The Coven

Chapter 1

"John please," Her grandfather begged. 
Malia could hear everything from the drawing room and everything she heard piqued her interest. She had her nose buried in a book and her hair falling around her face. But she craned subtly to hear every word her uncle spoke. Over the crackling from the fireplace and their hushed tones, eavesdropping was no easy feat.

"Dad, I've got to go. You got the message, they need us back."

She wasn't sure what he meant by hunters, or who Hera was, but she knew the town he was speaking of. The only town that made her grandfather that worked up was Paloma Valley, the town Malia was born in, the same town her family died in.

"The only way you could help Hera Duncan would be convincing her to leave that abominable town," Her grandfather hissed. His desperation was plain, Malia knew just from his tone how edgy he was becoming. "All you'll find there is pain John, I'm warning you."

Malia strained to hear John's response, he was far more calm than her grandfather. Joseph could argue all night but Malia knew that tone, John had made up his mind, he was going to Riverfall.

"Or maybe I'll be able to help those kids before their ignorance gets them killed," John argued. "Dad, I'm going and you can't stop me."

"Don't tell Malia, I'm begging you John, don't take her with you."

Her uncle sighed and Malia stiffened. "Dad, you have to tell her. You have to tell them all that they're in danger."

Malia held her breath when she stepped out of her car. A new school, a new town and no friends. Not for the first time, Malia regretted moving with her uncle. She paused a moment, standing beside her car which she locked with shaking hands. The image of her grandmother, smiling through her tears as she waved goodbye was running over in her head. It still hurt her heart to think of, like a fist around her lungs she struggled to gulp another breath. This was a bad idea, a really bad idea. Already she missed her friends, her boyfriend Jake, she missed her grandparents and her bedroom. And why? Why had she come? What was it about that conversation between her uncle and her grandfather that struck a nerve so strongly?

Finally she took that deep breath her body was asking for and shook out her hair and her head. Dropping her keys into her bag Malia strode toward the school with her head held high. Friends or no she was determined to stay and that meant surviving a new high school. This was bigger than high school, this was her life, her past and her origin. She had her sights set on a bigger picture. She had a goal. She was looking for herself.

Her sneakers scuffed the linoleum floor as she stumbled through the doorway. The rush of noise, chatting teenagers all converging by their lockers. It hit her in the face, a wall of energy. Her confidence left her and her gaze dropped to the floor but she kept walking, right down the middle of the hallway. She could feel the eyes burning into her, critiquing her, sizing her up. She felt entirely insignificant under those fierce gazes but still she strode on, holding herself upright like any confident teenager, she walked with purpose.

People began to whisper to each other, as though the smooth white walls and grey metal lockers didn't amplify all noise in the building. But Malia walked on, she just needed to find the front office, though she had not the courage to ask anyone so instead she kept walking. She'd never been the new student before. She'd attended the same schools with the same friends all her life and in those years she'd seen new students stumble the halls and she had been the one to whisper. How strange it felt to be on the receiving end of that humiliation.

"Hi there," A bubbly voice bounced into her path.

Malia stumbled to a halt and started down at the short girl in her path. "I'm Nora, you must be the new girl, Malia right?"

For a moment Malia could only stare, she blinked confounded.. "Uh- um, yeah I'm Malia," she stuttered.

Nora smiled a big, toothy smile that over came her pale face. "Fantastic, I'm here to lead you around for the day. I already have your locker number and code- oh and your class list." She bounced as she spoke, far too energetic for a Monday morning.

Malia forced her self to smile, however shakily. "Great, thanks," she mumbled, shifting the strap of her bag further up her shoulder. She shuffled her weight from one foot to the other, still staring down at Nora's unflinching smile. The moment of silence that passed was almost unbearably awkward, Malia had to look away.

"Um, so, you're locker is this way." Nora nodded over her shoulder and spun on her toes, her mid length hair spun around her in a whirlwind of greasy brown that Malia struggle not to grimace at.

It was shallow, she was being shallow, Nora seemed like a lovely girl, but already Malia was annoyed by her. When they reached her locker, Nora was still talking on and on, oblivious to Malia's indifference. Her chipper mood was unbreakable it seemed and the moments dragged by for Malia.

She spent the entire school day thinking about that day at her grandparents home. In her mind she could still smell Nanna's peppermint tea brewing in the kitchen, the lounge was stifling because Grandad had the heater on full blast to combat Nanna's cold. In the other room, through the thin walls, still they argued.

"We cannot, telling them would put them in even more danger, they would seek out the truth and in the ashes of their parents deceit the fragile security the elder's have built will crumble. You must promise me John, say nothing of this to Malia, she is to stay here with us."

"Dad, I won't lie to her. If she wants to come with me you can't stop her."

"It isn't safe for her to return there John, not ever. There is so much more to this than you realise, so much more to her."

Malia jumped halfway off her seat when the door flew open. "Sorry love," Nanna grinned, shuffling in with her tea cup grasp between her hands. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Malia smiled gently at her grandmother, the voices faded when Lorelai turned on the television. "How're you feeling today Nanna?" She asked, catching Lorelai's gaze.

