The Witch Tamer, Book 1

by Naosu N R

But knowing how hard and crooked she was made it hard to like her any, even her looks. I still tried to hide it.

  "I just want to keep it simple. You don't need to do anything for me. Really," I said.

  "There must be something," she frowned.

  "I just want a peaceful life and to be free."

  That made her mad I think, but she tried to hide it and left. She looked annoyed when she left. I heard her muttering something when she was walking off, not happy, but didn't catch what it was.

  ...

  I went down to the dinner table with the others.

  Because I have to. I have to blend in and buy time while I grow up.

  So I stay as quiet as possible and try to not be noticed. I can't have them know how I think either.

  Our family is very old fashioned in a lot of ways. They do sit down dinners together, with high class china and silverware. The house is also an older house for old money, from when our family first came to this world, though it has been modernized.

  We have old values and strong sense of culture.

  But there's complications. I already know my family is evil. I'd seen the subtle aspects of it for some time. I'd tried to not get in on it. But its getting harder. They keep tempting me.

  Dinner goes as normal.

  "Well that was a wonderful dinner. Thanks. And thanks for your hard work dad and mom in providing for us," I said. I stood to go back to my room.

  "Wait. Stop!" dad said. He has that tone. He's not angry, but his will is absolute in our family.

  "Is everything OK, dad?" I asked calmly, acting innocent.

  "We want to talk to you. Your brothers can stay also. As long as they can behave," he added.

  That made me nervous.

  My older brothers aren't good at all.

  The first is Ryan. Then there's Diego. Both already are young magitek using dungeon classes studying under dad and mom. I've known about this for a bit, though I'm not supposed to. But they are just terrible at hiding their practice and a little vain about it also. It was because of them being sloppy that I already knew some of the family secrets.

  I was born last.

  But I'm not spoiled.

  I grew up knowing something was wrong with them. And that made me considerably conservative my whole life.

  Mom must have read me a bit too well, because now she's smoothing things over. "Don't worry Jay. We're not upset. This is what families do. They talk. Right honey?" she put her hand on dad's shoulder.

  "Right. So what do you want for your birthday?" dad asked.

  "..."

  "Its OK, little bro. don't be shy," Ryan said.

  Both of them nodded. They seem eager. Too eager.

  This is a bit tempting. They would do anything practically. Birthdays at our house are huge big money items; because that's how they win us over. Birthday gifts like a new car, a gym, or a kitchen upgrade have happened in the past to several people, not just mom.

  "Well for 18th birthday, what did you guys ask for?" I asked Ryan first.

  "You already know. Dad got me a Lamborghini. Fully paid for I might add. And it has all the extras," Ryan said.

  "Yeah, you know that already. He also got me a penthouse. My own place that I don't have to share with the title all free and clear. No mortgage. Its pretty awesome actually. I should show it to you some time but I need to clean up after the wild parties," Diego said with a smile.

  "But was that what you asked for, compared to what you actually got?" I said.

  "Oh! I see what you mean. Don't worry, Dad is pretty generous. You just have to agree to work with the family business," Ryan smiled big. (He glanced at Dad for approval.)

  Dad nodded.

  Looks staged. He told him to say that. They aren't that good at hiding it.

  Another temptation recruitment scheme?

  Its not the first time they'd pulled something like this.

  "And you work for the family business also?" I asked Diego.

  "Of course! Brother! You won't believe how profitable it is! Dad's business is really well off. You should join too. It will be great," Diego said.

  Sure...join the evil kingdom.

  "I need some time to think about it. I'm not really sure that's what I want," I said.

  Mom and dad's reactions were frowns just then.

  "Don't get mad. I'm a kid still," I told them. (Well technically, I'll be 18 years old this week basically. But its better if they think of it this way.)

  "Son, please. Your father has been wanting to work with you for quite awhile. Won't you honor him and join the family business?" mother asked tiredly. "Please think about it."

  "Son. I have a spot open as my right hand man. Naturally, there would be some time needed to accomplish all of this and train up. But look how well off your brothers are already. Both of them are making big money now, and able to achieve the life they want. They are also leveling up and getting strong also," dad said waving to them.

  "I kind of want to do my own thing. Sorry Dad. I really appreciate you guys. And I won't talk about the family secrets. I feel really grateful to you and mom. But I'm not ready for that and live free. I want to study for awhile also and enjoy life," I said.

