The Witch and the Half-Angel Prince

Chapter 2

    Claire wasn’t exactly a very popular student at school. She was quiet as a child, and then went on to be the shy, introverted girl that she is. She had only one friend in the entire world, Mathias, whom she loved and depended on, almost like an extra arm, or a sibling. They were in the same classes since they were nine, and went on to the same college together. Mathias soon grew up to be a handsome young man with boyish good looks, piercing blue eyes, wavy dark hair, and soon grew to become popular, and it was because of his popularity with the girls at school, Claire was resented by half her school. 

    Claire wasn’t exactly a striking beauty as her mother was. She was different; its as though her beauty grew on you every time you looked at her. Her hair was neatly plaited, parted through the middle most days and was a dark auburn tone. She had two brown beauty spots, one under her left eye, and the other on her chin over her pale flawless skin, which made her look as sweet as a mug of hot chocolate, and had heterochromia - which meant that both her eyes were of a different colour. Her right eye was strikingly green, and the other was brownish hazel, and what is exactly the thing that made her peculiar. 

     It didn’t help that she often wore the same home knit sweaters along with mismatched socks, and hence, was bullied by the other children at school, which was exactly when Mathias befriended Claire - he first saved her from being bullied by their classmates, and then decided he would be her friend. He had only just moved from Bath at the time. His parents, Jonathan and Elizabeth Warren, who were bankers at the time had both taken up offers in Brighton itself, which made Claire his first friend, and her first friend, ever. Though over time Claire’s fashion sense did improve, her list of friends never grew, and thus, Mathias Alexander Warren, or Matt for short, remained her only friend - at school. She did have friends at work - all the middle-aged ladies who wanted to remain in her grandmothers good graces. 

Text:

Matt: Hey Claire! D’ya wanna grab a bite today? Headed towards the pier. 

Claire picks her phone, and  then chucks it onto her bed. Should she finally tell Matt that she’s a witch? Would he think that she put a spell on him, and that was why they had become friends when they were nine - no well, obviously she didn’t. Matt was just a good spirited child when they met. 

Claire: Okay. We need to talk anyway.

Five minutes later her phone rings.

“Hello? Claire? What do we need to talk about?” Matt asked impatiently.

“It’s nothing important, but it’s just something about me, and I have to see you to actually tell you,” she replied.

“You know, you can tell me anything right, Claire? Even over the phone..” He says.

“Oh hush, Matty, I’m not dying or anything, besides, somethings are better said in person.. see you at one I guess,” she replies before hanging up.

Claire put on her black Dr.Martens and headed out. She had decided to walk to the pier instead of catching the 12 o’clock bus as she usually would. Well technically, she had decided she wouldn’t drive unless if there were two or more people, and that way she’d be reducing her carbon footprint, and that was her small way of giving back to mother nature who quite frankly has given us a lot, and for negatives in return, but today was different. She wanted to walk. 

It was hot, and the air suddenly felt humid, making her sallow, unlike any other day. How does the day go from being beautiful, and then to just what it was right now. She needed to breathe. She didn’t take news of there being “others” quite as well as she thought she would. After all, why should the fact that there are other witches bother her? She decided to walk the coastal line. It would’ve been about a two hour brisk walk from Shoreham to the Brighton pier, and during this time of the year with plenty of tourists taking the same walk. Brighton summers are vibrant and lively especially with the hustle and bustle of visitors from all around Britain and the world. Flowers everywhere, packed cafes, and an ice cream cart at every corner. 

As she was passing through Aldrington, something caught her eye at the beach. There was a man, who was swimming into the shore. She squinted to get a clearer look, but the glare from the sun blinded her, or so, she thought, as she saw the man covered in blood, and he had collapsed onto the beach. The sky all of a sudden turned grey, and without thinking twice she ran towards that man. Perhaps he was in trouble, and needed her help, she thought at the time. Little did she know that this was the day her life would’ve changed forever. She rushed towards him to check his pulse. Thankfully she was a certified lifesaver. 

1,2,3,..10,.. 30.. Claire counted his slowing pulse, and he was still breathing thankfully. He was covered in his blood - or so she thought, but where was his wound? His head on her laps, he breathed slowly, though he had already lost his consciousness. She laid his head down onto the ground, when she noticed that he had suddenly stopped breathing. In a panic frenzy, Claire put her hand over his heart and decided to pound it as hard as she could. She didn’t realise that at that time she was chanting a sort of spell (na dendre cor ad cor), something which she couldn’t have known. She has never performed anything magical up to this day, green light shone from under Claires hands; her veins were now metallic green, with a sort of light that shone, and lo, behold, he started coughing, and coughed up water from his lungs. The magic Claire had performed left a green mark where his heart is. It looked somewhat like the letter ‘W’. All of a sudden his eyes opened wide in a shock, and he sat up straight. He was pale, and disoriented. He was so pale that he looked like he had lost all his blood. His auburn boyish hair put him around the age of 30, she thought. His eyes were black and sunken. 

