The Grand Dame

The "adults" never pay attention; they never have and never will. I will always be a child to them, even when I have finally joined their ranks. But today, I don't mind. They're all "too busy", whispering in every corner, ignorant of where I go or what I do. Too busy to notice me sneak up the stairs and slip into the Grand Dame's room to be with the only person that matters right now: Grandma Ilza.

"Rany Leigh... is that you?" The gentle creak of the hinges gives me away. "Um-hm." I turn to look at her. "Yes, it is you. Only you would want to be with this old hag on her death bed."

"Don't say that Nana. Some of these people may just be busy or don't want to bother you." I was never good at lying, even a white lie to comfort my dying grandmother, except with humans and our existence in their world.

"Amaranth Leigh La Morte! Do not fool yourself. Better yet, don't make a fool of yourself by lying to your Grand Dame. I know you better than anyone, even your parents, and I know you know better. A brood of vipers waits outside that door, those scheming Mortimuses, desperate Morticiuses, and low-life Mortimers. All of them, weak, waiting for me to draw my last breath, hoping for a small portion of the vast estate. Oh, to be full of strength one last time, to make them quiver and shake, stutter and stumble over their explanations and apologies." She slumps back into her pillows, spent from her exertion.

"To be fair, Nana Ilza, you don't look sick or old." It's true; I wasn't just sucking up to be her favorite grandchild. Her skin was barely touched by wrinkles, save around her piercing, narrow eyes. Her hair was barely turning gray. Only if you looked into her eyes could you see how tired she was.

"Mmm...Kind of you to say so, dearest. Yes, being a witch does have its perks, as does being a coven's Grand Dame. But at the end of it all, you face this: the horde of near and distant relatives, scrounging for every last bit of inheritance that does not rightly belong to them, willing to use any means to get even a cent of it. Every witch from across the country with even the faintest trace of La Morte blood has come to see the Grand Dame die, with hopes that they will be the next."

'They can all try,' I think to myself, 'but they must not know the laws of ascension, laws laid down by the first Grand Dame, Avalyn La Morte.'

To qualify as an heir of the La Morte seat is fairly simple yet few qualify anymore. Only a woman can ascend, as is with almost every coven, but, most importantly, she has to be a La Morte. Not a Mortimus, Morticius, or Mortimer but a pure La Morte, a name passed down from mother to daughter, from Grand Dame to Grand Dame.

My thoughts are interrupted by a ragged cough as Nana props herself up slowly, more color leaving her already pale face. "Listen to me carefully, my little Rany. My time here is almost at an end and the strength of our coven lies in the balance. " Hot tears begin to roll down my cheeks. Cursing internally, I brush them away quickly. I swore I would show Nana that I wasn't weak. "It's alright, Amaranth. Cry now while I still can feel what you feel. Save your strength for snakes in this den." I chuckle lightly as the tears continue to roll freely onto the bed.

"Now, Amaranth, listen to me carefully. You have to go. My time is almost over and I do not want you in this room at the end. Stay strong, if not for you then for me, and trust no one in these walls, not even your family."

The chill in her words froze me in my place, unable to move, to leave her. She calls my name, soft but sharp, breaking my daze. I turn towards the door and stand to leave but her sudden grasp stops me.

"Not that way. They'll see you. Take the passage in the closet down into the side yard. Do not raise any suspicion." I numbly nod and walk over to the closet. Behind old gowns and flowing skirts, a narrow passage of stairs descends into darkness. I take a few steps in then look back. Grandma Ilza does not look back but gazes proudly at the door, waiting for what is about to come. I quickly arrange the clothes back in front of the passage before anyone can come in and leave my nana one last time. As I step out into the side yard, a commotion is starting to build up in the house.

'She's gone.'

Silent tears are shed in the shadow of my old home as I utter an old spell of blessing and rest on my grandmother's spirit. 'Stay strong for Nana and trust no one in these walls,' I repeat to myself, wiping away the tears and steeling myself for the reading of the will.

I enter the house, the tension palpable and thicker than before, and find my family just before the Grim Master arrives. The crowd of relatives and distant relations continue their whispering as three figures descend the stairs: the Grim Master, the officiant of a witch's last rites and official reader of the last will and testament, and two women.

Three raps on the hard, wood floor called the crowd of witches to attention.

