A very tensed silence filled the ride. For once, Ruby wished Kelly were with them. The woman drove her own minivan behind. In that instant, Kelly’s presence would have been a welcome distraction to the topics that lingered between Ruby and Or. Ruby considered breaking through the suffocating silence with any subject she can grab. Except...

  What exactly can she speak? Not when Or heard her screaming Or and Mom’s name during flicking her bean.

  As the drive through the lonely road continued, bnketed by forest and canopies on either side, Or occasionally tilted her head and gave Ruby a brief, acknowledging gnce. Otherwise, everything remained silent.

  “So you made some deal with the beyond... While ignoring my warnings.” That came finally from Or. The second part was left unsaid. But it was there for Ruby to sense. It hung like an obsidian bde above. Even when spoken softly and delivered with care, the question carried potency.

  Or’s lips were tightly pressed. Her green orbs were seemingly focused on driving. No judgement but the way Or pced the topic made Ruby struggle.

  “This would have been better if Morgane carried out your initiation.” Or continued. “Sweetie, do you hate your Mom for missing your ceremony?”

  “Mom had missed many a ceremony.” Ruby uttered with no actual weight of thought behind those words.

  Actually, for this one instance, she was rather grateful for Morgane’s absence. Because Ruby would lose composure. Mom can easily scour her thoughts to reveal her deepest fantasies. Had Mom heard her call out her name... Her hands may roam along her legs, perhaps touching her thighs, hopefully sliding beneath. And she may definitely fondle Ruby’s nether regions while kissing her cheeks. That can easily happen. But Mom can also simply wield that knowledge when it would benefit her. It was hard predicting which one may come true. Either scenario may unfold. Or both may manifest themselves. With Morgane Spenard, all unlikely events were likely pusible.

  That would have been wrong. Not only in a moral conundrum sense, which certainly applied, but the very nature of Mom disturbed Ruby. Her affections were not towards the Mom she knew. Not the Morgane Spenard who can steal all through her alluring presence. A younger version of Mom held Ruby’s attention captured. Perhaps, younger would be an inappropriate misnomer, given the context. A different version of Mom stirred her emotions. The pure innocence. The joyous ughter. And above all, her unbridled purity. Those facets resonated within Ruby.

  That sweetness on Mom’s face, she never gave it to Ruby. The present Mom charmed with a bewitching smile, one carefully crafted to hide her schemes. The video of witches’ ball showed a different Morgane Spendard. Mom in all her unsullied sweetness. Mom whose smiles came naturally. Mom’s ugh then was unrestrained and filled her entire self. A Mom whom indulged a younger Or happily, showering her unguarded devotion. The video presented Mom who Or loved, unreservedly, unconditionally and selflessly.

  And Mom withheld those from her. That video that graced her in Raisa’s pce, those were all the Ruby could hold on to. They represented an echo of a Morgane who could have been a Mom. The only Mom Ruby knew never gave. The curren one, she only took because she can and because she could.

  Those feelings only consolidated her opinions more. She welcomed Mom’s ck of presence.

  “Sweetie, I am not angry.” Or continued. Her voice no longer held the confidence. They were trepidatiously constructed, like issuing calming noises to a hurt kitten. “I just want you to know.”

  “Okay. Sure.” Ruby stared beyond. Her response sound distant but her thoughts remained anchored along a singur track. She couldn’t share it, this pinning desire. She craved Mom’s lips against hers. The real Mom’s lips. Their gentle pressure and warm breath trailing along cheeks. And her hand, oh, her firm touch, could possibly roam, exploring, caressing, teasing...

  Her deluded fantasies shattered when Or squeezed her arm. “Sweetie...”

  “What... what?” Ruby uttered. Her thoughts kept slipping despite her best efforts. When it dawned upon her, she shifted through different emotions, settling in the end for remorseful.

  Or’s features tensed. Not anger. Something else. Perhaps disappointment.

  Suddenly, Or’s approval felt more important than Mom’s scorn or displeasure.

  “Something from the beyond forced you.” Or’s perceptiveness cut deep. In ways Ruby perhaps did not anticipate. Or was always sensitive to her needs.

  “An Aspect. My Aspect, I think.” Ruby’s answer came with regret. “She spoke of death. Death of someone I really care. Probably.”

  That elicited pause.

