by L. C. Mawson
My auntie gave me a sympathetic look, and I looked away as I realised that I hadn’t corrected myself quick enough.
Thankfully, she didn’t say anything about it, opting to change the subject instead. “Those scars... Do they hurt?”
“Only when something’s touching them.”
“Like your clothes?”
I nodded, trying not to seem too bothered.
Which would have been a hell of a lot easier without tears trying to form in my eyes.
“Have you been treating it with anything? Painkillers, or...”
“Ms Maltere gave me a numbing salve. She said it was the best that she could do.” I took the salve from my bag and handed it to my auntie.
She took it from me before opening the small metal tin and giving it a sniff.
She then shook her head. “Well, Maria Brown might be the Mother of Modern Spellcraft, but her potion making is still a few centuries behind. Give me a day and I can whip up something that will manage the pain much better.”
“Just manage the pain?” I hated how weak my voice sounded as I asked.
I could handle this.
I didn’t want my auntie to think otherwise.
Still, she gave me a look that crossed the border from sympathetic to pitying. “I’m sorry, Amy. Curses like this... I don’t know of any way to heal the damage. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t find one.”
I nodded, doing my best to keep my features stoic. “It’s okay. I can handle it.”
“Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should have to.”
I just shrugged, not wanting to get into it.
What I ‘should’ have to handle meant nothing.
This was the situation I was in, and I was going to handle it, regardless.
“Why did you want to see me?” I asked, hoping to change the subject completely.
“Ah, yes, this way.”
I followed her through to the kitchen, only to see an open portal.
“I’m not leaving,” I said. “We already agreed that I was going to stay here, at the school.”
Auntie Jess nodded. “I know. We’re not going permanently. But Sarah asked to see us.”
“Sarah? Is it something to do with my mum?”
“I assume so, which is why opening the portal was worth the risk, even with the Amazons watching. Though whatever she tells us, we cannot stay long.”
I nodded before hurrying through the portal, Auntie Jess following close behind.
We stepped through to see the otherwise empty hospital ward that my mother was being kept in.
My dad and Sarah were already there.
And my mum was still sleeping, though her skin didn’t look as pale and grey as it had the last time I’d seen her.
Had I just exaggerated how bad she’d looked over the weeks without her, or had her condition actually improved?
I tried not to get my hopes up, knowing that it would only hurt more if this meeting was for some other reason.
Like telling me that she would never wake up.
Sarah smiled as she saw me, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Ah, Amelia, you’re finally here. We’ve got good news. The curse has been lifted from your mother.”
I looked over to my mum once more, my mind taking several moments to process what Sarah was saying.
“If the curse is gone, why is she still asleep?”
“That’s my doing,” Sarah said as she moved over to my mother’s bedside. “It’s a healing spell, to make sure that the curse caused her no lasting damage. And... Well, I figured that it would be best for her to stay sleeping until you decide what you want to do about telling her about magic.”
I nodded, though my mind wasn’t on the question Sarah had posed. “How did you manage to lift the curse?”
Sarah’s smile fell at the question. “I didn’t. As much as I would like to claim credit, the curse was lifted without my interference. As far as I can tell, the only person who could have lifted it like this is Maria Brown herself.”
I frowned. “So, what? She got what she wanted and had no more reason to keep the curse going?”
“Perhaps. But a curse like this doesn’t need anything from the caster once it’s been cast. This curse could have gone on indefinitely and it would have made no difference to Maria Brown. Or if she had some reason to fear the curse remaining in place... Well, it would have taken just as much effort to kill your mother as to lift the curse, and given the stories of Maria Brown, I would have expected the former.”
I folded my arms, not entirely sure how to feel about Sarah’s words.
My scars ached as I looked at my mother.
I looked up as my dad put his hand on my shoulder. Thankfully, choosing the good one.
How the hell would I explain my scars to my parents?
“We have to decide what to do about your mum’s memories of the attack,” my dad said. “Jess let me keep mine, but... I may not be a Witch, but I have their blood, and memory spells don’t work on me. But it is still technically against the rules for me to know about magic. Legally, we should wipe your mum’s memories of the attack and then never tell her that you’re a Witch.”
I frowned. “I can’t lie to her like that, Dad. I can’t just keep something like that from my family.”
He looked away, refusing to meet my gaze, and it took me a few moments to realise why.
That day when we were attacked was when my mum and I had first learned about magic.
But my dad had known for years.
He’d just never told us.
But then, he wasn’t supposed to know, either. And how did you tell someone that magic existed?
But while I could sympathise, I couldn’t bring myself to lie like that.
I turned to Sarah and Auntie Jess. “What will happen if we tell her?”
Sarah was the one to answer. “Nothing, as long as no one else finds out. But if they do... Most will just wipe her memories and give you a slap on the wrist, as long as she doesn’t tell any other Humans about magic. But if she does, or someone less lenient finds you, you and your mother could face execution.”
