he began the witch trials. England was unaffected for a short while but it was only a matter of time. He became King of England some time later and so the witch trials spread like wild fire.
“ We were trying to remain under the radar but the Chattox family, our friends, or so we thought, turned us in to the law. We could not defend ourselves, to show magic was disastrous for our kind. You must know that people with our abilities cannot show themselves. There are rules against commoners knowing about what witches can do-”
“What are commoners? Sorry, but you mentioned it before and I don’t know what it is.”
“It is fine, I’m sure you have lots of questions. It is a name we give to people that are not witches. We didn’t like using the terms humans because we are also human. As I was saying, people in this very village were baying for the blood of a witch, any punishment would do but they favoured hanging and burning at the stake. Cora, I can understand that this is difficult for you to comprehend but you must come to terms with it, you are a witch.”
“Huh.” It was the response she could muster.
“You’re a witch.”
“Please stop saying it.”
“It wouldn't change anything,” Tabitha said trying to contain a smile.
It couldn't be true. If any of this was true then she'd just been told that her mother wasn't actually her mother, that her birth mother had been murdered because she was a witch. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
But, that creeping doubt still played a deadly tune along her spine. What if it was real? What if she was a witch? This did explain the wind and the laughter. The pain that had now gone.
The deadly tune stopped, her lungs stalled as the truth came boxing at her ears.
Chapter 8
THE TRUTH WILL OUT
Shaking her head in denial, she looked at Tabitha.
“I know what you’re doing. You are playing with my insecurities, you somehow know that I never felt like I belonged in this life but this is because my mother pushed me from home to home.”
“Yes, we had to move you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I believe you, I was moved around because I'm a witch.”
“I believe I'm responsible for this and I deeply apologise. You don't know me... but you should. I have visited you every year for... let’s say a lot of years. I clean out your memory which makes it easier for Laura to keep up with the act of being your sister, aunt, or mother.”
Whilst her head was falling apart she found that her mouth was asking another question. “What do you mean by clear out my memories?”
“We had to keep your true identity from you, you would see yourself everyday and question it.”
Question what? The only thing she was questioning at the moment was the right time to ring the home to take Tabitha away. “This might sound like a stupid question but this whole conversation is absurd, seriously have you sought medical help?”
Tabitha laughed. “I can see why I'd appear insane to you. I can assure you, I'm perfectly normal. Well, as normal as a witch can be.”
If what Tabitha was telling her was true, she didn’t want to go there just yet. She'd spent all those years moving around because of her.
“Why is it happening now?”
“Jack,” Tabitha replied bluntly.
Startled, she dropped her cup on the table and watched the chocolate contents fly in all directions. She abruptly stood and dragged her coat off her shoulders to wipe up the spill.
“What are you doing? Here you'll ruin your coat, step aside.”
She stumbled aside as Tabitha spread her hands over the table. Heat instantly fired up around her, she could feel it dance happily alongside her power. The chocolate evaporated. The heat vanished. Cora’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“My gift is not unusual, please don’t look so terrified,” she chuckled. “I have the gift of fire, it is quite
“ We were trying to remain under the radar but the Chattox family, our friends, or so we thought, turned us in to the law. We could not defend ourselves, to show magic was disastrous for our kind. You must know that people with our abilities cannot show themselves. There are rules against commoners knowing about what witches can do-”
“What are commoners? Sorry, but you mentioned it before and I don’t know what it is.”
“It is fine, I’m sure you have lots of questions. It is a name we give to people that are not witches. We didn’t like using the terms humans because we are also human. As I was saying, people in this very village were baying for the blood of a witch, any punishment would do but they favoured hanging and burning at the stake. Cora, I can understand that this is difficult for you to comprehend but you must come to terms with it, you are a witch.”
“Huh.” It was the response she could muster.
“You’re a witch.”
“Please stop saying it.”
“It wouldn't change anything,” Tabitha said trying to contain a smile.
It couldn't be true. If any of this was true then she'd just been told that her mother wasn't actually her mother, that her birth mother had been murdered because she was a witch. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
But, that creeping doubt still played a deadly tune along her spine. What if it was real? What if she was a witch? This did explain the wind and the laughter. The pain that had now gone.
The deadly tune stopped, her lungs stalled as the truth came boxing at her ears.
Chapter 8
THE TRUTH WILL OUT
Shaking her head in denial, she looked at Tabitha.
“I know what you’re doing. You are playing with my insecurities, you somehow know that I never felt like I belonged in this life but this is because my mother pushed me from home to home.”
“Yes, we had to move you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I believe you, I was moved around because I'm a witch.”
“I believe I'm responsible for this and I deeply apologise. You don't know me... but you should. I have visited you every year for... let’s say a lot of years. I clean out your memory which makes it easier for Laura to keep up with the act of being your sister, aunt, or mother.”
Whilst her head was falling apart she found that her mouth was asking another question. “What do you mean by clear out my memories?”
“We had to keep your true identity from you, you would see yourself everyday and question it.”
Question what? The only thing she was questioning at the moment was the right time to ring the home to take Tabitha away. “This might sound like a stupid question but this whole conversation is absurd, seriously have you sought medical help?”
Tabitha laughed. “I can see why I'd appear insane to you. I can assure you, I'm perfectly normal. Well, as normal as a witch can be.”
If what Tabitha was telling her was true, she didn’t want to go there just yet. She'd spent all those years moving around because of her.
“Why is it happening now?”
“Jack,” Tabitha replied bluntly.
Startled, she dropped her cup on the table and watched the chocolate contents fly in all directions. She abruptly stood and dragged her coat off her shoulders to wipe up the spill.
“What are you doing? Here you'll ruin your coat, step aside.”
She stumbled aside as Tabitha spread her hands over the table. Heat instantly fired up around her, she could feel it dance happily alongside her power. The chocolate evaporated. The heat vanished. Cora’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“My gift is not unusual, please don’t look so terrified,” she chuckled. “I have the gift of fire, it is quite
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