Hedgehawk

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner 2.0

Carlisle was starting to get tired. Maintaining that level of concentration against Amanda and now Violet was a tough affair. He had been tempted to let them go, but he wanted to have other coven members around if he was doing that. He didn't dare risk letting them out alone, not since Violet seemed to have a violent streak in her.

For the past half an hour, Carlisle had been mingling with several important leaders from other covens, all being here to represent each areas interests to the main coven. Carlisle listened, smiled and nodded. He knew that Lilith and Serena were tough witches, but maybe that was why Carlisle was chosen? He couldn't see the duo being able to maintain any kind of conversation like this without losing it. He wasn't saying they couldn't, but he could see Lilith getting really annoyed at having to smile and play nice to people who might have ulterior motives. After getting through pleasantries, he made his way back out onto the floor proper. He was looking around, scanning for Mary. Eventually he found her and with a small smile walked over to her.

"Hey, I want to say thanks for earlier. Also, are you alright? You don't look the best?" Carlisle asked, looking a little concerned. Not that he could talk, his skin had started to go paler than normal, and some of that exhaustion from last month was setting back in again.

Wanting to distance herself from the mess with Claire, Al and Salem, Mary had taken a step onto the balcony. With a fed up sigh she rests her elbow on its barricades. This evening had been too much already, just all the new information alone was overwhelming but the fact she’d had to spend the night chasing after people and passing on all that information did none to help. Instead she found herself worn out and tired. While Claire was still a little pocket rocket Mary hadn’t missed the extra decade of aging and had nowhere near the energy of her younger years.

Before Mary could elicit another sigh her time alone was interrupted by Carlisle. She turned to face him. At his words she forced a warm smile toward him. "Don’t worry about me kid, that ain’t your job,” she replies. She couldn’t help but notice the paleness of Carlisle’s skin in contrast to his tired eyes. "And how are you holdin’ up?”

" Well in bout 10 minutes time it will be my duty to care. The entire weight of Witches across the world will be on my back. But that's not the thing that is bothering me. Turns out. I have a sister. An older sister. And for some reason, she is just as bad, if not worse than mother. She tried starting on me and Miles. So I had to lock her in my mind too." Carlisle said with a soft sigh. It was not going to get any better was it?

At his first statement a small chuckle escaped Mary’s lips. "In 10 minutes time it’ll be your job to look after the coven, not nurse my generation’s mental state,” Mary points out. One of her hands grips onto the railing behind her as Carlisle finishes what he has to say. Mary bobs her head to show she was listening as he talked. It wasn’t until after he had said his piece was a certain piece of information brought to the forefront of the woman’s mind.
"How old is she?” she asks simply.

" She didn't say. In all honesty. I never asked. She alluded to mother giving her away, discarding her. I would say she looked a couple of years older than me at a guess" Carlisle replied, holding onto the railing himself. "Maintaining double concentration is hard. Really hard."

Mary’s grip on the railing tightened as Carlisle spoke. Memories danced in her head, memories of leaving baked goods on the doorstep of the Aston home because even if Mary and Amanda were very much at odds 27 years ago it didn’t make what Amanda went through stop being one of the last things Mary would wish on anyone. Or at least when she thought Amanda had gone through. Mary still remembered showing up to coven meetings while pregnant with Miles to be met by Amanda glares and cries of attack. Almost 3 decades ago Amanda Aston had claimed to lose her daughter in childbirth, turns out that was a lie. "I’m gonna kill her,” Mary growls to herself.

Carlisle’s next statement snapped Mary back into the real world. "I can’t imagine,” she muses, glancing around the room for an idea. "Is there somewhere we could just put them for now? Can’t have your mind actin’ up before you give your grand speech,””

Carlisle gave a small smile as she showed concern for him. " As nice as it sounds, I already have Salem walking around possibly hunting for Lilith, and the last thing I want is mother walking around. She invited my sister here. Clearly she was planning something. So I am just going to have to man up and take it. Besides I already did the big speech. Now it's the actual formal bit" Carlisle would sigh softly. He had asked alot of Mary these past few hours, and leaning in her again seemed to unsettle Carlisle somewhat.

"So the actual ceremony is supposed to be Amanda, John and Ty. But given that Amanda is currently out of the question. And I see you more of a leader than she is. I hate to ask again. But could you step in. No worries if you can't. I have another plan if not" Carlisie quickly added.

"I think Lilly's safe from Salem, at least for now," the older woman muses, loosening her grip on the railing. Her mind was still much more on Amanda than she wanted but she couldn't shake the uneasiness and anger she held. At Carlisle's next request Mary presses a smile. "Y'know I'm happy to do it kid but I ain't an Aston, or from some powerful bloodline. Doesn't that defeat the whole point?"]

