I had a spring in my step at work on Saturday. Seri looked at me weirdly, desperate to discover what made me happy. When there was a pause in customers, she pounced.
“Okay. Spill it,” she cornered me in the stock room.
“Nothing to spill. I just woke up on the right side of the bed.”
‘In the right bed.’ I smiled.
Her eyes narrowed, “Uh huh,” she drawled.
I winked at her and walked past to stock up the cups.
I heard an audible gasp before she scurried to me and whispered, “Have you?” with a pointed look.
I laughed, “No.”
Her head went limp in disappointment, “You mean to tell me you had an empty house, and nothing happened?”
“He was a gentleman,” I continued to smile.
“Sure, the long game. I get it… It’s a matter of time.”
I laughed and heard the bell jingled. I got up to serve the new customers.
“Welcome. What can I get you?”
“Lexi? I don’t recognise you with that hat!”
I looked up properly this time, “Oh! Hi Tiffany!” I greeted.
The new head cheerleader smiled, she was in her cheer uniform, seems they are practicing over the weekend. The blue and silver colours of our school made stark contrast against her mocha skin and her amber eyes seemed to glow.
“How long have you worked here?” she asked eagerly over the counter.
“About a year, but I only work weekends.”
“Ah! I don’t normally come in on Saturdays.” She smiled and contemplated the board.
The bell jingled again; looking up, I noticed a small group of people enter. One of them I recognised as Tiffany’s brother.
“I'll have a hot chocolate.”
“With cream?”
“No, thanks.” She turned to her brother, “What do you want?”
He and the others in the group added to their order. I helped Seri make the drinks and overheard their conversation while waiting. The gaggle of boy’s were not very good at talking in hushed voices, we could still hear them.
“Did you hear what happened at Jack’s last week?”
“Yeah. Apparently, they were two witches.”
Seri’s hand momentarily faulted, nearly dropping the milk carton, and we shared a look as they spoke. They were talking about her and Quinn.
“No way! I didn’t know there were witches in Pendle… Someone has a death wish. Jack is not going to like that it happened in his place.”
“Right? That’s not all… It’s been happening everywhere, not just to these witches… Humans and Fae have been reporting things too.”
My eyebrows furrowed as I continued to mindlessly make the coffee.
“Is it just one group?”
“So they say... After the truce, no vamp dares to cross the line.”
I waited a few moments before placing their orders on the table, “Enjoy!”
No one else was at the counter. I looked at Seri as I went to the back, and she followed.
“Seems like word spreads fast,” I muttered quietly with a hand on my cheek.
“How did they know about Jack’s?” Seri asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
“Tiffany is from a wolf family.”
“Really?”
“You’re surprised?”
“Wow, I need to pay attention…”
“I think we all need to be careful. Whoever’s responsible doesn’t care about rules or repercussions. Especially now they know you and Quinn are witches. They could bring trouble, and we must stick together. Now more than ever.”
Seri’s face turned grim, and she nodded, “I’ll ring Quinn,” she informed, pulling out her phone.
The situation around Seri’s and Quinn’s experience is not something to take lightly, as there were multiple attacks of vampires feasting. It could get worse.
Making new vampires was not as simple as a bite, killed and then reborn. You needed to drink blood from a witch. Fresh blood. New vamps could hardly control their impulses, and the amount of blood needed depended on the witches power. It was a spell for trouble.
In contract, to make a Werewolf. You need a witch's magic and a tiny bit of blood. However, they can still reproduce normally, so the practice was quickly stopped.
Many Vampires were angry at the treaty, those that rebelled against it, were culled by their own sires. No more witches were bitten for fear of the repercussions, the final record was one hundred and fifty years ago. We had been at peace ever since.
The rest of the day passed quickly, and it was busier than usual, but we had our regular visit from the coven. Quinn told us she had to speak to her dad about what we had heard.
“Is your dad leaving for work any time soon? Don’t want you to be on your own…” I asked Seri, as we shut up the shop.
“No. The next time he’s leaving is after May half term. I’ll let you know if it changes,” she informed, pulling out her phone.
