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“Can I play with you?” I held the doll in my arms tight to my chest as I pushed open the door to my sister’s room, the heavy wood sticking on the thick carpet.
She was sitting on her bed with her two friends next to her, and I worried that she would say no.
She’d been away for so long, and now she was back, but I was afraid that she would leave again.
“We’re watching movies,” Freya told me.
“Okay,” I said before making my way over, climbing onto the bed next to her.
“I refuse to watch any Cbeebies shows,” her blue friend, Mel, warned. “They give me nightmares.”
Freya grinned. “Even Balamory?”
“Especially Balamory.”
Freya rolled her eyes. “We’re fine as long as we don’t watch a fifteen or anything. Star Trek is all-ages friendly.”
They moved the pizza boxes to the end of the bed before all sitting at the top. Freya put a movie on, and then grabbed me around the middle and put me in her lap.
I snuggled into her. I’d missed the familiar feel of her magic.
Mummy and Daddy didn’t feel like that.
Didn’t feel like me.
“I’m sorry,” Mel said quietly to Freya once the movie had started.
“Sorry? About what?”
She shrugged. “You just got back, and we were supposed to be helping you this morning. Then we got caught up in all of my Mermaid bull...”
I turned to her with wide eyes. I’d never realised before. “Oh! That’s why you’re blue!”
Mel blinked, clearly startled. “Yep, that’s why I have blue hair. Don’t tell.”
“And your scales!”
Mel turned to Freya, alarm in her eyes.
“Amy, didn’t Auntie Jess tell you about not talking about magic?”
“But your friend started it!”
Freya turned to Mel, who was giving her a confused frown. Freya’s other friend, Sarah, was still watching the film, having missed the entire exchange.
“Ryan’s mother and sister are both Witches,” Freya told Mel. “It looks like Amy takes after them.”
“But her parents are Human.” She sounded almost... scared.
Why?
Freya’s arm tightened around me. “I’m keeping an eye on things. And she hasn’t broken through yet, so it’s fine. Children say strange things all the time, her parents won’t realise what’s really going on. And she can hang out with your coven once she’s old enough to break through.”
“Freya, all Witches-”
“I know. Just... Let me handle things for now, okay?”
Mel sighed. “Okay. I won’t tell anyone.”
#
I AWOKE WITH A GROAN, every muscle aching.
I tried to sit up, but it was too much effort.
I barely managed to open my eyes, realising that I was on my auntie’s sofa, while she sat on a chair next to me, her wand in hand as it glowed a soft golden colour.
I looked down to see that I was also glowing, and as I focused on it, I realised that it was easing my pain and giving me energy.
I wasn’t sure how I knew that, but I did.
It had a feel to it, like a whole new sense that I hadn’t been aware of before.
“What happened?”
Auntie Jess smiled at me as she lowered her wand. The spell didn’t break, but the glow lessened so that I could see her more clearly. “You finally broke through.”
“How long have I been asleep?”
Auntie Jess cringed. “About twelve hours. I sent Willow home soon after you passed out. She was worried about you, but I assured her that you would be fine. You just needed rest.”
“If I still feel like this after twelve hours, how much more rest am I going to need?”
“The rest of the week, at least. But that’s fine. You can stay here with me until Monday.”
I nodded, relaxing a little. Though that didn’t last long as my dream came back to me.
Along with years of memories that had been suppressed for over a decade.
I turned to my auntie. “I had a sister, right? Freya. And... Well, she looked a hell of a lot like the portrait of Queen Freya in my Political Histories of Magic book.”
Auntie Jess sighed. “So, your memories are back.”
“Yes. I saw Queen Freya’s portrait in the book this morning, and my nose started bleeding. Mr Stiles then brought her up again this morning, and I... I knew things about her. I remembered, we used to play games together. She would take the controller when it got too hard for me, but only when I asked. And she always let me make the choices.” I looked down at my hands, balling them into fists as I remembered the sparks. “That’s when my magic came through.”
Auntie Jess leaned forward. “I didn’t think you would be exposed to things so fast. I thought keeping you out of magical lessons would allow the block to wear down in its own time. But I suppose that was a foolish thought. What were you doing reading a magical history book?”
“I was sick of being behind everyone else.”
“I’m sorry, Amy. I should have seen this coming. But the block’s gone now, and I suppose there’s no harm in telling you the truth.”
I waited for her to continue, and she took a moment before doing so.