"Neither is Ty technically. Does it matter? Plus who would step in? My father? Fat chance" Carlisle snorted as he pushed off the railing. Hearing Mary's news at least put him a little at ease. "I will confirm it in our meeting together later. I want to be double sure. The fact that Amanda has been double crossing everyone makes me think Salem might try and double cross me out of my perceived naivety"

Mary gave a knowing nod at Carlisle’s words. This evening seemed to be unending, she hoped that this would be the last eventful thing to happen that night, she wasn’t sure how much more excitement she could take. "Sure Carlisle, I ‘spose I can do that for you,” she responds softly.

Carlisle softly nodded and smiled at Mary. " Thanks Mary. You are more of a mother to me than my own mother. Though admittedly the bar wasn't exactly set high. After the ceremony I will let Violet and Amanda out. And hopefully they will scuttle somewhere away from here. Be at the main stage in ten minutes." With that Carlisle gave a small nod once more and proceeded to rush off to get everything else ready.

There wasn’t an awful lot to get ready. The various helpers and stagehands were getting the small bits together. Behind the back of the stage, Carlisle was gathered behind the stage with Mary, Ty, John, Lilith and Serena. Carlisle handed over a small seal that he pulled from his pocket to Mary with a soft smile, turning to everyone else.

”I am not letting my mother out of this prison. She would ruin this. So I have asked Mary to step in. Since she has been a massive helping hand to me.” Carlisle spoke softly. ”Also, with this whole Violet business as well… ” Carlisle then realised he hadn’t explained to Lilith about Violet. "I will explain later on. It's complicated" He sighed. He probably was going to need Lilith's help with it, possibly even Miles and Serena. But after the cool relationship they shared in the past month, Carlisle was hesitant to ask.

The stagehands would usher the three pairs forward and onto the stage as everyone else stopped what they were doing and watched. Carlisle and Mary took center stage, Lilith and John to the right, with Ty and Serena taking up the left. Carlisle took a moment, taking a deep breath and spoke once more.

"Good Evening once more. It is now time for the main part of our evening - The official handover ceremony itself. Now, those of you who are more astute may notice that my mother is not standing next to me. Those of you who are even more tuned in, may have noticed that my speech was essentially a slam down of my own mother. I don't want my mother here for this. So I invited someone I trust to be here in her stead. It does mean however, that I will do the full reading. Not just the last part."

Carlisle rolled his shoulders, getting ready. He then thrust his chest forward, trying to strike a confident pose. "Tonight, marks the end of another cycle. One of many where leadership is passed down, generation from generation. We place our faith and trust in the council families, to lead and guide us. And this generation has been… Fruitful." Carlisle struggled to get out that last word. In all honesty the rule of his mother, Amanda Aston, was hardly fruitful at all. If anything it was more like living under an iron fist. Still. Tradition stated that you never said anything bad about the current generation. Though the fact that the new upcoming leader was giving this part of the speech and not the actual leader, spoke volumes.

"However, every generation eventually comes to an end, and so we must pass in that burden of responsibility down to our children. We pass the responsibility downward, knowing that they are ready to collectively hold the burden that comes with such a role." With a slightly weary turn, Carlisle faced Ty and John. Exhaustion was really starting to set in, and his skin tone had really become white. "So now, we pass on the seals of our families to our children and once more continue the cycle."

With his words spoken, Carlisle nodded to John and Ty, who in turn both produced a round belt buckle sized seal from their pockets. They both performed a simple spell on it, releasing the magical Energy inside that they sealed away many years ago. The seals now being empty, it was the turn of Serena and Lilith to perform a spell on it, transferring a tiny fragment of their own magic onto it, to transfer the seal to them. Once performed, they both took their respective seals and held onto them, the seals both glowing brightly in the respective colours of their magical auras. Carlisle tugged at his collar slightly, knowing what part comes next. He span back around to the crowd ready to continue.

"However, the coven cannot be ruled by a council alone. To bring order in chaos, the council must choose one of them to become leader. To be the one that must bear the burden of responsibility and leadership that is required to maintain witch-kind. The former council has chosen… Well… me to take on that responsibility" It felt awkward speaking about himself in the third person, and he couldn't quite do it. So instead he had to make it slightly awkward. Carlisle motioned for Mary to come forward with the seal. Without Amanda here Carlisle had to release the seal using his own abjuration magics. After that, he took the seal from her with a small smile before facing the crowd and repeating the same technique that both Lilith and Serena had done previously.

