“Even now?” I tuck into the jambalaya and hum as the flavor mingles to perfection. The heat hits me at the end of every bite, and I sip on my milk to keep it from overpowering me.
“Always. If you get lazy, your spell work will become sloppy and lack power. Being matriarch requires constant vigilance. You must hold yourself to the highest standard in order to demand the same for others. Lead by example.”
I nod my head and gesture toward my food with my spoon. “This is so good.”
“Thank you, cher. I do my best cooking when I’m thinking.”
“Are we going to continue our story?” I ask between bites.
She sighs heavily. “It’s past time we do. When the family revolted mid-crisis, I bound them.”
I finish my final bite and place my spoon in my bowl. “Bound them from doing what exactly? Acting against your goal?”
She gives a hollow laugh. “If only it was that simple. No, I bound their magic.”
“You what?” It’s a punishment left for the most disturbed and violent. To be stripped of your magic is to have your soul crushed. It renders the magic wielder unable to tap into their God-given gifts. My stomach roils. Instantly, I regret my lunch. “How could you do that to your own kin?”
“I warned them.” Her lower lip trembles. “I told them I’d cut them out of our line. They laughed at me.” Her eyes glisten. “We’d just lost our parents, and I’d been appointed the matriarch. I was confused and looking to prove my worth. I didn’t understand how important things like patience, mercy, and the art of persuasion could be. I wanted to make them respect and obey me. I was willing to use any means necessary, including force and fear. We’d lost so many. I couldn’t stand the thought of another loss that could be prevented. I was desperate. Their refusal to assist also felt petty, and personal. It was my breaking point.” She covers her mouth, and her slender shoulders shake. “I used my own blood and magic to bind and banish each and every one of them who stood against me and the mission of unity. I thought the price would be worth it, but in the end, it was too high.”
“Why not take it back?”
“Once done, some things can’t be rescinded.” Tears roll down her face unchecked, and the sorrow visible in her eyes clogs my throat. “I severed our family line with a few careless words and blood magic. Once it was done, they all left. They had no choice really. To stay would mean enduring misfortune.”
“What happened to them?”
“I don’t know. None of them looked back or reached out. I let my children believe they were all missing in action. Misplaced in the Reaping and believed to be dead. That the sliver of hope kept me from erecting gravestones in the family plot.”
“Jesus.” The depths of her deception is chilling. Do I really know this woman at all?
“I’ve been a coward, too frightened to admit the truth.”
“So why are you doing it now?”
“Because you can fix what I’ve done. Once I pass on the title, you have the power to remove the binding.”
“If I do this what happens to them? Will the magic become retroactive? What about the children born with no inkling of their heritage? Unearthing that inside of them
would be irresponsible and cruel. I have no clue how that might affect them, or if they have someone to teach them properly. At the very least, we should track down your siblings, make contact, apologize, and move forward from there.”
“With what time? We both sense the danger and darkness in the air. We’ve already lost one of our own, and that coven was wounded, not killed. We’d be fools to think they won’t try again to harm us.”
“So we force those family members into this after years of ignoring their existence? No. We don’t have the right to disown them and reclaim them when we need them. I saw what hate and resentment can do to a family, and those emotions were unjustified. These people would have every reason to hate us. I won’t do that.”
“You think you can always choose the high road?”
“No. I’m not naïve. But in this matter, I have options, and I’m choosing the lesser of evils.” Reaching across the table, I grip her fisted hand. “You’ve trusted me with this family. Now you have to let me handle things my way. I promise you, I will make this right for you, and heal this family.”
She presses her lips tightly together and gives a curt nod. “It’s in your hands now. I can’t carry it any longer.”
After everything she’s given me, I want to return the favor.
“I think Fel spoke a prophecy the other day.”
“What?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen one delivered, and it was only a few lines.”
Mémé leans forward. “How did she behave?”