Stevie’s small hand tugs on mine as she drags me to the center of the field. Witches are making small talk while the elders put everything in its precise place for the ceremony. The fire hazard is real with the amount of candles these pyros bring to these things.

“Blair,” my mother greets me in her sharp voice. My mother’s appearance makes her look like she isn’t a mother at all. We look around the same age, but she’s blonde, blue-eyed and lithe.

“Josie,” I reply. I’ve been calling my mom by her first name since I turned thirteen. We’ve never gotten along. She’s notorious for lying to me and treating me like I’m an idiot. Plus, she’s always made me feel like she truly didn’t want me. Like having kids was something she never truly wanted.

“Thank you for bringing her, Stevie.”

Stevie scrunches her eyebrows at my mom and then looks over at me. “Blair, I feel confused.”

I look deeply into my cousin’s eyes and I can tell that she’s been under a spell. A spell to bring me here, apparently.

“What do you want, Josie?” I look over at Stevie who looks disjointed and shaky. She seemed fine all night. I did find it a little odd how badly she wanted me to come tonight. But she’s always tried to help me fit into the coven life.

“It’s time, Blair. Time for you to stop being so selfish and take your place as High Priestess.”

My eyes are wide as I look at her. “I’ve never wanted that. You know I’ve never wanted that.”

“It isn’t a choice. The magic chooses.”

“What? So you and your band of woodland bitches can fuel off my power? I don’t fucking think so. Stevie, let’s go.”

“Blair, I don’t feel good.” My beautiful, usually lively cousin is on her knees, her fingers reaching for purchase in the grass as she heaves. Her long red hair is like a curtain flowing over her face.

“Stevie?” I get down on my haunches next to her and rub her back. “What did you do?” I shout at my mother, knowing full well my irises are flaming red.

“I figured you would be difficult. I didn’t go out of my way to create you so you could be insolent, Blair. Do your duty to your coven and your precious Stevie will be released from the spell.”

“Stevie, can you sense what the spell is?”

“Sana. Sana. Sana.” I whisper it with intention each time, it heals her momentarily and then she begins vomiting again. The spell must have been cast by the entirety of the coven to not allow me to heal her.

“She’s your niece,” I say to my mother.

“She’s cannon fodder.” I look into my mother’s evil eyes and I wonder how I got designated as the coven bitch. Maybe it’s hereditary, and it just trickled down to me, but I would never do this. I would never hurt Stevie, or try to push a witch into a role she doesn’t want.