Council of Magic

by J. L. Hendricks

  “He knew of the pregnancy, and he was the one responsible for destroying the father of the abomination. As you know, each pack or coven is responsible for the capital punishment of its own members. When your father carried out the sentence, he notified my mother. My mother, in turn, told him my sister was destroyed before the baby was born.”

  “Why did your mother lie about the baby?” Rico asked.

  “Because, he would have reported us to the international council. The one you have a seat on.” If looks could kill, Rebecca would have slaughtered Rico with her eyes.

  “Ah, yes. Your entire coven would have been punished for this decision. Although, had you explained about the seer and your spell, they may not have punished you. It’s possible your coven would have only been on probation. Why didn’t you let the International Council know about the prophecy?” Rico’s dad served on the council before him.

  It was an inherited position, like the royalty in England inherited their titles and positions in parliament. Rico grew up being groomed for his position and knew all of the laws and punishments associated with breaking them. Which was why he was very careful in what he reported to them. Had the International Council known of the prophecy, Rico would have known as well.

  “We couldn’t be sure. My mother was adamant about protecting Kat. She believed the seer, but I didn’t. I wanted to destroy the thing that caused my sister to lose her life. I was overruled, and my mother placed Kat in a magical foster home for her first four years.” Rebecca seemed agitated, the longer she spoke the more upset she got.

  “Apparently, they had decided to raise her up in our coven, so they could have the tool the seer spoke of. I didn’t know who had her, just that she was still in our care. A few of the witches decided they’d had enough and wanted Kat dead. In the fight, my mother was killed.” Rebecca lowered her head and tried to hide her sniffle.

  With my exceptional hearing I couldn’t miss it.

  “Those who instigated the rebellion were destroyed. Whoever had Kat put her into the mundane foster system. We had no idea she was even in the area. I thought for sure she would have been moved to a different state.” When Rebecca raised her head, it was obvious she had controlled her emotions.

  There wasn’t a trace of sadness, only anger. Which was directed at Kat.

  “How long before you knew who I was?” Kat directed her own anger at Rebecca.

  Her hand was holding tightly to mine, and she was breathing heavily. Kat’s eyes were narrowed, and her nostrils flared. If she did have magic, I would have expected her to use it against Rebecca. It’s probably a good thing her powers were blocked.

  She had to be so upset about her parents being murdered just because she was conceived.

  “Word reached me a few months ago. Rumor had it a certain Voodoo Doll had been bitten by a vampire who couldn’t stand her taste. He seemed to be smitten with her, though. Whatever happened to her vampire lover?” Rebecca smirked and looked to me.

  She was just trying to get a rise out of the both of us.

  I squeezed Kat’s hand before speaking, “Rebecca, once you knew who she was, why didn’t you go to Rico? He had just as much right to know as you.”

  “I had hoped she would never find out. I never believed what the seer said about her. The council followed the seer. Once Kat disappeared, I thought good riddance. As long as her hidden magic never surfaced, I was happy to pretend she never existed.” The haughtiness in Rebecca’s voice and demeanor was sickening.

  I knew the witches thought of themselves as better than all of the other paranormals combined. I just hadn’t thought they were this bad.

  “Why was I bound? What is so wrong with me being a hybrid? I don’t get it?” Kat’s face was covered in confusion.

  She bit the inside of her cheek, and her brows furrowed. No one could make me think Kat was an abomination. Maybe we needed to take another look at this rule.

  “A shifter child is unpredictable enough. There is a good reason the pack homeschools their young. The same situation can be said of witches. We homeschool our children for their safety and training, as well as the safety of the world around us.” The deep sigh by Rebecca showed her fatigue.

  I wondered how long she’d worried about this day.

  Rebecca continued, “When a young witch, or warlock, reaches puberty their emotions control them and their magic. They have a difficult time keeping spells in check. Many a witch would have killed themselves along with their entire family, if they hadn’t had a witch around to help modulate their magic in times of severe emotional stress.”

