Chapter 202

Tessa’s POV

My entire world stopped moving around me as I stared at a very serious-faced Anna. She was watching me as I allowed her words to process in my mind.

“How old are you currently?” She finally asked after what felt like an eternity of silence.

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.

“23,” I answered.

She nodded, thoughtfully.

“So, you still have a couple of years before it gets to that point,” she said, cocking her head to the side. “Don’t worry too much about it. You still have time.”

“So, you’re saying if I don’t learn to control my powers by the time I am 25. My powers will control me?” I asked, needing that clarification.

She nodded, her dark hair moving along with her features.

“Did your mother have a coven?” Anna asked.

I thought about it for a moment; my father said that the war between witches and vampires had to do with my mother’s coven and what they were hiding. More specifically, what my mother was hiding. But he wouldn’t actually tell me who or where her coven was; I assumed maybe he didn’t know. He mentioned that my mother kept a lot of stuff from him for his own safety.

“I’m not sure…” I admitted, staring at the ground sheepishly. “If she did, I doubt I ever met them. My father won’t tell me anything. He wanted to get rid of my powers before I even found out about them.”

Her eyes widened.

“That’s not possible,” she said, shaking her head. “He would be searching a long time for a way to get rid of your powers.”

“I don’t think he knows much about witches,” I told her, and a humorless laugh escaped my lips. “He told me I won’t get my magic until I’m 25.”

“Yeah, he was definitely wrong about that,” she said, dismay written all over her face.

“I don’t get it though,” I said, staring at my hands as if they were about to do something magical at any moment. “I’ve had magic for 2 years? I don’t feel magical at all.”

“You wouldn’t feel it,” she said, also staring at my hands. “Not until you reach 25 when it’s matured. But it’s definitely there. You just have to tap into it.”

“And how do I tap into it?” I asked.

She frowned.

“It would be easier if you had a coven that could help you. A witch is only as strong as their coven,” she answered.

“But I don’t have a coven,” I sighed. “At least, I don’t know if I do.”

She nodded, and then she stood.

“I have something for you,” she said as she walked over to a bookshelf. “It might help.”

I watched her as she studied the bookshelf and then a smile played on her lips when she found what she was looking for. She grabbed a thick book and pulled it off the shelf before returning to her seat.

She placed the book on the coffee table in front of me so I could see it. My eyes widened when I saw the gorgeous purple and white designs on the book with dark purple lettering that read: Spell Book.

“A spell book?” I gasped, running my fingers down the front cover. “Is this real?”

She nodded.

“Of course, it’s real,” she said, leaning back in her seat. “I’ve had it since I was a little girl. Of course, I don’t have this kind of magic to use the book. But I always found it fascinating. The art of magic is certainly a mystery.”

“Do you think it would work for me?” I asked, staring up at her with wide and curious eyes.

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t,” she shrugged. “You are a witch, after all.”

My cheeks warmed from her words, and I knew I was probably as red as a cherry. Her smile widened as she looked down at the book.

“You have to start somewhere,” she added.

I took the book and placed it on my lap; it was heavy with thin pages. It was a huge book and my heart swelled as I stared at the lettering on the front cover. I felt a surge of energy inside of me like something was coming to life.

Then again, it could just be my pure excitement and imagination. But I swear my fingers started to tingle with magic.

I flipped open the book and scanned the pages. The first few sections were beginner-level; easy things to practice. But I feared doing this alone; I wished that I knew about my mother’s coven so they could help me learn this stuff. But sadly, I had no idea who they were or where to find them.

“Are there any spells that pique your interest?” Anna asked, leaning toward me,

I continued to read the words and I smiled when I saw one spell called “Spirit of Warmth.”

“This one,” I said, pointing to the spell. “It looks simple. It’s kind of cold outside and I could make it a little warmer.”

Her smile grew radiant, and she was quick to stand to her feet.

“Then let’s go!” She said happily.

I raised my brows at her.

“Really?” I asked, uncertainty in my tone. “You want me to do this spell? Even though I’ve never done magic before?”

“What better time than the present?” She asked, motioning for me to follow her.

A nervous pit formed in my stomach, but I ignored it and stood to my feet. I followed her as we went outside into the cold air, and I breathed in the light breeze that caressed my features. I held the spell book close to my chest as I followed Anna toward the forest opening.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“When I was growing up, my witch best friend told me that witches get their powers and strength from the earth so most of their spells are done there,” Anna explained over her shoulder. “So, we are going into the forest to do this spell.”

Excitement filled my chest. I wished Joseph was with us, but I brushed the thought out of my mind, knowing that he was busy, and I’ll just see him later.

When we were in the closed compacity of the forest, I suddenly felt even stronger and more brought to life. The trees surrounding us cocooned over our heads, shielding the moonlight and making it a bit darker where we stood.

“So, what does the spell say?” Anna asked, peering at me curiously.

I stared down at the page, reading each word carefully.

“It’s an elemental spell,” I told her. “It seems all I need to do is close my eyes and think of something warm. Then I recite this spell until we feel warmth. It will summon the element fire to warm us.”

“Okay, so let’s get started,” she said, stepping away from me. She motioned dramatically with her arms. “The floor is yours.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as repeated the spell in my head a few times before I had it memorized. I cleared my throat and shut the book, placing it on the ground beside me.

I stared up at the sky, smiling at the streaks of moonlight that desperately tried to shine through the trees but with no luck. The cold air attacked my skin making me shiver lightly.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. I thought of everything I could that was warm.

I thought of a burning fireplace and a roaring firepit. I thought of the fire blazing towards me and warming my flesh and the area around me. I thought of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day and hot tea when I was feeling unwell.

Ruby made the best tea, so I thought about the tea that she always made for me with a little bit of lemon and some sweetener.

I thought about Joseph holding me in bed and how warm and safe I feel when his arms are around me. I thought about the warmth in my chest I feel whenever he kisses me.

I raised my hands until they were in front of me, and faced my palms upward, just as the spell book instructed.

I’m not going to lie; I felt a little foolish. If this didn’t work, it would just be proof that I’m not a witch and my father was wrong about this. Or maybe I just wasn’t as powerful as some other witches. The thought caused a pit of worry to surface in my belly.

Anna stayed quiet as she watched me, and I knew her eyes were on me even though my eyes were squeezed shut tightly.

With a racing heart and a tremor in my words, I began to recite, “Fire burning into the night, give me warmth and give me light.”

I waited a moment, but when I didn’t feel anything, I decided to try again.

“Fire burning into the night, give me warmth and give me light!”

This time, my words came out much stronger, and soon, I was covered in a blanket of heat. So much so, that it was alarming, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I feared that if I opened my eyes, the spell would end, so I kept my eyes shut and allowed the warmth to swallow me.

“Oh, my goddess!!” Anna cried and I thought she sounded excited until she spoke again. “Tessa!!! Open your eyes!!! End the spell!!!!”

Confused, I opened my eyes and I instantly gasped.

I jumped back and was attacked by the flames that emerged from the ground.

Holy shit!

I was surrounded by a giant ring of fire, and it was getting bigger.