DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
Welcome back everyone and thank you so much for all the reviews, follows, and faves so far. Here's another chapter for you.
CAST
Phoebe Donovan (Age 10) - Skai Jackson
Lora Heinz (20) - Molly Quinn
Hekate - Gabrielle Anwar
Thanatos - Colin O'Donoghue
Hypnos - Bow Wow
Mnemosyne - Kristin Kreuk
REVIEWS
LifePrice1412: Welcome and thank you for reading this story. Yes, I liked the idea of Klaus and Caroline, but I don't think the writers went about it in the right way on the show. Their relationship was doomed to fail at best and toxic at worst. Caroline was manipulating Klaus for her friends and Klaus was kinda stalking her and using the threat of harming her friends to get closer to her. I'm planning on creating new circumstances for them to meet and nurture their relationship. And since Caroline is not in Elena's shadow and she's more secure in what she wants (It's why I made her goal to get to the Olympics) so she'll have a singular focus on that goal rather than focusing on boys and men to validate her. I don't want an insecure Caroline. I want a strong woman, loyal to her friends, who can overcome every obstacle in her way. In return, Caroline will also have friends absolutely loyal to her as well, giving her the encouragement and validation she needs.
Misnis09: Thank you and welcome back. Your enthusiasm is infectious. I'm still not sure about pairings. I can promise that Phoebe will date and OC before we get to the true pairing, which I'm still on the fence about. I could make the pairing an already established character or an OC character if she doesn't gel well with anyone. But I like your Elijah idea, so I'll keep it in my notes.
poppyflower1235: Thanks. Phoebe lost access to her memories but they come to her as feelings of dread or deja vu. She doesn't know why she doesn't like Elena but she just doesn't want her close to her siblings. We'll see the greater effects of the visions in this chapter and the next as Phoebe gets more into her divination powers. I have great plans for Esther and the whole other side by extension. As for Hekate's influence over other Wicca, she has power over all magic, so of course, she has power over them but we'll see to what extent later in the story. Other gods make appearances in this chapter and the next. I'm glad you like Lora.
1macmillanan: Thank you. I will my best to meet your expectations.
Blu3b3rryt3a: There are a lot of new characters as well as old characters that are going to change and stay the same. I needed to take the time to allow the characters to bond. We have sibling relationships between Matt, Ria, and Phoebe. Friend relationships with Phoebe and Jenna, Phoebe and Lora, Phoebe and Enzo, Phoebe and Caroline. Later all these characters are gonna have to mix and match without Phoebe to show that they can be friends. We're gonna have to see interactions between Phoebe and the Mystic Falls gang. And then we have the gods and a host of other characters later on. Thank you for sticking with me through these past chapters as we continue to set up the relationships and the plot of the story. I will continue to write as fast as I can so I can finish this story satisfactorily.
Saiyanprincess1511: Go back and read the last chapter as I went back and fixed it based on your suggestions. Thank you for your constructive criticism. Please continue to review. All the suggestions make me want to write more and make a better story for all to enjoy.
MoonlightMiracle SakurianaHime: Thank you for reading. I'll try my best to update as often as I can.
Happy holidays and Happy New Year everyone, just in case I don't update before the new year. I update every time I finish a new chapter. So I was already finished with this chapter, 9, before I published chapter 8 and I should be finished with 10 by the time this chapter is published.
Read, fave, follow, and review. I'll respond to your reviews here in the author's note to shout out my reviewers.
Please Enjoy.
"Wisdom comes through suffering.
Trouble, with its memories of pain,
Drips in our hearts as we try to sleep,
So men against their will
Learn to practice moderation.
Favours come to us from gods."
― Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Ch. 9 - Coven
Thousands of years ago, in antiquity, the Gods and the Titanes lived high on the mountains where they could watch over mankind, interact with the mortals whenever they wanted while still remaining separate from them. For thousands of years, the deities roamed the earth, intermingling with the humans who worshipped them for their great power over the cosmos. Some of the gods mated with humans, giving birth to demigods and the many great heroes of legend and myth. The gods and demigods are beings of great power; power that mere mortals could not handle. The gods also fought many wars amongst themselves that lasted decades, scorching the earth so that nothing could grow, and causing major casualties among the human population. After every conflict between the gods, the human population would dwindle and the humans would struggle to survive until the earth recovered enough for food to grow and support the animal and human lives.
