‘Auntie M. Auntie M what’s going on?’

The lethargy I was feeling right now was awful. My limbs were still feeling all wobbly and jelly like and I felt drained and a bit dopey; like I was coming to from a three day long sleep.

Duncan had me in his arms, much like how Arne had my Aunt in his arms. We were sat just outside the strange little entrance to Bruce’s underground lair. Everyone except a few of my coven had cleared off; the were wolves, the warlock coven and Arne’s clan of vampires who had all come out to help us had gone home. Only Mai and my cousins Molly and Macy were left and they were busy tending to the women we had rescued and Francesca, who was actually quiet for a change. My friends however were making their way over to me, both Katie and Victoria weren’t looking their best and probably weren’t feeling their best either, not surprising since they had both been kidnapped and held hostage by a demon worshipping psychopath.

‘Hey, Maddie.’ Katie spoke to me in a soft voice. She sounded tired and hurt. I tried my best to sit upright and just about managed with Duncan helping me; he let me lean my head on his shoulder and put his arm around my waist so I didn’t slide down.

‘Hey guys.’ I managed to croak out. I looked at both of them trying to figure out what they were both going to say about what had happened.

‘So…’ Victoria started. ‘I don’t know what that was or…’

‘What the hell just happened Maddie?’ Katie finished off Victoria’s sentence for her. They both wanted an explanation, but the tones of their voices didn’t seem to be aggressive or anything; maybe more concerned or curious. I know I would be if I had witnessed all that and didn’t know what the deal was. I glanced over to my Aunt who was conscious, but practically immobile. She had been listening to Katie and Victoria and told me what to do in my head with our telepathy.

‘You can tell them now Maddie. It’s what happens next that determines if they’re allowed to know what you are.’

I wasn’t sure about what she meant by “what happens next” but I’m sure I would find out soon enough; mainly because there were only a few of us hanging around now and it was only a few of us from the coven and two of our vampire acquaintances.

‘That was…’ I trailed off, trying to find the words. I decided to go with the “supernatural shit for dummies” abridged version. ‘Um... basically you were abducted by demon worshipping nutcase who wanted to sacrifice you all to an actual demon, creatures that go bump in the night actually exist and me and my Aunt come from a long line of witches who’ve been around for well, fucking forever.’

I received blank stares from Katie and Victoria. Of course they needed some time to process what I had just told them.

‘Well, that seems to line up with um… what was going on.’ Said Victoria. We all went silent again for a moment.

‘I’m sorry guys. I wasn’t allowed to tell you anything. Humans aren’t supposed to know about… any of this.’

‘I can understand why I guess.’ Said Katie. ‘So, what happens now?’

I shrugged my shoulders. ‘I’m not sure to be honest. My Aunt knows.’

‘Katie and Victoria have a decision to make. They can forget everything up to the point that Baal was conjured and not know what we are, or they can keep their memories. The Council will handle it.’

‘And that it? Doesn’t something happen if they keep their memories of it all and us?’

‘Of course something happens. If the Council of Covens find out or sense that they’ve been gobbing off about our world, an absolute bitch of a curse comes in to play. And when I mean a bitch of a curse, it always ends in death. This is why we try and keep all this a secret from friends and family.’

I could feel Katie and Victoria’s eyes watching my Aunt and I as we stared at each other, having our little psychic conversation. I just needed to know a bit more.

‘So, forget everything and not spend the rest of their lives in fear of monsters and demons… or…’

‘Know absolutely everything, potentially get roped in to whatever dangerous shit happens and still possibly die from a curse if they tell anyone else.’

‘Okay Auntie M.’

‘At the end of the day it’s their choice Maddie. But they may only get this one chance, the Council will not keep allowing anything like this to happen. Ultimately the less they know the better, though funnily enough it’s easier to keep loved ones safe if they do know, but…’

‘I guess knowing can take it’s toll on them eventually?’

‘Sometimes it’s a bit too much for a human mind to take. And when that happens, their memories will be forcibly tampered with or they’ll be cursed.’

‘I take it the others won’t get a choice?’ I asked my Aunt. I already knew the answer but I figured getting a proper answer would confirm it.

‘They won’t. They’ll have their memories erased. Knowing our world is a privilege and if any close friends or family take it on, they have to know there are consequences.’

‘Fucking hell Auntie M, it’s never simple for us is it?’

‘Better get used to it kiddo. You’ll be knackered, physically injured, mentally scarred. Weird shit will happen all the time with no warning or no real explanation or reason. And if Katie and Victoria go along with it, they’ll get all that too. You need to explain this to them, thoroughly and with haste before the council get here.’

Katie and Victoria had been silently staring and waiting while I had that telepathic conversation with my Aunt. She was now on the verge of passing out again, I could tell as her energy levels seemed to be dipping.

‘What happened there?’ Katie asked me as she looked over to my Aunt who was making herself comfortable as she could again with her head in Arne’s lap.

‘Oh, just a conversation with my Aunt. Like, telepathically.’

I didn’t really get a reaction from either Katie or Victoria. I think they had heard and seen enough weird shit today to know this was routine. I prepared myself for a moment before I pushed myself up a bit with what little strength I had, to tell my best friends what they needed to know before the Council of Covens arrived to take care of the situation. We had taken care of everything up to this moment and now, the council would take over and do damage control or something. I sighed and took in a deep breath, I now had to have a very important chat with my friends.