“I’d really like to meet him. He sounds… intriguing.”
“Oh, my yes. He most certainly is intriguing. The Professor isn’t like anyone you’ve ever met.”
“That makes me want to meet him even more.” Her excitement showed. The one person she wanted to meet, stayed away from her. She didn’t understand why he wouldn’t come over the way Ayden did. She pictured him to be short, stout with a trimmed beard… sort of like the college professors you see on TV.
“Enough talk of the Professor. It’s time for dinner.”
CHAPTER 21
THE MARK
Salem was bathed in darkness. Emmy lay down in bed, as thoughts of her day raced through her mind. She was a witch with strong powers… powers she was solely responsible for, but unsure how to control them. How did she get from being a normal thirteen-year-old, to being a witch, and a princess of a coven of witches?
Why hadn’t she known or sensed those powers before now. Grammie spoke of suppressing them, but surely, she should have felt something. How had she gotten through this part of her life, without ever knowing these powers existed? She never even had a sign that made her look differently at herself. The secrets she’d kept from her close friends weighed heavily on her. She was losing them, especially Sarah. She didn’t want that to happen. There had to be a way to keep her friends and still do what she was destined for.
Everything Grammie taught her, she’d mastered, including some things she’d created on her own. She smiled at how much more fun it was, creating new spells and making things work the way she wanted them to. It was more fun than following the rules. Creating her own spells gave her a new outlet. There’s nothing like using one’s powers to make things happen.
If only she could talk to Sarah about this, she believed her friend would understand and accept her, but she’d given her word and as a member of the Coven of Orenda she was bound by oath.
Her thoughts turned from Sarah to Ayden. She had mixed feelings about him. He never spoke about himself to her and was reserved when it came to his past. She knew his parents were also dead, but when she tried to talk to him about them, he changed the subject.
Emmy yawned. Sleep took her away from Salem, and into an unknown place. A place she’d visited once before in the form of a nightmare, but this time, she wasn’t afraid. She understood where she was going, and who she would see. This time everything differed. How could she be asleep and remain conscious enough to understand what she saw and felt in her dream?
She followed the stone wall, and entered a large room. The glass coffin sat on the table and she feared approaching it. The thought of moving closer to a coffin still made her heart flutter and her hands tremble.
Emmy tossed in bed.
Steeling herself, she approached the woman in the glass box. Emmy stared at her and jumped back in fear when her pale blue eyes opened.
“It is time for you to choose your one true path.”
“I don’t understand.”
Emmy rolled over and pulled the blanket around her form. Frost clouded the windows. Puffs of cold breath escaped Emmy’s lips. Her body trembled as cold air swirled around her room and settled upon her small form. She tried to wake up, but couldn’t release her mind from the troubled dream holding her captive.
“Come with me.” The lid to the coffin lifted and released the woman in the long, shimmering silver gown. She led Emmy through the passageway and out the door of the dreary castle.
“How can you leave the castle? I thought you were dead.”
“You released me, so that I may lead you on the next step of your journey.”
“What journey? How can I do something like that?”
“I will help you to become a full-fledged witch.” Celestria looked at Emmy from the top of her head to the bottom of her dress.
Emmy looked down, shocked to see she wore a similar dress as her mother wore, only hers, a deep golden shimmer. “How?”
“This is your rite of passage. It is time for you to see the truth.” She kept walking.
Suddenly, Celestria and Emmaria were alone in a large meadow where flowers abounded in an array of colorful petals, which graced the countryside. Small birds flapped their wings, as they flew toward them, and at the last second turned to fly in the other direction. Mother and daughter stood amidst of the colorful mirage.
“What happens now?”
“You will see.” Celestria raised her hands toward the sun. “Accept this child as our newest sister. She is now and will always be our princess.” Celestria turned around and around, arms held high and in a puff of white smoke, she disappeared.
Emmy stood alone. She wondered what would happen next. Where should she go? She didn’t know what to do. Should she stay here and wait? She wondered if she was expected to do anything.
From a distance, she heard an eagle’s cry. She raised her head toward the sun and shielded her eyes from the bright light. Another screech, and suddenly, large, dark wings came into view. The dark form flew through the sky and shaded the sunlight. Emmy stared, as the graceful bird circled high above her head. Slowly, it descended. Round and round, the bird came closer and closer to Emmy.
Fear crawled through her very being, at the eagle’s proximity. She looked around hoping Celestria would return and guide her further. No one came. The eagle flew at her and circled around her, trying to make her understand he needed to land. Emmy sensed this and held out her arm. The long sleeve of her gown disappeared, and a leather gauntlet appeared. What was happening?
He landed and cried out, as he slowly shrunk and became lighter and lighter, smaller and smaller. Emmy watched in fascination.
The eagle pressed its head against her shoulder and crawled beneath her skin like an unwanted parasite. She screamed as the pain seared her shoulder and arm. Her skin absorbed the eagle and the pain caused her to fall to the ground. A moment later, it slowly subsided. She looked at her arm in wonder and pride.
