Sister Witches

A Gaggle of Witches

"Mothballs and history," Myrtle said as she placed a red cloak over Misty's shoulders, the Cajun securing it around herself as Myrtle moved on to place another around Angel's shoulders. "It's a cocktail I swoon for."

"I feel like a queen." Misty said to her younger sister with a large smile on her face. Angel giggled at her sister's expression.

All the witches of the coven were standing around in the main room, candles providing a soft orange glow. Angel couldn't help but peer around the room, observing all the paintings of the women hung upon the white walls. The longer she stayed in the academy, the more questions she had.

"How does putting on this smelly old stuff help us get rid of Fiona?" Madison snidely asked.

"It's part of a ceremony called the 'Sacred Taking', which allows for the ascension of the new Supreme." Cordelia responded, adjusting her own cloak with the help of Zoe.

"And we're sure Misty's the next Supreme?" Zoe asked with genuine curiosity.

"I'm certain of her credentials. She's brought back more people from the dead than Jesus Christ." Myrtle said, grabbing some black-laced veils and handing them to Zoe and the Day sisters. Zoe went behind Cordelia's back and helped her in placing it on her blonde locks correctly.

"Disappointed?" Madison asked with a smirk, "You thought it was you, didn't you?"

"Well, I knew it wasn't you, because when Fiona cut your throat, you died." Zoe said, throwing Madison's attitude right back in her face.

Throughout all of this, Angel debated with herself on whether or not to speak up and let the witches know that it was actually herself who brought Myrtle back from the dead. However, her internal struggle died out quickly as she saw how competitive and bitchy Madison was acting. She didn't wish for the actress to set her sights on her. Right now, she was in the shadows and she was quite content to stay there.

"It could be any one of us." Nan chimed in, spreading out the black lace around her head. She had caught onto Angel's train of thought and decided to subtly include her.

"Not really. It's pretty obvious." Madison said, giving Nan the side eye. Angel glared at the girl; what gave her the right to be so rude to the others?

"And what does that mean?" Nan angrily asked.

"Being the Supreme isn't something to wish for." Cordelia calmly cut in to stop any further arguments, "It's not a gift. It's a burden. How many of these women had happy lives?" She asked, referencing all the paintings in the room. "They had power, but with it came the crushing responsibility of the coven. They all bowed under the weight, except my mother, who ran from it." Myrtle carefully handed Cordelia a sheathed knife, patting her hand before taking her place within the circle.

Misty took a shaky glance at Cordelia, this new information causing a small pit of fear to grow within her gut. "Can I say something?" She asked, "I don't want to be the Supreme." She declared, shaking her head at the blinded blonde. Angel couldn't help but send her older sister a sympathetic look. The two sisters were content spending their days out in their isolated swamp; it would be a drastic change for Misty if she truly was the next Supreme.

"Nobody gets to choose." Cordelia stated strongly, "When Fiona dies, whoever it is... will be."

All the witches in the circle pulled their laced veil in front, obscuring their features. "Now, give me your hands. We're ready to begin." Cordelia said, the women obeying her command.

"The Sacred Taking is a ritual used in times of crisis to ensure the survival of the coven. It has been evoked three times in our history. The first, during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The coven had decided to flee South, away from Salem and persecution of the Court of Oyer and Terminer." The witches all took a breath, Angel taking it from Zoe and passing it on to Misty. "The reigning Supreme at that time, Prudence Mathers, suffered from consumption and knew she would be too weak to make the journey. She gathered her witches and invoked the Sacred Taking." The knife from before was passed around, as each witch took it to the tip of their index finger and made a cut, drawing blood. "It's the most hallowed sacrifice a Supreme can make. Prudence took her own life, which allowed for a new Supreme to rise and lead them to safety." The girls all placed their fingers in towards the center of the circle.

"Can you imagine those poor Salem witches, travelling all the way down here in covered wagons without a proper charcuterie platter or a bidet?" Myrtle asked passionately, "Absolutely savage!" She shouted. Angel didn't understand the fuss, she didn't even know what a charcuterie platter was and she had never even used a bidet before. She chose, once again, to keep her mouth shut on the matter.

"Does nobody see the flaw in this plan?" Madison asked, her hands dropping to her sides with an audible thump, "You really expect that narcissistic bitch to kill herself for the sake of this coven?" She looked at Cordelia.

"Not without a push." Was the immediate reply.

They all stepped away from the circle. Madison headed up the stairs to put on an appropriate outfit to enact the coven's next step of the plan. Myrtle led Cordelia to a chair before heading upstairs herself, and the rest of the witches found their own spots within the room. Now, all they had to do was wait for the two witches to prompt the Supreme to take her own life. Angel decided to use this opportunity to ask some of the questions that had been brewing inside of her head.

"Miss Cordelia?" She asked hesitantly, she wanted to ask but she also didn't want to look stupid in front of everybody.

"Yes, dear?" Cordelia turned her head towards the 14-year old. She had a feeling the young witch had some questions just like the other girls when they first arrived.

"Uhh.." She started and immediately dropped her voice to a whisper, "What exactly is a Supreme?" She took a seat on the floor beside the woman.

Cordelia chuckled lightheartedly, "I was wondering when you were going to ask that." Angel gave a sheepish smile, her cheeks turning pink. "A Supreme is a witch who exhibits all powers from the Seven Wonders test. Those powers include Pyrokinesis, Telekinesis, Concilium, Transmutation, Divination, Vitalum Vitalis, and Descensum. She may also have other powers but those are the abilities required in order to be deemed the Supreme."

"Wow, that's a lotta powers." Angel said, her jaw slack with wonder and her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What's Concilium?"

"Concilium in simpler terms is mind control." Cordelia said.

"Is it a hard power to master?" She asked.

"For some. Each witch has her own individual strengths and weaknesses. What may be difficult for some witches can be second nature to others." She responded. "Take your sister for example. Resurgence is said to be one of the hardest powers to master and she successfully brought herself and Madison back. Of course, she had some help with the latter." She said with a sly grin.

"She also brought back Myrtle." Zoe said from her place on the couch beside Nan.

Cordelia hummed, "Not quite." She simply said. She paused for a moment thinking back to the images she saw when she took Angel's hand earlier. "Angel here was actually the one to resurrect Myrtle."

"Wait, really?" Zoe asked, surprised, she looked back and forth between the swamp sisters. Angel ducked her head and looked away, not saying anything.

Misty shrugged her shoulders, "She didn't think she could do it. I knew she could. I only gave her an encouraging shove... literally." She chuckled, a proud smile making its way onto her face as she gazed at her little sister.

Zoe and Nan took what they could and accepted it. The two decided to leave the room and wait on the stairs for Madison to emerge from the Supreme's room. Angel stood from her place on the floor beside Cordelia, deciding to follow her friend and let her natural curiosity overtake her. But before she left, Cordelia stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"You have great powers within you, Angel. Do not be afraid of them. Embrace them. If you have any more questions later, I'll be happy to answer them." She said with a kind and motherly smile placed on her face.

"Thank you, Miss Cordelia. I promise, I have plenty of questions for ya." She giggled before making her exit.