Her Red Knight

Chapter 18

Aspen sighed in relief as the helicopter landed. She was sure that if Freyja wasn't a vampire her hand would have broken from how hard she was squeezing it as hard she was. Aspen knew that was only part of the journey and the next flight was much longer. Freyja pushed her through the airport as Matthew and Diana strode ahead of them. A few of the perks of the De Clermonts asides from the men and the friends was private planes. It wasn't long before they were wheels up again this time in more comfort Aspen and Freyja occupied the sofa as they watched videos on the flat screen while Diana and Matthew shared a recliner. "So who are again?" Diana asked after about half an hour of them ignoring each other. "I'm Freyja Matthew's younger sister." She said rolling her eyes, they had gone over this when she arrived at Sept-Tours clearly she wasn't paying attention. "And a close friend of mine. Frey is from the Viking invasion of Paris, she saved the De Clermonts and me and would have died in the process if Phillippe did not save her life." Aspen added. "What do you mean you? Weren't you spell bound like me?" She asked confusion written across her face. "I was, but mine was different and I do not know why." Aspen shrugged, it was one thing she would never be able to answer without their father being there. All Aspen knew was that her spell bound was different to Diana's but that was life. She was always the opposite of her sister, in hair colour, personality and style. The only things similar was work ethic and eyes even then hers were colder, something everyone pointed out behind her back. Diana was lively while her younger sister was dull. Aspen dealt with those comments for years until she did what she was best at, running and pain. How she had survived this far she didn't know, she thought someone would have tried to kidnap her, especially witches who practised dark magic and knew of her parentage. Maybe she was just boring and uninteresting, maybe Baldwin would get bored of her eventually and toss her aside. She began to fiddle with the ring that laid over her heart, they both thought it best if she didn't flash the ring about in case a witch saw it and reported it back to the congregation, it wasn't likely that the Madison witches would but better be safe than sorry. "Hey, Liv, it is going to be okay, when this is all over I guarantee my brother will come and get you and drag you away from everyone for a year at least." She said softly. Aspen looked over and gave a small smile. She appreciated the comfort and in her heart she knew Freyja was probably right but her stupid brain wasn't going to agree, she may love logic but her brain rarely ran on it. "I cannot wait." She said managing to force out a laugh. "Thank you for coming Frey, you did not have to come and stay with me." she added softly. "Maybe not but I am basically your sister and I love you, if my brother couldn't be here for you the second best might as well be." She laughed and Aspen felt herself ease into the flight more, she was by no way comfortable and she was still counting down the hours when she could touch solid ground again. But this was the calmest she had been while flying and that was down to Freyja and her mastery of distraction. Part of the distraction was beginning to plan her wedding which at the minute was the most extravagant thing possible and when Aspen took her pain medication she dreamt of a chaotic wedding rather than the nightmares that had plagued her for most of her life. Aspen groaned as she was shaken awake by Freyja when they had landed. Freyja helped her off and again pushed her to the waiting car. Matthew and Diana of course sat in the front while Aspen and Freyja got as comfortable as they could in the back. Aspen decided to drop a quick message to Baldwin to let him know that they had landed. It also gave her something to do as they began the three hour drive to Madison. She hated that she was being forced to go back after all this time, she was happy to spend her life away from the town that brought back some of her worse memories. Diana may have considered this home but to her it was a punishment, yet another one from the world for something she didn't know. The drive was silent, Matthew and Diana spoke to one another quietly, Freyja listened to music while Aspen stared out the window watching as they drove past the countryside. She watched as the vast fields and hills turned into the outskirts of Madison, the Bishop house was situated on the other side of town so she watched as the town became more populated, people stared as they went by and she had the urge to hide, to run. Her arm began to itch and she suppressed a shudder, she thought that was under control, at least no at the forefront of her mind. She did not want to go back to the part of her life where that was her only way to cope, she had family now, people who would die