I was pissed. There wasn’t any other way to describe the hard twisting in my stomach and the heated tingling in my veins. I knew Lyxton was hard headed and could seem like an idiot but actively poisoning himself? I couldn’t believe he was that stupid. I clenched my hands into fists and ground my teeth together. He needed to get out of my life or that stupid potion would kill him. Woalf’s extract was a virulent poison, even in the small amounts in the potion. I knew what he was using it for, I wasn’t fucking stupid.

I stalked up the porch stairs to Tia’s front door. I didn’t knock and shoved my way inside. I didn’t want to bring my overtly hostile energy into her house but I couldn’t calm myself down. “Tia.” It came out clipped and I tried harder to shove the anger further down in my stomach but I couldn’t contain the burn in my veins that felt like it was eating away at me from the inside out. I was fucking stupid. I knew I should have kicked him out sooner but I had gotten attached and now he was poisoning himself to stay.

I rubbed at my face hard. That was all I needed, a guilty conscious about it. It had been his choice but I knew some of the blame lay with me. I should have actually meant it when I told him to get out all those other times. I should have done more to kick his ass to the curb. But no, I had to act like a bitch in heat and now he had downed an unknown amount of fucking woalf’s extract.

“Sorry, Lilli.” Tia’s voice was soft and I lowered my hand to look at her. She was pulling a cloak tight around her neck as she came down the stairs, looking all together far more nervous than normal. However I understood it, she was leaving her house and that just wasn’t something she did without nerves. “I had to get something.” She looked at me and I shook my head.

“It’s alright, Tia.” I heaved out a sigh. “Just some trouble with the bar. I’m not mad at you.” I wasn’t. I doubted I ever could be. She was my twin and I loved her more than anything. “You said Lacey wanted to see us?” I asked it as evenly as I could and she nodded, her pale hand tightening on her cloak and for a few moments I was a little worried she was choking herself.

“Yah. Mama let me know and told me to portal call you.” She nibbled on her lower lip slightly, looking uncomfortable with the mention of the magick and I pressed my lips together. “You and mama are on the outs, aren’t you?” She looked at me and I crossed my arms over my chest.

“She pulled some really heinous shit and it nearly got me and Violet and and her babies killed. So yah, I’m not impressed with her at the moment.” I really wasn’t. The sting and agitation had faded over the weeks but that didn’t mean I wasn’t still upset about it.

Tia brushed some of her copper curls behind her ear. “How is Violet?” I wasn’t surprised she was asking. I was actually keeping in contact with our cousin. Well Violet was phoning me every few days to talk about just things. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it but I allowed it all the same.

“She's fine. Babies are good too.” Growing big. They had been so tiny when they had been born that seeing them fat and growing bigger was good. A fat baby was a healthy baby in my opinion.

Tia nodded, “Aunt Hestia really loves her. I think she has practically moved in with them at this point.” A fleeting smile crossed her face as she said it. “It’s good for her, she deserves that after Mary.” Her voice lowered and I nodded at the reminder. I still wanted to track the former witch down and beat her ass for handing a baby to Irma. That was some sick and twisted shit.

“I couldn’t have said it better. We should go though. Can’t keep the Queen of the Covens waiting.” I gestured to my twin and she nodded before pulling a portal orb from her cloak pocket. I looked at it and raised my eyebrow and her pale face pinched slightly even though she tried to smile as she handed it to me rather hastily.

“Mama gave it to me because we don’t know where we are going.” She said it quickly and I didn’t miss how she rubbed her hand on her cloak, as if rubbing the magick off. I could have killed that warlock. I wanted to bring him back so I could take pleasure in killing him again. I just nodded and dropped the orb at my feet. It shattered and the magick swirled into a portal. I could see stone walls and a grand ball room. I stepped through and held out my hand. Tia took it quickly, squeezing the life out of it as she came through, clutching the cloak at her neck even tighter with her free hand.

I gave a low whistle as I looked around the space. It was large but not too opulent. It looked like an old hunting lodge and for all I knew it could have been. You never knew with werewolves. Tia clung to my hand even as the portal closed. I watched as she shuddered as if unable to take the feeling of magick at all. “Lacey better have a good reason for dragging us all here.” I watched as more portals opened up and more and more of my sisters came through.

To my surprise a portal opened up and even Fayette stepped through. Bowie followed after, holding Fayette’s hand tightly. Tia made a distressed sound and I glanced at her, she was looking at Fayette with sad eyes. I couldn’t blame her as I turned back to look at our Oracle sister. Her hair was silverly blond, nearly white at this point and her eyes were fully clouded. She held onto Bowie’s hand as if she would fly away if she wasn’t.

To my surprise Tia moved towards, her tugging on my hand slightly. I followed her as she pulled me over to Fayette and Bowie. She let me go to hug Fayette tightly. Fayette gave a wide smile and hugged her back just as tightly, her cloudy eyes closing. “I may not be able to see anymore but I can feel your energy. It is good to hold you, Tiannia.” Fayette’s voice was light and breezy, insubstantial. I looked at Bowie and she gave me a short nod and pinched her lips together. I returned the nod, knowing exactly what that mouth movement meant. She didn’t like the state Fayette was in and neither did it.