"I, Carlisle Aston, Do swear to protect the coven from any and all threats…" At that moment he couldn't help but look over at Salem as he spoke. It wasn't a threat, but he wanted to keep an eye on her. While Mary had said everything is fine, he wanted to make sure himself. Plus he needed to show that he had a back bone. "... To take on the burdens of my fellow Coven members and make them my own. To uphold the laws of witch-kind and to enforce them in a fair and just manner" At that moment, he would hold the glowing seal up, with the crowd giving some applause. Carlisle would give a soft smile before lowering her arm and looking to everyone on stage for a little reassurance. Thank you everyone. That was a tense moment. I had rehearsed it a million times and was never sure it would go right. Later on we will have the dance, so please do feel free to stick around for it and find yourself a dance partner." With that everyone would leave the stage. Carlisle would come down last, leaning against the stage when he was out of the view of the crowd, exhaustion really kicking in.

"Thanks for everyone for doing that. It was fantastic. I am really proud."

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner 2.0

Getting ready for events was always an interesting event for Lucas. Especially formal ones. Given that formal clothing was normally tighter than the looser fitting clothes he used, he had to request help from his mother to be able to get his trousers on. It didn't help that his golden retriever Blu had decided that watching Lucas struggle to put clothes on was some kind of game. Eventually clothes were put on, admittedly covered in dog hair. So an extra 15 minutes was taken using a lint roller to get rid of the hairs.

Lucas was excited to be able to go and meet everyone again. He had September getting used to Tanner once more, remembering the sounds and then sensations that helped him navigate around. Carlisle had been a little afraid to invite Lucas to the ceremony. Not because he wasn’t welcome, but for the fact that there was going to be an awful lot of people around. It was agreed that Lucas would arrive later on in the evening once the main entrance was clear. Lucas’s final step was to get his mother to put a dog waistcoat onto Blu. It was a formal occasion afterall.

Finally arriving at the ceremony, His mother helped Lucas and Blu out of the car. She had elected not to come to the ceremony and instead was going to stay in the people carrier in the parking lot and catch up on some netflix on the TV inside. Kissing Lucas on the forehead as goodbye, Blu guided Lucas towards the Coven entrance. Once inside, Lucas felt suddenly overwhelmed. Noise was everywhere. Normally he would use sounds to help ordinate and guide himself as he moved, however there were so many people talking and moving around that his hearing was overwhelmed and his brain was struggling to isolate the sounds and figure out where everyone was.

”Blu, Find food” Lucas commanded to his friend. With a soft acknowledging bark, Blu began to guide Lucas around the household, weaving and turning around various groups of people talking. He kept doing so until he eventually found a table with food on it, sitting down, signaling to Lucas they had arrived. Lucas placed his hand forward, feeling the edge of the table. Then there was a deep sigh as Lucas realized that he couldn’t actually work out what food was on the table without touching it, which was faux pas at a party. Casting true vision on himself, he looked around, seeing the outlines of everything on the table. He was able to make out some of the foods based purely on shape. Settling on what looked like party sausages, Lucas took an empty plate and took some sausages and put them on. He also took one and made sure to feed it to Blu for his good work.

He had arrived just in time to hear the start of Carlisle’s speech. Arriving at the back of the crowd, Lucas listened to the speech. He could tell that Carlisle was nervous, his speech pattern gave it away. However, Lucas would be lying if he didn’t enjoy the quiet that had come across the household as everyone listened. Once the speech was over, Lucas gave a little clap, as he found himself a chair out on the veranda and sat himself down, making sure that Blu had enough space to lie down himself. With them safely in a chair, Lucas deactivated his true seeing and took a deep breath. He would never be able to get over just how exhausting it was to maintain concentration on the spell while navigating. He did note however, that Carlisle seemed to have some sort of strange energy coming off him, and it also seemed to be linked to someone else at the party who Lucas couldn’t make out. He put a pin in his mind to ask Carlisle about it later on. For now he wanted to listen to the party vibe.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't trying to turn the conversation across to me. I was just highlighting that we all have it bad in this family. I want to work with you for whatever you want to do." Aloysius threw his hands up, unsure exactly what to do with Lola at his point. He loved his sister, but at times she could be so dense. Not everything was about her and her quiet life she wanted. Like it or not, she was a Leighton.

"I didnt help you get free of mother or help get your money, for no reason. I want you to be happy"

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"It is not easy being a Leighton you know. I really wish it was easier at times" Aloysius let out a soft sigh. Clearly Lola had crossed the point of caring and had turned on her defenses, snapping back at him for his comment.[/color]

"I constantly get compared Salem. Ignore our relationship for the moment. But just all the things like 'Have you seen how powerful she is? She might be the strongest Magi history has ever seen. I wonder how the other great families will try and keep up? '" Aloysius let out a softer sigh, clearly emotionally exhausted " Every time I walk into that Guild, I am being judged against someone. Every action I make every power I use. Someone is judging my actions."

