The Witch's Graduation

Her breasts were large, high, and firm, the nipples slightly crinkled. Her stomach was softly rounded, with only a few faint stretch marks to show that she had borne three children. Her limbs were smooth and clean, her shoulders tan and bare. In her eyes was wisdom, and, as she caught Steve's eye for the smallest moment, the slightest glimpse of immense humor.

Steve's pulse thundered in his ears, and he was suddenly caught in a grip of desire greater than he had ever experienced. He wanted to run. He wanted to take her in his arms and protect her. And he wanted to throw her on the floor and rut with her like a beast. His phallus surged in his slacks, painfully erect, wanting to do nothing more than to sow his seed in her fertile garden

He must have twitched, for his hands were caught in a strong grip, one on each side. "Leave if you must," Hilda breathed in his ear, fingers tight around his, "but do not approach her when she speaks for the Goddess." When he looked down at her, he saw that her face was flushed and rapt with awe, and that the fingers of her free hand were trembling with some unnamed emotion. He closed his eyes, fighting his lust, and slowly brought himself under control.

"We have come," Claire said, her voice deeper than normal, and Steve opened his eyes. "We have come to celebrate two of our number today. Two who have recently passed out of childhood, and have taken the first few steps of their next journey.

"Tonight we formally welcome them into the Chamberlain Coven. Tonight we bestow our blessings upon them. Susanna Ariel Chamberlain and John Robert Chamberlain, come forward."

John and Susanna turned to each other. Without a wasted motion, they unzipped each others' gowns, and stepped out of them, leaving them puddled on the floor. Steve stood, numb, and looked at the beautiful curves of Susanna's back and buttocks as she stood nude in front of him, facing her mother. Dry-mouthed, he somehow forced his eyes to stay steady and not drift lower.

"Naked you came into this world, naked you will leave it. Naked you will be brought into our coven. Let the blessings begin," said Claire.

Sybil stepped forward and poured liquid from a mug into a wooden bowl. "A drink of Water, so that you may never thirst." She handed them the bowl, and each took a ritual sip. She then drank herself. After, the bowl passed to Claire, and then down the row of witnesses. When it came time for Steve to sip, he found the water ice-cold and sweet.

Agatha was next. She draped garlands of flowers over the heads of John and Susanna. "As the mistress of Air, a sweet scent, shaped into a crown." The bowl was passed down the line until they all wore flowers in their hair.

Eleanor let go of Steve's hand and walked to her brother and sister solemnly. "In joy at your strong Spirits, a blessing of health, so your bodies may be as strong as your souls." She traced a pattern on each of their chests, and then that of their mother. When she came to Steve, she looked in his eyes for permission. When he nodded, her face broke into a beautiful smile as her fingers danced lightly across his shirt.

Hilda was next. "As a servant of Fire, a candle, a token of the warmth of home and the flames of passion, made by your kin and blessed with their love." From a bundle of cloth she brought out long slim candles, smelling of lavender.

Claire turned to the bowl of fruit and vegetables. "From the Earth that brought us forth, the bounty of our garden. Take it and never hunger." Each of them chose an item. The strawberry was sweet in Steve's mouth.

As each one of the Chamberlain women came forward, Steve sensed a gathering power in the air. At the same time, his vision began to catch sparks of radiance around him. Points of light were shining from every direction. He blinked, and suddenly understood. The jewelry the women wore was glowing. It was at Agatha's wrist, and around Sybil's neck. An earring that Hilda wore, and at Eleanor's navel. And lastly, on the silver fillet worn by Claire.

The pentacles of the coven were welcoming the new members.

Claire bent to the altar and brought forth silver chains. From the middle of each one came a glow that matched the ones that each of the women bore. She draped them around the necks of her children.

"Stand forward. The coven increases."

"The coven increases!" It was shout of joy from five throats.

With a smile, Claire bent to her daughter's face. Catching her cheeks in her hands, she kissed her thoroughly on the mouth. She then turned to John, who laid his hands on her hips and gave her a long, deep, lover's kiss. As they turned in each others' arms, Steve caught an unwilling glimpse of John's rigid cock brushing against his mother's belly.

So that's how it is, he thought, beyond shock. He felt the eyes of the coven upon him, and with them, a slew of emotions. How would he react? Revulsion? Outrage? Contempt?

He turned and faced them.

