Coven of Bones #2
*Dubious consent, forced feeding, graphic violence, rough and explicit sexual content, restraint, forced proximity, betrayal, references to past betrayal, knife violence, graphic depictions of blood, and physical harm inflicted upon the main character.
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Have you read the book review without spoilers yet? Read it HERE.
Missed the first in the series? Read The Coven book review HERE, or the Spoiler Report HERE.
Disclaimer: I have read this book of my own volition. Any and all opinions and interpretations contained herein are my own.
The Spoiler Report is a recounting of the major events of the novel mixed with my own interpretation of the meaning and symbolism of events, emotions, and actions. Reading this report is NOT a substitute for reading the actual novel and should not be taken as such. Not every single detail, feeling, and event is divulged within. It is essentially a lengthy outline of the story. Many details and all dialogue have not been included. This report is for those who appreciate knowing what happens or feels they may miss things when reading, or just want to have a detailed overview of a book before, or during, reading.
****THIS REPORT CONTAINS SPOILERS****
50 years ago
Loralei Hecate is being stalked through the halls of her school. She faces her stalker who wishes to use her life as a sacrifice. The stalker pauses as an apparition of another young witch appears to him.
Willow, visiting the past, has captured more than just his eye as she witnesses her aunt’s death until she wakes and vanishes from the past.
Present
(Starting right where the last book left off) Lucifer continues to fill his true form. Willow’s hand marking his chest where she touches him. Lucifer is content to touch her with his body and not some Vessel’s. But Willow just wants to be free of him.
In his anger, he let’s her back away, out of his arms and right into the hands of Beelzebub who promptly breaks her neck, killing her.
Devastated, Gray goes to great lengths to heal her. An excruciating process for Willow.
Once awake, Willow wars with everything that has happened. Discovering Gray, a man she fell in love with, is Lucifer. His plans for her have been extensive and long standing. She helped him break the seal to open the gate of Hell. Dying. Spending the rest of eternity with Lucifer — Gray.
Lucifer forces Willow to continue to rest. Waking, body feeling unsteady, off, Willow escapes Gray’s locked bedroom. Her magic aiding her escape but stopped by Beelzebub. The archdemon thinks the witch has bewitched Gray into loving her and doesn’t trust her at all.
Gary intercedes. Willow unleashes her rage at his actions that have led them to this moment. But everything he has done was to ensure her survival. Reminding her of the dream she had of her aunt’s death that wasn’t a dream.
Still determined to leave, Gray stops her again and takes both of Willow’s magics. He extends a deal so that she can keep her magic. Willow will brave the woods in order to escape. If she makes it to the far edge of the woods, she’s free. If Gray catches her, she must give into him and consummate their marriage. This must be done in his true body, not that of his Vessel. Implying that it makes a difference but doesn’t share any more information with Willow.
They sign the deal in blood and it begins.
Instead of running, Willow talks, trying to understand what Gray really wants, stalling for time as she can reconnect her power to the forest, the earth.
Finally, Willow runs. Gray revels in the feeling of being submerged in her magic. The relationship and love of it.
Waiting for her to stumble into a clearing, Gray is instead met by a Willow puppet made from the forest to distract him. He had grossly underestimated her.
The real Willow is already approaching the edge of the woods. Catching her, Willow struggles against his hold. But her body betrays her, reacting to his touch. The marital bond snaps into place as they consummate their marriage in the woods.
As Gray allows her to take over the consummation, Willow unintentionally marks him as hers in the throws of passion. Hecate’s maze is now burned upon his chest and Willow is officially a Morningstar.
Her dual magics have fully blossomed in her now. She has become what she is meant to be in order to aid Gray in rebuilding the relationship between witches and demons.
A Cursed attacks the two. Gray stops it and holds him as Willow’s Black magic calls to her. An internal battle rages between her internal morals and her true self. With all the flair of Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark, Willow takes the Cursed’s life. Reverting him back into a human. A human that now serves Willow. With another touch, Willow then turns Jonathan from a human into a cat — her familiar.