  Marco finally spoke, “Add to the situation a shifter, and magic goes awry. Centuries ago there wasn’t a rule against inter-species relationships. It didn’t take too long to create the rule. Several situations arose around the globe which made it impossible to allow witches and shifters to co-mingle. Pompeii is one example of what can happen when a child is born to a witch and shifter.”

  “Thank, Gaia, vampires are sterile! I can only imagine the devastation a vampire-witch or vampire-shifter child would bring on this world.” Rebecca rubbed her face and stood.

  “I think now everyone understands why we did what we did and why it was kept a secret. Until such a time comes where Kat’s powers are needed, I don’t want to see her here again.” Rebecca turned to leave.

  “Wait! You are forgetting one thing. She is now part of my pack. Her safety as well as her actions are my responsibility. Unlike you, I do believe the seer. In fact, one has already approached her. Lola told Kat to get her powers back. I think the coming war with the vamps is what the original seer wanted Kat for.” Rico walked to the council door and stood in front of it.

  I got up and stood behind Kat with my hands on her shoulders, giving her my support. There was no way Rico, or I, would allow Rebecca to leave the spell on Kat.

  “Kat is a grown woman who is control of her emotions now. She has proven herself to be a smart, level-headed leader. She deserves a chance at her powers. Should there be an issue with her magic, perhaps, you could bind those powers alone after we have stopped the revolt.” Rico pleaded with Rebecca.

  “I don’t know what will happen when her powers are released. She may be level-headed now, but who knows what she will be once she has both sets of powers. With two different types of ancient magic running through her blood, she has the ability to become one of the most powerful witches in existence. I can’t allow her the chance to destroy us all.”

  “Rebecca, she isn’t your concern. When your coven sent her away, your responsibility was severed. She is now my responsibility, one hundred percent. I am taking the reins here. You will release her magical bonds. If not, the International Council will be coming to town for a visit. I know you don’t want this. Your…extra-curricular activities will not look well in their eyes.” Geesh, Rico was really putting her to the screws.

  If the International Council came to town and discovered anything at all amiss with this local council, Rebecca would lose her leadership position. While I don’t care much for the witches, they have worked with us. The fact they are now using The Voodoo House as the go-between for their spells, and the vampire hunters is evidence enough we should keep Rebecca in power.

  She doesn’t always follow the letter of law, but she is much better than some of the other leaders I have heard about on other councils. Plus, we would lose the ability to use their spells and charms.

  If we couldn’t keep the vampire rebellion under control, the International Council might be called anyway. Rebecca knows this. Secretly, I believe she gave all of those spells and charms to The Dolls as a way to help us protect the city without directly getting involved. So she wasn’t all bad. I hoped.

  “Rico, you have no clue what you are getting yourselves into. You won’t even be able to help her control her magic, if I do this. The International Council might come to town just because of her. Have you thought about that?” There was nothing Rebecca could say to stop us from getting Kat�
��s powers back.

  “I have. We will sequester her at our compound until we are sure she has control. For all we know, she might be very low on magical powers. She could be a magical dud, if you will.” Ouch, I hoped Rico’s comments didn’t hurt Kat’s feelings.

  “No. She won’t be a dud. Not with my sister’s blood running through her. If the seer is to be believed, she will have a lot of power.” Rebecca didn’t believe the seer, so why did she, all of a sudden, believe this?

  “Rebecca, you don’t have the right to keep her shifter side blocked. Release the spell, and let’s see what happens. If she can’t control her magic, I will be the first to admit I was wrong. You can bind her magic, if it’s too strong to control. Maybe one of your coven members could even help her learn control.” Rico had a point, a coven member could help.

  “No. I will not subject any of my members to your pack. Have you ever wondered why we welcome Joseph here? Why no one else is welcomed? We tolerate your presence, Rico, but no one else’s.”

  Rebecca was a piece of… Maybe it would be good to get rid of her.

