His Fated Queen

Chapter 3

There were three young witches in the house when I came into my powers. My mother trained us all together most of the time. Grandmother helped whenever she visited, which became more often the older I got. Each girl had control over a different element, but we learnt about all the elements and how each could work with our other powers. We took turns practicing our elemental magic and learning to control them. This was always done outside. One of the girls, Mary, would often start small fires during our lessons. She was struggling a lot with control. She was a petite girl with mousy brown hair and grey eyes. She had been abandoned when she started showing signs of having power and left at our local church. She was nine years old now and had been with us for a few years as her powers developed very slowly. She was afraid of everything, including her power. It was safer for everyone to practice outside, near water to put out fires when needed. There was little risk of us being seen by anyone so close to the forest edge. Most people in the village believed the forest was haunted and, although the village understood who we were, it was still better for everyone to not overtly show our powers. There were rumours about strange happenings in the forest and strange noises. It was such a dark place, and the humans seemed so afraid of the dark and the unknown.

I loved the lessons on using my powers, but I was often distracted when I was outside. I could sense different beings in the forest as there were so many passing through. They were always lurking near the edge, but only I could see them, only I could sense the others further in the forest. The beings did not seem to want to harm us, just watched. Intrigued by four young witches practising their powers.

Although I could work with all the elements, water was my favourite and the one I could control the most. By the age of five, I surpassed my mother’s abilities with water. My mother thought her powers were not as strong as most in our family because I took more from her while I was growing inside her. She never told me this, but I heard her thinking about it one day while she was watching me move water from one bucket to another and I reached out to comfort her. When she realised, she turned away from me and walked back into the house. I knew she was crying; I could feel how sad she was even if I didn’t understand it or know how to help her. From then, she learned to guard her thoughts and feelings around me. She was able to build a thin barrier in her mind to stop me seeing in. I didn’t mean to look into people’s minds, but it was hard to block everything out when it all came rushing in, especially when their emotions took over my own.

Along with learning the elements, we learnt about plants and what each one was used for and how to recognise them. We had a large herb and flower garden in our yard that my grandmother had been growing since they bought the house. As my abilities with the element of earth progressed, I was able to help grow the plants more and expand each with plenty to feed not only our household but help the local village and beyond as well. One of the young girls, Sarah, used the element of earth and, although she was twelve, my abilities exceeded hers. I could feel the jealousy and anger she pushed at me all through her time at our house. I did not understand her reasons, but I could feel the anger behind it, and it frightened me. She was such an angry young girl lashing out at the world that had abandoned her. Her powers were all she had.

This was the first time I encountered someone who was jealous of me, and by no means the last. It was difficult to maintain control when she was angry. I often let my power control me when the others were around, and I could feel everything that those around me felt, and it scared the young girls. As soon as my grandmother realised what was happening, she thought it best to send Sarah to a friend in London to finish her training.

By the time I was six, my powers outgrew the girls I was training with even though I was half their age. My grandmother started spending more time at our house and teaching me on my own while my mother worked with the other girls. Grandmother would take me into the forest near the river that ran through it, my favourite place. There was a spot where the river was at its slimmest, but deep enough for Ethan and I to swim. When I stood, I was completely underwater. The rocks on the riverbed would shimmer in the sunlight and there were large rocks along the bank to sit on and dry ain the sun.

During these sessions in the forest, Ethan would come with us to watch and train with me. These times were wonderful for me. I could let my powers free and see what I could do with no concerns of fear or jealousy from others. My grandmother would have Ethan help me, especially with using my powers to defend myself. Even if I didn’t like using my powers on Ethan. He was my brother, and I didn’t want to hurt him, which I never managed to do. He was two years older, though he looked just like me, with his black hair and blue eyes. But he was bigger, faster, and much stronger than me. He never complained, and he knew how to defend himself, like he had a gift. For a long time, I thought he was a witch as well. My grandmother laughed when I asked her.

‘Your brother needs training as well, Katherine. Our brothers are our protectors, as my brother is to me, as your uncle is to your mother.’

