The Witch's Three Fated Royal Mates.

Corey's Pov Clutching the moonstone pendant around my neck, its calm surface reminded me of my parents, who were still traveling around the territories of Taris. "Corey, you ready to go ?" the sweet voice of my Aunt Delilah asked. I turned my head up from my thoughts. "Yes, Aunt Delilah." I said, smiling at my silver-haired aunt as I faced away from the front window of our store, the Elmwood Emporium. "No… I don't think so, child." Aunt Delilah's moss-gray eyes sparkled with mischief as she walked from the back of the store. "But you don't understand!" I protested, hands on my hips. "The libation rite with our home coven awaits you." she finished cutting me off. My aunt and uncle took over the Larkspur Coven from my grandparents after they retired. I was raised within the coven, as my parents dropped me off with my aunt at 14 to go travel. They believed 14 was a prime time for a witch to start her magic training. I frowned. Of course, the Larkspur Coven would make me do something else, like have me do more chores, even on the eve of my twenty-first birthday. Maxine and Sable, my childhood friends, interrupted my thoughts. They appeared behind Aunt Delilah, their laughter contagious, and caught me off guard when I saw them holding a large box. "What's that?" I asked "Open it, Corey." Maxine urged, her blue eyes dancing as she handed me the box. I chuckled slightly as I began tearing away the wrapping and opening the book, which revealed a scarlet red gown with a pearl neckline. My breath caught. "It's gorgeous." Aunt Delilah, bending down from her tall height, smiled. "It's yours, Corey, and now you are ready for your libation rite." "But how?" I stammered. "How did you afford this?" She winked. "I have my ways. And don't worry—I got a red gown for Maxine, a silver one for Sable, and a black one for myself." My friends and I screamed with joy as they were now surprised with me. "Alright, alright, "Go get changed so we can hit the road." Aunt Delilah said. "Hit the road?" I echoed. Sable blurted out, "The Larkspur Coven convinced the festival organizers to incorporate your libation rite into the Beltane festivities!" My eyes widened. "Oh, my Goddess!" I screamed in surprise. "You only turn twenty-one once, sweetie." Aunt Delilah said. "Besides, Beltane is a powerful night. Your dormant powers will awaken, and the coven has some business dealings there. Why not combine the two?" She said, eyeing me. I screamed again with glee. "Thank you!" I hugged Aunt Delilah tightly. "You're welcome." she said, hugging me back. "Now go get changed, girls. I'll lock up the back of the Elmwood Emporium." She said to us. I hurried toward the bathroom to change, the scarlet gown trailing behind me, excited to become officially a witch like my aunt. I stepped out of the bathroom in the scarlet gown, which clung to my curvy body, highlighting my pale, freckled skin. I adjusted my necklace over the bust of the dress, which reminded me of my ancestors' watchful eyes. With her sun-kissed blonde hair, Sable stood by the hallway mirror. Having changed in the unoccupied male bathroom, she was now adjusting her silver gown. I looked at my friend's dress, knowing the color meant she was mated and married. Sable turned to me, smiling. "Corey." she said, her voice soft, "you're radiant in your ground." I blushed, grateful for her words. Sable had always been like the mom friend of our group. On the other hand, Maxine came out of the office next to the bathroom like a whirlwind of purple. Her long, dyed hair cascaded down her back, and her tall frame seemed to defy gravity. She wore a short red dress with black accents—a statement of her being single yet already having been through her libation, which took place two years ago. I wanted to cry because my aunt bought us all these dresses in the correct color codes for tonight's ritual among the Witches of Taris. Most of the time, the coven used hand-me-downs. However, tonight, I felt like we were all getting the night we deserved. "We all look sexy." Maxine said, giggling as she hugged us. We soon gathered in the store's front room. Aunt Delilah awaited us, her black gown flowing like shadows. She was the crone—the elderly priestess of the Larkspur Coven holding her gnarled oak staff adorned with moonstones. "Corey," Aunt Delilah said, her voice echoing through the room, "tonight, you step into your power. Follow where your heart leads you." She said. I nodded as we followed her out the door, and she locked the front door with her keys. "So, whose car are we taking?" I asked. "Car, heavens no, we are teleporting Corey." My aunt smiled. "Teleporting?" I squeaked. "But Aunt Delilah, I've never—" Before I could finish, the world twisted. My aunt banged her staff, causing colors to blur, and I clung to Aunt Delilah like a shipwrecked sailor to a piece of driftwood. "Corey." Maxine's voice echoed from somewhere beyond the swirling vortex." Breathe, Corey. You got this." Breathe? Right. Inhale, exhale. Simple enough. But my insides felt like they were playing Twister with my spleen. I wondered if teleportation sickness was a thing. If not, I was inventing it right now. Sable, ever practical, patted my back. "You're doing great, Corey. Just focus on—" And then, with a pop, we landed—or rather, crash-landed. My knees buckled, and I sprawled onto the cobblestones of Moonrise Hill, which led down into the festival below. "Ta-da!" Aunt Delilah announced as if she'd just pulled off a flawless magic trick. "Welcome to Moonrise Hill, ladies." I