Witchling (Chronicles of Witchood)

by Genevieve Heart

  I backed away as Karen took a step closer. I noticed a pendant hanging from her neck, a large black stone that swirled with a galaxy of colors. It was not evil, I sensed that much from it, despite it being the source of Karen’s current state.

  “Amy!” Luke called to me, his voice filled with glee. I turned around and found him standing under the archway. He looked different, grown at least two inches while I was asleep. It made me wonder how long I’ve been asleep.

  “You were out for so long,” my brother hugged me with so much tenderness that it surprised me. “I thought you weren’t going make it.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m fine now, and what’s wrong with Karen?”

  “Ethan’s spell bound her. She doesn’t remember anything once she gets out of the forest. He’s been picking her up from school every day to bring her here.”

  “What? Why?”

  Ethan appeared in the archway a second after I asked the question, and he answered it, with his usual smirk and glint of slyness in his wonderfully blue eyes. “To get you naked, of course.” He laughed at my confused horrified expression. “Amelia, you were a sleeping beauty in a house full of males, would you rather if I changed your clothes for you? Or wipe your sweat off with a wet cloth? Someone had to do it. Aiden and your brother voted Karen.”

  I blinked. Ethan did have a point and the thought of him stripping me down until there was nothing left sent a shivering chill down my spine. The way Ethan continued to hold his grin didn’t help alleviate the embarrassing thought. “But why the stone? Why put a spell on her?”

  “Too many people already know about this house.”

  I could see that too many meant me and Luke.

  “I know it doesn’t seem like much,” Ethan continued as if he read my mind, “but the magic that keeps this place hidden has already reached it maximum number of occupants. Oh, don’t give me that look Amelia, you can tell her all you want later, when you learn how to be a proper witch and not die next week.”

  “The blood moon is next week,” Luke explained. “We’ve been preparing for it.”

  “We?” I gave my brother a questioning look.

  “Yes,” answered Ethan in his place. “You’re going to die, Luke here volunteered to help keep you alive.”

  “Where’s Aiden?”

  Ethan sighed. “It’s always about him, isn’t it? He in the kitchen brewing up bombs, last I checked.” Ethan then turned to Luke. “Since your sister is now awake, I suppose you’d want to skip out on today’s hunting.”

  I interjected before Luke could give his reply. “Hunting? You've been taking him out to hunt those things?”

  “Why not? He’s fourteen, almost fifteen, I was about his age when I first staked my first Double Walker, actually, younger. Alright, it was a Nightcrawler, but they’re almost the same, except one is uglier than the other in its true form. Oh, come off it, Amelia, too many frowns brings on early wrinkles. He’s perfectly safe with me.”

  I closed my eyes and shook my head with disbelief. Luke touched my shoulder. I had almost forgotten about Karen, who stood behind us, eyes glazed and looking like a fresh zombie. Ethan waved his hand for her to follow and my best friend walked towards him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “She’s no use to us, now that you’re awake.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Always the pessimist,” Ethan sighed, “it means I’m taking her home.”

  Just as Ethan had finished speaking, Aiden appeared beneath the archway. His skin glowed under the warm electric lights and his face covered with relief. I sensed that he wanted to hug me, but retrained himself in the presence of my brother and his own. Ethan would have made a spectacle out of it if Aiden had thrown his arms around me.

  “You’re awake,” said Aiden.

  “Yes, genius, and still alive,” said Ethan. “Come Karen, we’re unwanted here.”

  Luke shuffled after him, his discomfort obvious in the way he trailed after Ethan. I wondered if something had happened while I was asleep. A little color dared paint Aiden’s face.

  “Did something happen?” I asked.

  Luke didn’t answer and left. Aiden’s face became guarded as he shook his head.

  I could have pressed on but didn’t have the mental strength for it. I heard the sound of the mustang come to life outside and listened to it as it disappeared down the road towards the highway.