“It’s good to see you all again! Thank you for coming.” Lacey’s voice echoed in the space as he came through a large set of door. She practically beamed and it seemed to make her glow. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun and she was wearing jeans and a sweater of all things. A werewolf followed closely behind her, his eyes possessively watching her every move. “Abe and I got back from our honeymoon and I figured it was best we waited a few weeks before I called you all together. There was a lot to get through for Abe and I.” She looked back at the werewolf with a rather loving smile that had him quirking up an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth.

“Basically I just wanted to let you guys know of the immediate changes that are being made before we announce them publicly. Witches will no longer be given the contraceptive spell from birth. It will be a choice when they reach the age of maturity.” She clasped her hands in front of her rocked back and forth on her feet as she looked over us, as if eagerly waiting for our reaction.

“That’s gunna piss a lot of Elder witches off, Lacey.” BamBam said it with a wide grin. “I approve.” At her apparently glee at the suggestion I shook my head with a slight smile. That was Bam for you.

“I never did like how we didn’t give young witches a choice about it.” Aunt Hestia said it evenly and I jolted slightly in surprise. I hadn’t realized that she had come through. I could also see Violet and her weremale standing close beside the older witch. “I approve as well.” I nodded at her words and there were murmurs of approval from all of us, with the exception of Zinnia and Aymis, who I couldn’t see anywhere. Which made sense, it wasn't exactly a discussion for the minors.

Lacey beamed again, looking pleased with herself. “I’m glad I have approval!” She bounced slightly on her feet. I could honestly say that marriage suited Lacey, she was no longer a mousy little witch, hiding from the world around her. I had to give it to her werewolf. He worked some magick of his own with that. “Secondly, harems will no longer be legally recognized in the Covens. You marry one witch and that is it, if you have a harem, it will be classed as infidelity legally and you forfeit the right to your assets to your wife.” At the words there was dead silence and my mouth had fallen open before I burst into laughter. I couldn’t help it. I could only imagine just how pissed off those trumped up warlocks were gunna be by this new rule.

“Is there an issue?” At the rather feral response I forced down my laughter as I looked at the High King of High Kings and grinned with amusement.

“No. I’m just imagining every warlock’s face when they realize they can’t have pussy on rotation because they will lose their shit.” I chortled, unable to help myself and Bowie cracked up beside me.

“I didn’t even think of that!” She grinned at me through her peals of laughter and soon most of the room was laughing along with us.

“I’m glad that I have your approval for that, Red. It means a lot.” Lacey said it as the laughter died down and she was looking at me earnestly and I winked at her, throwing her a thumbs up as I did so. “Finally, Abe and I are striking every law from the books that bars witches from interacting, marrying, and loving werewolves.” At the words there was a deathly hush through the large room. Lacey’s smile slowly faded as she looked at us all.

Fayette stiffened, her head throwing back as her cloudy eyes nearly glowed. “The road has been set, the path has been laid. Beware the death that will be aimed your way. Trust in love, trust in blood, or this fate will forever be undone.” Fayette’s voice was loud but monotone and the moment her eyes closed she slumped, her legs nearly giving out underneath her. Tia grabbed her quickly, keeping her upright as Fayette leaned on her heavily, her head bowed and her arms limp. An even more eerie silence fell and I glanced at Lacey, who was looking more pale.

“You know, I might be one to cause trouble, all three of us really, but this is… You make sure my sister is kept safe, werewolf, because there are people around who will kill her for doing this.” Maritza said it as she pointed to the High King of High Kings. I echoed the sentiment, the laws were unfair and stupid. I knew they were but I also knew how big of a fucking target Lacey would be once she struck them down.

“I agree, Maritza. You make sure she has guards on her, Abe. I approve of it completely but this will cause a shit storm the likes of which we have not seen in six hundred years.” Bam said it quickly, leaning against her werewolf. “Keep her safe.” The words were a harsh order and I watched as Abe inclined his head at my eldest sister.

“Anyone who tries will meet my wrath and I know how to make them suffer.” The words were said like a vow, a promise, as he grasped Lacey’s waist and pulled her closer to him.

“I approve as well.” I called it out before I crossed my arms over my chest. “But I insist that when shit hits the fan I get a call so I can kick some ass and merc some bitches.” I looked at my brother-in-law and he looked slightly amused as more and more of my sisters said the same thing. If there was one thing you could rely on with all of us was that if one of us was threatened, we came together to kick ass and never take names.

Lacey gave me a slightly thankful smile at my words. “We will make sure to up security. Thank you for bringing that to our attention.” Lacey said is evenly before she held out her arms. “Now I just want to hang out with my sisters.” She glanced towards Violet and her werewolf. “And new family.” She was giving Violet a warm and welcoming smile and I could see Violet flush slightly at it. The corner of my mouth ticked upwards.

