Chapter One
I’m not really sure just how long I slept. Time meant nothing to me as I floated mindlessly somewhere between now and later. But, something must have disturbed me, forcing me to stir from my relaxed cocoon. Although I really had no desire to move from where I rested, I found myself stretching and letting out a loud yawn. Pulling my blanket closely around my body, I covered my eyes with the satin binding, hoping to block out the light that shone down from an unmasked moon. My bed of sand felt soft, molding itself around my body as I released a sigh of pure contentment.
Anxious to return to sleep, my peace was unexpectedly shattered by the sound of dozens of sea birds flying overhead. They called out to each other in high pitched screams that fractured the stillness. Crinkling my nose in frustration, I closed my eyes and tried to snuggle back down into my blanket, not really caring about the bothersome birds or why they were even there.
“So, you’re finally awake,” Isadora said, from where she had positioned herself on an old driftwood log. “I was beginning to think that the sun would be up before you finally came to. You are one of the most spell-sensitive witches ever. If I’d have known that you were so susceptible, I would have cut my magic in half. Now, get up girl. It’s midnight; I can’t wait around here all night. We have so much to talk about.”
Memories instantly flooded back. I had been sitting in my living room, talking to my unexpected guest when my room suddenly became frigid. The last thing I remember was wrapping myself in my blanket as Miss Cassandra curled up next to me and Isadora settled herself onto my couch.
“Why are you staring at me like that, Olivia?” Isadora asked impatiently.
I stubbornly continued to lay encased in my covers, refusing to engage the woman I recognized as my great-great-grandmother, Isadora. Bothered by the situation I found myself in, and fearing that my unwanted night flying might have had something to do with my unexpected travel, I took a moment to consider the old woman seated before me. I could feel unchecked magic dripping from her very being. Although small in stature, intelligence, power and raw energy all radiated from the tiny, somewhat abrasive witch. And yet, as harsh as she appeared to be, her behavior only served to mask a small slice of kindness that I knew hid deep within her heart. I’d seen it reflected in her eyes before and I unexpectedly found myself drawn to her.
Isadora’s face was an interesting collage of features. Her eyes reflected the same steely determination and stubbornness as her daughter, my Great-aunt Olivia, but Isadora’s other features were softer, more enchanting, like those of Great-aunt Rue. There was a natural lawless beauty to her, so similar to that of Great-aunt Lavandar, that it caught me by surprise. I was stunned to find myself questioning just how old Isadora really was. Although no longer a young woman, her velvety skin was totally void of any telltale wrinkle or dark spot expected in someone older and there was definitely a youthful spunkiness to her spirit.
Sitting up, suddenly aware of the chilled ocean breezes, I draped the blanket over my legs. “It’s just kind of strange, Isadora.”
“What is strange?”
“When I look at you, I can see each of your daughters reflected in your face. You almost look more like their sister than their mother.”
“One of the many gifts of magic,” was all she said, without a trace of pride, as she absently dusted grains of sand from her skirt. I thought that Isadora would have liked being told that she looked younger than her age. I guess I assumed wrong. Now fully awake and determined to figure out why I was sitting on the beach in the middle of the night, I stood, stretched and leveled my eyes on my great-great grandmother.
“Why are we here? Why did you take me away from my home? And why did you need to put me to sleep in order to get my attention? I presume that it was you who did all that,” I said, in a more asking than telling tone. “I’m hoping that this adventure has nothing to do with my night flying problems.”
“So many questions for someone who is supposed to be such a talented witch. Settle down Olivia, I simply needed to speak with you without your boyfriend bothering us or one of your noisy neighbors popping in. Unfortunately, your magic and mine somehow got momentarily entangled and I had to place a sleep spell on you to unravel it all so that we could talk. I guess I got a little distracted by those two spirits who haunt your house and I made my spell a bit too strong. Sorry about that,” she said, without looking one bit sorry.
“Unfortunately for you Olivia, that couple proved to be more than a little troublesome. I was afraid that they were going to wake you up with all of their protesting.”
Marv and Meagan are the two ghosts who live in my home. Well, actually, it used to be their home - until they both died and moved to the spirit world. Since their return, we all live together in the house. A witch and two spirits living in complete harmony, who’d have guessed it could work out so well? They make it their purpose in death to watch over me and I love them for it.
“Marv and Meghan have been very good to me,” I replied defensively.
“Yes, yes,” Isadora said, waving her hands as if to bat my objections away without further ado.
