Everyone pointed to Bentley.
He raised his arm up for them to read.
Silence.
After a long moment, Daniel sighed and shook his head. “Well, love, I think that’s the sign you were looking for.”
Cooper frowned. “Sign for what?”
Constance smiled and looked right at me. “I want to step down as Coven Leader.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Bettina
Constance smiled and looked right at my brother. “I want to step down as Coven Leader.”
Ohhhhh shit.
Silence fell around us. I didn’t even think people were breathing.
Daniel wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled at us. “Yeah, this is what I expected.”
And then the room fell into utter chaos. Everyone jumped to their feet and shouted questions in her direction.
Royce held his hand up. “Hold up, if this is the change the prophecy is warning us about—"
“Changes. Plural, cousin.” Deacon grinned. “This is clearly just the first.”
“Why you gotta kill my buzz?”
“If anyone is, it’s Constance.” Deacon pointed to our current female Coven Leader. “Ask her.”
Royce spun around dramatically, then tossed his imaginary long hair over his shoulder. “Girl. What is going on here?”
Willow held her hand up. “Are you retiring from The Coven?”
Constance smiled and shook her head. “Maybe one day I’ll retire but as of now, no. I’m not ready to leave.”
I frowned. “There’s a but in there…”
Constance sighed and threw her hands up. “I was twenty-three when I became Coven Leader. I was fresh out of college. I was young, hell, we hadn’t had the kind of intense problems we’ve had these last six months.”
“But you were a great Coven Leader,” Chutney said in a small voice.
“Thank you.” Constance’s face fell. “But honestly, I hated it.”
Braison gasped. “Then why did you take it?”
“Listen, guys…when Josephine died—”
“Who is Josephine?” I asked before I could stop myself. I just hadn’t heard the name before.
“She was the Coven Leader before me, Wheel of Fortune Card.” Constance grimaced and tucked her sandy blonde hair behind her ears. “When she died with everyone else in Hidden Kingdom, there were only four women who weren’t in diapers at the time. Me, Devon, Evaline, and Cassandra—”
Daniel squeezed her shoulder as her voice cracked. “It’s all right, my love.”
Constance shook her head. “As mother of the twins, subjects of the prophecy, she was not suited to be Coven Leader. Evaline was born and raised in Salem, it was her job to stay there – Claudette, the High Priestess before Tegan, had insisted on that. Which meant the leadership either went to me or Cassandra.”
Most of The Coven’s faces fell and I saw sadness in their eyes.
“Hierophants are rarely Coven Leaders. The two roles overpower each other. It’s too much for one person. The last successful one was Henry Lancaster – and that was rare.” Constance leaned into Daniel. “Cassandra was fifteen at the time. She’d only been Marked for three years. She wasn’t ready, nor did she want it…so…it fell to the only other option. Me.”
Uncle Tim stood. “You served this Coven immaculately.”
Constance blushed. “Thank you, my friend. But you know how much I hated it. The stress. The anxiety. The decisions. I’m the Justice Card and yet I struggle to make decisions as Coven Leader. You all need someone…stronger. It’s time.”
The room fell silent as we all just stared at her.
This was huge. Coven Leader was a big deal.
“Constance, love,” Daniel squeezed her tight. “Tell them.”
“Yeah, tell them,” Bentley cheered around a piece of fried chicken.
Constance sighed and fidgeted with the buttons on her cardigan. “Well, you see…I’m pregnant.”
“WHAT?”
“Since when?”
“How far are you?”
“When’s the baby due?”
“Is it a boy or girl?”
Deacon whistled, bringing the room silent. “Easy, folks. Damn.”
“Oh, Constance.” Devon hurried over and pulled Constance in for a big hug. “I’m so happy for you. Y’all wanted this for so long.”
Mona tugged on Kessler’s sleeve. She grinned up at him. “I want one.”
His face paled.
Mona winked and then bounced over to Constance. Katherine clapped her hands and rushed over. One by one, the entire Coven had gone over and hugged them. Savannah and Gigi just watched with smiles on their faces. I glanced around only to find me and Kessler were the only others who hadn’t gone over. I cursed and leapt over just as the crowd parted. I gave her a quick hug, then stepped back.
Kessler finally regained composure and then hugged both of them. “Congratulations.”
I chuckled. Mona may have winked playfully, but she meant it. She wanted kids. I was secretly hoping she either already was, or would be following in Constance’s footsteps. I also couldn’t help but notice the way Katherine peaked up at Uncle Timothy while no one else was paying attention. The idea of my uncle having a child…made me so happy it brought tears to my eyes and it was strictly hypothetical.
“So…” I cleared my throat. “What now?”
Constance chuckled. “Well, you all vote for your replacement female Coven Leader.”
Everyone turned to Tegan.
Her eyes widened.
“All right, Queen of Darkness, you ready?” Easton wagged his eyebrows.
“Me?”
I frowned. “Is that how this works? We just yell it out?” I hadn’t been around for the last Coven Leader selection. I’d still been in the dungeon.
“We put it to a vote,” Haven said from behind me. “All of those in favor of Tegan being new Coven Leader, please raise your hand.”
Every single hand lifted, even the few from non-Coven members.
Haven sighed. “Well, there you go.”
“That’s it? Just like that?” I wasn’t sure my best friend wanted this. “Haven?”
“Hey, that was more than I had.” He chuckled. “Everyone just looked to me. Honestly, I didn’t really have a choice.”
“Do I?” Tegan asked softly, which was a strange sound coming from her. “How does this work exactly? Do I have to be leader just because everyone voted for me? Do I get to say no if I want to?”
“Of course you do,” Bentley answered with a smile. “It’s not common, but it has happened a few times.”
Constance smiled. “Well, Tegan, what do you think? You have the ability to decline, a liberty I did not have, so really think about it.”
Tegan wrapped her arms around herself and nodded. She turned her back to the others, so only me, Haven, and Cooper could see her face…and on it I saw a rare glimpse of doubt on my best friend’s face.
I understood what was happening, what was going on in her head. She loved to lead, to guide other people. She loved to be in charge and make the rules. She was a natural leader. It wasn’t even slightly difficult for her. But this was different. This was responsibility. This was other people’s lives on the line.