Tonight was the big night. She had waited so long for this moment that she felt herself floating all day. Serona was finally going to be what she had always wanted to be.
A witch.
Some pseudo-sorceresses strutted their stuff on Instagram wearing convoluted make-up, overdressing and collecting mainly coloured stones, but Serona knew that the very discreet group she was about to officially join wasn't into theatrics.
She had asked to join this Coven - a sorcery initiation group - which put her to the test for many months in order to judge her reliability.
The young woman had only met two of its members. One was her own age: Elya, a tall blonde with mischievous blue eyes and a strong character, initiated two years ago, with whom she got on particularly well. And with whom she had a secret attraction. The other was a much more mature woman - in her forties perhaps - with jet-black hair and hard features, stern and not very inclined to sentimental displays, who didn't always put her at ease. She was the High Priestess of the Coven. Leonore.
The Corvus Ara Pan was dedicated to the cult of Pan, the Greek god of nature, hunting and sexual pleasures. This last subject had not been discussed much by her future sisters. The aspirants knew as little as possible until the big night.
Serona had dressed up in a beautiful black dress and elegant ankle boots to look her best. Taking her little Clio, the car of a broke student, she drove to the meeting point, on the edge of a forest over an hour's drive away. Her GPS had struggled to find a route to this obviously remote spot. The Coven had a taste for mystery, and she was hardly surprised...
The car struggled to get onto a dirt track, while the surrounding forest, dark and wild, seemed to swallow it up as quickly as the sun. Serona couldn't help but feel apprehensive: she hadn't been given any details of the ceremony and even Elya, who by nature was so talkative, had remained silent when she asked her about it.
Secrecy was sacred among witches.
Elya appeared in the distance, at the edge of a clearing. Her face was strangely closed, straight as a line. Dressed rather scantily, to Serona's astonishment. She parked a little further on and came over to say hello.
- "Hi Elya, I've finally arrived! Are you sure you're OK?"
- "Good evening Serona, come with me" replied the Viking, rather formally.
Taking her by the hand, Elya pulled her friend into the woods and said not another word on the short journey that separated them from a very ancient building made up of dolmens. A long stone staircase led to an underground passageway and Elya grabbed a torch provided for this purpose to lead the aspirant along.
After a few steps, she arrived in a sort of inner courtyard ringed with ancient torches casting a soft light over the thousand-year-old moss-covered stones. A large circular stone served as an altar, while twelve flat, elongated stones resembled small beds that were no doubt very uncomfortable. These were arranged to form what Serona guessed to be an ancient model of clock or sundial.
Leonore was placed in the centre, dressed in a long ceremonial outfit. Elya placed Serona at six o'clock, while she stood next to her at the previous stone, the 5th.
Serona noticed that there were no longer just three of them. Ten other women were standing like her, each in their own place. Despite the darkness, she could make out their faces, half-covered by bonnets. Some were young, others much younger. They all looked very different but had the same solemn, pious air.
The sisters waited in almost total silence, while Léonore stared at the ceiling in diligent prayer. Soon, the Moon projected its light into the room through the entrance to the sanctuary. Serona was overwhelmed by such beauty.
- "My sisters, let us gather together where it all began," called the High Priestess solemnly.
The twelve women advanced towards Léonore, walking without deviating from their hourly position. Elya nodded to Serona, inviting her to do the same. The High Priestess cast a motherly glance at each of them, including the new aspirant, before turning to face the twelve o'clock woman, who was clearly quite old.
- "We are here to welcome aspirant Serona to our sorority and perform the Grand Rite for our sister Eliane."
After staring at Eliane, who had bowed to the mistress of ceremonies, Léonore turned back to Serona, speaking to her with authority in her voice.
- "Aspirant Serona, you have passed the tests and the gods have agreed to your initiation into their secrets. Like every other sister here, you will take the sacred oath and swear never to say a single word, otherwise your fate will be worse than death."
A long shiver of anxiety ran down the aspirant's spine.
- "By taking the oath, you will become our sister. You will shed your blood for us, just as we will shed our blood for you. You will enjoy the honour and protection of Pan, our Lord, as well as the other ancient gods, praised be they."
And they all spoke out in unison.
