The Magical

II

Taking a deep breath, she pressed the doorbell. Sequoia listened as the familiar sound of birds chirping filled the air. She rolled her eyes and chuckled knowingly at her mother's odd choice in doorbells.


After a few minutes of anxious waiting she started to get worried. Did they move and not tell her? Have they forgotten about her? Are they in trouble? Looking around she realized it was the middle of the night. "Oh," she sighed in relief, "they're probably just sleeping."


She tried the door and surprisingly found it unlocked, shaking her head at how unsafe that was. Walking in, a flood of memories ambushed her. So many birthdays and holidays spent between her and her mother. So why does does this place feel so foreign? And why does the idea of seeing her mother again make her want to run the other way?


As quietly as possible, she closed the door behind her. Knowing they wouldn't be expecting her, she tried her best not to wake them. She decided to look around for a bit to see what's changed, what they've been up to while she was gone.


She saw some photos of them with a group of women hanging up on the fridge along with some old photos of her. Most likely the local coven. Sequoia's mother had always thought it was best to stay away from any covens they may come across over the years. She was afraid of raised suspicions and attracting attention.


If the elders found them they would have to run again. And each time they got closer and closer. Honestly, they hadn't expected to live in the same place for so long. And Sequoia was certainly surprised to see her mother breaking one of her most strict rules. She supposed that she had let her guard down while she was gone. After all, it was mainly Sequoia that they were after.


"Oh, it's just you", Sequoia turned to see her grandmother, Polly, take a sigh of relief as she let the baseball bat - previously aimed and ready to swing - fall to her side. "Could you be any louder, child," she sighed again and walked over to the fridge where Sequoia was standing, "You mind?" while Sequoia was expecting a hug or a 'where have you been?' all she got was a mean old lady who wanted into the fridge. She quickly moved out of the way when she realized what she was referring to.


Awkward silence rang out as she watched Granny Polly rummage around the fridge for who knows what. "So how have you guys been? How's mom?" she asked. Polly pulled out a miniature bottle of wine and grabbed a wine glass from the dish rack next to the sink. Sequoia rolled her eyes at this. She had forgotten how much of a drinker she always was.


"We've been good, great actually now that we don't have to constantly look over our shoulders. But I guess that's all over seeing as you're back from the dead," Polly responded, refusing to meet her granddaughter's eyes. Sequoia looked at the ground, not sure if she should feel guilty or hurt. "We actually started mingling with the local coven here. Got your mom to start using magic again. I mean for more than just survival. Well, anyways I'm off to bed. Try not to wake me again?" Sequoia nodded her head and watched her leave the room.


Silently, she let out the breath she was holding and slumped into the kitchen chair. She smiled thinking about her mother using magic again.


When she was a child, before her father died, Ilana used to create these little magical trees floating in the air. They would dance around and even talk. Her mother used them to get a young Sequoia to fall asleep faster, but little did she know that when she left every night the girl would stay up trying to figure out how to create them herself. She never did figure it out though.


After a few more minutes of memory lane, Sequoia forced herself up from the table and headed upstairs to her bedroom. When she found it full of old storage boxes she frowned. She spent a good thirty minutes clearing off her bed and making enough room for her to sleep, which was hard with how exhausted she was. Turns out the teleporter taxi has some side effects.


As she laid in bed she was glad that she hadn't brought back more stuff with her. The only thing she had to remember that mysterious place by was a small ring, given to her by her mentor. He said it would help her be more at peace with herself. Which was good for their meditation sessions, but really she wears it to remind her of that place and of what Markus taught her.


Slowly, as the Earth continued spinning, she drifted off into a fitful sleep full of nightmares about evil lurking in the night and a sinister, lethal cackle.

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She woke up in a panicked state, unsure of why. Sighing, she ran her hands over her face and then through her messy light-red hair. "Okay," she said to the air before getting up and stretching.


She didn't bother changing before going downstairs to see her mom. She was both too excited and too nervous to care about how she looked right now. 


Creeping down the stairs, she listened to her mom and Polly partake in mundane small talk preparing to surprise them. When she got to the door way she suddenly jumped into view, making her mother gasp who was seated at the kitchen table drinking her morning coffee.


