Page 3 of Witch's Rite
While I grew up never knowing my magical abilities, I always felt like an outcast in their tight bubble of a community. Moving to San Francisco was a culture shock in the best way, and finding out my witch heritage only solidified that I found my home in this big, magical city.
Better at twenty-eight years old than never, but I still couldn't help but mourn over what I never had-- a mother who raised me with love and acceptance. Someone who would encourage me and refine my gifts, not try to pray them away.
"Did you ever look into the details of her death?" I asked my grandmother, a spark of something lighting up within me. A sense of revenge? Justice? I couldn't be sure. "Find out who the demon was that my father paid? What exactly was the spell that killed her?"
Diana shook her head sadly.
"He steered clear of me because he was convinced I'd turn him into a toad or something. And legally he was her next of kin, so he made sure I never got too close to her or you in the end. He convinced the doctors and nurses I was crazy and would try to steal the baby. And if I knew he'd kill my daughter, I sure as hell would," she growled.
She leaned back tiredly in her armchair and rested her face in her hand, suddenly looking much older. Even with her stark white hair, her eyes were bright and her mind sharp. As I got to know her over the past week, I began to see more of my own features in her.
"No, my dear. I'm afraid it's just a mother's instinct and my own theory that the vile, hypocritical sperm donor hired a demon to do his dirty work. The magic surrounding her and you was so dark, darker than I'd ever seen. But trust me, it kills me every day not knowing for sure."
"There must be a way to find out though, right?" I asked, realizing I was latching onto finding the truth about my mother like a pit bull. "I mean, aren't there paranormal investigators or something like that?"
Diana laughed softly. "No, unfortunately we don't have anything like Scooby-Doo running around to solve these mysteries. Revealing ourselves to the non-magical authorities just poses too much of a risk."
"I get that but don't we have our own governing body? What if someone commits a crime with magic?"
"Problem witches are usually dealt with by their local covens. There are too few of us to have a real judicial system, unfortunately," she sighed. "We're lucky to have a sizeable witch population here in San Francisco."
I nodded my understanding but the gears inside my head turned like a well-oiled machine. For the sake of my stolen childhood and my mother's death, I was dying to find the missing pieces and click them into place. Maybe then I'd have some closure. And thankfully, I knew exactly who I'd ask my first questions.
"Thanks again for the lesson, Gran," I said, picking up our teacups with a quick glance at the clock. "I just might be getting the hang of this witch thing."
"Kicking me out already, eh?" she quipped teasingly, but I knew it wasn't a rhetorical question. "Got big plans for tonight, do you?"
"Sort of," I admitted, setting my teacups in the sink. "I found a bar downtown that's only visible by magic. Thought I'd check it out."
"Oh? By yourself?" Diana lifted a questioning eyebrow, making me squirm under her gaze.
"No, I'm uh, meeting someone there."
Or should I saysomeones.
"Oh really? Who?" My grandmother's questions burned into me, making me even more uncomfortable. For Christ's sake, I'd been living on my own and owning a business for over a year already. Maybe I was a little sheltered for my age but I wasn't a damn child.
But could I really blame her for being protective, since she couldn't be in my life until recently? Not to mention the fact that I was all that was left of her daughter, who was taken from her far too soon.
"Just some people I met," I said in an attempt to brush off her question. "I gotta make friends with more of my own kind, you know?"
"I see. So you've met some fellow witches?"
"Um, not exactly." I avoided her gaze as I squirmed even harder internally, wishing she would just let it go.
"Deja." She said my name in a low, warning tone as if scolding a child. "Are you seeing those demons you mentioned before?"
Fuck. Why was I such a terrible liar?
"We're just going to have some drinks and hang out," I said, sounding as if I was trying to convince myself as well as her that nothing else would happen. Especially since I had already made out with all three demons in question and found myself addictively attracted to them all equally.
Diana's lips pressed into a thin, tight line as her eyes narrowed at me. Her aura flared up with a silent anger that expressed her disapproval.
"Dear, please just promise me that you'll be careful," she pleaded. "It's true that demonkind have been unfairly portrayed throughout time but there is a seed of truth to every story. They are master manipulators and capable of wicked, awful things."
"So are humans," I answered defensively. "And witches too, I imagine."
"Yes, yes, of course," she said emphatically. "Just please use your best judgment and question everything they tell you. Don't take anything they say as absolute truth."