“Alright Isadora, I’m tired and grumpy, but you have set my witchy curiosity afire. What is it you need to enlighten me about? Does it have anything to do with my erratic night flying? I thought I’d finally gotten that under control. I have to tell you that I wasn’t too happy with what your daughters shared with me the last time we spoke. It’s still hard for me to believe that my own untamed powers are responsible for making me fly randomly around town at night.”
When Isadora made no attempt to respond, I continued, “I never asked to be crowned a super witch with mega powers. In fact, I’d just as soon return these darn powers to you right now. It’s really placed a strain on my relationship with my sisters, Harmony and Constance. I just hope that their unhappiness has died down a little. And you know, as well as I do, that I really can’t have magical powers popping out of me willy nilly. Tell me what to do and I’ll transfer the powers right over to you or to my sisters if you prefer.”
Isadora sat in continued silence, with her head bowed and her hands folded in her lap, looking rather monkish, as if she was spiritually contemplating her next words.
“It’s not quite as uncomplicated as that, child. You can’t simply return magical powers like a bra that doesn’t fit. There’s much more to it than that. There is a good deal more that I need to explain and you need to understand. Much is going to be expected of you, just as it was of your mother before she left us. And you need to be prepared to step up – sooner rather than later.”
“What do you mean, Isadora? What is expected of me that was expected of my mother?”
I was irritated with my great-great grandmother for transporting me away from my home and already tired of all of the mystical/magical mumbo jumbo. Isadora can be such a cranky, impatient witch that I’m finding it hard to believe that we were actually from the same blood line.
“As I’ve already explained to you, the New Moon Beach Witches Council and I have been observing you for some time, Olivia. Yes, it’s true,” she said, with a strange all-knowing look on her face. “You have great powers within you, but you are apparently too naïve or too mystically illiterate to know how to use them correctly.”
“Ouch! That wasn’t very nice Isadora,” I said, deciding that it was probably time for me to walk away from this whole moon lit mess. Even though I had secretly always longed for a grandmother, I’d had more than enough of this old lady and all that she offered. Great-great grandmother or not, we were done.
“Don’t be so thin skinned Olivia. I meant no offense. But time is short and you really do need to grow up and accept your mystical responsibilities.”
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful Isadora, but ever since I met you and your daughters, my world has been turned upside down. I don’t think that I want anything to do with these powers you offer,” I said, stepping away from her. “I had a really great life before all of this started and I need to get back to it. Please, just let me be a regular witch, with regular magical powers. Maybe then, we can have some kind of future together.”
A crack of lightening burst over my head and I heard Isadora say, “You vex me child with your stubbornness. Apparently you are not yet ready to earn your place in our coven.”
And with that, Isadora was gone and I was left sitting alone on the beach, well past midnight. I was tired and bummed out and wished more than anything that right then and there I could just fly my sorry self home.
“All you have to do is to accept your destiny and you will be able to fly anywhere you want, any time you want,” I heard Isadora’s words whispered in my ear. “Turn away from us and you will lose it all and that would be sad indeed. We will talk again, Olivia. Search your heart; this is your future that I am talking about.”
What the heck did that mean, I wondered as I slowly walked up the ramp to begin my trip home. This super-strength-witchcraft was becoming too much for me to handle and I wanted out. But lose it all? Did that mean if I didn’t accept her terms, I would be left powerless, no longer be a witch? I couldn’t let that happen. That would be a fate worse than death.
“Stop your pacing, Jasmine. It does you no good. You are mine and soon your daughter and all of her magical powers will be mine too! Then you will have the company you so desire. Both you and your daughter will be here together… forever,” Cyrus said, with a sneer on his face. “After all this time, all these years, I don’t understand why you continue to fight me. Your life is here; you are mine and mine alone. So sit back and watch the world as it passes you by,” he said with a smirk. “I have given you permission to view the outside world through my crystal ball because of my love and devotion to you. Don’t you see that, Jasmine? Don’t you feel how much I care for you?” he said, his hands massaging Jasmine’s shoulders.
“No Cyrus, all I see before me is an ugly, old wizard. You torture me with a taste of my old world and say it is love. You don’t know the meaning of that word,” she said, pulling free of his long, thin-fingered claws.
“Very well, Jasmine, but know this; you will never, ever return to that world again. So look as much as you want to, for that is all you will ever be able to do. Remember, my love, you are mine for eternity.”
