The Veil

Five people sat at a dark oak table in the middle of a vast ballroom, with several bottles of red wine and empty glasses in the centre of the dining table. Two chairs out of seven were empty. The ballroom’s walls were from solid grey bricks, and only the torches in the corners gave some kind of light source. Their menacing poison green flames glowed eerily, licking the bricks of the wall - that meant the Emerald Witch was near, and she could arrive at any moment, filling one chair.

Skylar Galloway laid back in her chair, her long, braided black hair scraping the ground as she tipped back her head to take a sip of red wine, her brown fingers elegantly circling the stem. Her ocean blue eyes glistened in the darkness as she stared up at the ceiling and she recalled the beautiful day she had spent with her daughter and husband today. Liliana Webb Galloway, her five-year-old precious daughter, still innocent and young - but as her sixth birthday grew closer, the end of her life as a kid too. Skylar Galloway was obligated to introduce her daughter to the world of The Witches, because they needed a replacement Galloway in case something happened to Skylar. Worst thing, Skylar was not allowed to tell her husband, Callum. Only somebody who carried the blood of a Builder was allowed to know about The Witches and The Council. Skylar necked down the remaining of the wine and put down the glass with more force than she had intended to do. The base knocked loudly against the table, making Leonard Yates glance towards her to find the source of the sound.

Leonard Yates, a vigorous white man in his forties, with dark brown eyes, hair, and black stubble covering his grim appearance. A hidden darkness lurked in his eyes, and if it wasn’t for the black cat laying and purring in his lap, he would have looked terrifying. The cat wore a maroon bow around its neck, and it purred even louder when the man scratched behind its ears. Leonard Yates only had one heir to replace him in case something happened - his son Aaron Yates, a very well appreciated young man by the Emerald Witch, as he had done duties nobody else had done at the age of twenty one. Leonard Yates was proud of his son, but the feeling bittersweet - he was getting old, and it was only a matter of time before he would be replaced, especially that Aaron was doing so great. Leonard eyed the glass Skylar Galloway had smashed against the table, and he wondered if what had upset the woman was her daughter’s Enlightening. Leonard still remembered when Aaron had turned six and he had to tell him everything and prepare him for a life he was forbidden to talk about. He poured himself a glass of wine too and before taking a sip he moved the glass in circular motions, the red liquid sloshing against the bowl, releasing the sweet taste. He closed his eyes and gulped, feeling every single particle of the grape.

Zachary Crawford, a sixty-year-old man sitting next to Leonard, wore a blue suit above a crisp white shirt and a matching blue tie. The pin of Dark Hallow University - two small raven birds facing in different directions, their tails touching - was clearly visible above his heart. He kept his posture straight up, and his whole appearance radiated confidence. The knowledge he possessed was key to the Council, and just like Leonard’s kid, his children showed a big promise too. He married a beautiful young woman, who was thirty years his junior, and she gave him twins - a boy and a girl both gifted with platinum blonde hair and light blue, almost transparent eyes. Their skin glowed white as the snow, and they seemed as if they had been carved from porcelain. They were only twelve, but their drive to succeed was so strong they already caught the attention of the Emerald Witch. Zachary Crawford couldn’t be prouder. He watched both Skylar Galloway and Leonard Yates as they necked down their second glass of wine, and he flinched discreetly. He didn’t approve of alcohol or not taking the meeting seriously. He didn’t even understand why would the Emerald Witch let them have drinks. They needed to have a clear head whenever they faced the Witch, otherwise things could go wrong.

“Any juicy escape or invading stories for me, Galloway?” Jaxson Shaw broke the silence, a forty-year-old muscular man sitting next to Skylar. He was the person in charge of the order in Whitmoor. He controlled the police force, decided the sentence of criminals. This man enjoyed seeing people suffer, and he was dangerous. A shadowy black stubble covered his face, and his long black hair made him look way older than he actually was. Jaxson Shaw grinned at Skylar Galloway, himself too sipping some wine now, ignoring Crawford’s disapproving looks.

“Nothing.” Skylar shook her head, lying. She needed to send two people to the Separate universe only this week. Nobody left Whitmoor without permission. And nobody got in without invitation. Skylar’s job included controlling the borders of the town, and if somebody either tried to flee without a reason, or enter without being invited, a painful faith waited for them.