  The trees on either side swayed. Their branches danced among the gust. The leaves rustled while whispering sweet tunes. The moment could have been inviting. Their calls should have been like mischievous, soft voices beckoning. Yet everything they passed remained devoid. No lyrics. No meaning. Only hollow emptiness.

  Or took one brief gnce. Then spoke quietly through strugglingly parted lips.

  “Sweetie, death alone does not decide anything. Take it from me. I am a valkyrie.” Then she rested her palm over Ruby’s. The squeeze came with reassurance. “A death can be wanton or meaningful.” Or gave Ruby one quick gnce before her attention turned back to the road ahead. That brief connection conveyed the unspoken message through her sparkling green stare.

  “Your mom may find ways. Trust me. I know your mother.” Or tapped fingers, trying different rhythms along the steering wheel. “I spent my youth loving your Mom. I saw firsthand all her quirks. I know best. She can’t help herself.”

  Whom are you trying to comfort... me... or... Ruby’s words resided only within her conscience, trapped beneath firmly pressed lips. Instead, she reached to grip Or’s wrist. Or provided comfort that Mom never did. “Or, I am scared.”

  “Sweetie, if you are terrified, then know that it is normal. You have been through a lot in a span of a few days.” Or liberated one palm from the steering wheel. She pced her fingers, resting them atop Ruby’s hands. Or’s touch came natural. It conveyed care, affection, trust... All things her Mom, her real mother, Morgane Spenard, has denied her.

  Ruby found herself staring, fixated beyond while counting passing road signs, using them to distract her thoughts. Her silence weighed.

  “Sweetie...” Or called, her voice ced with worry. "Look, fear of death is normal. It isn’t easy knowing, watching people you love slip. But there is more to death than fear and loss. When facing death, you will lose. You will fail. Your efforts may prove futile. Yet, they are never meaningless. Death always cims. It can also give. Hope. Inspiration. Courage. Trust me. I witnessed many heroes fall, only their deaths gave birth to strength, determination, identity..."

  “Or, it isn’t me fearing death. Okay. Perhaps, yeah, it’s also partly true. But...” Ruby uttered. Her voice reverberated through the dark interior. “What if I failed? What if this whoever I am supposed to save was pcing their hope on me and I fail them?”

  “Sweetie. No one can cheat death.” Or’s tone remained hushed. Her words suggested unspoken sorrow. “Even I, a Valkyrie, can’t stand between the destiny. We may only reap souls. Determine their worthiness. So you don’t need any guilt. No one should thrust you into a role that is impossible to fulfil.”

  Ruby pondered upon her question while staring beyond window. Counting trees seemed meaningless. Nothing mattered except Or. Even if Ruby stumbled lost in the perilous night, Or will find her. She will rescue her. Just her presence brought strength. It inspired Ruby. She drew courage.

  “Death may cim lives, however she also can inspire ones. If death inspires you, embrace it. Courage may lead you forward. Despair may tether you.” Or pressed her fingers tight, tapping Ruby’s palm. Her gesture carried acceptance. “Walk fearlessly, my daughter. Let no one, not even beings from beyond, dictate your path.”

  When Or stopped her car, Ruby emerged into another desote wilderness. She followed Or, trusting her as they followed along grassy patches and through winding paths.

  Kelly, who arrived a few moments ter, sauntered an appreciable distance behind. Her incessant chatter could have brought life to the silence woods, but she did not.

  As they walked, Or occasionally nodded, very politely though. She offered little else. Only the steps sounded louder against dew kissed grass, snapping twigs beneath. They invoked echoes which bounced between towering trunks.

  “We will be there soon, sweetie.” Or offered her palm, giving gentle rubs through intermittent touch. “Don’t be afraid. Forming a coven is a very tokenistic process. There won’t be any ordeals to face.”

  Ordeal? Mom is waiting there. So not entirely true. Ruby allowed herself a smile. It was devoid of life.

  But she followed through. She kept walking, fixing her gaze ahead. Tress rose high, forming canopies above. Their bower seemed welcoming, as was Or’s presence.

  “Or, regarding that thing... that just happened...” Soon they would stand in Mom’s presence. Better to rip the pster and be done with it. “Could you not mention to Mom that I called her name out?”

