I clear my throat, looking at Nimue as I speak. “There are two reasons why I kidnapped Clover and everything else that followed. The first started with her, my fellow witch sister, as you so kindly put, Elizabeth. Slept with my boyfriend.” I watch as Nimue grimaces at the mention of a boyfriend. “If that wasn’t enough, my entire coven tried to sacrifice me to be the vessel for a demon. That also doesn’t seem sisterly, does it, Elizabeth?”

“And how are you to be believed? Is there anyone who can account for this?”

“Yes, my cousin, Stevie.”

“Stevie Sutton?” Hadiza asks.

“Yes.”

“Summon her, August,” she tells the man in the corner. We sit and wait, all the witches glaring down at me.

It takes about twenty minutes, it’s then I realize August portaled here. The council has a demon on payroll?

Stevie’s wide eyes look around the room and stick to me, on my knees on the floor. Her expression reads one of ‘I told you so’, and ‘you dumb bitch’.

“Stevie Sutton?” Hadiza asks.

“Yes, high priestess.”

“Your cousin states that your coven tried to sacrifice her, is this correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“For what cause?”

“Josie thought the coven would be more powerful if Blair was out of the picture.”

The three witches furrow their brows. Hadiza leans over to whisper to Nimue and then Elizabeth.

“Why would the coven believe they would be stronger without Blair?”

“They have been pulling from her power for some time,” Stevie says, trying to be brief, but also give them enough information that they don’t snap at her.

“And why would a coven be pulling power from another witch, and not the Earth? You’re telling us this has been going on for years and we’ve never been told?” Elizabeth asks.

“Yes, that’s what we’re saying.”

“How do you excuse the mortals for almost finding out about our kind?” Elizabeth asks.

“Honestly, that’s more Clover’s fault than mine. If she didn’t barge in there, he would have been none the wiser.”

“We do not interfere with humans!” Hadiza says loudly. When did witches become so scared? We could easily take on anything that mankind tried to do against us. But they’ve always been so reclusive, so passive, so unlike me.

“Something is different about this witch,” Nimue says.

“She’s not like us,” Hadiza agrees, nodding her head.

“We’ve never had to give a third strike. We must make an example of her.”

“Even if what she did was out of self-defense?” Stevie says.

Hadiza snaps her head over to her, her braids flying to the left of her face. “August, take her home.” Stevie goes to open her mouth, but I watch as the demon portals her and takes her away.

“Demons can be useful, but not completely trusted,” Hadiza says, clearly reading my confusion over August being here.