by Elle Adams
“Yes. Tanith came from a powerful line of mind witches. In time, you might even be able to learn to read minds.”
“Like… oh no.”
“Oh no what?”
“We’re related, aren’t we?” I said. “Blythe and me.”
“No. Maybe second cousins?”
I winced. “Great. First actual family I’ve met and they’re in disgrace and possibly evil.”
“They’re not your coven. That’s up to you.”
“This is… a lot to take in.” It was, and now my jubilation had died down a little, I couldn’t help but wonder what my mother’s life had been like. And where she’d gone. “Why do you think they left me amongst humans and not here?”
She stroked Roald. “I don’t know, but the other witches know little about why she left, and where she ended up.”
“Yeah…” I trailed off. “Rita must have been right when she said I was wearing glamour. What do I actually look like underneath it? I mean, half a fairy… does that mean I have half a wing? Or one wing?”
“There’s a place where you can take the glamour off,” she said. “I wasn’t going to tell you until we knew for sure… you know, I suspected you weren’t a full fairy from the start. You’d have had more reaction to touching metals. There’d have been a lot of differences. Plus, I’ve never heard of a fairy with your ability to sense what type of paranormal someone is. It sounded more like a witch ability, even if nobody else here can do the same.”
“Nobody,” I repeated. “My mother was special, wasn’t she?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. But I’m sure you’ll be a powerful witch in your own right.”
With Alissa behind me, I climbed up to the waterfall. Glitter danced off the water, and I ran my hand underneath the spray. A pleasant tingling sensation calmed my nerves.
Then I ducked my head, and, with the boots switched on, I leaned right underneath the waterfall.
“You okay?” asked Alissa.
“I think so.” My whole body tingled. I withdrew from the water, clothes dripping wet, and…
She gasped. “Your shoulders.”
My hand jumped to where she pointed. Wings unfurled behind my shoulder blades, and I felt them, odd extra appendages that seemed alien and familiar at the same time.
I fluttered my wings. My body left the ground for a second, and then pitched forwards into the falls. Spitting out a mouthful of water, I began to laugh.
Okay. I needed to work on the flying part. But I could live with this. I really could.
“How do I turn the glamour back on?” I asked.
“It’ll turn back on now you’re out of the waterfall.”
I ran amy fingertips across the wing’s edge. After a few seconds, they blinked out of existence. I twitched one shoulder blade, which felt weirdly empty. “Maybe I’ll try again later.”
“Take your time.”
I shrugged one non-winged shoulder. “I don’t know how I should feel. I’m not sure I want to walk around with the wings out.”
“People won’t judge you here.”
“I think I need a little longer to get used to being paranormal at all.”
But I was adjusting. I had a new home, a place where I mattered, and now I had someone to live up to—even if I didn’t yet know what had happened to my family. But I’d find them. Someday.
I stepped away from the waterfall. “Let’s go back.”
***
Thank you for reading!
The story continues in Witch in Training, the second Blair Wilkes Mystery.
Find out more at: smarturl.it/BlairWilkesMysteries
If you want to be notified when my next book comes out, sign up to my author newsletter at: smarturl.it/ElleAdamsNewsletter
Thank you for reading Witch in Progress. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you have a minute to spare, then I hope you’ll consider leaving a review. Reviews help indie authors reach new readers, and I appreciate every one of them!
About the Author
Elle Adams lives in the middle of England, where she spends most of her time reading an ever-growing mountain of books, planning her next adventure, or writing. Elle's books are humorous mysteries with a paranormal twist, packed with magical mayhem.
She also writes urban and contemporary fantasy novels as Emma L. Adams.
Find Elle on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pg/ElleAdamsAuthor/
Or sign up to her newsletter at: smarturl.it/ElleAdamsNewsletter