The Turning

It was dark.

It was always dark here. Ever since the takeover light was hard to come by. I walked down the halls with only a candle lit my way. You would think that being the in the twenty-first century Eli would have invested in some lighting for Christ’s sake. But no. He liked it dark; it matched his mood. And he said that technology and any advancements were a hinderance to our coven. Some men had midlife crisis’s and bought ridiculous vehicles, hair plugs or even a younger woman. Eli’s midlife crisis involved taking over the magic realm, slaughtered those who went against him and took those who were more powerful than him as hostages, to use in one way or another.

Over the last ten years, I had been his pet. His chosen one. He thought once I reached the turning, I would be more powerful than any that had been since Salem. I was one of the last with a familiar. It was now down to Miss Myrtle and me in this coven, there may be others around the world, if they were still alive. And to be honest Miss Myrtle wasn’t going to last long. I made my way to her room to check in on her. We weren’t supposed to be out wandering the halls of the manor after curfew. But I did what I liked. If I were truly the most powerful witch since Salem, then Eli wouldn’t fuck with me.

I made my way through the halls. This manor was one of the larger ones among the covens. It used to be the headquarters of sorts. Where the other covers across the Americas would contact in times of strife. Now, it was closed off only dictating orders to the covens around expecting monetary support and nothing else.

Eli was biding his time, he waited to strike against the other covens that weren’t currently taken over. The others that were still independent, were scared. All they could do was wait or run away hoping that Eli wouldn’t catch them.

In the distance I heard footsteps, pulling me from my thoughts. I leaned against the wall and peeked around the corner, cupping my candle with my hand to dim the light. I made out the bulky form of Jeffers walking down the hall. He was a mountain of a man, standing at least six-eight, his skin dark as the night, that easily blended with the shadows of the manor. When he spoke a deep French, accent haunted his words that made him even more intimidating.

He continued down the hall making a right turn. It looked like he was making his way toward Eli’s office that was just down the hall. My room was close by, so he could ‘keep an eye on me.’

I exhaled. If I didn’t pay attention, I could get caught. I better be more careful. I looked around the corner again to make sure the coast was clear. Only darkness down the hall. I slowly made my way to Myrtle’s room. She was halfway down this hall. She had one of the smaller rooms. As she aged Eli moved her rooms around leaving the bigger rooms to the more powerful witches. Those that chose to follow Eli. She was pretty much a forgotten member of the coven. Even though she was as powerful as they came. Though as she aged her strength slowly left her. Her strength, now, was only a distant memory.

Eli had no respect for the old and aging. They were a burden and mostly left to fend for themselves. I did what I could. Myrtle was the only one I could consistently visit without being caught. Her room was only a short walk from mine. I did my best but the guilt of not helping the others ate at me.

I put my ear against her door and listened into her room. She hardly ever received guests, but I didn’t want to run into someone that I shouldn’t. Not that anyone would be in there. It was quiet.

I turned the knob and pushed the heavy oak door and peeked in to see Myrtle's eyes open staring at the door. I smiled and walked in; I closed the door behind me.

“Honey, I knew you were going to come see me,” she said with a big smile.

“Of course, you did. Nothing ever gets by you.” I said with a laugh and made my way to sit next to her on her ornate bed. She grabbed my hand in hers. Even though she was growing weaker as the days went by her hands were always warm. She said it was because of her power, they made her warm. But I thought it was due to who she was, a warm and loving person.

“Now, what did I do to deserve a visit from you?”

“I’m just checking in. Making sure you have everything you need. And that Eli hasn’t been harassing you.”

“Pff. Eli, that trash of a witch. If I didn’t have half a mind, I would stomp down to his office right now and take that little maggot out myself,” she leaned forward as if she were about to get up.

“Miss Myrtle!” I said gently and pushed her shoulders to help her settle back into bed.

“Don’t Miss Myrtle me! Back in my heyday, I could take him out with a blink of an eye! He doesn’t know the difference between a curse and a hex. The day he came in waving his dick around claiming everything was the worst day of my life, and I’ve been through two world wars!” she shouted.

