Chapter 3
Willow took another sip of tea before studying Cece. “What made you decide to start practicing witchcraft?”
Cece picked at her coffee lid. “I’d always had a mild interest in it, but my mom and my aunt were both strictly against anything magic related.
Like, I wasn’t allowed to watch anything on TV with witches or have any magic-type stuff in the house.
When I was in high school, I used to go to my friend’s house every Thursday night to watch that witch and warlock reality show that was super popular. ”
“The Witch House!” Willow said excitedly. “Oh my God, I loved that show. I was so sad when they cancelled it after the sixth season. Do you remember the night that Oshana did that fire spell on her twin Oksana and nearly burnt the house down?”
Cece nodded. “Yeah.”
Willow grimaced. “Sorry, I interrupted.”
“That’s okay,” Cece said. Against her better judgment, she was starting to like tiny, crazy Willow.
“Anyway,” Cece said. “Magic was forbidden in my house, but, as I said, I was only mildly interested in it, and I’m not much of a rebel or anything. I followed house rules growing up.”
She took another sip of coffee. “But then I met Elora, and she was just so… cool, you know? And she loved magic, and she made me realize that what my aunt believed about witchcraft wasn’t true.
Elora is a fire witch, but I’ve always been into plants and gardening, and just nature in general, so I was drawn to the practice of green witchcraft.
I took an apprentice witchcraft course at our local college and started practicing. ”
“And your aunt knew you were getting into witchcraft?” Willow asked.
“Yes, and she hated it. We fought more than once about it, but I was an adult, and she couldn’t dictate what I did,” Cece said.
Her stomach twisted into a knot at the memory of her final conversation with her aunt, and her voice was harsher than she intended when she said, “Can you just tell me what she wants me to know? I’m exhausted, and I want to go home.”
“Of course, I’m sorry,” Willow said sincerely, making Cece feel even more like an ogre.
She rubbed wearily at her forehead as Willow said, “Your mom and aunt were apprentice witches when they were younger. Your mom was a green witch, like you, and your aunt was a water witch. Witchcraft and magic were how your mom met your father.”
Cece blinked at her. “I… my father is dead. He died before I was born.”
“He did,” Willow said. “He died saving your mother’s life when she was pregnant with you.”
“No,” Cece said. “He died in a car accident. My mother said he died in a car accident.”
“He didn’t,” Willow said softly. “Your father was a blood witch. And not just any blood witch. He was the son of Adora and Werner Sylvan, one of the most powerful witch families on the West Coast. His father works for the Western Witches and Warlocks Council.”
“My father was a blood witch?” Cece stared at Willow. “That can’t be true.”
“It is, honey,” Willow said. “Your mother and father were in love, but his family disapproved because your mother was an apprentice witch. They didn’t want to muddy the bloodline.”
Willow made a face. “God, I hate people like that.”
Cece sat back in her chair. “I can’t… are you sure he was a blood witch?”
“Yes,” Willow said. “But he didn’t realize just how crazy his family was and never suspected that they would try to kill you and your mother.
But when they found out she was pregnant with you, they came to your parents’ house, and they,” Willow looked a little sick to her stomach, “they attacked your mother with magic on a night they believed your father wasn’t home.
They knew she wouldn’t be able to protect herself against their attack.
But what they didn’t know was that your father was home, and he saved your mother and you by taking the brunt of their murder spell.
It killed him, and your mom escaped, and she and your aunt went into hiding. ”
A high-pitched ringing started in Cece’s ears, and the world went still.
“Cece?” The ringing muffled Willow’s voice. “Honey, are you okay?”
No, she was definitely not okay. She was about to fucking faint or vomit, and there wasn’t enough air in the coffee shop, and -
“Little witch, take a deep breath.” Briggs’s deep voice spoke directly into her ear, pushing past the ringing with ease.
She stared at the big man who was crouched next to her chair, her mouth opening and closing, and her hands clutching at the table edge.
Briggs’s blue eyes held her gaze steadily, his voice full of calm confidence that demanded her obedience. “Breathe, Cecelia.”
She sucked in a gasping, wheezing breath, and he nodded approvingly. “Good. Another.”