I’m not really sure just how long I slept. Time meant nothing to me as I floated mindlessly somewhere between now and later. But, something must have disturbed me, forcing me to stir from my relaxed cocoon. Although I really had no desire to move from where I rested, I found myself stretching and letting out a loud yawn. Pulling my blanket closely around my body, I covered my eyes with the satin binding, hoping to block out the light that shone down from an unmasked moon. My bed of sand felt soft, molding itself around my body as I released a sigh of pure contentment.
Anxious to return to sleep, my peace was unexpectedly shattered by the sound of dozens of sea birds flying overhead. They called out to each other in high pitched screams that fractured the stillness. Crinkling my nose in frustration, I closed my eyes and tried to snuggle back down into my blanket, not really caring about the bothersome birds or why they were even there.
“So, you’re finally awake,” Isadora said, from where she had positioned herself on an old driftwood log. “I was beginning to think that the sun would be up before you finally came to. You are one of the most spell-sensitive witches ever. If I’d have known that you were so susceptible, I would have cut my magic in half. Now, get up girl. It’s midnight; I can’t wait around here all night. We have so much to talk about.”
Memories instantly flooded back. I had been sitting in my living room, talking to my unexpected guest when my room suddenly became frigid. The last thing I remember was wrapping myself in my blanket as Miss Cassandra curled up next to me and Isadora settled herself onto my couch.
“Why are you staring at me like that, Olivia?” Isadora asked impatiently.
I stubbornly continued to lay encased in my covers, refusing to engage the woman I recognized as my great-great-grandmother, Isadora. Bothered by the situation I found myself in, and fearing that my unwanted night flying might have had something to do with my unexpected travel, I took a moment to consider the old woman seated before me. I could feel unchecked magic dripping from her very being. Although small in stature, intelligence, power and raw energy all radiated from the tiny, somewhat abrasive witch. And yet, as harsh as she appeared to be, her behavior only served to mask a small slice of kindness that I knew hid deep within her heart. I’d seen it reflected in her eyes before and I unexpectedly found myself drawn to her.
Isadora’s face was an interesting collage of features. Her eyes reflected the same steely determination and stubbornness as her daughter, my Great-aunt Olivia, but Isadora’s other features were softer, more enchanting, like those of Great-aunt Rue. There was a natural lawless beauty to her, so similar to that of Great-aunt Lavandar, that it caught me by surprise. I was stunned to find myself questioning just how old Isadora really was. Although no longer a young woman, her velvety skin was totally void of any telltale wrinkle or dark spot expected in someone older and there was definitely a youthful spunkiness to her spirit.
Sitting up, suddenly aware of the chilled ocean breezes, I draped the blanket over my legs. “It’s just kind of strange, Isadora.”
“What is strange?”
“When I look at you, I can see each of your daughters reflected in your face. You almost look more like their sister than their mother.”
“One of the many gifts of magic,” was all she said, without a trace of pride, as she absently dusted grains of sand from her skirt. I thought that Isadora would have liked being told that she looked younger than her age. I guess I assumed wrong. Now fully awake and determined to figure out why I was sitting on the beach in the middle of the night, I stood, stretched and leveled my eyes on my great-great grandmother.
“Why are we here? Why did you take me away from my home? And why did you need to put me to sleep in order to get my attention? I presume that it was you who did all that,” I said, in a more asking than telling tone. “I’m hoping that this adventure has nothing to do with my night flying problems.”
“So many questions for someone who is supposed to be such a talented witch. Settle down Olivia, I simply needed to speak with you without your boyfriend bothering us or one of your noisy neighbors popping in. Unfortunately, your magic and mine somehow got momentarily entangled and I had to place a sleep spell on you to unravel it all so that we could talk. I guess I got a little distracted by those two spirits who haunt your house and I made my spell a bit too strong. Sorry about that,” she said, without looking one bit sorry.
“Unfortunately for you Olivia, that couple proved to be more than a little troublesome. I was afraid that they were going to wake you up with all of their protesting.”
Marv and Meagan are the two ghosts who live in my home. Well, actually, it used to be their home - until they both died and moved to the spirit world. Since their return, we all live together in the house. A witch and two spirits living in complete harmony, who’d have guessed it could work out so well? They make it their purpose in death to watch over me and I love them for it.
“Marv and Meghan have been very good to me,” I replied defensively.
“Yes, yes,” Isadora said, waving her hands as if to bat my objections away without further ado.
