The Witching Hour

Chapter 4 - Reality

"Well, speak." Ivy shot Ella a nasty glare. While the vines that had been inching toward Ella had stopped, the vines on the walls didn't.

"Ivy..." The hesitation in Marina's voice cut through the tension. She could sense Ivy's emotions and what they did to the plants.

Ivy could feel the calmness the witch tried to push out to the room, and she did her best to reject it. However, Marina's skills were too much for her. The anger Ivy held quickly dissipated and the calm took over. She retreated to the other side of the counter and leaned against the shelving units, finding solace in her plants.

"For someone that did her best to push magic away, you seem to be embracing it whole-heartedly now." A grimace pulled at Ella's lips, bitterness echoing in the words.

"This is not the time for this petty bullshi.t." Aura stepped into the middle of the room and looked between two witches. Ella rolled her eyes but let Aura proceed.

"Three dreams in a week are more than we have ever encountered." Aura brushed back her hair and started to pace back and forth. "This is not some coincidence. Cassie is still out there."

"She has to be," Ella cut in. "Unlike some of us, I never stopped looking. Some other creatures have started disappearing as well, and I think they might be linked."

The thinly veiled insult did not get past Ivy. She planned to call Ella out on it, but the second sentence is what caught her ear.

"More of us are disappearing?" Her eyebrows furrowed

"Not just witches." Ella stepped forward, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "There have been a couple vampires–"

"Those vampires easily could have gone rogue," Aura pointed out. "While I can't exactly report on creature news, I still have my sources in the community."

"There's been at least one fairy," Marina squeaked. "They like to come into the Tulip, and I've heard some rumblings."

Ivy stayed silent with her arms crossed over her chest. She didn't doubt anything they said. She just had no say on the topic, as she wasn't as tapped into the community as they were.

In truth, Ivy did her best to separate herself from the supernaturals at Cassandra's disappearance. However, in a town like Malachi Peak, you couldn't simply cut yourself off from the community, especially if you belonged to it willingly or not.

Cassandra Laurent was the saving grace for each of these young witches. They actually formed a Pentacle, one that had been prophesied over a century ago. Cassie found and united them. Somehow, she made them see past each other's faults and come together. The best mediator of the group, Cassie kept the peace while still maintaining order.

As for Ivy, Cassie found her at the University of Portland, Ivy's alma mater. Ivy was just sitting out in the courtyard with her notebook. She was in the middle of writing when Cassie approached her. They didn't even talk about magic on their first interaction. Despite not even knowing Ivy personally, Cassie knew better than to make Ivy question reality. Instead, she invited her to a party, already knowing the other would go.

Ivy debated about it but chose to go in the end. The theme was magic – no surprise there. As she stared back at her reflection, Ivy played with the necklace her mother had given her when she was young. The rule was to wear it at all times and never take it off. Gale Vale claimed it held good luck or some thing like that. Deciding it didn't go with her outfit's aesthetic, she slipped it over her head and stuffed it in a drawer.

Within moments, Ivy felt lighter. She felt freer as if she no longer had her mother's eyes on her. Unknowingly, she had slipped off what was blocking her magic. Gale had given her daughter the necklace to hinder and completely stop her from tapping into her gifts when she was a child. It was meant to kept her safe and out of harm's way, especially with trackers always on their tail.