The Witches Fated Mate

Change of Plans

Marissa

Laying it out on my table, I held my hands over it and whispered an encantation to reveal their movements. Focus on my intention, I took deep breaths, closing my eyes and focusing my emotions on the anger and hatred they were feeling when we fought. Slowly the map began to fill up with red lines showing their movements from area to area. I was able to see which covens they had attacked. I pulled out a notebook and pen, writing down the covens they had already attacked. I traced their movements, my fingers slowly tracing the circle around my home coven, the memories resurfacing, before tracing them around further. I got to the coven they murdered my mother at, the pain a sharp stab through my heart. Their movements indicated they were headed to Coven Blue next but beyond that I wasn’t able to determine where they were going after.

Jackson: Busy?

Marissa: A little bit. Whats going on?

Jackson: I have an idea about your hunter problem. Talk?

Marissa: I need to share what I have so far with Yvonne. Call after?

Jackson: Absolutely.

I picked up the map and headed back to the village center, laying it on the table. I was alone and I spent a few more minutes trying to track them further.

“Need a boost?” I turned to see Priestess Ella entering the room. I smiled and nodded and she came over. Taking my hand, she helped amplify my power, as I repeated the spell from earlier, her voice picking up the chant and repeating it with. We held hands and continued for a few more moments before more of their movements revealed themselves. Adding to my list of covens, I tried to seperate the list into the two parts, the ones who had been attacked alraedy and those we needed to warn. Yvonne came in carrying a crystal that was hanging from a chain.

“Let’s see what this can do.” She said handing it over to me. She joined hands with Ella and began helping us recite the spell, as I held the scrying crystal over the map. It began to move slowly, swaying side to side, then back and forth, before swinging in wild circles, and then finally dropping to the map, hilighting a coven to the north.

“There. That will be their next target.” Yvonne said. “The Whitfield Coven.”

We broke up and took out seats as she sent her assistant to assemble the other leaders of the coven. As witches filled the room and took their seats, I titghened my walls back up, blocking all their anxious energy from overwhelming me. Plans were made to get word to Coven Whitfield but I wasn’t as attentive as I should have been. Yvonne and Ella decided to head up there, erecting barriers and casting spells to conceal the coven, much like we had done when we rebuilt all those years ago. As they continued making plans my mind drifted to my dreams of Jackson. I couldn’t quite figure out why I was dreaming about him so much, why I was craving the tingles I got from his touch and the way his lips felt on mine. It wasn’t somehting I had ever experienced. Yet knowing I was going to speak with him later had me bubbling with excitement. As Yvonne and Ella decided who to take with them to defend Coven Whitfield I continued looking over the map, making a few more notes about their movements.

“Twelve.” I murmur as the room fell silent. My eyes opening large, I look up at the sisters, shock running through me. “If they get to Whitfield, if they succeed that will be the twelveth coven theyve taken out.” Taking my sheet of paper and tracing the lines from each coven towards the center of the map I discovered a central area focused on the same palce we had our run in with them. “They are focusing their efforts from this nexus point here in the center of these twelve covens.”

“To what end?” Someone asked. I shook my head unsure.

“I don’t know but I can tell you this much, that land belongs to a very large wolf pack, and they are aligned with several other packs in the area.” Everyone murmured quietly.

“It’s possible the wolves are working with the hunters.” Ella suggested quietly.

“Wolves have never bothered us before.” Yvonne responded. “Sure we arent keen on one another as a whole, but generally speaking we keep to ours and they keep to theirs. Why change now?”

“Not to mention if the hunters manage to destroy witches, who do the wolves think they will move on to as their main enemy?” Someone chimed in from the table.

“True. Their thirst for the hunt doesnt end when they are successful. It just drives them to need to hunt more.” Yvonne agreed.

“So we have to worry about witch hunters and now wolves?” Someone asked.

“Not necessarily.” I chimed in, going red as soon as I realized all eyes had turned to me. I silently cursed myself for needing to stand up for this man I barely knew, but he had also saved me twice. “I just mean, isn’t it possible the wolves arent even aware of what these hunters are there for? They could just own the territory but now know who uses the house or maybe they rented the house out.” I grasped at the thoughts rambling through my head. The truth was the wolves would more than likely know who was on their territory but I didn’t want that to be the case. “Maybe I could go back and sneak in once more, take a closer look. I know someone in the area who could tell me more.” I suggested and Yvonne staring at me as I spoke, her face giving nothing away. “Maybe you could drop me back at the house you got me from. I can find my way from there. I know that house is safe.” I suggested. Yvonne and Ella exchanged looks before Yvonne nodded once in agreement. Excusing myself from the table I headed back to my house, getting inside quickly and gathering a few things. I grabbed a backpack and shoved in a few changes of clothes, a night shirt for sleeping, and some of my ready made potions as well as some candles and crystals. I took out my phone and shot him a quick text before throwing it into my bag and grabbing a light jacket, then heading back to meet with Yvonne.

Marissa: Things have changed. I need to speak in person. Having Yvonne drop me at your Lake House. Meet me there.