Arise Book One: Age of the Witch

Chapter Three: Aidan

I went home with the couple, who I now know as Cherry and Joe.  They are members of her parents' coven.  I met her.  She's even more beautiful than when I saw her in my dreams.  She has an identical twin sister, but I know which one is her.  She'll be coming over for dinner with her family later tonight.  She and I will be the perfect couple.~ Aidan

"Well, hi!" Lina exclaims as she goes over and shakes his hand vigorously, "I'm Lina!"  His eyes linger on me as he responds,

"Hello, Lina.  And is this your sister?"

"Yes, my twin.  She's older by nine minutes, her name is, well maybe she should introduce herself."  Aidan crosses the room to me.  I stay frozen where I stand.  He is so impecably beautiful that the thought of him talking to me is so absurd, it take my breath away.  He holds out his hand,

"I'm Aidan," and smiles at me.  I take his hand, it's warm and soft, but strong.  His cologne wafts over to me and my head spins.  He is quite the guy.

"Betha," I say as sweetly as possible, "my name's Betha."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Betha."

"Yeah...uhm, nice to meet you too.  Will you be coming to our Circle's every Sunday?"

"I intend to."

"Perfect!" Lina cries, completely swooning. 

"Well," Cherry pipes up, "we should go.  We have a big big dinner party to prepare."

"Dinner party?" I ask.

"Uh, yes, Betha," Mother says, "The Franks have invited us along with the rest of the coven to a dinner party at their house in celebration of this beautiful event.  Their first child!  How exciting!"

"Wow," I turn to Aidan, "that's got to be tiring."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, first you're adopted, that's huge in itself.  Then you get to go to a new home for a few hours before it's flooded by more new people.  That's a little rough in my opinion."

"I agree, it will be a very long day, but I am looking forward to seeing it through to the finish.  I love meeting new people, and it feels so good to be part of a family again." I smile.

"I bet, how long has it been, if you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, no, I don't mind.  It's been, uhm, maybe twelve years?"

"Wow.  That's a long time.  Well, better late than never, I guess."

"Too true," he smiles, and my heart beats louder and faster.  Oh Lord, can he hear it?

"Okay, Aidan," Joe says firmly, yet a bit awkwardly, "it really is time to go.  I want you all settled in before the guests arrive."

"Sure, Joe," then he turns back to me, "Will I see you tonight?"

"Uh, yeah, most definitely!"  He smiles again, and they leave.

"Wait," Mother says suddenly, "you two haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"No, Mother," we say in stereo.

"Well, then go freshen up! Now!"  We dash upstairs to freshen our faces.

"So," Lina says, "he was totally checking you out."

"He?  He who?"

"Aidan! Who, by the way, is totally gorgeous!"

"Oh.  Was he?"

"Oh, c'mon!  Don't tell me you didn't notice!  He was totally flirting with you!"  She leans against me and takes on a manly voice, "Will I see you tonight?"  Next comes her tiny girly voice, "Oh, yes Aidan!  I will be there and anywhere else you want me to be!"  I laugh.

"Okay, one: that is not what I said, and two: I do not sound like that!"

"Well, you might as well have.  Anyways, it's pretty obvious you're sprung.  Bad."

"Oh, please."

"Well, it'll make Mother happy."

"What will?"

"You and Aidan getting together."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Well, the only reason Cherry and Joe ever went out and got him is because Mother told them to pretty much.  Her exact words were: 'We need sons so Betha can marry one, I will not have some boy from another coven running mine when I'm gone!'"

"Wow."

"Yeah.  Wow."

"Why do I have to be High Priestess?! You're perfectly capable!"

"But I don't have the strength you do, my love.  Admit it, you're powerful!  And you'll only get more powerful!"

"Stop!  I am not!" She gives me a mothering look, and sighs.

"When are you going to accept yourself for who you are?"

"When people stop trying to burn me at the stake, or when they stop writing 'Demon-fucker' on my locker..." I mutter this rather childishly.  She rolls her eyes.

"You really won't let that one go will you?" Meaning the offensive locker graffiti.

"No, I won't."

"It was freshmen year!"

"It was hurtful!  I locked myself in the closet and cried for weeks!"

"Yeahh..."

"Girls!" Father calls, "It's almost time to go!  Hurry up in there"

"Yes Father!"  We finish up and walk out.  On our way out, Lina gasps a little, I turn around just in time to see her collapse on the floor.

"Lina!" I scream and catch her before her head smacks down on the tile.  There are footsteps on the stairs.

"Lina? Betha? What's wrong?!" Mother calls worriedly at us.  I cradle Lina's head in my lap and try to hear her breathing.  She is alive.

"Lina?" I say, "Lina, can you hear me?"

"Betha? What happened?"

"I don't - I don't know, she just collapsed."  Lina let out a breath, the her eyes snap open.  She sits up so fast her head knocks my chin making me bite my tongue.  I taste blood.

"Ow!"

"BETHA!  THERE'S A STORM COMING!  JUST LIKE IN YOUR PICTURE!  ONLY WORSE, IT'S A MAGICKAL STORM!  YOU HAVE TO RUN! NOW!!"

"What?" She looks around and realizes we're in our room.

"There was...I saw....oohh..." She puts her head in her hands as if she has a bad headache.

"Lina?"

"Can we just go to dinner?"

"Yeah, sure but are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" She pushes away from us and storms into her room, slamming the door.  I go into my room and pull my Book of Shadows down off the shelf and write one word: STORM.

An hour later, Cherry sent the coven a mass text saying that dinner was ready and to start heading over.  That's the only time Lina and I left our rooms.  I look at her uncertainly, she won't even look at me.

I'm here for you.

I know.