“You know that your parents struggled to get pregnant, right? Well, a few years before you were born, they decided to foster a child. Freya. They had no idea that she had magic, that she was an Angel, but your father is what we call Sensitive. A Human with enough magical blood that they don’t shy away from it like other Humans do. I think it was Freya’s first real home.
“Then you were born, and your parents decided to officially adopt Freya. You used to follow her around everywhere.”
“And then what?”
“Well, then things started to get complicated. She tried to stay out of magical politics, she really did, but she came into her full powers under difficult circumstances. Up until that point, there were just rumours that an Angel existed. But then everyone knew, and until she chose a side, she was a threat to both. She went into hiding, but that only lasted a year before she returned home, and things went back to normal. At least, for a while.
“She never knew who her father was, just that he was a Demon. But one Demon Lord figured it out. And he knew that as long as there was no heir to the throne, he could take over from the dying Demon King. But if said Demon King’s long-lost daughter showed up...”
I frowned as my mind went back to the whispers I’d overheard early one morning when staying at Auntie Jess’ house.
Whispers I had heard before Freya had come into the room, covered in bruises and scars.
And then she’d said that she was just stopping by.
She’d asked to take my hand.
The look in her eyes... I should have known that she was saying goodbye.
And then I had forgotten her.
Until now.
“That Demon Lord. He attacked our parents, didn’t he?”
Auntie Jess nodded. “You were, thankfully, staying with me that night, and Freya was out on a date. But she came home to find that a group of powerful Demons had broken through her protections on the house and had taken your parents hostage.
“She scared the Demons off, but they almost killed her, and they now knew her weakness. They’d already broken through her strongest protections, so she had to do something more drastic. She had to rely on the fact that magical beings all believe that once you leave your Human family behind, you forget them.”
“She erased our memories of her and left.”
“Well, she erased your parents’ memories. And it didn’t stick with your dad. But she suppressed your memories, instead, knowing that it would be safe for you to remember once you came into your powers.”
“But she didn’t just suppress my memories. She suppressed my magic as well.”
Auntie Jess nodded. “She did. Though, I don’t think that was intentional. She’d been worried for a while about what would happen when you came into your magic. As I’ve told you, you never would have been able to stay at home. Not without Freya there to help you. She wanted you to have as much time at home as possible, so I think she accidentally suppressed everything.”
I frowned. “So, what? Now that I’ve come into my magic, her enemies are attacking me again? Is that why those Demons cursed Mum?”
“No. She defeated the Demon Lord after her.”
“But she never came back home?”
Auntie Jess shrugged. “By that point, she was Queen of the Underworld. She’d found her father – the old King – and he’d died. There was no going back for her.”
“So then why did those Demons attack?”
“The remnants of the Demon Lord’s forces have been wandering aimlessly for years. We think that when Maria Brown escaped, she gave them a leader and a purpose.”
“Attacking Freya? Why would an ancient Witch care about her?”
“She doesn’t. This isn’t about Freya, Amy. It’s about you.”
“Why? What is so special about me?”
“You’re strong. Stronger than you should be for someone with so much Human blood. And the most likely explanation for that is something to do with Freya, but we’re not sure what. All we know is that Maria Brown always had a fascination with the unusual magic of Angels.”
“And I might be a by-product of that magic?” I phrased it like a question, but it wasn’t really.
No, I could feel my auntie’s magic now, and it was familiar to me, but not like Freya’s had been.
There was some connection there that went beyond blood.
“Possibly. But you don’t need to worry about that, Amy. You’re safe here. Just don’t mention your connection to Freya to anyone. Trust me, you don’t want to get embroiled in magical politics if you can avoid it.”
“Is that why you didn’t take me to the Underworld when Caroline suggested it? I mean, I assume if Freya knew I was in danger, she would protect me.”
“She would, but people would expect a sister of hers to be a Dark Witch. You’re too young to make that choice, Amy.”
I nodded, remembering what Mr Stiles had said about choosing Light or Dark magic.
And then I remembered what had happened in the corridor.
Black sparks danced over my skin as I tried to sit up. “Mr Stiles... He tried to help me when I broke through, and I...”
“I know. Don’t worry, Amy, he’s fine. A little bruised, but fine.” She looked over the sparks and I followed her gaze, frowning.
“I don’t know how to stop them.”
She sighed. “Normally when Witches break through, they don’t get access to all of their powers at once. Even if they’re powerful, it’s not this explosive. But I suppose the block means that you’re going to get all of yours immediately.”
“So, I won’t be able to control them?”
