Chapter 2

Emily

After talking with my father and making sure he didn't the 'stupid pup' as he put it, I set off for my mom's old coven. I left under the guise of needing education on my powers. The coven was in the city a few hours from the pack, so the drive wasn't bad. Now, covens were originally in the forest, but as the years went by things changed.

The ancient witches and wizards decided to mingle with the humans and not live in isolation. They agreed that each coven would have a leader like a pack has an alpha, and that leader would govern the coven. Meanwhile, the High Magus which was the king/queen of witches and wizards would reside in the Lilac Mansion. There, the heads of each coven would gather for reports on what's been happening and any other important things.

When I arrived, I pulled into the driveway. The guards greeted me with a smile. The moment I stepped out of my car, I was immediately greeted by Theodore. He and I have been friends for a while, though he hated me for a while too, that's a story for another time.

"Hey, Emily," he wrapped me in a big bear hug.

"Theo," I greeted, calling him by his nickname.

I let go of my hands, thinking he would release me, but I was wrong. He only squeezed harder. "Um, Theo," I strained.

"I heard what happened," he whispered.

That caused me to stop. Guess mom told him everything. It didn't matter. I was going to tell him anyway. Theo and I were like brother and sister. The only awkward part of it all was that his mother used to date Ian. That's right. Before he met my mom, Ian Davis was dating Theo's mother, the High Magus of witches.

She still makes snarky jokes about him, and frankly, they are hilarious. When she met my mom, she felt hatred, but after getting to know her they became friends. Theo is a few years older than me. His father passed away around the time I was born, so we bonded over not having or knowing our biological fathers.

"Come on," he said, breaking the hug. "Mom's waiting for you! She has a huge feast laid out for you."

Theo begins pulling me to his house which sat in the center of the city, the Lilac Mansion. Yeah, his mom was the current High Magus. We arrived in the mansion, and everyone greeted me. What can I say, I'm loved...not by everyone. The sting in my heart from the rejection is still there.

Noticing my gloom, Theo shouts for his mom.

"MOTHER!"

I think he broke the windows. In a flash, a woman with raven black hair in jeans and a pink sweater appeared in front of me. She gazed into my eyes. Hers swirling green, mine swirling silver. This was a game we played every time I came over. It was to assess my strength, will, or something like that.

After a few more minutes, she smiles. "How are you, sweetie?" she asks.

"I'm good, Aunt Cheryl," I reply.

She wraps her arms around me. "Tell me," she sucks in a breath. "did your idiot stepfather beat the bastard to a pulp?"

I let out a hardy sigh. "Aunt Cheryl," I warn.

"Ok, ok," she backs down still holding me close. "In any case, you are staying here for a while. Not only for training but also for a break from Ian's flea bag self, I mean, from being around werewolves."

I roll my eyes. Cheryl took the role of my godmother very seriously. She never visits the pack because she knows she'll start a war with Ian, so they agree to meet on the neutral ground which is the city.

She releases me from her embrace and informs me of the many things that I will be doing to prepare for my future role as High Magus. Oh, forgot to mention, that I am the future High Magus. You see, Theo didn't want to be the next High Magus. He wanted to go to school and take over one day as the director of the Hunters Association. His father worked for the association, but he died protecting someone. Theo wanted to be like his dad, and Aunt Cheryl wasn't against it. However, she needed an heir.

As if it was fate, she met Ian again along with his witch mate and witch stepdaughter. Of course, she didn't take me by force or anything. But she felt a connection with me. When a witch or wizard takes the seat of High Magus, they are given a gift. Cheryl's gift was seeing auras. She could feel someone's intentions as well as catch a glimpse of their future through their auras. With me, she was stunned.

No matter how many times I asked, she would never tell me. She only said that I was meant for greatness. The decision was mine to make, and, in the end, I agreed. I know it's not really a decision a six-year-old should make, but something was telling me to accept. I don't know how to describe it. You could say I matured beyond my years.

After dinner, Aunt Cheryl took me to her study. An oak desk stood proudly in the center of the room with papers scattered atop. Shelves of books about spells, history, math, mind, and whatever else you can think of lined the room. In front of the desk was a coffee table with two sofas on either side.

I sat on one side while Cheryl sat on the other. She gave a stern look and said, "Are you sure you want to be my heir?"

Another thing Aunt Cheryl made a habit of is making sure my decision was final. As I said, I was six when I made the decision, and over the years, that decision has only grown.

"I'm sure," I replied.

"Then, your training begins tomorrow!"