands knotted from the tension that filled the room. Her eyes took in the room, trying to focus on anything but the woman sitting across from her. Shelves filled with rows of books occupied the walls of the huge office. Some new, some old, judging by the spines that were worn down, and the dust filled covers.
The silence that filled the room was so loud. She prayed for someone to walk in and save her from the torture of having to sit through the scolding and likely punishment she was about to receive. When it came to punishments, no one did it better than her mother.
"So what do you have to say for yourself, young lady?" Her mother asked. Sera cleared her throat before she started. "Mom, I know you forbade me from stepping outside of the territory, but I just wanted to see what it was like out there. It's not like I even went that far." As soon as she'd said the last statement, she knew she'd messed up.
You should have just stuck to what we practiced. She could basically hear her best friend's patronising voice scolding her. They always had the routine down to a T for when they got in trouble.
Her mother's face contorted into one of annoyance and a bit of anger. "You know that there are rules for a reason, Sera." Her mother started. "They are there to ensure the safety of everyone in here, and I expect you to understand this better than anyone else."
Sera hung her head in shame, guilt replacing the annoyance she'd felt earlier. Of course, she understood it better than anyone. If it were not for her mother and the Verilda circle, she would have been dead in the forest somewhere, either from the elements or mauled by some wild creature.
"Of course I do. Because of those rules and you, I am here, and I'll eternally be grateful for what you did for me. I am sorry for breaking the rules. It will not happen again, mother." Sera said, her voice carrying guilt and shame.
"I am not saying this to make you feel guilty. I just don't want to see you get hurt, my dear. When I found you that night, I made a promise that I would take care of you and make sure that no harm ever came to you. The world out there is not friendly. In Artheremere you are safe. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, mother I do. I promise it will not repeat itself." She finished. "I'll take any punishment you'll give me."
"I already thought about that. You will be on laundry duty for the rest of the week. You will do it with Sapphire, and also you are not to see Cleo for the rest of the week," she said with a serious tone hinting at the finality of her decision. Sera wanted to argue the fact that she and Sapphire hated each other's guts, but she had a feeling that was exactly why her mother chose that punishment. And how was she supposed to survive without her best friend for a week?
"Any objections?" Her mother asked, raising an eyebrow. Sera shook her head. She got up, excused herself, and walked out of the office. She walked down the hallway lit up by old antique lamps, heading for her room. Her mind raced with thoughts of what her mother had said. Sera knew so little of what lay beyond Arthermere. She knew of the vampires and their clans, she knew of the werewolves, the Eldryn, the humans, and finally the witches who had raised her.
Apart from the existence of these creatures, she knew nothing more. Her mother had forbidden her from ever going beyond Artheremere.
Artheremere was the witch city. It was a beautiful place, surrounded by lush meadows that she loved walking around in, and ever changing weather. Within the city were five covens that lived in Coven steads. The five covens were led by the Virelda circle, five sisters who had been around for centuries. She'd heard stories of them being the first witches to exist. How true they were, she wasn't sure.
The five covens were Thistle mark, Ember weave, Hollow mire, the Moon sight daughters, and the Iron root circle. Her mother, Elira, was the oldest sister, making her the matron of Artheremere. She was the overseer of everything in the city. Each of the sisters played different roles in the city and leading each of the covens.
Thistle mark's specialty was herbalism, hex craft, and bloodwork. They were experts in curses, poisons, and medicinal brews. They could manipulate bloodlines and ancestral memory through rare plants. Elira led this coven.
Ember weave specialised in fire binding and emotional magic, and was led by Giselle. They channeled emotions to control heat, flame, and passion. Skilled in binding rituals, people often came to them for spells tied to oaths, loyalty, and vengeance.
Hollow mire were sort of mediums. Their leader was Cordellia. Sera found them creepy. Something about how they dressed and talked. There was also the fact that they spoke to dead people. Their specialty was swamp craft, death sense, and spirit mediation. They were the people you went too if you needed to communicate with a dead relative, or know if someone was dead.
The Moon sight daughters were experts in Lunar magic and foresight. They drew power from the lunar phases in order to enhance sight beyond time. They could dream walk, do illusion craft and subtle reality bending. They were keepers of hidden truths and were often consulted for prophecy decoding. Their leader was Akiye.
Last but not least was the Iron root circle. They were the protectors of Artheremere. Headed by Ravynne, one of the toughest witches Sera had ever met, they were an ancient coven that specialized in protective enchantments, territorial wards, and elemental manipulation of stone and soil. They were known to be unstoppable when protecting one of their own.
