Chapter 7: Violet

“Dearest, I would like it if you had a better attitude. I did let you go visit that old bag and your end of the deal was to come to dinner,” he said. He no longer smiled but walked to his chair and sat down. “Wine?”

He didn’t let me go see Myrtle. Jeffers did. I wasn’t about to say that to him though. His good mood would easily sour, and I didn’t want to be at the wrong end of his wrath.

“No, thank you.” I could not trust him. In the past he drugged people who went to dinner, and they were never to return. I didn’t know what he wanted. He was chummy with me whenever I saw him, but this was borderline cheesy. He was trying too hard. Something was up.

“Suite yourself.” He poured himself a glass. “How are you feeling about the turning?” He brought the glass to his lips and continued to look at me as he took a sip.

I continued to look at him. What did he want me to say that I was overjoyed? Ecstatic? He continued to look at me as he took several gulps of his wine. He closed his eyes and swished the liquid around his mouth then swallowed a faint smile on his lips as he enjoyed the wine. He stared at me, his smile slowly fading from his lips with my lack of answer. I had to answer. “I’m nervous,” I said as I looked down at my empty plate.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about, dearests. This turning is going to be a great one. You are more powerful than any others. Your mark tells us that.” He beamed. A little too excited. “Soon you will be the most powerful witch in the coven. Maybe even the world.”

I shifted my gaze around the room. I did not notice the people scattered around the edges. Jeffers took a position in front of the door blocking my exit. Tomas was in the opposite corner, he watched from the shadows. I had not seen Tomas in a long time. I thought he perished a long time ago in one of the poison dinners. I went to classes with him. He was a nice enough guy, a little quiet. On occasion we would sit near each other in the cafeteria and chit chat. But nothing too serious. It was strange seeing him here. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in weeks, his face sallow and pale. He also wore a robe that matched Eli’s. Tomas gave a slight smile. I could not see him being a minion but survival for most witches these days resulted in turning their backs on their own. I couldn’t blame him.

There were two more people on the edges of the room. They were hiding in the shadows. I looked back at Eli. He sat there and stared at me with his fingers steepled with an evil grin on his face.

“So, I’m going to make a glorious offer that I think you will be pleased with,” he said. He took his hands and laid them flat on the table.

“Um…ok?” I shifted my gaze to the others in the room. I looked back at Eli.

“I’ve had my eye on you since you were a child and you have grown into such a beautiful young lady.” He pulled his hand through his slicked back hair and stood. “Even as a child you would be powerful, and I wanted to offer you something that I feel would only grow your power.” He took a step around the table, and slowly made his way toward me.

“As you can imagine, I’m an immensely powerful witch in all of the covens fear me.” He glanced at himself in the mirror, which was hanging above the fireplace, and checked his teeth. “Women throw themselves at me when they see me.”

“Begging for mercy.” I said under my breath. Did I just hear Jeffers snicker? Eli quickly glanced at me with a glare that said stop any foolish antics now. I shifted in my chair, no matter how I sat I was uncomfortable.

“Pardon?”

“Oh nothing.” I responded quickly.

“Hmmm, as I was saying. I have been a highly sought-after bachelor for the last few decades and not to mention I’m devilishly handsome.” He smirked at himself in the mirror. I am not sure what he saw but I saw a slimly witch who thought more of himself than what was really there.

He made his way next to me and grabbed my hand. It took all my strength not to pull away from him. “What I’m about to offer you is something that only other witches dream of. With both of us, we can rule with an iron fist and really bring the covens in the West to another age. We will be all powerful and could potentially take over the covens of the world.” His voice rose as he said this to an almost scream.

He paused and looked at me.

“Together we can bring the covens back to their roots. Back to when we were more powerful. Back when we didn’t rely on technology to do all the heavy lifting and did our research and made our own rituals and spells. Back to when all witches had familiars.” He released my hand and lifted his hands above his head as he was now yelling at the ceiling. “Back to when we were feared by the humans. Where we can take what is rightfully ours!” He lowered his hands and looked down at me and smiled.

He was seriously unhinged. I glance around the room. His minions all gave me an evil smile. All but Tomas. He had a look of concern on his face.

“We are going to be great!” Eli shouted and started to laugh. Those around the room started to laugh as well. My gaze shifted from face to face. They were all unhinged. No wonder this manor doesn’t use electricity anymore. He wanted to bring us back to the dark ages. He looked at my face and noticed I wasn’t following. “Haven’t you asked yourself why our kind is getting weaker? Those with familiars are becoming few and far between. Our records indicate that there are only three witches left in the world that have familiars.”

