To be Claimed by Her

Chapter 6

Eveleen's POV

How the hell do these people deal with this heat? It's not even mid-morning and I swear I need another shower. Ugh! I grabbed my back and secured my hat, before leaving in the Uber I'd called. As we passed the mansion, I noticed two more men standing on the porch. From a distance, I couldn't make out much detail beyond brown hair and muscular builds. Well, at least the view is nice here.

"You sure this is where you want me to drop you off, lady?" my driver asked as we arrived at our destination. I must admit, looking up at the rundown brick building, I had my concerns, but this was the address the coven had provided.

"Yes, thank you, sir," I handed him some cash for a tip and stepped out into the humid air. Climbing the steps, I knocked on the heavy metal door. It swung open to reveal a small woman with doe eyes. "Mrs. Richman?" I asked.

"Oh you must be Ms. Dolman," she said in a hopeful tone. I cringed at the use of my fake identity. The last name was associated with my former coven and did not hold fond memories.

"You can call me Ylfa," I shook her outstretched hand. She opened the door further and ushered me inside. The outside was quite deceiving. The small entryway opened up to a vaulted ceiling with tapestries and rows of bookshelves. The room had a positive aura that I could tell had been recently cleaned. She led me down a wide hallway and knocked on a cherry door.

"Come," the voice from inside intoned. Swinging open the door revealed a large conference table with five witches gathered around it. "Please, come in. We are so glad you came," the older gentleman gushed as he stood to shake hands. "Let me introduce everyone. I'm Reggie, this is Sarah, Thomas, Kati, Stephen, and of course you've already met Matilda." He nodded to Mrs. Richman.

"Thank you, I'm Ylfa Dolman, it's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm so sorry for the losses you've experienced. I hope I can help." I said, taking a seat near Stephen. "I've reviewed the information you sent. I can say with full confidence that you are dealing with shades. Now the real question is, what is their motivation for attacking?"

Sarah scoffed, "Just how can you be so certain? And what do you mean by their motivation? Shades are evil, isn't that motivation enough?" I could feel the animosity rolling off of her. I paused, studying her aura. She was very guarded.

"I took the liberty of a revelation spell last night. It quickly showed shades." I said curtly. "As for motivation, well if these were random attacks, stragglers in the community, then yes, it would make sense. But for a shade or group of shades to actively target a coven, is uncommon." I surveyed the room looking for reactions. "Have you done any dark spells recently? Sought to strike any bargains?"

Thomas choked on his tea, "What? Are you mad? We are not that type of coven!"

I raised my hands, "I meant no offense. I do not judge. Magic is neutral. It is only the intent that colors it. If anyone in the coven was perhaps seeking power, wealth, personal gain, they may have inadvertently triggered something." I stood and walked to a bookshelf covered in magical artifacts. "You have quite the collection," I commented.

Reggie came to stand next to me, looking over the items. "Yes, most of these have been passed down over several generations. We're lucky. Our coven has survived since the colonies were formed." He picked up a simple wand, holding it lovingly. "I'm sure your own coven has a collection of magical items as well."

He was trying to get me to reveal more about myself, but it wasn't going to work. I didn't give away personal information. The Council and I had come to an agreement many years ago that only a handful of witches would know my true name. There is power in a name, and I chose not to share that information carelessly. Ironic since I'd given it to Luke the night before without even hesitating.