  “Sweetie, when I introduced you as my daughter today, I really meant it.” Or continued. Her lips curled in a very natural and unguarded gesture. They conveyed emotions that words could not. “But I cannot lie to Morgane. No matter how hard I try, she can look into my eyes and know the truth lurking there.”

  Ruby swore through unspoken words. She regretted calling them aloud. What good they could serve? Only proved her incompetence.

  Or quickened her pace. Her strides became longer, faster. Not in urgency. Rather, she encouraged Ruby.

  “I will let you in on a secret. When I was young, in fact, a year or two younger than you now, I was madly in love with Morgane.” Or spoke through fond reminiscence. “Fancied ourselves a small cottage by the woods. Us working rituals by the moonlight and return to raise our kids and grow our own vegetables. Sell our honey at a farmer’s market.”

  Ruby kept staring beyond Or’s shoulder. The trees offered little inspiration. Nor did Kelly, whose distance allowed only a perceivable silhouette.

  “Then the childish illusion broke.” Or’s pain carried sadness wrapped in soce. “Marcel came along.”

  That pulled Ruby’s attention. She watched Or’s lips move. They carried traces. Traces of past feelings. Unrequited love. Regret. Or didn’t need words. Her expression provided all.

  Then without a preamble Or’s voice receded. It dissolved among mournful silence. Not a direct silence, rather, it became eerily haunting. There were only their footsteps on soft mossy grounds.

  “Sweetie, I guess we are married and together... in some sense.” Or beckoned through thin air. She leaned closer and dropped her voice. “May not be the dreamy, ideal life, but we are bonded in one way. “

  Mom’s figure kept clouding her conscience. Even when absent, her presence loomed rge.

  “Here is the thing. Despite what transpired, Morgane wasn’t my only love. There were others who I cherished. I still do. My arrangement with Morgane does not diminish nor taint what I have for the other.”

  “So there is a chance between...”

  “No.” Or denied with her characteristic confidence poise. It was gentle and still carried a non-negotiable finality. “There will be others in your life.”

  “Raisa did not want me.”

  “One day you will meet someone. That someone may not even start as a friend. Or they might be so unremarkable that you already met them and didn’t register. They may even be a someone from your former life or a total new stranger who stumbled on your path. The heart will choose. Make sure they deserve you.”

  Ruby frowned. Or’s words failed to dissipate the concern. Her thoughts still lingered within.

  “Sweetie, desires alone may satiate you momentarily. But they also bind you. Trap you. If you give your heart, cherish it. Pce it lovingly, only where it belongs.”

  The further steps echoed through the sacred ground. A change. Their motion resounded with vibrations.

  Finally, they arrived.

  Ruby was struck by how everything shifted all of a sudden, like as though Or unwittingly crossed her over a magical barrier into an enchanted nd. The air buzzed. It seemed alive. Not through chirps of the crickets or nocturnal animals scurrying through bushes, but rather through unfathomable energy coursing beneath. Calling it an electricity would be a misnomer despite the fact that her nerves responded with tingling.

  Mom waited within a stone circle along raised ground, only lit through pale moonlight. Her striking form still cast daunting shadows. All intentional given Mom’s penchant for dramatic effects. Or maybe sheer coincidental. Ruby never knew. She may never know Mom’s thoughts, which seemed deliberately designed towards chaos.

  Seeing them, Mom sauntered toward Ruby, wearing nothing beyond her undeniably seductive grace — over her ceremonial cloak, of course. Her imposing frame attracted attention, as always. Not only because she stood so regal and tall. It was her bearing which rendered Ruby breathless. There was confidence woven between each graceful motion and each carefully pnned pose.

  Every step of Mom carried danger, particurly the kind of danger that Ruby can fall easily. One where she will willingly submit.

  It did not help that she dressed elegantly. Her attire, the ceremonial cloak of a witch-mother, embellished to her personal taste, carried weight. They added presence, as though they were made to be donned by Morgane Spenard.

  “There is my darling daughter, my precious gem Ruby.” Even surrounded by wilderness under a moon-lit sky, Mom’s presence was pristine. There was power beneath her elegance. Her usual self-confidence carried weight when she took Ruby’s cheeks in her palms.

  The move willingly gave strength. All meant through affection.

