The Young and Gifted

70. powerful women

warning: mentions of domestic abuse

Seylah continued to walk down the hall, examining the building around her. She was completely aware that a vampire had tried to compel her to leave but none of them knew she had a jewelry that had vervain. What interested her was what they were trying to hide. She'd heard a bit about the boarding school and people sort of classified it as a place for crazed kids. But as she stopped in front of a door, her mouth dropped when she saw a kid chant a spell under her breath with her eyes closed. She knew it was magic and she took a step back. A teenager walked past her, drinking a packet of blood and a group of boys were laughing with each other.

This is a school for the supernatural, she concluded. So that's what he meant when he said he knew more than I'd think he'd know. Seylah shook her head and decided to sleep on the revaluation, slowly making her way to the front door. But before she could step out of the environment, she was frozen in spot.

Before her was a boy, black curly hair and green eyes. She recognized the smile instantly but the birthmark on his forearm was a major giveaway for her. He was speaking to a lovely girl.

Landon. That was her son. She didn't realize he was in the same town as her after she abandoned him across the state. But no matter how much she urged to go and talk to him, to hear his voice, a more rational part of herself forbade her. He was a reminder of her terrible history.

Seylah had fallen in love with a professor that studied the supernatural from afar and it was genuinely one of the most amazing periods of her life. But the moment she got pregnant, it became an abusive relationship. Nothing was physical but he was obsessed with experimenting on her. Injecting things into her belly as she slept, slipping toxins in her food and drink. At some point she suspected he inseminated her with the seed from someone else because she couldn't remember how Landon was conceived, nothing matched the timeline.

She shook off the memory and quickly turned for the entrance. And like she did 17 years ago, Seylah did not look back when she left.

*

As all the commotion in town was occurring, Kaura was studying with Davina, her sole focus pinned on the locked box.

"The Bennet Bloodline is a very unique lineage. It was discovered that they can regenerate their magic."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means that nobody can take it from you. You're aware that you're not the only siphon witch in this world. You're able to siphon your cousins but they can't siphon you. It'll find a way to come back or hide."

Kaura nodded as she stared at the magical box the teacher had instructed her to open without siphoning. Davina said it was a simple mechanism to dig deep and find the part of her that recognized the ancestral magic on the box.

She placed both of her hands on the box, taking a deep calming breath. Make sure your mind is clear, Davina had said. Feel the pulse of the magic and grab it. Kaura could feel the heat of her magic dance under her fingertips, nipping and biting but she still didn't know how to use it.

"You're confused and it knows. Relax, Kaura," Davina was saying. She did just that and felt her own magic mix with the ancestral magic. "Good job. Now break it."

Kaura's eyes flew open with confusion. "What? I thought--"

"Holding it doesn't mean you have it. You must break the barricade to be able to use it because magic knows how to protect itself. Break it."

She tried. She could feel her mental energy strain as she attempted to break the hard force field. "I can't."

"Break it," Davina repeated as she encouraged. "You're a Bennett, you're a Parker and no wall is going to make you give up. You're taking what's yours, the Initial Conjuration is hiding in a little house. Break it."

Each word was pushing her further and Kaura felt herself reach for the foreign magic again. She calmed her chaotic heart and ordinary magic before she whispered in the darkness, I am Kaura Bennett Parker.  She felt the build-up, the crescendo, as she said to the magic, You are mine and you will break for me. It was faint but the clicking of a lock jerked in the room and she slowly opened her eyes. The box was open.

Davina smiled and clapped, very pleased. "Amazing. You've made such a big step, be proud of yourself."

Kaur nodded, eyes twinkling at the open box. "What next?"

She chuckled. "We can't do it all in one night. You're young and you need more rest than you think you do."

Kaura sighed and packed up her things. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the same time?"

Davina nodded but cleared her throat. "But I will tell you something I was meant to pass on to you from Aithne."

"And what is that?" She glanced back.

"You...you have the ability to compel witches."

"What?"

"A trait passed down from your mother and a gift from Aithne. She knew that Bonnie was going going to be a pillar of power so she only granted her more. Nothing is more terrifying than a powerful woman."

*

By the time Kaura returned to her dorms, she was thoroughly excited by the news. Mason had just finished his shower and he listened to her talk about how she had the ability to compel. He seemed shocked and thrilled for her at the same time. The vampire offered to teach her but Kaura told him it was best to leave it for Davina to teach her when the time was right.

They spent some quality time together throughout the night and before they knew it, it was morning. Kaura yawned as she turned around, gaze falling to his open eyes. "Good morning, baby."

"I can't believe that I'm a hybrid. Do you know what that means?" 

"That you can turn into a wolf?" 

"Exactly. I mean I have to kill someone to activate the curse, right?"

"That's not happening anytime soon." 

"Of course not." He kissed her cheek and sighed. "You know what? I think we should go on a date. We've had a lot to deal with. Today is a chill Saturday, we both don't have homework and the sun is outside."

"A date? We haven't been on that since—"

"Never."

"What are you talking about? We've been on a date," Kaura scoffed. "Remember when we sat on the clock tower and talked about our fucked up lives? Or when we were at the pier?"

"That wasn't a date, that was a conference," he snorted.

"Then what do you call a date?"

"You'll just have to see," he grinned before slipping out of the bed, pulling on his shirt. Kaura watched as he slammed the door behind him and sighed.

~

"Say hello to my little friend!"

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