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"If I am being totally honest, I had never really considered not exploring my full power. To me it always seems strange" Aloysius gave a soft sigh. He knew better than to try and push further. He had always wanted to see Lola blossom into the powerful Magi she had the potential to be. But at every turn she looked away from it.

"Ultimately it is your choice. I can't force toy to learn or get better. And if you want to live a normal life, then I can't stop you. But please don't let mothers opinions and views of you sully your magical abilities. I know the Magi world hasn't exactly been kind to us."

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

Aloysius gave himself a slight sigh as he heard Lola's reply. She always seemed to find a way out of practicing. It wasn't that Aloysius was angry at her answer. That wasn't true. He wasn't even disappointed. Confusion was more like it. He didn't understand why someone wouldn't want to learn the full extent of their power. Lola was a powerful woman. And while Aloysius had a high power ranking, Lola was on his heels, not to mention she was higher than her mother. A fact she had done a good job of keeping from Lola it seemed.

"Yiubreslly should focus yourself on your magical studies too. You have an impressive amount of talent. Hydromancey is hard. One of the hardest forms of evocation magic. To be able to master it shows a level of dedication and control. And if I am being honest, I think you would be the only one in the family who could control it. It requires a far more relaxed and calm mind to be able to control the flow of something that doesn't want to be controlled."

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"Well, one of us has to stay behind to make sure that mother doesn't do something truly stupid to the family house. Might as well be me. Sides, I am used to taking her flack at work. Nothing new there" Aloysius took a moment to organise the boxes, so that thst the bigger ones were at the bottom and the smaller ones were ontop.

"Did you get around to practicing those exercises that the Guild showed you? I know they are boring and not great, but they do come in handy" Aloysius did not envy Lola one bit. Having to balance Magical training with schoolwork and vice versa, he was glad he no longer had to do any of it.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

The past three or so months had been a whirlwind for Aloysius. His mother had blamed him for everything that was happening to Lola. She was convinced it was some kind of conspiracy against her. It was interesting that she started taking a slight interest at the moment that Lola started to leave. He knew he was going to be in the shit for even helping Lola move in. But he would simply tune his mother out later and let her rant about how ungrateful Lola was to her mother.

"It was honestly nothing. I am just glad that I have been able to do something if use and help you escape mothers clutches." Aloysius put the box down and looked around the room. It was a nice modest place.

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner 2.0

Lucas West

"I am blind, but I see the world more clearly than you. I see the beauty in darkness, hope in despair, and the world as it truly is. I am grateful for every moment."

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B A S I C S Magic Type Warlock Place of Birth Tanner, Washington Age 23 Height & Weight 5’7”(170cm)/135lbs (61kg) Sexual Orientation Bisexual College Degree Bachelors Degree in Music P O W E R S Divination True Seeing - By focusing his connection to the Astral Plane, Lucas can for a moment allow himself to see via Magical means. His vision isn’t perfect in this state, it feels more like looking through LIDAR Maps - Example. Lucas can see magic in this state, seeing things that are invisible and hidden to the naked eye. This spell normally lasts for an hour, however Lucas has worked on trying to extend the duration. Speak with Animals - Lucas can converse and understand the voices of animals, and they can then understand him. Some Animals are more useful to speak to than others. He tends to use this to speak to Blu to make navigation easier. Infallible Relay - Lucas Targets a person whom he has spoken to previously. They must be on the same plane of existence as him or on the astral plane. The nearest communications device will ring within 100 feet and they are compelled to answer. If there is no device, a device appears that the person understands how to use. Once answered, Lucas has a connection to them. He can then speak to them, using his mind to speak to them.

