by Multiple
“What’s witch’s brew?” There was so much to learn. Even the tiny, trivial things would be new to him.
“Oh,” she sounded like an excited little girl. “It’s a smattering of flavors from nature. It can be different flavors, but my mom used to make this fun cherry, fruity brew for my sister, brother, and me. It’s sort of like a tea that you chill. I guess it’s not far from your fruit punch. Only, it was all natural stuff. I make it time to time, but now with adult tastes, I tend to use things like variations of mints and dandelion instead.”
He smiled, watching her talk. “You glow when you’re happy. It’s nice.” He loved to see her eyes light up, joy washing through her.
“Glow? Witch’s don’t glow, silly!” It was nice to feel playful again.
“No, not like fluorescent glow, I just mean your eyes get bright, you smile, and you’re radiant. It’s like your entire being is just happier.” He hated to change the topic, but needed to know more. “So, this vow of secrecy… what do I need to know?”
“Okay. If you choose to take the vow, you’ll be signing your intent to carry through. Once you sign, you’ll be allowed to continue learning more about my life as a witch. My family will breathe a little easier, but it will still be awkward for a bit. We’re naturally wary of mortals knowing about us due to past events. If you break the vow of secrecy, any of your new knowledge is going to disappear. Also, our relationship will dissolve. You’ll vaguely remember me as a previous partner, but not as someone you love. I, however, will retain the memories. Nothing will bring it back for you, not bumping into me at the store, not seeing a picture of me, nothing. I’ll just be some girl you randomly dated, even if I’m your wife. It all just ends, goes away like it never happened.”
He never looked away, never flinched, took it all in. Finally, he spoke. “What will my family know?” His family was another part of the equation. All this time he’d only thought about how it would touch his life and Raven’s. But what about his parents, his sister, and aunts and uncles… would they know?
“Nothing. They’ll know I’m your girlfriend. They’ll know I’m your wife after we marry. They can’t know more. If you slip and say something, it all goes away. You have to understand, this is how we protect ourselves. It’s built in security. We take this very seriously.” Her voice changed. This wasn’t a game. This was for the wellbeing of the witch community. “There will be a spell involved; it’s not just you saying okay. Once you sign the spell will be cast, and from that moment on your vow is on record.”
“Will I be hurt or something bad happen to me if we fall apart, like a divorce?” At times it sounded daunting. It seemed so serious, and not knowing what the consequences were made him a little nervous.
“It’s not like that, it will simply dissolve. Dotted lines that hold signatures both in your world and mine will dissolve; it never happened, it all goes away. It will be painful splitting up, but not physically, and nobody comes after you or anything scary like that. It’s not about revenge, it’s about keeping our villages and witches safe. If you want out, you can get out, but once you’re gone – I’m part of what you lose.”
Derek picked up Raven’s hand. “Whatever it takes to stay by your side, I’m there.”
“Let’s discuss what else you need to know.”
He cut her off. “I am aware of the risk I’m taking, but I want you in my life. I’m a stubborn guy like that. I get what I want.” He grinned, trying to keep the tone light. “Let’s just do this, okay? I don’t want to lose you. I’ll take the vow of secrecy.” The more they talked about it, the more nervous he got. He was only certain of one thing— he wanted Raven in his life.
“You really should hear all of the details.” She hesitated. “Derek, there’s a lot involved.”
Derek waived his hand. “Bring it on.”
Raven shook her head. “Stubborn boy.”
“What do I have to sign?” He was curious. It was all new to him.
“Just to let you know, it may freak you out a little bit. You’re going to see things you haven’t seen before. It’s kind of cool, but I still wanted to warn you.” This was going to get dicey. He’d probably never seen anything like this before.
Derek’s smile slid from his face. “Raven, what happens if we end up getting a divorce and there are kids involved?”
She looked down, not knowing what to say. “It won’t be fair.”
“What do you mean, ‘it won’t be fair?’” His tone shifted. He didn’t like the sound of that.
“Listen, if you’re worrying about divorce, maybe we should rethink this. You can walk away at any time; it’s just that once you do it’s all over, completely over. If we have kids, you’ll still get to see them, but you’ll lose some of your memories of the past where it comes to our family, as will any friends and family who know us in the mortal world. Like your parents will still recognize us, but it will be foggy – the details of our lives. It’s hard to put into words. It’s very complicated. It’s for their safety, my safety, the community’s safety…” she trailed off.
“It’s all or nothing. This is so screwed up!” The frustration was overwhelming. There were so many details, so many people involved.
Raven couldn’t blame him. It was messed up, but this is why most witches couple with other witches. There are so many variables with a mortal, and most of them end poorly. It’s not that it can’t be done, a happy union between a witch and a mortal, but it can’t be entered into lightly.
“Maybe it’s best if we go our separate ways.” Her head was down, her voice quiet. As the story unfolded, she finally saw all of the tiny puzzle pieces she’d never paid attention to before. Her family warned her. They tried to get her to understand, but she was stubborn.
“…And yet I have to make a lifetime decision in hours. I can’t leave, because if I do I lose you. If I take the vow of secrecy, I don’t know what happens years from now. I pray nothing, I pray we live happily ever after…but who knows, and what of our children? You do want children, right?”