for her. Remembering that was harder than looking at her past and going that was the easy route one that had worked before. When they had finally stopped Aspen was in a foul mood and Freyja appeared melancholic. "Penny for your thoughts?" Aspen asked as Freyja helped her out the car. "I came here once, not long after your parents moved in, your father knew Phillippe, classed each other as friend, when we got over our grief as best we could we located him and Baldwin and I came and told him what happened, I have never seen a man look so broken." Freyja muttered as they both looked at the house. On the outside it looked like any ordinary home, but they both knew that wasn't the case, after all witches were stubborn creatures and often lingered in their homes to terrorise future generations into doing their lessons and on top of that it created a house with a mind of its own. "Home." They heard Matthew say and they looked over to the happy couple. "Madison in the fall is the best Madison there is." Diana agreed, if you asked Aspen her opinion there was no best part of Madison except maybe in the summer when someone could go out and explore the countryside for hours on end. They all moved towards the door and Aspen suspected that her aunts were not home because Diana asked because if they were home she was sure she would be on her third lecture by now while Diana got fussed over, the golden girl that she was. "There's nobody here. I told them when we were arriving." Matthew said confused, for a vampire as old as he was he was clueless when it came to other species, she imagined this was not the first time he had ever entered a witches house, then again Phillippe kept him on a tight leash, one he never seemed to shake. "They wanted to give us a few minutes alone with the house." Diana said in a way of explanation. "The house has been known to misbehave with new people. They're letting it get used to you." Aspen smiled as she wheeled herself into the house grateful for the ramps it had installed for her. The bitter sweet memories of her time running around chasing Diana came back to her, she remembered spending hours sitting on her fathers knee while he told her Greek myths. Aspen smiled at the family portrait that sat on the side, she picked it up and rubbed the dust off of it, it had been years since she had seen her fathers face clearly, he was younger than she remembered the same went for her mother. "Where am I putting these?" Freyja asked behind her as the house shifted revealing a new door. "My guess in there." Aspen smiled as she recognised the crude drawing of the cat on the door, it was her childhood bedroom. "What's it capable of?" She heard Matthew asked, Aspen turned and saw him look slightly scared as Freyja emerged throwing herself on the sofa. "Slamming doors, flickering lights. One time, the whole second floor disappeared for a week. Well, nice to see you too, Tabitha." Diana said scratching the black cats head behind the ears. "Don't worry. It's not you we need to interrogate. We won't be staying long." Diana murmured. Aspen rolled her eyes, she was always more of a dog person personally, but Tabitha was alright she kept her distance and it was a situation both were happy with. "So bestie, do I get the top bunk." Freyja asked happily seemingly forgetting the memory of her dad. Aspen rolled her eyes, she had a bunk bed and when she was here she had claimed the top, but given recent developments there was not a lot of choice. "Well unless you want me to climb that ladder it is all yours." She retorted, "You seem right at home." Aspen commented noting how she had kicked off her shoes that were dancing to the bedroom as Tabitha came over and sat on her stomach, Aspen could have been wrong but her friend appeared to be in heaven. "Of course, it is a gift I have, no matter where I am I can make myself comfortable." She grinned. "Hum, I remember you complaining bitterly about a prison cell, not quiet at home there were you." Aspen smiled at the memory. "Ah but I was being given slop, witches are the best cooks, present company accepted." She added causing Aspen to throw a cushion at her. They broke out into giggles while Matthew and Diana just watched them deciding whether to laugh at their antics or not. Suddenly both vampires perked up. "Ah it appears your aunts are back." Freyja said swinging herself upright startling poor Tabitha. Freyja didn't bother putting her shoes on when the four of them went outside. "Diana! Aspen! Honeys! Oh, my god! Did the house lock you out?" Emily shouted getting out the car and rushing over to both of them giving both girls a massive hug, ones Aspen had missed. "What did I say? I said the house wouldn't like them." Sarah said smugly as she came over. "The house likes them fine." Aspen said rolling her eyes, Sarah was like Ysabeau, she did not trust another species, especially vampires. "Tell us the truth." Diana