Each of the five sisters had their story and legacy, but that was a tale for another day. Sera had been raised by these people. Some loved her, others hated her. She guessed it was because she was not one of them, but sometimes she felt like there was more to it than her not being a witch. Sometimes she swore she could see fear in some of their eyes as they interacted with her. Eventually she put it off as her being paranoid and feeling like she did not belong.
A soft knock sounded on her door and she could already guess who it was.
"Go away, you traitor," she shouted with feigned annoyance. The door opened slightly, revealing a tall, slim girl with tattoos littering her arms. She had long, red, curly hair hanging over her fresh, narrow face. Sera never understood how her best friend always looked so effortlessly gorgeous with the confidence to go with it. It's a gift girl. Cleo would always answer.
"Come on. You know I had to do that. My mother would have sent me to the labyrinths if she knew." Cleo said with a slight pout. "Come on, don't be mad at me. You love me and I love you bestie."
That put a slight smile on Sera that she tried to hide. Cleo looked like she could punch you if you even said hi to her, but she had the biggest heart and was the kindest soul. She was from the Iron root circle and Ravynne was her mother. They had been friends ever since Cleo had punched Sapphire for being mean to her when they were four. Sera smiled as she recalled the memory. She'd gotten into so much trouble with her mom, but they had been inseparable ever since. Cleo was very protective, but then again, she was from Iron root, so it made sense.
"I can't believe you gave in so easily and completely sold me out." Sera said. "Now I got stuck in laundry duty for a week with Sapphire." She emphasized the Sapphire part to explain how horrific the punishment was.
"I am sorry, but you know how intimidating Elira can be when she wants information. I tried, you know I did. She knows my weakness. As soon as she mentioned my mother, I broke. Sorry." Cleo finished with a hint of desperation.
Sera couldn't help it. She burst out laughing at the look on Cleo's face.
"You should have seen your face. You looked like you were about to offer me your kidney." she continued as her laugh died down. "How did you even get in? I am on a strict no Cleo week as part of my punishment."
"You talk like you don't know me at all. I know every inch of this house and how to get in without being noticed. Anyway, forget all that. I came with news." She said the last part in a whisper, like it was some secret that only they could know.
Cleo jumped on her bed in excitement. She was always excited when she had gossip to share. "What did you overhear this time?" Sera asked. "Why do you assume it is something I heard? The news could be that I have a boyfriend now." Sera gave her a skeptical look, her left eyebrow raised.
"Okay, you've got me. I overheard one of my mom's conversation with Akiye and your mom." Sera laughed, urging her to continue. "Apparently the Eldryn contacted Akiye about some prophecy. I don't know all the details, but the Eldryn are coming to Artheremere. Do you know how insane that is?"
"Why is it insane?" Sera asked. Cleo looked at her like she was crazy.
"Your mom never lets any of the other races in Artheremere. Ever," she said the last part with emphasis. "This prophecy thing apparently involves not just the witches, but all the other races."
"Shouldn't the vampires and werewolves be on their way here too?" Sera asked, confused. Cleo put a hand to Sera's shoulder, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "My dear friend. How do I put this to you? Let us just say having the vampires and the werewolves in one space could cause the destruction of our home and probably everything else in the vicinity. They loathe each other. It's been going on for centuries."
Sera nodded, understanding the situation. "Is it not possible for them to fix their differences or whatever it is they have against each other?" She asked.
"It's not that simple. This is a war that has been going on for generations. The hate just ends up being passed down. It is really an unfortunate situation. That is why the sisters decided to not get involved in vampire and werewolves' politics and issues." They both sat in silence for a while before Cleo spoke up again.
"I am just sad we don't get to interact with the other races because I heard that the werewolf king is hot," she said it in a whisper, her eyes reflecting mischief. "What was his name again, Lu..Lucas...no, that's not it." Cleo spaced out, trying to remember the name before her eyes lit up in remembrance. "Yes. Lucien Thorne. Gosh, even his name is hot and....."
Sera didn't hear the rest of Cleo's sentence. A sharp pain emanated from her back below her left shoulder, sending her lurching forward. A blood-curdling scream from her lips had Cleo leaping off the bed in a panic. Sera fell to the floor, holding her shoulder. She felt like a fire had been lit on her skin, burning it inch by inch. "Get my mom. Cleo, get her NOW!"
Cleo jumped into action and rushed out of the room. Sera tried to stand, but her legs lacked the strength to do so. Her breath started coming out in small panicked breaths. Small beads of sweat formed on her skin. Her vision got blurry, and what she saw last was her mother rushing towards her before it all went dark.