Hybrid Trilogy

Chapter 20 Discovering Heritage

Jasmine opened her eyes, to see the smiling face of a very old looking lady with white hair worn in a bun, she was quite plump, wearing a grey floor-length dress and a tartan woollen shawl wrapped around her shoulders, looking down at her, she immediately sat up with a start and looked gingerly around, she was greeted by a dark and dirty granite walled room, light being offered by a single window at the far end and the fire in the hearth that had a bubbling cauldron of hot.....something and a tiny flickering candle that sat on a table under the window.

"Oh, my heavens where am I? what happened? who are you? And where is your Vampire master?" Jasmine said in rapid succession, her bright green eyes alive with panic. The old lady was quite taken aback by Jasmines quick rise and her agitated questioning, so recoiled back and then in her calming voice with its Celtic lilt said "ouch, dunna worry yourself hen, all is as it should be, my name is Nighmearee and I'm your god mother, your auntie, and I know your mother even though you don't". she smiled "did er, you er, bring me here" Jasmine asked nervously "ouch no dearie you did that yourself" said Nighmearee by way of explanation, Jasmine looked at her confusion engulfing her "but how I didn't have time to cast the protection spell, I don't understand, the last thing I remember was fighting Casandra...." she wailed "the battle you had with Casandra was very draining, you need to rest, we'll talk more later, after you sleep" said Nighmearee. Following a brilliant flash of light Jasmine found herself in a queen size bed under a warming patchwork eiderdown "now sleep dearie, said a departing Nighmearee. 

The following day Jasmine made her way out of the bedroom, through a door that led back to the main living room she had been in the night before, Nighmearee was at the cauldron "ouch hello there dearie, do you feel well rested" she asked, "yes thank you, I'm sorry I'm still a little groggy, things are a bit hazy, who are you again?" Jasmine asked confused by her current situation ("why am I not back in middle-wood") she thought to herself. I am your auntie dearie, your my god daughter" she replied offering her some nettle tea Jasmine took the tea gratefully "thank you" she said as she sat down at the table at looked out of the grubby window "where are we" she asked sipping her warming tea, it was about midday the snow thick on the ground and a thick winter fog enveloped the nearby woodland so her view did not afford her any clue as to her location. "Oh, we are in Rangemore dearie, just down the way from Ruby's daughter Agatha" Nighmearee answered as she sat opposite Jasmine in the other chair with a cup of the same steaming brew. "how did I get here, and why didn't I end up back in middle-wood? I mean I didn't cast my protection spell" Jasmine stated quizzically "well dearie" Nighmearee began taking a sip of the tea "as it happens, you did, in a manner of speaking" she paused and took another sip "you see dearie, you cast the spell to send the baby into the ether, then Ruby and not a moment too soon I might add" she continued cocking her head to one side "but I saw her die!?"Jasmine said a little frustratingly and began to weep "no pet" Nighmearee said reaching across the table giving Jasmine's hand an affectionate reassuring squeeze "you saw her body die, her consciousness had already left, and not forgetting you did the same for George too." Nighmearee concluded "so they were all saved?" asked Jasmine "yes dearie, and because you did that you didn't go back to middle-wood, you came here to where Ruby's child Agatha is" Jasmine looked confused at Nighmearee none the wiser as to the point her god mother was trying to make "Agatha is Ruby's offspring and consequently, is the continuation of Ruby's lineage" Nighmearee finished. "So sorry" said Jasmine as she seemed to have a moment of clarity in all her foggy thoughts "did you say you're my aunt?" "yes dearie" replied Nighmearee drinking more of her tea. "so do you know who my mother was?" asked Jasmine looking hopefully at her auntie, Nighmearee looked temporarily concerned as jasmine appeared not to have registered any of the conversation about Ruby, but realised that it could well be as a consequence of her battle with Cassandra "oh yes dearie actually who she is, &  she's my best friend" she answered full of joy that she was finally able to tell Jasmine the truth "oh, and I almost forgot she is also the lady Alcina" she added in a tone suggesting she was letting Jasmine into a secret. At this Jasmine jumped to her feet knocking her chair over a look of total disbelief on her face "wait are you trying to tell me that my mother is the most powerful sorceress in all the the world of witchcraft ?! Why couldn't she stop the Vampires?" she asked still shocked at the revelation "well she did try, we all tried, for ten years we tried, but it seemed that the devil had more of a hold on you and our sisters than we anticipated" Nighmearee concluded sadly "anyway pet you need more rest, as I said that battle took far too much, more than you think" she added. Jasmine made to protest feeling as if her auntie was trying to avoid the subject, but decided against arguing with a face, that whilst it was warm and friendly conveyed a sense of sternness.