said stepping in and going straight to the point, over the last few days they had discussed why they could have been spellbound and decided it was best just to ask their aunts after all they must have suspected something, especially with Diana. "All this time, did you know what was wrong with us?" Aspen saw Em's face drop and she tried to get past them, Aspen moved so she was blocking the door, she was not as mad as Diana but it hurt that she was treated different and Em knew. "Why don't we just, erm...just go inside?" She said Aspen felt bad she was getting upset but this had to be discussed here and now or it would never be. "No, tell us now." Aspen said as Diana came to stand beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder, the first time in years they were in something together. "What's going on?" Sarah said looking at her like Aspen had decided to cause this chaos, like she was the mastermind Sarah suspected she was when she was the four year old who returned without her parents. "Did you know that we were spellbound?" Diana asked as Aspen studied their faces, Em knew but Sarah was completely taken aback with the news. "I, erm..." Em stuttered. "I guessed that you might be, yes." She said and it seemed she was relieved to finally say it out loud, but it meant she knew, she knew Aspen was spellbound and she said nothing, the late night confessions about being useless, the reassurance that she wasn't all of it was a lie, the way Sarah treated her as less than Diana could have all been cleared up with the chat that they were having now. She felt bad for Em for keeping it too herself but anger was taking the forefront, she could have said, this conversation would have made her life marginally better. "Who was it?" She asked, she suspected it was her parents, when she accidentally time-walked to them, when she first saw the bandages that kept her trapped. "Diana, Aspen, you have to understand...""Who? Who was it?" Diana asked sick of the way Em was avoiding the subject. "Rebecca and Stephen. Honey, your parents." The reveal rested heavy on them all as they walked into the house until Sarah lived up to her famed temper and exploded as they all entered the house who was beginning to stir with the anger emanating from Sarah. "No, Em! No, I don't believe it! Rebecca? She would never put...""Just tell us why! What is wrong with Aspen and me?" Diana asked cutting Sarah off, this wasn't about her this was about them and they would get the answers they wanted. Freyja stood behind Aspen while Matthew hovered behind Diana, Aspen sensed that both vampires had the urge to jump in. "Oh, sweetie. Honeys, there's nothing wrong with either of you." Em said sadly, she already knew that neither of them believed her, there was a reason behind why and they wanted to know."No, you do not do that for no reason. Not to your children! Not to anyone." Diana interrupted again. They watched Em as she walked through the living room debating what she should say. "Believe me, Diana, Aspen, you did nothing wrong." She sighed. "Look. The Congregation would have tested your powers when you came of age, just like any other kid, but Knox, he wouldn't wait. He was obsessed with the idea that you would inherit your mum's powers. Rebecca and Stephen didn't want him to see you. They hid Aspen from him. I mean, that's why they came here, honey, to get away from him before you were born Aspen. Look. Whatever Rebecca's reasons were, honey, she only meant to protect you. Both of you were everything to her to her. Stephen too. They loved you, Diana, Aspen, they loved you." Em begged. Aspen was stunned she knew Knox had known their mum he said as much when she went in front of the congregation at the age of four, this just confirmed to her that the man was a creep who only wanted power if her parents moved out here to protect them both. "I was half of myself for years and you didn't say anything. Aspen felt useless and ran away from us because she had no magic and felt less than us, you could have said something." Diana exploded. Aspen was shocked with this outburst, in the last few days they had started to bond over the fact they had part of themselves locked away and the fact they were the only ones who could bond over being tortured. "I had to trust that she wanted me to keep this secret for a reason. I had to trust that is what she thought was best." Em said as a way of an apology, Aspen just shook her head, of course she did believed her best friend had a reason for doing one of the worst things that could be done to witches. "And that is it? That is all you know?" Aspen asked, she didn't want any more surprises like this. "I promise. I said I promise." em repeated, Aspen just sighed and Diana grabbed her chair and began pushing them out of the house, they both needed time to discuss this without their aunts or vampires around. "Let them go." Freyja said softly as they saw