"Not my business," he said softly and backed up a step, so that the newest members of the coven could be greeted by their family.

With a feeling of ritual, Susanna and John embraced each of their relatives. To Steve's astonishment, John gave the same lover's kiss to every one of his relatives.

Every. Single. One.

And every single one of them returned it with a passion that made him sick with envy. For Susie, the kisses were happy and welcoming, though much more restrained. However, in the cases of Hilda and Eleanor, he thought he saw more than a hint that they would have liked to go further, if there was an opportunity.

Feeling increasingly awkward, he had just put his hand on the doorknob to exit the chapel when Susanna's clear voice rang clear.

"Steve! You come back here this instant! You are not going to leave this room until you have given me my kiss!"

Bless you, child, Claire thought. She had been anxious with fear throughout the ritual. Despite her brave words to Sybil earlier in the week, she was terribly worried that the ceremony would drive Steve away from them. Would his obvious fondness for them be able to withstand the hammer blow of living with a family that was openly incestuous? And would he be so jealous at John's relationship with Eleanor, who he openly adored, that he would be driven away from them? To lose him at this juncture could well be catastrophic, for both the coven and for him.

But it would take a hard man to resist Susie's joy, clear as spring sunshine. Steve stopped in the doorway and turned, confusion warring with embarrassment in his face as she stood in front of him, splendidly nude, hands fisted on her hips. Outside, the thunder, which had been rising throughout the ceremony, gave a strong peal.

"Well?" she asked, a golden-haired pixie, flowers in her hair like a crown.

Steve gestured to the coven, "But I'm not..."

"Not what?" she asked impatiently. "Not my friend? If that's true, go to hell, Steve. Otherwise," her voice softened, "shut up and kiss me."

She reached her hands up to his shoulders and gently pulled him down to her. She raised her face to his as his hands tentatively nestled around her waist.

With the entire coven watching, Susanna Chamberlain kissed Steven Johnson.

Lightning flashed and thunder crashed. Under Steve's lips, Susanna's mouth opened, and her tongue touched his delicately. His cock, which had stayed stiffly erect throughout the ceremony, brushed against her belly, seeking release from the chafing barrier of his slacks. His arms tightened around her waist briefly, then eased, and let her go.

When they parted, Susie's eyes were shining. One hand came up and cupped her breast, where her nipple was standing proudly erect.

"Whoa," she said. She glanced at the rest of her relatives with a wicked smile. Claire could not help but notice how the petals of her sex had unfurled.

"Well," Susie said cheerfully. "I better get dressed. The pizza is going to be her soon!" She darted out of the room and ran upstairs.

Turning from the enthralling sight of Susie's bouncing ass, Steve found himself face-to-face with John.

"Uhmmmm...So do we kiss, or what?"

"Screw you," John said, and drew him into a hug. Steve tried to ignore the pressure of John's erect cock.

"Sorry about that, man," John said, with a wry glance to his groin. He gave a wave to the rest of the family. "But can you really blame me?"

"Well, no, but...you have to admit, this is a hell of a thing to spring on someone."

"I agree," said a soft voice near his ear. He started violently, then relaxed as he saw Claire. She was still wearing her priestess regalia. "But we couldn't think of a better way to do it. We wanted to make you aware of how we lived, so that you would have a clear choice about whether to stay with us. But can you imagine," she smiled, "how that conversation might go? 'By the way, Steve, before you agree to move in, be advised that my son is sleeping with all of the female members of his family'. That's the sort of thing that can make someone a little bit nervous."

"I can see how that would be a problem," Steve agreed solemnly, then did a double take. "All of them?"

"Well, not Aunt Sybil right now," John said with a shrug. "But the rest, yeah."

Steve shook his head. "I must be losing my mind. Is there an explanation for this somewhere, or does every group of pagans, or witches, or whatever you guys call yourselves do this? And what was the deal with Susanna just now?"

"We'll explain, but not now," Claire said, as another flash of lightning illuminated the room. "John, go get some clothes on before the pizza guy gets here. I have to change, too. The rest of you, put some music on and get the plates out. We are going to party tonight!" With a wide grin she swept out of the room.

Chapter 7

A short while later, Steve was sitting on the couch. Sybil had commandeered the stereo system, and had loaded up a bunch of CDs, so the greatest hits of the nineteen-eighties were playing. Though he could still see sporadic flashes of lightning outside, the storm seemed to have passed by.

