magick & more

Long? What was considered long here? Sometimes it felt like eternity and sometimes it felt like a mere blink of time, but in the end he just shrugged. “Couple months. Before the eclipse. You?” Actually, come to think of it…it’d been more than half a year that he’d been in the forest. Closer to a year. Shit. He couldn’t name the last place he’d stayed in so long. And yet, in a very strange turn of events, the longer he stayed — the more he wanted to stay. The incessant buzzing that’d been in his blood for so long had calmed. And that was unsettling. Listening to her answer and wondering how he’d missed her before, he moved to kneel down by the lake’s waters and eye the plants he would have sworn knowing inside and out before here. All of them looked plain but even this far he could feel the faint magick pulsing through them.

Reaching out, he gently ran a finger over the spindly leaves and wondered who or what he could get to try it out for him.

There had to be someone that was a bit of adrenaline junkie.

Apologizing softly, he swiftly cut non-essential parts of a few varieties of plants, carefully labeling them and packing them away in a wooden box. Part of him wanted to get more of the underwater plants but it was cold. Magic or not, dunking oneself was not going to be pleasant. He’d just have to wait for spring to fully reveal itself. Having collected all he could in this particularly area, he looked back up at the stranger and offered a little smile. “Well, it was nice to meet you Micaela. You, uh, don’t know of anyone who might be a bit of a thrill-seeker do you?”

Micaela watched as he studied the plants, carefully selecting the ones he had decided to keep for himself. The way he handled the plants and the way he spoke of the Lake showed such respect and such reverence for the place, as well as a fair understanding of magick. He probably grew up surrounded by magick— or maybe somewhere completely devoid of magick. She shouldn’t make assumptions. Micaela turned back to the plants before them. She wondered— ah. Was that yarrow? Magickal yarrow could be so very interesting. Yarrow was already well known for its healing properties, and making magickal potions and tinctures with yarrow just increases the potency. Using magickal yarrow? Would it be just as good as normal antibiotics? Better? Magick was fascinating, and this Forest just opened completely new avenues of study, and the little girl inside her was cheering in excitement. However, now was not the time. 

“I’m sort of new here. Well— I stumbled across the Forest. I’m not quite sure how long ago.” No. She knew very well when she showed up here, but she needed to act a little lost, a little confused by how she got here. It needed to fit with the story that everybody else in the Coven knew. After all, it would be really awkward if she said something different here and it got back to the rest of the Coven. “And a thrill-seeker? I’ve been known to partake in the odd adventure every now and again. Why?” Micaela asked, a cheeky grin on her face.

Gabriel startled slightly at the unexpected touch, his gaze dropping to the point of contact for a moment before flicking back up to take in her worried expression, questions, and lack of pointed ears. It was still so bloody strange to find himself in a place where he was no longer shunned by Enchanters and found this one’s concern over an absolute stranger a bit hard to swallow. Why hadn’t others been so kind? Or would she have fed him to the bird if she knew who he was? “I’m alright. It’s more of a blow to the ego than anything to be mistaken for a large bird’s prey first thing in the morning.” Gabriel said dryly. Sure, he wasn’t the tallest man but there were a few he’d met who were shorter than him! He made an agreeable sound when she voiced how she didn’t expect them to be that large and yeah, no kidding, him either. Though apparently Gabriel-makes-a-good-snack was the running theme of his week.

