Abandoned Witch (Shadow Claw Book 6)

by Sarah J. Stone

  She wanted to ask her what Ivanna was doing there, and how she’d gotten there in the first place. But the fatigue overtook her, and she couldn’t help lying down and closing her eyes, allowing sleep to embrace her.

  She woke up to the ground moving gently beneath her. Her bedding was pretty fluffy this time and she found the peculiar. She opened her eyes to see brown everywhere. Straightening up she found herself on the back of a large beast. Ivanna was leading it, and her cubs happily followed her and she would place berries or pieces of meat on their noses every now and then. The girl was settled comfortably on the back of a large dog. Very large. It was even bigger than Ivanna herself.

  The girl yawned and rubbed the sleep away from her eyes, laying her head again against the beast’s back and letting herself rejuvenate. It was fun being carried. She wished it could be like this every time she wanted to go somewhere.

  “That’s a hell-hound,” Ivanna started, sensing her awake, “Witches summon them for their protection. You’ll learn to summon your own one day. They even help you find your mate when the time is right.”

  “What’s a mate?” she asked sleepily.

  “They are the person who you spend the rest of your life with once you find them,” Ivanna stated and the girl made a face. Ivanna looked back and laughed at the look. “Don’t worry, it’s not like you have to if you don’t want to or aren’t ready. That’s up to you, but they’re the only one who are perfect for you if you wish to commit to someone.”

  “I don’t need anybody,” she mumbled, “I have Yin and Yang. They’re all I need.”

  “You’re not the only one who feels that way,” Ivanna admitted, “And that’s a good thing. You don’t have a mate because you need them, but because you want them, to take care of them and all. If you don’t feel that way, then it’s all right.”

  “How old do I need to be to find them?”

  “After puberty seems about right,” Ivanna replied, “It’s only after puberty does anyone find their mate. Oh, fun fact: Your mate need not necessarily be a witch himself, either.”

  “How does that even work?”

  “One person has powers, the other doesn’t,” Ivanna stated. “Their child may or may not have powers, either.”

  “Do witches need to have children?”

  “Not if they don’t want to. You have the right to say no to anything you don’t want,” Ivanna said, “It’s your mate’s duty to listen to you because it’s your body that bears the brunt of it all anyway.”

  The girl liked the sound of it already, and wished her experience would be just as good there. But she wasn’t interested in finding a mate one bit. She had to practice the art of witchcraft and become powerful. Powerful enough for people to think a hundred times before they tried to hurt her.

  Chapter 7

  It took a whole day to get there, and they had to take occasional breaks to eat and rest. The girl couldn’t seem to get enough sleep at all and spent most of the journey snoozing away. She had left everything behind on Ivanna’s request who had promised her new things. It confused Ivanna that the child held literally no attachment to any of her possessions. Everyone got possessive of what they owned, but she readily left everything behind upon Ivanna’s request.

  Maybe it isn’t the first time she’s had to do it, she thought a little sadly. The girl seemed no older than ten at the very least. At ten, Ivanna was already far ahead of everyone else in her class and called to Morrigan to train under her. At ten, this girl was making sacrifices simply to live. Life was so unfair to some, but Ivanna could tell this child had suffered all this to face a lot of greatness later in life. She had no doubt about it.

  Nighttime falls and they have to set up camp to sleep it away. It was cool, with pleasant breezes brushing past them. It was a good night for good sleep. Ivanna put up a barrier around them all and started to put together a tent, offering it to the girl, but she refused and took to the trees. Ivanna kept watch over her until she fell asleep, then went inside the tent to lie down herself. She heard the cubs climbing the tree the girl was on, and she checked again to find them settling onto her to make sure she did not fall off.