  Dad sort of lost his temper and ended up picking up one of the crystal glasses and threw it against the wall angry with the hardened glass shattering. Mom tried to calm him down and is trying to encourage him to 'not lose control'. He left the room swearing loudly. "So ungrateful! Damn it!"

  Mom is saying something to him and calming him.

  My brothers looked worried. In fact, they look at me like I have the biggest pair of balls they'd ever seen and the most courageous.

  "I can't believe you said that to him openly," Ryan said with big eyes.

  "Whoa. He's going to be mad for awhile," the other brother said. "Won't be my fault if something happens."

  There's a cold chill in the room now.

  I ended up leaving the room. And I was surprised I had the courage to do that.

  But I didn't want to live like them. Their actions had serious consequences, meaning they'd have to do certain things, bad things to get that wealth.

  And I really believed if I held out I could find my own way. But it wouldn't be easy.

  My hand was trembling slightly from standing up to them.

  I had stunned all of them. My brothers in particular couldn't believe that I'd rejected dad and mom.

  They hadn't thought that I'd be able to walk away from all their toys and wealth so easily.

  But now I began to worry even more. The pressure was sure to go up with my 18th birthday in a few days. For many years, it was a tradition in our family that you became a man on the 18th birthday and joined the family business.

  THE family business, where all the people in our clan work at.

  Its expected.

  Dad's brothers also were in on it. I hadn't seen them in years actually. And I'm not even sure what they are all doing now.

  Grandfather also had led dad into this, though he was passed away.

  I went to my room quietly trying to not be seen again for the rest of the night. There, I locked my room door while feeling a bit scared. The older I got, the more risk there was in staying here. They will try to recruit me soon.

  I could hear mom and dad arguing downstairs; arguing about me and what to do with me.

  They didn't know I could hear them through the AC floor vent, if I opened it up all the way and had my ear next to it.

  "What will we do if he doesn't join? This is a complete mess!" I heard dad saying.

  "We can get him to join. We just need to hit the right 'hiring package' buttons, babe. Everyone has their price. Don't worry too much. But don't drive him away. We have to be careful about this. He's not like our other kids," mom told him.

  Swearing... followed by...

  "Why can't he be more like Diego?! Son of a bitch! What a waste of talent!" dad was yelling.

  Mom said something that I can't hear th
rough the vent then. "I don't know if I want him to be as extreme as Diego..."

  "Yeah I know what you mean. Cleaning up his messes is getting harder each year," dad said in a lower tone.

  "But he has the most early initial magic affinity of any of us! I've already scanned him! We have to get him to join, if anything just to preserve and hold the line! But who knows how much other potential he has! If he's stronger than both of us were at his age, it could be the ticket to winning back the old lands our clan used to own! This world is so barren of magic that every year its harder and harder for the family to build skills!" I heard dad yelling.

  "I know! I hear you! I'm with you on this. But you can't get mad or blow up at him. Try to be reasonable and calm down. You'll lose him if you try to take it by force," mom was telling him.

  "So we have to figure out what he wants and likes. Tempt him with a carrot, not a whip," mom said.

  That was the last part I could hear.

  But it worried me and fascinated me both at the same time.

  What was that part about winning back 'our old lands our clan used to own'?

  That part about them thinking I had higher initial magic affinity than the others was interesting.

  Magitek again?

  They sometimes talk about magitek also. But they never do it openly. That has me curious. And I'd not known what dad just said about my affinity for it being higher than the others. They are so bad at keeping the secret though.

  I hope Diego didn't hear that. If he did, he'll retaliate for it, even though I didn't cause it.

  "Don't worry. We just have to find the right temptations and he's ours," mom said.

  Uh oh.

  Temptations?

  I began to feel nervous.

  Chapter 3

  Fed Surveillance Van point of view

  "Well, did you get that on the recorder?" one of the feds said to the other.

  "I did. They were definitely talking about magitek again! Don't worry we got that part recorded. Its the first time I think they had their guard down. Something must have upset them today. Unfortunately the recording got all staticky and left out all the good parts, which is a problem. So this won't even get us an arrest, but at least we know there's something fishy going on with them. We don't know what upset them. I don't know why it did that. Its a new unit too. Just tested. The maintenance guys hate us for complaining that they can't do their job right. The recording on magitek just now, is not enough to hold them or incriminate them," the one said.

  "Magitek should be illegal, or government only," one said in the van.

  "No way. Then we'd be just like them," a more reasonable guy argued back.

  "Uh oh. The connection is getting staticky again," one said, tapping the side of the recording box, since it was acting up again.

