by Vera Sparks
“I’m sorry,” I smiled softly at Alex as the realization crossed his face and he reached for me knowingly.
I slipped into the ghost world, the world round me fading into shadows, their figures just a white wispy mess as I drifted further into the realm. I slipped out of the car and pictured the park, and found myself standing in a grey-scale version of it. I ignored the lone form out in the parking lot, a stray spirit that I didn’t want to mingle with. Millie had been trapped between the two realms, a usual thing for restless spirits. Once lain to rest, they either moved to the next place or came to the ghost realm to wander aimlessly until they moved on.
I felt guilty for abandoning Axle with my father and Alex. He’d probably be fretting, poor thing. Hopefully Otis could comfort him.
I stepped back into the living realm, the colors flooding everything around me once more.
I waited patiently near the park, the soft night breeze gently swaying the swings. Rather eerie, but I ignored it.
The minutes ticked by slowly, and I crossed my arms as I waited.
I tensed as a blue sedan pulled into the parking lot at the far end and stopped, the engine rumbling softly in the night.
Maria exited the passenger seat and spoke back through the window to the driver, but I couldn’t make out who it was from here. She nodded and smiled before heading my way, and I noticed how she restrained herself from fastening her pace.
“Ivy, thanks for meeting me,” she gave me a forced smile as she stepped right up to me and pulled me into a hug.
She shoved something into my hand and I flinched as I felt the power and magic in it. Something I doubted I would’ve felt before I’d started practicing magic more. A strange stone.
“Please keep holding that, he won’t be able to tell what we’re saying then, just look happy to see me,” Maria’s face dropped as she kept her back to the sedan.
“What’s going on?” I asked, forcing a smile as requested and praying it didn’t look fake.
Maria looked tired and worn, her grey top and jeans disheveled and her wild curls a mess. She looked like she hadn’t slept for days, the bags under her eyes suggested this.
“Shaun fixed our Mom, but something’s not quite right with her, I’m worried. Shaun has been keeping me from talking to anyone, he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s used black magic again. I didn’t want him to, but, well, it’s Mom,” Maria bit her lip as her large brown doe eyes glistened. “I kinda just hoped everything would be okay, and it was. She was our Mom again.”
“Maria, I saw Mr Hershel in your house, he died, and Mr Fluffs,” I said softly, making sure to keep my expression as cheery as possible.
“Shaun said in order for the spell to work, I had to sacrifice something I loved, and Mr Fluffs…” Maria closed her eyes to hold back the tears.
“What about Mr Hershel?” I pushed, hating the pain in her face. How could Shaun ask such a thing of her? That cat had been her companion, a creature she fussed over and adored so much.
“I don’t know, I told Mom I missed some of my things, and then she went out, when she came back, she had some tarot cards and stuff from my place, but… she seemed different. Off, like she wasn’t quite herself. I don’t know what’s going on with her. I know black magic comes at a price,” Maria sobbed softly, doing her best to not let the movements show in her body. “She couldn’t have done that though, not Mom.”
“Jesus, Maria,” I murmured as I glanced at the car behind her in the distance. Its engine was still idling and the lights were on.
“I can get you out of here, make you invisible and we can just leave, figure all this out,” I offered.
“I thought about that, but Shaun can go into hiding with Mom, and then what? I’d never see her again, and God knows what would happen,” she said and drew in a few deep, calming breaths.
“Well, what if I meet her? Maybe I can try to figure out what’s going on. There’s a Warlock in town who can help me, instruct me on how to figure out what’s going on with your Mom, what the cost of the black magic is,” I suggested.
“A Warlock?” Maria’s eyes widened.
“Yeah, it’s a long story, and I think we’re out of time,” I flicked my eyes to the sedan as it flashed its lights.
