The Coven

The air was full of the scent of aromatic herbs. The floor was made of old clay tiles. The solarium of the Wicca Academy reminded Buffy a little of her grandmother's house.

That's where the similarity ended. Her grandmother never had a bubbling cauldron in the middle of her kitchen or a rack of jars labeled "Crocodile Heart" or "Salamander" in her pantry. Well, at least not that Buffy could remember...

Buffy stepped inside and gently closed the door behind her. She was careful not to interrupt the coven meeting. She stood there quietly listening to the soft voices.

"What would you have me do?" asked Prescott.

Laken consulted her grimoire. "Okay, please find Griffin Claw."

Prescott took a container from the shelf and read the label. "Griffin Claw - State: Solid; Claw. Used in: Strengthening Solution when powdered." He nodded knowingly, and added it to the cauldron.

Wicca smiled. "Good job."

Buffy watched as witch after witch each took an item from the shelf and added it to the potion bubbling in the old iron pot.

Desdemona asked, "I see salamander, is that the right one?" She took the bottle from the shelf and read the label, "Salamander Blood.."

"Okay Prescott," said Laken, "something for flavor...pomegranate juice.... and Des excellent work on that blood....it's green so can be tricky for a beginner."

Buffy suddenly headed for the door. She had heard enough. In fact, one could argue that she had heard too much.