  “Let me look at you once again.” Mom cradled Ruby gently as one would hold a freshly born kitten. The contact became reassurance. Her touch bestowed promised. “A new and initiated witch. You are perfect, darling. Stay like this.” Her palms wandered, weaving through her mahogany tresses. They drew Ruby in.

  And her lips met Ruby’s forehead. A gentle pressure. Warm breath. Moist lips. It sted only for a brief moment. And it shattered Ruby’s remaining restraint. She gave in, leaning forward, wanting everything Mom offered. The kiss consumed Ruby, drawing her further into Mom’s embrace.

  Mom’s arms seemed powerful when they drew Ruby inward and trapped her within sweet pressure.

  “Darling, every mother would like to witness their daughters' big moments, and I couldn’t be there for yours. Not even for your initiation ceremony.” Morgane withdrew, liberating Ruby, but her fingertips left faint trails lingering along the cheeks. “I feel bad as a mother. Will you allow me to do something good for you?”

  Morgane rested her palm over Ruby’s wrists. She tugged Ruby forward. Her gaze lingered longer where her fingers pressed.

  Mom’s grip stayed for a while, making its point. Her hold didn’t hurt. It simply drew attention. “Trust me darling, your mother how to throw a party.”

  “Mom, in case it escaped you. I am not exactly in a position to invite school and childhood friends.”

  “Oh dear. You won’t need any old friends. There will be others attending. I will call for your initiation party. Think of it like a debutante ball.” Mom answered while guiding Ruby along the pathway. She maintained her position, sticking close. Her touch never wavered. Even when her arms settled above Ruby’s shoulders, it remained caring. “You get to pick a theme of your choice. The choice of gown or a suit is yours. And let Mom pay for everything.”

  “Really? I mean, is it really necessary, Mom?”

  Mom tutted, cutting Ruby’s protest. “No refusing, my darling daughter.” Morgane insisted, dropping her voice to a soft whisper. “And, yes, you are worth it. So please allow me to spoil you, my sweet, precious child. For Mom’s sake. Please.”

  For Ruby, Morgane’s requests became unbearable. In fact, they can become outright torturous. Especially when they came ced with Mom’s affection. This time, though, her heart too yearned.

  “Fine, Mom. But keep it simple. And nothing fshy. Just the ones we already know.” Ruby agreed, finding her resolve faltering beneath Morgane’s touch.

  Morgane approached one step closer, closing all the distance between them. She stood within inches, intimately close, pressing against Ruby. “Simple. Check. Nothing fshy. Also checked. So only ones we already know. Deal.”

  The night breeze enveloped them both. It was cold, but Mom stood protectively, shielding Ruby. That gesture carried comforting warmth. Ruby hoped that Mom remained so for a little while. The mask she wore might slip any time. Even her smile may become tainted. True that Mom's present gestures came naturally. No faking. But it may all amount to nothing, mere wiles used for personal schemes.

  When they finally reached the centre, Mom guided Ruby further towards an inner circle. The structure itself held inherent beauty. Moonlight glinted against stone structures, each worn smooth through the indefinite passage of time. The centre seemed forged beneath celestial alignment with the granite surface giving impression as though carved specifically.

  And Mom stood resplendent, exuding authority, just like how a witch-mother should. Yet she carried elegance. Mom invited Ruby within. There was nothing perfunctory about Mom’s pose. Her gaze remained comforting. Inviting. Then her arm swept forward, taking Ruby’s wrist.

  The tenderness in that action inverted Ruby’s world. Heaven become the ground where she stood, and the earth covered above. Within Mom’s presence, all reality dissolved. The world outside blurred like a hazy vision through a granuted window. Mom’s touch became her anchor. Everything else faded. Nothing else mattered except their contact.

  Mom may pn only sinister schemes, may she may carry secret malicious intentions, but they mattered little when Mom reached Ruby. She held her daughter’s neck gently. Her thumbs traced Ruby’s jawline. Her gesture was tender, but Ruby reminded herself that her fingers rested on a pce where they may also commit an unspeakable crime.

  “Mom, can I ask you?” Ruby swallowed hard, finding herself trapped beneath Mom’s unflinching gaze that now carried all that Ruby craved. “You never loved me. Why are suddenly acting...”

  Her words fell.

  Mom waited.

  Ruby faltered, cking courage, unsure whether she may go forward. But she gathered all her strength, willing her lips, because she must. “Why you are now trying your best...?”