“Are you all right, sir”.. Claire asked.

“Who, who.. are you?” He said as he tried to catch his breath.

“Where.. where am I?”

“We are at Aldrington, not too far from Brighton. I’m Claire Redd, and I was just passing through on foot when I saw you, and then you fell onto your knees,.. and there was blood every where.. I’ve tried looking for the wound on your body, and there was none.. and then suddenly you stopped breathing, so I decided to pump your chest, but I don’t know what happened? There was this green light, and you went into a fit, and now you’re awake..,” Claire said so quickly that it seemed she let it all out in one breath without thinking how it may have sounded to a disoriented man.

The stranger looked down his body, only to find that mark which Claire had made, unknowingly. She didn’t know up to that point that she actually had powers, something her grandmother had only just mentioned in passing. His pupils dilated, and he turned to her, he looked like he was fuming with anger.

“You witch! What have you done to me?”..

Claire stood up, and took a few steps back, and she was frightened. Frightened that he might hurt her, frightened that something even more magical would happen, or worse, that she might hurt him. 

“I.. I didn’t do anything.. I don’t know what happened,” Claire replied as she looked down at her hands. They were just her usual ordinary hands, no magic, none whatsoever. Sweat begun to trickle down her forehead as she kept watching him, he was angry and confused, but he was weak, at least he looked far too weak for any violent reaction. The stranger had once again fell to his knees, with what looked like tears trickling down his face as he examined his arms and hands. His veins had turned a shade of green, but they were beginning to lighten, and then he smiled wearily. 

“I’m sorry if I was rude, but I’m Henry.. what did you do to me, Claire.. Did you perform a spell.. what happened,” he asked in a more sympathetic tone. 

“I’m sorry Henry, I can’t say. I’ve never performed any sort of magic.. not like this sort before. wait, how do you know I performed magic,… and that I was a witch? My grandmother runs an apothecary up in Brighton, and we do brew some potions there, but never have I ever seen her perform any magic, and neither have I, and I can’t help you, except for perhaps helping you catch an über from here, or would you like me to call someone, anyone?” Claire hated standing Matt up. She was already late at this point, but she figured he would understand. 

Not too long later, a black Range Rover pulled up at the side of the road. A man who was equally as pale, and handsome ran towards them. He had a bag for Henry. This blonde stranger who was well built, who pretty much looked like a Greek god. It seemed like Henry had the habit of going off into the sea, and coming back only to be greeted by, wait, his cousin? From time to time, or so it seems. Why else would his cousin have brought him a duffel? Wait, how are they related? Henry looked like he came out of a Bruce Lee movie.

“Henry! Sorry I’m late, cousin, well, well, seems like you’ve finally made yourself a friend,” he said as he looked at Claire. He was very intrigued that his cousin doing chatting up this young lady, who looked like she was cold, especially in that sweater she was wearing, more so in this heat. 

“Oh, I must’ve left my manners in the car, I’m Eric,” he continued, as he smiled at Claire. 

“Eric, you’re late. I was bleeding, and then I healed, and apparently my heart had stopped, and this girl, I mean, Claire, has just saved me,” Henry said as he turned to Claire. Henry was drying himself at this point, and hurried on to put on some clothes.

“She’s also a witch who has performed a spell, and even she can’t tell me what spell it was.. her first time - apparently.. shall we pay Edmund a visit then, he should know more,” he said irritated.

“Edmund? You mean, Edmund Vonfeldt?” Claire asked curiously.

“D’You know him, Claire?” Eric asked..

“No, but I was going to attend a ball soon. I had only just received the invitation - by post,” Claire said, though unsure. 

“Ah, she’s come of age, Henry. Shall we take this conversation elsewhere?” Eric insisted.

“No, I’m sorry, I’ve to go… I’ve a date, with a friend. Like a friendly date,” Claire replied. She was at that point hoping to just put everything behind her and to just leave. She didn’t want to know how they knew Edmund, and how she’s come of age. It was as though they were a lot older than they looked.