  “You must be hungry,” said Aiden, “I’ll make you something to eat.”

  The kitchen was covered with little bottles, pots that brewed concoctions and blades. These must be the bombs Ethan mentioned. It looked as if they were preparing for some sort of battle. The green house door was open and many of the plants inside was cut to the base, its fruits picked and there wasn’t a flower left in sight.

  “How long was I asleep?”

  “Two weeks.”

  I walked over to the counter while Aiden rummaged in the fridge.

  “So, for the past two weeks, Luke has been here, making potions with you and Ethan.”

  Aiden closed the fridge. “I did try to stop him but he had my brother on his side. You are his sister and he means to keep you safe.”

  “So it’s really going to happen? I’m really going to die?”

  What was it that Ethan had said? Next week is the blood moon, what does that even mean? I guess Luke was already informed and didn’t want to be the one to tell me. That must be why he left with Ethan. Aiden took out a clean pot and put some water in it to boil.

  “That’s what we’re trying to prevent.”

  “Do you know who and why?”

  “Not yet,” Aiden lowered his face with guilt, as he if had failed me somehow.

  “Ethan mentioned a blood moon,” I started and waited for Aiden to explain. But he remained silent, his back turned towards me as he pretended to be busy over a pot of water. “Aiden,” I called out his name.

  “Yes, the blood moon,” he said after some time. “I’m sorry Amelia, I thought I nearly lost you, I thought I had killed you.”

  “I’m destined to die next week, this is no time for guilt, Aiden. And what about my parents? Surely, you’ve found something out by now.”

  Aiden shook his head. “We haven’t found any traces of them yet, we think…” Aiden’s voice faltered. I narrowed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

  “Are they still alive?” I dared asked.

  “Most likely, yes.”

  “Most likely?”

  Aiden hesitated to tell me but there was no hiding it. If I didn’t find out what I wanted to know from him, he knew that I would pester Luke for the answer. I sensed that Ethan had already told him everything, with and without Aiden’s permission. I never quite understood why Ethan needed Aiden’s approval to tell me things, but he found a loophole through Luke. I knew these things without knowing how I knew them. Perhaps this was part of my powers.

  “We think the Hunters are keeping them alive to lure you out,” said Aiden.

  “Alright,” I said slowly. It made sense. I was hidden and protected as long as I stayed inside the house. My parents are hostages. Perhaps I will die for a noble cause after all. My thoughts must have played out on my face as Aiden frowned at the sight of me.

  “No,” he said forcibly. “You will live past the blood moon.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not going to sacrifice myself for nothing. That’s just silly and I do want to live, so you have that going for you. Where is that grimoire by the way?”

  “Luke left it in your bedside drawer.”

  I paused. If that grimoire was meant to be for me, to be the thing that guided me as a witch, then perhaps there was something inside that would help me live and survive my destined death.

  ~

  The grimoire revealed very little of what I wanted to know. The writing was incredibly hard to read and it was impossible to let Aiden, Ethan and Luke help me. The magic that protected the book will not allow anyone else but me to decode it. As
I became accustomed to the spidery handwriting, it was slightly easier to read, but it still did not have anything that could be used to save myself from the fires that came at the end of every nightmare I had.

  A knock came at the door.

  “Come in, it’s open.”

  Luke pushed the door with his foot as he came in with a tray of food. Two weeks with Ethan had changed him and I thought Luke seemed more confident in the way he held himself, or perhaps it had something to do with hunting Hunters and Double Walkers. He was not afraid and if he was, Ethan certainly taught him how to hide it well. I thought it was funny that two weeks ago, Luke was convinced that the brothers were devils incarnated. Now he dotes on Ethan like the perfect older brother.

  “Aiden and Ethan are out,” he informed me. “They’ve gone hunting, so it’s just me and you.”

  “What happened while I was asleep?”

  “Nothing much. I learnt how to spot Hunters and Double Walkers. Ethan taught me how to use a gun.”