He felt a body settle in beside him. Turning his head, he saw Eleanor. Her sweet face was filled with sympathy, but there was no shame in her expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I..." he shook his head. "I don't know. I knew your family was close. And I thought there was something odd about the way you all dressed so...provocatively. But I never guessed anything like this."

"Good," Eleanor said firmly. "We don't want anyone guessing the truth about us." Hilda sat down on the other side of Steve, a beer in one hand. The other rested on Steve's thigh, dangerously near his groin.

"Where's my kiss?" she whispered huskily, her hot breath tickling his ear. She leaned into him, the firm press of her breast setting him aflame. "I'm much better at it than Susie is."

"Back off, tramp," snarled Eleanor, and Steve was taken aback at how angry she sounded.

"I saw him first, remember? And it's not like you are doing anything with him."

"You..."

Ding-dong, the doorbell rang.

"Pizza man!" shouted Agatha from the kitchen. Thinking quickly, Steve jumped out of the couch and jogged to the front door. Agatha was happily chatting with the delivery man, damp from the rain. A name tag on his chest read "Owen".

"Okay, we've got four large pizzas here for Chamberlain. One pepperoni, one Italian sausage and mushroom, one green pepper, onion, and bacon, and one buffalo chicken and onion. Two orders of bread sticks, three bottles of pop, and one order of fried mushrooms. That'll be fifty-four twenty-seven.

"Hey," he said, peering at Agatha as she counted out the money into his hand. "Don't you work at that bookshop and antique place downtown?" He smiled as she nodded. "I knew it! I bought some books for my mom's birthday there a few weeks ago. You've got some cool stuff."

"You haven't seen the half of it," giggled Susie, who had come downstairs. "We tell fortunes, too. You will soon meet a tall, dark stranger," she intoned ominously.

"You will go on a mysterious journey," continued Agatha with a smile.

"Your magic numbers are thirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-six," said Hilda, as the rest of the family broke into laughter. Owen grinned and ran for his car, holding the bag over his head as the rain came sheeting down harder.

Sybil came up to Steve as he was filling a paper plate with pizza. "Were the girls giving you a rough time in there?" she asked, concern plain in her face.

"More like they were about to give each other a rough time," Steve said, taking a bite out of a bread stick. "It was almost as if they were fighting over me," he finished disbelievingly.

"Is that so hard to imagine?" Sybil said. "You're their age, reasonably attractive, well-mannered, intelligent, even a bit funny when you relax a bit.

"And you have an...aura...around you. It draws people like us closer to you."

Steve snorted. "Auras. Don't take this the wrong way, Miss Chamberlain, but I don't believe in that sort of stuff." From the corner of his eye, he could see John and Claire coming downstairs.

"No? Just watch. Don't move, don't say anything. Watch how the girls gather around you and John."

It was almost like a dance, Steve thought later. Hilda, Agatha, Eleanor, Susanna, even Claire. They came spiraling in around John and himself like planets in decaying orbits. Then they would shake themselves and move away. Occasionally, there would be a spat as two of them met.

"We have to get this settled soon," sighed Sybil, as lightning flashed brighter. Eleanor and Susanna were bickering across the table from them, ignoring their food.

Suddenly a weight landed in Steve's lap. Hilda settled her weight across his legs, her shirt unbuttoned to the waist. She took his hand and laid it on one tan breast.

"Hilda Chamberlain, what the fuck do you think you are doing?" exclaimed Sybil, white with rage. "This is not what we agreed on!"

Hilda tossed her head. "I have decided otherwise, Mother," she said. "All you do is talk and talk and talk, and arrange this boy's life for him. Has anyone asked him what he wants?

"Well, I'm not going to sit around any longer. He is going to have a choice.

"Steve, would you like to go downstairs and fuck? Fuck me, I mean, and not one of the rest of these tight-asses? Though we might get Eleanor or Susie to join in, if we ask nicely."

His hand clenched convulsively on her breast. His mouth opened, though he had no idea what he was about to say.

KA-WHAM!!!

A searing bolt of lightning struck mere yards from the house, instantaneous with a deafening clap of thunder. The lights went out and the music died with a mangled squawk. When his eyes adjusted, Claire was at the head of the table, her amulet glowing slightly, shaking with anger, though her voice was calm.

