18

Forrest

We materialized in a pitch-black hall, the air musty with age. The darkness seemed to stretch endlessly, broken only by the faint flicker of a single torch at the far end. Its weak light cast eerie shadows on the walls surrounding us.

"Where are we?" Sienna asked as she shifted towards me, her body pressing into mine.

"Come with me," I said to her as I gently grasped her hand and guided her down the dimly lit corridor towards the only source of light.

My eyes took a moment to adjust to the blindingly bright lights that shone down from the ornate chandeliers as we walked through the doors of the grand room, where the Council held court. The air was heavy with tension, swirling around us like an enveloping fog. I could feel Sienna's hand tightening its grip on mine as we approached the front of the room, where the members of the Council sat upon their table in their regal robes, their faces stern and unwavering.

One of the wizards leaned forward, his long white beard cascading over the edge of the dais. "Forrest, explain yourself," he demanded. "You can't just—"

"I can, and I did," I said. "Someone stripped the Cider Falls coven of its powers to have the ability to control mortal men."

"What would witches want with mortal men?" Another member of the council with long, bushy eyebrows asked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Sienna, silently pleading with her to respond to the intimidating wizard. Her wide, fearful eyes met mine and I knew I would have to handle it.

"None of the witches want anything to do with mortal men. Quite the opposite. They fear them," I explained to the Council on behalf of Sienna and her coven. "They control the men's egos to keep their community safe. It's not even about control, per se. It's about their safety ."

"So, the rumors are true," the only witch said. She sat tall on a cushioned chair at the end of the long table, her robes billowing around her in dark shades of maroon and black. Her long hair, streaked with silver, cascaded over her shoulders.

"It can't be," a wizard proclaimed next.

"Your powers were traded," the witch explained to Sienna.

"Traded?" Sienna asked.

"Listen closely, dear," the elder witch intoned, her eyes gleaming in the flickering candlelight. "There was once a witch who believed that to have true power, one must control the hearts and minds of men. It was more important to her than magic itself."

Sienna leaned in, captivated by the lost tale of her coven. "But magic is more powerful than the control of ordinary, mortal men."

"I don't disagree," the witch said, "but a witch in your coven didn't hold the same regard for magic. She only wanted power . That, and immortality."

"What was her name?" Sienna asked hesitantly.

"Athena. "

"Athena?" Sienna repeated, her face paling.

The witch nodded.

"Cider Falls has been this way for centuries," Sienna mumbled. "There's no way—"

"Athena is over two hundred years old," the witch informed us.

"That just isn't possible," Sienna said.

The witch's face softened as she spoke to Sienna, her once stern expression replaced with one of warmth and kindness. "My dear, you'll learn today that anything is possible."

"If anything is possible, then surely we can find a solution to restore full powers to the Cider Falls Coven," I suggested.

The witch's head shook slowly from side to side as she spoke. "It's not that simple," she said, and a look of disappointment crossed Sienna's face.

"They don't get them back," the eldest wizard proclaimed. "The decision was already made." The rest of the Council huffed in unison. They were not keen on wasting their valuable time negotiating with us.

"I'm not accepting no for an answer," I told them, not budging. "Something can be done. "

After a moment's hesitation, the witch spoke up. "There has to be another trade," she said.

"What kind of trade?" Sienna asked. Her voice trembled with fear. Her apprehension towards the answer that awaited her was evident.

The Council looked at one another before one of the wizards spoke. "Offer us something."

I didn't hesitate. "I'll relinquish half of my powers if you grant the Cider Falls Coven their full powers back," I offered.

"Done," the witch in the Council said with a sly grin. "Isn't that interesting? Ending a selfish curse with a selfless sacrifice."

"No!" Sienna screamed. "You can't do that, Forrest!"

The world around us was swallowed by absolute darkness. I felt a shiver run down my spine as a surge of pride filled me.

Sienna had her full powers.

And I couldn't wait to see her wield them.