Double-checking the lock, we vacated the premises.
Pendle
With arms folded, he kept himself hidden watching the pair.
“Jackpot,” he humoured.
He took the advice of an unexpected informant and was surprised to find two witches so quickly. He would keep that one close.
They say never to return to the same place twice, but where there were witches, there was a family, and a family meant a coven. He has found his supply.
His ears prickled at the sound of footsteps… well paw-steps, they were still a couple of miles out from him location, but he was in wolfen territory.
Time to move on and lay low, as ordered. He set off walking in the opposite direction of the coffee shop, and dialled a contact in his phone…
Lexi
Sunday was full of preparations for the next full moon in three days. The full moon provided the most energy in the whole calendar month. It was the optimal time to attempt to remove the curse.
Luckily, it was Easter Break for the next two weeks—plenty of time to recharge.
Leo and Noel were helping with the preparations. I sat cross-legged on the floor near the fireplace; Sooty perched on my lap, watching intently—a witch's little helper.
Stirring the cauldron, I added sliced lemon and eggshells to the water.
“Here.”
Leo passed me the crushed cinnamon and cloves.
Thanking him I took it and paused my fingers on the scripture before me.
“Cloves and cinnamon to boost success…Rosemary to cleanse, nettles to purify… Juniper! I need ten juniper berries.”
Noel was closest. Dropping them in individually, I imagined each strand leaving Cynthia back.
Placing the lid on, I elevated it over the fire and let it boil.
“There,” I said.
Sooty quickly moved as I attempted to get up from the floor.
“Okay,” I ticked the items off my fingers, “banishing salt, rose oil, purifying potion, amethyst, amber, wand and athame… Just let this stew for a few hours, and it will be ready.”
I sighed, “Thanks for the help,” I said to all of them, stretching to loosen the kinks in my spine.
Noel breathed a sigh of relief and left the room to Cynthia and Mum in the living room. As I moved to the door, Leo blocked the way.
“Will you be able to do it with the lock?”
I bit my lip, and his head tilted to the side; he knew my unspoken answer.
“Teach me how to do it.” He rolled his sleeves.
I put a hand on his forearm, “No, it’ll be fine,” I reassured, waving it off.
He glanced behind him and shut the door, “What’s your plan?”
He wasn’t accusing; his tone was soft and coaxing.
Busted.
I gave in, “I’m hoping to force his hand,” I admitted, looking down ashamed.
“You mean put yourself in danger? What about Ma?”
“No, I’m hoping it won’t come to that. She’ll be fine. That’s what the wand and athame are for.”
“You’ve prepared this?”
“Yes,” I examined him.
“What if it comes to that? What if you faint?”
“I’ll feel it coming and pause the cleansing. With something like this, taking a couple of sessions is normal anyway. I promise no more danger or harm will come to your mum or her baby.”
“You didn’t answer my question: What if it comes to that?”
What if he refuses to budge?
“Then I must teach you.”
His face turned grim and his eyes hardened, “I don’t like this.”
I took a breath and looked away again, preparing for the lecture.
“We better try and convince him then, hm?”
“We?” I observed his eyes.
“Next time, don’t hide things from me. It won’t work.”
“Sorry,” I murmured, “I already feel guilty… I’m using the situation to my advantage. But if I didn’t…” I trailed off.
“It won’t come again, and you’d be back to pleading,” he finished.
I nodded, chewing my lip. I had to try.
“Hey, I get it. Especially with the fate line trapped.”
He grabbed my hand and drew reassuring strokes with his thumb. I tackled him into a hug, and he chuckled as my eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of warmth filling me.
His phone vibrated from his pocket, and I pulled back just as mine did the same. I looked at him, confused.
“Devan,” he stated looking.
I looked at my phone, “Quinn. Oh gods. Don’t tell me they are arguing again.”
I picked it up, moving to the table, as Leo answered his own.
“Hello?”
“Hey! Jack’s asking for Seri and I to come to the hideout. We thought all of us should go together.”
“All of us, as in…?”
“The boys, too.”