Willow dreams of her lineage. Female ancestors waiting for her in death. But she is not done in life. Gray may have made her into something new by bringing her back to life, but her original mission has yet to be completed.
While Gray strives to achieve a balanced peaceful existence between witches and Vessels, Willow wants to free all the Vessels and bring the Coven back to what they were meant to be before making a deal with the demons.
Somewhat refreshed, Willow makes her way out of Gray’s room only to find that Leviathan is now her babysitter. Clarifying that keeping her in the room is not meant to be cruel. It’s for her protection. Some of the Coven have declared war against Lucifer and by extension, Willow.
None of the Coven know what really transpired between Willow and Gray to get the seal open. They all assume that she betrayed them purposefully.
Gray finally comes to her in his room, bringing Della, Nova, and Margot, her roommates. Gray and Leviathan give the girls some privacy. Juliet stays with them unobtrusively.
Della and Juliet are now in a relationship. Willow wants to warn her away but realizes that what she had been taught about witches and Vessels might not be the gospel truth.
Confessing what she is and her mission when she entered the school, Willow breaks. He friends prove they are there to support her in anyway they can. They all ultimately want peace and recognize that Willow can make that happen.
Later that night, Juliet returns to speak privately with Gray. She is one of the first demons that Gray created after the fall from grace. She has hope that despite her current rage, Willow will bring balance to their world. And one day will willingly open the seal. Allowing Juliet to regain her true body as Gray did. Then, and only then, will she be able to truly love Della the way she wants to.
Led by the desire, Juliet encourages Gray to open himself up to Willow. Gain her trust as a woman. Essentially, she suggests that he court his wife.
Waking, Willow appreciates that she is still in her clothes despite Gray being wrapped around her in bed. But her mind is still set on defeating him.
Exploiting his weakness, his love for her, to end him. Willow seduces Gray as she has before only demanding she be in control this time. Instead, Willow unknowingly reveals some of the abuse she endured when she was younger. Abuse that was supposed to prepare her to seduce the one that could lead her to the bones of her ancestors.
Willow is shocked that Gray didn’t already know the details of her father’s abusive ways. She blames him having thought that Gray was the one that guided her father to raise her for that purpose. In reality, Gray had told her father to raise her well and love her in preparation for him.
Her father saw Willow as nothing more than a tool in taking down demons and enacting his personal revenge. Willow gives more truths away in the name of revenge. It doesn’t have the desired effect. Gray is now acting more tender and apathetic toward her than he ever has before. Willow’s heart appreciates it.
Dressing formally, Gray allows the Hecate bones to settle around her waist instead of her neck. Slipping a wedding ring and band onto her finger. Promising that one day they will call on the goddess to bless their union. Clear that Willow has no idea the goddess is Gray’s sister. Just another angel no longer welcomed in Heaven.
She was banished for the same reason as Lucifer. He didn’t want to banish free will, per se. He just wanted to make it so humans couldn’t make choices that wouldn’t lead to God. Much like Gray treats Willow. Unable to bear for her not to choose to be with him. But until he gives her the choice, he will never know if she is there because she wants to be.
Willow reminds him of that. Wanting to hurt him. Not expecting how much pain the thought of leaving him would actually hurt her.
Before heading to the Tribunal Room, Willow asks about Gray’s arrangement of her parents. He chose a Green witch for her mother to ensure that Willow would be able to survive him.
Tonight, as they place Willow as head of the Covenant, Gray gives her the choice to present a united front as they start setting the Covenant to work as they were originally meant, or fight him.
As the Coven answers the call and files into the Tribunal Room, Itan confronts them, enraged. Willow proves she is part of the Hecate lineage as well as the Madizza. Showcasing her Black and Green magic. Fashioning a throne worthy of her dual magics.
Presenting a united front, Gray watches as Willow overpowers Itan. Binding him while she brings his betrayal and sins to light. His manipulation of the dead and the Coven. His abuse toward Margot.
