Pirlipat was the first to break the shocked silence. "Please, my sister—she needs help!"


    One of the witches, dressed in a crimson hat and a white dress with red rose petals sewn onto its billowing skirts, rushed from the table. A Camrar lady, with her black horns sticking through her deep emerald hat was quick to follow her. The two summoned a cot beneath Layla as another witch joined them, one with dark skin and turquoise blue hair—one who seemed awfully familiar to Gwynn.


    "You were at the Institute!" Gwynn cried as the blue-haired witch approached Layla.


    "I am." The witch replied evenly, her voice as soft as snowfall. She took Layla''s wrist into her gloved hands. "I am horrified to see that the Annwynese have infiltrated even the sacred spaces of academia."


    "You shouldn''t be so surprised." The Carmar witch summoned a blanket of gossamer, covering Layla like a veil—or perhaps a shroud, Gwynn feared. "I''ve told you all for years, they would come sooner rather than later—"


    "Now isn''t the time, Kersen," the witch in red scolded. She looked to Pirlipat. "Your sister is in good hands."


    He said nothing, instead looking at her with what could only be described as a wary glare. His grip on his sister''s hand was white-knuckled, making him seem even paler than he already was.


    Still, Gwynn could see that Layla was breathing easier already, the blood vanishing.


    "We''ll take her inside to continue the job." The turquoise-haired witch nodded, and then looked to Pirlipat. "You can follow us."


    "Yes. . . Professor Azura." Pirlipat looked as if he were swallowing glass to even speak the name aloud. Still, for all his distrust and reluctance, he followed the two witches and his unconscious sister past the garden party, and into a large, comfortable-looking cottage.


    It was only then, with Layla''s safety at least marginally more assured, that Gwynn took a better look around her.


    The brightly-colored Aurora Borealis painted the Otsoan skies above them, illuminating the otherwise pitch-black night. So they had not been taken off-world at least. That was a relief of sorts.


    The garden around them was that of perpetual summertime, perfectly green and filled with ponds with lilies that glowed like there were candles inside of them, and hedges filled with every kind of flower except for roses. The absence of them gave Gwynn pause. In the flower boxes outside of their home, Celine planted red and white roses.


    "For my two roses," Celine had told her once as Gwynn had helped her tend to the boxes.


    Beyond the garden walls, Gwynn could see the white of endless snows, the black spires of mountain.


    "Where are we?" Sorrel voiced the question hovering on Gwynn''s lips.


    Delphine curled her embellished hands into fists as she leveled a glare that burned at the woman in red and white. "Where I grew up. The hag''s place."


    The witch in red and white—hardly a hag at all, by Gwynn''s estimation, merely raised an eyebrow. "I''m surprised you involved yourself in all of this. I recall you fighting your way through the mountain to get away from all of this a couple-hundred years ago."


    Gwynn found herself turning to Sorrel to exchange a surprised look.


    How old were these witches?


    "I think we''ve gotten off to a bad start here." Coppelius pulled Delphine back. "You''re the witches of the Astral Coven, yes?"


    "Their leader," Delphine elaborated coolly, before the witch could respond. "Persephone Solokova."


    "Great." Coppelius brightened into that dazzling smile that had stolen Gwynn''s sister''s heart away and extended a hand. "I''m—"


    "I know who you are, princeling." Persephone held up a hand, refusing his. She surveyed the group. "I know who most of you are. The children of the Ondrina dynasty."


    Her eyes stopped on Gwynn and Sorrel. "Except for you two."


    "They''re my friends, Madam Persephone." Katherine stepped forward. "My childhood friends from Perrault."


    "Oh, these are your friends?" A witch dressed in violet cooed from one of the tables. Gwynn noticed that she held considerable resemblance to Katherine.


    She couldn''t be—could she?


    "I was sorry to hear about the fall of Perrault." Persephone frowned. "Thank you, Katherine, for making sure they came to us safely."


    "Of course." Katherine planted her hands on her hips. "I''m just happy to have gotten to them before they had to make the hard climb up."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "How come you''ve taught her portals and not me?" Delphine turned to Persephone.


    "You didn''t stay long enough."


    Gwynn held her hands up. "We''re not getting anywhere with this."


    Delphine stopped, and Gwynn turned back to Persephone. "So you''re the leader of the Astral Coven?"


    Persephone blinked. She looked as if she were taking Gwynn in for the first time. She blinked again—more rapidly this time, as if Gwynn were the sun, despite there being no sun on the Otsoan horizon. Then she nodded.


    "Great, Kiana Albion sent us this way!" Sorrel jumped in, leaning her arm on Gwynn''s shoulder. "She said that you could help us!"


    "Did she now?" Persephone tilted her head. "I suppose the least we could give you is a chat and some tea. We can then see about the rest."


    "We''d like that," Gwynn said, before anyone else in the party could say or do something stupid.


    <hr>


    So that was how she and Sorrel found themselves with Delphine, Katherine, Akira, Nikolai, and Coppelius with three of the witches in the Astral Coven, the rest all watching or whispering from their tables.


    "You''re looking for the relics, then?" Persephone leaned back in her seat and raised her teacup to her lips.


    "Yes, Madam Solokova." Even Coppelius looked nervous under the witch''s amber eyes.


