Chapter. 27 "Your move A**hole

Diana was underwhelmed.

All day she’d been a box of buzzing nerves as she waited for nightfall and to be presented before the coven. They were going to cast various protection spells on her, and then they were going to help her in earnest in recovering her memories. Reclaiming her past.

She and Anna bought her a new cell phone, and some clothes that were more to her liking, and then the rest of the day they remained at home in an awkward but willing silence. Small talk passed back and forth between them like a shuttlecock, but often landed out of bounds with no parry to keep the momentum going. They were so different. Anna had lived a life of privilege and surrounded by family. Between the Robinsons and then Isabella five years ago, she’d been treasured. Isabella apparently saw her often at the Robinson house throughout her life, and that was an arrangement Anna had been raised with. That stung, knowing her mother had been sneaking around behind her back to see her secret sister. Diana still didn’t understand the need for secrecy. It felt like her sister was being kept a secret from her, but neither of them knew why.

Anna had a top notch education, a doting family, more money than sense, and she was so very beautiful. Diana could see how easy she had it, in comparison to Diana. She had been passed around like unwanted hand me downs from foster house to foster house. No one wanted to keep the kid that howled like she was possessed at night. Before she was 16 she never recalled what caused the night terrors. 2 years ago she started to remember her nightmares. Yet since coming back to Salem they were more frequent and more vivid than ever.

School had been hard. She had many fights at school and barely got her pass grades and diploma in the end of high school. That was down to her own decision to knuckle down in the last few months and try and make a life for herself. Diana had no one to provide for her. No one else was going to look after her, and she didn’t want to end up on the streets. She got her diploma, got herself a job at a Diner and an apartment. It was a real achievement for the broken freak foster kid. It’s why she didn’t like when Anna thought so little of her desire to work and be independent.

The day dragged on and then it was time to prepare to go out to the ritual grounds in the forest. They took turns showering and Anna provided her with a black hooded robe. You know, to really play into the stereotype. Diana sniggered but put it on regardless. Over a pair of comfortable trainers, jeans and a sweater. She noticed that Anna’s hood had a white under side, which wasn’t visible when she was hurtling down from the sky towards her. Must be a coven mother thing. Diana shrugged and then followed Anna to a silver Bentley. Agnes, wearing her own black robe, drove them through town and to the forest.

Yes, when they parked up and walked down an unlit path to a massive field, the same one she nearly landed face first into days earlier, Diana’s heart was racing. She half expected them to turn around and say she would need to get naked and dance around a bonfire with them. Or participate in a virginal sacrifice.

Instead she was handed a glass of Pimm’s and introduced to the most ordinary people she had ever met. People that beneath their black robes were called Gladys, Harry and John. Florists, dentists and bakers. A guy called Kevin who owned a hardware store greeted her and gave her a 30% discount card to use his store for anything she needed. This is a super secret scary witch coven? Really? Diana relaxed and smiled as her hand was shaken over and over.

“Oh it’s so good to have you back.” A woman called Lisa, who wasn’t much younger than Agnes, was teary eyed as she shook Diana’s hand with both of hers. “Such a blessing. We all thought you were a lamb forever lost and never to be found. So good to have you back with us dear. Isabella would be so pleased to have you two together.” Diana smiled, touched by the tears that this old woman cried for her and her mother. Anna was talking to a man stood in the middle of a large circle of white stones and was definitely in Coven mother mode. She was making firm gestures with her hands as she pointed around the circle to deploy various witches to their positions.

“I don’t suppose you have any idea…what happened to me? Why I was sent away?”

“…no deary.” Lisa frowned and patted Diana’s hand. “That was a tale that only Isabella could have told you, and she took it with her.”

“Thanks anyway.” Diana nodded, grateful for her honesty.

Lisa pulled Diana suddenly by the hand to make her lean down and listen to a dire warning.

“You need to watch your back Diana. Anna is the coven mother, but she does not stand on a firm position with half the coven. Half do support her blood right, but she is not the Couper first born. Tradition is that you should have rules us, but you lack the gift. Still, they say as there is no first born Couper to truly lead us, then it shouldn’t automatically fall to Anna. She’s as good as a Robinson, after all. They are desperate for more power and intend to get it. With or without her.” Diana gulped and turned her head to look Lisa right in her pale brown eyes. “She isn’t the battle witch your mother was. she’s potent with healing, and her spirit guardian is fierce, but she herself is not gifted in a fight like Isabella was. All I’m saying, is the dark ones are not the only enemies you need to watch out for.”

“…thank you.” Diana whispered and leaned back with a smile on her face. The last thing she needed was to be seen to be shaken by something. “I will bear that in mind.”

“Of course you will my dear.” Lisa overly played the happy old lady role and cupped her cheek. “Elaina is a very good friend to have.” She added as one last piece of advice, and then walked away to offer a hug to a dear friend.

Diana scanned the gathered throng of hooded people and found the sleek mane of red hair she was looking for. Lisa’s last comment must have been a strong piece of advice. Anna wasn’t strong with battle magic, but was Elaina? She was the only one capable of finding her, after all? She was the strongest in our class in that memory I had about levitating grass.

Diana tried to look casual and not the screeching hissing cornered animal she was on the inside as she walked across the circle to Elaina.

“Ah! Just in time. Into the middle you go.” Elaina cut her off and red leather knee high boots were visible beneath the central slit of her cloak. “It’s time to cover you in protection spells.”

“Only protection spells, right?” Diana resisted fruitlessly as she was turned and walked by her shoulders to the centre of the stone circle. “N-no one could, I don’t know, in theory use this opportunity to cast something a tad more vengeful on me, could they?” In that moment her eyes located the sneering faces of Jessica and Olivia across from her.

“Not if they want to live.” Elaina giggled by her ear and rubbed her arms up and down. “We will all be saying the same chant. It will be very obvious of someone starts to say something different to the rest of us. Besides? The protection spells would stop anything else they tried from working anyway. At least, for the next month.”

“Huh?” Diana asked with alarm and looked over her shoulder at the redhead. “What do you mean for the next month? Isn’t this a done deal?”

“No otherwise we would all be impervious to dark magic forever, wouldn’t we? It lasts a month. Then we can top it up again, if we have the need to. Personally, I don’t think we will.” Elaina walked around the circle and had a Cheshire cat crimson grin on her face. “You never got a chance to connect with your magic. I have a theory that because you never got to have a spirit guardian, your magic is dormant. Once we get the truth out of your memories, we’ll find out how to unlock it. And then?” Elaina shuddered with anticipation and glee. “Then the coven can get ready. Then Olivia and Jessica wouldn’t dare look you in the eye.” Then Elaina smirked devilishly and her voice spoke to Diana’s ears, even though her lips didn’t move. “I will awaken your power, and then you’ll be the Couper heir you were always meant to be. The true Couper heir.” Diana gawked. Elaina did not open her mouth, but she heard her voice as surely as she had.

“W-what did you call me?” Elaina’s only reply was a slow wink before she sauntered back off to stand beside Anna.

Diana was no longer underwhelmed. With no speech or pretence the entire coven raised their hands to the night sky and hummed in a way she’d expect monks to. It was precise and moved like a wave around her. vibrating against her skin and making her question how sensible it was to agree so blindly to let a coven full of strange witches to cast magic on her?