"Hilda, that was ill-done. The Coven acts in concert, not at the whim of one woman. We decided what course we were going to take. What gives you the right to interfere this way?"

Hilda's jaw flopped helplessly, and she looked down in shame.

"I know. I know, dearest. You can't help yourself. Of all of us, you are the one most sensitive to his power.

"But we are going to settle the matter tonight, as agreed. Go and get some candles from the chapel."

Trying to restore her dignity, Hilda walked away. She returned with a handful of candles, which she placed in front of Claire with an ungracious thump.

Claire passed a candle to Sybil and smiled at her.

"Light it."

"First lessons, eh, sis?" Sybil smiled. She snapped her fingers above the wick and the candle sprang to life, clear yellow flame burning.

Steve gasped. Claire passed candles to the rest.

"Light them."

One by one, the members of the coven lit the candles without the aid of matches or cigarette lighters. When seven candles were burning on the table, Claire passed a candle to Steve.

"Light it."

"What? No. I can't do that. I don't know how you are doing that. It's a magic trick, right?"

"It's a magic trick," agreed Eleanor, and he relaxed. "Magic, in that it can only been done by those with the inborn power to do so; and a trick, because even with the power, you won't be able to do it unless you know you can.

"You have the power, Steven," she said, her eyes sympathetic. "As do we. We were born with it, the same as you. Light the candle. All it takes is an effort of your will."

This is stupid, he thought. Even if they have some sort of magic power, I sure as hell don't. Don't I?

His mind cast through the events of the past few weeks. The mysterious occurrences which Claire and Susanna refused to explain. The conversations that were chopped off whenever he entered a room. The hot stares he had received from Eleanor, Hilda, even from Claire over the past several days.

Doesn't hurt to try, I guess. He took up a candle and closed his eyes. Holding it a few inches from his lips, he focused his will and gently blew, as if he were making a birthday wish in reverse.

There was a collective gasp, then a mighty cheer.

When he opened his eyes the candle was burning jubilantly, flame dancing on the wick.

Hands trembling, he set it down on a plate of half-eaten pizza.

"Okay," he said, his voice almost steady, "suppose that someone tells me exactly what the heck is going on?"

"I suppose we should, Sis," said Sybil, her eyes merry as she gave Steve's arm a squeeze. "The boy's so worked up he said heck."

%%%

Over the next half hour, Claire explained it all, with plenty of help from the rest of the family. The origin of the coven. Crossing, and what it meant. How their sexual energy was channeled for the work of the Goddess. The need of men of power to sire the next generation, and the fact that it was Steve's power which first brought him to the attention of the coven. John's mating with the four younger women, and how it was not viable long-term. The long, centuries-old feud with the Dark One.

"Does this mean you only brought me here because of...because of my power?" he asked, disappointment plain in his face.

"I knew he was going to ask that," sighed Hilda. She had reluctantly buttoned up her shirt, but kept her position by Steve. "No, you dope. It was your power that brought you to our attention. But I would have tried to help anyone who was being treated the way Grant treated you. At least I hope I would," she said, looking down at her lap.

"So...now what?" Steve asked. "I mean, where do we go from here?" he said, looking around the table in obvious confusion. "What do you want from me? To join the coven? To give..." He stuttered, "to give one of you a baby? To marry one of you?"

"Goddess, that sounds familiar," muttered John. He grinned as Steve slanted a scowl at him.

"We don't want anything you are not willing to give," Agatha said firmly. Steve jumped, as she had been the quietest one throughout the evening. "What we would like, though," she continued frankly, "is to fuck you."

Steve gaped.

"Goddess, yes," Hilda moaned. Her erect nipples pushed lewdly at the front of her shirt. Steve's fingers itched, wanting to pull it off.

"One at a time would be preferable, at least as far as I am concerned," Agatha continued, "and I don't think that Hilda and Eleanor are willing to share you with each other. At least not at first," she said, as the two girls glared at each other. "But Susanna might like to join in. Or watch. She's kind of pervy that way," she finished, as Susanna flushed scarlet.

"But not right now," said Claire, as Steve sighed in relief. "Right now we have another matter to attend to, though it also concerns Steven here." The lights came back on. "Oh, good. Susie, could you turn down the stereo? I would rather not shout about this."