“Bummer.” Shaw clicked his tongue and laid back in his chair, pulling out a small blade from his leather pants. He began fidgeting between his long, hairy fingers and he thought of his three daughters, all from different mothers he didn’t remember. He needed to create his heirs, but he didn’t want to do anything with other women, so he found vessels for their kids, and as soon as they saw the first light of day, he let the mothers out there to dry, taking the daughters with him and he never looked back. His oldest daughter, twenty, was half British half Scottish, his middle one eighteen, half Spanish half Scottish, and his youngest, sixteen, was half Hungarian half Scottish. They were amazing warriors and Shaw spent most of his free time training them for what was to come. Shaw’s eyes flicked to the glimmering green flames, and he stared into them, immediately lost in another thought - The Emerald Witch. Every time the Council sat together every once a week, Jaxson Shaw couldn’t take his eyes off her heart-shaped face and full, crimson lips. He was fantasising about enchanting the master of enchantment all the time. But if either of them did so much as to touch her with a tip of a finger, it was a horrible mistake. It happened before, and Jaxson had learnt his lesson - but he never once forgot the soft skin of the witch colliding with his, even if it was only for a second as he had attempted to fold a loose lock of hair behind the Emerald Witch’s ear, lightly scraping her cheek. Shaw looked down at his right hand, taking in the sight of the lost middle finger. He formed a fist and sighed. One woman he cared about, after all.

Elspeth Milne, the last Council member, always sat in silence until she actually needed to talk. She was the oldest and wisest amongst them all, and if it wasn’t for her, Whitmoor wouldn’t have food or water to survive on. The old woman took charge of Creation seventy-four years ago, as she had to replace her mother just when she turned six. Her mind however was still sharp as a blade, and she knew about everything - nothing slipped her attention, as most of her life all she did was observing. That was how she knew that even though the Emerald Witch appeared as their fierce, cruel commander, she was nothing compared to her sister, the Ruby Witch. Milne believed her commander had feelings guarded by high walls nobody could break down, and that deep down she did care about her Council. Elspeth Milne was never going to forget the first and the last time she came face to face with the Ruby Witch. The old woman had never seen a face so evil and unbothered. The sixth council member, Ella Rose Lewis, had betrayed the Witches, Whitmoor, the Council, and her punishment was death. The Ruby Witch stepped out from the Veil, and executed the traitor in front of the Council. Milne watched the horror on the Emerald Witch’s face, and how she gasped for air. She was the one who convinced the Ruby Witch not to execute Lewis’s daughter, Aurora. Elspeth Milne still had dreams with the witch’s glowing red eyes, the black raven bird sitting on her shoulder gnawing on something that looked like flesh…

The green flames burnt out for a second, and a sudden darkness embraced the ballroom before the flames came back, shooting up twice as high. The Council tensed in their seat as they watched the air quiver in front of the table, and the next moment, the Emerald Witch manifested. She was beautiful, as always. Her dark chestnut brown hair fell in light waves to her waist, and her flaming, poison green eyes flicked across the council, taking in every single detail. They all bowed their heads as she made her way to her chair on top of the table, between Crawford and Milne, and before she sat down, she folded her leather trench coat decorated in tiny light green emeralds to the side. A ring was blazing on her right middle finger in a shape of a curled up snake. The Witch wore a satin shirt under the coat, and a leather, black corset covering the see-through material. The Council members all felt her presence in the ballroom, like a looming dark cloud hovering above.

“What’s the progress of The Six, Keeper?” The Witch asked, while holding onto her ring and gently twisting it around her finger. Her voice was soft and rang as a melody, it could mesmerize every single person on Earth and beyond.

Leonard Yates stood up, dropping his cat, who hissed at him, and ran under the table.

“I can confidently say that Aaron Yates and Aurora Lewis were successful,” he said, and not loosing eye contact with the witch, pulled a piece of paper out of his coat pocket. He reached across the table and held it out for the witch to take it. She murmured something under her breath, made a circular motion with her index finger, and the paper danced across the air, ending up between her sharp green nails. “The names of The Six. They are arriving in Whitmoor at the end of next week. The Yates House is ready to welcome them.”

The Emerald Witch approvingly nodded at the man, signalling that he could sit down. She slid the piece of paper into her coat pocket.

