“You see, that is the adult move to make, we are not in high school where it’s okay to hate on someone’s mistakes for the whole year around. We are grown ups and we should act as such.” Liz smiled jabbing another fruit with her fork.
“I’m loving the rehabbed you.” Zoe acknowledged, with her fruit full fork in midair.
“Kudos to rehab.” she smiled beautifully her eyes on George who was winking at her.
“Okay I’ll call him tonight.” she acceded.
Liz was busy getting smoldered by her waiter boyfriend to hear what she said. Zoe turned to look at George who was also staring back at Liz. She felt out of place.
“I guess am not needed here any longer.” she concluded, gathering her belongings.
“What did you say?” Liz shook her head, her attention back on her.
“I got to go. I decided I will talk to Josh tonight.” Zoe informed her standing.
“Okay, that’s good. I call you later.”
Zoe nodded, searched around for George who had disappeared into the kitchen.
“You’ll tell Joe and George that am out and tell him. It was a pleasure.”
“Liz nodded with perched lips.
Zoe walked out of Joe’s feeling sorry for her poor self. A peculiar sense of loneliness and envy was suffocating her. She wouldn’t deny that she also felt an ounce of jealousy for George. Liz was her confidant and best friend with all that she was going through she needed her company more than ever. But as much as she would have loved to get selfish with her, wouldn’t deny her the happiness she seemed to be experiencing.
She understood first hand that the consequences and distractions caused by hanging around newly lovebirds. She would end up feeling depressed and proceed to dating the first guy she meets on the road.
Thinking about it, she decided to do just that with the first one that came on her mind.
Hey Josh, this is my number,
Hope to see you tomorrow.
She smiled mischievously at the ‘sent’ alert and proceeded to her car. Her emotional stand towards Josh was an incredulous super funny phenomenon. Ever since the photo shoot incident, her perspective of the whole subject had taken a grave turn. She wasn’t as enthused about the idea as she had been. If the same number had been to her disposal two months ago she probably be staring at it all day. It seemed like nothing was as she hoped or thought it would be. Practically Nothing.
She was just about certain that nothing else could surprise her at that moment. Pertaining the message was already sent, it was about time she saw the glamorous side of friendship.
Just when she was about to get into her car, another one came blocking her exit. She turned furiously only to see Gigi’s smiling face waving at her. Oh no! Witch-hood here we go.
She smiled genuinely happy to see her in spite of the obvious initial dislike. She walked towards her, wondering what spell brought Gigi to her.
“Hey how did you track me?”
“Your GPS must be on.” Gigi pointed at Zoe’s phone which was tightly clenched in her palm.
“Oh” she unconsciously glanced at her phone. You wizards also use technology? She wanted to add that, but it would sound rude, it’s not like she came to her naked on a broomstick.
“We have a problem Zoe, get in the car. We need to talk.”
Zoe half smiled to the memory of the same words, we need to talk. Only that this time she was the problem, last time she was like the apparent solution. She stopped hating, automatically looked her car and perched her body into the seat next to Gigi. Gigi started the car and Zoe looked at her stunned.
“Where are we going?”
“To meet your mentor.” Gigi replied sharply, her face on the road.
“But…but the week is not over yet.” she sounded sad and looked despondent.
She needed a little more time to be normal. She wanted to meet her mentor but all that commotion felt final and way sooner than planned. She needed to feel prepared. Although in truth it was just 3days earlier.
“What is going on” she asked bleakly, watching Gigi’s serious face turn to her.
“I know you know that my father is a cop right?”
“Yes, we met.”
“Well, and I know that you went to palm street last week”
“What? Are you guys following me?” a slap of anger jerked her neck to Gigi.
“No, but it looks like we should. You didn’t think about your repercussions? The guys you defended yourself against with your magic have been talking around”
“But, how did they know it was me?” she was now meek and panicked.
“Zoe, not any which has those powers, most of us have to be joined in a ritual circle to channel that much energy. In any case getting pushed magically fifteen feet away doesn’t happen every day, not even to gang boys.”
“Oh my God, so what kinda trouble am I in? am I going to jail or something.”
“No. My father is taking care of it. Am not sure how he’ll pull it off, but we hope he comes up with something positive.”
“Oh thank God.” She breathed.
“Listen carefully,” Gigi eyed her briefly and tilted back to the road. “This town has two kinds of witches, those who practice harmless magic and those who practice dark magic, which is harmful. Our coven practices harmless magic. But you already know that we are fighting against those who practice dark magic. They have this crazy theory that, to them the magic we practice is no magic and it’s like abusing the essence of magic itself. They want to destroy us and they want this town to be occupied by witches who practice dark magic only.”
She stopped there after seeing the horror on Zoe’s face.
“So what am I supposed to do? Zoe asked confusion swirling in her head. It was all happening too fast.
“It’s about time you meet you mentor, so that we could finally protect you from getting harmed.”
“Who will harm me? And how?”