Over several millennia, mankind evolved and became more technologically advanced. The gods slowly retreated from the mortal realm until they were almost forgotten. They became legends and stories passed down by word of mouth before their stories were written. Even without the gods, humanity did itself enough damage as they warred against one another and the records of the gods were lost, all except for a few parchments.
The gods came together and decided that it was time to leave the physical realm and the humans to their devices. They decided they would only intervene in human matters only when it involved supernatural or high-level threats that could lead to the end of the human race. With their powers together, the gods divided the immortal realms from the mortal realm by creating a new plane of existence where the strict laws that controlled the forces of nature in the physical realm created by Khaos no longer applied.
Olympus retained its name as the divine home of all the gods, demigods, and the gods' chosen legendary heroes to reside. It was a large realm full of light from all directions even though there was no sun in the sky. The sky was a gleaming sapphire without a cloud. The color of the grass and leaves was the greenest green and the flowers and fruit trees were saturated with color. Fields of yellow orchids, mauve irises, and rolling hills of narcissus and hyacinths. Olive orchards, fuchsia judas trees, and flowering fruit trees of grape and plum littered the yards of several palaces.
Surely it could be said to be the land of fantasy. Rushing rivers carved the mountains down to the plains where they became flowing streams that weaved through the fertile land before cascading down the side of the floating island as a clear waterfall. Many islands floated over the land, with no anchor to the land below or the other islands around. Temples and palaces of white marble, residences of the gods, dotted the vast land.
Hades was not a place of darkness, but also full of light. Just as bright as Olympus, only the great River Styx marked the border between the two realms. The only place full of darkness, fire and brimstone was Tartarus, the great pit in the depths of Hades, left only for mortals who dared to trick the gods as well as the Elder Titanes who lorded over the world thousands of years before.
Past the three-headed dog sleeping before the great metal gate at the mouth of the river was a palace made of marble and silver. In one of the many palaces, many gods gathered in a room, seated around the Obsidian Mirror to observe the mortal realm. To observe one girl.
"How long has it been, Thanatos?"
"She has almost reached her 10th cycle," said Thanatos, his eyes leaving the girl in the mirror for only a moment.
"She is conflicted."
"She is confused and lost."
"How could she not be? She knows nothing. Are we to let her continue floundering with no teacher, no clear objective or target?"
"She needs help, Hekate."
"And she will receive aid," Hekate stated. Her eyes were full of pride and joy as she passed her dainty fingers over the face of the sleeping girl in the mirror. "She is my priestess but she is a child. There are many struggles in her future. I only wish for her to enjoy the short time of peace she has with her friends."
"We have surrounded her with some of the most powerful beings the world will ever know. They will become the greatest generation of heroes since Achilles."
"What of you, Hypnos?"
"She is ready," said Hypnos. He stood away from the others, against a pillar. Although his eyes watched the scenery around Olympus, his gaze was far, in the mortal realm. He turned to his fellow immortal, telling the goddess, "Mnemosyne, do it."
The goddess of memory stood from her seat to approach Hypnos. "Are you certain? She may seem whole but her heart is broken. If I unshackle her memories, she may shatter completely."
"As Thanatos stated, it has been almost 10 cycles. I wish to see her." The jet-black wings on the sides of his temples flapped restlessly as his temper mounted. "I will not wait another cycle." He stood straight, squaring his shoulders with his hands fisted at his side as he looked at his fellow immortals. "It is time for me to meet my daughter."
June 28, 1999
School's out and we were finally getting into the full swing of the summer. And it was decided that my house was the perfect place for everyone to gather for the break. Lora decided that we needed a magic Bootcamp to learn new spells and master old ones. With the magically charged forest in my backyard, it was the perfect place to practice. It wouldn't have been so bad if we had a teacher or some type of guidance but, all we could do was run in blind with our magic fingers blazing. It was trial and error as we scoured the internet for legitimate information on Witchcraft and Hekate whilst weeding out wannabe witches' pagan fantasies. The only things we could find were old records of myths and rituals the ancients would perform to show piety to the gods. Which really wasn't much information since I already know most of that information, which I had studied well in my past life. Jeez, I never realized my degrees in literature and religion would be so useless when it came to real magic and the occult. What the hell did I go to college for again?
