chapter THIRTY-FOUR
The next day, we went back to Vittorio’s for more training. His study looked like something straight out of an exclusive 19th century men’s club in a movie. The walls were lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves, all filled with books; most of the books looked old. A large mahogany desk sat toward the back of the room and was covered with books and papers.
“I hold the position of the La Guardia, the Guardian in my coven, which is the second highest ranking. Traditionally, La Guardia was also responsible for the safety of the Sacerdotessa, though that is mainly a ceremonial role now We are led by the Sacerdotessa, and Sacerdote, who represent the Goddess and God in rituals.”
“Why all the Italian words?”
“My coven was started by Italian immigrants here in Boston in what is now Little Italy. They kept many of the Old Ways when they moved to this country.”
“Is there a female second in command?” I asked, trying hard to commit all this to memory.
“It is not second in command, exactly, but yes. Dama D’onore, The Maiden assists the Sacerdotessa during rituals and maintains the altar. Elizabeth holds that position, and she is now afraid of losing it to you. She was the woman in the group the other night.”
Now I understood why she hated me so much. “Why did Clavius make you the La Guardia? Isn’t Samuel’s power strong, too?”
“Yes, but our powers are different. Clavius believed mine to be more suitable for the position of the La Guardia. Recently, however, Clavius has become very close with Samuel. They claim it is simply because they have both suffered the loss of a loved one, but I wonder if there is something more to it, if Clavius now wishes he had made Samuel La Guardia.” Vittorio looked distant, as if trying to figure out some mystery.
“His mother,” I said, remembering the shrine I’d stumbled upon in his house.
Vittorio nodded.
Wanting to get back to training, I asked, “What do you really do? Is it like in the movies where you all stand around chanting and burning candles and all that stuff?”
“Yes and no. Hollywood tends to glamorize a lot of things. I suppose some would see witchcraft as glamorous, simply because it is so different from what most are used to. It is simply a religion, though, according to many who practice; there are rites, rituals and holidays. When you really look at the practices of the coven, many of the basic beliefs are similar to those of mainstream Christianity. Treat others as you want to be treated, respect for the Divine. It is true that we worship multiple gods. The point is, we are peaceful. What you see in movies often paints witches in a very bad light, which is a pity, because most people do not understand what we truly believe. Yes, we perform rituals, sometimes elaborate ones with many items required. They are similar to Christian prayer, though. We ask for goddess’ or god’s blessing; we thank them when good things happen. We simply base our beliefs on the more tangible aspects of the earth spirits rather than an image of some bearded man sitting on a throne in the clouds.” Vittorio walked to a bookshelf and pulled down two books; one large and old, the other smaller and newer looking.
I laughed at that comparison. “I like the idea of worshipping the earth. I’ve never been keen on the big guy in the sky smiting us when we screw up and all the petty rules supposedly laid out in the Bible.”
“There are rules in witchcraft, but they might be described more accurately as guidelines for living, and they should be common sense. Like I said, treat others as you want to be treated, respect mother earth; these are things any decent person should do on their own anyway.” He handed me the books, then sat again. “You can read these. They should help you understand more and be a good reference. I do not expect you to remember everything all at once.”
“If there is a power struggle in your coven, where would I fit in?”
“I hate to use the terms win or lose, but that is the simplest way to explain it. If I win, there is a chance I will be able to take position of Sacerdote. You would then be in place for Sacerdotessa.” Vittorio reached out to hold my hands.
“Wow.” That was way more responsibility than I wanted. I fought to maintain my cool, shoving panic down before it overwhelmed me.
“The other possibility is that I will remain the La Guardia, but you will have the opportunity to replace Elizabeth as Dama D’onore. You do not have to accept, of course.”
“But?” What more could there be than the possibility of the highest position in the coven?
“If you do not, you will be viewed as weak, which will put you in danger from our enemies. I am truly sorry, mio amore. I wish I did not have to put you in this position.”
I didn’t tell him I agreed. He probably knew already.