“The believers of dark magic are very powerful and they also have an immortal but powerless king, his name is Darkeel. He has lived for over 400 years, right here in Desolia. He was the founder of the island and never wanted invasion until the 1st coven panel convinced him otherwise.”
“This is too much for me, what am I supposed to do huh? So am supposed to fight this Darkeel? I am supposed to fight an immortal man who has lived for 400 years, I am 18 for god’s sake couldn’t you find a better match” It was bad timing for sarcasm but she couldn’t help it.
“We are all fighting Darkeel and his black coven, this is our war not your war.”
“I don’t think I can do this” Zoe resigned, feeling the heaviness over her shoulders.
“Zoe, please learn to trust yourself. You are not doing this for me, but for all the families out there and which include both gifted and ungifted. It is a huge burden, that I know but you should understand that, with it you are creating a better Desolia, and a safer home for your friends and family” Gigi convinced.
Zoe was quiet for a while, trying to digest her fate. It was happening too fast, the pace was relentless. Will she be able to keep up, wont she crumble and fall? .How do they trust her that much? Weren’t there any other alternatives?
“Isn’t there any other way?” she asked feeling no strength in her tone.
“Actually there is. Apparently it involves a lot of bloodshed, just like what your history books tell you about Desolia in the early 19th century.” Gigi said wistfully. She suddenly stopped the car and turned to face her. Breathing out heavily, she leveled her dark green eyes to Zoe’s doubtful blue ones. She looked exasperated.
“Zoe you are a brave girl. That is something you have to fish inside of you. You are destined to help us keep peace in our world. And you just can’t run away from that. You are not alone okay, but you are our key weapon” Her tone was filled with an urgency that was compelling but her last remark got her quivering.
Zoe sighed heavily and muttered “oh my god” fearful tears threatened to cra
wl out.
“Can you tell me more about this immortal person?” she asked dutifully, overpowering the urge to open the door and run.
“Look. I’m no story teller, I only know the basics. Enough info to make me chose my stand. But who ever your mentor will be is the one who will take you down to history zone, and your responsibilities.
We are scared that your action might trigger dark magic witches to hunt you down. It is said that you have the power to restore their master’s powers back. That is why you are worth a war in our world.”
Zoe’s head was spinning, and her face was becoming pallid. If she was white she may have been chalklike. She swallowed hard refusing to look at her instructors face, for pride reason.
“I have…” Liz begun, turning over for something on the back seats. “Three files of the mentor witches who you will asses and decided which one of these will suit you.” she finished giving her the files and restarting the car.
Before doing character assessment, she looked around the environment they had parked. They were in the outskirts of town. A place she had never been before. It was all green, farmlands and extensive plantation to beyond the eye’s ability.
“Is this where you took as on that night?”
“Yes. We will be there in ten.”
She glared down at the files on her lap then started scheming through each one, concentrating on the basic profile information. Each one had a passport size photo attached to it. The first file was of a brown eyed brunet Lady.
Doomsberg Association of Witchery
Name Marlene Palmer
Age 25 yrs
Sex female
DAW for 7 yrs
Specialty Fortune telling
Employment Shop Owner
The second file was of a guy with strawberry blonde hair and dark blue eyes.
Doomsberg Association of Witchery
Name Iann Small
Age 23
Sex male
DAW for 5yrs
Specialty telepathy
Employment Bar Manager
The last file was of no stranger but a medium brown haired, hazel eyed CHRIS.
Doomsberg Association of Witchery
Christopher Moore
Age 21
Sex male
DAW for 4yrs
Specialty Plants and Clairvoyance
Employment Florist Assistant
7. COVEN MANSION
“Yeeeeeeeeees…yesssssss……yes, yes, yes…Chris Moore???.” She screamed blithely in her head as her eyes grew wider with excitement. “How in the world is this possible? Chris is a witch, a witch, a witch”. Zoe pressed her lips so hard to contain the claustrophobic happiness. She really wanted to blurter out a huge relieving laugh. But what if they don’t allow someone she knew to mentor her? She concealed her broad smile with a protective palm over her lips.
Her eyes were glistening with happy tears, Gigi turned instinctively to face her and saw the unquestionable difference.
“Is everything alright?”
Zoe cleared her throat “These are some interesting mentors.” she said with a silly smile.
“By that you mean Christopher Moore?” Gigi smiled knowingly.
Zoe blinked, with a face that said how the hell did you know that? “Are you telepathic too?”
“Darling, we are witches, the moment we told that x boyfriend of yours that you are the Channeler, he nearly caused Maydith a migraine with his head screams.”
Zoe simpered “So it’s okay to be mentored by him?” she asked hopefully.
“Yes it is, that’s why we included him in the top three.”
“I thought a mentor was supposed to be older like 30, 40?”
“Not necessarily. In this case we had to pick younger witches, especially those who would have flexible work hours. Because this witchy warfare calls out for energetic people, the older once will do the counseling, teaching and decision making, and Chris proved to be dedicated and very talented in his field, so he will be okay.”
“Wow. You can’t imagine how I felt when I saw his name, it was phenomenal”
“We thought it would be.”
