Page 10 of Potions and Proposals
“Thank you, Mr Lark, for reminding us. We brought you here to propose a solution. It’s up to you both to accept or decline,” Wilhelmina said. Her mum’s gaze troubled Lucy. “If one or both of you decline our proposal, then we will go to a vote.”
“I’m sure we’ll accept whatever the coven decides is best,” Benedict said, bowing his head. Lucy resisted the urge to fake gag.
Gwendoline sighed. “Unfortunately, this is not something we can decide.”
There was a long pause. If someone didn’t speak soon, Lucy thought she’d scream.
“A vote on what? Who would lead in my mother’s place?” she asked, trying her best to sound calm.
“On which of you will lead this coven, and which will leave town,” Wilhelmina said, looking at her daughter. Sadness clouded her eyes. Leave town? Clearly the coven had grown tired of their endless shenanigans.
“What’s the proposal?” Lucinda’s stomach dropped; she didn’t want to leave her home. Her family, her friends, her books… “What do we have to do to stay?”
“Before we continue, we want you both to know we didn’t come to this decision lightly, but we believe it’s what’s best for you and the town,” Mr Lark told them, exchanging a troubled look with Mrs Lark by his side.
Lucinda felt her mouth dry. “I don’t understand.”
“We’ve come to see that one of you might not be the best option for Foxford,” Sarah Sundurn said, looking anywhere but at them.
“Get to the point,” Benedict snapped.
“We wish for you to be bound together. To unite the two strongest families of our coven,” Gwendoline said suddenly, clapping her hands excitedly.
Lucy wondered ifthishad been her plan all along. First the compliments, and then placing doubt in the coven’s mind by bringing up the prank. Maybe she doubted Benedict being elected on his own right, when a union between two of the strongest families would be far more agreeable.
Benedict shook his head. Lucy thought he almost appeared amused by the wild suggestion.
“This is a terrible idea,” he muttered, low enough for only her to hear.
“Bound? A binding ritual as inmarried?” Lucy couldn’t help the nervous laughter that escaped her.They can’t be serious. They’re worried about us destroying the town, and their solution is marriage?!
“Marriage is for the magless,” Mrs Crawford corrected with a sneer, even though it was pretty much the same concept; Binding was just a lot more permanent. “Binding is far more special. It’ll bond your souls together so that your magic will be unified. The water and fire elements you both harness will be united, and we hope that your having to work together might settle the rifts between you. As you said, Lucy, sometimes we have to come together for the greater good.”
“I wasn’t talking about till death do us part!” Lucy gripped her seat. She had always thought she would bind herself to someone one day, but Benedict certainly hadn’t made the list. As in a marriage, would they be expected to live together, to be intimate? A binding was intimate enough; to share your magic, your soul, with someone was as personal as a connection could get. How could she accept a proposal to a man she didn’t even trust?
“I don’t see how such a binding would be possible.Ourmagic repels each other. Fire and water elements have never been unified,” Benedict argued.
“We thought about that, but Gwendoline has informed us that during next month’s All Hallows’ Eve, there’ll be a blood moon. If the ceremony is performed under the moonlight, and with the permission of the ancestral magic, it should work,” Mrs Crawford explained.
Gwendoline must have been the one to propose it to the coven. This had been her plan all along. She knew she couldn’t get the coven to elect Benedict outright, but as a pair, two sides of the same coin, it would be much easier to get everyone on board than to get rid of her entirely by ordering a coven meeting after her latest indiscretion.
“What if our souls don’t bond? Even with your blessings, elemental magic is temperamental, and could backfire,” Lucinda said desperately. “Without any love between us, there would be no reason for our magic to accept the binding.”
Mrs Crawford leant forward. “We believe that it’s up to both of you. Should you desire to be bound for the good of the coven, that match will be what you need to complete the ritual.”
“And if it fails, one of us will be banished from town?” Benedict asked coldly. “This seems rather extreme.”
Lucy tried to assess his body language. Was he acting, or had he known this was coming? It would trap him just as much as it would her.
“Not as extreme as endangering our town with your refusal to get along with each other. Teacups turning into butterflies? What if hunters heard about this flagrant use of magic? We’ve had enough. Should you decline our proposal, we can go straight to the vote,” Wilhelmina said, leaning her elbows on the table as she looked at both candidates.
Lucy tried to stop tears from escaping her eyes. She couldn’t believe her mum was willing to see her cast out and replaced. There had to be something she was missing– or her mum had faith that the coven would pick her in the vote.
“Both of you have merits we wish to see in our next leader. We think your union would be quintessential for the furthering of our town, and getting over your petty hatred for one another will be the first test in becoming the leaders I hope you’ll be. That being said, we won’t force you into this decision.” Wilhelmina sat back in her chair, looking at her daughter with troubled eyes. “A binding ritual is a lifelong commitment and not something to be trifled with.If the ritual fails, then we’ll vote.”
Lucy weighed her options, chewing her lip. If they hold an election now, there’s no guarantee I’ll win. I could spend the next month trying to prove I’m worthy of the position. There’s no way our souls will join during the ritual, and that gives me a month to prove I deserve to stay in Foxford. Even my acceptance of this proposal should prove my desire to lead this coven.It was the only way she could see to buy herself some time.
“Lucinda, this must be hard for you. You’ve spent your whole life preparing for the position,” Gwendoline said sweetly. “If you feel wronged and wish to decline, we can vote now and let fate decide.”
