Chapter Twelve: Lingering Fingers

*disturbing content warning*

I force the contents of my stomach to stay down as she reaches over and lifts the lid. A pile of steaming fingers lay in the center of the silver plate. I gag at the seared flesh as she reaches over and picks one up using her wand. Inhaling the smell coming from it, her gaze shifts to me.

"Do you know where the Finger-Less Coven got it's name?"

I clench my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut as she bites into the finger. Bile rises in my throat at the sickening sound. Forcing my eyes open, I lock gazes with her. My stomach drops as I realize who she is.

According to Aunt Bodhi's stories, the origin of the Finger-Less coven was the leader, a woman, who was the first rogue witch. She had five followers, four women and one man, but her insatiable appetite began the first three nights in the forest. She had a growing desire for human flesh, but not just any flesh, the fingers of other witches. A witch's fingers channel their magic, without them you have to use a wand, but the spells usually don't work as powerfully as they would otherwise. The leader cut off the fingers of each new recruit into the Coven, as part of the initiation ceremony. The fingers were then stored for the leader's dinners. But the coven began centuries ago, this woman has to be a descendant...because if not...

"That's right sweetie, I am hundreds of years old, the original leader of the Finger-Less Coven."

I shiver and look up to find her staring at me intently, her chin resting on her pale wrists. Reaching her finger-less hand out she strokes my palm.

"Now, why don't you consider joining our Coven hmm? Follow in your parent's footsteps?"

I twist my hand away from her, as far as I can with the restriction of the cuffs on my wrist.

"I am not interested, thank you."

Her dark eyes flash. "Why not?"

I clear my throat and try to breathe through my mouth, it doesn't do much to block the smell of what is sitting in front of me. My eyes flit to her face.

"I am already in a Coven, and I have no desire to be apart of something as grotesque as the Finger-Less Coven. Not to mention, I would like to keep my phalanges thank you very much."

I bite my tongue from insulting her Coven any further. James stiffens next to me. Out of my peripheral vision I see one of the leader's men holding a gun to his head. My heart races as I run through my options.

The woman strokes my palm again, I tear my eyes away from James as they brim with tears threatening to spill out.

"Why are you doing this?"

The corners of her lips lift in a smile. "You come from a long line of Finger-Less Coven leaders, it is your right to lead the Coven someday."

I bit my lip until the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. "I have no intention of leading your Coven, now please let James and I go."

Ellie's chair screeches as she stands up, I almost forgot she was here. "Do not disrespect her Jacklyn, this is an honor for you, accept it."

I stand up as well and level my eyes with hers. "We are from the same family, why don't you lead?"

The woman stands up. "Your sister does not have the blood of a leader, you are a half blooded witch originating from a member of the Finger-Less Coven, your Father was my brother."

The temperature around me drops several degrees. "What?" I whisper.

"Your sister is welcome to stay in the Coven, but she is only a regular witch so she can never lead it."

"So the Coven is run by some twisted form of a monarchy? Only those born with the previous leader's blood can rule it?"

She nods. "You are the only one of us left, your father passed before he could lead."

I shake my head. "But my mother..."

"Your mother is merely a manager, I am the true leader of the Coven at the moment. But my successor needs to be trained. You."

Suddenly, James's voice fills my head. "That's it, keep distracting her, I'm almost finished with the spell to undo your cuffs. I already obliterated the bullets in the man's gun."

I tilt my face slightly so he knows I heard him before turning my attention back to the woman.

"To rule the Finger-Less Coven I would have to go back there yes? So how do I get out of the City Of The Dead?"

She raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "You will train here first, before we send you back. The camp in the woods is not the full extent of the Coven, it is merely a branch. There are members all over the world."

My fingers ball into fists at my sides before I relax them, controlling my emotions.

"Very well, I will train with you then."

She straightens her posture. "You suddenly changed your mind Jacklyn?"

I shake my head. "No, but I will do anything to save James's life," I say jerking my chin to the gun pointed at his head.

Her eyes narrow. "Very w-"

"The cuffs are unlocked, I'm gonna use a portal spell and get us out of here," James says in my head before grabbing my hand and whispering an incantation. A sudden rush of my blood and a pounding in my head before I close my eyes and we disappear.