“Shhhh,” I glanced at the door. “I know, I wish there was something I could do to put him in his place. If he fell, his followers would fall too,” I looked into Myrtle’s eyes. Her familiar Tracy jumped on the bed and lay next to her. Tracy was an old cat that had been with Myrtle since her turning. When a witch reached the age of twenty, that was when the turning happened, that was when they gained their powers. If they had the familiar markings, they would meet them then.

I was nineteen and had only one week to go before my turning. I had the familiar markings on my neck, it was there when I was born. They said that there was no question about it. I was going to have a familiar and that they never saw such prominent markings. I had a pentagram with a double circle around it with the familiar runes of different animals at each of the points.

Tracy yawned and looked at me and slowly blinked, this was her sign she accepted me. In her old age, Tracy didn’t like anyone. She would hiss at those she encountered and for those she really didn’t like she would scratch the shit out of them. She would occasionally get them so good that they would need to get stitches. That’s why I liked Tracy, she would scratch Jeffers and Eli, if they visited.

“Hi, Tracy. How are you?” I said, gently scratching her head. Like Myrtle, she was getting weaker and weaker with each passing day.

Tracy made a small mewing sound and rubbed against my fingers.

“My dear, she likes you. And that’s saying something.”

“I like her too.” I said, continuing to scratch her head. I heard her purr as she settled in against Myrtle’s leg.

“What are we going to do?” Myrtle said, looking at me.

“What are we going to do about what?”

“Taking down Eli. We are the last of our kind, Violet, at least in this coven. It’s up to us to set things right. I know you haven’t gone through the turning yet. But it is coming up. Then you will be more powerful than you would ever even know.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “I don’t feel powerful, Myrtle. I feel like just a normal witch, nothing really special.”

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady. I’m offering you words of wisdom and when the turning happens you will feel it and you will need to be ready,” she patted my hand with hers. “And you will meet your familiar. They are your companions for life. They have a power of their own and when connected with yours it will be magnificent.”

“I really hope so. Before the turning happened did you feel a certain way? Did you feel different or like something great was coming?”

“Nope, I felt the same. Everyone said something great was going to happen, but I didn’t feel it. I felt normal. Like I was going to be a letdown since I didn’t feel…powerful.”

I took a deep breath. “That makes me feel better. Ever since I was a child everyone has been saying I’m going to be great, do great things and be so powerful. But I don’t feel it. I just feel like me.”

“My dear, since the moment you opened your eyes, you were different. My god you have purple eyes for Hecate’s sake! In all history, I have never heard of one of our kind with purple eyes. That means greatness. Not to mention that’s where your parents got your name.” She laughed at her comment.

It’s true. I did have purple eyes and my familiar marking at birth. My parents were so proud. Their own daughter was going to be this powerful witch and possibly rule the coven, in time. Then the uprising happened, and they died. Leaving me in the hands of Uncle Eli.

He wasn’t my uncle. I knew that when he took me in at the age of ten. I remember when they raided my parents’ house, broke all the windows, overturned the furniture, and trashed the place. I could hear my mom scream from down the hall. When the first alarms went off her and my father were on their knees and chanted a spell of protection. They were strong witches, but something blocked the spell and they found us anyway. I could still hear the final blood curdling scream from my mother.

I hid in the closet crying. I was ten, barely a witch, there was nothing I could do. Jeffers was the one that found me. He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me toward him about to take me out. I looked at him with tears in my eyes. He stopped, mesmerized by the color of my eyes. He sat me down and looked at my neck and saw the familiar marking. Even just looking at me he knew I was going to be powerful. He screamed over his shoulder and took me away.

“My dear, you seem a million miles away. Where did you go?”

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts and bringing me back to now. “I was back during the uprising. When my parents got killed.”

“They would be so proud of you,” she cupped my face with her hands. “So, so, so, proud.”

A tear trailed down my face. Even though it’s been nine years, their death still hurt. A knife in the heart. “Thank you.”

“I have something for you!”

I sniffed. “You don’t have to give me anything.”

