Alicia Felkin and the Witch's Wood

Ch. 4: Shifting Blame

"An emergency coven meeting?"

Edwin stared up at the witchling as she read out the note he had brought her from Lady Tamashi herself.

"What's this all about?" Alicia murmured. "They never let kids into these."

She rolled up the note and put it back into the small tube it had come in. As a familiar Edwin was well-equipped to carry messages, but he almost never acted as a messenger. He'd only really done that once when Sefira got her phone taken away and Alicia had to ask her if she wanted to go to the library. Suffice to say, Edwin wasn't very familiar with delivering things.

Alicia pulled herself out of her window seat, knocking a few pillows to the floor. She stuffed them back into place with a sigh.

Opening her closet, Alicia leaned against the doorframe and rifled through her clothes. She had to wear something nice for a coven meeting. As per regulations she would wear a cloak instead of a coat, but other than that her clothes could be whatever she wanted. She held up an indigo skirt next  to a black long sleeved top.

"Edwin, what do you think?" She asked. "Black and blue, or black and green? Or burgundy and green?"

Edwin chittered and rubbed his face with his paws.

Alicia sighed. "Well, that's helpful."

She decided on the black top with a burgundy skirt that hung just above her knees, along with a pair of black leggings underneath because it was cold. Fastening her grey-black cloak, she headed down the stairs with Edwin tucked into her small messenger bag, nestled next to her phone, her wallet, and a tin of mini chocolates.

In the foyer, Alicia pulled on her lace up leather boots before calling to her uncles to let them know she was off to a coven meeting.

"Coven meeting?" Uncle Fabian stuck his head in. "When did that come up?"

"Just now." Alicia finished lacing up her boots and stood up. "Edwin brought me the message in a little tube. It's from Lady Tamashi, so it must be very important."

"All right, then. Stay safe, don't leave the group, text us when you get there and when you leave-"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine! See you later!"

Meetings cog the witch coven were always held in the same location: the coven hall. Technically there were three different coven halls, but the other two were for the other covens. The witch hall was on the east side of town, which is where Alicia was on her way to.

Turning a corner, she nearly knocked heads with someone rather unexpected.

"Sefira?" Alicia asked, bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Sefira pulled a small note from the pocket of her black jacket. "I'm on my way to a coven meeting. You?"

"Same thing." Alicia showed her the note Edwin had brought.

"Huh. Kinda weird that they'd hold two meetings in one night."

"Yeah, it is. If you're on your way to the vampire meeting hall, though, shouldn't you be going down Main Street?"

"Isn't- is this not Main Street?"

"It is not."

"Mimblewimble. In that case, I should prolly go the other way."

"Yeah. Text me what the meeting was about when you get back, though."

"Sure thing, Aly."

They parted ways, and Alicia arrived at the coven meeting before long. Most of the witches were already inside, and there was a somber feeling settling over everyone.