I shuddered. I’d known that that was the penalty, but if most people didn’t stick to it...
Then it was just a small possibility.
And one that I was willing to risk.
I couldn’t bring myself to tamper with her mind as Freya had.
And as Freya had done to me.
I turned to Dad. “We have to tell her the truth. I don’t want to lie to her anymore.”
He nodded.
Sarah drew her wand. “Well, if that’s decided, then I shall wake her.”
I braced myself as Sarah’s wand began to glow.
My mum stirred for a moment before sitting bolt upright, gasping for air.
“Amy!” she cried as soon as she saw me. “You’re okay. Thank Christ you’re okay... What happened? Where are we?” She frowned as she looked me over. “What are you wearing? Is that... Is that a school uniform?”
Sarah approached. “Ms Bennett? I’m Sarah, your doctor. How do you feel?”
My mum’s frown deepened. “Not great, to be honest... But I don’t think I’m hurt. Just groggy.”
“What can you remember from the attack?”
My mum went silent before paling, her hands balling into fists to stop them shaking.
“I... Men attacked us. Only, they didn’t look like men. But I swear, I’ve seen them before.” She brought her hand to her head. “What is this? What’s wrong with me?”
Sarah sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think that your original memories would come back. Just hold still, I can ease the transition.”
“My original memories? What are you-”
Sarah waved her wand once more and my mum’s eyes glowed blue for a second.
I watched my mum carefully, and after a moment, she shuddered, her hand going to her mouth.
She turned to Sarah, tears in her eyes. “I remember
you,” she eventually said, her voice hoarse. “What happened?” Her gaze turned from horrified to furious in a flash as she glared at Sarah. “What happened to my daughter and why did I forget?”
“Freya’s fine,” Sarah said, her voice soft and reassuring. “I patched her up that night, and she erased your memories so that the Demons wouldn’t keep coming for you.”
“So... those men, they were really Demons? And she... They said she was an Angel.”
Sarah nodded. “It’s probably more complicated than you’re imagining, but yes.”
“But why did they come back after us? If wiping our memories was to keep us safe...”
Auntie Jess stepped forward. “They were there for Amy. I’m a Witch, as was my mother. The genes skipped Ryan, but not Amy. And she’s connected to Freya somehow through her magic. It makes her more powerful than she should be.”
My mum shook her head as she got out of her bed. “All right, then we need to go home and figure out some way to keep you safe-”
I stepped forward, halting my mum as she searched for something. Possibly her bag. “Mum, I can’t go home. I need to go back to Ember Academy.”
She frowned. “Back?” She looked me over. “That’s what that uniform is? It’s for that school. How... How long have I been unconscious?”
“Weeks,” I said. “You were under a curse and we didn’t know how to lift it.”
She turned to glare at my dad and Auntie Jess. “And you decided to use the fact that I was unconscious to go against my express wishes. I said that I didn’t want her to go to that school.”
Auntie Jess gave her an apologetic look. “It was the safest place for her. It’s a school for Witches, they can protect her there.”
My mum shook her head. “No. No, I am not losing Amy like I lost her sister.”
I hugged her at that, understanding her worry.
She hesitated for just a moment before returning the embrace, and I ignored the pain radiating from my scars as she held me.
“I can’t lose you, Amy.”
“You won’t.”
“Yes, I will. I know you don’t see it, Amy, but I do. This world of magic is dangerous, and I have already lost one daughter to it. I know that you don’t understand, and you won’t until you’re a mother, but every instinct I have tells me that if you go back to that school, I’ll lose you.”
“I can’t stay,” I said as I pulled away from her embrace to look her in the eyes. “Mum, I know how dangerous this is. That is why I’m telling you that Ember Academy is the safest place for me right now.”
“No, I can protect you myself. I’m your mother.” She looked up to glare at the others in the room. “Do not try to stop me from taking my daughter home, or I will tell everyone about magic existing.”
Sarah drew her wand and muttered an incantation I didn’t recognise.
My mother gasped, her hand going to her throat as a dark blue rune appeared across the side.
To Human eyes, it probably looked like a tattoo of a knotted rope.
But anyone with magic would sense the spell.
“I’m sorry. I’d hoped that setting up that spell was a waste of Amazon resources, but I see now that my precautions were warranted.”
My mum glared at her. “What did you do to me?”
“I made it so that you cannot speak of magic to anyone who doesn’t already know about it. And yes, that includes hinting or non-verbal forms of speech. The penalties for speaking about magic are high, and I will not have you endangering Amelia for telling you.” She regarded my mother carefully. “This was a costly spell, but while Amelia may not understand your concerns as a mother, Jessica and I do. We both have children who exist within this world of magic, so when we say that this is the safest path for Amelia, we mean it.” Her expression then softened a little. “I know that losing Freya was difficult, but it is better that she is lost to you than dead. Amelia, for now, is not lost nor dead, and all we are doing is trying to keep it that way.