  “Joseph’s an alchemist. You prefer someone who understands your magic. Right?” I answered for Rico. We all thought this was why Joseph was always the go-between.

  “Wrong. Joseph knows chemicals and alchemy secrets. It’s all just science wrapped up in a fancy package. No, we prefer him over any of you because of what happened with my sister. No one wants to take a chance of getting too chummy with a shifter. So, no. I won’t be sending any of my coven to your compound to help the abomination learn to control herself.” Rebecca tried to walk around Rico and get out the door.

  Rico stood firm in front of the door. He started to reach out a hand to grab Rebecca, but I guess he realized it would have been a mistake to touch a witch.

  When he pulled his hand back, Rebecca smirked. “Smart.”

  “Remove the spell, Rebecca. Now. I won’t ask again.” Rico narrowed his eyes and pulled on the power of his alpha wolf.

  I knew he wouldn’t shift in here but drawing on the power definitely added an air of foreboding around him.

  “Alright. She is your responsibility. When you realize what an idiot you are, call Marco, and he can bind her powers. I want nothing more to do with her. Do you understand?” Rebecca was Kat’s aunt.

  You’d think after all this time she would have decided to embrace her niece. Especially since she had no family left. I was going to find out who her family in the pack was and make sure they were reunited.

  No! What if we were related somehow? I don’t think I have any relatives who were killed as a punishment. I am a few years older than Kat, so I would have been about five or six when it happened. Would I have forgotten someone who died when I was so young?

  I really needed to dig into her shifter family tree. Before we go any farther, I need to make sure. Our pack isn’t very big. It’s very possible we are distant cousins. As long as we are removed by at least three generations, I’ll be fine with her as my cousin.

  Kat stood up and walked to Rebecca and Rico, I followed closely behind.

  “What do I do?” Kat seemed a bit out of sorts. She looked between both Rico and Rebecca and nervously licked her lips.

  “Stand away from everyone else. It won’t take long.” Rebecca pointed to the other side of the table.

  Kat stood up straight and clasped her hands in front of her stomach. She was normally such a strong person, it was strange to see her so vulnerable. I couldn’t imagine what was going through her mind at the moment. We needed some time alone today, so we could talk about all of this.

  “Wait. Kat, after hearing all of this do you still want your abilities unlocked?” No one had thought to ask what she wanted since Rebecca walked in. Kat had kept fairly quiet, so I wasn’t even sure she still wanted this.

  “Yes, I do want the spell to be broken. Rico’s right. I should do this just to know who I am and what I can do. If I can help protect New Orleans and my sisters, I have to try. If I turn into some sort of magical monster, then bind my magical powers. I do want to be able to shift. I think I need to shift.” Kat walked to the other side of the table with her head held high.

  She was some woman. Wow. I am lucky to have her. I hope she knows how I feel.

  When Kat turned around and faced us, Rebecca and Marco took a few steps closer to her. They both raised their hands and began chanting some incantation. It was in Latin, so I didn’t understand what they were saying.

  A spark surrounded Kat, and it grew to many sparks which then became more of a shadow around her. The magic engulfed her entire body, so all I could see was a faint outline of her body inside the swirling cloud. Blues and purples feathered in and around Kat’s head.

  After what felt like forever, but was most likely only a few seconds, I heard a loud pop. The cloud surrounding Kat disappeared, and she stood there looking confused.

  “Was that it? I saw some cloud and heard a pop like a firework going off. Can I shift now? How about using magic?” Kat look at her arms and then down her body.

  She didn’t look or sound any different to me. I walked closer and began to sense her shifter side. It was more like a whiff of scent off a candle which had already been extinguished. She smelled like the forest mixed with a sweet scent. The sweet wasn’t overbearing like it was with the witches.

  All witches had a sickly sweet scent to me. Kat was different. Hers was still developing the closer I got to her. She smelled more like a flower in the woods. A wildflower. It suited her very well.