B A C K G R O U N D Born in Tanner, Lucas’s birth was anything but smooth. Carolyn West had the unthinkable disease - Rubella, striking near the start of the pregnancy. No one was entirely sure what the effects were going to be, but upon being born, it was clear that Lucas could not see. Growing up blind while learning magic was an interesting one. Most Witches use visual cues to be able to focus and react to their magic. Lucas had to learn magic purely by feeling the sensation it created within him. This has left him extremely sensitive to Astral Energy allowing him to pick up on things that others may have missed. Outside of his magic studies, Lucas began to gain an interest in music, taking solace in being able to listen to every note. He started to learn the piano, and while it was a difficult process to start with, he learnt to break down every sound by hertz, and then apply that to the piano. As such, by the time he graduated High School, he could listen to a piece of music and then replicate it to almost perfection. He also took the time to learn guitar using a very similar method. Speaking of High School, He didn’t do too bad for himself. Tanner’s only high school wasn’t exactly perfectly equipped to deal with his condition when he started. But with the help of a few community fundraisers organised by several students, Lucas had everything he needed to live a comfortable school life. In his final year of High School, Lucas finally got a seeing dog: an Golden Retriever called Blu. This allowed Lucas to have some level of independence. Lucas bonded very quickly with Blu and regards them as his best friend. Lucas eventually decided to go to college, Going to Seattle as it was close to home. He did a basic Music degree, hoping to perhaps go into making his own music. Coming back to Tanner, Lucas is somewhat nervous for the future. Trying to see the future, trying to become independent, and also trying to actually be a productive Coven Member. P E R S O N A Lucas is a soft-spoken and polite person who is always willing to help others. He is always respectful of others, regardless of their background or social status. He is a good listener and is always willing to lend a helping hand. He is a kind and caring person who is always willing to put others before himself. He is a loyal friend and is always there for the people he cares about. Lucas is a positive person who always tries to see the best in people. He is a great role model and is always willing to help others learn and grow. Lucas is the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He is always willing to go the extra mile to help others, even if it means sacrificing his own time or resources. He is a true friend and a loyal companion. Lucas is always there for you when you need him, and he always has a kind word or a helpful suggestion. He is a positive person who always sees the best in people, and he is always willing to help others learn and grow. F L A W S Lucas can be a bit of a perfectionist, which can sometimes lead to him being stressed and anxious. He can also be a bit of a control freak, which can sometimes make it difficult for him to delegate tasks or work with others. Finally, Lucas can be a bit of a people pleaser, which can sometimes lead him to take on too much and not set boundaries. M I S C Face Claim: Conan Gray Color: F2D2BD

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner 2.0

_{A collab between @Hedgehawk & @sailorsadie}

Somewhere in Carlisle’s mind…

The room was barely lit, only the moonlight coming in from the windows illuminated the room Amanda Aston found herself in. The room itself looked like a replica of the Aston households living room, even down to the placement of all the little bits of bric a brac that Amanda usually left on the various side tables and cabinets. The only difference she could see, was that every picture in the room, had the faces of herself and her husband covered over with plain paper. Even in his mind, Carlisle couldn’t help but lash out. Amanda thought it was pathetic and petty. She brought him into this world. He should have more respect for her.

Amanda Aston was not amused. Being imprisoned by her own son, being embarrassed in front of the coven like that. She was seething at Salem. Who did she think she was? Salem should have been kissing Amanda’s boot for helping her locate Aloysius. Sure Amanda had a double motive of punishing that bitch Mary, but Salem got what she wanted and Amanda got it too. It wasn’t like she had not tried to get rid of that waste of space Miles. She had tried sending Mary on dangerous missions in the early months of the pregnancy. When that didn’t work, she simply had Aloysius taken away. For if she couldn’t kill the baby, forcing Mary to raise the thing up on her own… now that was a long game torture that Amanda could get behind. She was proud of that one. Force Mary to raise a kid alone, while you have your own kid that you groom for power to oppress Mary’s little brat for their life as well.

Admittedly that part of the plan had failed. Carlisle wasn’t exactly the ideal candidate for showing off the power of the Aston bloodline. While she would begrudgingly admit that his abjuration skills were probably unmatched in the world, that fact that he could only use defensive spells made him useless to her plans. Not to mention he had befriended the enemy, making him useless in the final part of her plan too. She scored some wins however. Years of emotional abuse, neglect and fear, had turned Carlisle into a deeply flawed young man, and an easy target of ridicule. She had spent Carlisle’s young teen years making sure he had always presented himself in a bad light to his peers. She knew that even as leader he peers wouldn’t fully respect him. Hopefully that would cause everyone to question his leadership abilities and allow her to bring in the final phase of her new plan. As if on queue, she heard a small pop and saw the young woman appear in the room. Getting up from the sofa, Amanda smiled ”Ah there you are… Look at you.”

Violet rose a brow at the woman and folded her arms across her chest. She looked just like the picture that was included in the letter. Then again, she also resembled her own reflection. She saw a lot of herself in the older woman. Clearing her throat, she gave a small nod and stood her ground. If her brother were to be believed, this woman was not one to mess with. Well, neither was she. Tilting her head to the side, she rose a brow in interest as she feigned looking the woman over.

”I received your invitation. I must admit, the welcoming was a bit more hostile that I imagined. Your son is very…inadequate. And touchy.” Her brows furrowed as she shook her head. ”And a warlock? Seriously? You threw me away and kept him?

"Well… In my defense when you were born you had no magical ability. Couldn't sense a thing on you. Now though…" Amanda stood up properly walking towards the young woman "But now look at you, brimming with power, so much power. Makes Lilith and Serena look like children" Amanda took a moment to walk around Violet, examining her. Looking her up and down, "Carlisle is the epitome of disappointment and regret. That is why I have bought you here. You ready to take on the family mantle as head of the family?"

