Chapter 10 - Clara contd...
1692 Words
My mouth fell open. My death.
“That’s why we cast the spell on you. We wanted to make sure that if you did have magic, it would never awaken and I’d never have to lose you.”
“What age?”
Mom squeezed my hands again. “It didn’t happen. Once we cast that spell, binding any magic that lay dormant and cloaking you from evil, he left.”
“What do you mean?”
“When your father came home the following evening, it was as if you didn’t exist. You called out to him, but he didn’t hear you. Grandma took you out of the room straight away. He told me he’d never loved me and that without Sarah, there was nothing here for him. He said a lot more, but I don’t want to repeat it. Let’s just say he was no longer cloaked and the evil that he was became readily apparent.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. There was so much to take in, yet it all made sense somehow. The way Grandma avoided teaching me anything about magic. The way Mom always remained silent when I mentioned Dad. So many little things that didn’t make sense growing up all fell into place, the jigsaw puzzle of my life finally taking shape.
“Are you okay, love?” Mom asked.
“I think so. It all makes sense now.”
“That’s good.”
The conversation fizzled away as I sat staring into space. All the stuff happening lately, all the weird things. No wonder Grandma was on edge. Her spell had started wearing off. I was becoming the person I was meant to be. I had magic all this time. It had just been blocked.
“Um, Mom?”
“Yes, Clara?”
“The protection spell is wearing off, which means my magic is waking up, but—”
She looked at me, determination showing on her face. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”
“It’s not that.” I swallowed. “My magic… Is it good or bad?”
I watched as realization dawned on her. If my father was evil, didn’t that give me a fifty percent chance of being evil, too? I didn’t feel evil. I’d never want to hurt anyone. Well, maybe Marsha but not physical harm.
“You could never be bad, Clara. It’s not in your nature.”
“But I’ve never had magic, either,” I said, chewing on my bottom lip. “What if—”
“No. Don’t even think like that. When your Grandma gets up, we’ll discuss it, sort everything out. You’ll be safe. I promise.”
Safe seemed like a strange turn of phrase. I’d never not felt safe. In fact, I’d probably felt safer than anyone I’d known growing up. I always knew Grandma was there, watching over me. It was only recently when she shut down, refused to explain things, that I’d felt uneasy. It was like, deep inside, I knew what was happening and I wanted it, craved it. For as long as I could remember, I’d always wanted magic. I was jealous of Sarah, annoyed that she’d taken it from me. I felt guilty now. It wasn’t her at all. She was just a victim. Grandma had taken what was rightfully mine and I wanted it back.
“Mom?” I looked at her cleaning up the kitchen counters.
“Yes?” she said, coming over to stand by the table.
“Grandma said something about the protection spell wearing off.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll fix it.”
“It’s not that. Why is it wearing off?”
“Oh.” Mom paused and ran a hand through her hair. “The spell only lasts until you turn eighteen and officially become an adult.”
“Okay.” So I only had a week before I’d be free. “What happens then?”
“You give your consent and the spell is reapplied. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
“Why do you need my consent?”
“Because you’ll be an adult and I can’t give consent for the spell anymore.”
I thought about it for a minute. Mom had given her consent for Grandma to block my magic. I got it, but I couldn’t help feeling angry at her. Didn’t she ever think to ask me how I felt? All those times I’d asked about magic, wondered why I didn’t have any. They used Sarah as a scapegoat. My own sister. I felt my skin heat, my hands clenched into fists, but when I looked up at Mom, it fizzled away. She looked so distraught, so worried, and after everything she’d said, I didn’t have the heart to stay angry.
The kitchen door opened. Grandma walked in and looked between Mom and me. “She knows then?” Mom nodded. “I hope you can see why we did it, Clara. It wasn’t because we wanted to hurt you. We just wanted to keep you safe.”
“I get it, Grandma.”
Her focus turned to the bare skin in my neck and she sucked in a breath. “Where’s your locket?”
“It’s here,” I said, reaching into the pocket of my jeans and pulling it out.
She exhaled. “Good.”
“I’ll make you some tea,” Mom said.
Grandma pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down, holding her hand out. “Give it here. I’ll fix it. You need to wear it at all times, Clara.”
I handed over the locket and watched as she cupped it in her hands. Eyes closed, she started mumbling. I gasped when blue light surrounded the locket, feeling something strange flutter in my stomach. A sort of burning sensation, but without pain. It actually felt nice.
“There you go. Put it on,” Grandma said, handing it back to me. The chain was fully mended. Her eyes met mine as I gripped the chain and fastened it around my neck. It felt warm, and a vibration ran through my body.
Grandma noticed my shocked expression as my hand pressed against the warm metal. “It’s sensing your essence, melding with you.”
“And the burning in my stomach as you fixed it?”
Her mouth fell open, a hand going to her chest. “You felt the spell?”
I nodded. “If that’s what it was. My stomach felt like it was burning, but not painful. I can’t really explain it.”
Grandma looked at Mom. “We don’t have much time.”
“Much time for what?” I asked.
“The protection spell is wearing off. Your magic is waking.”
“Oh.”
So, I did have magic. I didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing. Judging by the look of horror on my mom’s face, I’d say it was bad, but if I had magic, it meant I could protect myself. I wouldn’t have to worry about the nightmares or visions anymore. Nightmares were caused by fear, by feeling vulnerable. I’d never have to feel that again.
“We’ll have to make the potion today.”
Grandma’s words pulled me back from my thoughts. “I’m not taking the potion,” I said, my voice as strong as I could make it.
“You have to, Clara.”
“No, I don’t. Mom told me the spell wears off when I’m eighteen, then you’ll need my consent. I’m not giving it to you. I want to see what it’s like.”
“Clara, don’t be silly. You’ve no idea what you’re saying.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve wanted magic my whole life. Now I know that I have it. It’s just been trapped. I’m not letting you do any more spells on me.”
Grandma’s face blanched. She looked to Mom for help, but she just shrugged, her face flushed. “We can’t force her. She’s not a child anymore.”
Grandma slammed her fist onto the table. “This is ridiculous. Do you have any idea what will happen if they find you, Clara?”
I flinched, but held it together. The locket heated. “How will they find me? Didn’t you say the locket cloaked me? Were you lying?”
She swallowed. “No, I wasn’t lying. It will keep you cloaked, but you’ve no idea about magic, what it can do.”
“Then teach me. Show me how to use it. I’m not taking a potion.”
Grandma sighed. “It’s not as easy as that, Clara. Did you mother tell you everything? Your father—”
“Yes,” I interrupted.
“Then you know his magic is dark.”
I nodded. Where was she going with this?
“There’s a fifty percent chance yours will be, too.”
“And there’s a fifty percent chance it won’t be.”
“I’m not willing to take that chance,” Grandma said.
“Yeah, well, I am.” I shoved my chair back from the table and stood. “I’m not a child anymore. I make my own choices. Come next week, if I wanted to, I could leave this house and live on my own and you wouldn’t be able to stop me.” I felt my temper rising.
“Clara, no,” Mom said, rushing toward me.
I held my hands up to stop her. “Stop! Both of you!” I shouted. “This is my life, my body. If magic is supposed to course through my veins, I’m going to allow it.” I turned back to Grandma. “You said I had a vision, right?” She nodded. “Well, then, my magic can’t be dark, can it? Only light magic can produce visions. Isn’t that, right?”
She nodded again.
“Good. That’s settled then. I have light magic, and if you won’t show me how to use it, how to protect myself, I’ll find someone who will.”
- Writer
