The Coven

Willow is shocked by the state of the school’s gardens. Iban says that no one knows what happened to the plants; his only explanation is that the magic at the school is no longer as strong as it once was. She asks him when someone last made an offering to the plants, and he tells her that the Coven forbids this practice. Willow allows the plants to twist around her hands and arms, splitting her skin and taking her blood. Iban is shocked as the leaves and vines turn green again. When Willow sways on her feet, the vines catch her, and she tells Iban that there must be balance; witches must return what they take from the earth. She explains, “It was the symbiotic relationship that a witch was meant to have with her affinity. Harmony, rather than theft” (77). Seeing this relationship makes Iban wish that he had not given up his own magic. When Gray realizes what Willow has done, he offers her his own blood to replenish her strength. She refuses, and he carries her to her dorm room. Willow knows that Gray cannot feel love, but she thinks that she can manipulate his lust for her in order to achieve her goals.