  "Darn machines. Seriously I'm so tired of this. The maintenance department is shit too. Every time we're about to record something good, the machines start crapping out. Then they claim they fixed it and return it to us with the same problems," one said while tapping the side of the computer and then the monitors in the van.

  "Didn't you have them serviced like we asked?" the other asked.

  "Yes, twice over! That's what I just said! And that one machine's never even been used! But every time we come here the machines act up!" one is on the verge of swearing and hitting the equipment, but the others calmed them down.

  "Quiet guys. you're too loud," one said.

  "So they think this Jay kid has more potential than the rest of the family? And they want to recruit him," one said.

  "We can't let them get their hooks into him. If he's got more magitek than others we should try to win him over to our side," the one said.

  Some of the others agreed, also inside the surveillance van.

  But one didn't.

  "I don't know. His whole family is bad to the core. It would be difficult to handle all that. The cards are really stacked against him. If everyone in the family is in this business, then how would he not be not just tempted, but feel there was 'no choice but to give in'?" the one replied.

  "Ah, man. You just gave me a headache thinking about it."

  "It would be difficult to not give in with a situation like that."

  "We have to ask these kinds of questions," the one said.

  "Is there someone we can use to flip the kid to our side maybe?" one of them asked.

  "What you mean like use a female agent to be his girlfriend or something and leak us info?" one said.

  "Hey, that's a good idea!" one of them said. He shifted forward to the edge of his seat, finally hoping they'd made a break through.

  "Hm...it might work but its messy to play people like that. Sooner or later the cards come out. Then they realize you played them. What happens when she wants to move on to another assignment and leave him alone. Then you have a new enemy," another said.

  "You're right. That never works. Its just on TV," the other scoffed.

  "Yeah, but look we've been months doing surveillance on the house. And we still don't have anything to incriminate them yet. But always the pattern looks like they are the ones involved with this stuff. We have to do this. There just aren't any other options," the one said.

  "But as far as we know the younger son doesn't even know much. He's not involved. We can't dig his hole deeper for our own gain," one complained.

  "We do need to find a way in. The damages caused by this group keep piling up also. We have to prove this is one of the magitek cartels. If we can't stop them, then we'll be letting criminals have their way," the one said.

  "Boss, you have to try it. We're never going to make a break through otherwise," one of them said.

  "I-I'll have to get permission from upstairs. We're already over budget on this project with nothing to show."

  "But the tips all say..."

  "Tips from rival criminals? Like you can really trust them," one scoffed.

  "Just try it. We need an inside man, err, in this case a woman. Someone to win him over to our side."

  "It may take some time to find the right candidate," one said.

  "No promises."

  "Yeah, I get it."

  ...

  Jay point of view

  The next day things were moving quickly.

  I did my studies and came home from school. Its already just past 4 PM.

  I began working hard on homework. I did my math work especially. Then I went down to the gym. (Dad's house is pretty damn big. The gym itself is bigger than some peoples living rooms.) I often release stress in the family gym, in the basement.

  4:03 PM

  I got quick snack from the maid, a good sandwich and a soda, made just the way I like and with quality. Then I began doing homework with my food in my room on a plate on the desk next to me as I wolf it down, and listen to internet videos on the things I'm studying.

  Then I let out a belch by accident after a sip from the soda. Everyone does it. Admit it. And rest from all that exercise.

  I don't flirt with the maid even though she's rather beautiful looking and a short skirt. It would just be another family trouble issue if I did, that would pull me into evil also. Plus, I think dad sometimes is playing with her on the side, even though mom knows about it, but tolerates it for some reason?

  4:32 PM

  Run on treadmill again.

  4:51 PM

  Lift weights

  ...

  It was then after I'd gotten out of the shower, that I was surprised when Dad came to see me.

  "How are you doing son?" he asked.

  "G-good. And you? How was work?" I asked.

  "Great! We made a lot of money today! It was awesome. I made a nice bonus today alone. Tomorrow also is going to be good," he then stopped.

  "I see..."

  "You could come to work for me. I pay well, very well in fact. Especially I pay well for high performing clan members and family," he chuckled lightly. "Ask anyone."

  We're looking at each
other awkwardly. Its like he wants to talk to me, but doesn't know what to say.

  "You worked hard to give us a nice house dad. You have a lot of skills. Thanks for being a good provider. And I'm grateful for you," I said, to mitigate the damage of rejecting him.