  I could feel my wolf scenting her as well, and he was excited. He wanted to come out and play with her wolf.

  It might take awhile to get her to shift for the first time. I could work with her on it. The magic part, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from that side of her.

  “So, you feel fine? Normal?” I asked before I reached her.

  “Yes. Maybe hungry?” Kat’s stomach began to growl. She was definitely hungry.

  Not surprising. Her wolf was finally coming out of hibernation, or wherever she was all this time. The wolf part of her would be craving meat now.

  “Let’s go get you some BBQ. How about Joe’s? I think your wolf is ready for a huge BBQ chicken or maybe even a trip-tip.” I laughed thinking about how healthy she used to eat.

  Red meat wasn’t a regular staple on her diet. She wasn’t vegetarian, but she sure did eat a lot of veggies.

  “How about a big, juicy steak? Indie always frowned on us eating red meat. We did, just not very often. Now I have a good reason to defy her.” Kat laughed, and it sounded so good to hear her happy.

  We made the right call.

  “One word of advice. Be careful when using our spells and charms. Now that your magic is unleashed, they will all be much more powerful than before. I would advise not using anything explosive until you have had time to acclimate to your own powers. The force fields will last longer as will the other defensive spells. Any of the charms you are wearing will intensify as well. Just be careful when using them.” Rebecca turned and walked out the door.

  Marco followed. He stopped when he reached the door and turned around. “Rico, please call me if you have any trouble. I think I might be of more assistance right now than Rebecca. You must understand how difficult this is for her. It’s bringing up the deaths of her sister and mother.” He turned and walked out before Rico could answer.

  “I don’t really care how upset Rebecca is. As soon as she learned about Kat, she should have called me. This is unacceptable. I do agree with Marco though. If we need anything, remember to call him first.” Rico joined me at Kat’s side.

  “How do you feel, really?” Rico inquired.

  “Fine. I feel a warmth building inside of my chest, and I’m bubbly, I think? I don’t know. I just feel good overall. Maybe it’s because I finally have answers, no matter what they are? Let’s get out of here. I want to get back to your compound and try shifting as well as using some of my magic.” Kat’s smile was
from ear to ear, and it made me feel bubbly inside as well.

  I chuckled when I grabbed her hand and felt her warmth radiate through our touch.

  “We should go by your place and pick up a few things you’ll need for the next week, at least. Also, we have to tell your sisters about all of this. They need to know. Can you get them to close the shop today? At least for a few hours?” Rico opened the door and held it for both of us.

  Jeeves was on the other side waiting for us. He smiled and clapped his hands. “Ahhh, Mistress Kat. It’s so good to see you whole. I knew your mother very well. We were great friends. I’m sorry for your loss. One day soon, I would love to meet you for coffee and tell you about her. She was such a breath of fresh air. She never did fit in here.”

  “Thank you, I would love to. What was her name?”

  “Katherine Denough. You look a lot like her too. Although, you have your father’s eyes.” Jeeves opened the front door for us.

  “Thank you, Jeeves. I appreciate everything you have done for Kat. Is there any way you could help her with her magical studies? She should have someone from the coven assisting her.” I wanted nothing more than for Kat to be a part of both sides of her family.

  Even though Rebecca was cruel, she was Kat’s aunt. Growing up with no blood relatives had to have been really tough on her. I know her adopted sisters are as close as any blood sister would be, but it’s just not the same. This coven is her ancestry. She had a right to it.

  “Technically, I am not allowed to train her. However, no one said I was not allowed to meet for coffee and chat about anything.” Jeeves winked, and I knew he would help her.

  Kat put her hand on Jeeves’ shoulder. “Thank you. Can I call you next week? I think I need some time to process this all and make sure I have a handle on my powers before going in public.”

  “Of course. If you need anything at all, please call me, and I will come. Even if it’s to the compound, I am at your disposal.” Jeeves bowed and handed Kat a business card.