tried to stand, but my legs wobbled like Jelly “Moonrise,” I gasped. "More like Moon-swirled." Maxine snorted. "You'll get used to it. Eventually." Sable helped me up. "At least you didn't vomit. That's amazing for a first-timer." She said, smiling at me. I surveyed our surroundings. Moonrise Castle loomed in the backdrop, its turrets reaching for the stars. The Beltane fires flickered, casting shadows on the coven members who had awaited us on the hill. I looked up to see flying camera drones, seeing that my libation rite, even my not-so-grand entrance, was being streamed live to those down at the festival grounds below the hill. Sable's devoted husband, Wayne, emerged from the heart of the coven crowd. His tall figure and red, firey hair caught the moon's silver glow as he approached us. "You're more radiant than the Beltane fires themselves." Wayne said as I saw him wearing a suit matching Sable's dress and watching him scoop her up in his arms. Sable blushed. "Wayne." she replied, her fingers brushing his. "You always know the right words." I felt a twinge of jealousy of them as Maxine elbowed me. "Hey, do not look sullen. You may meet someone or get laid." She chuckled. "Se,x on Belt-" My aunt scolded. "Results in pregnancy." I said. My aunt smiled at me. "Glad you remember, now let's begin." The coven gathered around me, and two brought a small table lit with candles, a chalice, and a bottle of wine. I soon heard the crowd's roar below the hill. My aunt's handmaiden, Sable's mother, Jocelyn, brought her our coven's book of shadows. As my aunt opened it, our coven's high priest, my uncle Henry, appeared wearing black robes from hiding in the crowd. I was overwhelmed with emotions seeing how much everyone put into surprising me tonight on my birthday. Time was blurred as the coven called in the elements after setting the circle. My Aunt and Uncle called the Gods and Goddesses to witness. My heart deafened until my aunt's voice finally returned me to my senses. "Do you, Cordelia Saffron Elmwood, promise to hold responsibility to the coven and cherish this life's passage of the drinking age?" My aunt asked. "I do." I said, stammering. I watched my uncle pour the wine into the chalice and handed it to me as my aunt and uncle spoke simultaneously. "Then blessed be you and the wise ones." they said, handing me the drink. I took a sip of the wine and drank, hearing the crowd below celebrate as I repeated the phrase, handing the chalice back. Soon, the ritual was closed. Various coven members hugged me as it ended, and my friends cheered for me. I looked to my aunt, who chuckled. "Go have fun, and be ready to go by midnight. I have to take care of some business with other covens. I will be teleporting us back home though, so be ready to go." My aunt said, leaving us with the rest of the coven. "So what now?" I asked, seeing Sable walk off with Wayne to somewhere for I assumed was time alone. Maxine chuckled. "Looks like you and me tonight, babes." As other coven members began following the Elders of the coven or leaving for the festival. "So what now?" I asked. "Get drunk, and have se,x." Maxine said, taking me down the hill into the main party of lights, shows, and magic. One of the partygoers, a tall, vampiric blond woman, gave me a flower crown as she patted me on my back. Maxine smirked at me as we watched her return to her friends as I touched the flower crown. "Look at you, Ms. Popular." Maxine teased as she danced around me to the beat that filled the carnival-like festival. I began dancing, following suit, and chuckling at Maxine. Two Lycan males came towards us. Witches can tell species by smell or their energy. The Lycans had a tray of drinks, offering us a glass of what looked like blackberry wine. Maxine took one and gave me another as I tried it, making a disgusted face. Maxine chuckled as we shimmed through the crowd into the dancefloor of the main music performing area. "Oh, my Goddess, Let's dance!" Maxine said as she grabbed a blonde stranger and proceeded to grind on him. One of the many staff symbolized by sashes stating so was on the floor offering drink. I had only managed to take a few sips of the wine. I gladly approached the male staff to put the cup on the serving tray, trade it for something else to drink, and pick what looked like an ale to me from the selection. I took a sip, letting it fill me with a soft tingling sensation and getting a slight buzz. I turned to realize I had lost Maxine on the dance floor. "Maxine..." I called out to the swarms of people around me on the dance floor. I huffed and moved my way off the dancefloor, slowly sipping my drink of ale. I ventured off to where the tents were for campers, thinking I would find Maxine there with a random hook-up. I knew this part of the festival territory as my aunt and uncle tended to this area when they decided to attend a public festival, taking me along but keeping me near their tent. As I looked around for Maxine, an odd mixture of alluring scents made me walk to a large royal purple tent, which was lit by a nearby lantern. I found this strange, but the smell caused me to follow it to the tent's opening. I poked my head inside to see it was dark, all except a small fire lit inside. "Hello?" I asked if someone left the fire going with food. "Hello, little witch." I heard a sultry voice say, and before I could move, a large hand with a tattoo of an x pulled me in. Soon, I found myself surrounded by darkness, my eyes trying to adjust around me to the dimly lit area and the overwhelming aromas around me.