  The both of them really are her familiars. She hadn’t come across anyone who had more than one familiar previously. And the girl had the most beautiful of familiars. She knew taking her to the community would stir up a lot of hatred and jealousy, but she was sure the girl would be able to handle it. Ivanna only hoped she understood how cold-hearted she herself had to become to be able to fit into the community and deal with its people. Morrigan was training Ivanna to be the next in line and it was important for her to build an image and connections. Her public image played an important role in earning everyone’s respect and getting them to follow her orders. And most of the people in her community were not the kindest of people.

  They woke up bright and early the next morning, and the girl seemed more than ready to walk with them this time. And the community wasn’t very far off anymore. Ivanna knew it was about ten minutes from the last checkpoint they had crossed. They were marked to guide witches back if lost. What made her curious was how the girl had never wandered far enough, or never felt the need to migrate within the forest to have stumbled upon the community yet.

  They made it there in record time. The community was a large city enclosed within a compound invisible to the human eye. They crossed the barrier that tricked humans to keep them away from the community, and stood in front of two large metal gates guarded by two women.

  “It’s me,” Ivanna said taking her hood off. They let her pass, no questions asked. The metal gates swung open slowly and she beckoned the girl and her cubs after her into the place. The girl followed silently and shyly past the guards and into the place. They eyed her up and down critically before going back to their own business. They did not seem as nice as Ivanna and that upset her a little. She hoped the rest weren’t like that.

  The community is just like a small town, with dainty houses lined up in sections, parks, a plaza that held bazaars and other shops, restaurants and what not. It was a pretty place and well kept. Trees of various colors sprouted about. Birds chirped in their nests and flew overhead. A few cats would appear and disappear here and there.

  The people walked around casually in nice clothes. Dresses, jeans and t-shirts, skirts, boots, heels, and all that the girl could and could not name. But they all looked at her, scrutinizing. She didn’t like that one bit. It didn’t seem like people over here were nice at all. There were kids, smaller than her, as old as her, and older than her pointing and snickering, and she felt very self-conscious. She was dirty, frail, and in tattered clothes. She was aware that she hadn’t made the best first impression upon the people of this community.

  “Ignore them,” Ivanna whispered to her as she held her hand gently, “They really have nothing else to do with their lives. You’re better than they are.”

  The cubs whined at the way the people were looking at them, so the girl picked them up and held them close to her, making sure they didn’t feel too unsafe with their surroundings.

  They soon reached a beautiful villa. The girl followed Ivanna up to the front porch where she had proceeded to ring the bell. A man opened the door and he looked much like Ivanna, with rust colored hair and deep green eyes set in a face just as pale as Ivanna’s. The girl knew instantly that he was her father.

  “You’re home later than I expected,” he said making way for them, “Who’s this?”

  “A little one I found in the woods living amongst animals. Seems like she’d been there a long time. Could we set up a bath for her?”

  “Sure,” her father said, “I’ll get your mother to in the meantime. Hungry?”

  “Very,” Ivanna groaned, “but a bath is in order for the little one first.”

  ****

  The girl had never come across so many bubbles in her life. At least, she didn’t think so. Her memories were still locked away and she was
sure there should be something in them related to this. She scrubbed herself clean and rubbed shampoo in her hair. The bathroom was so nice and relaxing that she didn’t really want to leave it. It took a lot of scrubbing to get the dirt out of everywhere, and at one point, Ivanna’s mother came in to help. She used a sponge, and did so very gently. The soft massage almost put her to sleep, and the mother laughed. Once done, she was wrapped up and dried in fluffy towels, clothed in soft, warm clothes, and sent off to sleep in their guest room. The girl hadn’t slept all that well in such a long time. And no dreams or memories bothered her. She felt safe in this house, and at ease. She almost cried at the kindness she was receiving, scared it was all a dream. That it would all disappear.

  ****

  “She was all alone?” her father inquired.

  “It was very obvious,” Ivanna said pouring her parents cups of tea as an orange and white snake slithered across her neck and chest, “No one but animals. She lived off berries, hunted for meat, and drank water from a nearby stream. I inspected her life tree a bit and figured that she’d been this way for, I think, six months?”

