Forsaken

Episode 10

With help from Chaz, Nylah managed to have everything ready in time to open the bakery and receive the first customers of the day. Chaz took a well-deserved break in the back, having successfully talked Nylah into giving him two croissants and a scone in exchange for his helping hand. After the first flow of customers, Nylah noticed the boy she had seen a few times before, had come back without his friends. He was lingering for a while around the desk, pretending to look at the selection, but he was constantly stealing glances at Nylah.

“What can I get you?” She finally approached him, after feeling a bit uncomfortable with his staring, which he clearly wasn’t aware of he was doing.

“You can get me your number!” He cheekily answered with the brightest smile he could muster.

“Um.. We don’t.. Um. Sell that..” Nylah answered flustered.

Chaz conveniently decided to emerge from the back at that exact moment, his smile just as broad as the boys’.

“Oh Honey, you’re so funny!” He giggled almost like a school girl and turned to the boy.

“While we do not sell her number, I believe you can get it for free,” he winked at the boy.

“I don’t have a phone.” Nylah muttered, not knowing what else to say.

“But luckily, she will get a new one today! Maybe you can write down your number for her and she can text you when she has purchased it?” Chaz expertly maneuvered the conversation in Nylahs' stead, while she was staring daggers at his back.

“Sure!” The boy said, and Chaz quickly found a post-it note and a pen.

“I’m Matt. Erh, Matthew. And this here is my number. What is your name?”

“I’m Nylah,” She answered, a little confused about how exactly she ended up in this position. And now she had to use her money on a phone? The morning had taken an unexpected turn for sure.

“Wow, what a beautiful name!” Matt exclaimed and sent her another one of his bright smiles.

“A beautiful name for a beautiful girl, wouldn’t you agree, Matt?” Chaz smirked at his own cleverness in harvesting compliments for his new young friend.

“Indeed, very beautiful!” Matt continued unbothered, which only made Nylah blush more.

“I.. I think I have to go check on the oven now!” Nylah suddenly burst out and waved a quick goodbye to the boy as she hurried into the back of the store, followed by the loud sound of Chaz’s laughter.

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Harper POV

“Welcome everyone! Please be quiet as our speaker will take the stage.” A woman on the stage said, as one of the council members, who was seated in the back, stood from his chair and moved towards the center.

When the speaker reached the middle of the stage, he cleared his throat as he whispered a low spell, which instantly enhanced his voice like a natural microphone.

“Our beloved Head of our Coven has sadly passed. The circumstances surrounding her death will be thoroughly investigated, rest assured. We are not gathered here today in her loving memory though.” Little murmurs could be heard around the hall.

“We are gathered to begin the choosing of our next coven Head.” The speaker continued.

“As council members, we have discussed the best options for everyone.” More murmurs could be heard.

“We, the council, suggest to promote one of our own members, since we are all familiar with the leadership.” He announced, as the murmurs started to get loud enough to not be called murmurs anymore.

“That is not tradition!” Someone from the crowd shouted while some cheering erupted.

“Calm down, everyone!” The speaker said.

“It is per tradition that the oldest son or daughter of the Head takes over. However, it has been made clear to us, that the heir has declined the position. Harper Willard does not wish to succeed her mother.”

“Make her!” Someone shouted.

“Have an election between everyone!” someone else chimed in.

“What about the other girl?” Someone eventually mentioned her sister. Harper looked at her VERY young sister and saw her eyes had become wide as saucers.”

“I can’t do it Harper! I don’t even know all the answers in school!” Haizea whispered to her sister.

“You won’t. Don’t worry little one. I’ll handle it.” Harper answered reassuringly.

“You cannot make a child Head of a coven!” Harper finally spoke up amongst the crowd.

“One of you was supposed to take over from Miss Metrodora. Clearly, the child is too young. But she could be trained for the position and, in the meantime, we could have a guardian lead our coven and raise the child for the position. We should have a leader who knows about our leadership until she comes of age.” A man from the back of the stage answered. He stood from his chair and moved to the center and took over from the previous speaker. Aldrich faced the crowd with confidence as he continued.