Margot stops Willow from hurting him further. Not to save her abuser but needing closer. Needing to hear his confession and see his humiliation before Willow kills him. Forcing him to confess the Covenant and Tribunal members planned to kill all witches and Vessels until they were the only ones left. Claiming all the power for themselves.
Willow’s vines kill Itan. Opening the way for other Coven members to take care of the remaining elders.
Walking out the doors, Willow barricades the exits of the Tribunal Room with her vines. Hoping to buy herself some time. Leviathan is waiting for her in the hall. He doesn’t stop her as she makes her way out of the cemetery — alone.
As soon as she steps onto the cemetery grounds, Loralai appears, telling her she is not ready to put the dead to rest.
Gray approaches, confirming Willow isn’t strong enough to do it alone. But they can do it together. Cutting both their arms to bleed upon the earth. The cemetery takes their blood and doesn’t just raise the dead. Willow accidentally resurrects all 50 witches that have been buried there.
Unable to separate her Black and Green magic—destruction and creation— Willow has been too preoccupied to notice the Covenant has emerged from the Tribunal room and stands witness.
It is Della that is the first one to move. Others follow pledging their loyalty and trust to Willow.
Gray can see that Willow is making plans in her head, thrilled with this new ability. Gray’s heart breaks as he knows he has to be the one to rip it all from her with a dose of reality. A balance must be maintained between life and death.
Lorelai appears again, taking Willow to guide her through laying the dead to rest where they belong.
Gray watches as Willow places each group of witches o rest so their magic is returned to the Source. Restoring balance and stolen power to the Coven.
When she’s done, Willow walks away.
Her and Gray watch the celebrating Coven as they rejoice the returned power they hadn’t even realized had been taken.
Gray and Johnathan, the cat, remind Willow that she is no longer alone in their life.
Taking Jonathan with her, Willow approaches Della, Nova, and Iban. She needs their help sending all the Vessels, archdemons, and Lucifer back to Hell. She is recognizing that it is becoming more difficult to keep Gray out of her heart. Still determined to betray him as fully as he did her.
The three friends don’t question Willow. Iban leads them to a forbidden part of the library. Before reaching the section, the girls uncover the reason Iban has access to such a section that was only for the Covenant.
In return for his discretion the Covenant gave him Willow. Even before she attended Crystal Hollow, Iban was given first dibbs on her. He didn’t think much of it until she arrived. Until he began to know her and the hope Willow had brought with her. Now more than willing to help her banish her husband.
As much as Willow is determined to accomplish that goal, something inside her lurches every time she thinks about actually losing Gray.
Willow finds Charlotte’s diary in the forbidden section. Jonathan, her familiar, is mentioned in it as her accuser. The one that ultimately led to her death.
Finding what he was looking for, Iban shows Willow a picture of a weapon, ‘The Devil Killer’. The blade just happens to be there as well. Killing all the demons, and lucifer, was not what Willow had in mind. When Willow voices her doubts, Iban reminds her what Lucifer has done. But she defends the feelings she admits to having toward Gray.
Unfortunately, she is the only one that can do it, kill Lucifer. Where others have failed, she will succeed. In the end, Willow takes the blade.
Alone, Willow and Iban talk. She is desperate to find another way, another person to do this. She is tired of always carrying so much weight. Iban insists that this is the right choice, the only way to ever free herself from Gray’s manipulations.
He takes the blade from her to ensure that Gray doesn’t find it, spoiling their plans. In doing so, they find themselves in very close proximity to one another. Willow allows him to kiss her, needing to know if what she feels for Gray is genuine or motivated by his compulsion.
Iban isn’t at all what she wants or needs.
Gray watches the interaction with understanding and satisfaction.
Confronting Iban after Willow pushes him away and leaves. Gray is almost amused that the boy interrupted Willow’s reaction as he did. He believes she felt something that would eventually lead her to realize that Gray isn’t everything for her.