Lora closed her grimoire in a huff. "This is getting us nowhere. There's nothing authentic here." Her fingers combed back a few loose strands of her auburn hair as her palms pressed on her tired eyes. "Maybe we should ask Sheila Bennett?" Over the past year, I had told Lora everything I knew about witches, vampires, and other supernatural creatures that lived in the shadows of society. I also gave her a brief history of Mystic Falls and the founding families, along with the Bennett witches since we were using Emily Bennett's grimoire and talisman which I also stole from the Lockwood Manor. (I really don't understand why that family has so many magical artifacts lying around.)
"Ha!" I scoffed. Ask Sheila Bennett to help me with my magic? Not in a million years. I'd rather go up a creek without a paddle rather than ask that bigotted witch for anything. "That witch has her broom stuck so far up her arse I'm not surprised it's reached her brain." I had actually gone to talk to Sheila last year after I dug up Emily's grimoire. I was actually gonna tell her that the grimoire was in my possession, but the moment she saw me at her door, her face hardened as she looked at me with so much disgust in her eyes, I thought she was trying to light me on fire. "Last time I went to her house, she said, and I quote, 'Abomination. If you ever come near me or mine again, I won't care that you're a child. Your dirty blood and dark magic won't be long for this world'." I was at a roadblock with my magic training when I went to see Sheila. I was praying that she would help me, as a fellow witch. But for some reason, I had a feeling in my stomach that she would turn me away. For some reason, I knew she would be a judgemental witch-bitch hoarding magic like it belongs only to her rather than passing on her knowledge to the next generation. And with that, I decided to keep Emily's grimoire and talisman for myself since she told me to stay away from her. A powerful grimoire and talisman have better uses in my hands since I'm sure Sheila would just put them away to gather dust. So I'm not bitter.
"Seriously?" Lora sat up in her chair. "She said that?"
"Uh-huh," I confirmed. "You'd think she'd be more open-minded since she's an occult studies teacher."
"But, really? Why'd she call you an abomination?"
"It looks like Gaian witches and Hekatean witches don't get along. Some of the stuff we do easily like necromancy is considered dark magic to people like Sheila." I closed my grimoire before turning to face her. "But, I don't think all Gaian witches are like that. You'll probably find people who are just like Sheila who think that any magic that doesn't come from Nature is an abomination, but you'll also find some witches who don't think like that." We left the computers in the office, taking only our grimoires with us.
She crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head in disbelief as she took a seat at the kitchen island. "You'd think people in the supernatural world would be more tolerant of others."
Before I can say anything else, a tingling feeling spread over my body. It's not hot or cold, but just right. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I rushed out of the kitchen to the front door. I had almost forgotten about how different he feels compared to other vampires as I launched myself into his arms. He caught me, his warm arms gentle around my shoulders as I buried my face in his strong chest. "I missed you so much," I said as I finally looked up to meet his brown eyes. I playfully smacked his muscled abdomen. "Why did you take so long to visit?"
I wrapped my arm tightly around his waist. With his hand still on my shoulder, we walked through the front door of the house. "I was taking your advice, love," he replied. "I went to see the world."
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
"I did. I got a job on a cargo ship," he explained. "I visited many countries in just a few months. It was quite the experience."
We stopped at the entrance of the kitchen when Lora stood abruptly off the chair at the kitchen island. Her porcelain skin had become a bright red color as she brushed the strands of her red hair off her face. She patted her dress nervously before she stood with her back straight, her blue eyes wide as she stared at Enzo. "Um… Hel- Hello." She cleared her throat. "It's nice to finally meet you." She crossed over to Enzo and me, extending her hands out to him.
Enzo looked at me in the corner of his eyes, communicating silently as I smirked and raised my eyebrows at him. I glanced at Lora who still had a deer-in-the-headlights look in her eyes that never left Enzo's face. She inhaled sharply when Enzo took her petite fingers in his larger ones. Her eyes stared swimmingly at his face. "Lorenzo St. John, pleasure," he said. I couldn't help rolling my eyes when I saw his lips curve upward, knowing full well the effect his smooth accented voice had on women. Why do women love the British accent so much?