Oh. She was part of the Coven. As usual, warring emotions flared up, a mixture of jealousy, fear, and longing, only this time, it was coupled with a surprisingly large amount of pressure. That was new. Gabriel felt like he should be on his best behavior and like, try to win any Coven members favor - because they were sort of like Anthony’s friends and family, weren’t they? Fuck, it was too early for this. He needed coffee. Though, just hearing her rattle off what she knew of the lake did make him stand a little taller and look over it with the same awe she’d held earlier but doubled. “It’s not just the waters.” Gabriel shared, allowing a bit of excitement to seep into his tone. “I met a mer down here who shared some kelp with me, which as you know, normally has no medicinal use - but this one does. I tested it twice. Apparently the plants here are just as magickal as the water they drink.” With some effort Gabriel shut himself up, nearly vibrating with how exciting it was to stumble upon something real and not just in a book, in fact — wasn’t in any book. But she was offering him the water ball and he was never one to pass up any kind of magick. “I’d love to.” Shifting his bag, he freed up a hand and let her transfer the ball to him, his palm instantly going warm and tingly with someone else’s magick tickling it but it made him smile as he watched the water and light merge and deflect. It was rather soothing to behold and he probably could have used a bit more time with it before holding it back out to her. “This is a very neat bit of magick…I’m sorry, I never introduced myself. I’m Gabriel and you are?”

A small part of her wanted to snicker at the blond’s glance at her hand. She guessed he wasn’t used to people touching him so readily— perhaps she had misstepped. Oh but no matter, it wasn’t like he was flinching from her touch or roughly shoving her away. She let out a laugh as the other man spoke, his dry words fitting perfectly with the expression on his face. And it was interesting, after all Micaela doubted birds of prey normally acted like that. But then again, this was not a normal Forest, and it’s not like she had had much experience with birds of that sort. Perhaps the magick of the Forest affects even the most mundane of beings? That in itself seems like an interesting idea, and the prospect of studying in this Forest, furthering her magick and hopefully improving by leaps and bounds was so close she could almost taste it. The Coven helped, and getting close to the Fae while also learning what she could about magick from them would be an interesting challenge. Although, taking unnecessary risks is not the smartest way to go. She’ll have to think on that.

The other man’s excited rambling on the properties of the water in the Lake captured her attention once more. There was merfolk here? In this Lake? Curiosity and wariness warred within her. And the plants in the waters were just as magickal as the waters itself? That was amazing. Truly amazing. The properties of any spells and potions done using plants of this Lake would be so much stronger, if the latent magick blended well with your own, she supposed. Sometimes magick was simply incompatible. But the magick of this Lake felt so pure, like water straight from the source. The magick within the plants might be diluted, but it would still be plenty powerful. 

Micaela handed the blond the ball, adjusting to the tingling feeling of the other’s magick interacting with her own. Ah— he felt like an Enchanter. But he was Solitary? That’s interesting. She had thought that the Bhatia sisters would have pushed hard for every Enchanter to join the Coven. Had he had a falling out with them? Or perhaps his loyalties lay elsewhere. At his introduction, a gentle smile lit up her face as she turned to look at him. “Thank you! Oh, and you needn’t apologize. I should have said something too— I was just a little overwhelmed by the Lake. My name’s Micaela. Have you been in the Forest long?”

“My greatest accomplishment? Being allowed to join the Bhatia Coven. I’d been turned away so many times, and I’m so glad that I finally have the resources and the right people around me so that I can learn more about this magick I have.”

Gabriel was more than slightly tempted to remain in the Forts until Spring finally showed herself, but he had a wanderer’s soul and couldn’t actually stay inside four walls for all that long. Especially since he’d found out that the lake had secrets and oddities to discover beyond its healing waters. Reluctantly, he pulled on layers, grabbed a few books and journals and trekked his way down to the lake, humming slightly to himself despite the disgruntlement the cold still brought. He so missed the long summers of Southern Europe. Or Summer in general, really. In hindsight, he maybe should have brought a friend as his footsteps came to an immediate halt at the unexpected flashing of something near the lakes borders cut through the brush.

