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Mrs. Serafini has never been friendly toward me. I’d heard her whispering about me under her breath more than once. I’m pretty sure the woman thought I was the devil. Now that I knew about my heritage, I guess she had never been far off from the truth. Despite her constant prayers and attempts to ward herself against me, it seems I had managed to kill her anyway. Clair of course knew nothing about any of this.
“She was very old Raven. She had a good life. It was just her time to go.” Her frown deepened and she draped her arm over my shoulder, leading me toward the house. “Let’s go inside. We can make Mrs. Serafini’s family something to eat.” I nodded and allowed Clair to steer me onto our front lawn, Conrad trailing behind us. I felt the wards that Mr. Abbey had placed around my home rush over my skin as I stepped onto our property. Clair froze beside me as we walked through the wards, her eyes going wide. She turned her head slowly, staring at Conrad as if she had seen a ghost. I frowned and stopped to stand next to her.
“Mom, what is it?” I asked, but she kept staring at Conrad, who was looking uncharacteristically stiff under her scrutiny.
“Honey, can you run inside quick and let me know if we have any tuna for the casserole? I just want to talk to Conrad for a second.” Clair finally turned away from Conrad and looked at me with a reassuring smile. Her eyes fell to the triquetra hanging around my neck.
“Uh, sure.” I said suspiciously, backing away. I glanced at Conrad who gave me a lopsided grin and a shrug.
“Wi be right der.” He said easily, his hands in his pockets. I nodded, still slightly weirded out. Maybe I was just being paranoid. Based on what had happened the night before between her and Jeremy, she probably just wanted to see what his intentions were. Finally, I turned away and went inside.
Once inside the house, I quickly unlaced my boots and scrambled into our dining room. The front windows looked out onto the street and I watched as the ambulance pulled away. Conrad and Clair were still standing on our front lawn, just inside the invisible wards that Mr. Abbey had cast.
Conrad said something and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. I narrowed my eyes. What were they talking about? I wished desperately that I could access some of the power that I knew dwelled within me. There must be a spell to amplify voices… I didn’t dare try. The memory of the paramedics somberly carrying Mrs. Serafini on that stretcher flashed in the back of my mind. My power was dangerous, I wouldn’t touch it again until I knew what I was doing.
Finally, Conrad and Clair started walking towards the front door. I ducked out of the dining room and slipped down the hall and into the kitchen. I pretended to busy myself looking for tuna as they came in. Pulling two cans out of the cupboard, I turned to greet them.
“Found some,” I said, handing the cans to Clair, who smiled at me gratefully.
“Conrad, will you be joining us for dinner?” She asked, before digging through a drawer to find a can opener.
“Sure Mrs. Fisha,” I glanced back and forth between the two of them. ‘What was that about?’ I mouthed to Conrad, but he just grinned and shrugged again. I frowned at him. Fine. Be that way.
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Clair?” She asked, as she got started on dinner. Conrad chuckled, and stepped forward, taking the can opener from her.
“Tell yuh what, I’ll call yuh Clair if yuh give di casserole to di Serafini’s and let mi cook up a real Jamaican jerk chicken dinna for yuh. Yuh Canadians need some spice in yuh life.”
Clair laughed and agreed, as they began digging into the cupboards for the various ingredients they each needed. I felt strangely excluded and alone.
The spot on my chin that Amon had touched warmed, as if to remind me that I would always be moved by the darkness. Looking at Conrad and Clair’s nearly identical bright, sunny expressions, I wondered if it was true.
15
I woke up cranky again the next morning. Not because of an overwhelming build-up of power, but because it was seven o’clock in the morning and someone was pounding on my bedroom door.
“What?!” I snarled, nearly falling out of bed as I scrambled to answer. I ripped open the door to find Conrad beaming at me.
“Rise and shine gyal. Today is yuh first day of training!” I glared at him and ran a hand through the rat’s nest that was my hair.
“How did you even get in here?” I snapped. Clair and Jeremy were working day shifts again, there would have been no one to let him in. Even if they had been home, the thought of Jeremy allowing anyone, especially a boy, near my room was laughable.
Conrad just wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Magick.” He said. I rolled my eyes at him.
“I need coffee,” I moaned, “and I still need to get ready.”
He laughed and gave me a two finger salute before turning on his heel.
I closed the door behind him shaking my head. Who the hell was that chipper at seven am? Obeah Men, apparently.
I eyed my cozy bed as I forced myself to get changed.
After pulling on some clothes, I went downstairs and practically snatched the coffee out of Conrad’s hands. I gulped down the liquid gold, not caring that it was scorching my tongue. Conrad eyed me with amusement.
“Not a morning person, mi see.” He said, poking me in the side. I jerked away and glowered at him over my coffee cup.
“Nothing but sleep should happen before ten,” I complained and Conrad laughed.
“Dun tell Mr. Abbey that. He’ll give yuh extra homework.” He teased. I stuck my tongue out at him as I poured myself another cup of coffee.