She gave me a reassuring smile. “I didn’t say that. You might just have to learn fast. For now, you need a wand. It will help you focus. If you’re feeling up to it, I’ll call Gail over. She should have some spares lying around.”
I nodded, just wanting the sparks to stop.
Auntie Jess took her wand and stopped the healing spell she’d been casting on me. The room suddenly felt cold without it.
Thankfully, Auntie Jess reached over to the other chair, and retrieved a familiar cuddly toy.
“Mr Fluffy?” I asked as she passed him over. I held him tight to my chest and felt the now familiar magic of my sister within.
I held him tighter.
Auntie Jess smiled. “I brought him along, just in case.” She then nodded to a mug on the table with the same runes as the ones from the main school.
I conjured myself a coffee as Auntie Jess went to wave her wand, though she hesitated before she did.
“Amy, before I call Gail here, I just wanted to ask... When you broke through, Willow had to lower her suppression magic to get your attention...”
My stomach twisted at the memory. “Yeah, I remember. What was that?”
“Elves value beauty greatly, and so have woven it into the very fabric of their species. The effect on other species can be... intense. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”
“I’m fine.” I knew that it wasn’t a convincing lie.
“Are you sure? You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“I’m sure.” Again, the lie wasn’t my best, but thankfully, Auntie Jess just looked me over before nodding, not pressing me further.
She flicked her wand, causing a spark of pink light to appear.
I put Mr Fluffy down, hiding him in the cushions, and a moment later, Gail walked out of thin air and into the room.
She turned to me with a smile. “So, Amelia, I hear you’ve finally broken through.”
I nodded, huddling around my coffee.
Gail looked me over and then sighed, folding her arms. “Well, admittedly, I thought it would take longer than this to break through the block. And that it wouldn’t be so explosive. Tell me, Amelia, is there anything you can think of that might have helped?”
Auntie Jess answered for me. “We’re not sure what it could have been, Gail. Perhaps being around magic had more of an effect than we thought?”
Gail sighed once more, clearly not happy with that answer, but she nodded. “Well, it’s not as if I know enough about the block to suggest an alternative, so I suppose that we’ll just have to be content with that explanation. In any case, with the block now gone, we have more pressing concerns. The block was apparently hiding quite a bit, Amelia, including just how powerful you are. But it is now evident that your introduction to your powers will be far from gentle.”
Auntie Jess stood up to face Gail properly. “We know. Which is why I called you. She’s going to need a wand, and I figured that, as I don’t have a family one to hand, you could give her a basic one for now.”
Gail frowned. “Or you could just ask me for your old wand back.”
Jess stared at her for a moment, her cheeks turning pink. “I... I didn’t think you’d kept it.”
Gail raised an eyebrow. “What? You thought I’d thrown it away? No, Jessica, it’s been collecting dust in the bottom of a drawer. I’ve not been clinging to it – we both knew that it was a promise you were never going to follow through on – but I haven’t gotten rid of it. I’ve just been waiting for you to ask for it back. In all honesty, I had wondered why you didn’t ask when Nightingale broke through, but I suppose it makes sense if you thought I’d gotten rid of it.”
Jess seemed lost for words, but thankfully Gail turned to me and a wand appeared in her hand. She walked over and passed it to me.
“This was your grandmother’s wand. You will build your own in time, but this will help to focus your magic for now.”
I nodded and took the wand in my hands. The second my fingers closed around the wood, I felt relief wash over me.
Before, my magic had been rattling around inside me, aimless and restless.
Now, it was focused.
I could feel it.
Direct it, if I wanted to.
And I wanted to. I wanted to finally feel the magic within me, under my control.
But Gail placed her hand over the top of the wand, directing it down to my lap. “Maybe don’t try anything just yet. You’ve got magical exhaustion, and you don’t want to make it worse. But your timetable has now been adjusted. I’ve put you in beginner magical classes in the afternoons.”
I smiled, a little annoyed at having to wait, but glad that the wait was no longer indeterminable. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. Learning magic is why you’re here, after all. And then there is the question of your room. I’m assuming you’ll stay here while you’re exhausted, but when you’re ready to return to the dormitories, you will be moved to the building for those who already have their magic. I have noticed that you’ve been spending a lot of time with Natalie. She doesn’t have a roommate at the moment. Would you object to sharing a room with her?”
I shook my head. “No, not as long as she’s fine with it.”
“I’ve already spoken to her, and she’s happy to have you. But for now, I’ll let you rest.”