Affinity Witch

Chapter 10: High Council Meeting

The next day, Sabrina ran almost the entire way from the blacksmith's shop to the High Council meeting chamber, trying to keep up with the Helferin sent to guide her, who clearly believed lateness to the lunch was unacceptable.

Stopping outside an imposing door carved with a variety of runes, she drew in a deep breath, as much to allow her body additional air as to steady her suddenly unsettled nerves. Smoothing the front of her forest green dress with her hands, she pressed her lips together and grasped the round brass door knob.

I can do this, Sabrina assured herself. It's just eating lunch while a meeting takes place.

Steeling herself, she pulled open the door and stepped inside. Her eyes immediately landed on her mother, sitting at the head of a long, polished table. Gold brocade drapes were pulled back from the tall windows lining one side of the room, and sunlight streamed in, making the space feel far cozier than the appraising gaze offered by her mother.

Marlene must have found Sabrina's arrival to be acceptable because she nodded her head in greeting before gesturing towards a row of straight-backed chairs lined up against the wall.

The other High Council members were already seated, making Sabrina the last to arrive, but no one else had come from work as she had, so hopefully they wouldn't take offense at her last-minute entrance.

Keeping her gaze on the floor, Sabrina quickly made her way across the room and slid onto one of the chairs indicated by her mother. Given how many seats there were, it was possible other witches were coming to observe the meeting, so she chose a seat at the end of the row where she'd only have to endure someone sitting on one side of her.

Sabrina briefly wondered how the members of the High Council felt about having someone who was still technically a witchling observe their meeting, but decided even if they held such reservations, none of them would directly cross her mother to protest.

As the hand-carved clock on the wall merrily sang out the time, Sabrina's mother cleared her throat, and the muffled conversations around the table immediately stopped as everyone turned in their chairs to better face the Sprechen.

"Welcome," smiled Marlene. "This meeting of the High Council is now in session. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our guest," she nodded to Sabrina, who dipped her head as the other council members turned and smiled at her before her mother continued. "Since there don't seem to be any emergencies to deal with, thank the spells, let's start with updates."

As the witches spoke, Helferin moved silently in and out of the room, carrying covered platters, decanters of fruit wine, and white napkins edged in gold thread. To Sabrina's surprise, two Helferin set up a small table right in front of her and placed a tray on top, as well as a napkin, utensils, and a crystal goblet filled with water.

In between bites of egg noodles and green beans, Sabrina did her best to listen attentively as the witches took turns going around the table. In addition to her mother, there were eight other members on the High Council, and Sabrina had at least a passing acquaintance with their names and affinities.

There was Tante Hedda, a tall witch with a truly impressive gift for business who ran the Hexen shop and sold all kinds of goods to travelers. Her hair had been white for as long as Sabrina could remember, perched on top of her head like a precariously built beehive that somehow managed to stay upright.

Seated next to her was Tante Monika, an artist with an affinity for painting who seemed to spend most of her time daydreaming, lost in her own world, unless she was forced to engage in conversation. The sides of her hands were perpetually covered in streaks of paint that sometimes made their way onto her face, not that she ever seemed to mind.