My eyes returned to the front just as the two chairs landed on the marble floor once more, and the enemy Witches stood up, boldly staring at each other like there was far more to be said between them, but neither dared to speak.
Elearah’s hands lifted abruptly. “Malum Voluntatis Obstructionum!” A burst of energy shot towards the Crimson Witch, too fast to be stopped.
The glow of the obsidian, energy-blocking necklace was hard to miss as it wrapped around Mother’s neck. Pure ire ignited in her eyes at the “insolence.” Unfortunately, it was not the first time I had seen it being used on one of us. The stone itself would prevent any form of negative energy from forming in her essence, and the spell infused into it would block all intentions of magick the wearer may have.
So yeah, Mother wouldn’t be doing any conjuring for a while.
“I curse you!” she snapped, though there were no mystical energies backing up her threat. Sighing, I watched her storm out of the castle. The room shook as she slammed the massive doors closed behind her.
The Sapphire Witch straightened, her gaze pinned to the doors for a few seconds, and then turned around. “Thank you all for being here today. The assembly is adjourned. You may go in light and peace, Goddess Blessed sisters.” Her authoritative voice projected to even the far balconies of the fifth floor, and with her calm and regal composure back in place, she graciously made her way out of the room.
Everyone began to stand around us, but Alysah, Sariah, and I remained seated.
“Just what I needed. Mother is going to be pissed out of her mind for the next few months,” I mumbled. That meant I wasn’t going to be home much during that time. “Can I move in with you?” I asked Sariah, only half-joking, reaching for the iPod inside the pocket of my leather jacket.
She snorted. “Not a chance in hell. I’ve already had enough of you as it is. But the cemetery might have an open plot you can use.” She grinned, batting her eyelashes.
“Good one.” I smirked, placing the earbuds back into my ears, and stood.
“You can totally move in with me,” Alysah offered enthusiastically before I could press play. “We can do movie night, make crystal grids together, and write new spells!” She clapped her hands swiftly at the prospect, and I knew she was about to have another excitement spasm. It was like she couldn’t handle the joy.
“And sleep in the room where Hello Kitty threw up?” I scoffed. “No, thank you. I’m allergic to cotton candy, unicorns, ruffled pillows, and hope. I would rather use the cemetery plot.”
Sariah chuckled. “Good one.”
“I know, right,” I snickered while Alysah’s brows hit her hairline, a mix of outrage and an exaggerated evil eye in her expression. “Oh, you’ll get over it—”
A gasp interrupted my words when my bubbly friend swiped up two fingers, and then pushed her hand forwards, throwing a shimmery pink smoke towards me. Her cool energy wrapped around my head, fueled by the ice-touched lifeforce that ran through her veins. Within a split second, my hair turned a bright shade of Pepto-Bismol pink.
“You are going to die!” I screamed. Technically, I had won our usual insults match, one she was no stranger to, but she had gone too far in her revenge.
You never touched a Witch’s hair.
Alysah grinned. “It only lasts a couple of weeks, woman. Don’t be dramatic.”
“Weeks?!”
Glaring at her, I tried my best not to turn her into a mouse while still in the Magistrate. My fingers lifted the once dark brown hair with golden strands weaved in between—my highlights turning a lighter hue of the dreaded pink color—I stared at the shimmering looking fluff in my grasp.
“Is that glitter?” I screeched.
Alysah laughed, smacking her black lips together as she blew me a kiss and turned, literally skipping out of the pavilion in her pastel Goth outfit that made her look like a dark doll—apparently, that was actually a thing.
Pressing her lips into thin lines, Sariah suppressed a chuckle when my eyes widened.
“I am going to kill her. DEAD!”
After a long shower, and trying yet another spell on my hair to take away the evil shade of pink, I collapsed onto my bed. I was not a pink kind of girl; I could not stress that enough.
Problem was, Alysah’s mystical calling was spell casting. It was the natural ability that flowed from her magickal soul, her strength, and she rocked at it. Hard.
She could not only use regular spells like all Goddess Blessed did, but she could create elaborate enchantments, and control events by magickal influence. Like, change the actual path of someone’s life and destiny or whatever. Alysah was a badass, sweet too, but under the pastel colors and tulle skirts, she was also a major bitch, which was exactly why I liked her. Trust me, you did not want to get on her bad side.
Still, she was sooo going to pay for this.
Sighing, I got up, styled my glittering flamingo-chic hair in waves, and dressed in my favorite 80s inspired outfit. Tight leather pants, a bra-top, and my fitted leather jacket. To be fair, it wasn’t my favorite outfit but the only outfit worth wearing. Though, I seriously considered wearing my metallic-coned bra.
Pushing up my sleeves, I added a skull leather bracelet, spiked cuff, and wedged heel boots. If it weren’t for the dreaded pink hair, Madonna would be proud.
Grimoire note: Yes, I know Madonna has done pink in the past, but even if the Goddess of Pop—she is a goddess to me—fell for its deceptive allure, I will never surrender.
“Pulchellus faciem.”
My lips curved into a smile as the dark red lipstick stained them. Gold, brown, and mauve eyeshadows colored my eyelids next, mascara thickened my lashes, and even a slight blush appeared along my cheekbones. I loved instant makeup, especially because I couldn’t do it by hand to save my life.
Liquid eyeliner was the devil.
The light above me glinted off my delicate, silver nose ring as I smirked, and with one last look in the mirror, I turned. I was ready.
Grimoire note: For what? I had no idea, but girl… I was so ready.
The energy tingled down my spine as my fingers ignited with purple fire, and I sent it to the floor; it erupted into a giant amethyst flame. The fabric of space was set ablaze, pieces of it falling and shimmering away as it “incinerated” with my magickal fire, opening a portal into my mother’s lavish room.
It was time to brave the beast. Someone, please kill me...
3
The space in between the two rooms slightly swayed like the inside of a roaring fire, and I effortlessly crossed over to the other side.
“Occludo.” The giant flame blew out at my command with a simple snap of my fingers, and the fleeting coolness swept my skin—leaving nothing but floating embers that shimmered around me.
My gaze moved over the vast space with every step. Lacquered black furniture adorned it elegantly, contrasting with the antique, off-white flowered wallpaper. Dark, wooden arches rose from the walls to the ceiling, connecting in the middle like the roof of a Gothic cathedral, and giving the space both a vintage and modern flare. Our whole house was decorated that way, with a mix of white and black accents, and I kind of loved it, to be honest.
My eyes connected with Mother’s form as she lay on the red lounge like her life was ending. “Baby Girl, come here, and give your disabled mother some love.”