  Odd, the snake spoke in her head, My companions originate from the same forest and would have told me of her.

  She probably scared them off, Rye, Ivanna admitted to her familiar, She’s a very good hunter who kept intruders at bay.

  “What had happened to her?” her mother asked.

  “That, I couldn’t tell,” Ivanna shrugged, “but for her to function right, her tree felt it was important her memories had to be locked away. It must’ve been really bad for her.”

  “Let’s just hope this place isn’t as cruel.” Her father sighed. “People are shit here.”

  She seems like the kind who’ll handle it well here, Rye admitted and Ivanna nodded at him.

  “She’ll be okay here,” she said. “I feel she has a strong personality. She just needs someone to care for her, even if it’s just one person.”

  The cubs came rolling down the stairs, squealing as the tumbled over each other. It startled everyone, but the two went on playing, not caring.

  Argh, we have children to deal with, Rye groaned and Ivanna knew he could feel the dubiousness in her.

  Bruh, do you know how much trouble you were as a baby?

  All right, fine, Rye sighed. Pray I don’t go too hungry to devour them one day.

  “She has two familiars, by the way,” Ivanna stated. “Never seen anyone with two, have you?”

  “Never!” her mother gasped, “This is astounding!”

  Well, fuck.

  Good grief, Rye, shut up.

  “Must be because the bears have one soul split in half between each other,” her father stated.

  Her mother piped in, “I’ve heard of it happen before more commonly in the older witches’ familiars until it stopped happening two centuries ago. It was frequent because they all used to be more powerful back then. They didn’t use the easier shortcuts we do, like chanting and ingredients.”

  “They used solely their body movements, yes?” Ivanna inquired as the snake slid off her, “And they had to be very precise.”

  “Yes.”

  “Because that’s exactly what the child did,” she admitted while eyeing the snake and cubs, “When I found her, she was going to attack me. I knew she was a witch by the smell of her so I attacked. I didn’t know she was feral, or that she could use her powers this way.”

  “Ivanna, you need to be careful with what you say,” her father hissed as he leaned forward, “Even the walls have ears. Are you sure about this?”

  “I fought with her, Dad.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course, I know what I’m saying.”

  “Will you tell Morrigan?” her mother whispered.

  “It’s a necessity,” Ivanna’s voice lowered, “She might not be allowed to participate with all the other witches at school. She’ll be targeted. Morrigan will make sure she’ll be respected instead. Maybe she could figure out how to train her.”

  “What if she uses her?” her father shot, “That’s exactly why Nina ran away.”

  “Nina ran away because she found out the truth,” she explained, “And I don’t blame her. But Morrigan didn’t use her, not then, at least.”

  “I hope you aren’t defending that woman.”

  “No, Dad.” She sighed. “You know I have plans of my own to fix this community once I take over.”

  With a satisfied grunt, he leaned back and sipped his tea, “I hope the girl is a good contribution, then. I wouldn’t trust this community with her, though.”

  “She could be relocated elsewhere in the future,” Ivanna suggested, “but she has a long way to go before anything can be decided. For one, she needs a name. And a home. Also, she can’t go to the orphanage with the way she is.”

  She looked at her parents pointedly, hoping they would understand what she was asking and accept the responsibility. Ivanna wasn’t the one to ask for much. She rarely ever did. She understood this was too large a request she was making, and it would take large hearts to accept it.

  “You want us to adopt her?”

  “It’s not like it takes a lot to raise a child in this community,” she negotiated, “Our education and healthcare is pretty much free. We just need to give her a room, food three times a day, and a little attention. What else do children ever want, anyway? I don’t think she would ask for much.”

  Her parents contemplated it, and Ivanna continued speaking, “I earn most of the bread for this family now. If anything, I’ll be the one handling the expenses, and almost half of it goes into savings because we don’t know what to do with it.”

  “Well,” her mother started, “It doesn’t seem like a bad idea, I guess. We don’t want her potential falling into the wrong hands.”