Sarah move towards them. "Excuse me?!" Sarah growled as the house began to through a fuss, before a young Aspen ran in front of them going straight through the older version. "What the hell?" Sarah asked, as they all stood their frozen watching as young Aspen hid behind the bannister watching her parents. "What's wrong with the house?" They heard Stephen asked as he stood in the centre of the living room holding Rebecca. "It's..." her mother stuttered, "It's Peter Knox. He's found us. The house is trying to protect us." She said panic clear in her voice. Aspen caught her younger self run back up the stairs, trying to stifle her giggles. "We're out of time." The scene changed to Diana's childhood bedroom, Rebecca and Stephen sat either side of her while she laid awake. A young Aspen was peaking out from the doorway, curious to why her parents were with her sister. "Mum, why are you sad?" Young Diana asked as she was tucked up in bed. "I'm not sad, pumpkin. I'm here for a story. Your favourite story, The Magic Ribbons And The Shadow Prince." Rebecca said softly brushing her hair from her face. They watched as a four year old Aspen ran over flinging her arms around Rebecca's neck."Can I listen to the story too mummy?" She asked as Rebecca pulled her onto her lap. "Not tonight sweetheart, go to your room and Daddy and I will come in and say goodnight." Rebecca murmured softly kissing her youngest daughters hair and placing her back on the floor. Young Aspen whined as she left the room, but instead of doing as she was told she stayed by the door wanting to listen. "You have to stay very still if you want to hear it, okay, sweetheart?" Stephen said moving to the foot of the bad. "Once upon a time, there was a young witch...A brave young witch who was covered in invisible ribbons." Rebecca began covering the spell that Stephen was about to perform. "In all colours of the rainbow." White ribbons appeared above a young Diana, Aspen stepped into the room transfixed by the sight. "Lie down, sweetheart. You need to stay very still, remember?" Rebecca said softly as she gently pushed Diana back onto the bed. "The ribbons that wrapped around the witch were special ribbons." "Mum, I don't like it." Diana said as she looked terrified. "It's okay baby. Look at me, look at me." she whispered dragging Diana's attention away from the ribbons as they began to tighten around her. Young Aspen looked terrified as she watched the scene unfold, she was too young to understand it properly but she was scared for her sister. "Mum." Aspen said quietly as she became drowsy. "The ribbons would protect the girl from witches who were jealous of her power. Then one day, when she was all grown up, she met the Shadow Prince." Rebecca finished the story as the ribbons snapped to Diana''s body and disappeared and fell asleep, at the same time Aspen fled back to her room in fear of what was happening. "What have we done? Our magic is who we are." Rebecca said softly going to stand by Stephen grief written across her face. "She's safe, she's alive. We had no other option. One day, if she really needs it, she'll find it again." Stephen said looking at his oldest asleep. "We will have to do the same with Aspen, and I fear sooner rather than later." The scene changed again they were in the living room, Aspen was sitting in the kitchen with pancakes."He'll put his hand on your head for a few minutes, that's all. You don't have to do anything and it won't hurt, I promise." Rebecca said placing a hand on Diana's shoulder. "We'll be in the kitchen, sweetheart, okay?" Stephen added and Diana nodded as Rebecca opened the door to reveal a younger looking Peter Knox. "Hello, Diana. I'm Peter. Come here" Diana looked at him hesitantly. "There's nothing to be afraid of. We just need to take a little look at what's inside." He placed a hand on her head as the scene changed to a few days after when Rebecca and Stephen left. The last time Diana, Sarah and Emily saw them alive. They were all outside. "Here we go on an adventure!" Sarah said as Diana helped her with the bag. "This bag is so heavy!" She exclaimed causing Diana to laugh. "Rebecca, you have every book known to man in this suitcase!" Em smiled as Stephen came out carrying Aspen upside down and she was in a fit of giggles. He placed Aspen down and knelt down to her level and opened his arm for both girls to have a hug."Come here, give me a hug. We'll be back in a couple of weeks, okay?" They both nodded. "You both be good girls for your Aunts." He said while Rebecca pulled Emily aside. "If Peter comes back, it's us he'll be looking for, not Diana." "Look after your Aunt Sarah." Stephen said ruffling their hair."Rebecca, what is going on?" Emily asked as she looked between Rebecca and the girls. "Please don't ask me that." Rebecca begged and Emily accepted. "Okay." Emily nodded as Rebecca gave a small smile. "Ah, here we go!" Emily said walking over