"What was that love?" She jumped, startled. "Sorry Tessa, you'll have to speak up, the telly's on."

Malia flinched and turned her head. "Nothing," she muttered, drawing her knees to her chest.

Lorelai stared long and hard at her. "Tessa, you're brighter than you used to be."

The bell jarred her from her day dreaming and Malia was released from modern history. Her heart ached a little thinking of her grandmother's tears as they said goodbye. It hurt to know that the moment she was gone Lorelai would forget she even existed. It hurt to know that any week now Lorelai might die and not even recognise Malia's face. But as she strode into the hallway she was, once again, overcome by the noise of these students. This whole school was one big echo chamber and it was driving her mad.

Nora was right there waiting for her, books piled up in her short, pale arms, a big smile still plastered on her face. Malia groaned inwardly wondering, not for the first time that day, why she was bothering with school when there were more important things she could be doing. Like uncovering the truth about her parents' deaths, and the full extent of her family's history in this town. And yet here she was, trivially finishing her final year of high school. She'd begged and begged but John had refused to let her do home schooling.

"You alright? How was history? Do you like your teacher, Ms. Martin? I love her! Come this way, we'll go to the cafeteria, just be careful because there always a food fight in there. Oh and you just have to meet Mia and Jane, they're my best friends and I just know that you'll love them they're the absolute best - of course you must've had best friends at your old school, but you'll make new friends here because everyone's lovely. Well everyone except her." Nora spat out the last comment with distaste but it took some time for Malia to catch up. Nora spoke so quickly it was a wonder she wasn't blue from suffocating by this point. Never once had she paused to let Malia answer, not until her attention was caught as they pushed their way through the cafeteria doors.

Malia followed Nora's icy glare and determined that Nora must be glowering at the pretty blonde who seemed to captivate the room. Even from her distance Malia could feel the way that girl just exuded confidence. With her chin up and her shoulders back, her white blonde hair shone with a blinding glow and her smile was so big Malia could practically see each of her shiny white teeth.

"Who is she?" Malia found herself asking.

Nora scoffed, a throaty sound. "Only the worst person on this very planet. Trust me Malia, you'll want to avoid her."

Malia tilted her head and stared a moment longer, even as Nora hurried toward the food line. She felt a tug in her chest, of familiarity perhaps? When the blonde girl's bright blues eyes caught her own Malia looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring, she didn't look back up. Instead she followed Nora to the food line, the image of those eyes toying in the back of her mind, however hard she might try to push it down.

They were staring, they were always staring. Like vultures ready to swoop if she were ever to stumble. But she had more poise than that. All her life they'd stared. She was Juno Holland after all, the staring was natural all things considered. Staring and gossiping. Circling her, there was that sense of waiting, suspense. She rolled her eyes and strode toward the tables, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder and shifting her handbag up her arm. She brushed her skirt flat and squared her shoulders. Another day another rumour no doubt. Would people ever tire of talking about her? Of course not. She was Juno Holland. Hell she wasn't just the most popular girl in school, she was the most popular girl in town. Not entirely for the right reasons but, right or wrong, she ruled it.

The table she dumped her handbag on was empty save for one girl. She was tall and pale, with bags of exhaustion under her eyes and a curtain of thick black hair that looked as though it had yet to be brushed. Not your typical 'it' girl, Willow Crace cared little for the people around her. In fact the only person with whom Willow ever conversed these days was Juno. They'd been best friends since kindergarten and while Juno continued to rise in status, Willow was dragged up with her. Up was not somewhere Willow liked being. "You were late today," She noted, lifting her head from the book she was reading.

Juno shrugged. "Sorry, I meant to warn you, Oscar drove me in."

"I could have given you a lift," Her voice was soft and wispy, nearly drowned by the volume of their peers. Already her gaze had settled back into her novel, but Juno knew she was still listening.

With a light laugh Juno shrugged her shoulders and sat heavily at their table. "Nah, it's always nice to catch up with Ozzy, I've hardly seen him lately."

"Did you hear about the new girl," Willow went on, un-phased. She lifted her fork and twirled in the spaghetti on her lunch tray. "She moved into the old Sage mansion, apparently she's the daughter of the dead couple."

Juno's jaw dropped and for a moment she was unsure if she were dreaming.

Surely it couldn't be a coincidence that someone from Juno's parent's past rolled into town just weeks after Juno started researching her parents.

Willow gently closed her book and bit into a mouthful of spaghetti. She nodded and chewed and the suspense of waiting for more information was making Juno's stomach turn. It seemed as though Willow were eating slow to torture her. Eventually she swallowed. "Her name is Malia Sage, she moved into town with her uncle, John Bourke. I think they only arrived here yesterday, Nora's been all over her all day so I'm sure she already hates it here." Willow always spoke with a detached, carelessness. She was smart and observant but rarely showed any emotion other than anger or annoyance. She was cool and calculating and never erratic.

