Part 33 (2/2)

”But what if a single House,” I said, ”were to elect a leader who controlled all of the other Houses”

The last Initiate arded by default The Gathering was over ”It would be either join with theed

Weabout Vittoria and where she was right now Good to her word, she had said goodbye to nobody and just left I oodbye I decided I would flip through my codex and try and find out what her Wiccan Mark was, based on her W I had seen It was a long shot but maybe it was in there

Locke called to me Lia went on without me She was in no mood to speak with any of the olves, she said, apart from Gaven Locke was one of the Team Leaders An alpha I realized that could be seen as a stepping stone to being elected Head Wolf

”You have a note,” he said, handing me a slip of thick cream-colored parchment It had been written on with a nib I thanked Locke, who looked at me with his secretive eyes, but he wasn't a Wiccan, so I didn't have to worry about thatand broke the seal, opened the note

”Dear Halsey,” it began I went away to a corner to read it

”You have until New Yearsand then I will expect you atyou And keep a lookout for et you

VR”

Veruschka Ravenseal The seal was an ornate waxen R Veruschka said she was leaving after the finish of the cere to leave

I folded the note and put it in etting ready to leave the Gathering I saw Ballard, but he didn't look at me

Instead I laid down on us Codex I put place and the note from VR inside of it, when I was interrupted by a knock at oodbye,” said Lux

”You're leaving?” I said I got up out of my bed toshake his hand Our dor the book, with the papers sticking out of it

”I see you're ood,” he said ”They're 'all different, accordingly'” He smiled at me

I didn't knohat to say to Lux I think we had been intensely interested in each other, if however briefly, and then we sort of careat teacher,” I said, as if that cut through all of that stuff that was between us

”You know, I envy you,” he said to me

”Why?”

”A brand-new WiccanChosen at the Gathering, no less! There aren't many who can say that”

I supposed

”Wellyou take care,” he said

”Wait Don't go,” I said

He turned back around

”Yes, Halsey?” said Professor Lux, expectantly

I didn't have anything to say I wanted to ask him about his Mark I wanted to tell him that he was a world-class Crafter and that he didn't have to run away froic anymorejust because of whatever had happened Instead, I just shookI'llI'll see you later Okay?”

”I have no doubt of it,” he said, and bid me farewell It was foolish of me to think that life could stand still That we could always have potential without ever having to do anything

Lux's awesoone I stood there with the book in h it, I turned to the section on Marks Distinguishi+ng Marks and their features I studied the I could hardly stand it I definitely had Mark envy Belladonna Deadly nightshade Vittoria's Mark was a flower

Chapter 24 Birthright

Wiccans , would do well to consider the following A House is a Hive, with one queen bee She's in charge

I put my book down No wonder Veruschka Ravenseal was so nastyshe could afford to be She was Mistress of Ravenseal, one of the Three, elite It was just as Lux had said

So I wanted to see what Lia had been talking about earlier today It was getting pretty late at night, and we had a big day toe, to find an interesting paragraph

If a House of thirteen or greater does not Hive, that House is in contravention of the Rules One of two things will happen Either its parent coven will come to its rescue, and the Houses, combined, will make one Super House, in which case we have war Or the va it upon themselvesas stipulated by the 1887 Conventionwill come to rout out that House

There was a footnote: If a House elects a leader, and that leader creates multiple affiliate covens, then a Storm of Covens is said to exist, and all such Houses shall be forfeit

Which I guessedto understand it all, now Ravenseal had satellites Affiliate covens

Pendderwenn, for instance

But, to the outside world, it appeared House Pendderas independent

It wasn't If a war broke out If it ever broke outRavenseal would contract Lux was right about that He had told er than it looked because it controlled House Pendderwenn But secretly

How many Houses were beholden to Ravenseal, anyway? And was that Veruschka's endgame? To control the Wiccan world? Whatever it was, it sounded like the Lenoir were sanctioned by the Houses to police the supernatural world A concession no doubt to their size I wondered howto see the secret side of Wicca and I didn't like it It freaked me out I snapped shut the book The dust flew intome sneeze Lia turned above me, then went back to sleep

I sat up in my bed and took one of the candles Asher had never shown up Wherever he was, it must be important, because he had never let , I blew the candle out and went to sleep I had learnedYou always htand Selwynand Gavenand everyone It was unsafe to walk around the Gathering at night I was also beginning to suspect, with so erous place Roainst all that

I believed in the olves In Ballard and Lia and us In Gaven and all them I suddenly understood why it was so important they did what they did Roht It was Ro for

I zonked out Epic me had said her piece But as I slept I had this uneasy feeling, like I wasn't safe Like none of us were

I was onso where the ain So the a Whichsomewhere Ieren'tstill It was one of those kinds of drea withto ht snapped on

It wasn't a lightbulb going off inlike that, but I definitely saw stars ”Murgh,” said Lia ”Mrngargh Nargh!” she said

I woke up The lights were on in our dormitories and our doorLia's and ht you stood ily, and then sat up in my bed