Bloodline

06

Madam took another sip of her coffee, this one longer than the last and I watched as her throat bobbed as she swallowed before placing it down. "I get it. Hell, sometimes I wish I could've ran away from all this shit when I had the chance, but you and I are two different people. . ."

"How?"

"I'm a Dahlia. A coven so shunned and ruled with a dark history that no one even thinks of joining anymore, let alone even mention the name. I was handed my sovereign title not by decree of my family's lineage but because I had no choice. I was left on the steps of a coven doomed to fall, raised at the mercy of a man who became the black sheep of all witches. The Dahlia's . . ." she sings the name in a singsong voice, eyes rolling playfully as she does it. "masters of blood magic and necromancy — grim reapers, they called us. All because my father and the man before him had a stupid lust for power centuries ago, but like always the woman has to come in and fix the man's mistake."

Blood magic is something my father taught us from a very young age to never dabble with so much it's forbidden by the law of The Order and anyone found guilty of practicing is to be sentenced to death almost immediately. The taboo nature of blood magic is that it is rarely enough for a witch, it is said that the power is addictive and once a witch uses it once they are bound to turn to it again. Forbidden from performing blood magic, witches are taught to look down on any who turn to it as being weak.

I never knew Dahlia had a history with it along with necromancy — a strictly forbidden practice in nearly every coven in the world. Necromancy is the most taboo form of magic that exists and it is an immensely difficult process that is dependent upon the usage of blood magic to be carried out. I've always heard stories of witches who have turned to blood magic over the years and they always ended in disaster. Now I understand how Madam Camille Dahlia got her title so early.

"I wasn't born into this position. I was thrown it like a piece of rotten meat to hungry wolves. Blood, sweat, and tears defined my upbringing. Odd. Outsider. Reaper. It was my duty to fix the Dahlia name, and I would say I did a damn good job." Madam Dahlia finished with a light shrug of her shoulders.

"So do you still practice blood magic or necromancy?" I was curious now, the question had been ringing in my head since she brought up the topic.

Madam Camille grimaced. "Gods no. I never learned the craft no matter how hard my father tried to make me, and it became forbidden once I became sovereign, but the Dahlia name had already been tarnished to the ground at that point."

A soft silence fell over the table then, the both of us locking our eyes on something on the table as we fell in the background of the noises around us for a moment. The waitresses swayed around the tile floors with black trays covered in freshly made breakfast, but I still couldn't find it in me to crave a bite — not even a nibble seemed good to me now.

"Your father — Erik," she rolled her eyes at his name like saying it was a habit she'd been trying to break for a while. "is a good man and what happened to his coven is a devastating tragedy and loss for the witch fractions as a whole. I'm sure everything will be fine eventually but I know it's not right now and it probably won't be alright tomorrow or even a month from now, but as your current representative for the witch fraction, I am here to let you know that if you need anything I am here for you. You can stay at Kromnore Academy — we have the space."

Kromnore Academy. Not even on my deathbed would I want to attend there. To be surrounded by covens enjoying their times and life together while I'm the lone sheep who's covenless, powerless, orphaned — a failure of a witch. I thought about what my father said yesterday about him joining Kromnore to teach after giving up his title. I'll never understand that decision.

I blinked at her, eyes darting down to the food on the table when she didn't mirror. "I just want to go back to my place in New York. That's all."

Madam Dahlia stared for a moment before humming in understanding. "I get it but before you leave I'm pretty sure more members from The Order are on their way to you."

I groaned aloud, face falling into the palms of my hands dragging it down slowly. "For what?" I whined.

"To ask more questions most likely. It's not every day something like this happens, and those nosy bastard probably just want to look good and say they were here."

I raised my face from my hands and looked ahead at Madam Dahlia. "Did my father ever talk to you about his reasons on why he wanted to start teaching at Kromnore?"

Her face scrunched up at the question and that was an answer in itself. Madam's lips pursed together distastefully at the thought. "Erik never mentioned anything to me about coming to Kromnore but then again we never really spoke too often. Our teaching methods didn't "align" so he said." Madam Dahlia's eyes roll upwards as she does quotation marks with her fingers and I found myself chuckling because I could hear him saying that aloud in my head. He's such a snob.

"That's why I'm even more surprised he wrote for me to take his place as a representative if something like this was to ever happen. I thought he hated me." I looked up at Madam Dahlia to see her smiling for the first time tonight too, teeth bright and straight but I'd expect nothing less for someone like her — someone so straightforward but cautious at the same time like a thorn on a rose waiting to be plucked by delicate greedy fingers.

"Erik and I weren't best of friends, to say the least. I can't recall one meeting where we didn't exchange a few words whether it be because of him trying to talk over me or me simply getting annoyed by that damn British accent, but even still I respected him for the man he was. He's done a lot for the witches despite being as secretive as he was with his coven. He's a leader, a noble man and that is why I know he's out there somewhere about to put an end to all of this shit," Madam Dahlia chuckles again, head shaking at the table. "and that's how I know you're gonna be okay Ymir. An unbroken line of familial sovereigns have come before you, you're an Amaranthus, and to the world that means you were born to greatness."

There was an encouragement in her eyes, the way they were warm and soft. It startled me for a moment but I let the warmth soak inside as I didn't fight the small smile growing on my lips. "Madam Dahlia . . ." I spoke up.

Her brows raised waiting for me to continue.

"I think I'm ready to order now."

••••
EXCUSE ANY MISTAKES OR ERRORS

Might I suggest you don't fuck with my sis