I cleared my throat to snap Lora out of her daze, pulling her hand out of his. "Oh, um… I'm Lo. I mean, I'm Lora Heinz. Only Phoebe calls me Lo. But, you can if you want to. I don't mind. Nice to meet you. Phoebe's told me a lot about you. Sorry you got locked up and experimented on for fifty years." She stopped her rambling when she realized she had crossed into a more sensitive subject. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say that. That was very insensitive of me. Obviously, I'm glad you're free now. It wasn't cool of them to lock you up just because you're a vampire." I sighed as she continued to talk as though she couldn't find the period to end her sentences. She lowered her head and intertwined her fingers together. "I'm gonna stop talking now before I put my other foot in my mouth."
I saw Enzo look at me, raising his brows as if to question me about what she knows about him. "Lora's a witch. She has visions. She saw you during the Augustine massacre. And the experiments."
Enzo obviously flinched at the reminder but he just said, "Oh, I'm sorry you had to see that, love." He never liked it when I talked about his experiments. He's traumatized by it but he worried more for me than for himself. "I'm sorry, love. You're a child. You shouldn't have been forced to experience something so horrifying."
"No, it's okay. It wasn't your fault. My powers were acting up. I didn't even know I was a witch. I mean I don't commend murder but I guess they kinda deserved it for what they did to you." She began rambling again. "Can I call you Enzo?"
"You can call me Enzo," he replied.
I needed to stop her before she said anything else. "Okay. Lora, Enzo. Enzo, Lora. Now, I've condensed whatever it is that happened in the past few minutes. Now, Enzo, why don't you settle in your room. I left a little something special for you in there. When you come back we can catch up."
"Hang on, love. I came because I wanted to give you something special."
I stood in front of Enzo, knowing full well his gifts were usually grimoires and other magical objects he happened to find on his travels. He fished a large leather-bound tome the length of his forearm from his bag. The book looked worn, with the pages fraying at the edge of the book. As Enzo turned the grimoire around, I saw a full moon flanked by two crescent moons on either side. The symbol of Hekate. My hands unconsciously reached out to touch the book, an electrical charge of magic moving into my arm and my body. My magic lurched forward as I grasped the book in my hands, moving the air around the room and shaking the foundation of the house.
I closed my eyes, feeling my magic well up inside me and around me. My mind drifted out of the room, focusing completely on the connection between the magic on the grimoire and the magic in my soul. It was the same signature, as though I was recognizing a precious object that had been lost ages ago. And it was true. Visions flashed in my mind of a time centuries ago when I was holding this same grimoire, practicing the spells already in the book, before adding to it. It almost never left my hand as I moved from place to place as the seasons passed. Then, it was sealed in and hidden away.
Mine. It's mine. A grimoire from a previous life had found its way back to me. I finally opened my eyes as my feet lowered back on the ground (when did I rise off the floor?) and I opened my eyes. Enzo's caramel eyes were right in front of me, looking at me with worry. "Phoebe, what is it?"
A smile spread over my face as I placed the grimoire on the kitchen island. I wrapped my arms around Enzo's waist for a long while, not knowing any other way I could show him my gratitude. My magic skills had plateaued because I had neither a teacher nor a reliable grimoire from which I could study the new spells to add to my arsenal. With the grimoire in my hand, I also felt more connected with my past life. If I could access the soul memory, I could be my own teacher. "Thank you so much, Enzo. You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you for everything."
Enzo's hands felt soft on my shoulders. "Anytime, sweetheart." He pushed me back, taking my chin in his hand as he asked, "But, mind telling me what that was?"
"It was a soul memory," I explained. I took the grimoire in my hands, holding the old book with as much care as I could. "This grimoire was once mine. In a previous life. My magic is woven through it. I have the same soul in each life, so the same magic. My magic recognized this as mine."
"I see." He had his brows furrowed for a moment before a smile was plastered on his lips. "Well, I'm glad I could help."
"Wait, what just happened?" I totally forgot Lora was here and I never told her about my previous lives. Only Enzo knew. "What was that? And what do you mean the grimoire was yours? And past lives. You're kidding, right." Her awkward grin fell as her eyes flew between me and Enzo. Her hand rose to her mouth when neither Enzo nor I made a move to deny her. She gasped, "Oh my gosh, you're not kidding. Seriously? Reincarnation?" She staggered to the chair. "I'm gonna need to sit down for a bit."
Enzo's eyebrows rose for the third time since he entered the house I thought if they rose any higher, they might just fall off his face. "Okay. I'm gonna go shower and rest." He kissed my forehead before he walked to the next door. Entering his room and locking it behind him, he left me to face Lora on my own.
