“I wouldn’t have come running here as if the hounds of hell were at my heels, unless it was important, Grandma.” A scowl of annoyance wrinkles my brow as I glare at my grandmother.
I glance at Jasmine, thinking she’s awfully quite when I notice her staring unrelentingly at the door her ears pricked to attention. With a start, I remember when I’d fallen, I’d cut myself and some of my blood must have dropped onto the stones. Flinging open the door, I rush outside.
I hear a cry of alarm coming from my grandmother, and Jasmine barking, but I ignore them both, and call with power for my fallen blood to come to me.
“Blood of mine, fallen this day
Come to me, leave none behind Danger comes, to do away with me Blood, fallen of mine, return to me.”
With a crackle, power leaps from me like lightning in a whirlwind, heading straight for the area where I had fallen, and farther back toward the woods. Suddenly, we hear a shout of surprise and a curse, the lightning wind returns to me. I hold out my hands, and the wind gently deposits the gravel with my blood on it, into my palms.
“Thank you. Blessed Be.” I release my spell.
****
Turning, I walk back into the house, past Jasmine who keeps an eye on the woods, and past my gaping grandmother, straight into the bathroom where I wash the blood off the gravel, and deposit it in the bin. I storm out of the bathroom and round on my grandmother.
“You know more about what’s going on here than you’ve told us,” I fume, my eyes narrowing to slits, as I feel the truth of my statement shimmer through me.
My grandmother gives me a cold, calculated look, before responding.
“Everyone knows more than what you’ve been told. Oh come off it, don’t look so hurt.” Eve laughs at the look of betrayal flashing across my face.
“Surely you honestly can’t believe no one was aware of the killing of humans and the black arts? You’re not stupid, Candi,” Eve cruelly lashes out.
“I really don’t know you, do I?” I quietly ask, even though I don’t expect an answer.
“How could you? You left me years ago, to what— make a family out of the likes of her?” Eve’s scream of rage is unexpected, and I think it shocks her, too.
“What became of you, Grandma, for you to change so much, you would willingly sacrifice the life of an innocent and take part in black magick?” Shaking my head in disappointment, I look at my grandmother properly and see a layer of darkness surrounding her aura.
“The darkness is attaching itself to your aura, Grandma,” I tell her with sadness lacing my words. I turn away as I feel tears pool in my eyes. I will not cry in front of her, I will not. “Let’s go, and Grandma, if you change your mind about the path you’re following, you know where I am.” Breaking into sobs, I open the door and leave with Jasmine by my side, my grandmother staring after us, with darkness attached to her and bleeding into her eyes.
“Not everyone has the power you have; some of us need to take it.” Eve’s shout of frustration follows me.
As we hurry away, I wonder, what could have possibly happened to make my grandmother power mad. Doesn’t she know how dangerous too much power is? As we enter the woods, I’m not sure if I hear my grandma crying in anguish and heartbreak.
****
Peering out of the woods, he watches with cruel eyes, as Eve Allhallows crumples in her doorway, sobbing, as her granddaughter and that dog of hers walk into the woods. He notices with a disgusted snort, how some of the darkness leaves Eve, as she acknowledges her wrong choices in her loneliness and greed for power. With a final glare at the weak pathetic woman, he thoughtfully looks in the direction he’d seen the granddaughter disappear and decides to follow.
****
Slowly, retracing my way through the woods, I mull over what I have found out. What had changed for this to happen? It had to be something big surely, but… “I don’t understand, but how can I, when the only person who can give me the answers is my grandmother.” I fling my hands up in the air, as if this act will give me the coveted answers I need to understand what was happening, and why.
“I just don’t understand.” Silent tears trail down my cheeks, and I brush them away in frustration. Crying will not get me answers.
Leaning her furry body into the side of my leg, Jasmine gives an understanding and sympathetic whine. “This is so much bigger, we need the others.” With a nod of resolution, and pleasure that I can take some form of positive action, I hurry home.
Letting ourselves in through the back door, I’m puzzled to hear the sound of men talking. Quickly we cross through the kitchen, down the hall, and into the sitting room. Victor and Kheda, who a moment ago were chatting like old friends, look at Jasmine and me in concern.
“Are you two okay, you look like…has something happened to your grandmother?” Concern flashes across Victor’s face, and he crosses over to me. He gently rubs my arms, as if the simple action can erase all my hurts. I realize with a start of surprise, that he genuinely does care what happens to me. How is it possible he can care for me after such a short time?
“My grandmother…my grandmother is practicing black magick, and so are…I have no idea how many others.”