to both girls and Aspen went over and smiled at her favourite Aunt. "Hey, sweetie, can I have my bag?" Rebecca asked Diana and Diana handed it over with Aspen bouncing next to her. "Can I have a hug?" And both girls threw their arms around their mothers neck. "We'll be back before you know it. Be good." She said softly as she let them go. Aspen and Diana went back to their aunts Aspen grabbing Emily's hand while Diana grabbed Sarah's they watched a Stephen and Rebecca drive off. "Come on! Hot chocolate and marshmallows." Sarah said leading both girls back into the house as the memory faded. "Aspen, Diana." Sarah said quietly as both girls stared into the distance where their parents had just been, Knox had come after the, and now Aspen's mind finally clicked with the man in the suit, it was Knox, and Knox would kill her if she ever revealed the truth of her parents death. Their final act was to save them. Aspen wiped a tear away and went to her room to process. She heard a knock at the door after half an hour and when she said they could enter it revealed Diana. She looked around the purple room that had old band posted sat crooked on the wall along with posters on ancient Greece and Rome. "The room hasn't changed a bit, I tried to keep it that way hoping you'd come home eventually." She said sitting on the bed next to her and handing over a putrid smelling drink. "Em said it would help the healing process cut down the time to a matter of days." Grimacing Aspen drank it in one and practically choked on it. "God that is awful. Thank you for keeping my room ready, I am sorry I ran, I just could not live with the memories and the looks Sarah gave me. I needed to escape, I thought about returning all the time but I have the Bishops stubbornness." Aspen laughed and Diana smiled. "I know and I was not exactly the best older sister but I want to change that, start from a clean slate. Help each other learn magic, after all you accessed the ability to get to the past so maybe you can help me, if I can do it?" Diana suggested holding out her hand. Aspen looked at the framed photo on the desk, one of Diana holder her a a baby, the bond that was created there was suppose to be unbreakable, and maybe it had fizzled out but it was worth trying to find again, having her sister back might help the anxiety that constantly bubbled below the surface. "Deal, though I do not know how I did it." She yawned. "We'll figure it out together, no get some rest, Em says sleep will help the potion work faster." Diana said getting up to leave, she was half way out the room before turning back and hugged Aspen tightly. "You are braver than I am with all you've been through, I'm lucky I have a sister like you." She whispered and left. Aspen smiled as she laid down trying to get comfortable. The potion felt hot in her stomach as it spread to the bruises, to the cuts and to the broken bones. She settled herself in for an uncomfortable sleep. The next morning Aspen after breakfast was sitting at the table with Diana and Sarah while Matthew flipped through the spell book. "Curing a fever. How to fix a leaky roof. This is child's play. Where are the spells for self-defence? For setting up a shield around a property?" He asked. Aspen got why he was worried but he could train Diana with a sword, she had unintentionally circled her magic around the blade which blocked spells and would help, but she was not going to suggest that yet. "That's just not possible. Those spells haven't worked in generations. Look...I know you're worried about Knox finding you. I'm worried about Diana's power. She needs to learn control. Now you may thins these spells are quaint, but that's what they teach." Sarah snapped, she still hadn't warmed to the vampires over night. Freyja and Em on the other hand were getting on like a house on fire. "With respect Sarah...""They teach control!" Sarah snapped at Matthew again, it was funny to Aspen that Matthew thought he had the superior knowledge on how to train a witch. "That witch came to kill her. Gerbert almost killed Liv. When they come back, they won't be just them. This is not enough by a tenth let alone by a half." Matthew said trying to scare her which was pointless because everyone was terrified. "I know you're trying to scare me, but I'm already scared. I saw my niece come home for the first in sixteen years in a wheelchair, Diana covered in bruises. I don't need to be scared even more I get the stakes. And I am doing the very best that I can." "You're right Sarah, we do need to learn control." Diana said cutting into the argument. "We'll go back to the basics. Start our magical training over again. And you can teach Diana how to defend herself, and when I am finished healing I can help with that Matthew, we can work on how to channel our magic into objects to use our magic against our enemies." Aspen said calmly, it was the logical option and one that would