Claiming he is the only one who realizes Gray genuinely cares for Willow even though Iban believes he is truly incapable of love. Threatening Gray to use this information against him.
Gray pushes Iban over the stair railing.
Using her Green magic, Willow saves Iban from death. Not that he’s appreciative. Her rejection still stinging.
Brushing Iban’s reaction off, Willow goes to confront Gray with the realization that he knows about the kiss.
When Willow realizes that he didn’t act out of emotional outrage, it is too much for her. Adding to her anger as she learns that Gray is no longer able to use compulsion on her. After he gave her his blood and magic to bring her back from the dead, both now flow through her. Gray can no more compel her as he can himself.
Willow is even more determined to distance herself from Gray. Even though it’s clear she is in deeper than she wants to admit.
Just as much as his magic is in her, hers is in him. So as much as she wants to put a great deal of space between them, when it comes to Gray, he entire being craves him. Responds to him. Her true feelings only surfacing in her primal need to be consumed by him.
Gray exploits that need. Willow thrives under his touch. All this proves to her is that she has to do it. She has to kill Lucifer. Even though she feels the repercussions will ruin her more than Gray’s presence.
She confronts him, needing to say her peace as a last goodbye. Admitting her love for him. And in the same breath resentment of that love. But hearing him admit his feelings gives her happiness. A moment she revels in knowing what she has planned for later that night.
Willow meets Iban at the forbidden section of the library. He has gathered one witch from each legacy house to fill the dagger with power. Upon entering the room, Willow has a momentary vision of an angel.
The witches perform the spell, imbuing their magic into the weapon.
Taking the newly charged blade, Willow finds Gray lounging in his office on the couch. Interpreting her demeanor as a result of her confession earlier.
Pouring all her nerves, guilt, and affection into making love to him. Catching him fully unaware as she stabs him in the heart.
Shock and betrayal fill his eyes. But his chest heals the wound. They finally have the all-out screaming match they have needed have, Resigned, Gray tells her the true purpose of the knife. As well as her purpose since the beginning. Willow dies and Gray follows. He gives her the blade to hold against her own chest. Allow her to truly make a choice.
He doesn’t even flinch when he thinks that she will do it. She is his everything. Death would only mean they would spend and eternity in Hell together.
This is the choice Willow has been wanting. It also proves that he truly does love her. The only one that truly does. Dropping the dagger, Willow allows Gray to lead her into the bedroom to put her back together.
In their blood-soaked clothing, Gray and Willow enter the Tribunal Room. He has Willow summon the Coven. Some of their responses at Willow’s survival is enough for her to realize they knew she would have had to die in order to truly kill Lucifer. She was lied to and manipulated again by the Coven.
The Coven resists Willow permanently taking the Covenant position, especially with Gray at her side. Juliet leads Della and Nova from the room to Willow’s relief.
Leviathan and Beelzebub detain Iban so Gray can get the names of the witches that betrayed Willow. Torturing the names out of him to prove a point. Gray gives Willow the choice not to witness what is to come. She refuses to leave as he knew she would.
Gray takes the witches’ magic and gives it to Willow. Then beheads them all. Willow promises a similar fate to any archdemon or Vessel who acts against what is hers.
Lucifer’s twin brother, Michael, appears to Willow in a dream. Showcasing his disdain for everything she is. Willow stands strong against his righteous, arrogant, judgement.
In the morning Gray brings her breakfast in bed. Their new attempt at trying for a real relationship has Willow hesitating where she normally wouldn’t.
The subject of children is one such area. Willow had never thought a family would be in the realm of possibilities for her. Gray, when he was a Vessel, was unable to reproduce. As an archangel, he absolutely can. But he respects Willow and whatever she chooses now and in the future.
Immersing herself in the Source as she enjoys the garden and cemetery, the Cursed approach – eleven of them. Surrounding her. Willow readies herself for battle. That is not why they are there. Willow could free them as she did Jonathan.