Raven nodded. “Very much. I’m just not ready yet. I’ll be skipping Season of the Witch’s breeding season this year, obviously. Crap, I have to explain that, too. I can’t get pregnant the way mortals do. It’s a process, a time of the year, an invoking…long story. I can’t get into it now. I promise that I’ll discuss it later if we go forward. It’s just pointless to have this conversation if we aren’t moving forward as a couple.”
“Breeding season? Lovely.” He didn’t know what to say anymore. It all became so complicated. What started as a joyous moment suddenly left him smothered and overwhelmed. There were so many parts to this puzzle that Derek didn’t understand. He was walking into something blindfolded, and that was a scary place to be.
“Derek, maybe this just wasn’t meant to be.” She felt it more and more. As hard as it was to admit it, maybe it wouldn’t work out after all. Raven’s heart fell to her stomach. It was difficult to admit, but maybe it was for the best.
His hand shot up. “Stop. It was meant to be, but it’s a lot to swallow. I’m going to toss the dice here and take a gamble. I’ve never met a woman that’s made me feel this way before. I’m not going to lie. I’m terrified of what the future may hold. It’s an uncertainty I never dreamed I’d face, but I’m not going to just up and walk away from you. While the circumstances are messed up, it’s you that I want. Please promise me that no matter what, even in our most difficult struggles that you won’t try to cut me out and dissolve my memories. You only do that if I ask you to. Deal?”
“Are you sure about this?” She needed him to be sure. She didn’t want him to regret his decision. This entire thing was life changing. He wasn’t just getting a wife, but a full base of witch knowledge and a heavy weight on his shoulders to keep such an important secret.
“I hope so. My gut is telling me not to let go. I don’t want to lose you, Raven. I want you to be my wife. We’ll get through it together.” He hated how this conversation h
ad turned. He wanted to celebrate and be happy, not worry about things that made no sense to him.
“I wasn’t supposed to date a mortal. I thought I could handle it, and here it is…the big mess my family warned me about. I feel like a fool.” Raven dropped her head. This was her fault.
“Let’s do this together. Now, tell me more about the vow.” Derek reached out and held his future wife. “We can get through this together, okay?” The longer they talked, the longer they put it off, the more doubts would arise.
Raven nodded. Her voice was weak. “Okay.” She took a deep breath and tried to get back on track. “I’m going to make a witch’s brew, and you’ll need to sign something. Once you sign it, you’ll be obligated to keep your word. If at any time you break your vow, all memories of us dissolve, and knowledge I’ve passed on about the witch community will also be gone.”
Derek nodded. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Raven headed to the pantry and pulled out ingredients for the brew. Once they did this, there was no backing out. Her belly fluttered with butterflies. Derek’s entire reality was about to change.
She pulled out dandelion, honeysuckle, jasmine, and a pinch of strawberry seeds. She added lemon rind and magic herbs. The herbs were special brews that had been blessed, kissed with magic dustings, and minced with golden web.
It was an automatic process. Her mind knew the path to follow, even though she’d never officially made it before. She’d made previous brews, but knew she was being guided as she selected the special ingredients. Invoking help, her intuition led the rest of the way.
Raven set the kettle on to boil. Her cauldron was a decorative piece at this point, since she’d tried to hide it, and a simple tea kettle would have to work. She hoped the right words came to her as she asked for divination. Derek watched Raven as she worked. She crushed the ingredients with a mortar and pestle, her attention tightly focused. A drop of grape seed oil hastened it into a semi-liquid. Singing softly in tongue, she asked for the vow of secrecy to be held fast and with integrity. The words came from within her, guided by something she didn’t fully understand. She did everything as her mind led her to as the brew cooked. Once it was ready, she poured the efforts into a tea cup.
Carefully, she set it before her future husband. “Be certain,” she said, reaching out to touch his hand. “This is serious stuff.”
Derek looked at the cup before him, curled wisps of steam rose. “The words…what were you singing?”
“It’s in tongue. My mind and body took over to guide me. I was just along for the ride. I did ask for integrity on my own, though.”
“That was fascinating. It was like you were talking a different language.” He watched her with interest, looking at her in a new way. There was so much more to know.
“I was. Derek, you don’t have to do this. I understand if it’s overwhelming. If you need to walk away…” She looked down, hesitating. She wanted him to want her. She needed this, but only if he needed it too.
“I don’t want to walk away.” His eyes met her gaze as she looked up at him. Lifting the cup to his lips, he drank.
A few sips later the hallucination started for him. Raven understood it was very real, but to him it was a transparent type of vision. From the thin air a scroll and feather pen revealed itself. Raven reached up and removed them, placing them on the table.
“Once you sign this, the vow of secrecy has been taken. There’s no going back.” She warned with caution.
“Did you just take that out of the air? Where did it come from?” Derek’s eyes grew large. It would take a while getting used to this magic stuff. He’d never seen anything like it. Derek rubbed his eyes. It was still real.
“Sshhh, we’ll discuss it later. You need to decide now, before it fades away.” She tried to keep him on track.