suit all parties. Diana nodded at her plan and reluctantly they agreed. "That means go and annoy Frey, Matt." She grinned as he stood up with a huff and left. "Right so, how to light a candle right?" Diana asked as Sarah stared at Aspen. "Yes, right, utter the spell while spinning your wrist, one will do Aspen, you just need an extra focus on the candle." she instructed and they began to chant. Nothing was happening and Aspen was beginning to get frustrated. "Sarah, can I have a break please." Aspen asked, Sarah didn't look please but nodded, she wheeling her way out of the kitchen into the living room to see the two vampires and Em gathered round a box. "What have you found?" She asked curiously. "A box from the 17th century that I helped Stephen pick out and that Matthew can't believe, even though you are a time-walker as well." Freyja grinned. "Wow! Stephen might have been a little bit more discreet with his souvenirs had he known a vampire was gonna came a-calling." Emily laughed as Aspen studied the box. "Did he go to the past often?" Matthew asked causing Freyja to laugh. "According to Phillippe they would meet up fairly frequently, a lot less after Diana was born and then to follow Liv when she would get stuck in Ancient Rome with our brothers." Freyja grinned as Aspen shook her head, she was grateful Fryja was close with the vampire and that she could tell the stories he had entrusted to her. "He would still take Rebecca somewhere special for her birthday." Emily added."It's easy to do?" Matthew asked and she shrugged, if she had an idea how to do it then she would have an answer but it always seemed to happen with her. "I don't know about 'easy'. I mean... You know jumping a few minutes forward and back, that's one thing, but going further back in the past, you know. He said he had to find three objects from the right time." Emily explained that piqued her curiosity, she didn't remember having any objects when she stumbled into the past just herself. Aspen sat and listened to Emily explain the little she knew about time-walking. It went into the afternoon and Aspen had rejoined the basic magic training. She had mastered lighting the candle but they were both growing stressed as Sarah pushed the harder, she had it seem so easy while they continued to fail. "Aspen, Diana, this one is easy. Trust me!" She exclaimed. "Easy for you, easy for Em, but not for us." Diana snapped pushing away from the desk and Aspen went over to her. "Look...We're all just too worked up. We just..." Sarah tried to say."Your magic works differently from our magic Sarah. You can't help us with this." Aspen snapped as she pushed herself up unsteadily. The cuts and bruises have healed leaving her with small scars across her body, one across her forehead and Baldwin's sigil on her back. The breaks still need two more days before she could remove the cast but she could apply a bit of pressure on it. "We'll take a break, I think." Sarah muttered standing abruptly. "Oh, come on! I am sorry." Diana said as Aspen used her shoulder to balance, Diana sighed in frustration and in a blip they were in the barn at the edge of the property. "What the?" Aspen grinned as she leant on Diana for support. "That dear sister is Time-walking, I just hope we managed to stay in he right time because I have no idea how to get back." Aspen said making Diana stare at her in shock, before cheering in triumph. "I can do it, we can figure it out together, that was awesome." Diana said as Matthew and Freyja ran into the barn, Matthew going straight to Diana while Aspen hopped over to Freyja. "What just happened?" Matthew asked looking at them. "I needed some air and then, bam, I was here." Diana said as Matthew looked over to her. "Do not look at me Matt, I did nothing." She shrugged. "Do you think you might have just time-walked? I mean it. You weren't there. You certainly weren't here otherwise we would have heard your heart beating." Matthew said as the sisters grinned at each other. "But time-walking? I mean, even if I could, I wouldn't know how I did it." Diana explained. "Well, you do realise that your father was a time-walker, don't you?" Matthew asked. "Yeah we do, the first time can be a little whacky, give her a minute Matt. We should get back to the house." Aspen grinned as Matt pulled Diana into a hug. "Let's give these two a minute. You ant a ride back or are you going to hop?" Freyja asked as Aspen hit her. "Ride it is." She said picking Aspen up and getting back to the house where Sarah was pacing and Em was trying to calm her down. "Are you and Diana okay? What happened?" Sarah asked as Aspen settled into the sofa. "Well I figured out how to access our magic, we need strong emotions after all it caused Diana to time-walk a few seconds into the future. We need to learn to access those emotions to perform magic." Aspen grinned. "good to know, when are we expected to have Matthew and Diana