“You are now one with your guide.” The voice of an absent Celestria spoke into the wind.
Emmy sat up when Grammie burst into the bedroom. “What’s wrong?” She stood next to Emmy’s bed.
“Bad dream.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Grammie sat next to her granddaughter and waited.
“I was with Celestria, although she didn’t act like my mother. She didn’t touch me or hug me. It felt as if we were strangers.”
“Really?” Grammie smiled knowingly. She kept silent giving Emmy a chance to talk. “What happened?”
“Well, we ended up in this field and then Mom disappeared. I was left alone. I was lost and scared.’
“Go on.”
“I heard an eagle’s cry.”
“Eagle? Why that’s wonderful.”
“Why?”
“Please continue.”
“He landed on my arm. I thought he’d be heavy, but he wasn’t. And then, the weirdest thing happened.” Emmy tried to gather her thoughts and say the right words. “He got smaller and smaller. I felt him burrow into my shoulder and arm. I screamed from the pain.”
“Let me see the mark.” Grammie turned on the small lamp, sitting on the night stand.
Emmy opened her pajama top and exposed her shoulder. This was Emmy’s first glance at her witch’s mark. An eagle sat proudly on her shoulder. When she touched it, she winced… the pain still fresh. A moment later, the eagle spread its wings and flew in a circle. It landed in the same spot and brought its wings into its brown and white formidable body. He was beautiful.
“You are a witch and a member of the Coven of Orenda.”
“This is my mark.” Emmy looked at the eagle perched proudly on her shoulder.
“Yes, it is, but more importantly, this eagle is your guide. Whenever you will need his help in making decisions, you will tap into his thoughts, and he will help to guide
you.”
“How can this mark do all that?”
“In time, you’ll find out.”
“This isn’t easy.”
“Nothing worthwhile ever is. Now try and get some sleep.”
“Grammie, Celestria didn’t act as though she was happy to see me? I mean she is my mother.”
“No. In your dream, Celestria was only your guide. This Celestria is not your mother. You’ve seen your mother in the glass coffin, so your imagination produced her to guide you through the initiation, but don’t mistake her form as that of your real mother.”
“I think I understand.”
“Good. Now get some rest.”
“Okay. Goodnight, Grammie.”
“Goodnight Emmy.” Grammie pulled the blanket around her granddaughter. She kissed her forehead and left the room.
Emmy turned off the light and snuggled beneath her covers. Her arm throbbed but it felt better than when the eagle first pierced it, and settled into her soul. She was proud to wear this mark.
Emmy came down the stairs in jeans, tank and short sleeved blouse that belied the journey she undertook last night, when she’d been dressed like a princess. She tied her hair into a ponytail and let it hang past her shoulders.
“Hi Grammie. I guess I overslept.”
Grammie saw the time. “It’s all right Emmy. I wanted you to sleep-in. You had a very busy night.”
“Did you speak with Miss Norris?”
“No. I wanted to be here when you woke.”
“Should I ask why?” Emmy went to the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk. She brought it to the table and sat down. Taking a sip, she waited for Grammie to speak.
“I wanted to make sure you were all right after receiving your mark.”
“I am. I feel different now that I wear this mark.” She pulled her sleeve up and looked at the eagle with pride.
Grammie sat down. With a serious tone, she took Emmy’s hand in hers. “I thought that you produced the image of your mother, but I was wrong. I checked the book and the signs, and that Celestria was your guide, tells me, us, the coven, you are indeed the Valittu. No one has ever been guided by Celestria.”
“And that means what, exactly?”
“What this means, is you will be expected to fulfill a certain destiny,”
“Really? I just woke up. I mean, I’m only thirteen. I’m too young for this kind of destiny. All I want is to graduate with my friends.” Emmy didn’t want to think beyond that. She wanted to go to her graduation with Danny.
“I know, but we are running out of time. With Grisandole and her hags coming closer to discovering your identity, we need to continue with your training.”
“What about my schoolwork? We made a deal.”
“I will see your teacher.”
“Please Grammie. I really want to graduate. This means the world to me.” She didn’t want to miss out on this important night. “Oh, and don’t forget that I have a date.”
“I know. I will see your teacher at lunch time.”
“What will you tell her?”
“Let’s just say, she will understand our position.”
“You’re kidding. Miss Norris?”
“Yes, she is a member of our order. The reason I never spoke to her was that we wanted to keep your identity a secret. But now that you want to continue with your education, I’ll have to trust her.”
“Thanks, Grammie. You’re the best.” Emmy stood and kissed her cheek. “Okay then, let’s get started.” She felt better about her training, but Emmy’s thoughts traveled elsewhere… graduation.
CHAPTER 22
POTIONS
Grammie placed a burner on the table and lit it with a match. She placed a small cast iron cauldron on a rack above the blue flame. She looked around the room and removed a small wicker basket from the cupboard.
Emmy watched wide eyed, as Grammie went outside, and returned, a few minutes later, with a bundle of fresh herbs and flowers from her garden. Without a word, she went to the table and sorted the plants. Something was about to happen.