  “He did what?”

  “I have to know how to protect myself. You’ve got your magic. I’ve got my silver bullets and yew flower bombs. Ethan’s taking me on as his apprentice.”

  I blinked. I did miss out on quite a lot and felt a tinge of jealousy. Luke had Ethan as his trainer and what do I have? A book that isn’t that useful. All that I managed to read so far were recipes for healing potions and a spell for purifying water. With only one week left, I didn’t know how this knowledge would benefit me.

  “Have you found anything out about mom and dad?”

  Luke shook his head and his face turned grave. He was expecting the worse and I saw that I just stabbed my fingers into his wounds. “Nothing yet,” he replied. “Except Ethan thinks that they’re being kept a Hunter’s lair. We’ve been trying to figure out where it is when you were asleep.”

  “We’ll find them,” I told him, “and if we don’t, you and Ethan can use me as bait.”

  “What? No. I’m not losing you, Amy, I nearly lost you once.”

  Then an idea occurred to me, an idea that I knew Aiden would never approve but Ethan would be crazy enough to give it a go.

  “What is it?” said Ethan. He leaned against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. He sudden appearance startled me. His face was serious and his eyes dark under the electric light. Neither Luke nor I noticed his return to the house.

  “I thought you and Aiden were going hunting.”

  “We were but I forgot one of my guns. Tell me, what’s your plan? I can see that you’ve got one. You’re not very good at hiding your thoughts.”

  “Use me as bait,” I said. Luke stared at me with horror and confusion.

  “Aiden won’t allow it.”

  “But you will.”

  “Convince me.”

  “I should have died two weeks ago but I didn’t. It wasn’t my time to go, even the spirits on the other side knew it. They wouldn’t let me die. There is only a week left and I want my parents safe before I have to properly face my death.”

  “You’re crazy,” said Ethan after some time. “I’m going to hunt some Hunters. Luke, keep an eye on your sister and don’t let her do anything stupid.”

  Ethan left and Luke stared at me as if I’ve lost my mind. Perhaps I have, but it was worth a try.

  ~

  There was one thing the brothers hadn’t really explained to me and that was this thing about the blood moon. What did it mean? Why is it called the blood moon? What was so special about it? Luke didn’t know its significance either and did not think to ask about it. It was as if his attention had been directed away and my brother only concerned himself with making potions to kill Hunters and Double Walkers.

  Ethan and Aiden avoided me, as if they knew that I would eventually as the question. They left early in the morning and when they did return, and only for a brief moment to restock their hunting supplies, Aiden avoided looking at me and Ethan made sure not to be in the same room that I was in. I thought they discovered something, but my instincts told me that Ethan had informed Aiden of what I told him last night and that there was nothing more to it. They knew that if they crossed paths with me, I would attempt to convince them to let me be the bait, to lure out the thing that wanted me dead, and perhaps lead us to its den. While there was no guarantee that this plan would work, at least I had one.

  As the day trudged pass, I started to feel restless, like I was counting down towards an exam I wasn’t prepared for. Luke remained behind to keep me company, but he kept himself busy in the kitchen, melting silver in the kiln and making bullets in the moulds Ethan left him. My brother did everything that Ethan told him to do and without question. While that did bother me somewhat, I was not in a position to protest.

  I watched Luke at his work but quickly grew bored and wanted to go outside. The brothers seemed to have anticipated it as they locked all the doors and the only way out was to climb out the window. The uneasy feeling grew when night fell and I felt as if I just lost a day meandering around the brothers’ house.

  It was midnight when the brothers returned, covered in Hunters blood. I sat in front of the fireplace, in the dark, while Luke slept in his room thinking that I was in mine.

  “Hello boys,” I said when Ethan switched on the lights. Aiden raised his gun at me only to realise who it is. They hadn’t been expecting me and it was clear that there was no more hiding. “You can’t avoid me forever.”

