hair hung around her shoulders as she held the golden dagger above her head, pointing it up to a dark and star-filled sky. Encircling her stood a large group of intense looking people holding hands. A lightning bolt shot from the sky onto the pointed blade of the dagger, and the girl stared directly ahead as if through the page.
Straight at me.
My heart raced, pulsating in my ears, but I gripped my hands on the book tighter as I read the words written below the picture.
Once in every one thousand years, a celestial event occurs. A child is born during a total lunar eclipse that happens to coincide with the full moon of the summer solstice. This child will bear an identifying mark.
I swallowed. Hard. I was born during that unusual occurrence. I’d heard about it my whole life. My gaze leapt back down to the page.
Upon quickening on the child’s seventeenth birthday at midnight, this child will become a witch. Henceforth, said witch will inhabit all endowments of each member in the coven and any witch thereafter who dares attempt to use their powers against her. Consequently, such event begets becoming the most powerful witch of the millennium.
I pinched my eyes tight, feeling my heart racing again. I shuddered but re-opened them and continued.
Furthermore, the witch will enhance the endowment of each member of the coven, bringing immense power and blessings to the coven overall. This witch is so named the Spectral.
Wait a second here. My throat went dry and I drew in a ragged breath. I’m a witch? I didn’t know how that was possible when I felt so powerless against everything in my life. My mind raced, and I recalled that according to the book I wasn’t a witch until my seventeenth birthday at midnight. Midnight—right . Seriously though, it was like all the oddest things always happened at the scariest time of day. Until then, I figured I’d be a pre-witch or an almost witch.
A knock sounded at my door, and the doorknob twisted. I shoved the book under my bed, thankful I’d remembered to lock the door.
Jayden’s sweet, smiling face peered up at me on the other side of the door. The trace of freckles that danced across his cheeks, more prominent now as the warm May sun had been shining on him.
“Hiya,” he said, grinning. He was always so happy to see me. Right then I wished he were older so I could share this with him. It was too much to bear on my own, and the feeling of carrying rocks on my shoulders now felt like boulders. But Jayden oozed innocence and I wanted him to stay that way.
“Hi, monkey. What ‘cha up to?”
“Not much. Mom said to tell you it’s dinner time.” He thrust his thumb toward the stairwell.
I couldn’t face Aunt Eva and Uncle Boris, or anybody for that matter. I mean, I’d just finished reading the most amazing yet disturbing information.
About me. Being a Spectral. The millennium Spectral.
A lump formed in my throat. I couldn’t face anybody. They’d read it all over my face.
“I’m not feeling good, Buddy.”
“You got the flu?” He stretched his hand up and touched my cheek. “You’re not hot, though.”
“No, just a bad headache,” I leaned my head against the door frame.
“I’ll bring your dinner up here.” He smiled. “Is that okay, Jewels?”
“That would be awesome, Jayden, thanks.”
“Harrison, remember?” He flashed a toothy grin.
I tweaked his nose. “You’ll always be Jayden to me.”
I sat at the desk in my room, head in my hands, thinking. And thinking.
Soon, a rap sounded out on my door and Grandma Raine came in with a heaping plate of lasagna.
“Oh, Grandma, I can’t eat all that.” I shook my head as she laid the plate down in front of me with a glass of water.
Her face held a gentle expression as she passed me the fork from my plate. “Just eat as much as you want.” She leaned against the desk, facing me.
“Okay, thanks.”
“Is there anything on your mind you want to talk about, Jewel? You don’t seem like
Straight at me.
My heart raced, pulsating in my ears, but I gripped my hands on the book tighter as I read the words written below the picture.
Once in every one thousand years, a celestial event occurs. A child is born during a total lunar eclipse that happens to coincide with the full moon of the summer solstice. This child will bear an identifying mark.
I swallowed. Hard. I was born during that unusual occurrence. I’d heard about it my whole life. My gaze leapt back down to the page.
Upon quickening on the child’s seventeenth birthday at midnight, this child will become a witch. Henceforth, said witch will inhabit all endowments of each member in the coven and any witch thereafter who dares attempt to use their powers against her. Consequently, such event begets becoming the most powerful witch of the millennium.
I pinched my eyes tight, feeling my heart racing again. I shuddered but re-opened them and continued.
Furthermore, the witch will enhance the endowment of each member of the coven, bringing immense power and blessings to the coven overall. This witch is so named the Spectral.
Wait a second here. My throat went dry and I drew in a ragged breath. I’m a witch? I didn’t know how that was possible when I felt so powerless against everything in my life. My mind raced, and I recalled that according to the book I wasn’t a witch until my seventeenth birthday at midnight. Midnight—right . Seriously though, it was like all the oddest things always happened at the scariest time of day. Until then, I figured I’d be a pre-witch or an almost witch.
A knock sounded at my door, and the doorknob twisted. I shoved the book under my bed, thankful I’d remembered to lock the door.
Jayden’s sweet, smiling face peered up at me on the other side of the door. The trace of freckles that danced across his cheeks, more prominent now as the warm May sun had been shining on him.
“Hiya,” he said, grinning. He was always so happy to see me. Right then I wished he were older so I could share this with him. It was too much to bear on my own, and the feeling of carrying rocks on my shoulders now felt like boulders. But Jayden oozed innocence and I wanted him to stay that way.
“Hi, monkey. What ‘cha up to?”
“Not much. Mom said to tell you it’s dinner time.” He thrust his thumb toward the stairwell.
I couldn’t face Aunt Eva and Uncle Boris, or anybody for that matter. I mean, I’d just finished reading the most amazing yet disturbing information.
About me. Being a Spectral. The millennium Spectral.
A lump formed in my throat. I couldn’t face anybody. They’d read it all over my face.
“I’m not feeling good, Buddy.”
“You got the flu?” He stretched his hand up and touched my cheek. “You’re not hot, though.”
“No, just a bad headache,” I leaned my head against the door frame.
“I’ll bring your dinner up here.” He smiled. “Is that okay, Jewels?”
“That would be awesome, Jayden, thanks.”
“Harrison, remember?” He flashed a toothy grin.
I tweaked his nose. “You’ll always be Jayden to me.”
I sat at the desk in my room, head in my hands, thinking. And thinking.
Soon, a rap sounded out on my door and Grandma Raine came in with a heaping plate of lasagna.
“Oh, Grandma, I can’t eat all that.” I shook my head as she laid the plate down in front of me with a glass of water.
Her face held a gentle expression as she passed me the fork from my plate. “Just eat as much as you want.” She leaned against the desk, facing me.
“Okay, thanks.”
“Is there anything on your mind you want to talk about, Jewel? You don’t seem like
Similar Books