“Okay, All right. I’ll see if I can get Mom to agree. I’ve told her you’re my best friend and you help me with my business. I’m sure if I keep pretending like everything is fine, she’ll agree. I’ll tell her you’re excited to see her now that she’s well. Shaun won’t like it but he won’t argue with her. He’s a momma’s boy,” Maria relaxed as she reiterated the plan.
“Okay just call or text. We’ll get this sorted,” I nodded.
“Thank you, Ivy. I’ve missed you so much, the past week has been crazy,” Maria sighed as I hugged her tight.
“Should I keep this?” I asked as I moved the stone around in my hand.
“Yes, he’ll be pissed if he sees me with it,” Maria nodded as she pulled back. “I’ll call or message you as soon as I can.”
I watched quietly, masking my unease and distress as Maria hurried back to the sedan. I hated seeing her like this, so torn, scared and confused.
This was something bad, and I could only hope my father could explain it more and help.
He had to, because right now, all I knew was that Maria needed help. Her life could depend on it.
“Why the hell did you go off on your own?!” my father barely managed to keep from shouting as he stood firm in the kitchen.
Alex stood on the other side of the kitchen counter and looked relieved to see me.
Axle was at my feet, his tail pounding the floor as I stroked his head reassuringly. He’d run over to me frantically when I’d reappeared, and I felt bad for putting him through that.
Otis was sitting at my father’s feet, watching me carefully. He did that a lot, just watched.
I vaguely wondered how they got in as I’d gotten my keycard back from Shane and Rose and not given it to my father. Magic probably.
“Because she’s my friend and she needed help,” I snarled, annoyed at him. I was a grown woman, I could make my own choices in life.
“It could’ve been a trap, you could’ve gotten hurt,” my father growled.
“Look at me, what more can someone do to me?” I threw my arms out. I instantly regretted the words as Alex flinched. I hadn’t meant it like that.
Axle whimpered as he nosed my leg, and I apologized to him as I scratched behind his ear.
“We don’t fully understand what’s going on with you and this ghost state, magic might still be able to be used against you, we don’t know,” my father softened, but his brown eyes were stormy.
“She’s being forced to stay away and hide by her brother. He’s used black magic to cure their Mom’s dementia,” I decided to toss the information out there to take the heat off myself.
“What?” my father frowned as he processed the information I’d hurled at him. “Do you know what kind of black magic he used?”
“No, Maria isn’t sure either, but she had to sacrifice something she loved, hence Mr Fluffs,” I explained.
“Healing someone is no easy feat for a witch. Only high tier witches can, and even then, it takes a lot out of them. Risky too, as it can transfer to the healer more often than not, so with something like dementia, I doubt any higher witch would’ve helped them,” my father murmured.
My mind jumped back to the Sorceress who healed.
“What about us, can we heal?” I asked.
“We can self heal fairly easily, heal those who carry our own blood too, but healing another isn’t too easy. Same with witches, we can take on the illness or injury, but unlike witches, at least we can then heal ourselves easier, if we haven’t become too weakened by healing someone else first,” he explained.
“Right,” I pursed my lips as I repeated it in my mind. A good piece of information I should retain.
“This doesn’t answer why Mr Hershel was dead,” A
lex spoke up.
I caught his blue eyes and kicked myself at his distress. I needed to watch my words better, otherwise he was never going to forgive himself and move on.
“Maria thinks that her mother may have played a part in that somehow. She doesn’t want to believe it though. Maria said she missed her place and stuff so her mother went around to collect a few things. When she returned, she was different,” I relayed what Maria had told me.
“Where are they staying?” my father asked immediately.
“I don’t know, she didn’t say,” I groaned. I should’ve asked, but I was too worried about her.
“So, we haven’t really got anything to work,” my father let out a frustrated sigh.
“Well, no, we could see if Shaun had another place in his name. Or even Monica, that’s a start,” Alex offered.
“Maria is going to plan a dinner to get Monica to meet me. I told her I knew a Warlock who could help us,” I turned to my father.
