Witch Clans

Part 3

So that was Katie's life. Regular, human school during the day, and juggling between human obligations and practising her magic. She didn't complain. She hated having nothing to do. But it did sometimes get tiring. She never seemed to have time to breathe. So it was more often than not that she went to bed late and fell asleep before she even hit the pillow. But she wouldn't have stopped learning magic for anything in the world. It was a part of her, like her heart, her lungs... sometimes, when she'd grow to exhausted and her parents would tell her not to use magic for a few days, she would sense it bubbling within her, itching to come out, but she had to keep it in. Because if a witch or warlock used too much magic, it could be dangerous. Her parents had always strictly forbidden her to do magic without them, or her grandmother. They had been stricter with her and even Hazel than they had at the time with Gideon, and that had caused him to fall ill when he was thirteen. It had taken several days of hospital for him to get better, and they had from that point on realised how dangerous it could be to overexert oneself with magic. So from the moment she could walk, Katie had been closely watched whenever she studied her magic, and was only allowed to study the theory on her own. But she didn't mind. She understood that magic obeyed firm rules, otherwise it could get out of control or be used for evil. And now, at seventeen, she could practice on her own, but only an hour a day. And that was already tiring enough. Lucy was always asking her to show her what she could do, and Katie sometimes really had to resist the temptation, but the rules were clear. No Unspelled could see magic. Even if it was in a desperate situation, it was not approved of. So they only used magic in the basement below the house, where no one could see or hear them (thanks to a little spell her father had placed on the walls).

"Okay, give me an arrow," Kendall instructed his daughter.

They were training each other. Every one of the adults had a specific position in their magical education. Isadora, the most knowledgeable on the history of their clan and all witches and warlocks, took charge in teaching Katie about her ancestors. Kendall, as I mentioned, was better at spell casting, and his mother at potions, so they shared the tasks accordingly.

Katie took a deep breath, then drew a vertical semi-circle of energy in front of her before drawing her arm back, like you would with a bow. Then, she stared at the wooden target hanging on the wall before her.

"Make sure your body is in a straight line," her father advised, touching her shoulders to adjust them into the correct position. "Perfect. Now, fire."

Without a word, her eyes burning with concentration, Katie aimed, and fired. The arrow shot through the air and struck the target. It didn't hit the centre, but at least it didn't hit the wall or the floor. Kendall looked at her approvingly.

"Not bad."

"I didn't hit the centre," she pointed out.

"Yes, but you are capable of hitting a target, and that can be enough. Magi-"

"Magic should never be used to kill if it can possibly be avoided," Katie repeated. "I know, Dad. You've only told me that a hundred times a day since I was four."

Heleana chuckled softly at that.

"All right, I think that's enough for one day," she said.

"Hey, can't I give it a shot?" Gideon asked, pretending to be outraged. "I never had this kind of training when I was Katie's age!"

"Times were different then," his father commented. "The same way Unspelled tension is spiking, the same holds true for our fellow witch clans. It is important that we are prepared to defend ourselves. I would be happy to teach you with your sister, Gideon."