Lora had her arms crossed over her modest chest as she pouted, her pink lips, jutting toward me. "Explain." I sighed. Jenna did the same thing a year ago.
I spent the rest of the afternoon with half a mind on Lora as I explained the concept of past lives to her while I had half a mind on the new grimoire Enzo had brought me. The grimoire had been written in Greek but the moment I touched it, it translated into the language I was most proficient in: English. The only things that did not translate were the chants for the spells and rituals, but I had no trouble reading them. I came to a section about gemstones, their meaning, and the different properties they had for spells. Most gemstones were used in enchantments to give certain objects specific properties that complimented and enhance the properties of the stone. Just like herbs, gemstones can aid or hinder spells. They're used in protection spells, charms, and blessings, to bind curses and hold large amounts of magic, and glamour spells so they could be worn as jewelry.
When I turned the page, I found a page marked "Aphroselene" in beautiful calligraphy. Aphroselene was the old name for the moonstone:
"Aphroselene is the stone that channels the moon. As children of Hekate, we feel the greatest connection to this stone. All the witches and warlock of my coven infuse lunar energy into the stone every full moon. The stone has served to protect us from the darkness and light our way, guiding us in place of our goddess. Since I began to infuse the light of the moon into the stone, I can feel my connection to the goddess moreso than ever before. With the pearly stone resting on my breast, I fear nothing, as though the goddess stands beside me, always protecting me.
"When aligned with the lunar cycle, Aphroselene will harness the power of the moon, especially the full moon, storing the power to be manifested at another time. More energy can be harnessed before, during, and after the full moon. By storing the power of the moon every month, we've been able to gather more than enough energy to cast powerful spells and perform complex rituals without the need of the full moon. However, after used, the stones will need to be recharged every full moon before they can be used again.
The crystal has allowed me to focus my power of divination, allowing me to see clearer into the past and the future."
Before I realized it, the page flipped by itself, glowing as the page I was reading suddenly became two pages that were separate from the description of the power of the moonstone.
"I've discovered a truth about myself. I am an Old Soul. I've lived many times before, many lives doing the will of the goddess. I've connected with one of my Fore-Selves. As a priestess of Hekate, I have a purpose in this world which, I've learned, will not be fulfilled by me, but by my other self in the far-future, long after my death.
"I've spelled this part of the section so that only you will be able to see it, my Old Soul. I am pleased that the gods have allowed this tome to find its way to you. I know you must not have a teacher. We, children of Hekate, are a rare breed. I've written all my knowledge and experience in this grimoire to help guide you on your journey. I would encourage you to find the spell books of your Fore-Selves. I am almost certain they have also seen the same visions I have and have made the same preparations. May the gods be with you."
"Oh, my gods!"
"What is it?" Lora came to stand beside me to look at the grimoire over my shoulders. "I can't read this."
"You won't be able to. It's a message from my Fore-Self, Thea. She was the priestess 2000 years ago. She divined that I would come into contact with this grimoire and bound a message to my soul. Only I can read it. She tells me to go look for my other grimoires from my past lives," I explained. "And with this grimoire, I know exactly what we need to do next." I closed the book and rushed to the room next door. "Enzo." I knocked.
Enzo left his room dressed in a pair of black boots and jeans and a simple black and brown Henley that had his sleeves pulled to his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms. I smirked as I looked down at his body, and my gods, he's an Adonis. Not that I'm attracted to him since Enzo's more like a big brother to me, but it is a simple fact that he's handsome. And I don't mind a hot, smooth-talking British older brother that makes women get hearts in their eyes when they look at him. I'm of the belief that beauty is therapy for the eyes. Not to mention, I now have an excuse to go shopping for men's clothes that I think will fit him. The pants were comfortable to move in and the shirt wasn't too tight but tapered around his body to show some definition of his muscles.
"You look great," I said. "Shit. I wonder if the outfit will go with your new face."
Enzo lowered the stainless steel water container with the straw from his lips, which I'm sure was filled with blood. "New face?"
I fished a necklace from my pocket with a simple black band holding a few gemstones. "It's a glamour spell just for you. It's like the one I used when I saved you. You can't go around looking like your good-looking self. But, don't worry, the face is still good-looking." Enzo turned around and bent lower so I could clasp the necklace around his neck. When he turned around I saw that the jewel rested comfortably on his clavicle. He looked in the mirror on the fridge, moving his head from side to side as he examined his new face.
