Page 2 of Spring's Descent
There is nothing to fear, I reminded myself. I only had one month left until Hecate decided if I was worthy of her blessing—her power—or if what little magic lingering in my veins would serve the coven better in death.
I already knew what my fate would be.
That’s what gods and goddesses did after all—killed mortals. Aphrodite and Ares visited The Realm of the Living often enough to play their games, sometimes joined by Athena or the twins, Artemis and Apollo. There had even been whispers of Poseidon thrashing about, but they always returned to The Aboveworld the moment a tendril of Hades’s death magic surfaced.
Don’t get me wrong, if I were an immortal, I’d run from the one thing that could kill me, too.
But I wasn’t a god. I wasn’t even really a witch—not without magic.
Inhaling through my nose, I let out a long breath, schooling my features into a taunting smirk that was sure to get a rise out of her. I would see the same sneer of disgust staring back at me from her cold, pale-blue eyes either way. The same disappointment I always saw when she looked at me.
“Head Matriarch,” I said, letting my lips stretch into a lopsided smirk. “How kind of you to drop in. To what do we own this great honor?”
Mother lingered on the edge of the forest, refusing to draw nearer, but I could see the revulsion in her eyes from here. Our strength as a coven was dwindling with each witch claimed at her awakening. Their initial deaths did return a flicker of earth magic to the coven for a brief period, but eventually, the rush faded. And we were left weaker for it.
Once upon a time,Iwas meant to be the savior. Mother used to tell me tales of how we would become the most powerful earth witches in centuries. She said that one day, we would banish Hades and all traces of The Dark Faction to The Underworld. We were going to restore the balance of power in our favor. It turned out, I was the biggest let down of them all.
“High Matriarch,” stumbled Owen, dropping the dagger to fix his clothes. “I was just admiring your daughter. Her grace and poise are unrivaled?—”
“Yes,” my mother cut in, stopping him mid-lie with a single word. The condescending tilt of her chin and her appraising gaze had me feeling like I was a child again. “Mydaughterhas such elegance acting like a common pig rutting in a field.”
My cheeks blazed as Owen sputtered a response, somehow agreeing with her while also professing his honorable intentions for me.
Male witches possessed magic as well, though they anchored in nature as opposed to our casting abilities. They were a tether to the earth, a grounding presence—but I’d made sure to selectOwen because he was purely mortal. Not a single drop of magic in him. Something my bitch-of-a-mother would loathe.
“And marriage does tend to increase a woman’s odds of surviving the awakening, or so I’m told,” Owen continued, the pitch of his tone taking on a familiar arrogance.
“Get to your point,” Mother warned, still glaring at me as if she were worried I’d drop to my knees for him right in front of her. I held her gaze unflinchingly, wondering how such a stuck up, hateful thing could ever bring a child into this world.
“I’d like to ask for Korae’s hand in marriage.”
My head snapped to Owen, eyes wide with disbelief. Life was harsh. Every day wasn’t guaranteed. Other witches like me realized we’d probably be dead long before we felt true magic.
But marriage? I’d rather take my chances in The Underworld.
“You can’t be serious,” I breathed.
Anger flickered in his eyes for all of a heartbeat before it was replaced with a self-assuredness that had probably gotten him through every obstacle in life.
“We’ll wed the night before your awakening,” Owens said, turning down the edges of his soiled collar as if the cum sprayed across it were some sort of trophy. “It will increase your odds of survival?—”
“While also giving you access to my power,” I cut in.
“What power, daughter?” Mother’s voice was low, but it shot through the clearing and into my chest with the accuracy of a skilled archer.
Owen’s lips twitched, a triumphant smirk twisting his lips.
“A kind offer to preserve what scraps of dignity my daughter’s reputation clings to,” Mother said, her voice dripping with false kindness. She took a step forward, looking me over as if I were a prized cow raised for slaughter only to fall short at the auction. “But I’m afraid she can’t wed you.”
Disbelief clashed with hope as my gaze bounced between them. Was she sticking up for me? Despite everything she’d put me through, maybe there was a piece of my mother that still cared. Somewhere, deep down, maybe there was a lingering seed of compassion pushing its way to the surface now that my time on this earth was coming to an end.
Mother’s lips twisted into an evil, pitiful grin. “Korae is already betrothed.”
2
PERSEPHONE
“Betrothed?”I echoed, brows furrowing. My mother stepped back with a twisted smile on her face, one that showed she was enjoying every moment of this. The lilac scent of her magic shifted with the breeze, transitioning into one of cedar. I fought the urge to run, my stomach twisting, as a figure behind her emerged from the trees.