Ghost... Witch?

Kidnap or Rescue?

Chapter 2

Sang POV (3 years old)

Its 11:30 PM and long past my bedtime but I get to stay up today because it's my birthday. I'm up in my and Jaz's room. Jaz disappeared into the kitchen when mother told her to clean it up before going to bed. She hasn't come out yet.

"Happy Birthday, Princess!", Jaz calls, coming up the stairs with a cake in her hands. I clap softly, too excited not to but not being able to help it. I have to be quiet. Di said that this was a secret and we couldn't wake anybody up.

She brings up a cake that I know she made herself. We don't have the money to buy cakes from outside. It doesn't matter though. Di makes the best cakes. She says she'll teach me when I'm older.

"Why's there four candles on the cake?", I ask. Sure enough, there's three candles grouped together and one as far away from them as the cake would allow.

"Ah!", she says, "Well, the three candles here", she continues pointing out the groupings on the cake, "mark the three years that you complete today while this fourth candle marks the year of your life that you're about to embark upon. Now when you blow out the candles you have to be careful. You can't blow out the fourth one because you haven't finished that year yet.".

I giggle. Jaz smiles and claps and sings Happy Birthday and I blow out my candles and cut the cake and feed her a piece and then she feeds me a piece and dabs some icing on my face and picks me up in my arms and gently bumps my bottom against the floor four time for 'birthday bombs'.

We eat and eat until we finish the cake and then Di takes away the plate and the knife and the candles and tells me to hop in the bath.

Later when I'm dry and dressed in my pyjamas Di tells me that I'm too old for the crib so we shall share her bed. She gives me the mug of warm sweetened milk she makes for me every night and put me to bed, stroking my hair until I fall asleep.

Jaz POV

I stare at this little angel in my bed and I sigh, hating what I need to do and do soon. I have shields around the house and the kindergarten but it's not enough. Attacks have been increasing and some come from human-like beings. You know – necromancers, evil witches & wizards, rogue demigods, ... stuff my magical barriers can't stop.

I'm strong but I'm not omnipotent and certainly not omnipresent. I have no choice. I have to teach this little angel how to fight.

I just wish the decision hadn't been made out of desperate need.

Next morning

Sang and I are taking a walk in the woods behind my house when I broach the subject of her training. I had initially planned to do this yesterday but I couldn't bring myself to ruin my little Princess's birthday.

"Sang", I say softly, "remember what happened seven months ago.". Sang looks up at me, the happy spark in her eyes quenching instantly at my words. Fuck, I fucking HATE having to do this. "I remember, you explained it to me. I killed that man.", she replies softly, her voice pained at the end as she hangs her head, turning her gaze to the ground.

I kneel down to her level and turn her to face me. Holding her chin so she looks me in the eye I say, "Sangrida Sarah Sorenson,", using her full name to make sure that she knows that I'm being serious, "don't you ever blame yourself for that. What you did was self-defense. That man was carrying you away from your home without your permission. He was kidnapping you and you were completely within your rights to do everything you could to get away. What I'm concerned about is ensuring that you are able to repeat that feat should there be another kidnap attempt.".