Casters Book Two: Shadow Caster

Chapter Twenty Three

I mean Vega herself told me her mom was a total nightmare and borderline abusive, but she never said anything about magic abuse. She actually said her mom wasn't all that bad and even had her good moments. She said her mom was a perfectionist, tough love kind of mom, but I didn't think it was that bad. But by the way it makes Joni uncomfortable to talk about and how she quiets her voice, I know she's serious, it's serious.

"Vega and I used to be best friends. She trusted me, with basically everything. She told me her mom was like mental when it came to Vega learning how to use her abilities. Said Vega was wasting her potential. She wanted Vega to be the best Psy Caster there ever was. One time I came over unannounced and found Dariyah outside crying and super pissed off. When I asked her what was wrong..." she stares down at the table.

"What happened?" I push.

She takes a heavy deep breath before continuing on, "Dariyah screamed at me, said that something was wrong with Vega's mom. Said she'd kill her. She was so pissed off, fuming. She told me Vega's mom kicked her outside so that she couldn't interfere with Vega's training. Me being a reality Caster, it was easy to let myself in. Dariyah stomped inside and basically led me right to them. Vega was screaming in pain, on her hands and knees, blood dripping out of her nose. It was awful, and there was her mom, standing over her, using her magic on Vega to "Help" Vega develop a strong resistance to other Psy Caster powers. Dariyah tried to punch her in the face, But her mom just mind blasted her without even casting a spell and basically turned Dariyah into a vegetable. Threatened to do the same to me unless I left. Vega got up and pushed me out of the house, told me to stay out of it." She clenches her jaw and shakes her head.

"Did you?"

"Hell no! I confronted Vega about it the very next day, found out it was a regular thing. She told me it was no big deal, her mom was just training her. I told her that was total bullshit, that her mom was abusing her. What her mom was doing to her was illegal. Dariyah wholeheartedly agreed with me, we eventually convinced Vega what was going on was wrong. We wanted her to report her mom, she said she would, but every time I would ask, she'd brush it off. One day, at school, Vega forgot her own name. all the "Training," was taking a toll on her. Screwing with her head. She like for real forgot her own name, and where she was, and what she was doing. It was scary. I told her that the magic was affecting her, that if she didn't stop she'd have long-term health effects. That's when I found out that Dariyah always heals her after her sessions, but Dariyah stopped doing it as a way to protest Vega letting it go on. Without the healing Vega was declining fast. So, I did what I had to. At the new years eve party, I called that bitch out, in front of everyone. Announced to the whole world that she abused her daughters."

"What happened?" I ask, fully invested now.

She shakes her head, glaring at nothing in particular.

"Tell me," I push.

"She denied everything of course, and Vega... Vega, fuck her, she backed up her mom. Lied to everyone and said I made the whole thing up because I wanted attention. I got in so much trouble with my own parents. Dariyah kept her mouth shut too, I don't know what that woman has on her daughters but neither of them were willing to go against her in public. I basically looked like a complete idiot. We got into a huge fight, Vega told me I had no right to do that, said I needed to mind my own business. She pushed me away after that. Then I heard she and her mom got into this huge fight, Dariyah said Vega finally snapped and had a full-on battle with her mom. Overpowered her and then declared she was gay, and that she was moving away, going to Belmore. I myself had already gotten into Belmore. I offered help with the enrollment process but she told me to fuck off. She was different. She's hated me ever since. Well, hate is a strong word, more like she finds me annoying, a pesky little sister or something like that."