A Touch of Magic| J. Hale

Chapter One: Introduction

Chapter 1: Introduction

I want to tell you the story of my people. We have been around since the beginning of time, always whispered about, but never brought to light. We were gifted with the ability to harness the earth's energies and entrusted to protect it at all costs.

Witches is what most would call us, but we simply see ourselves as children of Mother Earth, ready to do whatever it takes to protect her. We have learned all of her secrets and they are passed down through the generations; from elders to those ready to carry on our traditions. We are friends to all except those who wish to defy the laws of nature and break the natural cycle of life and death. Our blood is the sweetest of nectars to those who have broken nature's laws, yet fatal to those who attempt to take without consent, which is generally the only way, for no child would ever consent since it's seen as the greatest betrayal.

The world believes magic, the supernatural, urban myths and legends are just figments of imagination, conjured up to make bedtime stories more exciting. Those who are smart understand that every bedtime story was partially based off of some reality. I for one know for a fact that magic exists. It's impossible to not understand this concept when you've grown up in a coven of witches.

Covens are ran in a very particular way. Where most of the world was consumed by the patriarchy, our kind has always been led mainly by the women. The Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. These were the three most important roles in our way of life. Representing each stage of the natural cycle of life, these women led the coven and represented they're respected age group, providing insight from where each one was in they're point in life. When the Crone grew to the age where she would step down, the younger two women would move up in their roles and a new Maiden would be inducted, chosen from the batch of women who were of age at that time.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Freya has spent her whole life being an active member of her coven. She's lived her whole life with the weight of having to be absolutely perfect at all times nearly crushingher. Freya's parents knew the moment her mother got pregnant that she had a chance to become the next Maiden in the coven, and they wanted nothing more than to make sure she was guaranteed that spot. If their estimations were correct, she would be of age when Lady Astrid, the current Crone, would step down and the selection would be made; so there was no room for mistakes.

Looking at her family, they seemed like upstanding members of the coven. Her mother and father were gifted in the craft of healing, her brother worked with keeping the coven hidden and protected, he was a master illusionist, and Freya have worked non stop every year of her life to be all around great at everything. Her parents and brother were beyond kind to everyone, and their family was extremely well liked. They were the first to visit people when they were sick, they helped the younger kids in their training, they never missed a single coven meeting or gathering, and every birthday of every coven member was noted on their calendar. They were in every sense of the phrase, a poster family, as the mundane would say, but things were very different behind the closed doors of their home.

Freya has always done what she was told. She learned the hard way that it is not wise to displease Leonora Knight. Leonora has always been the perfect mother when she is happy or in public, other than being a little detached, but should she find something that displeases her, then it was never a fun time to be caught in the aftermath. Dominic Knight loved his children dearly, but he did not have it in him to try and stop his soul partner's temper. Leonora was a force to be reckoned with and Dominic was not the one who wished to risk opposing her. So Freya always did what has been asked of her. She doesn't step a toe out of line because she knows the consequences for doing so would never be worth it.

Freya's years had been spent following a pretty strict routine. She would wake up bright and early, help prepare breakfast with Lady Marina, the current Maiden, along with some other girls her age in the coven dining hall. After breakfast she would help clean up and then head to the library for some independent studies. Every parent had the choice to allow their child to attend school with the mundane, though the majority chose to keep their children within the confines of the coven's land. The magic of their younger members was often unpredictable and it was a risk to allow them to walk among the oblivious should they accidentally slip and draw awareness to their coven's existence. In the afternoon she worked with the other kids around her age, all of them working on expanding their skills and finding their niche in what magic they performed best in. Following that training shye would assist the younger kids in their training and then she was back in the kitchen to help with dinner. Lady Katerina, the current Mother, would be in the kitchens then. Her own mother had planned out this schedule for Freya, deciding it was the best way for me to ensure she was one of the top picks when it came to who was chosen to be the next to step into a leadership position in their coven.

It was just after the winter solstice and Freya's fifteenth birthday that things started to change. There was a meeting that was called the day after her birthday. She could remember it so vividly.

"To start off, thank you all for gathering on such short notice," Lady Katerina started off after everyone had been called for a last minute mandatory meeting of all members. "We would like to apologize for interrupting your day so unexpectedly, but we couldn't wait to address what has come up recently." She continues, glancing at Lady. Astrid, waiting for our wise Crone to continue on with the news.

"We all know that we are not the only gifted creatures on this earth," Lady Astrid begins. The older woman may have appeared to be very frail looking, but her voice was strong and her composure stood firm showing no signs of weakness from her aging. "Many are blessed with gifts, but there are those also those selfish enough to take gifts that were not meant for them. A coven of vampires has moved into the area. They are not terribly close, but they are close enough to cause some alarm."

"Our records show that this particular group has been around before. They didn't stay long then, and did not show any signs of being as aggressive as what is usual for their kind, but that does not mean we should be any less cautious," Lady Marina states, taking over for Lady Astrid. "We need to be even more careful during their stay. Illusion magic can do wonders keeping the mundane and some other creatures away, but our scent calls out to their kind, so they can still find us should they try tracking us down. There is a potion that can be concocted to help mask our scents from them, and we strongly encourage everyone to use it as much as they can. To the children attending school outside of our territory, it is even more important for you to take the precautions to remain unnoticed by these evil creatures." It was clear Lady Marina was beyond serious with her statements. She feared for each and every member who left their grounds. "Make no mistake when it comes to theses creatures. Their beauty in unprecedented, but despite their mesmerizing exterior, they are more than capable of the most horrific acts any creature could commit. Killing the innocent is what they do best. Never forget that."

With that last statement, the assembly was dismissed. Instructions for the potion they had mentioned were passed out to everyone as they left to their homes. Freya's parents sent her to gather the proper ingredients from the gardens while they made arrangements to start sending her brother to Forks High School despite the danger. They figured it was the best way for my brother to be of use to the coven, as he would be able to "observe the enemy" there. Little did Freya know that this was just the start of a whole new chapter for her life.