Chapter 8 - Clara
1511 Words
The early morning light spilled through the curtains. I’d managed to get a couple hours of sleep, but my mind was groggy, my body unwilling to move. The clock beside my bed read 6am.
“Ugh,” I groaned, throwing back the covers and staggering to the bathroom. There was no point in lying there. I’d have to get up in an hour anyway.
The house was silent, which I was thankful for as I sat at the kitchen table. Now that I was awake, I had time to think. Nightmare or vision, whatever happened last night left me terrified. I vividly remembered the feeling of someone coming for me. I would make sure I never felt so vulnerable, so useless again.
“You’re up early.” Mom walked into the kitchen and flipped the switch on the kettle. “Did you get some sleep?”
“A little.”
“I’m sorry this is happening to you, Clara, but I promise. Grandma will sort it. She’ll protect you.”
“I don’t want her to protect me,” I snapped. “I want her to teach me.”
Mom finished making her tea and took a seat beside me. “I know you’re angry, Clara. It’s a normal reaction. You’ve grown up thinking the magic had skipped you. Now, suddenly…” She stopped and took a sip of her tea.
“What?”
“You’re seventeen, Clara. Most witches come into their power by the age of six. That’s when the training starts. They learn the spells and everything else.”
“And?” I said, looking at the frown on her face.
She sighed. “What if it’s too late to learn?”
“Well, if I’m going to have these damn visions, I’m going to have to learn how to control them, how to protect myself. The magic is obviously here.” I pointed to my chest.
Mom didn’t say anything. When she reached over to take my hand, I jerked it away. “I’m sorry, Mom, but I just can’t deal with this. Not this morning. I’m going to get ready for school. You can tell Grandma that I’m not letting this drop. If she doesn’t want to teach me, I’ll find someone who will.”
I stormed out of the room. I knew it wasn’t Mom’s fault, but over the past week, I’d seen her crumble, refuse to back me. They were hiding something from me and I was sick of it. Sick of hearing that I had no magic. If that were true, what was happening to me? I got ready for school and left without saying anything else.
***
Megan sensed my unease straight away. “Everything okay, Clara?”
I blew out a breath. “No. I had another one last night.”
“Did you see them?”
“No. I was just… You know what, Meg? I don’t want to even think about it. I just want a normal day.”
“No problem. Let’s talk about tonight instead. I heard Marsha Jenkins and her cronies talking in the bathroom. She’s going to make a move on Scott tonight.”
“Is she now?” My jaw clenched as I struggled to hold my tongue.
“Yep, and I heard Louise say that she heard Jacob Matthews egging Scott on, too. Said he could go all the way with her.”
Typical. I finally had a chance with Scott, but Marsha Jenkins, the easiest girl in school, was going to ruin my chances. We’d see about that.
“You listening to me, Clara?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.”
“Look. If you want Scott, you’re gonna have to up your game.”
I glared at her.
“No. I’m not saying you have to do that… Yuck. But it wouldn’t hurt to wear something other than jeans and a t-shirt.”
“What’s wrong with jeans and a t-shirt?” I said, looking down at my outfit. “They’re comfortable.”
“Tonight isn’t about being comfortable. It’s about being sexy and showing Scott what he could have. You have a great figure, Clara. It’s about time you showed it off.”
I chewed on the side of my fingernail. Maybe Megan’s right. I could make a little more effort. Nothing slutty, but I could swap the t-shirt for something a little more revealing. “Perhaps.”
Megan grinned. “Now you’re getting me. Why don’t you come to my place around six and we can get ready together?”
The bell sounded and we both rushed off to class. The day passed without incident, although I did find my gaze drawn to the door every time I went to my locker. It was strange, like I expected those two figures to appear. My hand instinctively reached for the locket around my neck each time.
***
Mom and Grandma were waiting for me in the living room when I arrived home.
“Clara, can you come in here for a minute. We need to talk to you.” Mom sounded nervous, the same way she had when she told me Dad had left.
I pushed down the fear and walked into the room. “Yeah?”
“Clara, there are things I need to tell you. Things I should have explained.” Grandma sat with her hands clasped in her lap.
I looked at Mom. “What your grandma’s saying is that she’s sorry you’ve been so upset. After you left this morning, we had a long talk and we both agree. Magic or not, you need to know the family history and how it might affect you.”
Grandma took a deep breath, then blew it out. “You come from a long line of very powerful people, Clara. Every one of them was tied to the curse of the angels. You need to know what that really means.”
“Why now?” I snapped. “You wouldn’t tell me anything all week.”
“I had my reasons. You’ll understand soon enough.”
My gaze moved from Mom to Grandma, then to the table. Three tea cups and a steaming teapot sat there, along with a packet of fig rolls, my favorite. This was serious.
“Sit down,” Mom said as she poured the tea.
I took a seat on the couch. The clock said it was only 4pm. I still had plenty of time before I had to go to Megan’s. Mom handed Grandma her cup and smiled weakly. I noticed the tremble in her hand.
“We’ve always kept you in the dark where magic is concerned. You didn’t need to know.” Grandma took a sip of tea, her tone more serious than I’d ever heard before. “Magic is not something to take lightly, especially for our family. You never showed signs of it, Clara, and to be quite honest, your mom and I were relieved. We wanted you to have a normal life. I’d made the mistake of burdening your mother, taking away her childhood. When you were born and the magic died with Sarah, we, well…” Grandma took a deep breath and bowed her head. “You have to understand. We did it for your own good.”
“What did you do?”
Grandma looked at Mom, then back to me. “I cast a spell, one that would ensure the family’s protection.”
“I don’t understand. What does a protection spell have to do with all this?”
“I had a vision when you were around six years old. It showed a blackness surrounding you, following you everywhere you went. You didn’t seem to mind it, even reaching out for it occasionally. I was afraid, Clara, so I cast a spell, one to remove negative energies and protect you.” Grandma stopped again and looked over at Mom, whose eyes were full of tears.
“She needs to know everything,” Mom choked out.
Grandma nodded. “The spell I cast… I’m not sure what it did, but your father left the following week. He just packed his things and left, saying he couldn’t be in this house or around you any longer.”
My heart thumped as her words sank in. “You caused Dad to leave? You used magic to force him away?”
“I’m sorry, Clara.”
“No…” I jumped to my feet. “You put a spell on me that made Dad leave? All these years and you never told me?” I paced back and forth, my hands clenched. “How could you?” I glared at Mom. “You knew and kept it from me? The times I cried myself to sleep. The nightmares.” I was so angry, I didn’t know what to do. “You lied, both of you,” I cried as I stormed out of the room.
“Clara, wait. You need to hear the rest,” Mom called after me.
- Writer
