The Hybrid’s Second Chance
Chapter 54

Cornelia's

POV

I had been back in my coven for a couple of days, and I felt like every time I turned around, an elder was going to be there, ready to punish me. Trying to act normal was very strange; I knew they worked out what I did, there was no way they couldn't have by now. "Lia, are you in here?" Dianna said, pushing my bedroom door open slightly.

"Yes, I'm here," I called out.

"How are you doing?" She asked, closing the door behind her.

"Not great, honestly. Have you heard anything from the elders?"

"No, nothing. Apparently, no one's seen them in days."

"They have to know, right? That's why they've locked themselves in, they're trying to decide what to do with me."

"Maybe it means they're trying to find a way around banishing or killing you? Taking their time might be a good thing."

"This is just absolutely ridiculous. I was saving my child; how can they see anything wrong with it?" I sat down on my bed.

"They don't know that's what you were doing, and if it was any other coven they probably wouldn't, but you know they have to abide by the laws."

"Laws that were written by scared men with no understanding of what their laws would do to people. That should have been amended years ago. Centuries of men and women, unable to find their mates because of these laws."

"I'm sorry, I know I wasn't as supportive as I should have been when you wanted to rescue Marvin and Sandra."

"It's okay, you were just trying to make sure I didn't break too many laws." Dianna took my hand in hers and attempted to smile. "I have a class I have to get ready for."

"Okay, let me know if you need anything." She left me sitting on my bed. All I wanted to do was go to Julia and make sure she was okay, but I knew better than to push my luck. I collected a couple of books from my shelf, and walked to the advanced potions making class I was set to teach. When I walked into the classroom, everyone was in their seats being eerily quiet.

"Good afternoon students," I told them.

"Good afternoon, Mistress," most of them chanted.

"Today we're going to be working on stun potions to stop your enemies that are too powerful for you to take on. It also comes in handy when you want to trap them for information. If everyone could please take out your potion books and turn them to page one hundred and twenty-five." There was rustling as they all retrieved their books and opened them. One student, a girl named Vera, raised her hand. "Yes Vera, what is your question?"

"Mistress, there are rumors going around you helped a werewolf pack. Is this true?" I froze where I stood. If there were rumors about what I had done, that meant the elders knew. If there was one student who wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind, it was Vera. "Where did you hear this, Vera?"

"Well, everyone's talking about it," another student named Rowan added. I set my book down and turned to face them all head on.

"Why would you do something like that?" Willow asked.

"I thought things like that were outlawed?"

"Are you going to be in trouble for doing something like that?"

"Have the elders talked to you yet?"

"What did the wolves look like?"

"Everyone, everyone! Please, settle down!" I said loudly over all the pandemonium. "As your High Priestess, I'm not going to stand here and lie to you. Especially since everyone seems to know already. Yes, I did help a wolf pack." All the students started murmuring and looking at one another with shocked expressions. Vera suddenly raised her hand again, while looking at me dead in the eyes.

"Yes, Vera?"

"Will you tell us why, please?" I thought about it for a moment. Because of the likelihood the elders knew, it didn't make much sense not to come clean to these young witches. Maybe it would inspire them to help make change.

"Alright, you're going to hear all of this eventually, I suppose, and I'm not ashamed of what I did. I helped this pack because one of their members is my daughter." More murmurs ran around the room as well as some dumbfounded looks. "Yes, I have a daughter that is part wolf and part witch. This is, of course, against the laws of our coven, so I sent her away many years ago. It became clear her life was in danger, so I felt the need to step in and save that life. The people that protected her for years needed to be saved as well, so I helped them. I won't go into every detail, but if you all know, that means the elders do too, so I'm awaiting my punishment for this."

"What if they banish you?"

"Do you think they're going to kill you?"

"Maybe they won't do anything?"

"I'll accept whatever happens to me because I know I broke the law." Again, Vera raised her hand while staring directly at me. "Vera."

"I think you did the right thing. I think these laws segregating us need to be overturned." It surprised me at her stance on the matter. I always thought most people in the coven liked the rules of keeping us apart. Maybe that meant there was hope that I could be the one to change things. "Thank you, Vera."

"I do too!" chimed in Willow.

"Me too!" Rowan said, getting to his feet.

"We won't let them take you from us, Mistress," Vera said, standing up as well.

"I appreciate your stance and willingness to stand with me, but I'll face the elders on my own. There's no need for all of you to get in trouble." There was a loud knock on the door, making the students and myself jump. The room fell silent as everyone stared in the direction of the door.

"Come in," I said as confidently as I could. In walked one of our guards, Blaise. "What can I help you with, Blaise?"

"Mistress, I'm sorry to interrupt your teaching, but the elders have requested your presence and asked that I escort you there." My heart quickened as my stomach sank. This was it, the moment I had been waiting for.

"Class, you are dismissed for today. Thank you for your understanding and support." I stepped off my platform and passed all my students as I walked towards the door. I held my head high as I left the classroom, Blaise right behind me. "Did the elders tell you what this is regarding?"

"No Mistress, but with the rumors swirling around, I think you can guess."

"Yes, that I can do."

"For what it's worth, I think you made the right decision if the rumors about helping a wolf pack are true." I stopped and turned to him. "I have known you for a very long time and know you wouldn't have done something against the law unless you had good reason to." "Thank you, Blaise. The elders might not see it that way, but I appreciate your support."

"There are many people in this pack who think things need to change. There are some that don't, but most of the younger generations are tired of living so separated from everyone else. They want to be able to find their mates, whoever they may be. The population of this coven is dwindling."

"Well, maybe this could be the start of a new era." We kept walking, all the way through our meeting house, outside and to the elder's house where all the trials are held. We stopped at the door. I looked at Blaise, who smiled at me. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and walked inside. The high ceiling room was circular in shape, with a mosaic floor, where in the middle stood the symbol of our coven.

A five-pointed star encased in a circle, and in the middle was the initials HN. All eight of the elders were seated at the long table in the middle of the room. A smaller podium had been set out in front of them. My heels clicked on the tiles as I made my way towards them. Stepping up to the podium, I waited. They were all staring at me, and I couldn't make out their emotions.

"Mistress Sullivan," Elder Albert said. "Do you know why we've called you here today?"

"I think I can make a good guess as to why, but I'd like to hear from you why I've been brought here today."

"You stand accused of aiding a werewolf pack. Do you deny these allegations?" Elder Herman asked.

"No, no, I don't deny them. I did aid a werewolf pack."

"You aided a werewolf pack, knowing the laws of our coven?" Elder Francis asked.

"Yes, there were extenuating circumstances that I could not ignore."

"And what are those?" asked Elder Herman. I hesitated, not wanting to tell them about Julia. If her identity remained a secret, they wouldn't be able to find her and kill her.

"I'm not able to explain that to you at this time."

"Why the devil not?" Elder Francis spit.

"What I did doesn't just involve me, and I will not put other people's lives at risk. I take full responsibility for what I did and know that you must choose a punishment that fits the crime." They all just looked at me, surveying me through judging eyes. "If you were able to explain yourself to us, we might be able to show you mercy and make your punishment less severe," Elder Julius said.

"I'm sorry, I won't go into any more detail other than I aided a wolf pack for the sake of saving lives that needed to be saved." Before the council could answer, there was a loud and hurried banging on the door. The doors burst open and in walked Dianna, but who was following behind her stopped my heart, and nearly made me faint.