One Cursed steps in close. Touching his cheek, Willow calls on the magic that freed her familiar. The magic that answers is not the same and has a mind of its own. Accepting this Cursed as a suitable sacrifice.
In turn, the Cursed accepts his fate as he is transformed into a tree. The remaining Cursed are consumed by the explosion of greenery from the Cursed tree. A hedge maze is formed. The same maze that Willow branded on Gray’s chest when she unknowingly marked him – Hecate’s Maze.
Walking through the maze, Willow feels its difference from the rest of the world. By the time she reaches the center she understands she is walking into the heart of the Source.
Three statues and three paths of very different natures. Charlotte emerges from one, letting Willow know her purpose is not yet complete.
The Source is also the root of God’s power. He, like most, has turned away from it. Weakening it. Willow must gain that power back for the Source so that they can defeat the angel army.
Three women destined to restore the ultimate balance; Charlotte, Willow, and Willow’s daughter. Charlotte confirms that Lucifer is ignorant of this destiny before leaving her.
Rushing toward and exit, the maze trembles as if reacting to something. Flinging herself out as the maze collapses, landing back into her body where it sat in the same spot before the Cursed approached. All of it merely transpiring within her.
Pulling her hands from the earth, a branch cracks against her head.
Looking down at herself, Willow is covered in scratches and bruises. The seven witches around her, each holding a branch have clearly been whacking her for some time.
After using the Source to distort their weapons, they realize they are not powerful enough to beat Willow with magic. A good ol’ fashioned fist fight it is then. None of them realizing Willow had been training her whole life.
To finish the five witches that didn’t run away, Willow calls on her Black magic to summon the bones of those that lay beneath them to tear her enemy apart.
Stalking toward the Tribunal Room with the intention of summoning the Coven, Willow is stopped by Michael. Turning away from him, Willow runs into Iban who stabs her in the stomach with the enchanted dagger.
Leading her to the Tribunal Room, using her gushing blood to flow over the seal once more. Opening the gate to Hell – again.
Gray is in the middle of class when he feels a stab of pain. Blood pools at his stomach. Immediately knowing it is Willow.
Beelzebub goes with Gray as they make their wat to the Tribunal Room.
Michael brings out Margot, gagged and bound.
Beelzebub flies into the room and sees Margot. Michael throws her into the seal and she falls into Hell. Beelzebub dives in after her.
Gray arrives. Jonathan is with him, shifting into his Cursed form. Willow begs him to help save Margot. He obeys.
Gray faces his brother, confused. They fight.
Silently communicating, Willow and Gray coordinate their attacks against Iban and Michael. Willow pulls the knife from her abdomen and slits Iban’s throat. They both push Michael and Iban through the gate. It accepts Iban as a sacrifice, consuming him.
The seal closes over Michael, Beelzebub, Margot, and Jonathan.
Gray feeds Willow his blood to heal. Willow shares the Three Crones Prophecy with Gray. He is still adamant about giving her the choice of motherhood, destiny be damned.
Back in the privacy of their room, Gray prepares her for a shower. The reality of how close Willow came to dying brings them together.
Willow wants to be able to open the seal again to save her friends. She needs to learn to do it without draining her life first. It will take months at least. Gray assures her that Beelzebub and Jonathan will make sure Margot stays safe.
Today, instead of letting everyone stew in their grief, Gary is going to officially marry Willow with the blessing of the Goddess. Uniting witches and demons.
Before the ceremony begins, Gray has Juliet bring Ash, her little brother, into the Tribunal Room to be a part of the wedding ceremony.
The Goddess appears and gives her blessing.
Margot watches as the seal traps her in Hell. Grabbing Jonathan who is back in cat form, Margot holds onto Beelzebub as he takes flight. Landing them in a Gothic palace where she can patch up his wounds.
She reflects on Beelzebub’s clear interest in her. Guilt that it was her Red lust magic that ensnared him. Stripping him of his free will when it comes to her. If only she can refrain from singing to him and stop touching him, the spell will fade, and he will be free.