She took another breath and then another, Briggs’s gaze not leaving hers until the ringing in her ears subsided and her grip on the table eased. Without speaking, he stood and returned to his table.
“I’m sorry,” Cece said to Willow.
“Don’t apologize,” Willow said, reaching to take her hand. “I know this is really hard.”
Cece nodded, staring at their clasped hands before she curled her hands around her coffee cup instead. “Finish what you need to say.”
“Your father’s family covered up his death. The morning after they tried to kill you and your mother, your father’s car was found in the East River with his body inside. They made it look like a car accident, like he’d fallen asleep at the wheel and driven off the bridge.”
“Oh my God,” Cece said.
“With your father dead, his family was even more determined to kill your mother. They blamed her for his death, even though they cast the killing spell. Your mom and your aunt used the car accident story to their advantage. They did a powerful amnesia spell on your father’s family, making them forget about your mom and you and making them believe that your father actually did die in a car accident.
Then they moved to the East Coast and started a new life. ”
“They cast an amnesia spell?” Cece said in disbelief. “A couple of apprentice witches performed a spell on one of the most powerful blood witch families. That’s impossible.”
Willow looked uneasy. “They, uh, they used a bit of dark magic.”
Cece’s eyes widened. “They did not.”
“Only a little,” Willow said hastily. “But the spell did take a lot out of them, especially your mother, since she did the brunt of the work for the spell. It’s why…”
“It’s why, what?” Cece asked.
“It’s why your mom got sick so easily, and why she tired faster than she should have. Why she…”
“Died so young,” Cece said dully.
“Yes,” Willow said.
A tear slid down Cece’s cheek, and she swiped it away as Willow gave her a sympathetic look. “Banning witchcraft, telling you that you weren’t allowed to do it was your aunt and your mother’s way of protecting you.”
“They should have told me the truth, instead of lying to me for my entire fucking life,” Cece said. She suddenly glanced around wildly. “Is my aunt still here?”
“No,” Willow said. “Spirits tend to fade in and out. I think it requires a lot of energy for them to communicate with me.”
“Right,” Cece said bitterly as she stood. “Okay, well, thanks for letting me know that my family has lied to me and that I’m a blood witch. I appreciate it, but I need to go now.”
“Cece, wait,” Willow said quickly. “There’s more.”
She sighed and sat down. “What?”
“When your aunt died, the spell was broken, and your father’s family would have remembered who your mother was and that she was pregnant with you.”
“And what? Now they’re trying to kill me?” Cece’s laugh died off at the look on Willow’s face. “Shit. Are they?”
“Your aunt believes so,” Willow said. “And tonight would suggest she’s right.”
“That was just a random mugging,” Cece said, but her voice was soft and uncertain.
“Maybe,” Willow said, “but I don’t think you can take that chance.”
Cece stared at her coffee cup, her mind buzzing and her stomach churning. If tiny, maybe she’s crazy, but maybe she isn’t crazy Willow, was to be believed, Cece’s entire life had been a lie. And now she had some insane and powerful blood witch family wanting to murder her.
Bile rose in her throat, and she swallowed it down, grimacing at the bitterness. The small coffee shop suddenly felt overwhelmingly claustrophobic, and she staggered to her feet. “I have to go now.”
“Cece, wait.” Willow stood and hurriedly threw on her jacket. “We’ll give you a ride home.”
“No, thank you,” she said. As nice as Willow was, Cece couldn’t spend another minute with her. She needed to be alone. She bolted for the door, pulling up short when Briggs blocked her path. “Get out of my way.”
“We’ll give you a ride home,” Briggs said.
She glared at him. “I don’t want your help. I’m walking home.”
“No, you’re not,” he said calmly.
Her magic flared, and she clenched her hands into fists as the knuckles glowed a soft green. “I could make you get out of my way.”
Something that looked like amusement flashed in his eyes, and she bared her teeth at him. “Move, asshole.”
“No,” he said in that same calm voice.
Her anger disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and her voice trembling, she said, “Please let me go.”
“I can’t, baby,” he said quietly. “It isn’t safe for you.”
Willow touched her arm. “Let us drive you home, Cece.”
She sighed and swiped away the tears again. “Yeah, okay.”