19, Dusk riders
Tite
I told my aunt everything but tried to be careful not to reveal pack business. When I was done, I heard a light chuckle from the other side of the line.
“You see? Aten is trying to guide you back to us. He has grown tired of you walking under the silver disc,” she said. I smiled.
“I didn’t call for a recruitment speech,” I reminded her. She laughed.
“Stubborn as always. Well, I can’t say my cousin didn’t have that trait as well. Not like me, I’m the perfect image of compliant,” my aunt told me. I snorted.
“Please, who are you trying to fool? All women in our family are worse than mules,” I said.
“Maybe,” she agreed. “So I’m guessing you would like some information about the local coven?” she asked.
“Yes, and an introduction if I may,” I answered.
“What makes you think I have the connections to make one?”
“Come on, aunt Hilda. You are the high priestess of one of the oldest covens in the world. Your introduction would be good in the eyes of any witch,” I said.
“Well, aren’t you sweet as sugar? Fine, I don’t mind giving you an introduction. As long as you keep safe and remember not to trust anyone,” Hilda told me.
“Are they dusk riders?” I asked. Dusk riders were covens that didn’t feel the need to apply a moral code on their magic work. They did what they wanted to do. Mostly the witch community didn’t mind. They only took notice if the work hurt groups of innocent people or if the work somehow jeopardised the witching community as a whole. The latest such incident had been a year and a half prior, when a group of different dusk rider covens had teamed up with rogue werewolves. My father had reluctantly reached out to aunt Hilda and she had made sure the other covens knew about the threat. It had been deemed to be such a big threat, the other covens had joined together and wiped the offending covens out of existence.
“No, they’re not. But they aren’t friends, and you should alway be wary of strangers,” Hilda reminded me.
“I know, aunt. Stranger danger,” I told her. She chuckled.
“Yes, exactly. The closest coven to you is called Ix Chell’s circle. They are your regular kind of coven. Not that powerful, but as I understand it they are a close-knit group. They do some good for the community like calling forth rain and blessing crops. They changed leader a while back, maybe a year or so ago. Overall, nothing scary or unusual,” Hilda told me.
“Thank you. That is good to know. Let me know when you have reached out to them and I will do the same,” I said to her.
“Of course dear, happy to help. So, how are things at home?” she asked. I sighed. “That bad?” she wanted to know.
“I don’t know. Maybe I just expect too much. I have been thinking it might be time for me to leave home, or find a new place to call home,” I told her.
“I’m sorry. I know Cassie would tear him a new one if she was still here. But then, if she was, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Hilda said. “You know you always have a home here. You are an Arevayin by blood and the magic is as strong with you as it is in all of our family,” she added.
“Thank you. You know I’m grateful for it, but you also know I would end up killing half the members of the coven after a month as they tried to suck me into their schemes,” I confessed. She laughed.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing,” she said, and it was my turn to laugh.
“No wonder I’m as much of a bitch as I am with your blood running in my veins,” I told her.
“What are your plans if not to join my coven?” she asked. I told her about the offer from Luna Rayvin and she hummed.
“I could see it working for you. Just promise me you won’t do anything without thinking it through. Don’t let that father of yours push you into something you don’t feel right about. Regardless of what you will do, you will be amazing at it,” she told me.
“Thank you,” I said. “Maybe when this is over and before I join the Mistvalley pack I can come and visit you. It’s been a while,” I suggested.
“Oh, I would love that. We can stay up all night making weird potions from the family recipe books. The witches during the middle ages had some pretty far out ideas.” We continued to talk and plan a visit. I was excited to have some time to practice magic. It was always the same, I avoided using it because I knew how much I enjoyed using it, how natural it felt. But as I knew it made my father and the Luna uncomfortable, I didn’t. And then, when I treated myself and indulged that side of me, I craved more. When we ended the call I was in a better mood. I decided to spend a couple of hours working on the sketch for my brother’s tattoo, the beer drinking down stairs wouldn’t start yet and I didn’t want to get a new project started. I had seen in the old ladies’ chat that some of them were thinking about going to the club tonight with their men. I was looking forward to seeing what would happen if they did.
Three hours later I decided I had given it enough time. I had promised Nash I would let him introduce me around and then Shadow and I needed to have a talk about that porn habit of his that had him blushing. I headed downstairs and the sound from the bar told me the interesting part of the evening was getting started. I stepped into the bar and walked up and ordered a beer. While I waited for it, I looked for Nash. He wasn’t hard to find, my instinct knew where he was the moment I had stepped into the room. As I looked in his direction, he looked in mine and our eyes met. I hated the little somersault my heart did. It was cheesy and idiotic. He gave me one of his smirks that I didn’t doubt he thought made him sexy and he walked up to me.
“There is a good turn out tonight, most of the important people are here and I can introduce you,” he told me.
“Hello to you too. Sounds like an evening as good as any. No issues so far?” I asked as I looked out over the bar.
“No. Are you expecting trouble?” he asked, studying me.
“No.” It was all I said. When he kept looking at me I offered him a smile. When he still looked at me I rolled my eyes. “So where are all these important people you keep talking about?”
“Fine, keep your secrets for now. But if something goes down hill and I find out you knew about it…” He left the threat hanging in the air between us. I put on my best smile.
“Do you really think I would do something like that?” I asked, trying to sound innocent. I didn’t play the part well, it was one of my more seldom used roles. Nash snorted, but placed his hand on my back to guide me in the right direction.