Darkness Descending | Book One ✓

38 | Stroke of Midnight

He stared right at Lily now. "I have come to inform you all of a relationship between a witch and a vampire."

A view audible gasps went through the room, all on my father's side. I felt Lily stiffen beside me, she even seemed to have stopped breathing. 

"What does that have to do with anything?" I barked out. 

About a hundred pairs of eyes locked on me. 

"You and I both know daughter a witch in our coven cannot be with a vampire, those unaffiliated can dirty themselves as they please—"

"How about you shut the hell up?" Samuel thundered and jumped up from his seat. He was about to lunge at my father until Laura pulled him back down beside her. 

"Samuel!" she cautioned just as everyone started to talk at once. 

Lily looked like she was about to pass out now as her parents started to bicker back and forth, Cynthia was just shaking her head. I just felt nothing but disgust and rage at the audacity of my father.

Who the fuck did he think he was? 

"Everyone! Enough of this absurdity! Now be quiet!" Lydia shouted, her voice slicing through the room and silencing everyone. 

"Jeffery you told me you would see a solution to this, not insult my family," she hissed. 

"I did not mean that as an insult," my father remarked. "Only that what others do outside the coven is none of our concern." 

I could see through his facade, he hated seeing a witch be with anything other than a witch.

"Then why was my daughter called here then, hmm?" Laura quipped and stood up.

"Because behind you Laura, she is the future of this coven, do you not understand?" my father fumed. "It is against our covenant for any of our members to dally with the undead."

"Do you forget one of our own family members is both a vampire and a witch?" Laura retorted. "He has dedicated his life to our coven, yet you all treat him with disdain."

"Francis understands our rules," Lydia spoke up and glared at her daughter. "You of all people should know this, I raised you to lead us yet you continue to disappoint me."

"Forgive me for not being as forward-thinking as you, Mother," Laura replied sarcastically.

Well, now I knew why Lily's grandmother hadn't been around her much growing up. She was an asshole too. 

"We will settle our matters later," Lydia said dismissively. "Finish up what you have to say, Jeffery, before you draw more of my ire as well."

"The solution is simple, either she ends the relationship or she can give up her magic," my father announced. "The magic she received was to strengthen and protect this coven, she cannot do that if she is with a vampire."

"Give up her magic?" Samuel gawked. "Are you a lunatic?"

"Am I?" my father remarked. "You and your wife are both duty-bound, the fact that you stand against us is treachery against the coven."

"How does being with Scott stop me from being a part of the coven?" Lily spoke up, her expression defiant and unyielding. 

Whatever was bothering her before was gone. I just smiled at seeing how pissed off she was now. 

"It seems to me all of you are stuck in your ways of thinking," Lily spat, glaring at each person on the other side of the room. 

Her mother walked to her side and stood with her. "You know removing her magic will result in her death, the fact that you had the balls to ever say such a thing—" Laura stopped, too angry to even finish her sentence.