Was it a mer? Gabriel’d hoped to go undetected or at best, ignored, but perhaps it was the mer who introduced him to the unusual behaving plants in the first place. Except, as he cautiously crept closer, magick was even more thickly in the air than he normally felt from the lakes waters and there was someone…playing with a ball of something. It was gorgeous. Not entirely light or water from what he could tell but breath-taking all the same. The person was unfamiliar, clearly magickal of some degree, but no one Gabriel could comfortably say had crossed his path before. And before he could make his mind up to either approach the stranger or retreat, a large bird swooping for prey had him stumbling out of the treelike and skidding to a halt just before the stranger. “Oi. Hello. Whatcha got there? It’s very pretty.” He tried to play off just how fast his heart was beating but maybe cursed a bit under his breath as the bird took off over the lake. “Sorry to disturb you.”

A man (tall, blond, muscular, fearful?) came stumbling out of the trees, quickly followed by a large bird that flew past her before soaring over the lake. Micaela watched the bird for a moment before quickly turning her attention back to the other man. He seemed panicked, scared? One hand reached out to gently touch the blond, to support, to balance. “Are you alright?” she asked, a worried smile on her face. “I’ve never seen a bird like that so up close before,” a hint of awe in her voice. It moved with such grace and strength. It was majestic. “For some reason, I didn’t expect them to be quite so big.” 

Shaking her head, she pulled her hand away, once more returning to playing with the ball. “Oh. You weren’t disturbing anything! I was just— It’s my first time coming to Lake Faileas.” Micaela turned to look at the Lake, gazing out at the water. “I’d heard all about how beautiful it is from the Coven, and how the waters have magickal properties, but I never really had the chance to see for myself.” She had come here to spend some time alone, but seeing as this person literally stumbled upon her, she may as well try to learn more about the people in this Forest. Micaela turned slightly, holding out the hand holding the ball. “Do you want to—? It’s just a ball of water, but it acts like a prism,” she said, offering the ball to the other man. “It’s one of the first things I tried when I started learning magick. Simple, but beautiful. Really nice to touch, and for some reason, very calming.” This was true. She remembered how happy she was when she had managed to get the ball just right, making sure that while it still looked smooth and globular, it retained the properties of a spherical prism. Now all this was like second nature. Like many things, all it took was a little practice.

Day 0: Her mama died. Her mother. It was meant to be her and— she’s gone. “Minha filha. You are fire and blood and beauty and pain. Make your place in this world.”

Day 4: The tears had long since dried on her face. She was tired, the sort of tired where you were just numb, no emotions coming forward for there was no energy to sustain the emotions. “Make your place in this world.” Her hand curled into a fist, warmth curling inside her fingers. Her place? 

Her fist felt like it was glowing.

She would learn more about the power that ran through her body, the warmth that flowed from her toes to her fingertips to her head. She would control it, master it, wield that power for herself. She just needed to plan.

Day 7: “Hello, is this the Torren Coven—” “Little lady, you have the wrong house.” The door slammed in her face.

Day 10: “Hello, is this the Driscoll Coven—” The door slammed in her face.  She turned around.

Day 51: Layla had been dating Brian for two and a half weeks. They were sickeningly sweet. She giggled at all the right times, his hand had a permanent resting spot against her waist. Layla and Brian go on weekly dates. Layla loved the stubble that Brian was beginning to grow out. Brian loved the way Layla’s blonde hair curled just so. 

Micaela just wanted to meet his family. Meet his Coven. The Ainsworth Coven. 

Day 70: They had sex. It was okay. Nothing great.  Maybe it was his sexual prowess? Maybe. 

Day 84: The dinner was perfect.

She was commanded asked to have a conversation with Rhea Ainsworth. Alone.

“You have magick. An enchantress. What do you want with my son?”

“I just wanted to learn. To understand!” Earnest. Open. Wide eyes.

“I am sorry Layla, but I must ask you to leave and never come back.”

Layla’s eyes filled with tears, a broken sob wrenching out of her body. A flicker of guilt flashed through Rhea Ainsworth’s eyes. Good, Micaela thought.

Micaela left and never looked back.

Day 107: Salem, despite how stereotypical it might seem, had libraries and book shops filled to the brim with magickal books. Micaela took great advantage of that. 