  Mom kept silent. The time between seemed stretched forever.

  Ruby’s heart thundered. It thrummed loudly within her ears. If Mom carried devious schemes, she will act any second. Her fingers might strangle Ruby’s neck. They might wrap themselves while delivering precise pressure. Ruby would succumb helplessly beneath Mom’s caress that turned deadly. She may never raise her voice. Her struggle may never find expression. All the while, Mom’s merciless hands may cim her st breath.

  Then Or shifted in Ruby’s periphery and the courage resounded deep within. She would save her, even if it meant going against Mom.

  “Ruby, darling.” Mom leaned closer. Her actions conveyed affection. “I am sorry. It was my fault.” Her voice became mellow, sounding hurt. “I didn’t try hard. I ignored you, my precious child, always taking... rather than giving. Now, darling daughter, allow Mom to make amends.”

  Mom may plot everything. Deceit may lurk beneath her presence. Yet, her words carry sincerity.

  Despite Morgane Spenard’s lying snares, Ruby’s heart embraced all the affection she gave. She tried her best, believing it to be genuine. This time, Mom’s act seemed unsullied. The apology carried poignancy. Even when all logic contradicted, her heart accepted whatever Mom offered.

  And it comforted, until Morgane shifted closer, bringing their faces intimately close. Her coral lips were suddenly big in the moonlight. Then Mom spoke through raspy breaths against Ruby’s ears, licking her lobes. “My beautiful child. My gorgeous daughter. I never deserved you. And I wish I can give you everything.”

  Only Kelly’s huffing broke the surreal moment. “So Morgane, in case I may point out the obvious. I count four of us and we need five.”

  Mom clicked her tongue, very audibly letting her annoyance show. She did not bother to hide that her mask of composure slipped. Yet her voice remained perfectly controlled. "Kelly, that problem is taken care of. We have another witch joining."

  When Ruby darted her gaze to meet Or with a very questioning expression, Or shrugged as though bereft of all culpability to procim her ignorance.

  “Morgane, you are the war queen and Mistress of Shadowed Path.” Kelly walked closer to take her spot within the circle. “Or is a Valkyrie. I am a Chaos Witch. Illusion and deception, raw power and amplification.”

  Kelly spoke clearly. Her unspoken message conveyed a very clear intention. Mom is building something. She is preparing for war.

  “So, who is the fifth witch? A soothsayer? A dream weaver? An ironborn or metallic Maenad? A scribe witch or sigil carver? Because they all fit with what I think you are attempting here.”

  Morgane only answered Kelly with a silent smile. It was a very knowing smile and also a very patience eroded smile. The night air drifted beneath, carrying cool airs within its fold. Moonlight reflected against Mom’s dark cloak, creating complex patterns along their rich embroidery.

  “So where is she?” Kelly continued, unrelenting. “This fifth member?”

  Morgane didn’t utter any word. Her lips tightened while her expression stayed impervious. Yet, her imperious confidence never left. Her steeled expressions resembled marble, beautiful through craftsmanship. In Mom, they also exhibited sharp edges.

  “Look Morgane, Jace is probably struggling alone with the kids. Not that he is a poor father, but they are simply too much for him to handle. Zoey is not much help either. She used to be good with Cadence… I mean, Morgane, I don’t have all night. My kids would drive their father insane.”

  “That is the issue with the test generation of witches.” Mom uttered her sentiments with cutting tones that were entirely untenable. Her frustration piled, consolidated through Kelly’s compints. “In their need to establish their identities, they seek to connect with their roots and end up reinventing long forgotten traditions.”

  “You don’t mean she is trying to arrive by travelling in traditional witches’ way.” Kelly rolled her eyes in no attempt to conceal what she felt.

  “I am afraid so. Worse. In their quest for individuality, they try to incorporate their own fvour to time abandoned traditions.” Mom sighed, a very audible and resigned expression. Then she turned to Ruby. “Darling, promise me you won’t do such dense absurdity.”

  “What is the traditional witches’ way?” Now that the notion was id out, Ruby could barely control her curiosity.

  “Honey, think about all the standard portrayal of witches. There is a reason we are projected that way.”

  “You mean she is riding a broomstick?”

  “And there is also reason why we abandoned that tradition, honey.”

  “Oh, you mena, like being spotted and targeted for being witches.”

