Bella Godelieve sat at the island in her kitchen, her eyes unseeing as she sipped on the tea she'd brewed to calm her nerves. She hadn't touched her magic since she conceived Lux. It was like coming home, and she found it difficult to release her magic after whispering a simple spell over the tea leaves. The gold bracelet with blue and black stones dangling from her wrist mocked her. Liar, it whispered, as if she did not feel the weight of her dishonesty with every breath she drew.
Even now, she contemplated the wisdom of telling Lux the truth about... about everything. Her daughter had been the only light in her life since Gideon had abandoned her and watching Lux struggle through the revelations of the last week made Bella wonder how much more it would take to extinguish that light. And it terrified her.
A short chime from her phone drew Bella's attention, but her coworker's name across the screen was a disappointment. Three days had passed since she'd heard from her mother, who'd been called away on a family errand two days after Lux's birthday. Her mother's willingness to leave when so many problems and questions still swirled about had surprised her. The woman had been begging to train Lux in the ways of the Craft since the girl was born, and now, when Bella could no longer deny her, she'd run off.
That left Declan to assume the role of teacher, and she wasn't certain it was the best arrangement. Not with the desire he felt for her daughter.
Bella bit back a chuckle. She wasn't as disconnected from Lux's life as her daughter seemed to think. She knew how the two looked at each other; hell, she felt the magical energy pulsing around them and was half shocked she'd not stumbled upon them in a more compromising position than a lip lock. Magic heightened every emotion, none more so than desire, but compatible magic- soul magic- made it hard to function when separated from its other half. And she knew, despite all the taboos and risks, that Declan and Lux shared that rare connection.
Exhaling, she tossed the contents of her cup into the sink and tried to think about anything but how she knew what that connection felt like. She'd not abandoned her magic years ago because she feared it or hated it like she'd told her mother. No, she shut the door on her magic to guard her heart.
Yet, in one moment, she'd torn down the walls. Just a simple spell had awakened the slumbering connection, and she could feel Gideon's magic pulsing inside of her, their tether making her body long for his touch and breaking her heart. He was still out there, alive, not dead as she'd hoped. Because death would've meant he'd not abandoned her and their daughter. She could live with death being the thief, but the first stirrings of their connection ripped away her willful ignorance.
The fluttering of his power flared, and she bit back a sharp moan as it caressed the center of her power. The connection worked both ways. They used to lie in each other's arms, their bodies sweaty and sated while they explored each other with their magic. Inevitably, it would lead to another round of physical passion. Just as often they used it to reassure the other when they were separated, the bond giving each of them insight into the other's emotions. He made her stronger. Until he broke her.
Nails tapping on the counter, she pressed her hand against her chest as fought against the urge to indulge in his exploration. He would wonder why she'd reached for her power after so long. With fortitude she didn't know she had, she pulled on her magic, stopping the tendril from returning his greeting. She did it quickly and sharply-the action the equivalent of a psychic bitch slap.
"Mama?" A gentle touch against her shoulder.
"Shi-shoot Lux, you scared me," Bella gasped, wiping the smirk from her lips as Gideon's magic trembled, its confidence waning considering her rejection.
Her teenage daughter turned her head to the side, the thunder cloud eyes belonging to Bella, but those lips, twisted in a quizzical expression, belonged to her father. "I spoke to you two or three times. You were out of it."
"Just a lot on my mind. How was training?"
Lux shrugged, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder as she pulled a drink out of the fridge. The simple gesture warmed Bella's heart. When she'd designed this house, she made sure the kitchen would be the heart of the home. All of her best conversations with her own mother had taken place in one, and she'd continued that tradition with her own child. First crushes, broken friendships, failed tests: all of those milestones had been celebrated and mourned in this room.
"Audra is a tyrant, but I landed a few hits today. She's agreed to keep magic out of the mix for now." She guzzled her water before continuing. "We're breaking for now, but once the sun starts set, we'll pick it back up."
"Where are the other girls now?"
A tense pause passed before Lux responded in a quiet voice, "They're in potions with Declan. They- we- all thought it was best if I sit those lessons out for now."
"Sounds intense. I'm kind of glad Mama didn't teach me any of that. You're other studies aren't suffering, are they? Weren't you going to finish your reading list for your English class?" Lux pressed her forehead against the countertop and uttered a muffled scream. Bella reached for her. "Baby?"
"Mama, everything is just so messed up. How am I even supposed to focus on school right now? We're supposed to be stopping demons from escaping the underworld, and I'm absolutely no help to anyone until I get a channeling stone. Seems a little more pressing than finishing Madame Bovary."
"Lux Keren Godelieve, if you for one minute you think this witch business means you're not finishing school, then you can just walk out there and tell everyone that you're out. No child of mine will be a high school dropout." All the anger and fear churning within her since her daughter turned seventeen detonated.
Her mouth agape, Lux stumbled away from Bella's fuming form. But those eyes flashed with lightning, and she slammed her fist against the wall. "Y-you... you always go there! Always to the worst. I didn't say anything about dropping out of school. But you know what, if I wanted to drop out, what are you going to do?"
"You do not get to speak to me that way."
The girl gestured towards Bella's bracelet. "You do not get to lecture me about manners when you can't even tell me simple truths. Unless you plan on magically subduing me. I can't do anything if you try, by the way. I'm magically defective, but then you're happy about that, aren't you?"
Gideon's magic was swelling and frantic as it tried to soothe the turmoil choking Bella as she faced her broken daughter. How had she not seen the signs earlier? The translucent skin beneath her tan, the dark circles clinging to her eyes, and the cheekbones protruding in her face. Lux was flailing, and no one was trying to save her.
Stepping towards her child, hands aloft and steps slow, like one would approach a wounded animal, Bella asked, "How are you feeling? Maybe you should talk to Declan about getting a potion to help you sleep."
The lightning stopped, and a shutter dropped over those eyes. "I don't need anything from him."
She turned and stormed up the stairs, leaving Bella alone with her thoughts and the swirling inside of her. "Gideon," she whispered, "What do I do?"
YOU ARE READING
The Opal Witch
Fantasy[Completed] Lux's senior year of high school had been carefully mapped out since her freshman year. Snag the lead in the school play, chalk up a few more volunteer hours, and ace her AP English class. Maybe even get her first kiss out of the way bef...
