Abandoned Witch (Shadow Claw Book 6)

by Sarah J. Stone

  Mrs. Fae felt disoriented by the fact that a ten-year-old was speaking such words. She wanted to know what she had been through very badly, but respect was her key morality and she couldn’t transcend it. As much as she wanted to trace over the scars on her arms and back and look into the memories, she couldn’t bring herself to.

  Once Viria’s back had cleared up, Mrs. Fae let her off to go to her next class. She knew that Viria was not the most powerful of witches at the moment, but she could see a spark of intelligence in her eyes that she used as strength. It was clear she did not realize it and probably felt unworthy for most of her life, but Mrs. Fae knew she would do big things one day.

  ****

  When she got home that day, she was taken out to celebrate surviving her first day of school. It was odd, to celebrate something so insignificant. But maybe it wasn’t insignificant to them and she was more grateful for the acknowledgement than she could have imagined.

  They went out for ice cream. It had been such a long time she had had any. She’d forgotten when the last time it was she’d had any. But it didn’t matter. She’d had a good day at school. No one got to hurt her in ways that she held onto it.

  ****

  That night, though, there was a huge fight in the house. Viria was off to bed when the doorbell rang, and she went down to peek at who it was, but Ivanna appeared at the bottom. She smiled and shook her head, beckoning her to head back to bed. So she did, but she sneaked back to the stairs and it didn’t stop her from listening in on the argument. Miss Grippin was there, and Ivanna was having a go at her.

  “I swear to God, if I come to hear about one little scratch on her after this from you or any of the teachers, or on any of the students, I won’t just have you guys fired. I will have you exiled!”

  “Ivanna, calm down,” her father pleaded.

  “They’re the reason our kids are such a mess in the first place!” Ivanna roared. Viria didn’t know Ivanna had such a temper, and it was downright intimidating. She stepped away, knowing it would be better to not hear the rest of it.

  Chapter 9

  She was looking forward to school the next day, but that is not where Ivanna took her. The unfamiliar route unsettled Viria and she wondered if she should ask where they were going. But Ivanna’s anger from last night was imprinted in her consciousness, and it made her too nervous to attempt. She didn’t want someone as nice as Ivanna to scold her. She knew it would hurt her esteem and confidence more than scoldig did in her past.

  Ivanna gave Viria a side eye, noticing how unusually quiet she was.

  “You all right, little one?” she asked gently, and it soothed Viria enough to allow her barriers to fall just a bit.

  “Yeah, I’m okay.”

  “You wondering where we’re going?”

  “Mm-hmm,” she admitted with a nod and Ivanna breathed deeply.

  “Well, you’ve been summoned by the Head Witch, Morrigan,” she explained, “She was told about your abilities and wants to have a look, so you’ll be giving her a demonstration. Is that okay?”

  “I might get a little nervous…”

  “It could work if you try with me, right?” she prodded, “She just wants a look, that’s all. Might ask you how you do it and stuff. She’s very trustworthy and looks after people well.”

  Viria could tell her last sentence was forced, but she did not want any conflict or unease so she agreed to it. Ivanna gave her a grateful smile.

  She sighed. “Also, I…might not be who you know me as in front of them.”

  Viria frowned and looked at her. Ivanna gave her a glance and her eyes went back to the road, “I mean, well, you saw what people are like here, didn’t you? I’m one of the community members so I need to act like the majority to make sure they listen to me.”

  “You won’t be nice over there,” Viria stated.

  “I can’t be who I am outside the house, yes,” she agreed, “It’s just you and my parents who I show my true nature to. I just thought I should warn you. The community is a cruel place and you really haven’t seen anything yet.”

  “I guess I’ll understand…” Viria’s voice faltered, “I just don’t see the point of doing something when you can’t be your true self. It’s bound to show at one point.”

  Ivanna sighed and rubbed her head gently. “Look, kiddo, you’ll always be my favorite, no matter what, okay?” she reassured her, “And you’ll understand with time. It takes a lot to fit in. But once I take Morrigan’s place, I promise to make the people here the nicest anyone would see anywhere.”