“Aren’t you curious about us at all, Claire? You insult us by your lack of interest. A man just washes up ashore, whom you so kindly saved by the way, never having seen a man like him before - as you claim, and then you casually choose to just walk away when we’ve only just invited you to tea?” Eric scoffed as he looked at his cousin, and signalled him to usher Claire to the car.

“I’ll just text Matt., Mathias then,” Claire complied. She supposed that she should as she performed a spell - which although saved his life, wasn’t enough. 

Claire: Matty, can’t make it. Something came up.

Matt: U ok? Shall I come by?

Claire: No, I’ll call you soon. xx

She followed them into their car, and off they drove to a large old house not too far from where there were previously. There, they were greeted by the butler and ushered into a large old drawing room. Claire thought that the house was grand and beautiful, with paintings and tapestries of sorts. She looked around in awe. The ceiling was high, with a crystal chandelier that was lit - with candles. It felt like she had travelled back in time. She marvelled at the paintings, and that’s when she saw one of Henry’s. He looked beautiful, though how old was he? These paintings must have been commissioned in the early 1900s as it looked it. 

Albert walked in with tea, shortly joined by Henry and Eric.

… and so the interrogation begins, thought Claire. 

“What is your full name, Claire?” Eric asked. Henry just sat on one of the sofas as he watched Claire. Her damp hair, as black as ebony, over her pale skin. He saw how slender her figure was. She was a petite little creature with queer mismatched eyes, he thought.

“I am Claire Redd, I really ought to be leaving soon. Beautiful house though. Yous must be really doing well to have commissioned so many paintings and that chandelier, really took my breath away,” said Claire, awkwardly. She wasn’t accustomed to being interrogated by two strange men, whom she had only just met though they weirdly felt familiar. She watched how agitated Henry was. She could tell that he was annoyed but with Eric, this time.

“Claire Redd, firstly, we are Henry Leonidas Triton and Erich Atlas Neptune, and it’s a pleasure to have met you. You saved my cousins life, by the spell you had performed, which was why we have invited you here, to watch you, and to see whether if there are side effects of whatever spell you had performed. You seem all right, and you’ll be free to leave shortly. I don’t know whether if you know, but we aren’t exactly humans. We look and feel like it, but there was a sea monster who attacked my cousin a few miles off the coast. It’s my cousins job to keep creatures like these away from human beings, you see. He would’ve healed anyway, but this creature was bewitched by some of his enemies - and you know Henry, he’s not the friendliest of beings,” Eric said to Claire as a matter of factly as he ticked of his e-chart he had on the iPad. 

“We are in the business of executing extra-terrestrial beings? If I may call them that? Or would you prefer if I called them monsters, evil jinns or genies perhaps?”

Claire had only one thing in her mind. 

“What are you then?” She blurted out.

“The thing is, Claire, we are only sharing this with you because you’re a witch, so not a word about what we’re about to say to anyone else. We are half-angels, the grandchildren of Poseidon. Henry’s father is King Triton, now wrongfully imprisoned for a travesty of a reason, well, let’s just say, not everything is fine and dandy in the world of angels and demons, and half-angels. My father was King Atlas. He founded the city of Atlantis, I’m sure you’ve heard. We usually live in Atlantis and other kingdoms, but ever since this little misunderstanding with the archangels, we’ve been banished to live here on land, for awhile, till we can repay King Tritons debt and free him from imprisonment, which honestly is ridiculous. We’ve been living here, for more than three hundred years, and counting at least till we can appease the archangels,” said Eric with a sigh. He was worried about the creature that had managed to hurt Henry. Are there more out there, he wondered silently. Henry did nothing to dispel his fears. He couldn’t recall whether if there were more out there. All he knew was the creature had a bewitched sword, and only witches can cast that sort of spell.

Claire was shocked with the revelation. So she’s not only a witch with powers who came from a coven of witches, there were also angels, demons, and monsters, genies, and they’re living around us. She had always thought that Poseidon was one of the older gods? Turns out he’s just an archangel. How was she to tell the one friend she had in the entire world about this? The answer is, she couldn’t. 

“So.. how long would I have to wait here for?” Claire asked whilst she was in still in a daze, processing the information that had been given to her. Henry and Eric were in whispers and then suddenly Henry hit the coffee table and left the room. 

“Claire, Henry and I were discussing, though we aren’t in agreement. How would you like to help us in hunting these E.Ts that we have been tasked to kill? Knowing that you’d be on our side would give me some solace. The way Henry had been hurt was not normal, from what I can tell you. Henry is one of the most powerful half-angels. He helped his father man the seas when his father was king, there was peace. He even had the strength and might to fight armies, and today all of a sudden, he got hurt? And it took him awhile to heal? No, that was not normal, and I don’t plan on taking any chances,” he continued.

