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The one piece of news that had the entire school talking was the first piece of gossip she’d brought them. Provost Venefica was missing, and quite a large number of witches and familiars went with them. Most notably, Shawna, Jaynie, and their gang.
I am Laeda Solum, representative of Coven Solum. To my right, you have Gideon Mare of Coven Mare. Callum Adustio of Coven Ustrina, Ursula Manus of Coven Ferrum and Letitia Caneo of Coven Argentum, and of course, you know Leonard.”
“You didn’t like the house she gave you. I hardly see it as a reason to call in outside influences to interfere,” Letitia snapped. Melody, however, had had enough. “If it were just about housing choice, I would be a fool indeed to raise any drama over it, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. The provost insisted on inspecting every class I attended and failed to punish another witch who had bespelled another student to attack me, trivialising the matter entirely when her behaviour deteriorated so much that she nearly broke her bond with her familiar. She openly incited both students and
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“Melody, one last question,” Leonard asked, kneeling in front of her. “How many are left?” “Hundreds,” she whispered, and somebody moaned. “Probably closer to a thousand.” They knew then. The chances of defeating this army were slim, and Melody was their best hope. But she couldn’t do it all. It would kill her.
“Janet,” Ursula said quietly. “You’ve refused every coven for over fifty years. What makes you take such a drastic action now?” Melody opened her eyes, her gaze meeting that of the woman who had guided her since she’d arrived at Adolphus. “Because I found a witch worthy of my loyalty. One who fights for everything I believe in,” Mrs. Hardinger told them, although Melody knew that every word was for her.
“I have a sudden urge to reacquaint myself with the accords,” Callum said coldly. “I am sure you’re not the only one,” Nick replied. “I will be happy to answer any questions you have on the matter. I was, after all, one of the signatories.” That made the entire council freeze, looking at him. “I’d forgotten that,” Laeda said. “You look so young. It’s easy to forget just how old you are.” “Practically prehistoric,” Nick agreed with a grin, making them chuckle.
There was no doubt in his mind now that Drakis was the right place for him. The political games and jostling, while something he was well adept at manoeuvring through, sickened him. The constant backstabbing and jockeying for position made his very soul feel weary. There was no way to avoid it altogether, but something told him that Melody’s coven would be very different, and he wanted in at the ground level.
“I still haven’t accepted his request,” Melody said, exasperated. “Then let me give you some advice, young lady,” Letitia, of all people, answered. “If you turn him down as a coven member, you’re a fool. And if you refuse him as a mate, then you’re doubly so.”
“Owen, if she can’t hold the coven in light of my leaving, then she doesn’t deserve to hold the position at all. I know that, and she knows it too. The provost already knew I’d been dropped, which means she was already covering her ass. My mother is a political creature through and through. She knows how to handle this better than I do.”
“You didn’t have time to deal with the rest of us either,” he reminded her. “Stop thinking in terms of what other people will allow you to do, Melody, and start thinking about what it is that you want. If you like him, then it’s up to us to deal with it. The same way we added Asher, Trent, and even the white bastard over there.”
“I just don’t want to be hurt anymore, Nick,” she whispered, knowing he’d hear it.
Impulsively, Melody threw her arms around him. If Provost Aer-Canticum — Augusta — had started to become like a mother to her, then Mrs. Hardinger had been the fun aunty, which made Toby an uncle.
“You win,” Justin said when he could finally talk. “Can we please have a jug of water? The next two, she’ll have diluted, and I promise you she’ll drink it all. I don’t care if she pees herself during the vows—she will drink it all!” The healer laughed, leaving to get another jug.
“Mom, there’s a thousand of them.” She stilled, looking at him. “A thousand of what?” “The abominations. We’ve killed maybe three hundred if we’re lucky. Melody said there were probably close to a thousand of them. I think there might be more. She was only five when they started using her to break the shifters. They were fucking breeding them so they’d have more to experiment on. The goddess only knows how many of them there are, but she tried to undo the magic and couldn’t.”
Alexander huffed a laugh. “Mother, she wants a voice. She’s fighting for shifter rights, for changes in our culture. She’ll take every advantage she can get. Not for herself, though, but for us. For all of us. She said we’ve stagnated, and she’s right. Melody wants to make things better because she’s lived as a slave. They kept her in a cage in the basement with the shifters. She’s fucking lived their life, and she’s fed up with the old men ruling everything. The old witching men, Mother. She’s bringing change, and I, for one, am right behind her.”
“Melody,” Oz said, standing behind her and wrapping his hands around her waist. “They’re not upset at how much we achieved. They’re angry because there was so much for us to do.” “Child,” Letitia said, stepping around from behind her. “You thought we were upset because the cottage isn’t in top condition?”
“We’d do anything for you, Mel. Anything.” She didn’t need their bond to feel the truth of what he was saying. They’d shown her time and again how much she meant to them, and she was no longer sure it was just the bonds pushing them towards her. These shifters, these men, had come to mean as much to her as she did to them, and their actions spoke louder than words.