  “Having another daughter would be nice,” her father agreed, “A change would be nice.”

  “It’s settled then?”

  “Yes.” Her mother nodded. “We’ll have her given an identity and adopt her as soon as possible.”

  Ivanna smiled at them gratefully.

  ****

  The girl woke up in a daze with her cubs settled onto her stomach and thighs. She forgot where she was and almost jumped out of bed, but her heart calmed down as soon as she recognized the place. Familiar voices from yesterday came from outside the room, along with the soft clinks and clanks of plates and pans. Delicious smells wafted into the room, teasing her nostrils.

  Bacon.

  Her stomach growled and she covered it with her arms as the pangs hit her, making her mouth water. Ivanna walked into the room with a smile, “Hey, you’re awake! Wash up and come out for breakfast. Your plate’s ready. Oh, and there’s a new toothbrush inside for you.”

  The girl nodded and rushed to the bathroom to wash up. Drying herself properly, she headed to where the smells were coming from. Her cubs whined for her and she had to go back and pick them up, carrying them with her. Ivanna looked up when the girl walked in and she couldn’t help smiling at the sight.

  “Hey, you two,” Ivanna called to the cubs. She pointed to a corner of the room where a large bowls of meat and water sat. The cubs ran toward their meal with happy squeals and Ivanna grinned.

  A snake slithered out from under Ivanna’s sleeve and up her arm. The girl almost fell back in alarm. It seemed Ivanna was communicating with it telepathically. It must be her familiar. She sent the snake away elsewhere for breakfast, and it slithered away gracefully.

  The girl watched it all carefully. Ivanna really was a nice person. A super nice one. It was starting to intimidate her, but when she looked over and raised her eyebrows in question, still smiling, the girl knew she didn’t have much to be suspicious of.

  “Eat up, little one,” she told her. “We have a lot to do today.”

  The girl picked up the fork and knife, vaguely coming to remember how to use them. She took a careful bite of the eggs, chewing it slowly. As much as she wanted
to scarf it down like an animal, she felt awkward doing so in front of other people. But the flavors were exploding deliciously in her mouth and the corners of her jaw tingled. She took a restrained bite of the sausages and bacon, too.

  “Here, have some juice,” the mother said as she placed a glass by her plate, “I’ll get you some more breakfast.”

  The girl could not deny she had a large appetite ever since she met Ivanna. She hadn’t had good food in so long, and now she was craving all she could eat. And the hospitality of this family was making her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, just the way it was after the bath last night. Her eyes watered, and she wanted to hold back. Ivanna noticed and sat back, waiting for the first tear to slip past. And when it did, she stood up and held the girl gently as she sobbed into her shoulder. The father came closer and patted her head.

  “There, there,” the mother came in rushing, gathering the girl in her arms for Ivanna.

  “I’m sorry,” the girl choked.

  “It’s okay to cry, sweetie,” the mother said, “It’s good, actually! Boosts your immune system and keeps you from getting sick, you know?”

  “I-I haven’t gotten sick yet,” she hiccupped, “I think?”

  “Well, we’ll have to look into that later.” The mother laughed as she rubbed her back. “But you should cry a little more. You’ll like the food more.”

  So, the girl cried into her chest. She’d been so alone, only caring for the other animals, but never having anyone to hold her this way, to scrub her clean, and to run their hand over her hair to soothe her. The mother rubbed her shoulders, trying to calm her down and it seemed to be working, because her sobs were slowly drying away. The mother’s shirt had been stained with large blotches of her tears, but she didn’t mind one bit.

  The girl hiccupped and the mother pulled away to pour her some water, still holding onto the child with one arm. She helped her drink and told her that they’d go out to get her some things as soon as she was done eating. The girl nodded and went back to her breakfast quietly. The mother rubbed her back, and left to help husband wash the dishes after a last squeeze of her small shoulders. She heated up the other plate of breakfast for the girl and swapped the plate once done. She dug into that, too. This hunger was insatiable.