“Well then, I don’t see what I can do here any longer. I shall think about what you’ve asked of me, and get back to you, the soonest I can?” Claire was unsure about getting involved with monster decimating business. What else is out there, she thought.

“That is all we could ask of you, Claire,” said Eric as he walked out of the room nonchalantly calling out for Henry who seems to have disappeared into one of the other rooms in this old mansion. It wasn’t run down, for sure. It was well kept and organised for a place this old.

“I don’t need to be babysat by a witch, cousin. For all you know, she did this to me. What if it was her who gave the sea creature the enchanted sword, and she knew of Edmund, and you know Edmund, and how he is. He is as hollow and soulless as any warlock can get. besides, look at what she has done? This thing that has been etched onto me, like as though I was quilting project. What is this? And how do I get it off?” said Henry angrily. Claire overheard their heated conversation, and thought it was time for her to leave. She had been here long enough, and perhaps she should seek counsel from her grandmother. 

Claire cleared her throat, and the two of them stared at her jarringly. How could they not be angels? Claire thought. They looked like they were angels that only just descended from the heavens - and this was just her floating thought of them in spite of how rude Henry has been to her. 

“Well, boys, I’ve to go now, I shall just über myself out and will give your proposition a thought.. might even sleep on it, thank you, goodbye,” she said in a breath with as must strength she could muster. She felt tired, and spent. It was as though a good part of herself was spent saving Henry’s life. 

“No, Claire, Henry will drop you, it’s not safe this late nowadays,”said Eric. Eric was always the gentleman, but insisted that Henry would drop her. Henry grabbed the keys from Eric. He certainly wasn’t too happy.

In the car, there was only silence, till Claire broke it by just blurting everything out to him. 

“Henry, I don’t know you, you don’t know me, neither do I know Edmund. Believe me, when I say that I’ve never performed a spell in my life, and till today, I didn’t know there were other witches or other beings,” said Claire exasperatedly. She didn’t know why she wanted to appease his anger. There was this aristocratic air about him. It made sense that he was some sort of royalty. He looked it. His stature, the intensity of his gaze, how the vein at his temples throbbed, and his lips, stern but perfectly sculpted. Henry made no attempt of replying, or so, she thought, till he all of a sudden stopped the car by the side of the road to really look at her, to discern her. Just in that moment, the way the moonlight touched her face, he realised that Claire had almost looked swan like, dainty, and beautiful. He had never seen anyone like her. The moon dimmed in comparison, he thought fleetingly. Worried that his thoughts were going to end up on his lips, Henry looked away, surprised at himself. He had never looked at anyone the way he looked at her tonight. The many of firsts he will be experiencing with Claire. 

“I’m sorry for what I said before, and I didn’t mean for you to overhear our conversation. I’m just not used to having someone baby sit me? A protector? A watcher? What would you call yourself, should you accept my cousins proposition, also, call me a cynic, but what is in it for you?” He asked Claire. His voice deep, and serious, with a hint of affection. A sudden pang of pain hit his chest. His heart felt like it was going to rupture. Henry tried catching his breath, his hand squeezing the side where his heart was, the intense pain he felt and at the same time intense happiness. Panic stricken Claire opened windows to get some air into the car. Henry couldn’t understand what he was feeling, but in that moment, he knew for the very first time in his entire life that he extremely drawn to this girl in front of him, but he didn’t know why, but he had a hunch that it had to do with the spell that etched something to his chest.

“Are you okay?”

Henry was still breathing loudly. It seemed like he was hyperventilating to Claire. 

“I’m okay,” he scoffed. He was looking away from her.

“Henry, I reckon this is precisely why your cousin is worried about you, which was why he’s asked for my assistance” Claire said in a whisper; half afraid that Henry might get upset once again. Henry had already stopped hyperventilating. He was looking at her, like he never has, and laughed as though someone told him a funny joke. 

“Are you still okay to drive?”

“Yes, let’s get you home, before my cousin thinks I’ve gotten you killed, or worse, that we went for dinner,” he said dryly. 

A handsome looking boy in a navy blue sweater was sitting at her doorstep. It was Matt. He had been worried sick about Claire. She hadn’t been home all day, he gathered from her grandmother. Henry’s car parked across the street.  He watched her hug Matt from behind the hedges in the car. He was filled with jealousy. His arms over her body. Were they lovers? He had to go see Edmund and Eric. Both of them, together. What had she done to him. What was the spell that saved him? So many questions in his mind as he drove home. Claire did not live too far from him, he realised.