Daughter of a witch

Chapter 7 - Home

I paced the carpet between my bed and wardrobe unable to stop the whirl of emotions swarming my body and feeding my magic. I could feel the crackle intensify again like it did on the roof. I clenched my hands into fists to stop it from escaping but I knew it wouldn't really help, I could feel the strands of my hair lifting with the power.
I opened the door to my own bathroom and turned on the shower letting the water heat and steam up the room before I attempted to get undressed.
Showers usually calmed me and made me feel more relaxed but I couldn't stop the thoughts flitting through my mind.
If my master didn't want me to know I was his daughter that was one thing but to tell Frank as well. I knew the two were good friends but who else knew more about me than I did.
I needed to speak to them and find out but first I needed to get this magic under control.
I stepped under the hot cascade of water letting it pummel into my neck and shoulders loosening the tight knots of muscle. I began to relax. I turned and let the water wash over my face. Washing away the last 24 hours of dirt, grime and blood. Such a lot had happened in such a short amount of time. I felt like a totally different person than I was this morning.
I needed to speak to my master and make sure he told no one else about me. I wasn't ashamed about being his daughter but I didn't want anyone to know my mother was a witch. I had no idea how the others would react to that kind of news but I knew it wouldn't be good.
I finished up in the shower feeling nearly whole again and dressed into some clean clothes before leaving my room and heading towards our masters study.
He had a suite of rooms on the ground floor with his study at the front and doors inside leading to his private living areas.
I jogged down the stairs and stood outside his study door before knocking on the polished wood.
There was no answer, I would have usually walked away and tried again another time but it was important so I slowly eased the door open.
The study was empty. I went in and closed the door behind me before walking to one of the doors behind his desk that lead to his living room. I knocked on the door firmly.
I heard muffled voices before the door swung open and Frank stepped to the side to allow me in with a tight smile.
"How's he doing Frank?" I asked stiffly.
"He will be fine, how are you?" He asked gently. I looked up surprised. Frank was always joking, laughing and smiling. I had never once heard him speak seriously. Had I acted that differently in the truck to worry Frank?
"I'll be fine Frank. I just really need to talk to ..." I turned as my master walked in. His hair was damp from just having a shower and his neck was bandaged. He looked better now that he was cleaned up, more like his usual self.
"Ah Trix, come in and sit down we need to talk." I moved further into the room as Frank left us. My master watched me closely as I sat onto the brown leather sofa and he took a seat in a matching armchair opposite.
"Who else knows about me, about where I came from?" I asked.
"Only Frank and your mothers sister Marcia." I shook my head in frustration, "She was not my mother." I hissed through my teeth. He leaned forward still watching me, resting his forearms on his knees.
"What do you mean 'was' not? Trix where is Mari now?" I tried to understand why he was looking at me the way he was. Had I not told him what had happened? I quickly went over everything in my head. No, we hadn't spoken about it. Should I tell him about the magic? He had no idea what I could do, would he throw me out if he knew I was more like her than I wanted to be? I decided to tell him part of the truth and see what happens.
"She's dead." I said plainly now watching his reaction. His eyes squinted slightly as he tried to detect a lie in my words before widening in surprise.
"But how? A witch is unable to kill their own." He stated as though fact.
"I'm no witch and she is not my own. I only did what I was trained to do." I growled with frustration flinging my hands in the air. My master got up and knelt in front of me, taking both of my hands in his.
"Trix its not that I'm blaming you." He took a deep breath and looked down at our hands, "The thing is we're the same, my mother was also a witch." He quickly looked up to gage my reaction but Mari had already told me. I released the breath I didn't realise I was holding letting my shoulders sag. "I know she told me." I admitted.
"Well I tried to kill my mother but each time I got close my body refused to obey me. It was something in my blood preventing me from hurting her. She was one of the cruellest witches I had ever encountered and I was powerless to do anything, I had to let her go."
I sat stunned at his confession. Should I tell him how I had killed her? I wondered if he had magic, if he did he had learnt how to control it well.
I was about to ask him if he had inherited anything from his mother when I heard the door to his study open, we both looked up. Lucy stood in the doorway her eyes wide as she started to back away.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt I was just here to check that you're ok but I can see Venatrix is taking care of you."
My master gave my hands a gentle squeeze before letting them go and standing.
"I am fine Lucy, as I have already told you. Now it has been a long day and I think we all need to get some rest."
I stood and made my way to the door he was right it had been a long day and I was exhausted.
"Trix?" he said from behind me and I saw the way Lucy scowled at me before relaxing her features to a neutral face.
"Yes." I answered without turning.
"See me tomorrow afternoon before we all meet in the hall. We still have much to discuss." I nodded my head before walking past Lucy and into the study. I was nearly to the door when Lucy caught up with me and grabbed my arm.
"What happened?" she demanded in a low voice. I shrugged out of her grip and continued walking. As if I was going to tell her.
She followed me out into the hall where I made my way upstairs towards my bedroom.
"I know somethings going on with you two. What happened did you get into trouble and he had to help you?" I ignored her.
"I will find out." She promised as she stopped following. I turned and met her dark eyes as she stood at the top of the stairs with her hands on her hips. Her black hair was neat and plaited over one shoulder almost reaching her hip, she still wore her hunting clothes and looked like the perfect witch hunter. But her cruel smile that twisted her lips stopped me from admiring her, I knew she would do anything to get what she wanted.
"There's nothing to find out." I shrugged opening my door and going into my room. I closed the door behind me and got ready for bed, pushing all thoughts and feelings aside before slipping beneath my sheets and falling instantly to sleep.
Tomorrow was another day I would get my rest now and deal with everything else tomorrow.