I furrowed by brow. I had only known about Myrtle and myself. There was no guarantee that I would get one right away. I read stories where it took some witches time for their familiars to appear.

Eli noticed my confusion. “It’s you, that old bat and a male witch in Ireland. I have two of the last witches with familiars and then there is none. Haven’t you asked yourself why there are so few?”

“Yes, but that’s just the bloodlines a need for familiars isn’t as necessary. They were supposed to be here to protect and offer power in extreme cases. But as times are changing so is our need for familiars.”

“THAT’S JUST THE LIES THEY TELL YOU!” He spat at me. “THINK! We didn’t see a downgrade in the numbers of witches with familiars until technology started really growing amongst the humans.” He got close to my face and continued to yell. “The electricity disturbs our power. It puts a stopper on it, cuts it off and everyone is acting like it’s no big thing.”

He stood up straight and spread his arms wide while he said ‘everyone’ and did a quick spin. A strand of hair fell in front of his face and his eyes grew wide with his mania. “And no one is doing a damn thing about it. Until me. I’m not going to see my kind die out and lose their power just because no one wants to stand against this. I’m not letting anyone stand in my way. If you aren’t with me, you are against me.”

He put both hands on the edge of the table, leaned forward, and smiled. He expected me to respond. I leaned back in my chair and tried to make space between us.

“I don’t understand where I come in. You said we. How does your plan involve me?”

His eyes grew even wider as well as his smile. He stood. “I’m so glad you asked.” He grabbed my hand again and kneeled. My stomach dropped, what was he doing? “Dearest, I am offering my hand in marriage to you.” He said as if he was giving me a gift. My eyes grew wide. I was shocked at the offer; he couldn’t expect me to say yes. “To help rule this coven and those we take over, to bring our kind to a better age. Where we grow more powerful and then eventually take over the humans. Will you be by my side to make our kind better? Be my bride, Violet.”

I stared at him for a moment, mouth opened, stunned. I laughed, “you cannot be serious.” I pulled my hand away from him. “Let me get this straight, you killed all these coven members and not to mention my family because you wanted to make the coven more powerful to eventually take over humankind. And you want to do all of this by marrying me? That’s psychotic. You’re crazy.” I stood up, pushed my chair back, and made it fall with a crash.

Eli flinched, his eyes narrowed and got dark. He laughed throwing back his head. He quickly composed himself. “You think you have a choice?” He laughed again and stared at me.

“I’m not going to marry you to use me as what…a weapon to use against other covens and eventually humans.” I turned and started to walk to the door.

A finger snapped behind me. Jeffers stepped in front of me and grabbed my arms. I wiggled, trying to get free, but it was no use. Jeffers was too strong; he turned me around to face the room. One of the other minions came up and held iron shackles. “You can’t do this!” I screamed at him. I waved my arms around trying to avoid getting shackles on my arms. I looked over at Tomas. “Help me!” He turned away.

“Hold still.” Jeffers boomed behind me.

“Paul! Get those shackles on!” Eli screamed by the table.

He grabbed an arm and clasped the cuff around my wrist and quickly connected the other one. He grabbed the end of the chain and pulled me away from Jeffers, he yanked me forward.

“You can’t do this!” I looked at Eli who walked toward me and gave me an evil smile.

“I can and I did.” He got close to my face and whispered. “I was so hoping this would have gone a different way. But you have given me no other choice. For the sake of our coven, I am going to let you turn and by tomorrow evening you will be my wife.” He turned and walked away. “Take her to the dungeon. Let her turn and then get her prepared for our wedding ceremony.”

The minion that I didn’t know pulled me towards the bookshelf. He pulled a book and the shelf slid to the side. I have never seen this side of the office. Even when Coven Leader Giles was in power. He was a good leader; he had no need for a dungeon. He may not have even known it was there. Archaic means to get what he wanted was not his style.

“Dearest, I will see you tomorrow for our big day. I suggest you get happy because you have no other choice.”

I looked over my shoulder and watched him as I got pulled into darkness. He smiled big. My eyes filled with tears. I was a prisoner before locked in my room all hours of the day. But now I was even more of a prisoner. I was locked in a dungeon. I was going to be a prisoner for life if I didn’t find a way out of here.