  There was a moment on Ethan’s face that wanted to prove me wrong, but he quickly discarded the childish thoughts. Aiden lowered his face to the ground, he still felt the guilt of nearly killing me. The events in the dream weren’t meant to seep out into the waking world, but it did, and there was no point in dwelling on what went wrong. What I needed now from them was to help me get my parents back before I ran out of time. I was going to die soon, in six days to be precise. I knew it and so did the brothers.

  Ethan exhaled and poured himself a drink.

  “You were much better when you were asleep,” said Ethan.

  “The blood moon, why is it important?”

  “Why do you want to know?” said Ethan.

  “I’m going to die on the night of the blood moon, I would like to at least know its significance.”

  Ethan remained silent and it was left to Aiden to answer. “It’s second full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox, when the day and night are exactly the same length. For us, the blood moon is also a time of heightened supernatural powers. This means that our powers are stronger and you’re not going to die. I won’t let you.”

  “Then let me be the bait,” I said.

  Ethan rolled his eyes and emptied his glass. “Told you she won’t give up. Can’t avoid her forever either, brother.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” said Aiden. The brothers must have already discussed the matter and Ethan did very little to support my case.

  “I have six days before I die,” I said.

  “We can’t be sure that they’ll take you to the same lair as your parents,” said Aiden.

  “How many lairs can these Hunters have?”

  “One,” Ethan answered. Aiden closed his eyes and cursed his brother under his breath. Ethan didn’t seem against the idea after all, except, he just wasn’t as enthusiastic about putting my life in danger as I hoped he would be. It thought of it as strange. They both knew that the events in the premonitions cannot be avoided. I didn’t understand why they didn’t want to use it to their advantage.

  “You’re my Charge, Amelia,” said Aiden, “do you know what that means? It means that you’re my responsibility and I cannot risk your safety.”

  “Either way, I’m still going to die. You were there in my dream, you saw what happened, alright, maybe parts of it.”

  “And it nearly killed you.”

  “Nearly, yes, come on Aiden, surely, there must be some sort of tracking spell you can put on me. Why is it that you’ll let Luke hunt those things but won’t let me near
one? This isn’t fair.”

  “Luke is not my charge, he’s Ethan’s responsibility,” said Aiden. “I just need you to be patient, until at least after the blood moon.”

  “My parents will be dead by then,” I protested. “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about that.”

  “You can’t be sure,” said Aiden.

  “I’m a witch with premonition abilities!” I cried. “You’d think I’d know. I can feel it in my guts, Aiden, please. I would go out there right now and let them take me, but I can’t do it alone.”

  “Told you she’s going to be trouble, brother,” said Ethan.

  “You don’t know what you’re asking us to do,” said Aiden, ignoring his brother. “Your plan is not thought out. What if we can’t find you? What if something goes wrong? We don’t know what they’ll do to you. It’s too dangerous and I will not risk your safety.”

  “What about my parent’s safety?”

  “They will be safe, after the blood moon. For now, you are staying here.”

  I opened my mouth to protest but Aiden stopped me.

  “This is an order,” he said with such force and authority that it surprised and terrified me. Ethan looked at his brother and his face turned grim. Aiden’s skin crawled with black veins and his eyes turned dark. I had seen him like that only once, when we were in the car and he had just killed that Double Walker that looked like him.

  “Amelia,” Ethan said with a low warning tone, “go to your room.”

  At first I didn’t move. I sensed that something wasn’t quite right with Aiden as he started to lose control of himself. Without knowing how, I understood that it had something to do with his deal with that fallen angel. Aiden wanted me dead. I saw it in his eyes, and another part of his soul fought against the urge. I was a piece of a puzzle that needed to be destroyed and the only thing that prevented my death right there and then was Ethan’s presence. It was obvious that the brothers weren’t telling me something. I felt annoyed by this knowledge. And yet, something wasn’t quite right about that either. The brothers would never hurt me, especially Aiden, who swore to protect me.