“I’ll sign.” He took the feather, and looked at the pointed bottom. There was no ink.
“It will write,” she assured him.
There was no lengthy contract, no legal fine print, simply a phrase or two explaining that the vow would remain intact until it was broken. At that time everything, all knowledge, would dissolve from memory for everybody’s protection.
Derek looked at Raven one last time before signing. Taking a deep breath, he signed his name on the dotted line. Handing her back the quill, he spoke. “Raven, will you be my wife?”
Tears of joy streamed down her face. “Yes!” They really did it. He signed. It meant the world to her. They’d be husband and wife one day soon!
Raven lowered her voice. “May it be done, blessed be.” The paper and feather slowly vanished into the air before them.
Chapter 10
“So, this is Derek?” Raven’s father sized up the man beside his daughter.
“Sir, I’m pleased to meet you.” Derek stuck out his hand. Raven’s father was an imposing figure. He held his ground, knowing it was the only way he’d respect him. “I’ve come to ask for Raven’s hand in marriage.” How was he, usually a confident man, suddenly feeling like a child? Maybe it had to do with the important question of the day.
“I’ve heard you took our vow. That’s quite a big step, son. We will welcome you into our family, but understand it will be with hesitancy until we’ve established trust. I know my Raven loves you, and I want her to be happy. If you’re the person that makes my daughter happy, I’ll accept this request. So it shall be.” He didn’t sound enthusiastic, but gave Derek the benefit of the doubt. He did go as far as coming to ask for Raven’s hand and taking the vow. The least he could do was try to accept this mortal into his daughter’s life.
He turned his attention to his daughter. “What of children? Shall you be breeding this Season of the Witch?”
“Daddy, we aren’t even married yet. We’re going to go slowly. We’ll get married in a bit, maybe next warm season, and then we’ll breed the following year. We still have a lot to talk about.” Always about the breeding— when would it stop? She already knew that answer, but she wasn’t ready. That always seemed to be the most important question to them.
“What of Samhain? The perfect time to celebrate, don’t you think? You could commence it during that time.”
Raven rolled her eyes. “We’re combining two worlds here, Daddy. Let me go slowly, okay?”
“Samhain?” Derek asked curiously. He obviously had a lot to learn about Raven’s other world.
“It’s an important holiday, part of our “Season of the Witch”, a time to celebrate new beginnings and let go of the old. Each community of witches has different things they celebrate, their own holidays of sort. We don’t have a lot, but basically it transitions us into “Season of the Witch” – that happens to be our breeding season. There’s a lot I’ll fill in over the next few months, but basically our life will continue on as it’s been, on the mortal side of the world.”
Her father groaned. “Whatever…I’m just saying, tradition isn’t such a bad thing.” She could learn to bend a little more, try to do things more traditionally. But she was always so ready to modernize and meld into the mortal world. Why couldn’t she be content in their world, like he and his wife were?
“Derek and I think maybe we’ll do a private little ceremony, and just do a reception or party for each separate side of the family, so it doesn’t raise flags.” She hated that it had to be that way, but it was truly the best answer for everyone. There was no need to raise alarm or red flags when questions were asked.
He nodded. “Yes. Yes, I can see that makes sense.”
Raven’s mother finally joined the conversation. “Am I ever going to have more grandchildren?”
“Mom, stop. Maybe next year, okay? Let us get married first!” She felt the pressure for children every time she came to visit. Why was everyone in such a hurry?
Derek laughed. “My parents are the same way. They think I’ve been a bachelor too long. No need to worry Ma’am, children will be in our future.”
The door opened after a quick knock. “
Hey,” Ziara announced as she and Benji joined them. Her husband, Jork, was at home watching the kids so that Ziara and Benji could break in Derek gently. They knew too much too soon would be overwhelming. Besides, Derek had already met the two of them.
“I’m starving,” Benji said. When wasn’t he starving?
“You’re always starving.” Ziara laughed.
“I have a dashing bulldog figure to take care of. I can’t let myself go now, can I? I have ladies to think about.” He grinned with a big sloppy smile. Their mother was a good cook. There was no reason he couldn’t enjoy some homemade morsels.
“Ladies are what got you into this trouble in the first place,” she shot back.
“Enough,” Daddy interrupted. “Benji, your mother has some treats in the kitchen.”
Raven’s father watched as Derek’s eyes glazed over hearing about their life. He figured it was a lot to take in. “…so we strive for balance in nature, and use our knowledge wisely.” Raven’s father finally ended the long-winded monologue.
Raven grimaced. He tended to go on and on, but she loved him. He’s just wordy.
It was a long day, but a life changing one for Derek. It was filled with good food and interesting conversation. Finally they made their way home. Raven hoped it wasn’t overwhelming. He made the vow, but there was nothing that said he couldn’t back out. It would just end what they had. She hoped today’s visit wasn’t too much.
“I never would have realized there’s a village there. When you were turning, it didn’t make sense.” He was amazed how they could drive right by something and barely notice it. Nobody would notice it. It just didn’t…Derek stopped his thoughts. He realized a lot of things wouldn’t make sense now. He’d have to get used to that.