“Thank you so much.” She said with unfathomed sincerity.
Gigi smiled and a second later she drove into a driveway then parked her car on a spacious vertical parking lot. There were some other cars parked around in the same compound.
“We are home.” She announced.
“I can see that.” Zoe observed, getting out of the car, slack jawed.
Her eyes graced one of the most beautiful one story antebellum mansions they had ever come across. It was white, wide and a wow, an absolute titivation. The ornate circular columns rose high to the ceiling, rivetingly surrounding the entire mansion like shields. On the very top of the building it read Doomsberg Association of Witchery, with an emblem of a star that resembled her pendant. The exquisite mansion was in between an extensive Greenland, with large oak trees, never-ending lawns and a-to die for serenity. Better yet it seemed like the ocean wasn’t very far away, she could feel the intoxicating breeze wash over her. And she thought how in Doomsberg had she never heard about the magical place. Not unless it was in truth magical.
“Is this place magical?”
“Only visible to the gifted” Gigi replied with an ostentatious grin.
She collected herself with a readiness for the escapade and an added amount of longing for the extraordinary. When Zoe placed her foot on the massive greenness, the lawn bellow her suddenly turned to a pavement that stretched straight to the front porch. She almost jumped out of it, but absorbed the newness with a daring fortitude. She kept going forward and reflexively turned to see if there was a change on the magical lawn. And there it was, the pavement behind her was disappearing and getting substituted by the lawn.
On the large front porch they found Maydith Fairgood and Seth Krukton patiently waiting for their arrival. They both had a different vibe from the last time they’d met. This time she noticed they were casually dressed and looking anti witchlike.
Pleasant greetings were thrown around like a ball, until each had answered their share of salutation. Maydith led the group inside the humongous entrance hall. On its walls, framed pictures were decorated all the way around it. As she ascended the grand staircase Zoe noticed a few head turns watch her, or point and wave at her with such conspicuous admiration. She smiled at them, and waved back with unforeseen pride. She felt important, for the very first time in her life she felt like somebody who really mattered. They walked through the spiral flight of stairs which had been adored by a bright red carpet to the very last room on the first floor marked meeting room. She peered around and it looked like there were rooms enough to accommodate a good sum of people.
Maydith opened the door honorably for them and closed it when they were all inside.
The room was large, with equally large windows, a table big enough to accommodate fourteen people. They occupied the first chairs of the table but Maydith remained standing. It was as if she never sat down.
“Thank you very much for meeting us in such short notice, Zoe” Maydith said, looking every bit relaxed and in control.
Zoe nodded in response.
“Did you make a choice, about your mentor?”
“Yes. I picked Chris Moore”
“Chris Moore it is. Gigi go fetch Mr. Moore.”
When Gigi was out of the room, Mr. Krukton who was seated facing her, voiced his views.
“We hope you have learned a lot about Doomsberg’s witches from Gigi, you still have along way and you will learn more as time goes, in the mean time, do you have any questions that involve the association or anything relevant bothering you”
“I have a lot of them,” she signed “Like umh, the first time I used my powers this pendant glistened,” Krukton and Maydith glanced at each other momentarily “Is this where my power lies? In the pendant I mean?” she asked holding the necklace.
“Am afraid we do not have the answe
r to that. About the chain’s powers or your powers to be exact” Krukton answered looking rather helpless.
“Why not?” Zoe asked confused.
“There are believed to be two books that talked about you and so many other important details that our ancestors had compiled. Sadly the books have been missing for many years; we have been in such a maze about them. Regrettably until this minute we are not fortunate to relocate any of them.” Mr. Krukton replied
His reply added more questions instead of answering the one she’d asked. Maydith cut her short just when she was about to throw another question.
“What Mr. Krukton is trying to say is, you are the very first Channeler, we do not know if there will be any others after you, but there were none before you. This is new to us as it is to you. Your powers are not witchy tales that have been foretold for years! These are new experiences that will be celebrated and told about in the coming years. You have to be careful on every account when it comes to them. We on the other hand will help you through the process and direct you whenever possible. All there is about you is that you’ll have so much power enough to restore those who had lost theirs.”
“What about the books he is talking about?” Zoe asked veering Krukton
“They’re written by the first coven members. They were the ones who had predicted your coming but none have been retrieved until today, and no one knows where they are.”
“So has anyone ever seen them?”
“None, nobody we know of, we hope-”
Maydith was interrupted by a knock and so was everyone else. They all turned alert and faced the door. It was opened by Gigi who was followed behind by Chris.
“Chris, please come in.” Maydith beckoned.
Zoe couldn’t help her exhilaration; she shot up from her chair and ran to the arms she once called her boyfriend’s. She held on tight to the familiarity and forgot for some second that there were other people in their midst. In his hefty arms it automatically felt just about okay to be a witch. And a teenage confused witch-hood rookie of the twenty first century at that.
Her eyes were closed when Chris’s voice whispered against her ear.
“Hey beautiful witch”
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