    The other two were just as fearsome, in their elegant, lovely way. The first was similar to Kiana Albion, with teal hair and patches of iridescence in her bronze skin. The pearl-pink of her hat shimmered and her dress lined with pearls moved in the air as if it were underwater. The second had shimmering golden curls from her blue witches'' hat with red hearts trimmed with lace all about the brim, and an elegant dress with layers of blue silk and a chess-board printed fabric.


    If Gwynn had to make any further judgements, she noticed how the first was more poised and stoic, the clear belier of wisdom despite how her face was ageless. Maybe it was those ocean eyes that gave her away.


    The second was more mischievous, with a smile always curling at the edge of her lips and a childlike glint in her eyes.


    "I had hoped that your father might have found these relics a long time ago," the first witch said. "It disconcerts me to learn that he hasn''t."


    "Yes, do tell, why are you looking for the relics when your father''s supposed to do the job?" The second leaned forward, her chin balanced in her hands and elbows on the table.


    Persephone swatted at the second witch''s elbows. "Liddell! Table manners!"


    "You''re no fun." Liddell scowled and slumped back in her seat. She reluctantly picked up the teacup.


    "While her question was perhaps a bit crudely poised, I am also curious as to its answer." Persephone turned back to Coppelius.


    He shrugged, looking quite small. "I don''t know where he is. I''ve never met him. But I figure. . . maybe if we find the relics, maybe we''ll find him, convince him to. . . I don''t know, finish the job?"


    Well, when it was put that way, Gwynn though their whole mission sounded rather stupid.


    She couldn''t let her sister go it alone, that was why she came. But she thought the greater details of their mission would be to save the star system themselves. Perhaps that was just as stupid of a concept, but still—


    "Prophecy or no, someone has to save the star from the Spider-Queen." Gwynn was surprised at her own courage. Sorrel beamed at her encouragingly. "We could also put the relics to good use."


    "Those relics have been protected for centuries," the first witch pointed out. "They''ve been quite secure where they are. It would be foolish to retrieve them now, don''t you think? Especially when the Spider-Queen''s been hardly a threat. . . "


    At this, Sorrel bristled. "Hardly a threat? She burned down Perrault!"


    "A tragedy, to be certain, but. . ."


    "Amphrite, be more tactful!" Liddell chided.


    "I am tactful." Amphrite sounded disdainful. "My apologies, to two bright young sparks like you. I''m sure for you, it is a great tragedy, but—"


    "But, unfortunately a planet does fall to her every now and then." Persephone sighed. "It can''t be helped, really. Or else we would intervened far earlier—"


    "Like Kells?" Coppelius''s voice darkened.


    The other two witches froze—but Persephone met his gaze straight on. "Yes."


    "But Kiana wanted us to tell you, they tried to take Lemuria." Gwynn cut in.


    Amphrite choked."They what—"


    "This changes everything, then!" Liddell sounded a little too delighted as she clasped her hands together. She looked to Persephone. "We simply must let them go, please, please, please!"


    "Well, I suppose there is no harm in letting them claim the castle." Amphrite tilted her head. "It would be bad for the Scepter to fall into the Spider-Queen''s hands."


    "It would." Persephone looked to the group appraisingly. Her eyes lay on Sorrel and Gwynn. "And perhaps if we are taking two new acolytes, it might do us well to avenge theirs and Katherine''s homeworld."


    "Acolytes?" Gwynn frowned.


    "I suppose that Perraultians do have a spark for it." Amphrite set her teacup down. "Quite vexing, really, that we''ve never been able to determine why."


    "What are you saying?" Sorrel leaned forward.


    "What my colleagues are saying is that the two of you are much like Katherine, or Delphine, or even Kiana Albion." Persephone narrowed her eyes. "You have a great spark for magic, especially working together. You could be powerful students in our coven."


    "No, absolutely not." Sorrel leaned back. "Not interested."


    "I wouldn''t be so hasty," Liddell chided. "You could learn to do so much, and so many secrets of the universe!"


    "Please, consider our offer." Persephone leaned back in her chair. "You have a long time to accept it. And we will offer our aid to you. We might not want to see the kings and queens of old return—but that includes the spider as well."


    "Thank you." Coppelius''s voice was low, his hands curled into fists. He stood up, avoiding the witches'' eyes. "Mind if I go see how my friends are doing?"


    "Of course." Persephone smiled warmly, but there was something cold behind the eyes.


    "I''ll go with you." Sorrel leapt up so quickly that she knocked her chair back.


    "As will I." Delphine rose next.


    "I suppose I should go too." Akira scurried after them.


    But Gwynn stayed seated in her chair. Nikolai and Katherine looked to her as the cottage door closed.


    "I take it then, that you''re considering?" Katherine''s voice rose in hope.


    "I am." Gwynn wasn''t entirely sure why.


    Maybe it was because Sorrel had turned her down. Because this could be her adventure. Or maybe it was because with this kind of power, she might have a chance to not be so afraid all the time anymore.


    "You have time, child." Amphrite''s gaze softened. "Consider carefully. We''d be happy to have you in the ranks."


    "I wouldn''t join until all this was over anyway." Gwynn looked off in the direction of the cottage. "I have to look after my sister."


    "In the mean time, nurture your spark." Persephone looked to Gwynn. "You have something powerful in you and your dreams. Someday, you might make a powerful witch indeed."


    "I hope so."