“An advisor from the Heads’ counsel should be in charge of her training as he or she temporarily takes over the duties of the Head.” He said while looking directly at Harper.

“You can’t decide her fate like this! It is her own decision what she wants to do with her life!” Harper argued, but the crowd had started to murmur in favor of Aldrich’ suggestion.

“A Willard has been Head of this coven since it was founded! And a Willard will stay as our coven Head for as long as one is breathing!” A woman from the council said, while little cheerings could be heard.

“Miss Harper Willard should be Head of our coven until Haizea is old enough to take over. Then we can decide which will be the better choice for the future of our coven.” The woman continued.

“I made myself clear years ago!” Harper raised her voice.

“I will NOT take over from my mother! This is not my calling in life!”

“You will do what you must, as all of us must as well!” Another woman from the council spoke.

“Counsel men and women. I must argue to support Miss Harper in this decision. She is not fit, she has no training and no knowledge of our leadership. She is perhaps even further from our way of living than her much younger sister. She has made herself almost a stranger to us.” Aldrich came to her aid, though with some less appraising words, that left Harper momentarily speechless with her mouth slightly opened.

More murmurs could be heard. The witches and warlocks present seemed to be divided between wanting Harper as their Head, or not.

“I propose we call for a vote, to select our temporary Head and trainer for Miss Haizea. Anyone of the council members can be selected and a temporary seat at the council will also be opened for a new temporary member, until the temporary Head steps down again.” Aldrich spoke and he was quickly supported by the crowd.

“But you can’t just make her become Head of the coven if she doesn’t want to!” Harper shouted at everyone, but no one was listening to her anymore.

“The vote will take place after a short break for 30 minutes to let everyone think about their choice.” The original speaker said, and so it was decided.

Harper looked down at her sister, who looked scared and confused.

“Haizea, look at me,” Harper said.

“You don’t have to do what they say. Okay? You are a child, and you should not undergo all this training into their little puppet, you understand?”

The girl nodded her head while looking down at her shoes.

“We will go home now. They can choose their temporary Head, but they will not take you from me and do as they please!” Harper continued.

“Take my hand.”

Hand in hand, the two sisters went outside along with some of the crowd for the break. They made sure to look unbusy and in thoughts, to blend in with everyone else.

“I will cast a few spells to hide our looks, Haizea. Act normal and follow my lead”. Harper whispered to her sister, who just nodded.

Harper lowered her voice as much as she could and hid her hand gestures under her cape. A branch sprouted from the earth and into Harper's hand as it turned into a cane, while she threw her hood above her head and started to crouch her back a little and walk slower. Shortly after, she managed to make another pair of branches sprout out of the earth and wrap around her sisters’ feet. Slowly they took the form of some high-plateaued shoes, adding to her sister’s height. In addition to the weird shoemaking, she channeled all of the cotton in her sisters’ cape to stretch and cover her all the way down to the ground.

“Do as me, and cover yourself with your hoodie,” She whispered, and Haizea did as she was told.

“You are now assisting your elderly with walking. Take your arm under mine.” Harper continued, and her sister obeyed.

“We will find a bench out of sight from most people, we will sit on it for five minutes to look like we are resting, and then you must prepare to run.” She said as she discretely led her sister in direction of a small bench located the furthest away from the building they had just come out of.

The pair sat down on the bench and Harper pretended to be massaging her knees while talking to her companion. During the five minutes, many people had already gone back inside to discuss the voting, as Harper had anticipated they would. Only few were remaining and most of them were in deep conversation. Harper whispered another spell and all the wooden things she had created crawled back into the soil beneath them, and the cape shrunk back to its original length.

“When I say “go”, we will get up and walk slowly into the trees on your right. When you reach the second tree, you run to our former home. Don’t look back. Just run with all your might. Alright little one?” Harper instructed and watched the girl nod her head once again.

“Go!”.