“Oh hush. Your birthday is coming soon and you’re turning. One familiar witch to another I have some lovely gifts for you!” She pointed to the bookshelf that was across her tiny room. “First, you get the book.”

“Which book? There has to be hundreds here,” I said. I walked over to the shelves.

“You get THE book.” She enunciated the word the.

I turned around and looked at her and stared in shock. The book she was talking about was handed down from familiar witch to familiar witch. No other witch could read it. Whenever they looked at it, it would appear blank. I read about this book in our history books. My eyes fell on the oldest book that graced her shelves. It was at least four inches thick; it was so big it could potentially be used as a weapon in more ways than one. I pulled it from the shelf. My hand drifted over the cover. The cover was old and peeling from use. The Pentagram with a double circle and the ruins of the familiars graced the cover. My mark was a perfect replica.

“Oh Myrtle, I just couldn’t. This is yours.” I opened the cover and like everyone else, it appeared blank.

“You know I love you but shut up. As I fade, I have no use for the book and as you get your powers you will need it more than I.”

I pulled the book to my chest and hugged it. I felt the power seep through the cover that made me shiver.

“You feel it don’t you?” Myrtle leaned forward and smiled.

“Whatever do you mean?” I looked back at her and smiled.

“It’s yours now. When you reach the turning the words will appear and so will the wisdom. I’m not long for this world and won’t be able to teach you what you need to know. This book has it all. Study it and learn it. This will give you all the information you will need and help you grow within your power.”

She beckoned me over with a wave of her hand. I strode across the room still clutching the book to my chest. She grabbed my hand in hers and I held the book against me with the other. “It is only a matter of time before you get your powers, and all the signs point toward you being more powerful than we have seen in decades.” I looked at her and sighed.

“What happens if that doesn’t happen?” Ever since I was a child, I had doubted that I was anything special. I felt normal and bland. When the turning happened, I would have everyone watching me and nothing of significance would happen. Of course, I had my little tricks, things that would randomly happen. But they came few and far between.

“When you held the book, you felt its power, right? That alone tells me you are going to be immensely powerful. You are destined for greatness. And don’t doubt yourself.” Myrtle breathed in and closed her eyes.

“Are you alright Myrtle?”

She exhaled. “Yes…yes. Just got tired all of a sudden.”

“I’ll go and let you get some rest.” I stood up and turned to the door.

“Wait! Before you go, look in the nightstand. I have one other present for you.” She pointed to the nightstand that was on the other side of the bed.

“You are too much.”

“Again, shut it. With your parents not being here I have to dote on you myself. And this is a very important birthday coming up. So let an old woman give gifts to her familial daughter.”

I shook my head at her. I pulled open the drawer and looked inside. A necklace was there, a black pointed crystal with thin leather binds to tie around my neck. Just looking at it I could feel the powerful energy coming from it.

“It’s an obsidian crystal. They are used for protection against negative energy and stimulates growth.”

I picked up the crystal and looked at it. It started to turn in my hand, twisting back and forth continuously.

“I think it likes you.” Myrtle laughed. I looked up at her and her eyes were half closed. “Put it on.” I sat the book down on the bed and lifted the leather straps around my neck and tied it on. It felt warm against my chest, spreading warmth throughout my body.

“Is it supposed to be warm?”

“That just means it’s working.”

I grabbed it and held it in my hand, I felt the power emanate from it. I dropped it, as it hung around my neck, I took a deep breath. I felt as if a weight was taken away and I could finally breathe. “What is this feeling?”

Myrtle gently smiled at me. “It’s protecting you. There may have been a spell on you that could have been blocking your power and energy.”

“I can…I can breathe.”

“That’s what it does.” Myrtle’s eyes closed and then opened quickly. She struggled to stay awake.

“Thank you so much, Myrtle. I love my gifts and I will use them forever.” I picked up my book and walked to the other side of her bed and gently kissed her forehead.

“You’re so very welcome.”

“Get some rest.” I walked out of her room and made my way back to mine. The book in one hand and the candle in another. A clock in the distance chimed midnight. Time will only tell what I will become. And now, I have six days before my turning.