She didn’t know who those two women were, but she could tell her mother did not like them whatsoever. And finally, finally the woman could tell how strong she was. How worthy she was. Her arms tightened against her chest and she stood straighter as her birth mother surveyed her. At her statement, Violet was a bit shocked to find that her coming here held another purpose other than just meeting her biological family. A dark smirk spread across her face as her hands dropped from their defensive position. ”Yes, mother. I’m ready.”

"Good. Good. Finally us Astons can go back to being in top. No more will I have to hide my head in shame when someone mentions my child" Amanda sat back down on the sofa, motioning for Violet to sit opposite her. "Now, we need to do a couple of things to make sure that we are ready. Firstly, we need to remove Carlisle, preferably before he can start protecting others. As much as I dislike him, if he starts creating shields and barriers everywhere, getting around will be tough"

Watching as the woman took her seat, Violet hesitated a mere moment before moving to the chair opposite her. She cleared her throat and slowly sat down as she kept eyes on her birth mother. Was she really ready for all this? She had just expected to show up and learn about her family. Now she was talking of getting rid of her blood brother and heading the family name? A small part of her was screaming with fright, but the other part of her, which she assumed was the Aston blood boiling in her veins, made her want to appease her mother in any way possible. With a small nod, she brushed her hair away from her shoulders. ”I can handle the warlock, no issues there.”

Amanda smirked. This was too good to be true. She had expected to have to emotionally blackmail her secret daughter into doing her bidding, but she was lapping it all up. "I know that being suddenly sucked up into all this can be quite overwhelming. It's okay if you aren't comfortable. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. It's not like we can escape until Carlisle decides to let us free"

Her brows furrowed a bit at the woman’s last statement about not being let free. They were powerful witches, and Carlisle was a measly warlock. She was sure they wouldn’t be stuck in this hellhole until he decided. Which would probably be never, seeing as how she threatened his little Slim Jim of a girlfriend. Violet folded her arms back across her chest and shook her head. ”I’m fine. And we’re powerful witches. Well. I know I am. Surely we can do something to break out of here together?”

"Why it is very nice to see you are eager to get started. There really isn't alot we can do. As much as admonish Carlisle… He Is an Aston, and being a warlock makes him excel at the lone field he is good at." Amanda fidgeted in her seat. She didn't like how Violet seemed to imply that she was stronger than Amanda, or at least that someone Amanda wasn't. She knew that young woman was fiery. That was evident in her response back. But now Amanda was beginning to wonder if Violet was too hotheaded to control. "You just have some questions dear."

”Don’t do that.” She couldn’t help a scoff and a roll of her eyes. While Violet was more than willing to take on her new role in the family, she didn’t want to be coddled by a mother she barely knew. A mother who had given her away simply because she didn’t sense any magic within her. That kind of mother didn’t have her best interests at heart. Her eyes darkened a bit as she looked the woman over. ”Don’t call me dear, or any other term of affection. Let’s just skip over this part where you pretend to have any kind of emotion for me. I’m here, I’m ready to fulfill my role. But you don’t get to pretend like what you did to me wasn’t fucked up.”

”Look, it wasn't an easy choice. I had only been the coven leader for just over a year and a half. It was going to be embarrassing to have a baby that we couldn’t sense any magic from. I made sure you had a good family though, i knew your parents personally” Amanda swallowed hard. It was clear Violet had designs far grander than Amanda, and she was only just discovering how dangerous she was. ”But if you want to be strictly business, then fine. We can do that”

Biting the inside of her cheek, she looked the woman over and let out a breath. Her adopted parents didn’t mention that they personally knew Amanda. Why did all the people who were closest to her, kept lying to her? Keeping secrets when she was very much secure enough to handle them all. Violet rolled her eyes once more before giving a slight nod of her head. ”Strictly business, for the time being. Then we’ll go from there.”

She unfolded her arms and looked around before reaching down to touch the floor. Her hands skimmed over it, feeling the vibrations from the shield they were in. A wicked glint gleamed in her eyes before she looked back up at her birth mother. ”We’re connected to his brain, right? I can cause him enough pain that he’ll be forced to let us out.”

”Yes we are, but you won’t be able to cause enough damage to get him to let us out. He has to hold concentration. He will eventually grow tired and have to let go” Amanda would shift in her seat, rubbing her arm as she noted that Violet was clearly pissed off ”You can’t just get out and attack Carlisle, the whole coven will attack you. You need to come up with a much more finessed approach”

Scoffing, she leaned back up and sat back in her seat. ”Oh, please. That scrawny, little, beak nosed wanna be Coven leader couldn’t possibly be that powerful.” Violet ran a hand through her hair and cleared her throat. While she didn’t know how powerful her brother was, she most certainly didn’t want to face the wrath of an entire Coven. Shaking her head, she looked around their surroundings before turning back to face her birth mother. Violet raised a brow in question. ”Well? Any suggestions, mother?”