He looked displeased at first but then nodded as he contemplated it.
“I could hang back, see what I can read from her, try to learn exactly what black magic has been used. What the price of it is. It’s never very clear, the fine print on black magic,” he sighed. “Many users find they’ve gotten more than they bargained for. The side effects can be horrendous.”
“Like what?” I queried. What was it that made black magic so bad?
“A woman was stripped of her magic just a few months ago in Kansas. Her son died in a car accident, and she thought she’d use a wicked ritual to bring him back. He came back, and things seemed fine at first. But people were going missing in the town, and once the Council got wind of it they sent one of their own and the Enforcer to deal with it. The adult son was murdering people and burying them in the backyard for fun. They even linked him to a number of home fires in the area that killed all the residents. They put him down and took her magic from her, it was a heartbreaking case really,” my father sighed.
“What do you mean? Were you there?” I frowned.
“No, the Enforcer was a powerful high tier witch who I knew. I saw him not long after that and he explained it all to me. The poor woman was a mess, living alone on the old farm with no one left now. No magic either, which she was using to keep everything running smoothly and to afford to keep the farm. She’s made her way into care now and lost her home,” my father sighed.
“That’s horrible. I mean, sure, she used black magic, but he was her only remaining family. They should’ve done more to help her,” I said, shocked at this news. Was the Council that uncaring?
“Moves are being made to change the way the Council deals with those who use black magic. To lessen the punishment if it's something for family. But raising the dead, that’s the worst one of them all, it can go oh so wrong,” my father shook his head. “Just like Hitler.”
“Wait, Hitler?” my eyes bulged at this.
“Yes, Hitler fell ill as he moved into adulthood, and a family member used black magic to bring him back when he passed. We don’t know the full details, but look at what happened there.”
“Holy shit,” I muttered. I had not expected that revelation. The Hitler. That was some scary crap there.
“Forgive me for asking, but how exactly does the Council strip magic away from users? I only deal with the vampire section of them, so I’ve never really dealt or seen the other sections,” Alex asked.
“Well, after they hunted and murdered many Warlocks and Sorceresses centuries ago in the ‘Great Magical Cleanse’ as they called it, they realized they could use us. We were powerful and of use. So there’s actually a Warlock on the Council, and he will come out and strip away magic where needed. Many believe he’s just a high tiered witch,” my father informed us.
“Can you do that?” I raised a questioning eyebrow.
“No, it’s not an easy skill to obtain, you need to have the affinity for it. Each Warlock has an elemental affinity and a magic infinity. The magic can come in many forms, but it means that certain spells and ritual come easier to you. Stripping magic is one of the hardest spells out there, along with mind control, mind reading, death curses, the list goes on,” my father said. “I’m unable to do any of them except wiping minds.”
“Wow, so there are some of us that can read minds and control people, great,” I breathed. We certainly were a powerful lineage. “What’s a death curse?”
“I know this one,” Alex jumped in before my father could speak. “It’s where a Warlock can cast a spell to kill someone instantly, slowly, or even curse them so that if they bear children they die in birth. It can come in many forms, but they are the main known ones.”
“Alex is right, that was what Jasmine used on Melinda,” my father murmured.
My breath caught at my mother’s name. He hadn’t said it yet in the time I’d seen him, just referred to her as Mom. But he’d also said she was poisoned. I guess it was less of a blow than a death curse, and easier to understand.
I steadied myself on the counter as I processed this.
She’d had a death curse lain on her. My mother.
“I can also no longer bear children, for any new child will die,” my father added quietly.
I closed my eyes as the anger that swelled and burned inside me. The pain and fury. This woman, this Sorceress, had destroyed my family. She’d taken everything from me. She was the one to blame for my father leaving me. She was to blame for all of it.
“Ivy, calm down.”
My eyes snapped open, and I gasped at the flames flickering off of my hand. I focused on them, imagining them dissipating to nothing, and relaxed when they faded away.
