Arabella

Six

Luca and Jarien give me permission to take a break, only because Alana came. When we go inside we see Alana taking a bunch of herbs out of her purse. "Are you making some food?" Jarien winks. "No. Arabella needs to know what herbs are toxic to her and what herbs can substitute the ones that are toxic for spells. Wolves and Vampires cant handle certain herbs that are required in important spells." Alana says, turning around to look at us. She smiles at me. "I'm excited to teach you things." She smiles. I smile back at her and nod.

Alana and I sit on the couch together while Jarien and Luca sit across from us. "Now we are going to teach you some spells" Luca tells me. "Spells?" I ask. "Yes. In order to be a witch, you need to know how to be a witch" Jairen laughs. I roll my eyes. Luca pulls out a spell book out of a backpack and he sets it on the coffee table in front of me. "We will start with an easy one." Luca smiles. "Wait, but wasn't Alana going to teach me how to make potions?" I ask. "Not exactly, she's going to teach you what herbs to avoid when making potions and how to tolerate the transition into turning into a werewolf, and everything to know about werewolves." Luca explains. "But we will be doing potions later." Alana adds.

"Let's start with a simple truth spell." Luca tells me. "Fuck, it isnt going to affect me is it?" Jarien whispers. "It will affect everyone but Arabella." Luca answers him. Jarien groans but stays silent. Luca shows me a page in the book. "Clear your mind of everything.  Don't let anything distract you, or the spell will not work. When your mind is clear, read the words off the page clearly and calmly." Luca explains. I nod and take deep breaths. I clear my mind of my troubles and start to read the words.

"To see the truth, to know the way, I cast a spell in every way. By the power of thee, I conjure thee to give thy truth onto me." I say sternly. I look at everyone and nothing seems different. "Did you clear your mi-" Luca starts to ask when Jarien interrupts him. "Guys, I must say something. Onetime I blackmailed a business man to become my sugar daddy when I was in high school. I needed the cash for a school fundraiser that I bet someone that I would get the most money for. I have never told anyone about it." Jarien blabs. Luca stares at him. "It worked." He mutters.

"I used to be a human. But I ended up dating a werewolf and he turned me into one when I was 16. I am now 25. He clawed and bit me the same night I found out he was a werewolf. I followed him out into the woods without him knowing and when he turned, he couldnt control himself. The venom from the bite and the poison from the claw marks seeped through my veins before I could get help. On the next full moon, I turned into a wolf." Alana admits ashamed. She looks angry at herself that that came out. I hug her and pat her back.

"Your birth parents are dead." Luca blurts out. I stare at him in disbelief and horror. He covers his mouth quickly. "What?" I hear myself say, in utter disbelief. "I went to save them three years after they were captured and I was too late. The entire three years I was waiting to save them, I was researching ways to safely get in and out of the government captivities.  I was asking people who escaped how they did so. I also had to research which facility they were taken to. When I had all the information I needed, it was too late and they were tortured to death a year before I arrived. I didn't want to tell you yet because I wanted you to focus on training and getting a hang of your new lifestyle instead of mourning them. It was wrong of me to do, but I felt like it was the right choice." Luca explains, staring deep into my eyes. Tears were developing in the both of our eyes. Alana hugs me and whispers that it'll be okay.

I ran up to the guest room and grabbed the note from the jewelry box and sat on the bed. I reread the note over and over again, tears are dripping onto the paper. The thought of never being able to meet her breaks my heart. She gave up everything for me and so did my father. They died when I was two years old.

Alana comes upstairs and takes a seat next to me. "Listen, I know it hurts. At least they aren't still rotting in captivity." She tells me, her voice so gentle and soothing. I nod at her and I lay my head in her lap. Her fingers run through my hair as she tries to comfort me. I grasp the family crest hanging from my neck. I hold on to it as tight as I can, I feel the symbols imprinting onto my hand and making me feel like I'm no longer alone.