”Well, I would advise that you turn the coven against him. Carlisle is fickle and has very thin skin. Not many of his peers actually like him. Make them hate him more, you might find others that agree to remove Carlisle. Otherwise, if he is hated, he might even stand down without a fight.” Amanda crossed her legs and leaned on the back of the sofa. ”However, we do have a far more problematic threat. Ever heard of a girl named Lilith?”

Violet nodded along as Amanda spoke about making others hate her boyfriend. It definitely did make sense to turn the coven around. Yet, she knew she had already made one of the members not like her so much. Mark, Matt, something. She blew out a breath and nodded slightly. She could turn the coven around. But she would have to be nice. Her nose scrunched a bit at that thought. Her mother’s next question made her brows furrow. Tilting her head in thought, she nodded slightly. ”His boyfriend or whoever was hanging all over him mentioned that name. Who is she?”

”Miles” Amanda growled. She knew that guy too well ”He is the cause of most of my problems. Carlisle was supposed to one up him, and somehow he failed and became friends with him. Anyway” Amanda took a moment to adjust her top, making sure she was comfortable and making sure that her anger did not boil too much. She needed to stay composed afterall. ”If what Carlisle, Salem and the rest of them have said is true, Lilith is pregnant. And since Miles is the father, and his father is a powerful Magi, we are looking at a very powerful baby. More powerful than me and you baby. Get my meaning?”

As she listened to the woman, the wheels in her mind continued to spin. This Lilith being pregnant was a bad thing. And with a Magi of all people? And the babies would be a hell of a lot more powerful than her or any fellow Astons. That couldn’t happen. Violet couldn’t let that happen. Her eyes darkened as she slowly nodded her head. She did understand what her mother was saying. ”We have to get rid of Lilith.”

”No, that is too easy. We need to make her suffer. We need to kill the baby, and make sure that Lilith can’t have anymore again. That way Miles and Lilith can spend the rest of their lives alone and useless.” A dark grin spread across Amanda’s face. ”My hope is that Salem is having similar thoughts, but if she doesn’t act, we must be prepared to.”

Her face dropped a bit at the mention of killing babies. She could easily get rid of an adult person, but ababy? Was she really going to consider going through with this? Violet cleared her throat and looked away from the woman for just a moment. She didn’t know who this Salem person was, but obviously she had the same thoughts her mother had. This was going to happen whether she was a part of it or not. And, if she were the person to handle it, she would gain the respect of her birth mother. Did she want that respect? She knew she wanted to be the most powerful in the coven. She had been the most powerful at home, and she wanted that here, in her rightful place.

Clearing her throat, she nodded slightly. She looked back at her mother, her face and voice void of any emotion. ”What are your plans?”

Amanda could see the discomfort in Violet. It seemed that Amanda had found the young woman's limits, even if she was happy to press on. ”Even if we just killed Lilith, we would be killing the babies anyway. That is why I propose we do this now, while they are young” Amanda would keep her eyes locked on Violet, testing and watching her reaction. ”Sadly, Lilith is powerful, and a diviner. Plus she has practically everyone fighting for her. Carlisle will make her untouchable if he suspects someone is out to harm her. Miles will enchant you into thinking she isn’t dangerous, and her family know enough magic to keep you tortured for the rest of your days” Amanda clearly didn’t have a plan. ”You need to get her on her own. Bullying Carlisle enough might cause her to drag you to the side to give you a talking to. Might be a way in. I remember that a girl in high school, Kirstie, I think her name was, also had a vivid disliking for Lilith. The fact those two haven’t fought yet is beyond me. Maybe use that?”

Her eyes continued to narrow as her mother spoke to her. She wanted Violet to get this girl alone using any means necessary without tripping off warning bells to Carlisle or the girl’s family. Huffing out a breath, she shook her head and leaned back further in her chair. There was no way she could do this. Her magic spoke for her. Looking away from the woman, she nodded her head slightly. This was why she had reached out. Not to have some kind of relationship with the daughter she gave away, but to do her evil bidding. She growled low in her throat before looking back at the woman once more. ”Do you know what my powers are, mother? I can cause someone to feel a searing pain throughout their body. I can make them turn to stone, make them have frostbite. I am a witch who can cause pain. Mind boggling, all over pain. What you’re wanting is some high school drama to be brought out.”

She quickly rose to her feet and growled once more. ”You want me to get rid of Lilith’s baby? Fine. I’ll cause her so much pain that will bring her into early labor, and the baby will have no chance of survival. But this mean girl shit? I’m better than that.”