  “Won’t be that easy, though. Why even try?”

  “Everything takes time, little one.” She smiled. “Can’t give up when I haven’t started yet, eh?”

  “I guess you have a point,” Viria replied skeptically. She doubted changing the way people worked when they had been a certain way for so long would be in any way successful. Especially with those people who were born amongst the kind and brought up with that way of thinking and never had room for kindness before.

  It took a while to get where they had to, but it left Viria awestruck when they arrived.

  A huge structure loomed over them crafted like a castle. And it was completely black, gleaming under the sunlight as if tar had been poured over it all. Gargoyles stood as watchful guards at the gates on the either side. The towers and spires rose high, piercing the clouds. She didn’t think a structure could go so high. She wondered how anyone even got up there.

  Ivanna halted the car right before the gates and hopped off, asking Viria to follow her. Handing the keys to a male guard ,Ivanna led her to the gate. She chanted something under her breath and drew a symbol on the gate. Her finger glowed golden and a line traced itself with her hand’s movement. The symbol disappeared into the gates and they opened soundlessly to a magnificent white, spotless interior. The contrast was disorienting, but it was gorgeous, nevertheless.

  “Viria.” Ivanna turned to her. “You understand that I won’t be who I really am in there, right?”

  Viria nodded. Ivanna smiled weakly and ruffled her head, giving her shoulders a slight squeeze before taking her hand and entering the place. The gates closed behind them gently, their impact echoing lightly inside the place.

  Their footsteps were light on the tiles, and echoed softly on the stairs as they headed upwards. The large windows stained with color threw in equally colorful light on the white walls. They passed by each window until they came across one which held the glass painting of a woman with flowing black hair and striking blue eyes. Looking at her, Viria felt the woman was probably alive, trapped within the glass.

  “This is the first witch,” Ivanna explained, “Viria Moteny. She was born to human parents and was the start of all of us. Morrigan is her descendant.”

  “Wasn’t it dangerous for her?”

  “Yes, very,” she replied. “She trained herself in hiding and married a wealthy man who wanted her for nothing but beauty. His wealth and connections was one of the reasons she was well protected despite her being discovered and wanted dead by her townspeople. He was a fool who tried to take advantage of her powers, but she had him under a spell and used him to protect herself and expand her reign to conquer nearby lands. All the current communities are built upon the lands she captured. Some had to be abandoned, but they exist and are well hidden and protected.”

  Ivanna turned to the light falling on the wall across, the image of Viria Moteny falling onto it. The little Viria didn’t know if it was her, or if the painting was smiling wider at her. Kind and caring.

  Ivanna reached out toward the image’s forehead, and traced a golden circle. The First Witch’s eyes closed and her black hair flared about, glowing silver. The glow took over the expanse of the image, and then it disappeared, leaving an opening in the wall. Viria followed Ivanna into the room. It was completely gold and it made Viria dizzy. It was too soon to look at another color in such quantity.

  The walls
curved around, holding three large windows throwing in plenty of light to blind anyone, and the gold reflecting it all did not help Viria’s vision at all. Curtains soon fell over the windows, enveloping them in complete darkness until candles lit up all around, giving the room a calmer glow. It seemed a lot more beautiful in candle light. The curtains draped over the windows were a magnificent burgundy and went well with the gold. All was not gold, though. There were low, glossy dark brown shelves lining the walls, spilling with books, and tables of the same wood that curved before half of the shelves. There was a raised platform where a white, circular altar stood, a large golden bowl upon it brimming with white smoke that slid down its sides. The domed ceiling held a ring along it circumferences with flowers hanging off it in various colors, filling the room with its sweet scents. From the very center of the dome hung a crystal chandelier through which candles threw more light all over the room. Two giant pillars on the either side of each window depicting an elegant man and woman at each held the structure together with their hands, holding the dome up from its edges to keep it from falling. What was more, the floor was magical clock traced out with moving, watery golden glitter glowing faintly beneath them, but there were powerful symbols in place of numerals. Seven of them.

