Page 32 of Destiny of the Witch

‘I selected her to help me guard her Coven sisters, Meredith and Ria, because I knew that she could be trusted. She gave her oath to assist me without hesitation. She was a witch of great heart, kindness and moral mettle. Her loss is a loss to all witchkind, but especially to this Coven and to her sister Jennifer, who has travelled from Liverpool to be with us today. Please close your eyes and join me in a prayer to the Goddess.’

I looked upwards. ‘May the Goddess’s eternal light guide Hannah’s spirit on its journey. May she find peace and serenity in our Mother’s divine embrace. As the stars do above us, may Hannah’s spirit shine brightly in therealms beyond, a guiding light for those who follow in her path.’

My scalp prickled as I said the blessing of the stars and suddenly the pendant felt heavy around my neck. This blessing had once been said over my sisters and now they were guiding me. One day, I would guide the next Crone.

‘Goddess, we thank you for the gift of Hannah’s presence in our lives. May her memory forever be a source of inspiration and light. With heavy hearts, but filled with love, we bid farewell to Hannah Lions. With the Goddess’s grace, so mote it be.’

‘So mote it be,’ the assembled witches responded.

I nodded to Ethan and he started the cremator. The coffin holding Hannah’s body – I had double-checked – rolled into the fire.

My part was nearly done and I was grateful for that. Grief was resting heavily on my soul and my heart ached. We were gathered in the Coven common room and silence reigned once more. People stood in clusters, leaning on each other physically and emotionally.

I nodded at Oscar and he started ‘The Parting Glass’ playing through speakers placed around the room. The Celtic strains poured out, the soft drums echoing around the room and the lament swirled as the Coven’s wizard guards moved through the gathered witches ceremoniously pouring a thimbleful of Farewell Elixir into each person’s glass.

We stood and raised our glasses until everyone had a drink for a dearly departed guest and the last strains of the song faded into silence. ‘Hannah Lions,’ I said.

‘Hannah Lions,’ my Coven murmured back. As one, we drank our potion.

The elixir slid down my throat, warm and smooth. It selected one memory to show us of the person we were thinking of with our hearts and minds, one last memory of Hannah. I had expected it to show me one of the hundreds of times we had worked together but it showed me something else: a memory a couple of weeks old of something that had barely registered at the time.

Sarah had really turned a corner in her attitude, and I hadn’t fully connected the dots. I’d thought her new, hard-working mindset was due to her demotion to acolyte; I’d even given myself a pat on the back for it. But it wasn’t about that at all – it had been Hannah.

Sarah Bellington sat in the Coven common room, head thunking on the table. I grimaced and took a step forward to speak to her, but Hannah was closer.

‘Contrary to popular opinion,’ she teased Sarah lightly, ‘it’s not actually possible to knock some sense into yourself.’

Sarah sat up. ‘I just don’tgetit. I swear I’m trying. I really do want to be a healer one day, but potion interactions are SO boring.’

‘You can be anything you put your mind to,’ Hannah replied. ‘You’re a bright girl but too often you cut corners. Witches can’t cut corners, Sarah. Follow every step logically, and then you’ll get the right result.’

Sarah huffed a little. ‘Some days it doesn’t feel worth the effort.’

‘Only you can decide what effort you choose to put into your life. In your last days, will you be proud of yourself or not?’

Sarah rolled her eyes. ‘Will you be?’

‘Yes,’ Hannah said without hesitation. ‘I’ve always given life my all. And,’ she paused dramatically, ‘I am twice winner of the Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling Competition.’

Sarah sat up straight. ‘No way!’

‘Way,’ Hannah confirmed. ‘Even though I broke my armonce, I still won.’

Sarah broke into a huge grin. Hannah met my gaze across the room and gave me a small smile. I gave her a thumbs up and walked away.

As the memory cleared, I joined the circle of telling to share it, to share with her family and friends the positive impact she’d made with her life. A life cut too damned short but never wasted.

Chapter 26

I left the wake relatively early feeling bruised and raw. I started up to my apartment but Bastion tugged me further up the stairs. As he rarely called the shots, I let him lead me. ‘Where are we going?’ I asked.

‘Out,’ he responded shortly. He took me up to the roof terrace. ‘I want to do something nice for you. Trust me?’

‘Always.’ The answer slipped out before my brain could censor it. His answering smile lifted the cloud from my heart a little.

Bastion shifted into griffin form. ‘Climb on.’

‘No harness?’

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