Amanda looked down, clearly she had hit a nerve. ”Alright, You do what you need to do. I am just suggesting what I think you should do. But please don’t underestimate anyone. You are an Aston yes, but even we can be bought down if enough people stand against us. Divide and Conquer is usually the best strategy”

Staring down at her mother, she weighed her options. She shifted her feet before finally huffing out a breath. Why should she go against the woman’s plans? She obviously knew the situation better than Violet. Amanda knew how this family, how these people responded. She would be a fool to go against that. Shifting on her feet once more, she rolled her eyes before sitting back down in her chair. She relaxed back into the seat and folded her legs at the knees. ”Fine. I’ll do it your way first. But if that goes nowhere, I’m doing it my way.”

”You do what you want. I am not going to stop you. You are the future of the family. So I will leave it to you to do whatever you feel comfortable with” Amanda would sit up, back pressed firmly against the sofa to sit up straight. ”I don’t want to press you into anything you don’t want to do”

Scoffing, she rolled her eyes and played with the ends of her hair, a nervous habit. She wasn’t nervous about any of this, per say, but she was growing slightly more aggravated. With a shake of her head, she sat up straight and looked back at her birth mother. Violet looked the woman over and her eyes narrowed. ”What’s in this for you exactly, mother? You want to be the best? Want to rule the coven? I’m just your pawn in this big ass game of yours, aren’t I?”

”I don’t really get much this time around. I am future planning. I don’t want Carlisle to be the future of this family. I can’t let our legacy become a laughing joke to the rest of witch society. I made a mistake with you. Yes. And I am willing to admit that. I am. Once you are in control of the Coven, I am sure you will have some nasty plan for me. But for now, I want to work on securing our legacy” Amanda spoke with as much authority and respect as she could muster. She was a tired woman, still powerful, but clearly struggling to maintain her old aura. Plus the night had been pretty embarrassing for her.

She chewed on the bottom of her lip as she studied the woman. Her eyes darkened and her brows narrowed in frustration. Moving to sit on the edge of the chair, she let out a breath. Violet knew what she had to do. ”I have to instill doubt in the other coven members about Carlisle. I have to show them that he is incompetent and unable to lead. Then I can deal with Lilith and her baby. We can’t have a magi procreating if we want any chance of ruling this establishment. Our family will rise to the top. We will be the family who others will come running to. The Astons will be in charge, and we’ll stay that way.”

As Violet finished speaking, Amanda smirked. ”Good girl. Together we will be unstoppable. Also. Just a request from me. If the chance pops up and you do have to kill Miles, they boyfriend of Carlisle’s you spoke of earlier…” Amanda would lean in and speak in a slightly hushed tone ”Do me a favor, make him suffer. Truly suffer. Everyone else you can do with as you please”

Violet remembered the man with her brother and how he spoke to her. She smirked to herself as she listened to her mother. So. This Miles really got to her, and she truly wanted him to be gone. But not without some pain to help him on his way. Giving her a slight nod, she tilted her head. ”He mocked me when I first met him. He’ll never know what hit him.”

”The whole price family is like that. They play the hard-done by card, and then walk around thinking they are hot shit. Just because they have enchantment magic. I am still livid with Miles for ruining my first plan. I had enchanted Carlisle to fall in love with Lilith, and was planning on merging the Aston and Montgomery lines together.” Amanda got up for a moment and walked over to the sofa that Violet was sitting on. ”But Carlisle was so useless he couldn’t get beyond the friend zone with Lilith, even when enchanted. Instead Miles had to swoop back in again. I should have tried harder to kill him when he was a kid. Stupid pathetic street urchin” Amanda took a moment to look into Violet's eyes ”But you aren’t going to fail me. You are going to be the next Aston in charge. Oh the power and wealth you will yield. It will make other people tremble before you.”

Her nose scrunched at the thought of her mother enchanting her child. Forcing her blood to do something against their will. Was this the person her mother truly was? Was this what she did to her own children? Who was she kidding? Amanda gave her up just because she couldn’t sense any magic. Of course she would do whatever she felt she had to, to make sure the Astons stayed in their current position.

When the woman approached her, she sat back as her body tensed up. She didn’t trust the woman in front of her as far as she could throw her. And she wanted to kill a child. A child. Letting out a breath, she locked eyes with her mother as she spoke her final statement. Violet’s eyes darkened and a dangerous smirk spread across her face. Power and wealth? People trembling at her feet, begging for her mercy? Her voice dripped with menace as she spoke. ”Yes, mother. I’ll do it.”

”Good girl. With Carlisle dead and Lilith’s offspring dealt with, no one will be able to stop you. Now we might as well do something useful while we wait. Let me tell everything I know about Lilith and Carlisle’s powers” Amanda mused as she went on to start detailing everything she knew.