The Necromancers

Chapter one

I didn't remember much from before I was 5. Somehow I could never remember what I was like before 5 or what my mama was like. The scar on my head was a proof that I did bang my head against something but being a witch I could have recovered. My ma could have helped me.

Then why?

Shrugging at my reflection I moved to my study table and sat down on the chair, staring at all the shuffled papers on my desk. It was the bills, bills and more bills.

But one letter caught my eye. It was exclusively addressed to me. In an impressive handwriting and the ink, I recognized was immaculate. A rare one. I knew right away that this letter was important.

Astoria Luna Hale,
We are very sorry for your loss. We offer our humble support and hope you recover from the deep impact your mother's death must have left on you. We pray that it will all get better for you. It must be really tough times.
And we offer help. However, as it is proven plenty of times that nothing is free in this world, we want you to finish a job for us. And as promised you'd get as much money as you demand. Because after all, money can buy you anything.
We hope this letter finds you in your, hopefully, best spirits. We'd be waiting for your reply dear Astoria.
Regards,
Shallows.

My blood chilled in my veins. The shallows, the exiled band of witches that were known well for their crimes. For their cruelty to the people. I had listened to ma tell me all the tales about those disdainful witches.

I glanced at the letter in my hands again. I needed my revenge. I also needed to fulfil my ma's last wish, and that would certainly need money.

My brain was in shambles over how much had changed in the last 24 hours. And me seeing him did me no good. I had no time, or else I would have faught tooth and nail and killed him or get killed while trying.

I've never hated a person, a witch in my life, but him? He was something else. Ever since I've found the truth, I couldn't help but dislike him. Hate him for all he was. I was glad he didn't recognise me, because if he had, the bracelet would have been taken away from me. Just like my ma was.

It was a normal day for me. Just yesterday I had gone to the market to buy us some more groceries and some college things for me. On my way back everything seemed pleasant. Too pleasant. I knew that the weather of Angus was moderate throughout the year. Too good and beautiful, but yesterday was like the ultimate good weather.

I couldn't understand the reason but basked in the feeling of the warm sun against my skin. It was rare that ma let me out on my own. And I enjoyed every second of it.

When I reached near my house I felt almost too giddy to go back and hug my ma. And thank her for all she had done for me. After all she brought me up. Kept me fed. And took all of my tantrums. The least I could do was help her around the house and thank her once in a while for being the strong and strange woman that she was.

But when I stepped inside the open door of my house, it was splattered with blood. My living room. And that's when my stomach sunk. Did ma kill another animal? Did ma get pissed by a human again? I ran inside the kitchen and there was where I found her.

Or what was left of her. She was murdered. She was dead. She was gone.

I moved numbly around the kitchen and found a wet cloth to wipe away the blood stains from the living room. It was scary for me. I didn't know what else I could do. I was helpless. I had no one to help me then. My ma didn't have good relations with the neighbours. She would often call them lesser witches.

But I tried to greet them and be nice to them. They were nice to me. But calling them to view this scene where her insides were splattered over the kitchen counter was a horrible thing. I don't want to do that to them. So I moved around the kitchen and the living room, cleaning up all the blood. As best as I could.

Tears kept falling from my eyes. I cried and cried and wiped all the blood away. I cleaned until my arms could no longer move. It was evening by the time I finished and moved out to call one of my neighbours to help for her burial. My whole body shook and I kept crying silent tears.

The evening was one of the most beautiful I had ever witnessed. I was disgusted with how the world worked. My ma died! And I was the only one grieving for her! How was that fair?!

But after everything we buried her in a quiet place. The neighbours were very helpful. They offered me food and even helped me clean the rest of my house.

While cleaning up the kitchen I found a letter tightly clutched in my ma's hand. It was hidden as best as she could. So I took the letter and what was read broke me further.

But it gave me a purpose.

So that night, after I dried all my tears, I locked up my house and got the bracelet. Those people chasing me were some unknown creatures I'd never seen or read about before.

That kept me on my toes and then I saw the prince of Angus, strong and regal. Unaffected by what he had just caused. I hated him more for that. For not caring.

I closed the letter by the shallows and counted how much it would take of my money to pay all these bills. Too much. Our savings weren't enough.

Ma didn't save enough money. I wonder why there was nothing left of her money other than just a few hundred dollars. She had been saving ever since I was a child. And suddenly there was nothing of it left anymore.

Once I had settled the bills I bathed and changed into a fresh pair of clothes. That was when I took some time to check the bracelet ma asked me to take.

It was still in my pants so when I took it out and looked at it, mud was all I could see. Sighing I washed it away and then studied the silver of the bracelet. A pretty shade of silver, I didn't know existed. And at the centre of it was a charm, with angel wings on it.

I'd seen better looking charms that this. Although the centre was silver too, it strangely shined blue. Another phenomenon of science that was beyond me.

I kept that piece of jewellery safe and went to sleep. I hadn't slept in over thirty six hours and it was giving me a bad headache.

But sleep was far away.

No matter how much I tried to be okay, I couldn't help but realise that ma was no more. She wouldn't be by my side ever again. She would not walk through the door tomorrow morning and tell me to wake up early.

I let the tears fall in the silence of the night and the darkness of my room. I let myself cry, sob and scream until I couldn't anymore. Until I saw the sun rise in the distance. My tears were still falling. My eyes going numb due to the constant tears. And my throat so tightly clogged that it was all a big task to take another breath.

I let reality crash over me through the night. I let myself soak in the fact that she was gone and never coming back.

And I also let myself grieve for the last time until I bring justice to her. Because the day I avenge her death, will be the day I'll have fulfilled my purpose of life.

I will get the revenge.