Chapter Three

Early the next morning Lucinda was awakened by the smell of waffles. Considering that waffles were her favorite food for breakfast, she got out of bed and went down stairs.

          “Good morning sweetie.” Stella says with a smile, “Would you like waffles or eggs this morning?”

          “Waffles of course!” Lucinda says sarcastically.

          “I thought so, so that’s why I fixed plenty.” Stella says with a grin.         

          “So what’s the plan for today, since I have turned eighteen?” Lucinda asks curiously.

          “Well, I was thinking of leaving that up to you, just remember that we have to be back to serve dinner this evening.” Says Stella.

          “I was thinking we could go the antique shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Ellie’s mother found some interesting things up there the last time she went.” Lucinda simply says.

          “That sounds wonderful. I haven’t been there in a very long time. They must have some new stuff in there by now.” Stella says with excitement, “With that said, finish eating and then we can go.”

          “Alright, just give me five minutes.” Lucinda says quickly.

          After Lucinda had put her plate in the sink, she ran upstairs to change. Lucinda took a quick look through her closet and decided on a pair of jeans and a red short-sleeve top. She then found a pair of blue sneakers. On the way out the door, Lucinda decided to put on the amulet that Ellie had given her the night before. She also remembered to grab her jacket off the back of the door.

          An hour later, Lucinda and Stella arrived at the antique shop in Charleston. The Antique shop was called Nobellas. Nobellas was a small shop with high ceilings and uniquely aged exterior.

          “Now, if there’s anything you like in here, don’t be afraid to ask me to get it for you.” Stella tells Lucinda.

          “Alright, I’ll let you know if I find anything.” Lucinda says hurriedly.

          Lucinda was quickly heading towards the collectables and books when she saw a collection of wolf antiques. While looking through them she spotted a book about ancient societies of witches that was closely related to the wolves. Along with it came a dream catcher, which Lucinda thought was very odd since it didn’t really relate, but since she found it interesting and because it only cost thirty dollars, she asked her mother for it.

          “Oh, that’s so beautiful.” Stella says when she sees the book cover. “You will do well with the book around.

          “Uh, thanks.” Lucinda says uncertainly.

          As soon as they got back Lucinda walked to the house and quickly went up to her room. She then closed the door and put her coat on the back hook.  She laid the bag on her bed and sat down with the book in her lap.

          The cover of the book was ancient but the pages inside were fairly modern. Lucinda looked back at the cover and was interested in the title, which was “Societies of the world”. Lucinda didn’t see why the book had caught her attention. But after looking through the book for some time, she came across a society that had several family names that she recognized. One was her own family name, Fang, and the other was Ellie’s, which was Northwitch. Lucinda was curious and uncertain what this meant and decided that she would mention it after dinner.

          Several minutes passed by before Lucinda was ready to go down to dinner. She walked casually down the stair and into the dining room. The room was bright with a chandelier hanging above cherry table. At the table several people were already seated.  She walked up to her Grandmother, Maria, and said hello. She then walked over to her cousin Sally. Lucinda greeted her with a friendly smile and then sat down next to her mother. On the table placed in the center was roasted chicken, potatoes, green beans and, Lucinda’s favorite, apple pie. They took their time and ate peacefully, lightly chatting and talking about their day.

          Once they were done they moved to the living room for desert and to relax. Maria went into the other room and came back with a descent sized bag and gave it to Lucinda. Lucinda looked into the bag and saw a music box. The song that was played was slow but heartwarming. Lucinda’s next gift was from Sally, which was in a small box. Lucinda opened to find a silver wolf pendant on a silver chain. Stella’s gift was a new camera so that Lucinda could take pictures of her life and friends. With that done, Lucinda thanks Maria and Sally for their gifts. Maria and Sally left soon after and as Lucinda was climbing the stairs back to her room, Stella noticed the amulet around her neck.

          “Oh, that’s gorgeous, where did you get that?” Stella asks.

          “Elli gave it to me yesterday,” Lucinda says with a smile. “I’m glad you like it.”

          “That’s wonderful; he is a really sweet guy to give you that” Stella says with a grin.

          “Oh stop it!” Says Lucinda, “Um mom, I was wanting to ask you something.”

          “What is it?” Stella asks Lucinda with uncertainty.

          “You know that boo you got me earlier today, well I’ve looked at it and I found something interesting. In a list of ancient societies our family name, as well as, Elli’s is in there.” Lucinda says calmly, “What does it mean?”

          “It means I can finally tell you more about our heritage that I couldn’t tell you about until today.” Stella says with a sigh.

          “What do you mean?” Lucinda asks.

          “In this world there are regular people and there are others. In our family we can’t tell our children about their heritage for safety reasons” Stella calmly says, “It is because…we are witches, but not just any witches, we are pure witches.”

          “No way, you have got to be joking. Are you trying to tell me that all those stories where true.” Lucinda says loudly.

          “Most of the stories were real, and a couple I made up.” Stella says softly, “You and I came from a strong line witches that are able to make amulets and potions. That is why you knew so many herbs when we visited your grandmother Maria last weekend. What bothers me, though, is how you were suddenly interested in the wolf part of the society.”  Says Stella.

          “Wait, that means that Elli has known!” Lucinda says questionably.

          “Yes and that is also why he went to Lightford,” Stella simply says, “Lightford is a unique school for young witches to learn the basics and to discover further abilities. Once you graduate from Raven High, you will have the option to go there, even if it’s for one to two years to learn the basics.”

          “What if I choose to ignore my heritage?” Lucinda asks.

          “If you choose to ignore it you can go on with school, but you could be in danger considering you are of a pure line of pure witches.” Stella says uncertainly, “By going to Lightford you will learn more about your powers and about yourself.”

          “So you’re saying that by not going to Lightford and learning the basics I could be at risk?” Lucinda asks

          “Yes, but you don’t have to go.” Stella answers, “Even if you choose not to go, I can teach you some of the basics before you graduate so you will be somewhat prepared.”

          “I don’t know if I want to go, but I want to learn.” Lucinda says excitedly, “When do we start?”

          “We will work on the basics on the weekends, starting next week.” Stella says proudly.