“You’ve had regular tutoring sessions?” Laeda asked, seeking confirmation. “For hours, every night and all weekend. I’m telling you, she barely sleeps, barely eats unless we force her to. She’s running herself into the ground and all to get out of here sooner so she can protect us. Only, we’re in even more danger out there than we are here. Or we were. I’m not even sure Adolphus is safe anymore. We need to take her to the clan lands where her aunt can’t get to her!” Asher ranted.
Adolphus needs a new herbology teacher. Probably a new provost. Do you think they’ll let me do both? Hmm. I’d probably need an assistant. Maybe two. Vice Principal and a junior herbology teacher. I’m going to have my hands full,” Ingrid said, thinking aloud again. Nick gaped.
Adolphus has gone to the dogs. The provost has gone missing, presumed to be on the side of Bestia. The attacks are now in the academy proper, and the majority of the American Council of Witches are injured. Melody had an hour, now sixteen minutes, to provide five witches to make a minimum for a coven. The first woman to join her is Janet Hardinger. If that doesn’t say to you anything about who this child is, then nothing will.”
“Janet is about to be named acting provost but can’t do it as a covenless witch. The wards are down, the academy is exposed, and an absolute imbecile is teaching herbology. Obviously, they need me. I’m going. That’s the short version.”
“And you’re going to swear to her?” Philippa asked Ingrid. Dammit. He was hoping she wouldn’t ask. Ingrid nodded. “Or she swears to me. I’ll know when I meet her. One way or another, we’ll be coven mates. Either I will lead and protect the poor child, or I’ll help her find her feet as the best thing for all of us. Either way, Coven Drakis will be a reality. We can hide in the clan lands no longer.”
Philippa snorted. “Never a dull moment, Nick,” she said. “I’m sorry, alpha. This is beyond my control. I came only to ask for vows. I didn’t mean to take Ingrid from the clan.” “Not even you can be that dense,” snapped one of the other witches. “Nobody takes Ingrid anywhere. She goes where she wants, as do we all.
“Give me a break,” he told her. “I found my mate, but she’s mated to another dragon and a lion. She’s under attack. We haven’t slept properly for months, and despite Ingrid’s tea, my brain is still like soup. Just, don’t add to the pile of shit that’s about to drown me because I can’t take much more.”
Just what kind of academy are they running there?” “Not the one I knew a few months ago,” he replied. “Things changed fast, too fast, which means some of that has been simmering for some time.” Tabitha nodded. “Good. Glad you finally saw at least that much. Now, get through there and help them fix it. Stop reacting and start taking control.”
The witches all fanned out behind Ingrid, but she was staring at Melody, an intense look of concentration on her face. “Come here, child,” she said, her voice full of authority. “Your aura is strong enough. Now let me see you properly.”
But then Ingrid gasped, surging forward. She took Melody’s face in her hands, tipping it back to the light. “Who are your parents?” Ingrid demanded, not letting her go when Melody struggled. “Enough child, tell me who!”
Surprisingly, Rhona stepped up, holding up a hand and freezing the three of them in place. “She won’t hurt her, although she owes us all an explanation once she untwists her underwear.”
“Adelaide Bestia,” Melody said. “Is she the coven mistress?” “She was, but my aunt killed her when I was four,” Melody told her. “Please?” Ingrid begged. “Who was your father? I must know!” Melody shrugged. “I don’t know. Our stud-book never recorded the full names, only the given name.” “Yes?” “Kian,” Melody said. “That’s all it said for his entry. Some man called Kian.”
“Ingrid?” Laeda asked. “What’s going on?” “A miracle, that’s what,” Ingrid said, smiling and crying. “I have come to give my vow to follow my granddaughter, Melody Drakis. A more fitting name I could not imagine. Melody was my mother’s name. Which I think my son might have told your mother. It’s also my middle name.”
“And you’re my grandmother?” she whispered. “The proudest one to ever have walked this green earth,” Ingrid told her. “Then shouldn’t I be vowing to you?” Melody questioned. “No, my beautiful girl,” Ingrid told her. “With the blood flowing through your veins, you haven’t even begun to reach your potential, and you’re already stronger than I am. No wonder you have two dragon mates. One is fated to your witch side, and the other calls to your dragon blood.”
“Nick told you I was his mate?” she asked. Ingrid shot to her feet, turning to face him. “You left my granddaughter in doubt?” she snapped. Fuck. “She’s Justin’s true mate,” Nick protested. “The chances of her being mine as well were too small. I thought my dragon was mistaken.”
“I, Alexander of no coven, Formerly of Coven Canticum, wish to apply for membership to Coven Drakis,” he declared loudly. Melody gasped. “Alexander, you left your coven?” Nikolai laughed. “No. His mother is like good sow. She tell him off, then kick him out. It was funny. I laugh much.”
“He say she make bad choices. He say she force the women to mate. He say if I am not welcome at table, then he is not either. This man is my brother!” Nikolai said, putting a broad arm around Alexander’s shoulders. “He make me proud. He also make me laugh. He is still Mommy boy, but he stand up to her, so I am proud.”