“Aurora Lewis. Is she ready to take her mother’s place?”

The Lewis’s were Healers, and it was a crucial place to fill in. Without a Healer, the health care could take a horrible turn and ruin the reputation of Whitmoor. The Emerald Witch refused to accept that, even though putting Aurora in the council was a big risk. She might attempt to get revenge, ruining everything. But they didn’t have any other options.

“If I may, ma’am,” Elspeth Milne’s cracky voice echoed off the walls, and the Emerald Witch immediately allowed the old woman to stand. She appreciated her opinion more than anybody’s. “I don’t believe the girl is ready. She just lost her mother.”

The Witch tipped her head to the side, taking in Milne’s wrinkled features and light brown eyes brimmed with wisdom.

“What do you suggest, Creator?”

Milne lightly bowed her head once before.

“Thank you, ma’am. I understand the rules of the Builders, I do. But I believe letting Aurora into the council would cause chaos - and we don’t have another Lewis,” she paused, inhaling. The Emerald Witch tensed in her seat, a sudden pressure building on her chest. She didn’t like where this was going, and the decision she was going to have to make.

“What are you saying?” She raised her voice, but the old woman faced her confidently.

“My daughter is highly trained. I not only trained her for Creation, she is familiar with all the others sections too, including Healing. Ma’am, you have seen her on Trials. She is ready, and she could fill in the position.”

“Absolutely not!” Jaxson Shaw shot up from his chair, a bluish vein pulsing between his eyebrows. “My oldest could take the place too. Erin wiped out Milne’s daughter on Trials.”

Suddenly, Shaw gasped for breath, and his face grew red in seconds. He fell back in the chair, clawing at his throat and desperately trying to fight for some air. The Emerald Witch then stretched her fingers and let go of the fist, giving Shaw the freedom of breeding.

“You don’t talk unless you are allowed to. I thought that was clear, Jaxson Shaw.” She could feel the blood pulsing behind her temples. Lewis’s were the Healers. They had never broken this rule. It was in their blood to take care of Whitmoor’s health sector. Nobody could predict what would happen if the pattern would be broken. “Who would take your place, Milne?”

“My granddaughter,” she said without hesitation. “Alicia is ten, and she is more than ready to take over in case something happened to me.”

Jaxson Shaw growled painfully in his place, clearly trying to fight his urge to rage out again. Zachary Crawford uncomfortably moved in his chair, attracting the Witch’s attention immediately.

“Crawford,” she said. “Talk to me.”

The old man stood up, smoothening his tie as he did so.

“What Elspeth is suggesting is an option. But we all have children here who are sitting on pins and needles to fill up a Council position. I too have trained my children for all areas in case of an emergency like this. I believe it’s only fair if they could all have a chance.”

The Emerald Witch took a deep breath, calming her nerves.

“I need to discuss the matter with my sister. Whoever wants to nominate their children stands up now. Say the names.”

Jaxson Shaw joined the already standing Milne and Crawford, his posture straight and his jaw clenched. Yates and Galloway didn’t even attempt it - they didn’t have more than one child.

“I want my daughter, Erin Shaw to compete for the Healer position. She too, is trained.” Jaxson stared at the Witch who nodded and glanced away from the man straightaway. Jaxson sat down in triumph, already thinking of giving the news to Erin.

“I want my daughter, Ruby Milne, to compete for the Healer position,” Elspeth Milne’s old and cracking voice filled the room before she sat back down in her chair.

“I want my daughter, Natalie Crawford, to compete for the Healer position,” Crawford said, not even flinching at the idea that he was going to separate his inseparable twins. It had to happen one time or another, and Natalie was always more suitable for something else other than Education.

“I am going to get back to you with a decision next week,” the witch said, and Milne noticed a tinge of fear in her tone. She was anxious to mention this to her sister, who was all about order. The Ruby Witch would probably refuse to have a Healer than to replace a Lewis with somebody else. But the Emerald Witch saw significant importance in having a Healer.

“Anything else I need to know about?”

The Council members all stayed quiet, so the witch stood, making the green flames flicker.

“Council dismissed,” she said, turned her snake ring on her finger, and she disappeared into thin air. All the torches burnt out, leaving the council members in complete darkness with nothing but their thoughts.