Lily
I spread Miriam's old spellbook across the wooden table, its pages worn, the ink faded in places where her hands must have lingered long ago. The air around me felt still, too still, as if even the night itself was holding its breath.
My fingers traced the curling script, the ancient symbols that promised a path forward—a path to the women who had once stood by Miriam's side, the soul-sisters of her coven. My coven now, if only I could find them.
I gathered the things I needed carefully, almost reverently. Chalk for markings, herbs for protection, a small vial of water blessed under the full moon. Each item felt heavy with purpose, like a piece of the puzzle I had been waiting my whole life to complete.
Father lingered in the shadows of the room, his form faint but steady, his presence a comfort I never thought I would know. He said little, watching as I tied my cloak and tucked the book beneath my arm. His silence made me uneasy; he usually warned, teased, reminded me of dangers but tonight, he simply waited.
I paused, meeting his ghostly eyes. "This is it, isn't it? The journey Miriam began… the one I must finish."
His expression softened, but there was a gravity to it. "Yes, Lily. Finding them is the beginning of everything. Your power will not be complete without theirs."
A shiver ran through me, not of fear, but of anticipation. The world beyond those walls felt wider than ever, and for the first time, I sensed I was stepping into something greater than myself.
I clutched the spellbook tighter. Miriam's whispers seemed to echo between the lines, guiding me, urging me onward. The path to my soul-sisters awaited.
And that night, I began walking it. I was bent over my spellbook, half-whispering the words I had already memorized so as to make a teleportation, when Father's voice cut through the air like a sudden breeze.
"Do you really know the significance of finding these great witches?"
The question stilled me. My fingers froze over the page. I looked up at him; his ghostly figure hovered lazily, but his eyes gleamed with something sharper.
"I…" I stuttered, scrambling for words. "Of course I do… I think. It's important because… because I have to step into Miriam's shoes, right? Become a Grand Witch… and be strong enough to save Elis from Zal's curse."
Father rolled his translucent eyes so hard I half-expected to hear a squeak. "That's not it."
My jaw dropped. "What do you mean that's not it? That's what Grandma always said…"
"Your grandmother didn't tell you everything. And that precious spellbook of yours won't either." He floated closer, folding his arms like a stern mentor. "Lily, your purpose as a witch is far greater than simply becoming some werewolf's mate or saving his cursed ass."
Heat flared in my cheeks. "Hey!" I snapped, glaring. "Don't speak of Elis like that."
Father smirked, a mischievous glint lighting his pale face. "Oh, I'll speak of him however I choose. The real point is this: you were born for a greater cause. You, Lily, are meant to stop Zal from destroying the world."
His words slammed into me like a crashing wave. I swallowed hard, the protest lodged in my throat. Destroy the world?
Father's demeanor softened, just slightly. "Sit," he said, motioning with his hand toward the stone seat beside the fire. "Let me tell you what your grandmother never did."
Against every instinct screaming at me to argue more, I obeyed. My knees trembled as I lowered myself. My eyes stayed locked on his shifting, misty form.
He began, his voice slipping into that storytelling cadence that made the air feel heavy and sacred.
"Zal wasn't always the monster you imagine. He was possessed by his love for Miriam, or obsessed, nearly. And who could blame him? Miriam was a blazing beauty—fire in her veins, light in her eyes. Zal wanted her beside him. Not just as a mate, but as his equal. He dreamed of uniting his power with hers to rule the universe."
A chill trickled down my spine.
"But Miriam refused him," he continued. "Not because he wasn't beautiful. Zal was, and remains, perhaps the most handsome being to ever walk this earth. No, she refused him because of what lurked behind that beauty. His boundless ambition. His hunger for absolute power."
Father's eyes shimmered in the firelight. He leaned forward. "Zal despised werewolves and pure humans. He imagined a world without them; a realm of witches alone. That was his vision of perfection. But Miriam… She believed the universe was wide enough for everything. Everything that breathes deserves a place."
I bit my lip, watching him paint the tale in the glowing air. I almost saw Miriam's fierce light battling dark forces.
"While Zal schemed to erase wolves and humans, Miriam dedicated her power to defend them. She defended love. She defended harmony." His face turned bitter for a heartbeat. "Zal despised Jim Marlick because Miriam loved and defended him."
My breath caught. The Marlick name, the curse, everything snapped into place.
"When Zal laid curses upon Marlick and his sons," he pressed on, "Miriam resolved to undo him. She wasn't alone. She gathered witches with strength. Witches who shared her vision. They stood against Zal. They delayed him. They weakened him but they could not end him."
His gaze locked on mine, leaving me immovable. "That's where you come in, Lily. You must find these witches. They are the remnants of Miriam's Circle. Only with them can you complete what she started. Only with them can you stand against Zal."
Silence pressed down, heavy as a burial stone. My heart pounded in my ears. "So… it's bigger than Elis," I whispered, voice thin and distant.
Father let out a sharp laugh, haunted and amused. "Much bigger. Elis's cursed ass is just one thread in a tapestry far greater than you ever dreamed."
Apprehension seeped into me but also something else: unstoppable truth. I clenched the hem of my gown, staring at him, feeling his words sink into my bones. For the first time, I understood this was no longer just about love or saving one man. It was about saving the world.