Page 10 of With This Witch
“Yes, but James couldn’t handle our world. He chose to abandon his responsibility, misused his power, and ran away. I know I played a role in his actions, and my failure as a mother led to his rebellion. Regardless, now the Premier Witch falls to you. You are the last remaining Rose. It is time you accept who you are as a witch and your legacy as a Rose. I know you love the connections you have made through your work, but you can’t avoid this forever,” Gammy says. What she says hurts, making her insides burn like a cauldron about to bubble over, but Petra knows there is truth there.
“I understand that this would inevitably fall to me, but what about what I want? I have dreams. I have things I want to do. Doesn’t that matter?” Petra asks, tears of frustration building in the corner of her eyes. “Besides, I’ve seen how the council tears people apart. I don’t want to be a part of that.”
“Of course you matter, darling. But we have a responsibility to our community. A Rose has been the Premier Witch since the inception of the supernatural council. Through generations, we have helped make decisions that guide our community through times of triumph and challenge. We have facilitated collaboration and healthy relationships with other supernatural factions and helped to develop laws and practices that have made our world, both human and supernatural, safer. You, my lovely granddaughter, are the last in our line. It is your destiny to carry on the work that has been done before you, to continue to carry forth our mission.”
It’s a nice speech, but Petra doesn’t miss the fact that Gammy ignores her comment about the council tearing people apart. Having spent most of her life under the care of Gammy, Petra has seen firsthand how the council has ruled Gammy’s life. Petra, and her father before her, always came second to the responsibility and duty the council demanded of Gammy. And now Petra’s own plans for her life feel like they’ve been hexed.
Petra wants to rise to the challenge, to make Gammy proud, to fulfill her destiny as Premier Witch no matter how early it’s arrived, but a part of her is telling her to fight against it. To push back and demand change. Is there any way she can do this on her terms, to make the role more palatable, so it doesn’t take over her whole life like it did for Gammy?
Petra lets loose a breath. She’s already had to accept the asinine conditions set forth by Grog; what’s one more challenge to add to the pile? “Fine. I accept my fate. But I want to be able to find a balance. To still be me, while also finding my way to being the Premier Witch. Is that possible?”
“We shall do our best.”
“I guess that’s all I can expect. So where do we start?”
“Aside from getting you married, we need to get you using your magic more.” Gammy stops Petra before she can protest that she does. “Be honest with yourself, Petra. I know you don’t use it as often as you should, and you certainly don’t tap into the power that lies within you nearly enough.” Petra grumbles to herself. She regularly uses her magic to help the children at work and to do things around the house, but she doesn’t do the bigger things – the potions and convoluted spells. She’s never been one to showboat and has never shown an interest in the more typical casting that’s expected. “The other thing we must focus on is getting you into council circles. Which means attending events and being more visible. Show them that you want this, that you are serious about it.”
Petra groans internally. Council events are the worst. She attended a few as a teen when there was no one available to watch her and they were always so boring. She had no patience for the posturing and one-upmanship. Despite how she has felt in the past, she knows Gammy has a point. So Petra nods. “When do we start?”
Gammy grins. “Now. Let’s practice your magic first.”
“I’m not prepared.”
“Then there’s no better time. Show me what you can do, unprepared,” Gammy says, standing. She waits for Petra to stand as well and then guides them to her conservatory, which contains all her necessary ingredients for potions and herbal mixes. “Let’s start simple. Make me a mixture to soothe a harsh cold—coughing, congestion, and headache.”
Petra has never made a mixture, let alone one to soothe any kind of illness. “But I’ve never done this before. Can you show me?”
“No. I want to see you draw on your power. It’s there, inside you, the natural tendency. You just need to call for it.”
Petra glares at Gammy, wondering if she could fire sparks at her and get away before Gammy could retaliate. Knowing how strong Gammy is, Petra accepts that’s not likely. Instead, she closes her eyes, letting her hands fall to her sides. She breathes deep, relaxing her body, and calls to her magic, asking it to show her what to do. She nearly gasps as it responds so readily, telling her everything she needs and how to put together the tea mixture. Within moments, she is combining lavender, chamomile, and rosemary in perfect proportions. She grinds them into a finer mixture and deposits it into a tea bag, then hands it to Gammy for inspection.
Gammy beams at her. “Perfect,” she exclaims with pride. “Now, try a sleeping potion.”
The afternoon carries on like this, with Gammy giving request after request and Petra calling on her power to fulfill it, surprising herself with each successful attempt. The ability to play with her magic was… fun. And unexpected. It’s never been fun for her.
“Gammy, I need to get going. I’m meeting Lachlan in a couple hours, and I need to get ready,” Petra says, handing her a potion that causes warts on a foe. “Thank you for the lesson today.”
“No, thank you. Seeing you begin to tap into the well of power within brings me such joy, my darling.” She opens her arms for a hug, which Petra steps into, wrapping her arms around her slender form. “Now go. You can’t keep that demon waiting.” She winks.
The second she arrives home, Morris greets her at the door, howling loudly as she hangs her keys on the hook and kicks her shoes off. He scampers ahead, leading her to the cupboard with the treats. He’s not a small cat by any means, but with how he screams at her sometimes, you’d think she starved him.
Checking her phone before setting it on the counter to get his treats, she sees she has a few texts from Lachlan. For some unknown reason, her heart does a little skip. Odd. It must be a remnant of her magic use today, causing her body to still feel excited after all of her success.
Lachlan
I hope you’ve had a great day.
I can’t wait to see you tonight.
Setting her phone down, she finally gets the treats for Morris, which he happily gobbles up before headbutting her leg in thanks and then sauntering away. Standing there watching Morris leave her, she hears shuffling from her doorway. Rounding the corner, she sees a white envelope slide under her door.Odd. She bends down to pick it up, then opens the door and gazes down the hall, but whoever delivered it is already long gone. She turns back, swinging the door shut behind her, and returns to the kitchen, opening the letter along the way.
Miss Rose,
Your presence is requested at the Wilks estate tomorrow at eight o’clock in the evening.
Do not be late.
– The Wilks Family