grace our presence?" Sarah asked and they turned to look at Freyja. "Self defence lesson so a few hours and I would suggest ear plugs tonight." she laughed as the three witches pulled a face, while the vampire laughed. "We have a coven meeting tonight would you like to come with us Aspen?" Em asked. Aspen froze, she hadn't attended a coven meeting since she turned thirteen but maybe being around other witches would help access her magic. "Freyja you are welcome to observe if you want." Em offered when she saw me hesitate. "I couldn't impose on that. I will go find some food, all you need to do is call if anything happen." Freyja said softly. "Okay. I'll go." Aspen said softly and saw Sarah's face light up. "Can I just watch today, I do not think I can participate today." Aspen said and Sarah nodded. Aspen was terrified she hated being round other witches especially the ones who knew her parents, for years they tried to pressure her into participating until Diana left for college two years early and she refused. She sat in the car as she watched the sun set when they entered the clearing she remembered vividly. "Sarah, Emily. I am so glad you could make it!" Vivian said cheerfully as Aspen got out the car with a spare set of crutches they had at the house. "And who is this?" She asked cheerfully as they walked towards the others in the coven, the coven had grown slightly since Aspen had been there by her estimation there was now around twenty, a quarter of them children. "It has been a long time Vivian, I hope my presence is not unwelcome." Aspen said as she sat on a tree stump not far from the bonfire. "By the Goddess, little Aspen, my you have grown my dear, of course you are welcome." Vivian said grabbing her hand, before moving next to the fire calling the meeting into session. "Welcome all, first of all I would like to welcome Aspen Bishop back." Aspen's hand went to the ring and began to fiddle with it as a murmur went round the circle. "I have been informed that Aspen along with Diana have finally accessed their full potential." Aspen shot a look at Sarah who in the light of the fire had the decency to look ashamed. "Along with that there are two vampires in the area who are charged with protecting them from the Congregation and Peter Knox." Shouts came from some of the older witches. "They will not harm anyone here and we will not do anything to compromise their safety, for the memory of Stephen and Rebecca." She instructed and the shouting happened again, but flames shot up from the bonfire and everyone quietened down in shock."Who has control over fire?" A child shouted. "Yeah it's so cool." Another shouted. Aspen ducked her head, she hadn't meant to cause the flames shooting upwards and creating a beacon. "Uhm, that would be me, I did not mean to do it. It is just Freyja and Matthew are my friends and I did not appreciate what was being shouted." Aspen said rather embarrassed by the outburst, there was no way she could sit on the sidelines now. Vivian came over and smiled. "It is perfectly okay Aspen, why don't I help you with some control tonight, nothing that involves a lot of exertion." She said as everyone went about their own things, going off in their elements. "Alright." She muttered as her phone rang. "Hang on, can I get this, it is my fiance." SHe said pulling out her phone and seeing Baldwin's name flash up on screen. "Of course. Come and find me when you are done. Congratulations by the way." Aspen gave her a tight smile before hobbling to a quieter part of the field. Before answering. "Hey Lu, is everything alright?" She asked. "Yeah, I just miss you and needed to hear your voice." He replied. "I could say the same, but I would rather see you in person. Matt and Diana practically kicked us out of the house." She laughed as she heard Baldwin groan. "Don't say another word. So what are you doing instead of camping out with my books." He asked. "You'll find they belong to the both of us. But I went to a coven meeting caused a fire tornado thing and the leader of the coven has offered to teach me control." "Eventful then." "Yeah and that was the first ten minutes, there is still three hours to go." Aspen groaned as Baldwin laughed. "You'll be fine. You learn quickly I am sure you will have it down in no time." "Thanks for the belief, lets hope I still have eyebrows when I finish." "Isn't there a spell for regrowing them." He laughed. "Probably but I can only take so much humiliation." "I know. Look I have to get going I just wanted to make sure that you are okay." "Alright. Call me soon, Marcus and Miriam are arriving in two days apparently with the DNA results Matthew and Miriam were running." "I will I love you Harp." "Love you too Lu." She said as the call disconnected, putting her phone in her back pocket she went back over to Vivian. "I am ready." She said as the older woman smiled at her. "Good let's begin." Vivian declared.