When the Ravens Sing

Chapter 4

      "That fucking prick had no right to speak to you that way," Rose seethed. Dumping ice from its tray, she scooped it into a small freezer bag, dropping several pieces on the floor, and tossed it at Birdy. The forgotten gardening glove rested on the end of the countertop, a not-so-friendly reminder of the confrontation.

Nova sat at the kitchen table, her head folded into her hands, idly massaging her temples. She reached for the lukewarm cup of tea to her left, taking a sip before looking into Rose's expectant eyes. Her features were hard, not as hard as they had been in the greenhouse, but enough so that Nova didn't know what to say to calm Rose's rage or her own. Nova wasn't even sure what she was feeling was rage. Guilt maybe, or even grief. She had never known her father, none of them had, but they'd all heard the stories.

"He wasn't exactly wrong, though, was he?" Nova shrugged.

Rose sputtered, staring at Nova with angry bewilderment. She looked around, spotting the abandoned glove. Swiping it from the counter, she went and smacked Nova with it. Hard. Nova looked back at her with a glare before snatching the glove from her hand.

"Why does everyone keep hitting me with freaking gardening gloves!"

"If I may be so bold, I'd say it has something to do with the unintelligent words that always seem to flow out of your mouth, child." Their Grandmother said behind Nova and Birdy.

"HOLY GODS!" Birdy shouted, clasping a hand over her heart. Nova would say she was being dramatic if only she could slow her own erratic pulse. "Seriously, make some noise next time, would you! You're going to send one of us into cardiac arrest someday."

"Well now, it's like you think I would just let any of my beautiful granddaughters die in such a way." She smoothed Birdy's hair affectionately. "Speaking of, do you want me to take care of that?" She said pointing to the ice bag slipping off Birdy's not-so-elevated ankle.

Birdy wiggled her hips, moving her leg to allow their Grandmother a better angle. Bending down, she wrapped her hands around her ankle, being careful to not cause any unnecessary pain until they could see a slight glow. While their grandmother worked, she looked towards Nova and Rose.

"Rose is right, of course, he had no right to bring up your father." She looked down, a frown gracing her lips. "What happened to your father is not your fault... It is mine."

"What are you talking about?" Nova whispered, facing her grandmother.

Several moments went by in silence. It wasn't until the glow in her hands dissipated and Birdy began testing her ankle that she looked up and spoke.

"We've always been honest with you about how your father left the coven for a time. We've always been honest about how he came back to give you to us. We've always been honest about how he loved and adored you, even then." She took a deep breath. "But I have never told you why. I was the one who sent your father away. Our seer at the time saw that he would return to us with a rare child. One whose power would outweigh my own, a child that would one day take my place and lead us all into the future. She was right, of course. He came back to us with you cradled in his arms, a beautiful pink newborn. He stayed for only three days before he came to me. My son, your father, told me that the woman he conceived with was waiting for him. He said that if he did not leave once and for all, she would return and take you away. That was her price. Your father for you."

"I don't understand," Rose spoke.

"What's so confusing, Rose. I'm the unintelligent one, and even I can understand that," Nova said with a bitter chuckle.

"No." Rose shook her head. "What I don't understand is how they're so sure he's dead. He left the coven alive and well, did he not? He could still be out there somewhere."

Their Grandmother quivered. "He was different when he was here, drained. It was only a few months after he left when I felt it. I felt my son's energy leave this world. I felt him die, and I have felt it every day since."

For the first time, Nova thought her grandmother looked small. Kneeling on the kitchen floor at her feet, she looked so very very small. She could not remember her father's face without seeing a picture. She had never heard his voice or felt the rumble of his laugh. She had never known her father, and sometimes that loss of not having known him overshadowed her empathy for the people who did. The people who loved him, the ones who could remember his face, his laugh. Her Grandmother's son. Her only son.

"It is not your fault." Nova grabbed her Grandmother's hand, clasping it in hers. "You couldn't have known you were trading his life for mine. It was never your fault and it will never be."

Her Grandmother looked at her with unshed tears still in her eyes. They rested like that for a moment, looking at each other with a new understanding, a new truth.

"Thank you," she whispered, squeezing Nova's hand in her own.

"Okay enough of that, you're going to make me start weeping like a baby if you keep that up," Birdy sniffled, wiping stray tears.

"Really? You just had to ruin such a nice moment with your whining?" Rose said.

"Well, I'm so fucking sorry. I prefer to save my sobbing for the privacy of my room, thank you very much." Birdy quipped right back.

Their grandmother huffed to herself standing to her feet. "The moment was ending as it was, no harm done. You know, I too prefer to cry in private." She winked at Birdy.

A sudden knock on the front door brought the Witches' attention around.

"Birdy, would you mind checking that, dear?" Their grandmother asked.

Birdy looked at her with a pout, getting to her feet with a mighty groan of annoyance. Their grandmother watched her leave before vacating the now empty seat with a sigh. Nova could understand why her grandmother kept the details of her father's death to herself. What she couldn't understand was why the coven and the High Witch herself believed they couldn't protect them both. Who was her mother? Or better yet, what was she?

Nova felt Rose's hand graze over her shoulder. Rose's face asked a simple question. "Are you okay?"

Nova gave her better half, a small smile, nodding her head once. She always felt better knowing Rose had her back. Today was no exception. If anyone could understand how she felt, it was Rose. Most of the witches born into the coven didn't know who sired them. It was easier for the women to leave the coven and come home pregnant from one-night stands than to introduce humans to the world of the supernatural. Most of the men here would never sire children of their own, all of the witches were too closely related in blood to ever reproduce successfully. In the past, any children conceived did not make it past the second trimester. To even try now was taboo and frowned upon.

"I probably shouldn't even say this, but I swear you two could survive a bonding." The two witches stared at their grandmother in shock. "Don't look at me like that. You're the most likely pair I've seen in decades. Now don't go getting any ideas though." She said, looking between the two.

Blood Bonding. It was a practice that had been outlawed many years ago. If two people suspected they were soulmates, they would attempt to bond together using a blood ceremony. Most pairs died. If you try to bond with someone who isn't your soulmate, your very blood and soul became toxic. There had never been a case of any survivors. They say the bonding ceremony allowed you to access your partner's magic. There were also rumors of pairings gaining new and strange abilities, though Nova believed that part was just a bunch of horseshit.

"Grandma! Brett Lester and his son are here!" Birdy burst into the kitchen glancing at Nova and then back to their Grandmother.

Their Grandmother stood up with caution. Moving towards the kitchen door, the young witches heard her mumble something about 'tardiness'. Rose and Nova looked at each other, the same thought present behind each other's eyes.

Why the fuck were Haider and his dad here?