Lacey and her werewolf moved towards the large group of us and I looked around for Tia. Fayette blocked my view as she came towards me. I quickly moved over to her and grasped her hand, letting her know where I was. “Lilliana, there is a crossroads. You do not like the path you are on, you do not like the choices you have been given but you are stuck.” Her voice was even and she tightened her grip on my hand. “It doesn’t have to end, not with poison, not with loss. It can end better. It can end happy.”

Her voice turned into a low whisper as her eyes glowed faintly. “You are so happy there, Red. I can see you and you scowl and you fight but you chest glows.” Her words almost made me choke up and I honestly couldn’t pinpoint what she was talking about so the feeling made no sense. “Look to your sign, Red, look for your guide.” She whispered the words into my ear before she let me go.

I blinked at her as she moved towards Callipso and my eyes automatically sought out Tia. I spotted her close to the edge of the room, her hand tight on her cloak as she looked around nervously. I moved towards her quickly. I might not have really understood what Fayette was saying but I knew who my sign was, my guide. Tia spotted me and gave me tight smile, her eyes darting around as if trying to see everywhere at once.

I reached her side and she reached out, taking my hand in her own. “What did Fayette mean?” I asked it low and Tia tilted her head slightly and frowned a fraction as she watched Lacey interact with our sisters.

“I watch you, you know.” She said it low and I found my mouth quirking up.

“I know you do, you little stalker you.” I bumped my shoulder against her, squeezing her hand gently twice. I knew she liked to scry for people and I knew she scried for me a fair bit. “He makes you so happy, Lilli.” Her voice choked up and I froze, swallowing against the lump in my throat. “I can see it. He’s chaotic and I don’t know if I can handle him and everything he represents but he makes you glow like I have never seen before.” My eyes burned and I fought hard against them. I didn’t want to make the connections, didn’t want to think about it. I knew I had gotten attached but to hear Tia say it? It was nearly enough to break me.

“He can’t stay. He's killing himself to be with me and I can’t live with that.” I couldn’t. I couldn’t see him waste away in front of me. I wanted him, probably more than I would ever like to admit, but I would rather he was gone and healthy than drinking poison to stay.

Tia leaned against me slightly, her head resting on my shoulder as she let out a sigh. “I know.”

“I don’t want kids right now. I don’t even know if I want them ever. I can’t take my contraceptive spell off, even for him.” I wasn’t the motherly type. I had known that when I was younger. I was too wild, too chaotic. I didn’t know if I would ever slow down and the life I lived was not one you could bring a child into.

Tia let out another sigh, squeezing my hand twice. “I know.”

The lump in my throat made me feel like I was choking. “I don’t know what love is but if it makes me feel like this I don’t want it. I want him but having him is killing him.” I let out a nearly sobbing laugh as I realized that underneath all that anger was fear. The fear of losing him, of him dying and being without him. I didn’t like the feeling. I really didn’t. “I want him so much, Tia.” I whispered the words at her as I closed my eyes, trying to hide from the feelings, trying to shut them out. As if closing my eyes against reality would make the feelings go away, make them disappear.

There was another two squeezes to my hand. “I know.” Tia said it softly and I let out a shuddering breath, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. “What if I told you I had a way for you to keep him? What if I told you I found a way that you could be with him and not have kids?” She asked it quietly and my eyes opened as I jerked my head to look at her. She lifted her head from my shoulder and swallowed hard. “I like books.” She said it carefully as she reached into her cloak and pulled out a vial. The potion was like murky silver. “I read a lot too.” Her mouth quirked up sightly as she held the potion out for me.

I took it, looking it over. The vial was warm from her pocket but there was a thrum of magick from it I wasn’t expecting. I looked from the vial to her. “What is this?” I couldn’t place the potion’s colour or the feeling of the magick.

“Sometimes I come across a book that I know I shouldn’t read but I do it anyway.” She looked down at the floor and scuffed it with her foot. “I keep them hidden, away from the house because I’ll be burned just having them in my hands.” Her words were concerning me and I opened my mouth, my eyebrows pulling down when she shook her head and tapped the vial in my hand. “That is an ancient contraceptive potion.” She looked up at me, her knowing gaze grabbing my own and holding it. “Its designed for werewolves… and the witches that love them.”

She grasped my hand and pressed the vial and my hand to my chest. “It tricks their Instinct. If a witch and a werewolf both take it, it reacts to both their biology. She will be fertile to everyone but him but his Instinct won’t notice it as it only works with the presence of his seed inside her.” She tapped her finger on the top of the vial. “Meaning he cannot get her pregnant but he will also not be forced to leave her.” Her words seared into my brain and I blinked, breaking our gaze and looking down at the vial in my hand.

Was it that easy?

Violet let her hand drop as she reached into her cloak and pulled out another vial. “For you and the werewolf you love.” She held it out and I blinked before taking it.

It couldn’t be that easy.

I looked down at the potion vials in my hands.

Could it?