Careless Magic book 1

Chapter 18

"So last night was, um, normal for someone like me? I mean someone like us? I mean um.... an Immortal?" I got confused saying the word out loud. Principal Saint had basically just relayed the impossible to me. If what he said was true, then I was not human, or like he explained I was more than human, I was a Witch, or what he called an "Immortal." The enormity of what that meant began to sink in as my blood pumped charged and furiously throughout my body.

"Yes, well kind of. The extra energy or electricity as you call it you feel in your blood and unexplainable phenomena that you seem to be responsible for are parts of what it means to be an Immortal. When you move something just by thinking about it, or create something from nothing, these are all part of your..... powers. Each Immortal is different and unique. We usually classify ourselves into four different categories, but your powers manifested a little stronger than what should be normal for someone your age, someone who did not even know what she was capable of."

I was trying to take what Principal Saint said as truth, but it was difficult. Everything I held to be true about my life, about me, about the world in general was not true. I was something different; something I assumed only existed in comic books and action movies. My mind was having trouble wrapping itself around the enormity of Principal Saint's story; yet at the same time my inner being seemed to believe him without any hesitation. I had a thousand questions that needed to be answered.

"How many Immortals are there? What else can I do? Does this mean I'll never die? Does this mean I'll never age? Why are my powers so strong? Can I fly?" he cut me off with his hand and a small chuckle.

"No, you can't fly. Well, at least I don't think so," his eyes twinkled, he was relieved to have gotten passed my anger. His smile softened his face and I saw him in a different light now, almost paternal. "Let's see, there are thousands of us, living all over the world. There used to be more, maybe millions, we equaled the humans, but over time we have begun to die out," his expression was suddenly full of sadness. "And you can die, eventually, and you will age. 'Immortal' was a term given to us a long, long time ago," his smile had completely disappeared and he suddenly seemed older... ancient. "Thousands of years ago we did live forever, or at least it seemed as if we would live forever. We outnumbered the humans, although we lived in peace with them. No one knows exactly how we came to be, we were born into this world like everyone else, but we simply did not die. Our people would reach an age of maturity and we would age no longer; and we bore children that were like us, Immortals like ourselves. But eventually we began to die like humans, although our lifespan is considerably longer and we have been able to hang on to our special attributes," I took each word in, feeling as though my head would soon explode. "I'm sorry to go over this so quickly but we don't have much time."

"Oh," is all I said, my brain was on overload.

"We of course keep ourselves a secret from humans now that so few remain; they would have a hard time accepting us," he smiled at Aunt Syl, who didn't seem offended.

"But obviously Aunt Syl knew. So why didn't I?"

"Well, your parents were gone and I thought this would be the best way for you to.... live," Principal Saint folded his hands together and looked at me seriously. I realized that he didn't actually give me an answer, and I had a suspicion that he was hiding something from me, but there was so much information to take in that for the moment his answer was sufficient.

"So I am a Witch? Is everyone at Kingsley a Witch as well?"

"Yes and no, you are a Witch," he chuckled slightly, "But not everyone is a Witch. There are four distinct types of our kind. All four display very unique qualities and have been given different names; it is much like the different ethnic races in human kind. We are different, but of the same species. At first we did not have names for each other, but over time we have adapted names from the slang that has been associated with us; the names also help us distinguish between ourselves. Recently they have meant the difference between life and death," he smiled sadly again, "There are the Lamia, or Witches in today's terminology, the Mediums or Psychics, there are the Transmogrifiers or Shape-Shifters and then there are the Proeliators, they have been called anything from gods, to angels to super-heroes; usually we refer to them in English as Titans."