Chapter. 29

“What?!” Anna stopped chanting and stormed forward right after Elaina.

“How very naughty Dyani? Tut tut. I will have to punish you for your disobedience.” She didn’t like that threat, almost as much as Diana didn’t like the amused smirk he wore as he said it. Like he was confident he would punish her, and that he would enjoy doing so. “Sweet dreams Dyani.” He cackled and released her neck. Diana screamed angrily, and still silently, up at him. THAT BASTARD KNOWS ABOUT MY NIGHTMARES?!?! DID HE DO THIS TO ME!?! DID HE SCREW WITH MY HEAD?!?! Diana seethed and threw her fists forward to try and hit him but he was already arrogantly backing away from her. “I see you haven’t lost your fire? Good. You’re going to need it for when we next meet.”

Elaina skidded to her side and threw her hands forward over and over, sending a spread of gusts of wind to try and cover a large area around Diana. The circle had already disbanded so she didn’t have to worry about hitting anyone she didn’t intend to.

“Diana?! What’s happening? What’s wrong?” Anna fussed over her and Knox lowered his spider arms to her feet. The three claw tipped fingers on each hand gripped at the vines and took several attempts to pry them back long enough for Diana to leap to freedom. Anna grabbed her forearms and couldn’t get her attention. “Diana talk to me?”

I can’t! She mimed and pointed to her throat. She held it with both hands and opened her mouth, with no sound coming out.

“I believe she has been hexed.” Knox offered beside the coven mother.

“What? How? We were literally just protecting her from harm?”

Diana’s stormed forward, away from Anna and tapped Elaina’s shoulder. She shook her head to convey that the redhead was wasting her time now. The creature had vanished into the forest. Gone. She mouthed, then stormed back over to Anna. Come on Anna. You’re a savant healer right? Fix my voice? She pointed with both hands to her neck. “Has something happened to your throat?”

“She hasn’t spoken a word since before the ceremony.” Elaina offered and looked beyond furious. “Who the fuck cast a hex into the middle of our coven’s protect circle, whilst we were casting wards on her?” The monster from yesterday. Diana tried to answer, only to fist at her own hair in exasperation. I can’t tell them. I can’t talk…but I can make sounds. She thought about how she’d out foxed him by clapping her hands together. Diana looked at her hands and then between them to the ground. In the scuffle grass had been upturned and she saw fresh soil. She dropped to all fours and racked her hands at the ground to rip more of the toil soil and grass out and expose the dirt beneath. It got under her nails, and before she decided enough ground was exposed, she had the whole coven as her audience.

“Well isn’t this a familiar scene?” Olivia sniggered.

“A fitting one. Diana playing in the dirt where she bel-” Anna was about to roar with anger at the mistreatment of her sister in front of the whole coven, but didn’t get the chance. Diana stood up, punched Jessica in the face, and then raised her fist with a threat at Olivia. You’re next bitch. I’m in no mood for your shit. Olivia must have got the message as she wrapped her arms around her sister and pulled her away from the main group.

Many of the coven members were utterly astounded at the daring of Diana to strike a Robinson, and with a dirty fist no less. Secretly, many were impressed, but would never voice it. Diana sneered at the retreating sisters, then turned to point at Anna. She held up to fingers to point to her own eyes, and then pointed down to the dirt. Where she returned.

And drew a damning picture.

It had two horns, teeth, sharp claws on it’s fingers. Diana wasn’t an artist at the best of times, and least of all using her fingers and dirt, but her point was received. Anna lowered to one knee and looked Diana right in her brown eyes.

“Yesterday?” She couldn’t admit to the creature being in her home, but thankfully her point was received as well. Diana nodded firmly. “Diana saw a creature in one of the memories she recalled yesterday.” Anna thought she was lying. Diana huffed with a smile, knowing she actually wasn’t. “The same creature came today and attacked her. A Shadow beast. Brothers and sisters, you know what this means?”

“The Dark ones are making their move.”

“They’ve summoned a high level abomination from the shadowlands to attack us!”

“It’s war! It’s finally war!”

Several voices called out in anger and despair.

“Now we must not lose sense. We have been preparing for this for quite some time.” Anna tried to sooth the crowd, but they were getting more out of hand and paying less attention to their Coven Mother than they should. Fear had a way of being all consuming. “Please listen to me. We have a plan. Please?”

“A plan?!” A man stormed forward and pointed at Anna with accusation. “This plan hasn’t worked for the last 2 years since you came into power. A child barely out of her mother’s skirt.”

“Watch your tone Lawrence.” Elaina threatened darkly. “You will speak to the Coven Mother with respect.”

“Coven Mother? Some Coven Mother! A Shadow beast just walked right up to us, unhindered by one Couper to attack the other one! This would have never happened when Isabella was in charge. Now there was a witch with power.” Anna gripped her fists by her sides. This was not the first time she’d heard this same complaint, nor did she think he was wrong. Her mother was incredibly powerful. Anna was powerful, but as a healer. She could bring someone back from death, but because she couldn’t punish their enemies, she was seen as weak.

Right now, she should be putting Lawrence back in his place, but suddenly Anna couldn’t find her voice.

Then, clicking in front of her face got her attention. Diana pointed firmly to her neck with a scowl. Anna nodded, at least able to do something useful… She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the sea of doubt and panic around her, as she stroked her sister’s neck. Her hands glowed green and she easily drew Diana’s voice back from the hex it was sealed with. That’s odd? That had very little power behind it. Almost like it was always meant to be removed without any consequence?

“Ahem, testing? Yes, about time. HAY YOU!” Diana whirled on her feet and infernos blazed in her dark brown eyes. Anna gasped at how silent the coven fell as the watched Diana with alarm. Even Lawrence stopped panic mongering to stare at her warily. “Pipe the fuck down. A good leader has a long term and a short term plan. Long term plans change and are adapted to suit the changing situation with which to deal with.” Thank you poster in Dr Jones office. “As Anna get’s more information, the plan is updated. Just because you’re not informed, doesn’t mean it’s not in hand. The last thing that help’s anyone is get everyone’s knickers so twisted up their ass it’s a cheese wire.”

“How dare-”