His witch

Chapter 7

Marianna’s POV

I found the notebook in granny's room, just as she said. It was beautiful, handmade, with embossed flower patterns on the royal blue-colored leather covers, with cream thick paper pages. I didn’t know granny had something that luxurious. I held it in my hands, wondering what the hell just happened. I was all startled, both by the policemen and by my granny saying that I should call someone.

The notebook was all empty, with only one phone number written in granny’s elegant handwriting on the first page. No description, only eleven numbers.

I can’t tell I wasn’t curious. We had a very small circle of friends here, in Silver City and the number wasn’t local. The notebook looked old and the ink granny used bleached slightly. What if the number doesn't work anymore?

I sat on the couch with my smartphone and notebook in my hands. Something in this whole situation was so off. I knew that granny wouldn’t make a mistake or deliberately produced something poisonous. Maybe I really should hire a lawyer? Well, only if he will be willing to go for a barter transaction. Like five gallons of hair grow potion for one hour in court. Probably not a chance. And hair grow potion wouldn’t be the best option to bargain in the light of recent events.

Maybe this mysterious person could help us with this problem? I dialed the number and waited.

“Hello?” The feminine voice was so similar to granny’s voice. I was relieved that it still worked.

“Hi,” well that was dumb, but I didn’t know what else I could say.

“Who is this?”

And now what should I say? Maybe who gave me this number? Or who I am? Or that I don’t know who I am calling?

“Is there anybody? Is this a joke?” The woman lost her temper.

“Sorry... Ummm. I got this number from Ludvica Chant.”

“Marianna?”

“How do you know? And who are you?”

“So she gave you the number but didn’t tell you who will you be calling. This is very like my mother.”

“Your mother? I don’t understand.” I was totally puzzled. I expected answers, not more questions.

“I know. I’m Antonia, your aunt.”

“I have an aunt?” Could my remarks get any dumber?

“Well, this is not something that we should discuss on the phone. I will be there in a few minutes.” She hung up.

I sat there and somehow my mind drifted to my dream from last night.

It began the usual way - in the forest. Only this time it was dawn and the forest wasn't that scary. Then I heard a howl and ran in its direction. But there was no wolf anywhere. Instead, there was a man. A half-naked man, only in his jeans. I couldn’t see his face, it was all blurred. He had a huge, muscular frame and some silver shining scars on his arms. He was beautiful in some wild, primordial way. I took a step closer and he noticed me. I could feel his heavy gaze on my body and I looked down. I was wearing an airy white dress and no shoes.

I felt an attraction to this man. I couldn’t help it, I put my hand on his chest. I felt sparkles on my skin and something inside of me started to wriggle.

The man groaned, grabbed my waist, and pulled me. My breast slammed into his torso. I felt myself aroused as he touched me and sniffed my hair.

The noise of something heavy falling suddenly made me back to reality. I jumped off the couch and searched for the source of this noise.

It was in the kitchen. The chair was on the ground, next to the black-haired woman massaging her hip and cursing loudly. We had magical alerts in the house that should warn me if the guest had bad intentions, but they remained silent.

“What the heck is this chair doing here? I told her more than once, no furniture on the spot.”

The woman noticed me.

“Marianna, glad to meet you.”

“You are Antonia?” I was startled again, she looked like the younger and not hoary version of grandma.

“Aunt Antonia, but it can be just Antonia. Can I get something to drink? Teleportation always dehydrates me.”

“Yes, seat and I will prepare some tea.”

We sat and I poured the tea.

“I know I may seem quite loony to you. Well, I’m loony, as every woman in the family, with the exception of you. You always were more like your mother. At least as long as you lived with us.” A load of information came too fast for me.

“You knew my mother?”

“Not very well, in that time I traveled a lot. But you resemble her a lot.”

“I can’t tell, I don’t remember her.”

“We will take care of it later. What happened to Ludvica? She would tell you about me only in grave danger.”

“The policemen took her. They told us that she killed our customer,” I started crying. “I don’t understand what is happening.”

I sobbed. Antonia approached me and patted my back. There was something clumsy in this gesture. I guess not only do I had a lot to process.

“A customer? I don’t understand it all either. But I’ll try to do my best to explain at least some points. And then we will do to the police station to deal with this shit.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she laughed lightly. “What do you want to know first?”

“I’m not sure, maybe why granny didn’t tell me about you.”

“This I do not know. Maybe I’ll tell you about myself and about our family. You seem to know nothing.”

“Ok.”

“The Chant family is respected among witches and wizards. I’m the younger child. Your dad was my big brother and I was always the rebellious one. I completed my apprenticeship and went traveling. I wasn’t there when your father brought your mother to the sabbath.”

“Nobody ever told me who she was. I only know her name.”

“I don’t know it either. I only know that she wasn’t a witch and the sabbath opposed their marriage. Probably Ludvica will know something more. She was the one who forced them to consent.”

“Granny forced them? But granny is so gentle and goodnatured.” Antonia laughed loudly.

“Well, it seems that mother didn’t show you her other face. Anyway, I was there when you were born and I fell in love with you. You were so little and sweet. When a got an offer from Mistress Ivana, I almost declined to spend time with you. But I couldn’t let such opportunity slip away.”

I nodded, I knew who Mistress Ivana was, all witches knew. My aunt must be truly extraordinary if she got to work with her. She took in only the best and only those, who she handpicked.

“I came back immediately when I heard that my brother and his wife are dead. But I found my family home empty. Mother left me a note ‘Don’t look for me, I will find you when the time comes’. I couldn’t understand it, but I stayed and took my mother’s place on the sabbath. And that’s all I know.”

“You must be powerful.”

“Yes, I am. But even with all my power I never could figure out why my mother disappeared and took you with her. I missed you both,” she smiled sadly and opened her arms. We hugged. It was so incredible. The warmth of this gesture overwhelmed me and eased my pain and uncertainty.

“Well, it’s time, we should go and get some answers,” I liked Antonia’s determination. Granny had a lot to explain to us both.