“Alright Isadora, I’m tired and grumpy, but you have set my witchy curiosity afire. What is it you need to enlighten me about? Does it have anything to do with my erratic night flying? I thought I’d finally gotten that under control. I have to tell you that I wasn’t too happy with what your daughters shared with me the last time we spoke. It’s still hard for me to believe that my own untamed powers are responsible for making me fly randomly around town at night.”
When Isadora made no attempt to respond, I continued, “I never asked to be crowned a super witch with mega powers. In fact, I’d just as soon return these darn powers to you right now. It’s really placed a strain on my relationship with my sisters, Harmony and Constance. I just hope that their unhappiness has died down a little. And you know, as well as I do, that I really can’t have magical powers popping out of me willy nilly. Tell me what to do and I’ll transfer the powers right over to you or to my sisters if you prefer.”
Isadora sat in continued silence, with her head bowed and her hands folded in her lap, looking rather monkish, as if she was spiritually contemplating her next words.
“It’s not quite as uncomplicated as that, child. You can’t simply return magical powers like a bra that doesn’t fit. There’s much more to it than that. There is a good deal more that I need to explain and you need to understand. Much is going to be expected of you, just as it was of your mother before she left us. And you need to be prepared to step up – sooner rather than later.”
“What do you mean, Isadora? What is expected of me that was expected of my mother?”
I was irritated with my great-great grandmother for transporting me away from my home and already tired of all of the mystical/magical mumbo jumbo. Isadora can be such a cranky, impatient witch that I’m finding it hard to believe that we were actually from the same blood line.
“As I’ve already explained to you, the New Moon Beach Witches Council and I have been observing you for some time, Olivia. Yes, it’s true,” she said, with a strange all-knowing look on her face. “You have great powers within you, but you are apparently too naïve or too mystically illiterate to know how to use them correctly.”
“Ouch! That wasn’t very nice Isadora,” I said, deciding that it was probably time for me to walk away from this whole moon lit mess. Even though I had secretly always longed for a grandmother, I’d had more than enough of this old lady and all that she offered. Great-great grandmother or not, we were done.
“Don’t be so thin skinned Olivia. I meant no offense. But time is short and you really do need to grow up and accept your mystical responsibilities.”
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful Isadora, but ever since I met you and your daughters, my world has been turned upside down. I don’t think that I want anything to do with these powers you offer,” I said, stepping away from her. “I had a really great life before all of this started and I need to get back to it. Please, just let me be a regular witch, with regular magical powers. Maybe then, we can have some kind of future together.”
A crack of lightening burst over my head and I heard Isadora say, “You vex me child with your stubbornness. Apparently you are not yet ready to earn your place in our coven.”
And with that, Isadora was gone and I was left sitting alone on the beach, well past midnight. I was tired and bummed out and wished more than anything that right then and there I could just fly my sorry self home.
“All you have to do is to accept your destiny and you will be able to fly anywhere you want, any time you want,” I heard Isadora’s words whispered in my ear. “Turn away from us and you will lose it all and that would be sad indeed. We will talk again, Olivia. Search your heart; this is your future that I am talking about.”
What the heck did that mean, I wondered as I slowly walked up the ramp to begin my trip home. This super-strength-witchcraft was becoming too much for me to handle and I wanted out. But lose it all? Did that mean if I didn’t accept her terms, I would be left powerless, no longer be a witch? I couldn’t let that happen. That would be a fate worse than death.
“Stop your pacing, Jasmine. It does you no good. You are mine and soon your daughter and all of her magical powers will be mine too! Then you will have the company you so desire. Both you and your daughter will be here together… forever,” Cyrus said, with a sneer on his face. “After all this time, all these years, I don’t understand why you continue to fight me. Your life is here; you are mine and mine alone. So sit back and watch the world as it passes you by,” he said with a smirk. “I have given you permission to view the outside world through my crystal ball because of my love and devotion to you. Don’t you see that, Jasmine? Don’t you feel how much I care for you?” he said, his hands massaging Jasmine’s shoulders.
“No Cyrus, all I see before me is an ugly, old wizard. You torture me with a taste of my old world and say it is love. You don’t know the meaning of that word,” she said, pulling free of his long, thin-fingered claws.
“Very well, Jasmine, but know this; you will never, ever return to that world again. So look as much as you want to, for that is all you will ever be able to do. Remember, my love, you are mine for eternity.”