They were going to attempt a potion today. Grammie mentioned she would escalate her training, and Emmy was excited at the prospect. There were still so many pieces of her existence she barely understood, but as Grammie told her if you don’t try new things, you’re not living. So, she was, willing to try anything that was put to her, no matter how odd it seemed or felt.
“What’s that for?” Emmy couldn’t bear the silence any longer. She was dying to know what she’d be taught today.
“We are going to make a simple potion.” Grammie’s hand never wavered, as she pulled the stems from some of the herbs and the petals from the flowers.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of potion?”
“This one will be a mild love potion.” Grammie proceeded to spread all the ingredients on the table.
“Cool.”
“I want you to pull the petals from these flowers and drop them into the cauldron, as you saw me do. Next, pluck the leaves from the stems and drop them into the pot.”
Grammie explained how the lavender and roses played an integral part in creating this potion. She taught her how to balance the sweetness of the flowers with the bitterness of the herbs. They added some oil and fragrant water. The substance had to boil.
“I want you to keep an eye on your potion so it does not burn. Once the mixture has thickened and only half of the liquid remains, remove it from the flame and extinguish the burner. I trust you to take care of this while I speak with your teacher.”
“Sure thing. I won’t let you down.” She was so excited; her eyes never left the potion.
“Good girl. I want you to continue your readings. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“I will.” She developed a new-found respect for her craft.
Emmy sat down and opened the leather-bound book. She scanned the pages. Here was a spell she could try. She removed a large beeswax candle from Grammie’s special cupboard and placed it on the candleholder. She sat back down, looked at the book and turned toward the candle. She whispered, Illuminata, and expelled a soft breath. A flame came to life and ignited the wick.
Excited, she decided to try something else. She wanted to extinguish the candle, but not in the usual way. “Ventus Infusio.” She took a deep breath and expelled it toward the candle. A gust escaped her lips and took on a life of its own. The gust circled the kitchen, and slowly took shape, knocking over the chairs. It moved around the room clearing the counters of all objects.
Emmy stood, panic stricken. Quickly, she scanned the book to try to find the spell to stop the wind from wreaking havoc to the small kitchen. Page after page, Emmy searched, but she couldn’t find a way to stop the wind. It grew in intensity and was now out of control. The cauldron fell off the table. The wind turned and turned until it created a funnel. She’d created a twister. She didn’t know what to do.
She ran to the front door and flung it open, while the twister continued its destruction of their small kitchen. Ayden stood across the street as he always did, watching the house. “Ayden!”
He ran to her. “Emmy, what’s happened?”
“In there.”
Ayden ran into the kitchen, ready to fight one of Grisandole’s hags, but was knocked off his feet by the force of a twister dancing around the kitchen.
Emmy helped him up, and watched as the funnel destroyed everything in the room. Pieces of wood flew past them. Ayden and Emmy ducked. Glasses flew across the room where they hit the wall and shattered into small pieces. Grammie’s treasured china set flew out of the open cupboards to break against a wall.
“What happened?” His voice rose over the din.
“I was trying a spell and it got out of control. I couldn’t stop it.”
&nb
sp; Ayden’s laughter burst forth.
“It’s not funny.” Emmy admonished him.
“Yes, of course.” Ayden tried to be serious, but to no avail. This was far too amusing. He laughed again.
“Do something before it destroys the entire house.”
“I’ll try.” Ayden stepped into the kitchen and held out his hand to Emmy.
She slipped her hand into his and waited for instructions.
“Concentrate. We’ll stop this together.”
Emmy closed her eyes and held out her other hand in the same way Ayden did. United, they inhaled the twister. Slowly, the funnel got smaller and smaller until the wind subsided, and then vanished. Only the telltale damage was left.
They opened their eyes and surveyed the destruction.
“Grammie’s going to kill me!” Emmy said when she saw the crumpled table and chairs. The tiled floor was cracked. The cupboard doors had been ripped from their hinges and thrown across the room. The refrigerator door lay on the floor near the oven door.
“Don’t worry, Emmy, I’ll help you clean this up.”
“Clean this up? Ayden, I’ll need a bulldozer and a contractor to fix this mess.”
“Well, I admit, there’s much to do, but I don’t believe we will need a bulldozer. You’re thinking like a mortal.” Ayden removed a wand from his pant pocket and pointed it toward the refrigerator door. “Restituo!” The door rose from the rubble and reattached itself. “See how easy that was.” His smile radiated kindness and mirth.
“You have a wand?”
“I do.” He pointed it at the table and chairs. With one swipe of the wand, the furniture repaired itself. Next, he worked his magic on the cupboards, the counters and finally he fixed the floor. When everything was restored, Ayden let the table and chairs, he’d suspended in midair, touch the floor. The last thing he did was repair the pictures on the walls and the curtains.
“There you are.” He faced Emmy with pride. “The kitchen is back to the way it was.”
Emmy and the Coven of Witches Page 11
