The Beginning Of The End

Chapter 10

For the next three weeks, I lived in that big house with Jaylon, and I didn't think at all about the outside world or the life I had had before this. It seemed so pointless now that there was this.

Jaylon started to teach me magic. I read books about the history of our coven, different types of gemstones, and so many different things. I learnt much about gemstones and what they were for and how to use them. I even started some simple spells and charms.

And all through this, that strange link with Jaylon seemed to grow stronger. It pulled us together, and it was strong. Between my learning magic, we looked for ways to find the members of the coven. We'd read through books, sharing looks across the table. I'm such a short time Id grown to love his wide, happy smile, his wicked grin, that lopsided smile he got when he was just plain old enjoying life. I'd grown to love his deep blue eyes, the way to smiles always reached them, and the mischievous twinkle always lurking in there somewhere. And his hair, his golden blonde hair that seemed to grow unnaturally fast. I'd given him a haircut, which he was rather unsure about, but I think he liked the end product.

I had spent so much time with him over these past few weeks, but I never got sick of him, never, even though I got sick of Adam having him stay home just one day.

We discussed the connection. We discussed a lot of other things too, but the connection we felt was something spectacularly unexplainable. We decided that whatever it was couldn't be ignored, but that we could rush into anything. So we didn't rush into anything. In these three weeks, we've shared a few kisses and I've fallen asleep in his arms a couple of times when we've been curled up on a sofa late at night reading.

All in all, I started to live for those moments I got to spend with Jaylon. He could still be annoying and slightly stuck up and a ton of other things, but he knew he was. He asked me to point out when he was being like that so he could change. I guess it was rather difficult to learn to be the perfect guy while you've been alone for fifteen years.

"Louisa!"

I looked up at the sound of my name and smiled as Jaylon appeared from behind a bookshelf.

"Hey," I said "What are you up to?"

"I had an idea," he said, grinning. "Come with me."

"Okay," I said, not sure what was going on as I slid a book I had been looking at back into the shelf beside me. He grabbed one of my hands, an excited expression on his face, and started leading me quickly through the maze of bookshelves.

After a few minutes, we came to a staircase I had never even known was here.

"What's this?" I asked in surprise. Jaylon just grinned mysteriously and lead me up the steep, winding stairs. At last, we came to a door and he pushed it open. As I looked around, I realised where we must be. The top floor. The one that I had been forbidden to go to.

"Okay, so," Jaylon said, letting go of my hand and walking over to the other side of the small room. "I know I said you couldn't come up here, and that's because it's actually kind of dangerous unless you're a practising witch or warlock."

"Wait, so, you're bringing me to this kind of dangerous place now, because...?"

"No, this room is fine," He said, crossing the room and stopping right in front of me. He was very happy, very excited. "Well, the whole floor is charged with magic, but this room doesn't have the same things concentrating it in one area, and, well, come. I'd forgotten about it, to be quite honest, it's not really a main part of the floor. Anyway, just look."

He lead me over to the wall and pointed. The wall was a slightly off-white, and there were dark lines snaking all over it. Dark lines, linking names together.

"Is this..." I trailed off, looking on in awe.

"It's a family tree," He said, almost glowing with excitement. "I can't believe I forgot it was here! But look," he pointed at the wall in front of us and three names were revealed: Camille, Louisa, and Ruby. "It has their entire family lines!" he said, waving his hand across the surface. It changed, moving, responding to his touch even though he didn't even touch it. It split into twelve, Louisa's line just one of the many. He waved his hand again and we moved down Louisa's family line. My family line.

"Would I be on here?" I asked as he moved through generations and generations of twisting lines and curly written names.

"Of course," he said. "Magic runs through it, it updates all the time. Or at least, whenever someone is born in any one of the bloodlines on here that is able to use magic. And look at this!"

I looked on in amazement at the blur of names as he moved through them, and then he finally stopped. I saw my father's name in big, curly letters. Robert. And then, just below it, my names. And beside my name...

"My brother is a warlock?" I gasped. "What? No, that's not possible, he's just a kid!"

"Well, I'm a warlock, and I still was when I was a kid." Jaylon slid his arm around me and squeezed me in his excitement. "Okay, so another thing on a less happy note. If you have the ability to use magic but don't know so don't learn to control it or suppress it or something, it can become dangerous. Like, really dangerous. To yourself and others."

"So you're saying we need to tell my little brother he has magic?" I asked, still shocked by this realization.

"Actually..." he trailed off, looking down at the floor which was made of dark mahogany.

"What?" I asked, shifting slightly away from him so I could look at him better. "Jaylon, what aren't you telling me?"

"We agreed to find all the descendants, right?" He asked, and I nodded. "Well, with this," he motioned at the walls of the room, "We have a much better chance. And magic works best when it's all together. And witches and warlocks learn best when they're in a place charged by magic so they don't have to constantly keep having to like, rest and recharge."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying," he said slowly. "That we need to find your brother, along with all the other witches and warlocks from the silver coven family's, and we need to bring them here."

"Jaylon, you can't just rip people away from their homes and their families and expect them to come live here."

"It worked with you didn't it?" He asked softly.

I sighed, shifting closer to him but not looking at him properly.

"Jaylon," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I only decided I was okay to stay and okay about... everything, because of that... that connection we have. Other people won't have that."

He nodded, not saying anything as he wrapped his arms around me. I pressed my face into his neck and settled against his chest, loving the way I fit there just right.

"I understand" he murmured. We stayed like that for a few moments longer, and then I opened my eyes and looked over his shoulder.

"Jaylon!" I exclaimed, pulling away.

"What? What did I do?" he asked, looking worried.

"Look" I whispered, pointing a shaking finger at the wall.

He turned slowly to look and his eyes widened. I had told him all about my family, about everything we'd been through.

We both knew Charlie was my only sibling, but there alongside our names, was another.

Rowyn.