“Amelia should be able to return to you by the winter holidays, but right now, she needs to return to Ember Academy.”
My mum didn’t look happy, so I stepped forward.
“Please, Mum. I do think it’s the safest place for me right now.”
She sighed, as her hand went to the rune on her neck. “It doesn’t matter what I say, does it? I don’t really have a choice.”
She eyed both Sarah and Auntie Jess’ wands as she spoke and I felt a pang of sympathy, along with a twist of my stomach as I thanked my luck that my own wand was in the convenient holder on the inside of my jacket.
Out of sight.
Dad moved over to place a hand on my mum’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Except she pulled away to glare at him. “Did you know about this?”
“About what?”
“About magic. Did you know before we were attacked?”
He looked away.
“How long?”
He winced. “I... I’ve always known. Jessica and my mother tried to hide it from me, but...”
“And did you remember Freya? Did you know that Amy was likely to be a Witch like them?”
I folded my arms protectively over my chest as my dad didn’t answer.
“So, what? I forgot and you just... pretended that our first daughter never existed?” She shook her head. “You can go home if you want. I’ll find somewhere else to stay.”
“No, Margaret, wait...” Dad looked as if he was going to argue, but then he just sighed. “I’ll go elsewhere. You should go home.”
She looked him over for a moment before nodding and storming out of the room.
Dad sighed before turning to Auntie Jess. “She’s right, I should have just told her.”
Auntie Jess just looked away.
It wasn’t as if she had the high ground there, I supposed.
“What’s going to happen with you and Mum?” I asked, my stomach twisting.
I knew that he shouldn’t have lied, but the way that she looked at him...
“Hey,” my dad said softly as he went to place a hand on my shoulder, “your mum and I will work this out, okay? You don’t need to worry about it.”
I nodded, but I was certain that, despite his words, I would worry about it.
Even if I had a million other things to worry about right now.
“We should head back,” Auntie Jess said. “Before we’re missed.”
My dad nodded before drawing me into a hug.
I reciprocated, desperate for some reminder of normalcy.
Of how things were before the Demons had attacked us.
“Don’t worry about us,” my dad said. “Just focus on staying safe, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
I nodded as he headed off.
I then turned to Sarah once he was out of the room. “How do families with both magical beings and Humans usually work things out?”
She didn’t answer, and that was clear enough.
They didn’t.
“What you said about me being able to go home over winter, did you mean it?”
She nodded. “Assuming that you pass this test the Amazons intend to give you.”
I frowned. “Test?”
“That’s my understanding.” She turned to Auntie Jess. “Now that Margaret is healed, I’ve asked to accompany those going to Ember. Esme’s going, so she approved it.”
“Wait, if you’re going... Do you usually work for the Amazons?”
“I am an Amazon.”
I frowned at her. If she was an Amazon, how could we trust her?
Auntie Jess must have sensed my hesitation, as she placed a hand on my shoulder. “Sarah is an old friend of your sister’s.”
Sarah nodded. “I may be an Amazon, but I do not trust them without question. And I don’t think that they should learn the truth about your powers, Amelia.”
“You know about that?”
“Yes. It was cl
ear that you would be powerful, even when you were a child. I’ll admit that having a name for it has now made research easier.” She pushed her glasses up her nose. “To be honest, I think after Maria Brown, all mention of Angelborn was hidden. It’s still there if you know exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s not well remembered.”
“But the rest of the Amazons don’t know?”
“One does. My mentor, Esme, is a Lorekeeper, and she’s also worked with your sister on a variety of projects. Freya cannot be seen to interfere with any of this, the last thing we need is people putting two and two together and realising who you are, so she has entrusted me to handle things, and I trust Esme.
“But aside from her? No, none of the Amazons know that you’re Angelborn. They’re combing through the research, but as I said, the texts on Angelborn have been well hidden. But even if they did figure it out, or we told them... There will be more questions. And I don’t think you want them asking those questions. Angels are already treated as gods or resources. I think discovering that Angels can create more powerful magical children will only make that worse. And you don’t want to be tied up in that. Especially given how quickly I think the conversation will turn to how to create Angelborn without Angels. That kind of investigation... Well, you don’t want to be the only Angelborn in the room when people are asking that question.”
I shuddered at the implication, my mind immediately trying to picture the magical equivalent of a medical lab.
“Right now, they just want to test you. To get a measure of just how powerful you are, and to make sure that you have the discipline so that that power isn’t dangerous. Which, again, is another reason not to tell them you’re Angelborn. They’re already suspicious of your involvement with Maria Brown, it would be best not to tell them that you share a further connection with her.”
“So, that’s it? They’ll put me through some tests?”
“That, and they’ll be evaluating the school to make sure that it’s actually safe for students.” She grimaced. “The Amazons are split in terms of Dark and Light Witches, with many of the Light Witches being suspicious of the school. Queen Freya provided the funds for it to be built, and many would rather see her fail than see a good project succeed.”
