Remain Nameless | Michael Langdon

iv.

"It might seem easy to alter the color of a flower, but the rose is unique. It resists change. Why?" Zoe paused as she looked across the table at all of them. She sent a smile in Mallory and Elizabeth's direction. "Empress Joséphine Bonaparte, wife of Napoléon and proud witch, cultivated one of the largest rose gardens in Europe."

Cordelia stepped in and leaned against the door frame to watch Zoe's lesson. Zoe let out a breathy laugh and continued.

"It's said that Joséphine enchanted her roses so that the color she produced remained fixed as she wanted them." She hummed to herself as she looked down at the white rose in her hand. "Maybe so." She paused before extending the rose out. She looked to it, changing the color to red just by looking at it. "But one thing's certain. Nothing is immutable when the will of a strong woman is applied. Now... show me how strong you are."

Elizabeth looked at the rose in her hand. It was white, and she debated one which color she'd like to change it to. There were so many, yellow, red, pink... or something different. A color no one had ever seen on a rose before. She turned the rose into a beautiful purple, as Mallory turned hers in a beautiful blue. They looked at each other before the petals began to fall off together. Suddenly, blue butterflies flew around the room, along with purple ones. Cordelia and Zoe watched with amazement. They eventually fell down as white rose petals once more. Elizabeth and Mallory grinned at each other.

To breach the moment, Myrtle stepped in with a not-so-pleasant look on her face. "What is it?" Cordelia asked.

"The Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men. They called an emergency council. We're obliged to get on a plane immediately. Airline food for lunch when I made reservations at Galatoires. It's just too cruel." She shook her head. Mallory and Elizabeth gave a look.

After everyone had disassembled, Cordelia found Elizabeth. "I'd like you to come with us."

"Me? Why?" She asked, shaking her head.

"Because, I want you to see what it's like. A council meeting. You are by far one of the most powerful witches alongside us. I've thought about giving you a spot on the council for a while now. It'll even us all out. Besides, you may become the next supreme soon." Cordelia gave her a smile.

"If you insist, but..." Elizabeth trailed off.

"Don't you, for a second, doubt yourself, my dear. You are incredible. Now hurry, pack your things." She urged her upstairs. Elizabeth did so, and after a short plane ride they were pulling down the rough drive to the Hawthorne School.

Myrtle's albino men helped each of them out of the car, including Elizabeth. They all four walked towards the structure as the four warlocks stood outside of it to greet them. Cordelia was wearing a black dress with a cape over her shoulders, Zoe was wearing a black jumpsuit, Myrtle was wearing a polka dot dress with a printed cape, and Elizabeth was wearing a short, lace long sleeve dress with a plunging neckline with tights underneath and a cape like Cordelia's.

"Couldn't we just have made them come to us?" Zoe asked.

"Well, rules are rules," Myrtle replied. "Besides, do we really want all those men, traipsing around our house?"

Elizabeth chuckled slightly at her response. They stopped at the door and Behold and Ariel parted to allow them entrance. John Henry gave Elizabeth a kind smile when he saw her. She gladly returned it.

They all sat inside at a table. It was a bit warm with all the fire. Each of them sat across from a warlock. Baldwin was typing. Elizabeth sat next to Zoe on the end in front of John Henry. Cordelia spoke to begin the meeting. "Let it be shown that, at request of Hawthorne School, we have assembled an emergency meeting of the council."