Panic sets over me. “So I can’t control it? Or turn it off?”
Granny pulls me towards her with both hands on my shoulders.
“Harri, I have said before, you can turn it off. You just do not use it and in time it will return to sleep. As for controlling it, well, that’s a little shakier for a new witch, but in time it gets easier, just… well, it is most uncontrollable with emotions, so if you start to feel that tingle in a situation where you’d rather not make a spectacle, then breathe and concentrate on not scaring the normals. It will pass. And if it doesn’t, take yourself away.”
“Normals?”
“The unmagical, the everyday human.” She waves, dismissing the imaginary normals.
“Ah.” Well, hopefully then I won’t mess up and spill the family secret by my own doing. That would be a kicker.
She smiles and rubs my arms. “It’s all OK, my darling. Why don’t you have a lie down? I bet you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. I’ll make us a nice lunch. I am sure your aunt willneed feeding up after everything she discarded in my washing up bowl this morning.”
I nod. I take myself up the stairs and lie on the bed with a purring Nettle snuggled up on the pillow beside me. I plug my phone in which again, I have left to die a quiet death rather than deal with whatever is behind the screen. The light flashes on along with missed calls from my mother and Greg and Greg’s mother.
I am sorry about the other night. I was not myself. You know me, Harri. Greg x
So, he has sobered up and realised that was a complete dick move. And he is right, I do know him and while that was odd behaviour even for him, I also know that his status is the most important thing to him.
Can we at least talk? Greg x
No, Greg, we cannot.
You are acting like a spoilt child, Harriet. Greg
Ah, there we go. There he is.
Fine. Point made. Enjoy your time with your bit of scruff. See you at the ball. You know it is the only way.
What a prick.
Next, I scroll to the message from my mother.
Penelope Cornthwaite is engaged to Donald Ronaldson. You are invited to the wedding next year with Gregory. Please put it in your calendar.
Cool, she is just completely dissociating from real life then, or that’s just my mother’s way of checking in. To some, it wouldbe strange not to hear from your mother much when you have disappeared into the woods. I bet some would send search parties for their kids, but me and my mother can go months without a word, only seeing each other at social events. The relationship I now have with my aunt and granny is how I imagined a mother and daughter relationship should be.
I let my phone fall from my hand onto the floor. That is enough stress for the day. I don’t think I have the energy to deal with the magic now awake in my body, the will we, will we not of Sam and I or the fact my life is an unstoppable train of doom. Nice.
I must have dozed off as I awaken to the smell of cooking coming from underneath the door. The smell makes my mouth water instantly. I look at the clock on the side of the bed and it’s now 2 pm. I can hear voices downstairs, the familiarity of my gran and aunt but also a male’s voice. Not Sam, sadly. Or Greg, thankfully. I pull myself from the comforts of the bed and head downstairs. My granny is cooking on the stove. No magic being used which means that someone in the house is not aware of who we are.
I look to the dining table and see my aunt and the back of a man in a flat cap and an old-looking chequered shirt. My aunt’s cheeks are as red as rubies.
“Hi, Harri.” She smiles. “Thanks for getting me home safely,” she says sheepishly.
The man turns around. It’s Pete. He too has ruby red cheeks and looks like a caught teenager about to be told off. He stands and stumbles nervously and puts his hand out to shake mine. “Er, thank you for getting Aradia home safely. Sorry we caused a commotion.”
I shake his hand and smile. The poor bloke looks out of his depth. “It’s no problem, Pete, hope your head is OK.”
He nods, smiles and sits back in his seat. Aradia smiles at himand his shoulders relax. We sit and dine on Granny’s chicken pie and Pete slowly begins to feel more at home and opens up about his life in the village and on the farm. The whole time his eyes fall onto my aunt. They light up every time hers meet his. It’s beautiful to watch two people so different fall completely in love in front of you. It’s clear that Pete is just a bit of a shy man with not much experience with people. But he is kind and sweet. And I can see how much Aradia likes him.
After dinner Pete helps Granny to wash the pots while Aradia and I clean the table.
“So?” I whisper. “Does he know?”
“About?” She looks puzzled.
“About us, like being who we are.”
