6. Chapter Six Seeds of Fate
Chapter Six: Seeds of Fate
Tess - four years ago
The bell above the door chimed softly as I stepped into the dark and shadowy grimoire shop. I was still hopeful that I could find a way to cancel the contract Ivan had with me and had heard someone mention this shop. It was warded against non-magicals; they would see a vacant space, like the growing number of vacant spaces around the city lately. Most people thought it was a bad economy when really it was that magicals had learned to ward their businesses against non-magical attention. Some non-magicals knew about the supernaturals and were concerned they would dominate the world, leaving a post-apocalyptic scene for non-magical humans when nothing had really happened. Most supers thought that was melodramatic nonsense.
The essence of timeworn volumes of leather-bound grimoires filled the air, along with a hint of dragon’s blood incense, creating an atmosphere that felt comforting and enigmatic. Shelves lined with ancient tomes, jars of ingredients, and trinkets surrounded me, each item seeming to whisper secrets of its own.
At the back of the shop, an elderly woman with silver hair tied in a loose braid stood behind the counter. She was dressed in flowing robes of deep purple and an assortment of glimmering jewelry hanging from her neck and ears.
Her sharp, knowing eyes locked onto me the moment I entered. “Good afternoon, dear.” Her voice was smooth and melodic, almost soothing, but with an edge that kept me alert. “I’ve been expecting you.”
I gaped, taken aback. “Expecting me?” I’d only just decided to stop in here when my last appointment was canceled, and I could close the shop at three instead of six.
The woman regarded me with a mysterious curve of her lips. “In a manner of speaking. My name is Seraphina. Please, come in.”
I approached the counter hesitantly, battling curiosity and unease in my belly. I’d heard whispers about this shop from other mages who dabbled in dark magic, but the reality was so different from what I’d expected. I thought she would resemble Morticia Addams, a character who was based on a real-life, very potent dark magic witch. As I understood it, most dark witches tended to embrace the goth aesthetic. It even happened to me. After I’d been working with blood magic for a few months, I found myself drawn more and more to dark and moody vibes, too, but I’d assumed it was the depression.
“What can I help you with, Tess?” Seraphina’s gaze was piercing and demanding.
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “I... I was searching for a spell. A remedy, I guess. I don’t know exactly what. ”
Seraphina nodded slowly, as if she understood everything about me. “You’ve been through much, child. You cling to the shadows, and there is a power within you waiting to be awakened. It aches. You can feel it, can’t you?”
I frowned, unsure how to respond. I had always felt there was something bigger out there for me. Like I was better than Ivan treated me, and I should be able to squash him. But I thought it was just the rage inside at having been mistreated for so long. “What do you mean?”
Seraphina reached beneath the counter and pulled out a small, intricately carved box. She opened it to reveal a crystal pendant that seemed to pulse with an inner light. “You have very strong magic inside you, Tess. It lies coiled and dormant for now because you are not yet ready. Your journey stretches centuries in every direction.”
What in the goddesses’ name did that mean? I stared at the pendant, feeling drawn to it. “Ancient dormant magic? I don’t understand. No, you’re mistaken. I couldn’t be living this life if I had power. I’m just... me.”
The witch’s eyes softened. “The magic within you will only awaken when you are ready—when you have learned to stand tall and confident, to control your own present. Only then will you slowly unfurl the dangerous, dark magic inside you.”
I held in a derisive sneer that Seraphina didn’t deserve. But what she was telling me was impossible. “Dangerous, dark magic? Believe me, if I had anything like that, I’d use it to control my present. That’s what I came for. To find out how to break free of my oppressor and seize control of my life.”
Seraphina’s expression was kind, yet knowing. “It is indeed, and you will find that path. Your freedom will be just as dangerous as your captivity, but you must not fear it. Your strength will come from within, and no one—no matter how powerful—will be able to take that away from you.”
I shook my head, a mixture of disbelief and trepidation flooding my body. I wasn’t sure I bought her story. And I was glad I couldn’t access it because Ivan would definitely capitalize on something like that.
Seraphina’s expression darkened at my thoughts of Ivan as if she were reading my mind. “I can sense his control over you, throttling everything you do. But remember, Tess, your destiny is your own. No one can control you unless you allow them to.”
My lips pressed together into a flat line. She was kind, but that comment made me feel judged. Like if I didn’t want to be controlled, I’d just stop letting him, so obviously, like a child, I welcomed it. I took a deep breath, knowing she didn’t mean it that way. She must have been describing a bigger, deeper truth that I couldn’t understand yet. “Thank you, Seraphina. I appreciate your time. Is there no grimoire that can help me with my current… problem?”
The witch shook her head, handing me the crystal pendant. “Sadly, no. The contract is binding. But keep this with you. It will serve as a reminder of the power within you and the journey ahead. When the time comes, you’ll be ready to embrace your true self.”
I accepted the pendant, feeling its weight in my gloved palm. As I left the shop, the bell chimed softly once more, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of profound dread. My life was full of uncertainties. I tried to live in the moment since I never knew if there’d be another to follow. But for the first time, a dark and dangerous future stretched out before me, and I was too intimidated by the unpredictability to be happy about it. I was tired of the everyday struggle just to exist and having just been told freedom was on the horizon, but to expect more danger and uncertainty on the other side, I just wanted to crawl into a ball and give up.