Page 39 of The Magic of Discovery
“This has been in my family for generations; it’s made from enchanted rose granite. This shouldn’t be possible.” Gran slumped down into her chair and tossed the now useless heirloom onto the table.
“Yeah, well, seems to be a lot of impossible shit going on right now. I need some answers, Gran.” I tossed my hands up in exasperation, needing her to know I was on the verge of flipping out.
“Scoop that powder into two bowls, and we can quickly place it. I’ll answer all of your questions as soon as that’s complete.”
Rising from my chair, I padded over to the cupboard that had some paper bowls inside and snatched two of them. Gran took one, and we each pushed half the powder into each of our bowls.
“I’ll take the perimeter and the doorways; you can go around and do all of the windows,” she ordered, placing her bowl into her basket and heading out of the house through the back porch.
“Sure thing,” I muttered under my breath.Blah, what is going on with me?Now that I thought about it, I’d been on edge the past several weeks, quicker to anger than normal, and now getting frustrated with Gran? That was really not like me, and I was starting to get unsettled.
Moving quickly through the house, I made sure to hit every single window, even the tiny ones in the attic. The last thing I needed was any more freaking visitors.Well, unwanted visitors, that is.Remembering my date, I pulled out my cell to check the time.Wow, it was already after three. The afternoon was getting away from me fast. Heading down the steps, I made a beeline for the sink in the kitchen so I could wash the dust off of my hands.
Not seeing Gran anywhere, I went ahead and pulled out the container with last night’s leftover soup and popped it into the microwave. Just as it started beeping, she bustled in and collapsed into her chair at the table.
“Are you okay?” I rushed to her side, taking her hand in mine.
Waving me off, she replied, “Yes, yes. I’m fine. Just takes some extra power and exertion that I’m not used to using anymore. Something smells good. Can you get me a glass of water, child?”
Now I felt like a dick for being frustrated with her lack of answers when she was clearly putting forth a lot of effort to lock my house down like a bunker. Filling up a large glass with ice water, I brought it over and set it down in front of her.
“Let me grab the soup. Drink that water, Gran. I don’t need you passing out on me. This day has already been eventful enough for my liking.” I turned and headed for the counter. Spooning the soup into two bowls, I carried those over and sat down beside her. She looked a little better, some color returning to her face. “How do you feel now? Do you need anything else?”
“The water is fine. Thank you. I’m better now that I know those creatures can’t get in here. Later this evening, I’ll go into town and put the same protections over the shop. Now, I know you’re dying of curiosity, so how about I tell you what I know first. We’ll see what questions you have afterward.” I smiled as best I could, dipping my head in response.
“Back when your mother was a teenager, she went away to New York City for a weekend with some classmates to tour a couple of magical museums. The first evening they were there, she and a few of her friends thought they’d give the teachers the slip and sneak into some bars, ending up at a club that catered to the magical community...” Gran looked away, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. My own breathing nearly sped up, nervous for what she was about to say.
“From what I was able to squeeze out of her, she’d gone outside with a guy she’d picked up, and they were making out in the alley beside the club until a fight broke out between him and another guy who’d been checking her out. The attacker had lost control, talking about how she was his, and the two men started growling and sprouted horns, their eyes turning completely black. Laurie had no idea what she was looking at, but the two demons were fighting to the death over her, a potential mate. In the end, the demon who had been kissing her beat the other to death. She stood frozen to the spot while the monster stalked over to her and caged her against the wall. He spouted all kinds of nonsense about mating with her, producing healthy babies, and being a savior.” Her voice caught on the last part, but I wasn’t sure what emotion was overtaking her. This time, it seemed like Gran might be reliving the fear she’d had for her daughter. Though they didn’t have a relationship now, I knew Gran had loved her, still did.
“A couple of bouncers from the club had raced into the alley, taking in the dead man and the horned creature who was hovering over a teenage witch. One of them pulled out a gun, shooting the demon with a strong tranquilizer, while the two mages pulled Laurie out of the dark alley, kicking and screaming. She’d wanted to stay with thatbeast.” I opened my mouth to ask what had happened to the demon, but she raised her hand, shushing me.
“Typically, demons do not live in our realm. They stay in Besmet unless they’re sent here by their rulers for either a mission or sometimes punishment. There are rogues, that’s what they call them, who somehow gain access to a portal, and they come here to do what demons do best. Taint, ruin, corrupt, tempt... and we are the perfect victims for such desires. Too trusting, too soft, too pure.
I had no idea of their existence until Laurie returned home. After that, she was never the same. We both know how much your mother loves attention, and this was better than a strong batch of drugs to her system. Sure, she had always been a selfish girl, but most teens are. Now obsessed with knowledge and power, the demon had completely invaded her mind. Her grades started to suffer, and nothing held her focus besides her studies intoDemonology, she called it. At first, I thought she had made the whole thing up, but after doing some research of my own, I discovered that they are indeed real.”
At that point, she reached out and took one of my hands in her own, her eyes pleading with me as though I could provide some kind of comfort or forgiveness for what she was about to say.
“I tried my damnedest to rid her of her obsession. We fought so much, and all she would talk about was leaving Emerald Lakes after graduation so she could get the answers that she needed. She wanted to go to Besmet, driven mad with the idea of a whole other world being just beyond her fingertips. As far as I know, the only ones capable of summoning a portal to get there are actual demons, though I’m sure she gave it every ounce of magic she had to try and get it to work. Then, after she graduated, she was gone.
I was so angry with her, and in a way, I still am. She was a brilliant witch, one of the strongest I have ever known, but her addiction to power was stronger.” Gran paused, releasing my hand and lifting her water to her lips.
How was this the first time I was hearing this story? Taking a couple bites of my lunch, I waited patiently for her to continue, afraid she’d never start again if I interrupted.
“I didn’t hear from her again until she showed up on my doorstep claiming to be three months pregnant. She only seemed upset that she was going to have to hang around here for six months until you were born. I knew she didn’t want to be a mother; the girl never had a motherly bone in her body. She needed to explore, run, do whatever she wanted. Offering her an out, I told her that I would raise you.” Gran’s voice grew sharply bitter, and even I felt the sting of the animosity she felt toward Laurie’s selfishness. But I didn’t question for one second that she resentedmefor this situation, no, that was all on her daughter.
“You could stay with me for as long as you’d like, and I would teach you about green witchcraft. I would be the one to provide for you, care for you. Obviously, she accepted that, and you know the rest.” Gran’s eyes hardened, and she looked like she’d tasted something horrible.
How different would my life be right now if she had never gone on that weekend trip with her school friends? Shaking my head, I dumped that thought right in the mental trash can in my brain. My life was amazing. I had everything I could ever want, and most importantly, I was happy.
I’d always wondered why Laurie hadn’t stepped up. Why she didn’twantme. And now I knew, the answer was so simple it almost seemed unreal: she was just too selfish to care for anything besides herself.
“I’m so sorry, Gran.” Reaching out, I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“I try not to think of it because I still get so angry. It was a long time ago, and I can’t even wish it had been different because everything happened the way it should. It got me you, after all.” Squeezing my hand back in response, she pulled back and started to dig into her lunch.
“Why do you think they’re coming around now? Do you think they’re looking for her and got confused by me?”
Raising an eyebrow in thought, she swallowed her bite and snorted. “That would make sense. Of course the stupid girl would lead the damn things right to our home, even unintentionally. They won’t be getting in here again, though. I’ll sleep easy tonight and even better after I put the protections around The Pig as well.”
