Page 72 of November Reign
“He does,” Damon himself said. He took a spot on the floor next to me. Oak sat on the other side. Two of my favorite people surrounded me. Bliss. “I talked to Mori before I did the spell. We want to live in the demon realm. Mori has so much work there. Heatwave needs very little from us. The coven—“
“Was holding you back.” I felt the truth of it.
“Yeah. We’ll come for all the big occasions, visit all the time, I just don’t want to lead. I shouldn’t be leading. You’ve trained for this. If you hadn’t lostso much of your magic when you transitioned, it would have been you as Head Witch.”
“So you just gave me your magic? Just like that?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m pretty badass without it.” Damon grinned. “Plus I’ve got a demon mate, a demon bodyguard and my shifter brother guarding my back. Not to mention my Hellhound son and his mate.”
“Are they going with you?” I asked, sadly.
“Sorry.” He nodded, then leaned closer. “Cody and Toth, too. They’ve got the orchard to take care of. We’ll all be popping in and out,” he reassured me. “We’ve talked about it and want you to keep this place.” He looked around the large room. “It suits you. Then we have rooms for when we want to stay.” He hesitantly added, “is that okay?”
“This place will always be your home just like I will always be your family, okay?”
“Good.” He hugged me quickly before he stood. “Oh, you have guests coming shortly, then we’re having a party. So you might want to get off the floor.”
“What are we celebrating?” I asked.
Damon shared a look with Oak. “You, daddy dearest, are this badass witch leader.” Damon smirked. “Poppy and Zinna need a place to stay. Okay, party to plan!” Then he left me and Oak staring at each other.
“Here,” I said, thrusting the book towards Poppy. “Try it.”
Poppy laughed, a tinkling sound. “Oh, no! The book won’t pick me now. I can feel the power coming off you. Plus we’re only visiting to see you named and then we’re going back to Abrocaelum, aren’t we baby girl?” She looked down at the sweet baby she was holding.
Sage, their baby created out of Poppy and Zinna’s shared magic, was now ten months old and had grown so big since the last time I’d seen her.
“For sure. The elves are obsessed with Sage. We can have a babysitter whenever we ask. And the magic! I need to tell Oak about the magic.” Zinna scanned the foyer for her brother. “Typical of him not to be here to meet me.”
“He’s setting up your room,” I defended.
Zinna squeezed my cheeks then kissed my forehead. “Ah! You two are so perfect. So glad he got his head out of his ass.”
“So glad to see you, Zin,” Oak called as he joined us. He took Sage from Poppy and peppered her with kisses. “I missed my niece.”
“Well, you could have come with us, but you wanted to be a hero and fix Northarbor.” Zinna arched an eyebrow at her brother.
I wrapped an arm around my boyfriend, delighted at the domestic picture he made with a baby in his arms. “I don’t think we could have done it without Oak.”
“Sure, sure,” Zinna waved me away. “I’m proud of him. Of you all. Now where’s this party?”
Over the next hour, more and more people flooded into the mansion. Damon had booked emergency caterers and staff. Likely paying through the nose for it, too, but it wasn’t my money to spend. With some magic and help from some new demon friends, he got the party going.
Music filled the house along with laughter and chatter. We gathered in the old training room, now returned to a ballroom for the night.
Poppy sent sparks of magic, calling for quiet. Everyone turned to look at her. “Our last Head Witch probably doesn’t know this since he didn’t have this done for him, but it is customary for the previous Head Witch to welcome the new one. I didn’t get that either.”
The crowd all laughed. Poppy made it seem like it was nothing, not Basil having a tantrum and refusing to do what was etiquette.
“Then, unfortunately, I was unable to welcome Damon when it was my turn, not because he didn’tdeserve it. He did. He saved my life.” The crowd cheered for Damon. “My baby’s life too. Damon was a hero to me that day and I would have given him anything. Instead, he made sure I was safe. Let me know the coven, all of you, were in safe hands.”
Shouts of praise went out through the room for Damon’s actions. I swore he was blushing. Mori stood next to him looking so proud of his mate.
“Damon proved again he had been the right choice for an uncertain time for our coven. He got us through the worst, then gave his power up to the person who had selflessly guided him.”
Eyes fell on me. I felt the weight of a hundred stares. Most were approving. Some held back their judgment.
“My cousin Thyme had been groomed since birth to take up the mantle of coven leadership. He was, it seemed, punished for taking the path true to his heart, by becoming his authentic self. Maybe it was just a test by our goddess, because here he is, finally in his destined role as the Head Witch of the Northarbor coven. Long may he reign!”