  “No. Flying a broomstick required a rather aerodynamic flexibility.” Kelly flicked her gaze which were accusatory at Or and Mom. “As we age, not everyone retains the grace. Besides, flying is nasty stuff. Imagine all those bugs and locusts and flies hugging your face. They leave an unpleasant taste.”

  “Sadly, she isn’t even riding a broomstick.” Mom cut in. “I am afraid, she is attempting something far more ridiculous.”

  Further specutions were nullified when Or cleared her throat and pointed. “There she arrives.”

  Ruby instantly recognised a girl of her own age. And if she were older, then perhaps by two or three years, not more. Blue hair, side shaved head and pale silvery moonlight glinting, created an unforgettable image but that did not hold Ruby’s attention. Doc martens with tongue out and torn jeans would have had her fit in with the crowd at a punk or goth hangout, but now she could have passed for a girl with a rebellious phase. But all of those observations felt like a moot point. For she arrived standing on a levitating Roomba.

  When she nded on the ground, she made an attempt, a very sad fir, at dramatics. “Cybele Veldman at your service.” The manner of delivery could have been chivalrous, if Cybele had the frame and body type of Or. Instead, at best she could pull was an ailing arthritis ridden knight bowing before a queen.

  When she straightened again, she even gave a gentle pat on her lower back fully acknowledging the image.

  Or was the first to speak. “Veldman? Cybele Veldman?” She repeated the name as though it meant something.

  “Yep. Sadly the same Veldman.” Cybele seemed unfazed. “From Veldman.”

  “Morgane, how did you manage to bring her in?” Or bore all curiosity when she looked at Mom. “Doesn’t she already belong with her family Coven?”

  “A coven of necromancers, if I may add.” Kelly interjected.

  “Actually, I am more of a neck-romancer girl.” Cybele ughed and her ughter came with built-in snorts.

  Ruby had seen boys who fart in public ugh with better grace.

  “I suppose formal introductions are in order then.” Cybele continued when she realised no one partook in her humour. “Cybele Veldman, Techno witch.”

  “To alleviate your concerns, I did not steal her.” Mom spoke breaking her silence. “Her family already rejected her, if I may add. They don’t believe much use accommodating her eccentricities. They are Necromancers, you know. A traditionalist family. And Cybele thinks her Coven may hinder her advancement. I offered her a pce and guidance.”

  “So she got kicked out of her own family coven?” Kelly bothered least with selecting her words. Her disdain for Cybele stood evident. The irritation at being forced to wait guided her baleful words.

  Granted Ruby knew Kelly in a narrow span of time, but that did not hinder her ability to see Kelly for who she was. Cybele was barely a few years older than her daughter and did not merit any careful choice of words.

  “Kicked out? No. Not kicked out. Kicked is when the HR calls you at the end of the month and give you the termination letter.” Cybele snort-ughed again. “In my situation it was more like my mother, aunts and grand-mother all unanimously voted on vetoing me out of the Coven. It is the scale of things, you know.”

  “I get it.” Kelly answered. “You fucked up on a bigger scale.”

  “That’s how awesome I am.” Cybele replied. Nothing seemed to bother her. “And you are welcome.”

  “Honey, actually I am surprised they made Roomba to your size.”

  “Now I may not have the body of a Brazilian supermodel, or a trans girl or a Brazilian trans supermodel but in certain circles, I am appreciated as thicc.”

  “That’s very fetishising, you know.” Ruby snapped. “Not to mention also very stereotyping.”

  Ruby almost flinched when Cybele sauntered in her direction. Thick doc marten soles stamped on the stone floor with callous regards.

  “Hey there. Here is a question for you. How many trans girls does it take to change a light bulb?” Cybele fixed Ruby with an unblinking stare and one sided smirk.

  “I don’t know and not in the mood for jokes.”

  “Only one. Just tell her she is beautiful and she will glow and light the room on her own.”

  “That’s not true.” Ruby blushed.

  “How would you know?” Cybele taunted but her attention failed to remain on Ruby.

  Cybele leisurely moved to take her position on the stone circle. Her gaze darted, passing from Morgane to Kelly to Or and eventually settled on Ruby.

  Ruby exhaled, taking extra effort not to fidget. Not that Cybele’s gaze was predatory or even creepy. She was more akin to an annoying browser pop-up that refused to stay down.