  “This place is gorgeous,” Viria whispered, afraid the pillars would move if she were too loud.

  “Isn’t it?” she smiled, “This is the High Council’s room, where they keep watch over all of ViriaMoteny’s descendants and the people under them. Morrigan’s community is the main headquarters.

  “Did this place belong to Viria Moteny?”

  “Definitely, although it did undergo a little more expansion to accommodate the other witches for when they visit.

  One of the symbols on the floor glowed black, the one right underneath Viria. She jumped away and behind Ivanna who had grown stiff and suddenly had an unrecognizable air about her. Viria was not comfortable with it, but she put it aside and focused on what was happening before them.

  The symbol started to emit black smoke, tendrils furling into each other, climbing up and saturating to form a life sized opaque form. The smoke solidified and broke away again in soft tendrils, revealing a woman.

  “It’s been long, Ivanna,” the woman said with a gentleness that put Viria’s heart at ease and drew her from behind Ivanna, “You’d been gone for so long. I almost thought you’d ran away.” The woman ended with a chuckle and her eyes fell on Viria. “Who’s this?”

  Viria had never seen anyone as beautiful as Morrigan. She did not know where to begin to describe her. She almost resembled Viria Moteny herself. If Morrigan’s resemblance to her was this beautiful, then she couldn’t imagine how gorgeous Viria Moteny herself must’ve been in person.

  “Introduce yourself,” Ivanna ordered her.

  Viria almost flinched at how cold her voice had gone, but she remembered it was all an act. Viria’s gaze shifted to Morrigan and she slowly stepped forward toward her. “I’m Viria.”

  “Oh, yes! I summoned you, I remember,” she said cheerily and snapped her fingers. A chair flew in and swept Viria off of her feet, plates of fruit and candy rushing toward her and floating about. “So, Viria,” started Morrigan, “how was your first day in the community? You can be honest.”

  She ended with a chuckle and Viria’s innocent mind liked how lighthearted she was. “The people aren’t the nicest here, to be honest, but I got by well.”

  “That is true. They really aren’t nice,” Morrigan admitted. “Do you like strawberries?”

  “I’m not sure,” Viria said, “I don’t remember trying them.”

  “You have a lot of memories locked away, don’t you?” She clicked her tongue as she brought the plate near her. “Here, have some. I’ll get you something to drink, too. Do you like apple juice?”

  “Again, I’m not too sure.” Viria chuckled nervously. Morrigan gave her a somewhat pitiful look. Viria didn’t like that, but she decided to brush it off. Morrigan whispered something and waved her hand, and a glass filled with emerald liquid floated into Viria’s hand. She took a tentative sip and decided she liked it.

  “Well, Viria, it’s only been a day here for you,” Morrigan stated. “But I sure did hear a lot. Did you really flip Miss Grippin over in dueling class?”

  “In my defense, she was playing rather dirty,” Viria admitted. “She almost buried me under the sand.”

  Morrigan laughed. “Goodness, this is news to me. Tell me, you utter no spells and had no one to teach you anything, yet you managed to acquire hold of your powers. How did you do that?”

  Viria wasn’t sure if she should trust Morrigan, but she was exuding vibes that made her want to confide in her. To trust her. She felt she would understand her. So she told her about how she had dreams, and how she followed them that allowed her to meditate. And how it was within her meditation she was taught by some guiding external force.

  “Could you demonstrate it?” Morrigan asked, and Viria shrugged. “How about you duel Ivanna for me?”

  “Okay,” Viria nodded. She knew Ivanna would go easy on her and that she had to simply show Morrigan what she could do. Nothing too extensive or dangerous. Morrigan called Ivanna forward and asked both the girls to follow her into the courtyard.