"Not bad. Thank you, doll."
"Good. I'm glad you liked it." I pulled out a credit card and handed it to him. "Now, I need you to go to the jewelry store and get me ten moonstones about the size of my palm."
While Enzo was out, I was looking through the basement to find stores of old jewelry and other metals that I could use to set the moonstones in preparation for the full moon. When Enzo returned with the large moonstones, I used a spell to carve the stone into smaller stones and placed them in jeweled settings for myself, Matt, Ria, and Lora.
"I was thinking necklaces for us girls and a bracelet for Matt," I said as I looked at the first necklace shaped like a crescent moon in a steel setting.
"What do you think of beaded bracelets or necklaces instead?" Lora asked. "That way we can charge multiple stones."
"Oh, that's not a bad idea. We can have one bead for now," I said as I carved a bead out of the larger stone. "And later, we'll add more beads over time. Matt and Ria aren't old enough to be able to charge multiple stones so they'll each have one for now."
The sky was dyed orange as the sun reached the western horizon. We joined Enzo, Jenna, Ria, Matt, and Caroline near the lake in preparation for the full moon. We sat together beside the lake, eating a candle-lit dinner. It was the first time Jenna and Caroline were meeting Enzo, while Matt and Ria had met him last year when he stayed in the house after I rescued him from Augustine. Jenna was talking to Enzo about fighting against him to practice the martial arts skills she had been learning while Caroline wanted to know all about his cool powers as a vampire to the point where she asked him to show his vampire face.
The whole table gasped when they saw the red bloodshot eyes and the black veins that spread over his face as his fangs elongated over his lips. "Whoa," said Matt, Ria, and Caroline. "It's a little scary," Caroline added.
"It's supposed to be," Enzo said. Enzo began giving them a lecture about vampires. He told them how to recognize their daylight jewelry and what to do if a vampire tries to compel them. "Just pretend you're compelled before using vervain on them. Don't try to make friends with them, don't let them feed on you, thinking they will just drink your blood and not kill you." He turned to me. "Have you taught them the aneurysm spell?"
"Yeah. I've been trying but they don't really understand it yet," I explained. "But, Lo knows the spell."
He looked at Matt and Ria. "There's a spell that can give vampires a bad headache. You can practice it on me if you want."
"Really?" Victoria's eyes widened as she almost jumped out of her seat.
"Yes. I'd love to help you guys. And Jenna, you can practice any move you want on me."
"Thanks," they all said.
Caroline pouted as she pushed her carrots around on her plate. "Aw, I can't do any magic. I want to practice with Enzo, too."
"Caroline, love, why don't you perform your gymnastics dance for me?" Enzo said. "I'd love to see it. I'll be cheering you on when you get to the Olympics."
"Really? You promise, right?"
"You have my word," Enzo said.
"Okay. But, it's dark. I'll do it tomorrow," she cheered.
Dinner ended but the conversations went on to different topics with the dirty plates and utensils stacked in the center of the table. Enzo, Caroline, and Jenna sat back at the table while Ria, Matt, Lora, and I stood together on the edge of the pond, each of us with our own moonstone. I gave Victoria the crescent chain necklace while Matt had a more masculine woven leather necklace, with a simple hexagonal crystal dangling at the end. Lora preferred a tear-shaped stone wrapped by steel wires that looked like the branches of a tree. I carved my stone into an oval shape in an intricate floral star setting.
As the moon reached its apex, I reached out with my magic to the energy of the moon. The full moon reflected clearly in the water before the pond began to glow the same light as the moon. The well of magic in the pond was acting like its own moonstone, taking in the moon's energy to store. There were many gasps from the surroundings but I kept my focus on the moon and on the pond, directing the energy into the stone. It took several moments before the moonstone resting against my breast began to glow the same silver light as the pond. "Yes!" I cheered softly. The same happened with Matt, Lora, and Ria's stones.
Suddenly, the pond stopped glowing as the water churned violently, arising out of the pond as a vortex. The shape of the water molded into the figure of a woman and her pedestal. The water moved in waves, turning into the wide skirt of her navy dress with a deep-v back as her raven hair fell down her back. Silver moonlight became the sheer neck and sleeves of her dress with a dark blue sweet-heart neckline bodice decorated with falling stars. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my lips as a crescent moon-shaped scepter formed in her hands before she opened her silver eyes. She had the same crescent diadem on her hair as she had the last time I saw her.
