Spellbound [COMPLETED]

Chapter 9 Welcome to my World

Ben offered his arm to Annabel and said, "Shall we?"

She linked arms with him and they headed for the door. But she stopped him midway to the door.

"Woah, woah, wait. Hold up," she turned to him, "If you can't hear my thoughts, how were you able to respond?"

"I can read your expressions. And when you started talking to me, you opened your mind. It's a thing with telepaths; if you allow me to hear your thoughts, I can communicate with you."

"So what are you? And most importantly, what am I?"

"Me, I can explain. You, I'm not so sure. I'm a caster, or witch to mortals. And before you say anything, witch is both a stereotypical name and a unisex term; I'm just using it so you can understand better."

He paused, checking for people in the street.

"Look," he continued, "We can't talk here, we have to get inside. I promise you, everything will be explained then. And the others can help. But you'll have to prove to them that your not mortal."

"How? I can't even keep track of which power is happening when. I've barely controlled telepathy, and I didn't even know that was a thing. All my life, I thought I was just a freak, when in reality, I'm a part of some unknown magical world that I didn't even know about and-"

"Shhhh," he cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. She tensed, relaxed, and kissed him back in a matter of a few seconds.

"You're freaked out," he said to her, "I get that. That's a part of our lives that we never forget. But you have to know that you may not be like me; you could be something much more powerful."

"Which is?"

"I'll explain, but we have to get inside now."

She paused and they stood there for a minute, one that carried an eternity of tension.

"Okay, I'll go in," she finally said.

"Good."

They linked arms once again and entered The Brew.

• • •

Arrianne, Peter, and Cam were crowded near the bar that was in the middle of the place.

There were booths against the walls and small tables and chairs scattered around the restaurant. The entire restaurant had a bright color scheme and a T.G.I. Friday's sort of vibe. But this was going to be for casters and their families (i.e. casters who haven't gained their powers, but are aware of this world).

The real party would begin behind the double doors in the back that Peter, Cam and Arrianne will lead the guests to. The double doors led to whatever room the council members wanted.

Same goes for anyone they gave access to. Tonight, it would open to the nightclub portion of The Brew. That room was huge; strobe lights, a DJ station, VIP areas, an enormous dance floor, a stage for any guest performances, more dining tables upstairs and, of course, a bar.

*There were other rooms though. The council's secret library could be found behind the double doors as well. And if any of the councils or casters they've permitted wanted to find an escape, they could make the double doors lead to wherever they wanted to go. For example, Peter has a Ranch house in Texas, so if he wanted to, he could open the doors and he'd enter his living room there.
However, if you weren't given permission by one of the councils, all you see behind the doors is a vast, empty, white room. It's almost impossible for anyone else to get to the secret rooms and to use this passage way; the council has made a complicated spell that was the equivalent to the enigma machine.
Each person had a specific spell that would give them access. The spells were never said aloud, but instead, thought of in a constant mantra as they opened the doors. These spells were changed every single month and each spell is made anew (i.e. these aren't spells that you'll find in old scribes from 300 B.C.).
However, despite this complicated enigma, which in reality is just a complicated password that's updated every month, The Brew, as well as this secret passage way is still new. And keep in mind, the council (Arrianne, Cam, and Peter) thought Powerhouses were extinct when they created it.*