Magical Me

Ch 13 - What You Need To Know

"We'll get to memorizing spells later. For now we have more important things to talk about." Hunter started.

"Yeah," Birgit agreed pushing herself into a more comfortable position and glaring at the men of the room. "For starters, you can tell me how you knew I was a witch or why you didn't tell me. Then you may want to let me know why you killed my demon boyfriend instead of telling me he's a demon. Wait, wait, wait, maybe you should also tell me why the fuck these demons want me dead!" 

There was a moment of silence as Birgit's voice slowly grew to a shriek and she had to forcibly slow her breathing from a heavy pant. 

"You dated her?" William asked in a tone Birgit couldn't distiguish but she sure didn't like it.

"Okay, okay, you're right. I have to tell you this stuff. All of it. I'm going to start with the war." Hunter tried to take her shoulder, but not trusting anyone at the moment Birgit shook him off. She didn't complain when he turned to sit beside her though.

"You aren't just a witch, you are the most powerful witch currently alive."

Birgit was shocked, she looked at William and Drake but they both seemed to agree. She gulped. "The most powerful?" 

"Yes, that's partially why you're untrained. No one wants you to be at your full potential." Hunter shrugged, "So if you become trained you would be the most powerful weapon, and so the demons need you eliminated." 

"Who are the demons fighting?" Birgit asked, and then growing defensive she asked haughtily "If that were true then why did Ray stay with me. For a year?" 

"It's Ian," Drake corrected, but he fell silent when Birgit sent a glare his way. 

"Okay, Birgit, deep breaths." Reluctantly she did as he said and turned to look him in the eye. Having her full attention Hunter continued, "There are a number of myhical creatures in existence, but the two most populous species are witches and demons."

"When you say populous..." 

"I mean hundreds of thousands. Best part is they're centuries old enemies who only want to see the other dead. Which is why they couldn't have convinced you to work on their side, because none of theirs would suffer a witch to live."

Birgit nodded at this. She hadn't even thought that the demons may have wanted her as a weapon, Hunter had always been the strategist. Though that  had been when they'd played board games. War, she was sure, was a whole other ball game.

"This war is from a blood fued. The witches and demons, though never really close, were once allies. This changed shortly after a strategic wedding. The Old Crone, which is just what they call the lead witch, and the Blood King, leader of the demons, wed. Their intent was to solidify the union between the races."

Birgit curled into a tighter ball and placed her head in her hands. This was real, all of it. She couldn't deny it after what she had seen in the van outside her parents' house, but it was all so much to take in. She was going to need a lot of time to cope with the facts: monsters exist, she was one of them, she was now a huge puzzle piece in an ancient war she'd known nothing about, her boyfriend was dead and had merely been trying to kill her, and now she was thrown back in with her ex who she had never stopped loving, and who now had really good explanation for all his behaviour...

"It's hard," Drake said in a comforting voice, though he wisely didn't try to approach her. "We know, believe me. But you're going to have to be strong. Just listen to what we have to tell you, and then we can give you some time to take it in. We'll do the strategising and everything, we just need you to be calm."

That was certainly a lot to be asking from her, but she pulled her head from her hands and nodded to Hunter to conitnue. "Their union didn't go as planned. Nobody knows exactly what happened, but on the night of their union everyone died in the castle. When it was discovered the next day there were waves of blame - ranging from specific people being at fault to the entire race - and that wave of blame was matched with violence. Everything was really made worse when the new leaders both declared war on the other until they confessed to the crimes of treason, murder, and what have you. Basically when one side takes the blame their leaders and top memberswill be executed and the war stopped... but that won't be happening.

"So now, both the witches and the demons are hell bent on eradicating one another. And eliminating their opponents entirely." 

"All of this because they don't know what happened? Couldn't... couldn't there be a spell or something that could reveal what happened?" Birgit asked incredulously. It seemed... well it seemed ridiculous, childish even.

"There is a spell that can do that," Hunter allowed. 

"They killed the royal family of the two biggest races." William said snappily. "Do you think they were idiots? Of course they put up a blocking spell that's prevented them from scrying." William's eyes were ablaze, but he turned his head away with a final murmer of "Idiot." 

Hunter looked angry, and ready to snap at him, but there was no time for that. There was a booming sound from outside, and the floorboards of the entire cottage shook.

"They found us." Drake said uneasily.