“Ah, is that why Devan is calling Leo?”
“Leo’s there with you, huh?” she queried.
I could tell she was smiling, “Much like Devan is there with you, yes.”
“Touché.”
“It’s a good idea though…What time?”
“About seven?”
“Okay, meet you there.”
Before I hung up, Leo’s hands trapped me at the table. Turning around, he leaned down to my height. I could see a glint in his eyes but said nothing.
“What?”
“Just imagining you in a short dress.”
I smacked his shoulder as he smirked. I thought he would leave, but he shuffled his hands closer together, closing the space I had to move and leaning forward. The glint never left his eyes; it made him seem predatory, but I dared not look away.
I may have omitted some information from Seri; touching was involved the second night, hence my happy mood.
He grabbed my waist and hoisted me onto the table. Pushing my clothed legs to the side, he stood between them and grabbed my neck, kissing me.
I immediately felt the flame in my chest; He’s addictive. My hands traced his shoulders and upper back. Despite the warmth from the love, my skin prickled, and goosebumps erupted.
A book fell from the bookcase, startling us. We both laughed, and he let up, picking up the book.
“It’s your grandma’s,” he said, placing the opened page on the table.
Skimming over it, it was an entry I had yet to see. Getting off the table, I was invested in it after spotting an unfamiliar name.
“Weird, I haven't seen this one, and I’ve glanced through it a couple of times.”
Leo stood next to me, “It’s blank, that’s why.”
I looked at him confused, then back to the book, “You don’t see this writing?”
It was almost ghost-like. He chuckled, making me look back at him.
“Your grandma loves secrets, huh?”
I laughed, “Oh yes. As a kid, I remember she would hide sweets and easter eggs everywhere. I had to find them with what little magic I had.”
I paused, trailing off; I had seen this before.
I placed my hands on the ‘blank’ pages, “Nocht do rúin.”
The pages bled black, and the ink turned black.
“Woah,” Leo said, “Was that Irish?”
“Yeah, Great-Great Grandma settled in England. Selena trained me in her tricks. I just forgot them,” I smirked and read the passage.
2nd February 1953, Imbolc.
My favourite time of the year. Time for change, and I have changed, well, towards Jerrold.
Even though the fear has gone, a new fear comes. I heard from Mother about when soulmates meet, about the fire inside; she tells me it will subside, but it's different for everyone.
It's too overwhelming; I don't know what to do. I cannot help but feel it entrapping, but it’s not inviting, not at all.
Hellfire.
That’s what it felt like.
I cannot help but feel giddy at certain times, but it is truly frightful. I shall have to try, try to find a way.
Oh, goddess, help me.
- Selena
“Jerrold?” I thought out loud, this was now the second time Grandma talked about the unknown man.
“Your grandad?”
I shook my head, “I don’t know, Grandma and Dad never spoke of him… It’s sad reading about her struggle with her fated…”
Leo looked up at me, “Do you feel this way?”
“No,” I smiled and pecked his lips, “I’ll have to try to play about with the spells she taught me…see if I can find out more.” I placed the book back on the shelf.
“What happened to your grandma?”
“She passed away three years ago. She deteriorated after a diagnosis of dementia. She loved to hide things but forgot where she would put them. This book and the necklace were found only recently. Just before you moved in.”
“Impeccable timing… and your dad?”
I grew quieter, “… After Grandma’s funeral, he changed. Withdrew from us. We thought he was grieving in his way. It was only him and Grandma, as far as I know. I don’t know exactly what happened. Nixon told me Dad was found in the forest, covered in blood, trying to bring my grandma back. He was dabbling in blood magic and Necromancy,” I explained softly.
“It took a toll on his body; he died in the hospital after falling into a coma. Whenever we visited him, All I could taste was metal, and my tongue felt furry. I put two and two together…”
“That's how you could tell. The first day we met,” Leo said.
I nodded, “It wasn’t as strong, but yes.”
“I bet Nixon is holding that against you, too, right?”
“He has not said it to my face, but probably.”
“I don’t like him.”
I laughed.