Juno was much the opposite. "Nora," she groaned, shaking out her blonde hair. "That poor girl. God Nora is such a cow." She stood from her seat. "I just have to save that poor girl."

Willow rolled her eyes and ate another bite of spaghetti. She must have been the only girl Juno knew who could eat spaghetti elegantly. "You're just saying that because you hate Nora. I, however, have been listening out for information. Already Malia seems to hate her so getting her away from Nora shouldn't be too difficult. "

Juno clapped her hands together. "Fantastic, but first," she chirped brightly. "Food." she looked toward the line up and groaned. "I should have come sooner."

Willow laughed. "Any one of the dumb jocks will let you in, quit complaining."

Juno tossed her a wink and couldn't help but laughing. She was in a good mood, the stars seemed to be aligning today and she felt a buzz of energy. "It's going to be a good day," she murmured under her breath. When she spun, still smiling with untamed energy her eyes landed on a brand new face.

The new girl was not all that much taller than the dull, greasy girl leading her way. But she was beautiful. She had olive toned skin, and Juno imagined that she was a naturally tanned person who'd lost their colour as she was a bit on the pale side. Her long thick hair was wavy brown, deep and chocolaty, it streaked golden in direct light. Her eyes were enticingly dark even from the distance Juno stood. But she had only a brief moment of looking at the girl's face before she turned away.

It didn't suck to be popular, but it wasn't Willow's cup of tea either. She was awkward and uncomfortable around people, she never knew what to say or what to do. Juno was a natural with all that, she owned every conversation, people were captivated by her, always hanging off her every word. Not that she cared, she was so confident that it didn't matter to her what people thought or if they listened. It must be easy not to care when you're as perfect as Juno Holland. But Willow was gawky and strange, she was quiet and had an incredibly short temper. People just didn't seem to like her. Juno always claimed it was because she was so intimidating, that she was a 'smart and strong girl' and that people felt inferior to her. But Juno was no i***t herself, nor was she weak. She just had this knack for people that Willow couldn't replicate.

But that had never been a problem. For as long as Willow could remember it had just been her and Juno, since that very first day. People would flock to Juno's side and always she would choose Willow. The two of them, side by side, inseparable. Until that weird Monday senior year. Until Malia Sage showed up.

Willow watched from their empty table as Juno bounded over to the cafeteria line and everyone, almost simultaneously, offered her a place in front of them in line. Carefully Willow slid her book into her bag and watched curiously as Juno ignored them all to confront Nora at the near end of the line. Whatever Nora greeted her with, Juno was so obviously unimpressed. But she held out her hand and smiled that bright and charming smile at Malia Sage. She moved so Willow could only see her back, her shimmery white blonde hair as it hung in artfully coiled curls that would have taken some time to prepare that morning.

"I see you're being replaced," The voice in her ear made her jump. His warm breath tickled her neck and his made her jaw clench. "Oh don’t look at me like that baby, you know I'm always here for you." he winked at her.

Willow rolled her eyes and shoved his chest, he stumbled back a step. "Get lost Isaac," She growled under her breath.

"She's cute too," He took Juno's seat beside her. "Dressed like a hill billy, but cute."

Willow shook her head, her hair fanned out cutting between them like a knife. "Then go talk to her," Willow snapped, stabbing her fork into her spaghetti again.

"Uh oh," He winked, nudging her with his elbow. The shock knocked her fork from her hand and it landed in amongst the greasy pasta, Willow cursed under her breath. "Don't be getting jealous Will, you'll always be my number one." he slung an arm around her shoulders, she could feel his bicep ripple on her bones. Isaac was big and lean, all toned muscles and sparkly white teeth. He was on the swim team, but he was built like a god. At least, all the girls at school thought so.

All the girls except Juno and Willow. As Willow shrugged away his arm she pushed her tray away. "Juno will be back in a minute, what do you want Isaac?"

He grinned at her, "Logan says he's busy tonight so you're off the hook." he stood from the table before she could respond and was gone just as Juno bounded over, tray full of food in hand and new girl at her back.

Juno resumed her seat beside Willow and Malia Sage sat across from them. She frowned and chewed her bottom lip. "It's so busy in here, how'd you manage to get a table all to yourselves?" she wondered quietly.

Juno shrugged modestly and tucked a lock of her behind her ear ever so daintily. "Just lucky I guess."

Willow rolled her eyes. "People know not to interrupt Juno at lunch time," she explained gruffly, yanking her book back out of her bag and flipping it open. "No one wants to be on her bad side."

Malia frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked, taking a tiny bite from a chocolate muffin.

Willow noticed that Malia wasn't as shy as she seemed. She looked them directly in the eyes, held her chin up and spoke clearly without hesitation. Juno however seemed different in her presence, she seemed nervous. Her hand coiled around the pendant on her necklace and her eyes dropped to her tray.

She tapped her fingers rhythmically against the table top and gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "People are just aware of what I do and do not like." She murmured.

Willow let the point drop only because she had not ever seen Juno this closed off.

"So Malia," Juno cleared her throat awkwardly and lifted her gaze to Malia's. "What brings you to Paloma Valley?"