“And who is your mother to remove you from your coven?” Ingrid asked. “She’s the coven mistress, and I am the former heir,” Alexander told her. Ingrid looked him up and down, then stepped backward. “Then, by all means, let the boy-child go first.”
She ordered me to come here; that's why she released me from the coven. I am specifically ordered to come here, join your coven, marry you and get you with child. If your coven rises in power, then it was a political move by my mother. She sacrificed me for the betterment of Canticum. If your coven fails, then I was a rebel, and she cut me off before I could damage the coven further.”
“So, Alexander of no coven. Just which of these options are you? The rebel? Or the political gambit?” Ingrid asked him. Alexander knelt down on one knee, and Nick’s dragon roared in protest. “I am neither,” he replied. “I disavow myself of Coven Canticum. I am here of my own volition, and my goal is to serve Coven Drakis. That is all I offer; that is all you need to know.” Ingrid nodded. “Good answer.”
“Can we begin this process? The sun will set soon, and I don’t want to be finishing the wards in the darkness. We need to protect the academy.” “Just one more thing,” Ingrid said, and Laeda sighed. “I believe you have an opening for a new provost. I would like the job, thank you.” Nick snickered, but everyone other than the clan witches gaped.
Ryan pointed to her cup and mimed drinking it. “I’m full, Ryan; if I drink it too fast, it’s going to come straight back up. Give me a minute.” “She’s going to lose her shit,” he warned her. “Then I’ll make sure to vomit in her direction then, shall I? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled I’ve lost the entire batch.”
The council had originally decided that if Mrs. — Janet didn’t want to move into Provost House, I could actually be safely accommodated there. I was wondering, could I move in with you for a while if you’re accepted as provost?” Ingrid beamed, catching her hand and holding it firmly. “I think that’s a perfectly reasonable request. Not only are you family, but you’re my coven mistress. There’s actually nothing inappropriate about me housing you there at all, whether you are a student or not. It would even be within reason to extend that invitation to the Canticum boy and his familiar.”
“She counts her familiars as members of her coven?” an older gentleman asked. “I do,” Melody said. “Which, with all due respect, is internal Drakis business.” The man stiffened. “Give over Malachi,” Gideon said. “She’s right. It’s none of our concern. At the very least, she’s providing for her familiars, which she is contractually obliged to do as a student, never mind as coven mistress. With that issue resolved, I say we put it to a vote.”
I’ve told him it’s her choice, but he’s calling her our mate, so I don’t know how to tell him to back off. It hurts, Mrs. H!” The counsellor’s expression softened. “Aye, Ryan, I know. As long as you respect it, we’ll deal with whatever else happens as it comes, all right? All of you remember that. She’s not an expectation, something your beasts can demand, and you need to be prepared to deal with it if she rejects them — if that happens, come to me straight away because the sooner we get on top of it, the better.”
“I’m now a coven mistress with no experience at running my own life, never mind trying to take care of so many people, and now I have a family? I mean, I’ve always been surrounded by family, but none who cared. My dad was a dragon, my Mom obviously loved him, and I have to wonder what happened. She didn’t die until I was four, so did she know he was dead? Did she know he was missing? I love her. She was always gentle, but what if she was part of what Aunt Georgia was doing? What if she knew?”
“I need to know,” Melody finally said quietly. “I need to know whom they found dead in those cells. They would have killed anyone they didn’t take with them. Those people were the closest thing I had to family. I need to know who is dead and who I’m going to have to kill in this war. I need to see that place not as my prison but as something I left behind. I needed to walk the corridors without fear, places I was terrified to tread. I need to see what they did, and I need to make sure that nobody forgets it. That these atrocities are never allowed to happen again.”
Melody had a bad feeling. She didn’t know the people wandering around her ancestral home. She didn’t know their motives or agendas. The entire story could be rewritten, and nobody would know. She had to go there. She had to see it, and she had to be the one who remembered.
“You’re sleepy, sweetheart. Why don’t you let Nick run you a bath before bed, hm? Let him take care of you, then you’ll sleep better,” Justin told her, disentangling himself and stepping back. “No!” Melody said, a slightly panicked note to her voice. “I need my dragons! Both of them!”
Eight familiars, three mates. The bonds pulling her in all directions were a lot to juggle, but Melody finally thought she was beginning to get a handle on it. Maybe.
If these men thought they could walk all over her because she was outnumbered, then they could think again.
“You use spoken spells?” Ingrid asked in a strangled voice. “Sometimes,” Melody said. “I’ve never had an issue, and I guarantee they always turn out stronger when I pray to the goddess for help.” “She makes up her own,” Nick added. “I've seen them in action. She’s not joking. Melody’s instinct for magic is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Melody smiled thinly at her. “I should have, of course, introduced Quinn Drakis to you. He’s a board-certified truthfinder. A skill passed down by his pack for thousands of years and considered irrefutable evidence in a witching court of law. If he states you are lying about your intent, you are lying. I have all the evidence I need to order you punished. Never mind the insults delivered to me here on my lands by Coven Canticum.”
