Coven Of Catastrophe: Book 3 in the Lorna Maximoff Series

Welcome (back) to Westview

It had been nearly two years since I'd left westview , but the second I stepped into to those streets the past came flooding back.
I purposely made my portal at the edge of town so no one would see me walking through. I figured the citizens of Westview might be a little sensitive to magic considering everything. My walk into town was only about 15 minutes but the further I got the less at home I felt. By the time I reached town square I was fully aware of the whispers and harsh looks people gave me. Some people looked scared, others angry, but their eyes never left me. Most of the people I recognized, and clearly they recognized me too. Slowly I noticed a few of them circling me, some of them I remebered well, like Dottie. She was the first to approach me, she looked pissed.
"Hey Dottie." I said meekly.
"That isn't my name." She said harshly, "It's Sarah. Of course you'd know that if your mother hadn't hexed us all."
I gulped, this was going to be harder than I'd thought.
"Look, I'm so sorry for everything you had to go through but...that wasn't me. It was my mom, okay and I'm not condoning it but I really think that if you just try to-"
"Stop." She said firmly, "Whatever you're doing here, you need to leave. This is our home, and you're not welcome here."
The other townspeople nodded in agreement.
"Dot-Sarah please," I said, "Westview was my home too, and I promise I mean no harm."
"If you really meant no harm then you wouldn't be here, so I suggest you leave and never come back."
I was taking aback by her words, I'd expected people to be sensitive about what had happened, but not this hostile. I looked around, almost everyone in vicinity was circling me. All except one person. A boy with curly brown hair who looked to be around my age. He stared at me, but not with hatred like the others, with fascination.
I made eye contact with him for a second, and just for that moment I could've sworn I sensed something...familiar. I brushed it off and returned my attention to Sarah.
"I can't leave," I told her, "not until I've spoken with Agatha Harkness, who by the way is just as bad as my mom."
"Well she's not the one who held us hostage in our own minds!" Sarah hissed. I felt bad, truly but I wasn't going to let her or anyone else stop me.
"You don't belong here," she said, "if you don't leave for our sakes leave for your own."
"I will leave," I said finally, "once I've found Agatha we both will, I know you might not be scared of her but if your going to believe anything I say it's that you should be. She's dangerous."
"So are you." Sarah said and the others nodded in agreement. I stiffened, she wasn't wrong, and her words brought back recents memories I'd tried to suppress.

A few months previously I'd been training with the sorcerers at Kamar Taj. I'd all but mastered sorcery by that point, so Wong had me sparring with the best. They'd taught us that a combination of martial arts and a strong mind were essential for practicing sorcery. I used everything I'd learned in fighting my appointment. She was older, maybe around 30 and one of the best, America had told me that the others said she was impossible to beat. I should have held back, even on that account.
Her move was simple but complex, I blocked it but not before she got a hit at me with a sizzling rope of orange energy. I didn't think, on pure instinct I turned and with what could only be described as a mix of sorcery and my own unique brand of bright gold magic shot at her. She went flying before I could register what I'd done.
I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the way everyone looked at me. Wong and the others rushed to see if she was alright. Thankfully she'd only sustained minor injuries, but we were all aware how much worse it could have been. I can't forget the way she inched back when I approached, and how Wong turned to me with genuine concern in his eyes.
"What was that?" Her asked urgently, "how did you do that?!"
I stumbled to answer, "I...I don't know I'm so sorry. I can heal you-"
"No!" The woman yelled. I flinched like she'd struck me, even America looked at me differently, but it was more with pity than fear.
Wong helped the woman away to the infirmary, and slowly the others dispersed, but I could sense how wary they were of me. After that day no one wanted to spar with me, and they seemed to all regard me with an air of caution. Like I was a bomb waiting to go off. Or a monster.

I returned my attention to Sarah and the small, mob like group surrounding me. "I'm not going to hurt you." I said, but it came out like a plea.
"Please leave me be." I said finally, and shoved through the crowd. I realized I didn't have the faintest clue as to where I'd find Agatha's, but I figured her old (well Agnes's) house would be a good place to start. Walking down the same familiar streets was a nauseating mix of the past and every dream I'd had since leaving. A pile of dread formed in my second the closer I got, not just because I'd have to face Agatha. But because I'd have to see it again. The empty lot that could've...that was never really my home but was everything all at once. My home however temporary had left a pit inside of me, only deepened by the loss of my family. Agatha would likely dig into that pit with a sledgehammer. I'm sure she'd be furious with me, I just hoped I'd be able to get a few words in before she would try to kill me.
The longer I walked the more I became aware of a presence near by. Someone...or something had been following me. I wondered momentarily if it might be Sarah, or another one of the angry townspeople who wanted me gone. I hoped it wasn't, not because I was afraid of them, but because I was worried I might hurt whoever was stupid enough to be following me. Lately whenever id been frightened or panicked I'd lost control. Once Wong frightened me in the library and I'd caused nearly all the book shelves to fall over. That was yet another reason I needed Agatha's help. Despite my innate fear of her I was more afraid that I might one day hurt someone due to my lack of control. It wasn't all of the time of course. When I was emotionally stable and wanted to do something the power came almost to easily. It was the moments my abilities would slip out of my grasp that scared me the most.

My breath caught it my throat when Agatha's home came into view. Was I really ready to face her? I didn't have long to think about it before the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Someone was definitely watching me.
I summoned golden power to my palms, "I know you're there." I said, trying my best to sound severe. "Come out now!"
Energy shifted from behind me. And someone walked out from the shadows.