Sue smiled warmly at her. “It’s all right, child. Relax. No one’s going to hurt you here. You’re as safe as you could possibly be, and you’re with friends.”
Sammi nodded again, then she said in a stronger voice, “Okay.”
“You are a rare witch, Sammi.” Momma Sue glanced at Mrs. Malley. “Bella, you ever met one a’ these?”
“Never. I did not even know there was such a thing, a Shadow Witch. Can you listen to us with your power while we are here in this house?”
Sammi shook her head and Momma Sue said, “That’s ’cause of my wards and hexes. Don’t nobody listen to me if I don’t want ’em to.”
Mrs. Malley leaned forward in her seat and wrinkled her brow, her kind face suddenly intense. “Please tell us more about your power, Sammi.”
Sammi told them, in a halting voice at first, about what she could do as a witch. Both women listen quietly, with only a few questions as Sammi explained what she knew of her magic.
When she finished, Momma Sue said, “And you’re an orphan? How did that come to be? You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s okay.” Sammi related how her father had shot her mother because she was a witch, when Sammi was three years old. Momma’s Sue’s face grew tight, and she put her fingertips of one hand to her temple and looked at her lap.
Mrs. Malley shook her head, her eyes angry. “That would not happen where I am from. Witches are treated with respect.”
Momma Sue looked up, her mouth a grim line. “It ain’t easy being a witch, Sammi. Wasn’t that long ago that folks were hangin’ and burnin’ girls like us. They’re still real suspicious of us, and they say we’re cavortin’ with the Devil and other such nonsense.”
“Like Rollie’s dad used to say,” Fred said.
Momma Sue nodded firmly. “But we’re not bad at all, at least most of us. Rita and Cassandra were exceptions to the rule, I think. We don’t hurt people, Sammi. We do good . That’s the most important thing I want you to learn from me and Mrs. Malley, what witches do with our power.”
“I’ll do good, Momma Sue,” Sammi said earnestly. “I promise.”
“I know you will. Now come here so I can get a feel of you.” Momma Sue sat forward in her chair and Sammi stepped closer. Momma Sue took Sammi’s hands in hers, and closed her eyes and hummed softly to herself.
After a long moment she let go of Sammi and said, “There’s power in you, for sure. Not ripe yet, but it will be.”
Mrs. Malley waved Sammi over to her. “Let me see.” She took Sammi’s hands, too, and then said with a nod, “She’s like a flower bulb, waiting in the ground to grow.”
“You can’t do spells just yet, but you will before too long,” Momma Sue said, “after you start your womanly cycles.”
“My what?” Sammi asked.
“When you start your period,” Fred said.“We can talk about it later.”
“Just because you’re not a woman yet doesn’t mean you’re too young to learn,” Momma Sue continued. “If we’re going to train Fred, we might as well train you at the same time. I want you to come with Fred every time she comes here. Can you do that?”
Sammi felt her heart beat fast again, but for a different reason. “You mean...you’re going to teach me how to be a witch?”
“Of course. We can’t have you going off and learning spells all willy-nilly, trial and error. You might hurt someone that way. We’ll teach you right, won’t we Bella?”
“It shall be fun, I believe.” Mrs. Malley had a gleam in her eye. “I have not trained a witch in years.”
“I’ll bring her if I can,” Fred said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen to her, just yet. She could end up back in Bartram County.”
Momma Sue shook her head. “You can’t let that happen, Fred. That girl needs to be where she’s safe. We can’t let that awful foster daddy get a’ hold of her again.” She turned to Sammi. “Tell me more about this fellow. Fred
Sammi nodded again, then she said in a stronger voice, “Okay.”
“You are a rare witch, Sammi.” Momma Sue glanced at Mrs. Malley. “Bella, you ever met one a’ these?”
“Never. I did not even know there was such a thing, a Shadow Witch. Can you listen to us with your power while we are here in this house?”
Sammi shook her head and Momma Sue said, “That’s ’cause of my wards and hexes. Don’t nobody listen to me if I don’t want ’em to.”
Mrs. Malley leaned forward in her seat and wrinkled her brow, her kind face suddenly intense. “Please tell us more about your power, Sammi.”
Sammi told them, in a halting voice at first, about what she could do as a witch. Both women listen quietly, with only a few questions as Sammi explained what she knew of her magic.
When she finished, Momma Sue said, “And you’re an orphan? How did that come to be? You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s okay.” Sammi related how her father had shot her mother because she was a witch, when Sammi was three years old. Momma’s Sue’s face grew tight, and she put her fingertips of one hand to her temple and looked at her lap.
Mrs. Malley shook her head, her eyes angry. “That would not happen where I am from. Witches are treated with respect.”
Momma Sue looked up, her mouth a grim line. “It ain’t easy being a witch, Sammi. Wasn’t that long ago that folks were hangin’ and burnin’ girls like us. They’re still real suspicious of us, and they say we’re cavortin’ with the Devil and other such nonsense.”
“Like Rollie’s dad used to say,” Fred said.
Momma Sue nodded firmly. “But we’re not bad at all, at least most of us. Rita and Cassandra were exceptions to the rule, I think. We don’t hurt people, Sammi. We do good . That’s the most important thing I want you to learn from me and Mrs. Malley, what witches do with our power.”
“I’ll do good, Momma Sue,” Sammi said earnestly. “I promise.”
“I know you will. Now come here so I can get a feel of you.” Momma Sue sat forward in her chair and Sammi stepped closer. Momma Sue took Sammi’s hands in hers, and closed her eyes and hummed softly to herself.
After a long moment she let go of Sammi and said, “There’s power in you, for sure. Not ripe yet, but it will be.”
Mrs. Malley waved Sammi over to her. “Let me see.” She took Sammi’s hands, too, and then said with a nod, “She’s like a flower bulb, waiting in the ground to grow.”
“You can’t do spells just yet, but you will before too long,” Momma Sue said, “after you start your womanly cycles.”
“My what?” Sammi asked.
“When you start your period,” Fred said.“We can talk about it later.”
“Just because you’re not a woman yet doesn’t mean you’re too young to learn,” Momma Sue continued. “If we’re going to train Fred, we might as well train you at the same time. I want you to come with Fred every time she comes here. Can you do that?”
Sammi felt her heart beat fast again, but for a different reason. “You mean...you’re going to teach me how to be a witch?”
“Of course. We can’t have you going off and learning spells all willy-nilly, trial and error. You might hurt someone that way. We’ll teach you right, won’t we Bella?”
“It shall be fun, I believe.” Mrs. Malley had a gleam in her eye. “I have not trained a witch in years.”
“I’ll bring her if I can,” Fred said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen to her, just yet. She could end up back in Bartram County.”
Momma Sue shook her head. “You can’t let that happen, Fred. That girl needs to be where she’s safe. We can’t let that awful foster daddy get a’ hold of her again.” She turned to Sammi. “Tell me more about this fellow. Fred
Similar Books