Sarah was on a road trip alone across the country, hitting up all the big, historical places. She loved history, especially women’s history. Salem was an obvious choice. Sarah didn’t always look people in the eye. Sarah apologized when she didn’t have enough money for the books, her hands fidgeting awkwardly behind her back. The old men and women cooed over her, giving her outrageous discounts and cookies and soft smiles and open offers to enter their homes. Micaela wondered if they knew who they were inviting inside.

Micaela bought a laptop in this town. Micaela took photos of everything, took extensive notes. She needed a back-up. She made sure that the laptop never used wifi. That could be traced.

Day 126: The motel said regretfully that she had been staying there for too long. Sarah apologized profusely. Oh lord! Where had the time gone? Time really does fly when you’re having fun! Sarah told the people in town that she was continuing on her journey. And where was her next stop? Stonewall. Stonewall in New York City. People said good luck and gave her food and drinks and money. Sarah smiled and thanked everybody graciously, tears coming to her eyes. 

Micaela was glad she wouldn’t have to pay for food for the next whole week.

Day 128: She killed someone. Well, it was an experiment. She just wanted to see if that spell from the green book actually worked.

It worked. But there was blood on her pants now. Fuck.

Day 128 (Later): Micaela entered the grocery store, looking at the various soaps. Which ones would scrub out blood most efficiently?

“You okay honey?”

Micaela swung around to stare wide-eyed at the older woman.

“You’d been staring at them soaps for a long time. Must be thinking real hard.”

She could use this. 

“I— I was just confused.” Micaela’s cheeks flushed red. “I— I got blood on my pants and I don’t know how to wash them?” she stuttered hesitantly. Her blush was steadily creeping downwards.

The older woman smiled kindly in commiseration before leaning up, picking up a bright orange bottle. “Tide. The perfect soap.” She pulled it down before leaning closer, her voice lowered as if she was sharing some deep, dark secret. “But, from my experience, seltzer water with lemon juice works just as well.”

Micaela smiled.

Day 134: Gen, short for Genevieve, hated her full name. Said it was too fluffy, reminded her of princesses and tutus and Paris and snobby accents. Pretentious and stuck-up. Gen was tough, her image completed by an old leather jacket, lips painted dark red, and a smirk that could make the devil himself stop dead in his tracks. A bombshell. Dangerous. A penchant for fist fights and motorcycle races, but always escaping unscathed, not a single speck of dirt. A girl who immediately caught the eyes of one Brandon Livingstone. 

Hook, line, and sinker.

Day 189: She was on the road again. 

Sex was still unappealing. 

Covens were still shutting her down.

Her magick swirled around her as she punched a tree, eyes widening as her magick solidified before making the tree explode into splinters. 

Micaela left. 

She hadn’t realized how angry she was. 

Day 261: Four more Covens. 

“You have no bloodline, no ancestral value.” “We don’t accept outsiders.” “You are not needed.” “Leave.”

Finally alone, Micaela screamed.

Birds took off into the air. Animals went scurrying to their burrows. 

Micaela was alone.

It wasn’t fair.

Eyes burned with righteous anger.

She didn’t need them. 

Day 321: Micaela stopped at the top of the hill, smiling gently at the view. It was beautiful. 

She turned around, looking at the large, empty space. Maybe she could just stay for a while, just watch the day pass, for once. 

“Make your place in this world.”

What would her mother think of her now? Would she be proud? Disappointed? Worried?

She hadn’t been focused on her surroundings, so when an old woman seemingly appeared out of thin air, Micaela couldn’t help but jump. A hand reached for the small knife she kept on her person, as no intelligent woman would ever traverse any sort of border without at least having one weapon to protect themselves with. 

“Paz, Micaela Vesna, filha de Juliana Vesna.”

“How do you know my name?”

A mysterious smile. “I have seen you coming for quite some time.”

An old house, complete with a crooked roof and vine wrought windows, materialized behind the old woman.

