The Summoning

Elaina skulked slowly along the hallway wall of her apartment, gradually creeping into the kitchen. At the door way, she poked her head around and looked inside.

Nothing, so where did that noise come from.

She moved further in and was greeted with the loud meow of Sebastian, the stray black cat who had padded into her apartment three months ago and refused to leave.

Satisfied that only Seb was present, she straightened her body and made her way to the table where he lounged languorously over open spell books and pieces of paper she had wrote her ingredients on for the grocery store in town. Elaina petted him and he pushed his head into her hand harder. She took her hand away and glanced around the room.

Someone had been here and they’d made sure they were heard. That’s where the loud bang had come from. Elaina looked across from the pine dining table that was now Sebastian’s bed over to the French doors which opened up to a balcony caged with cold iron bars. One door was slightly ajar. She narrowed her eyes, walked up to it and inspected it. Elaina bit the inside of her lip gently as she recalled the last time she’d used the door. It was earlier this morning when she watered the potted herbs she used for smudge sticks to cleanse her home. She was certain she shut the door after she came back in. It was the beginning of November and the trees had already turned into the red and golden hues of a fire and so the air was crisp of a morning and smoke puffed out of her nose and mouth like a fire breathing dragon.

There was no way she would have left the door open, especially with Sebastian around, he may have nine lives but she didn’t want to find out how many he had left, if any. Elaina clicked the door closed and made her way back to the table. Naturally she reached out for Sebastian and ran her hands through his black fur. She looked over the table to find the yellow post-it note she had written earlier for things to collect when she went into town. Her eyes passed over Seb and then back again.

Poking out from under his back legs she noticed a camouflaged piece of black. “What’s this, Seb?” She said as she gently lifted him up away from whatever he was hiding. Sebastian glared unhappily at being moved from his comfortable spot he had made on paper. 

Sebastian revealed a black embossed envelope and plain white one, both were written by hand on the front addressed to her. She picked up the black envelope first; it seemed to radiate good tidings whereas the white one did not.  She flicked the envelope over to find the flap and ripped at the paper. She felt the paper scratch her skin, but after a look at her thumb she found no paper cut. Elaina smiled, paper cuts were evil things. Tiny and undetectable and yet they stung like someone had poured antiseptic on them.

With the envelope open, Elaina pulled out a piece of black card with white paper stuck to it. She began to read the eloquent writing which had letters swirling and dipping all over the place. “Why can’t people just write normally?” She moaned to herself.

 

 

Elaina Korin Peters,

You are invited to attend Ivy Manor on December 5^th " 12^th this year.

Please dress accordingly and transport will be provided and

will be issued the morning of the 5^th.

It was a small piece of handwriting which had took her some seconds more than normal in order to decipher the fancy writing. Elaina tucked the invitation back into the envelope and placed it on the table. Quickly, Sebastian moved from his new place Elaina had put him and sat on the black envelope once more. She raised an eyebrow at the strange action performed. She put it down to him being a cat and she a witch.

Yes, witches existed. And yes they use magic.

Don’t be scared though, they’re harmless.

Mostly.

Contrary to popular belief, cats and witches were not close. It was rare that a witch would have a cat as a familiar. That role was filled by dogs and polecats, much to a mortal’s surprise. The relationship between witches and their familiars was bought about by Hekate. Hekate was the Goddess of Witchcraft, Greek Goddess to be precise.

It’s all myth people cry. That’s just what they want you to believe.

Elaina had learnt from a young age, like other witches and other descendants from Greek Gods and Goddesses that they had survived through centuries of various religions, simply because they were much a part of the world as any other deity. People may forget about religions from the past, they may even stop practicing them. But, those religions never stop existing. 

Elaina scratched Seb under his chin, he closed his eyes sleepily. She watched him silently while she thought about the invitation. Knowing the mysterious circumstances of the invitation and the unopened envelope, Elaina was certain she knew who was behind the bang she’d heard. Hermes, a Greek God, was practically the Ancient Greek post man for the world, and he’d been that for more than a couple thousand years. 

She felt anger boil in her stomach. She felt her privacy had been breached. The least Hermes could have done was knock on the door. It wasn’t like she wasn’t home. He hadn’t even said anything, just scared the hell out of her when she’d heard him leave.

 All for an invitation to some fancy party that took place over an entire week. Do these immortals not realise that people have lives to be getting on with; they can’t just stop everything they’re doing for some party where more than likely Demi-Gods would be the result. They’re God and Goddesses, Greek ones and everyone knows Zeus is to blame for most of the problems.

Elaina’s eyes widened. Had she really just thought that, had she just blamed Zeus, God of Olympus, for all the problems in the Immortal realm? Yes. And was she sorry? Not exactly. Everyone knew it was true.

Elaina heard a bang and flinched reflexively, tucking her hand away from Seb and into her chest with the other, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Had her thoughts angered Zeus? That’s all she needs, to be smite down by a lightning bolt. When nothing happened she opened one eye first and then the other and relaxed her body like a tight coil had been released.

 Elaina looked at Seb who seemed to look at her like she was acting like an idiot. She narrowed her eyes at the silent insult. “Cat.” She said insultingly, Sebastian responded with a meow. She smiled triumphantly at Seb; he was repulsed by the name Cat. When Elaina had first taken Sebastian in to her home, she’d called him “Cat.” As she had no idea what to call him, it soon became apparent however, that “Cat.” was completely below his regal highness, Sebastian. She rolled her eyes, who knew a cat could be so demanding.