‘But I have lots of power. I don’t need him to protect me, I can protect him. I can protect everyone.’ Even as a child I was determined to look after myself and those I loved; I hated the idea of anyone getting hurt because of me. I was self-aware and given a lot more freedom than many children my age. I often took advantage of that, especially the older I got.

‘It does not matter Katherine. You may have these powers, but your brother will see threats you do not. You will be at the front of everything, he will always be watching from behind and seeing what you do not. You may be able to see the future one day, but you can’t see everything.’

Ethan walked over to me, so I could practise moving things with my mind towards him. He would deflect them, sometimes chase after them and catch them to throw back at me. I would use my arm like I was throwing the object to move it faster. He enjoyed these times training together as much as I did. He was always smiling and challenging me to push myself. During these times, he was also working to block his emotions and thoughts from me.

Soon I was learning to move heavier objects, and Ethan was catching them and throwing them back. I didn’t mean to when I spoke in my mind, ‘Ethan stop catching everything’ as I stomped my foot.

He stopped moving and looked up at me. ‘Alright Katherine, I will stop catching them but maybe try throwing them faster, and I won’t be able to.’

I looked at him with my mouth open, ‘I spoke to you in my mind’, I asked in wonder. Then I heard Ethan laugh and say ‘I know, as I am speaking to you now. This is wonderful. Now we can talk, and no one will hear us.’

I was amazed. This was a wonderful gift. If I was in trouble and Ethan was not near, I could call to him to help me. It would also make us more connected, an even stronger bond that no one could break. At dinner, we talked to each other, just silly things about our parents and the people who worked in our house. Mother was looking between the two of us and must have realised what was happening. She coughed slightly and looked at me strangely, not annoyed, but we must have been obvious. Perhaps I would be able to talk to other people this way. I wanted to know if it was just the connection I had with my brother that made this possible, or if it was a part of my growing telepathic power.

I tried it on my mother a couple of times, but she had her barrier up most of the time to block me, so I could not reach her. Grandmother told me not to try with her and I did not want to anger her. I didn’t want to try on my father or our servants. They were human. I didn’t like using my powers on them. Humans struggled with witches as it was, openly using my powers on them did not feel right.

But Ethan was happy to practise with me. He was always happy to do whatever I asked of him. We would get further and further away from each other to test the limit of my power. If he could no longer hear me, he would come to find me. We were in the village one day and Ethan was walking a few steps behind, always watching me, but would stand right by my side if strange or new people came near me. One day, we were sent to the village to buy a few things for our mother. I had moved a few stalls from him when a man came up to me. Humans were always drawn to me, and I did not realise just how dangerous that could be on my own while still not in control of my powers. He was not from the village, and grabbed my arm. I was afraid, and a small breeze built up from my feet while I called to Ethan in my mind. He came running and placed a hand on my shoulder. I immediately calmed and the breeze stopped. After looking at my brother, the man removed his arm and walked away. He looked so confused, perhaps I had made him leave. I was unsure and but I knew I wanted to leave. My brother took my hand, and we went straight home. I had been so afraid of this man and, without thinking, I used my power. Mother was very upset when we told her what had happened. Not upset I had used my powers, but that this man had come and touched me. She worried he knew what I was.

‘He does not know who we are, mother. He seemed to want to know if I was real. That was why he touched me. I just reacted badly.’

‘No Katherine, you did not. You did what your powers told you to do. But you called for Ethan, and he protected you. That is why we have our brothers.’

‘I will always protect you, Katherine; I love you more than my own life.’

I looked up at Ethan and he held me. He was taller than me now, and I fit comfortably in his arms as his chin rested on my head. I felt so safe and at peace. I sensed my mother watching us, not with pride of her son protecting her daughter, but fear of how close we were. It would not be the last time she felt that fear over our relationship.

My powers started developing quickly. Sometimes, when I realised a new power, I would feel uncomfortable. Like my human body was too small, too frail to contain the growing power. It made me anxious and sometimes difficult to control something I was doing. It’s how I always knew when a new power was coming. I was able to start preparing for it. My mother could sense these times in me as well and taught me to control my breathing. She would make me sit in the locus sacer in between the window and the grimoire. She would light a candle and tell me to focus my breathing and concentrate on the flame. I could tune everything out and my anxiety would disappear.