I bent my knees and curtsied before her. "My lady, goddess Hekate," I said with my head lowered. I could see Lora bowing in my peripheral vision while Matt and Ria kept their eyes trained on her in awe.
"Well done, Phoebe. Stand up, child," she said in the same smooth voice I remembered from all those years ago. I stood straight and looked up at her as the torrent of water brought her lower to stand on the surface of the pond. She walked across the pond to stand before me. Her clear eyes looked over the faces of my friends before landing back on me. "Have you decided? Are they your coven?"
"They are my friends. If it pleases you, I would like you to extend your protection to them."
"Jenna Sommers, Caroline Forbes, Lorenzo St. John, come closer."
Enzo, Jenna, and Caroline all walked to stand on my left while Ria, Matt, and Lora remained still on my right. Their eyes seemed to be unable to leave the goddess while their mouths remained open in awe of her. I'm sure they were feeling the same powerful divine power I felt when I first met her. It was coming off her in waves. The goddess moved across the pond, stopping in front of each of them before she returned to stand in front of me. "Yes. Your magic has bonded to them. When you were a child, you made a promise to Jenna that you would protect her. You bonded to Lorenzo in the vision Phobetor gave you. You took Caroline under your wing when you met her at your gymnastics club. You bonded to Lora when you calmed her magic. And Victoria and Matthew hold a blood bond to you as your siblings. They all shall be under my protection." She walked to Caroline and reached to touch her cheek with her bejeweled hands. "I am sorry, Caroline. You cannot be a witch, but you are still my child. I see great things in your future. You must never despair because the gods are with you, child." She placed a kiss on Caroline's forehead, causing a small crescent moon to form on her forehead before disappearing. "Jenna, another goddess has given you her blessing. You simply need to continue on your path and she will be pleased. You will also have my protection." She placed a kiss on Jenna's forehead and the same crescent shape appeared and disappeared just like before. "Lorenzo, you are so strong in body and in mind and in spirit. And yes, even if you're a vampire, you will also receive my protection." She kissed Enzo as well before passing me to go to Victoria. "Victoria, stay strong, my daughter. Enjoy your magic." She kissed Ria too. "Matthew, protect your sisters and your friends, understand?"
Matt finally closed his mouth. "Ye- yes, my lady goddess," he said, his voice breaking. He finally puffed out his chest as he stood with his spine straight. Hekate kissed his forehead before moving to Lora.
"Lora, you must never be afraid of your power. I gave it to you because I've seen your good heart. I want you to guide Phoebe for me. Can you do that?"
"Yes, I will." Lora curtsied once more and bowed her head.
Hekate moved to stand in front of me. "There are others whom you are bonded to. They are also under my protection. I am pleased with you, Phoebe. You and your friends have formed your own coven. You are all under my protection. In all of history, the covens of the witches dedicated to me have not been just witches. Humans, vampires, werewolves, and even Gaian witches have allied with my priestesses. You've presented your coven to me. They are your chosen family. What is your name?"
"We are the Silver Moon Coven."
"Silver Moon Coven," she repeated as a smile formed on her lips. "So be it. I accept your service and grant you my protection." She looked down at me. "Ask your question."
"What is my mission?"
"It is not yet time for you to know. In all your past lives, you served me faithfully. It was another age and you were never truly able to live for yourself. I want you to enjoy your childhood, Phoebe. You should laugh and cry and love with your whole heart, body, and soul. You still have time before the world needs you. Enjoy it." When she kissed my forehead, a heat spread within me only for a moment before a silver aura encased my body. She turned around and walked back to the center of the pond, causing the water to start churning once more. "Your visions will guide you should you learn to control them. I will return to you when the time comes. Until then…" The vortex of water rose once more, molding into her dress as she slowly disappeared as she appeared in an explosion of water that fell back into the pond in loud splashes, leaving us all speechless beside the pond in the light of the full moon.
Thank you all so much for reading. Hekate makes her second appearance. And Phoebe's father is finally revealed. It's Hypnos, which makes Phoebe a Demi-god. I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this. We have at least four named deities in this chapter but a few others are still a mystery. Can anyone guess who they are? And which god do you think had blessed Jenna?
Put all your questions and guesses in the review box.
Laters, Jamie.
