Morwitch - Breaking the Rules (Complete)

Chapter Three

Ellie's head ached as all the ridiculous possibilities continued to swirl around in her tired, overloaded brain. Okay, so even if witches really existed, and her mother just happened to be one, how could she be one and not know it? Wouldn't she know if she had some sort of special powers or something by now? The whole thing was utterly...

A niggling thought took shape in her mind. What about the feelings she got when something good or bad was going to happen? What if they were a by-product of being a witch? She groaned as she dropped her face onto her knees, trying to hide the blush creeping up her neck.

Yvette's sharp intake of breath drew her reluctant eyes towards the other woman's face. "Ellie? Have some of your powers emerged already? What is it? What can you do?"

Ellie's eyes widened at the woman's perceptive question. Could the witch read minds as well, or had it just been a lucky guess? The feeling that her life was slipping further and further out of her control, combined with the stunned looks in the aunts' eyes that she may have been using magic, had the anger rearing its ugly head again.

"Don't you dare look at me as if I've been hiding some big secret. It was you who did that... remember?" Ellie instantly regretted her cruel words when she saw the hurt in her aunts' eyes. She took a deep breath and reined in her ragged emotions. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. I love you both so much, and I know you've always been there for me. I'm just struggling with all of this right now. Not to mention the fact that I'm getting a blinding headache from all this crap."

Emelda stood up and rubbed Ellie's shoulder. "It's okay sweetie, we understand. How about Serena and I make us all a nice cup of tea, and then maybe Yvette can finish her story."

Emelda glared at Yvette from under furrowed brows, as if warning her not to do anything to upset Ellie while they were gone. Ellie would have giggled at her aunt's over-protective gesture, if the whole situation hadn't been quite so surreal.

A heavy silence hung in the air as the aunts went to the kitchen to prepare the tea. Ellie returned her face to her knees, determined not to say anything until they returned. She was not going to sit here and make small talk with Mrs Witchy-Woo-Child-Deserter.

"They've obviously done an excellent job of raising you. Seems your father and I were right to choose them," Yvette said softly, almost as if she were speaking to herself.

Ellie raised her head and looked into the eyes so similar to her own. "They've always been there for me. They're my family."

She saw the hurt and acceptance in Yvette's eyes. Well what did she expect? Emelda and Serena had been all she'd ever had. Then she remembered what Yvette had said about her own family disowning her and her blood boiled.

What was wrong with these people? Maybe it was a witch thing. "I can't believe your own family just kicked you out? What sort of a family does that?"

Yvette shrugged. "I knew the rules; my mother had warned me often enough. Besides, my family didn't really have a choice; the Witch Council ruled me an outcast and that was the end of it." Tears welled in her eyes as she smiled. "But abandoning you was never my choice. Magic can sometimes be used to cause great harm, even if the user believes it's for all the right reasons."

The return of the aunts, bustling back into the room with tea and cake, interrupted their conversation. Laying the quickly prepared afternoon tea on the coffee table, Serena looked at Yvette with a frown. "I think it might be time you told us what happened after the accident. You mentioned earlier that your coming here had something to do with your grandmother's death?"

Yvette leaned forward and wrapped her hands around the hot teacup. Emelda and Serena settled back into their chairs, while Ellie stayed on the floor. All eyes were focused on Yvette's face.