Micaela stepped forward, reminding herself to keep her body just a tiny bit slouched, make sure that her steps were that tiny bit more tentative than a normal person’s. She could never be sure who was watching. She leaned down, whispering a couple of words before gently pulling out of the water a perfect sphere, one that glinted in the sunlight like a prism. Something simple, yet so very beautiful. The simple pleasures were just as important as the bigger desires. She rolled the ball in her hands, watching the light dance around the area. Before long, the small moment of happiness was broken, although she kept the ball moving, wanting keep her hands occupied. Somebody or something was rustling from the leaves behind her, and when it grew too loud to ignore, she whirled around, surprise painted on her face. 

The door clicked shut behind the heavy-set man, fingers adorned with rings, the golden watch winking goodbye. It was only when she heard the footsteps walk away that she let out a small breath, inadvertently letting her posture sag. The book she had been holding (The Secret Garden. English homework.) slipped from her fingers as the girl rose, her bare feet padding quietly against the floor, navigating the flat with ease. 

“Mama?” she asked, her still small head peaking past the kitchen door.

Juliana Vesna stood at the sink, the metal tray next to her, a teaspoon gently digging into the concoction that had been laid to rest. 

Micaela’s eyes brightened.

“Minha filha, come here. Help me roll these!”

Micaela ran forward, her hands eagerly grabbing for the cooling chocolate. It had been a long couple of days, and it has been so long since she had had the chance to be alone with her mother. Her mama. And brigadeiros. Brigadeiros were the real treat. Juliana rolled her eyes with fondness as Micaela jumped up, making herself comfortable on the counter.

“He’s more stupid than the last one.”

Juliana snorted, the earlier poise melting away until it was just Micaela and her mama. 

“He’s also richer.”

They worked in silence, motions methodic as they each scooped up small portions, rolling them into tight balls before dipping them in the chocolate jimmies. Micaela was glad for the quiet. She feels like she had spent forever smiling and giggling and twirling, the perfect, angelic, daughter. It was tiring. But it was necessary. Play the part. Be the part. Advance. And be better than you were a day before. 

“Do you have to have sex with them Mama?”

Her mother stopped before gently putting down her unfinished chocolate ball. Micaela was scared that she had gone too far. But she wanted— no. She needed to know. She needed to know. She needed to understand. At school, sex is either with someone you love, or with nobody at all. Nothing, or everything. It’s so binary. 

Juliana took her clean hand and cupped her daughter’s cheek. Micaela was already so beautiful, so inquisitive, so intelligent. And Juliana never lied to her daughter. Never, if she could help it.

“I don’t have to. But I choose to.” She leaned in closer, making sure that all of Micaela’s focus was on her. “It is always your choice. If you don’t want to, then you don’t have to. Force the other to listen to you. And if they don’t want to, do not push them.” She released Micaela’s face, returning to the brigadeiros. “Sex should only ever happen when every party agrees to partake in the action. And every party can agree only if they understand what is happening. Consent. Remember that. Consent.”

Micaela nodded sagely. Consent. It was her choice. And, in her mother’s case, it was her mother’s choice? Her mama chooses to— Micaela looked up, a question about to fall from her lips.

Her mother is psychic.

Juliana was staring at her, a smirk on her lips. She looked like a predator. A flicker of pride burned within Micaela. “Sex ensures they stay.”

Micaela nodded again, understanding why her mother chooses to— Insurance. Incentive. She went back to her rolling, brows furrowed in concentration. A silence had fallen over the two of them, and it was less easy, less comfortable than it was before. She didn’t know how to— ah! 

“Mama?”

Juliana looked up, eyebrow raised. Quick as a flash, Micaela took her chocolate ball and smushed it into her mother’s face, letting out a genuine laugh at the shock on her face. 

“Demônio!” Juliana cried. She grabbed for Micaela as Micaela scrambled to get away, stumbling as she raced into the living room. Peals of laughter filled the air as mother chased daughter around the flat, half-made brigadeiros left forgotten on the kitchen counter.