"Oh my God! Sequoia! When did you get back?" her mother rushed out as she scrambled to hug her daughter whom she hadn't seen in over a year. Polly rolled her eyes at this and took another sip of her more-than-coffee. By the time the two women broke apart they both had tears running down their faces. Sequoia was so happy to be reunited with her mom she didn't even register her mother's question until they broke apart. 


"I got in just last night. I said hi to Granny but I didn't want to wake you so I just went to bed," she explained. 


"Oh you should have just woken me, I'd rather welcome you home than sleep. I can do that any day silly! So how was your time with Markus? I told him to take care of you...did he?" Ilana questioned with excited eyes. 


"Yea yea, he's been training me and teaching me things that I couldn't have learned anywhere else. We've become pretty good friends over this past year. I learned a lot about myself too," Sequoia went in for a second hug, " Thank you for sending me there, mom. I don't know where I would be if you hadn't have done that."


"Aw, of course sweetie. It was what's best for you. Now, sit down and have some coffee with us. Tell me all about this training," Ilana encouraged as she pulled out the chair next to hers.


 ~~~~~


"Thanks for the help, mom," Sequoia smiled at her mother as they carried the last of the boxes into the basement. 


"Of course, honey. I honestly should have just kept them in the basement in the first place but I was just so tired of going up and down the stairs and then I didn't know when you would be back so..." they set the last two boxes down, "But anyway, I'm headed out for the day. I'm gonna go spend some time with the coven."


"Oh yeah, I saw that you were hanging around with them in those photos upstairs. How is that going?" Sequoia asked.


"Well I'm doing a lot more than just hanging, Sequoia. I've fully joined the coven. And it's going fairly well too," she responded with a grin. 


"What? But how? Isn't that dangerous?" Sequoia sat down on the basement steps, "I thought we couldn't join covens..."


"I know, I know sweetie," Ilana sat down and pulled her daughter close, "but I've found a way. Technically, I didn't join the coven. It's a potion. It disguises me as someone else. So no one in the coven, not even the coven Ketua, knows that it's really me."


"But isn't that still dangerous? What if the potion were to wear off too soon? What if they somehow did find out it was you? What then?" Sequoia questioned with crinkled brows. 


"Sequoia, I am being careful. Is it a risk? Yes. But I need this. I need to be with my people, I need to be a part of a coven again. It's been too long," Sequoia looked at the ground, studying the dust. "Although, I must say I don't miss the monthly full moon rituals. But I guess if I want to be a part of the coven then I'll have to endure it," Ilana sighed. 


"What full moon ritual?" Sequoia asked. Her mother chuckled.


"I always forget that you've never been in a coven before. It really is sad that you've never got to experience what every witch should," Ilana sighed again, "It's called the bahagian kuasa. It's a ritual that every coven across the globe is required to partake in every month under the full moon. Basically, what it does is it shares some of your magic with the elder coven. Making them stronger."


"Hold up, the baha-whata?" It's true, the young woman was having trouble keeping up with all of this. However, she was determined to learn as much as she could. As far as she was concerned, knowledge was power.


Ilana laughed loudly at this, "The bahagian kuasa. It roughly means 'shared power'," she looked down at her watch for the time, "Oh boy, I'm gonna be so late. I should really get going, honey."


"But wait, why would the elders need more power?" Sequoia questioned further.


"That's classified information, as far as I know. But I have some old books of spells up in the attic. You can probably find more on that ritual in one of those," Ilana stood up and sighed, "Oh Sequoia, I so wish that you could have had the childhood that I did. Being in a coven, it just...it opens your eyes to a whole different side of witchcraft. I hope that some day you'll be able to too." 


"Don't worry, once I get my magic back, I will. I just hope that's soon," Sequoia confessed to her.


"I don't know, Sequoia. I still don't know exactly which spell was placed on you. And there are hundreds of different spells that it could be. When your magic will return, if it ever does, is a mystery to me," Ilana looked at her daughter with sad eyes. 


"It's not gone, mom. I can feel it. I will get my magic back. I just don't know when."


"I hope you're right," bending down to give her a kiss on the head, she gave Sequoia's hand a quick squeeze. "Alright, I'm off to see the wizard! The wonderful wizard of Chesterfield!" her mom sang all the way up the stairs, causing an unwilling smile to appear on Sequoia's face.