“We really need to work on your emotions,” my father stated. “Until then, wear this,” he reached into his pocket and held out his hand.
My eyes stung at the sight of the gold ring.
“Mom’s wedding ring,” I choked. He had kept it all these years, hell, he still wore his. I forced back the tears that dared to escape at the small gesture. To him it was just small, but to me, it was everything. To know he still loved her after all this time, that he cared that much about her. He’d never meant for any of this to happen. He wasn’t the one I should be annoyed with. He’d done everything he thought was right.
“It was my mother’s before it was Melinda’s. It was designed to help my mother with her own issues with her fire affinity. She had, well, explosive emotions, which can be disastrous for a Warlock with a fire affinity. This helps control it and keep you calm,” he smiled.
I tenderly took the ring and smiled gently as I slipped it onto my middle finger. It was a snug fit, as if it was made for me as well. But now I could carry a piece of my Mom with me.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“Well, we don’t need you lighting the place up when you get annoyed,” he chuckled, lightening the tender moment.
“Now, we need to come up with a plan and hope Maria comes through with this dinner thing,” my father focused on our task at hand.
I enjoyed the feel of the ring, the way it felt warm rather than the standard cool metal. The way it made me feel closer to my Mom and Dad. I guess my grandmother too.
“Are your family still alive? My grandmother?” I asked as I indicated at the ring.
“No, she passed away some time ago, before you were even born. I had no family until and Melinda and then you,” my father murmured softly.
“I’ll make some calls, see if there’s any other homes or places under the Priben’s name,” Alex stated.
“Good, we’ll figure out how best to deal with this meeting, and hope Maria gets it done,” my father nodded, focusing on the task at hand.
He had no family left anymore, and the family of Mom hated him. I was all he had now. The thought crushed me, and I promised myself to not treat him as badly now. Even if I didn’t agree with some of the things he’d done.
Alex stood up and gave me a smile before he headed out to make his calls.
�
�So, let’s assume Maria gets a dinner organized. We can’t let her Mom know you’re not alone. I’ll have to use a cloaking spell to mask my magic from her. She’s obviously more than she seems,” my father stated as he planted his hands on the counter.
“She’s not a witch,” I reminded him. “Monica is human, it was their father who was a witch.”
“I know, but whatever black magic has been used on her has changed her. She’s different, so we won’t take any chances.”
I pulled the stone out of my pocket that Maria had given me. The power pulsating in it was fading, and I set the grey stone on the counter.
“Did she give you that?” he asked.
“Yes, to stop her brother from knowing what I was saying.”
“Great, we can use it if we need to. Her magic is infused in it, so I can track it if needed. Not an easy spell, but possible if required.”
“Okay, good,” I nodded. At least I had been of some use.
“I’ll come with you but I’ll wait outside. I’ll use an eavesdropping spell to listen in. And to find out just what we’re dealing with. You have to be careful though, if anything feels wrong or you feel in danger, you leave, you understand me,” my father’s stern voice made me nod instantly.
“Good, we’ll decide how to proceed after that,” he sighed, satisfied with the plan. “In the meantime, we’ll hope Alex can find a location where they may be holed up. As for us, you need to start learning how to ward yourself and defend yourself. Your fire ability is strong, but it’s not enough. Let’s continue with your lesson from earlier,” he smiled as he reached for the black mug on the sink.
Great, more attempts to move the bloody thing. Was there a spell to help me learn faster? That would be mighty helpful, especially since there seemed to be a spell for everything.
“Why can’t you just track Maria rather than wait to see if Alex finds anything?” I asked.
“Tracking witches is harder than most other creatures. All supernatural creatures can be hard, but a witch’s own magic wards them. So tracking one would take some time, longer than the spell I used to try to find your body, that was easier because we’re related. Not to mention her mother could react badly and hurt Maria if we just waltz in. We’re better off waiting.”