She glanced back to the invitation which Sebastian still remained sat upon. Why had she been invited? The only answer she could think of was that it was due to the fact that she was a witch. Almost every God and Goddess needed to be represented at these kinds of parties, and it seemed she had been chosen to represent the Goddess of Witchcraft. Elaina had no idea why, she was a weak witch. She hated to admit it, but she was only really capable of performing very simply spells, particularly telekinesis.

Elaina wasn’t sure as to why she wasn’t as strong as others. She did think it had something to do with her parents though. Her father, Alexander Peters had been a witch but he had died when she was young. Her mother, who she didn’t know because she had died soon after Elaina was born, had been mortal. Most witches were born from two witches, but a witch and a mortal…well it didn’t produce the strongest of magical abilities, she knew that.

Elaina didn’t let it bother her though. It was something she couldn’t help. She did have to wonder if she’d make it to her twentieth birthday though. For some reason witches, who had a weak blood tie to the Goddess didn’t seem to reach their twentieth birthday. Some say it’s down to the evolution of witches, a way to get rid of the weak and leave the strong standing. Elaina just saw it as the short string of fate.

Elaina reached out across the table to the white envelope which Sebastian had kindly left for her to open. Elaina inspected the handwriting on the front which was addressed to her. The handwriting was elegant enough that it was from someone who was probably older than forty. The way the capital E of her name was bigger than the rest told her all she needed to know.

 Elaina gritted her teeth. The letter had come from the Witch Council at Oakley Hall. The gold emblem on the crisp white piece of paper she pulled out of the envelope told her that. The emblem was a circle split into three sectors; the top left was an Eleusinian torch, the old type with the fire at one end. The bottom sector was a three headed dog which stood strong and all-knowing. The dog represented Hekate as the triple Goddess. She was known to some as the Maiden, Mother and the Crone. The top right was the night blooming moon flower; it looked like a star as it was not open fully. Elaina thought the emblem was very thought out; it had been used ever since the Witch Council began thousands of years ago.

She scoured down the stiff paper and caught sight of who signed off the letter. It was Councillor Gryphon. Gryphon was very old and old fashioned. He was one of the eldest members of the Witch Council and was in charge of Oakley Hall. Oakley Hall was a mass of land situated in the southeast countryside of England. Right now it would take Elaina a two hour drive from north London, where her apartment was all the way to Oakley which was well hidden from mortal interruption. It was amazing at how such large buildings and acres of land could go unnoticed by mortals, but power bought you secrecy, especially when you had magic to go unnoticed in the world.

Elaina started to read the letter from Gryphon.

 

Miss Peters,

I am writing to inform you of the council’s decision to refuse your application to live in among mortals.

We have come to this decision after examining your results from the exams at the end of last year. The renouncement may come as a shock to you, but we believe your development as a witch would be enhanced in an environment safe from harmful beings. Considering your past, I know you will acquiesce and put your unruly nature behind you in order to conform to the Council’s wishes. .

Please make your arrangements quickly. If you fail to comply, you will find yourself on a disciplinary course.

Heed my words, child.

Councillor Gryphon

 

Elaina bit her tongue before she screamed out in frustration. The Council aimed to control people. She’d been under their control since she was three and the one time she asks to live in the mortal world permanently they close the iron gates which keep everyone in and everything else out of Oakley shut.

 I’m going to die there, Elaina thought.

 She was only allowed out of Oakley now as she’d decided she wasn’t going to continue her education. What was the point if she would die before her twentieth birthday? She wanted to be out in the world see it for what it truly was. Maybe she’d come across witch hunters, but she knew she could protect herself from those monsters.

Elaina slapped the letter on the table in anger. Her hand stung from the force she’d used. She ran her hands through her hair which hung around her face and down to her shoulders in lose red curls. She scrunched at the curls trying to release the frustration from Gryphon’s words.

 The thought of going back caused a ripple across the small quiet life she had assumed out in the real world, but the silent threat in Councillor Gryphon’s words said defying the Councillor would end horribly for her. She had no idea what the disciplinary course would consist of but it was the Council, which meant it was going to be horrible, even if fluffy bunnies were involved.

“Urgghh.” Elaina balled her fists tightly. She could feel the power of magic hum inside her, emotions were the only fault with magic. They could make a witch unstable if they were not able to control their powers. Elaina had experience that first hand and did not wish to do it again. She breathed in sharply, her chest raised with all the air she filled her lungs with.

Once she couldn’t take any more air in, she held her breath for a few seconds spending the time imagining her powers melting away into the dark recesses of her mind.

Elaina felt the magic dissipate and slowly released her breath. She remained for some time standing away from the table in her kitchen with her eyes closed and her hands open from the tight fists they had been in.

 Satisfied she had control of the little power she had, Elaina opened her eyes, she looked round the kitchen and thought of the all the things she’d have to start packing away into boxes.

She had to do the right thing. She was an adult, and if the council found her to be a liability they’d end her life there and then. It was all about protecting the world of the Immortals and their many offspring from the outside world.

But why won’t the Council let her remain outside Oakley, she wasn’t harming anyone and she certainly wasn’t practicing a lot of magic. Never had she heard of the Council refusing an application on the reason being because the student had potential. Never had she heard the Council do that. So why were they doing that to her?

Elaina soon came to the conclusion that no matter what, no matter how old she was, she would always be subject to the Councils orders.

       Who said being a witch was easy?