  “Her name is Ruby.” Or volunteered sensing Ruby’s discomfort. “She is newly initiated.”

  “How did that go?” Cybele wiggled her brows in an action that was meant to be suggestive but came out as cringeworthy as Cybele herself. “Did you had to polish your pearls before getting in?”

  “Don’t answer her.” Mom snapped.

  “Cybele, you are making her uncomfortable. So stop.” Kelly admonished, all motherly tone and protectiveness surged. “We, that is Or and me, carried out her initiation today.”

  “That’s true. I had my initiation just a few hours ago.” Ruby provided.

  “You are looking at possibly the most powerful witch.” Or added with a pause which she filled with a lovingly adoring gaze at Ruby. “Perhaps, even stronger the Morgane herself.”

  Ruby contempted objecting Or’s embellishment, because she wasn’t sure. Even though her Aspect could prove monumental, its identity eluded her.

  Morgane drifted closer. Her arms cradled Ruby. She scooped Ruby’s shoulders within her embrace, tugging Ruby close. “I am so proud of you.” Mom’s breathy whisper touched Ruby in pces she wished to be touched.

  For moments they stood silent. No words exchanged. Only a gentle warm breeze rustled through trees.

  “Wait, why did you two carried out her initiation?” Cybele probed further. She cked tact. She cked taste, definitely social graces and also perhaps a lot of other stuff. But she was intelligent.

  That made Mom wary.

  “Shouldn’t that be the responsibility of the Witch-mother?” Cybele continued. Her pensive expression remained pstered on her face for a fraction of a second. The knowing one-sided smirk was back. A host of all things lecherous and perverted settled in the slight curve of her lips. When she eventually spoke, she was as creepy as a conservative bigot on grindr.

  “Unless... the witch-mother specifically wished not to perform your ritual. Congrats Ruby. You know what this means, right?”

  Ruby waited, not knowing how to respond. Cybele Veldman’s personality rivalled an annoying bot invasion. She found, Cybele’s directness and her perceived inability to read situation disconcerting.

  “Our witch-mother Morgane probably has a thing for you. She finds you incredibly attractive. If you two were to be naked on a moonlit pool, she probably won’t be able to control herself. That is why, she did not carry out the ritual as expected of a witch-mother.”

  Or looked the other way.

  Kelly clicked her tongue and shook her head signalling Cybele to stop.

  But Cybele’s ability to infer the unsaid went beyond thinking within social norm. She existed beyond all norms. “You must feel very special, Ruby. I heard our witch-mother Morgane is a very demanding and consummate lover.”

  Mom surprisingly kept quiet. Morgane always pnned everything. Her actions always remained perfectly inscrutable. But Morgane, her mother Morgane, rarely stayed silent. In fact, she relished in confrontations. Yet, now Mom shifted her eyes elsewhere. Everywhere to be precise, except on Ruby.

  “What?” Cybele shrugged, still oblivious to the ck of filter. The death of engagement from the other four slowly made her shift gears. Her change in demeanour conveyed that she knew she did something incredibly awkward. “Ruby, I mean, nothing wrong with having the attention of an older woman. Think about it, there is this attractive older woman leading you on an experienced journey. I mean, it is not like she is your sister. Or Mom.”

  The awkward silence that reigned in the intermittent pause became overwhelming.

  “I think I said something extremely uncomfortable.” Cybele uttered slowly, each word spelled between hesitant breaks. “As far as I know, Morgane has only a son, right?”

  Kelly facepalmed. That gesture conveyed where a thousand words would have failed Cybele.

  Cybele dropped her gaze. The cockiness faded. She actually felt rather self-conscious. Her doc martens suddenly looked interesting. Her fast withering expression said that she now linked her earlier banter with Ruby to her real identity.

  “So witch-mother, Morgane, you are transparent. Trans parent because you have a trans daughter. You get it.” Cybele tried her snort-ughter. It was a nervous ugh born of forced awkwardness and none ughed with her.

  Both Or and Kelly gave her looks reserved only for a bipedal cancerous tissue.

  Mom took a few steps away from Ruby. She considered the pale silvery moon, the stars dusting the night sky, at the serene canopies and at the invisible designs on the stone floor, but refused to see Ruby in the eyes.

  ElenaV