"To all present, I ask a moment of silence as I read the final wishes of one of this age's finest witches and Grand Dames." One of the women moved forward and handed him a sealed document.

Breaking the wax seal, the Grim Master unfolded the will and began to read. "Thus reads the Grand Dame's will:

The last will and testament of Ilzabelle Avaria La Morte, 55th Grand Dame of the La Morte Coven, witnessed by Lessa DeNoir of Coven Black and So Chi Lueng of the Lueng Coven. My last wishes, written herein, signed and sealed in blood.

I, Ilzabelle Avaria La Morte, choose to continue in the ways and traditions of old, laid down by Grand Dame Avalyn La Morte, first of this Coven. So will my estate be set in order:

First, the heads of the Mortimus, Morticius, and Mortimer branches will each receive a district seat across the continent: Mortimus to the North in Canada, Morticius to the South in Texas, and Mortimer to the West in Oregon. All members of each branch will move with their heads, save one, who will serve as a representative of each branch on the counsel of the next Grand Dame.

Secondly, the coven seat and ancestral home to the East in Lexington, Kentucky, will belong entirely to my successor, with all that they entail. This includes the running of all La Morte estates and land, which consists of the district seats and the Lexington manor. All decisions concerning La Morte land shall be made by her.

Lastly, it is my wish that the Arcane chest found in my armoire, and the contents within, be passed on to my eldest granddaughter, Amaranth Leigh La Morte.

Thus concludes my dying wishes, signed and sealed in blood. Should any break this will, your fate lies in the hands of Coven Black and the Lueng Coven. You have been given fair warning. My love goes with you all.

Signed, Grand Dame Ilzabelle Avaria La Morte

A heavy silence hangs in the room. Grandma's will was nowhere near what we expected. In all honesty, it could have been worse. But... she didn't name the heir, the ascending Grand Dame.

Whispering and murmurs begin to bubble in the crowd. Some are even shouting at the Grim Master and the two witnesses, asking for proof of authenticity. And some are looking at me.

"What's in the chest that Ilza left specific instruction for it?" yelled someone from across the room.

"Forget the chest, Lucia. We need to know who the next Grand Dame will be. The coven cannot go leaderless!"

The shouting began to melt into overall chaos, members from every generation raising their objections. As people clamored to get to the Grim Master, one of the witnesses stealthily stepped into the crowd, making her way to me. "Come with me," she whispered gently, pulling me towards the stairs. "But my parents..."

"No! She instructed it had to be you, alone. Now come before all hell breaks loose." Seeing the desperate look in her eyes and realizing the anger that was building up in the crowd, I took her hand and let her lead me, back to the Grand Dame's room. Inside, the other witness, Lessa DeNoir, had already produced the chest and waited for my arrival. She handed me a small, jeweled key with a curt nod then exited the room with So Chi. "This you must do alone, young one. It is the way."

'The way? What could she possibly be talking about?' With the two women gone, I slide the key into the chest lock slowly, unsure of what awaits me inside. The gears inside are a little stiff. 'This must be ages old,' I think to myself. With a little extra pressure, the key turns and I lift the lid. Jewels and family heirlooms are piled on top of each other; sparkly bits and bobs roll to the edges as I move them around. Digging deeper in the chest, my fingers brush against cool leather then grasp at a papery edge. With some effort, I pull a small, leather notebook, all black with red gilding on the edges of the paper. I slowly open the book to see my grandmother's slanted script.

'By this time, my dearest Rany, I expect the whole coven is in an uproar over the contents of my will. And, though they seem to be their worst at this moment, it would have been far worse had I done it any other way. I'm sure you realize now that I have chosen you. You are my successor; you possess the level-headedness this role requires. Of course, the rest of the coven will ask about the money. In truth, dear, there isn't much money. In holding with tradition, you are only inheriting $20,000, just as I and the Dame's before did; the foundation for your ascension. It is your turn to make a name as the La Morte Grand Dame. But first, you must find where I have hidden it, a task that you are more than ready for. Stay strong. All my love, Nana Ilza."

The page that followed gave me the instructions necessary to finding my inheritance but the rest of the book was grandma's knowledge, advice, and favorite spells, compiled just for me. A single tear broke loose thinking of her final gift to me. Flipping back to the first pages, I let my grandmother's words sink in. 'I am Amaranth Leigh La Morte, 56th Grand Dame of the La Morte Coven.'