  Ivanna and Viria stood across from each other. With the look she held in her eyes, Ivanna appeared like a stranger. Shecame off as cruel, cold, like she could care less about anyone. She looked like she meant it.

  Ivanna looked at Morrigan, who nodded. That was her signal to attack. Viria dodged the first blow thrown at her narrowly. And another, again just barely. Ivanna was so fast and powerful that it was starting to confuse Viria where attacks were coming from at all and she had to put up a shield and expand its area around her to gain some distance between her and the blows to be able to concentrate.

  Viria moved like liquid, quicksilver as her arms and legs sliced through the air in the most complicated formations and gathering fire, water, and dirt outside around her shield. They snaked around her and she sent them whipping at Ivanna. Another complicated move and her shield expanded with speed, disappearing right after knocking Ivanna over to a distance. With simple but precise movements of her hands, she sent blue discs of energy spinning toward Ivanna, who chanted under her breath the deflect them before they got to her.

  Morrigan caught onto her movements easily and recognized the symbols she traced from her body. They were symbols that were translated into verbal language that induced the same spells, but less strong. She’d looked at them long enough to memorize them. But she was amazed. The precision and specific limbs and muscles Viria used to garner control was astounding. That should have taken years of practice. She was not powerful, but she was insanely smart and Morrigan could see clearly how she was strategizing her attacks mid-battle. Her strength would come from strengthening the witch within her, something that everyone needed to work upon over the years to achieve more strength in power. But with the way Viria worked her way with her magic, it didn’t seem she needed much power to win.

  It was purely her intelligence and ability to predict and strategize that was keeping her going.

  Morrigan had seen and understood enough. She held her hand up. “That’s enough for today.”

  But Viria hadn’t had enough. She was angry. Ivanna had been completely merciless and she didn’t believe she was faking it anymore. That was too raw an expression on Ivanna’s face to let go of. And she knew she’d seen it somewhere and she did not want to let this go. She wanted to deal with it right there and then.

  With a scowl, Viria started to move again, despite Morrigan’s orders, but Morrigan was quick to react and threw an enchantment her way that encased her in a black tinted barrier. She turned around to look at Morrigan, almost feeling betrayed, but her heart calmed down as she gave Viria a kind face full of understanding and forgiveness. Viria breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure and cool the bubbling anger in her stomac
h.

  Ivanna looked genuinely guilty for a brief moment before she covered it up. She couldn’t have Morrigan suspecting her of the nature she had projected for the public. But Viria saw it and she wondered if she could try and forgive her. But she’d only know Ivanna for two days or so.

  What does it matter, anyway? Everyone turns on each other at one point or the other.

  Morrigan came forward to put a hand on Viria’s shoulder, “Thank you, Ivanna. You may leave now. I’d like to have a word with Viria.”

  The touch really calmed her down and she allowed Morrigan turn her away from Ivanna and lead her back into the place. Ivanna watched them disappear. She felt disappointed with herself.

  “I just don’t understand the point of doing something when you can’t be your true self. It’s bound to show at one point.”

  Maybe she was right. Ivanna sighed. She was starting to feel exhausted with the face she put on, but it was too late to turn around and show her true face to everyone. She understood it wasn’t her faked bitterness that truly upset Viria, but the expert dishonesty she managed in her nature toward Viria. It must’ve made her feel unsure and insecure of Ivanna.

  With a regretful heart, she turned away and disappeared into the place through a different door, and up toward her office.

  ***

  “Do you know what you do with your body?” Morrigan asked Viria as she walked slowly across a forbidden bookshelf, eyeing each book carefully for the one she was looking for.

  “Not really,” she admitted, “Like I said before, I had no proper teacher.”

  “Oh, but you did,” Morrigan said finally finding what she was looking for, “It was your life tree. It did so in a desperate attempt to save your sanity. You had no one to depend on then and it took responsibility. It’s nothing surprising, really, but it must’ve drawn a lot of energy from the paranormal world to keep you going. Just how low had you sunken?”