Jennoveve looked at her book of shadows and wrinkled her nose. She had her grandmother's ancient tome opened to one of the first spells, the binding and summoning of a familiar. She tapped her pen against another open book, her notebook where she had tried to untangle the meaning of the spells. She knew she looked a mess. Her auburn hair in a messy bun and her alabaster skin was streaked with ink stains on her fingertips from writing. Her green eyes scanned the page quickly, looking for anything she may have missed. She could easily ask her aunt for help, but a real witch did not need help for a spell this simple. She looked over the ingredients she had copied to her notebook, along with a short description she had provided herself since none of Grandma’s potion ingredients were labeled.
- Vervain, a herb with purple flowers
- A blackbirds feather
- A silver chain
- A white candle
She looked at the four ingredients before her, pilfered from her grandma’s stores in the dead of the night. It wasn’t that her family did not approve, more that they were always trying to meddle. Aunt Vi made her so nervous at her last casting that she misspoke the Latin and accidentally set a swarm of bees loose on the mailman. Grandma Agatha was not much better. Every time Jennoveve moved the old woman would make a disapproving sound as if she had done something wrong. Whenever Jennoveve asked her grandma for help or advice she just shrugged and said “A witch knows, what do you think dearie”. Between the two, Jennoveve was confident she would never cast a successful spell under their supervision. Thus a plan was hatched.
Jennoveve would sneak the ingredients for a familiar spell. This would give her a companion to draw strength and comfort from and prove to her family that she could cast magic and they could just back off. In theory anyway. For the plan to work though everything had to be just right. If she messed up this spell she knew she would never hear the end of it. With a sigh, she began grinding the purple flower with the yellow center with a mortar and pestle, counting out her circles as the book instructed. Seven clockwise, ten counterclockwise.
She scooped the ground herb into the small brass bowl at the center of her altar, lit the white candle, and wrapped the silver chain around her left hand. She took the feather in her right hand and began to chant the spell to summon and bind. She felt energy zing through her body and electrified her. Jennoveve made sure to keep herself calm and her breathing even as she continued the spell in a flat, even tone. As she chanted she formed a pentagram in the air with the feather before lifting the candle with the hand wrapped in the long thin silver chain, she tilted the candle so that some of the white wax dripped into the bronze bowl and then touched the feather to the flame and dropped it, letting it burn in the bowl.
Her hands were sweating and her heart was pounding as the pungent aroma of the burnt feathers and herbs filled the room. Try as she might she could not keep her hands from shaking with the force of the energy pumping through her body in hard almost painful waves. She squeezed her eyes shut tight trying to concentrate and direct the magic, but it was like trying to tame a wild animal. It lashed and bit at her soul the more she fought, and a sour acrid smell filled the room. Something has gone wrong she thought as the smell burnt her nostrils. Still the power in her lashed and fought her control, trying to break free from her.
“NO!” She said out loud, forcing the wild thing into submission, realizing it was not the magic fighting her, but the power she had summoned. Her familiar. Was it supposed to be like this? It felt so strong for an animal spirit from the fae realms, and why was it fighting her? Didn’t familiars want to serve the witches who called them? Was this meant to be a test if she was worthy of the familiar? She was not sure, but she did know that she had a feeling deep in her gut that if she lost this contest it would be very very bad for her.
Still, the force thrashed about, and then suddenly it was still. She jumped as a low chuckle filled the room and a burning sensation wrapped around her hand where the chain was. She screamed and fell to her knees, grasping her hand and opening her eyes. Panting she examined the hand. Her skin was steaming and where the chain touched her skin a row of dark slashing runes formed, looking as if they were tattoos inked from smoke. She stared at the glyphs in shock. To her knowledge, none of the other witches' familiars had branded them.
“Little witch, what have you done?” Said a smooth dark voice. The voice seemed to be sin and nightmare wrapped into one sultry sound. It was deep and smooth and just the sound of it caressed her skin. She looked up to see a man leaning against the wall, darkness and shadows partially obscuring him as he gazed at her with bright red eyes. He was tall and well-built with shaggy black hair and tawny skin. He smiled at her with a mouth full of sharp teeth and he seemed wholly unhuman though he took the form of a man.
Her eyes bulged and she scooted back, sliding across the floor in fear.
“W-Who are- Wh-what are you?” He smiled a predator's smile and approached her, his hand held out.
“It appears little witch that you have bound a demon as your familiar” Jennoveve shook her head.
“No, I-” She began and the demon chuckled and sniffed the air.
“Let me guess, you used nightshade instead of vervain?”
“I no - no I used the purple flower-” She began, scooting back a little more.
“With the yellow center? Yes that, my little lamb, is nightshade. Vervain is a smaller all purple flower” he advanced again, the shadows falling away and his form becoming more and more human “Are you planning on staying on the ground all day?” he said, cocking an eyebrow at her.
“I- well no-” She could not seem to get her brain to cooperate. The demon reached down and pulled her up by her elbows, his skin hot to the touch and sending the same electric currents she had felt during the summoning, only this time the currents did not seem to want to destroy her, but rather comfort and ease her.
“My sweet deadly flower, are you always this articulate?” he purred in a sultry voice, inches from her face.
“No-less so today” she managed, breathing heavily. His scent was musky with undertones of sweetness.
“Ahh that is better. And what is your name sweet one?” He said. Jennoveve’s brain finally clicked into gear and she stepped back, out of his arms.
“No, if I give you my name you have power over me.” She said,
“Oh but flower you have bound us, You hold all the power here.” The demon held up his left hand, wrapped around his tawny skin in the same smoky shadows, where more angled runes. He looked at the runes and smiled
“Ahh Jennoveve it is then,” he said, looking back at her with his crimson eyes. She startled and looked at him in shock
“H-how did you-” she said before the idea to lie even crossed her mind.
“Jennoveve, my dear I CAN read infernal you know,” he said with a tisk as if it was the silliest question in the world.
“Infernal?” she squealed
“It is what all demon contracts are written in. When you wrestled my soul into the bonding we formed a contract.” His tone gave nothing away on how he felt about his situation.
“What kind of contract?” She whispered. He clasped his too-warm hands around her wrist and stared at her.
“The kind that makes me do your bidding until such time as your heart stops beating.” His voice was a low menacing growl.
“And then what happens?” She whimpered.
“And then my dear Jennoveve you are mine for just as long” He let go of her wrist and stroked a finger down her cheek. She swallowed hard.
“I- I didn't mean it can't we just-just undo it?” she asked, fear making her legs feel weak.
“Not unless you want to stop your heart, my pet.” He chuckled darkly. She shook her head. “In any case do not be afraid, I am forbidden to cause you harm see” he lifted her marked hand and ran a finger along a bit of the mark. “It's all right here” She shivered at his touch, her blood pounding.
“What-what is your name?” She managed to get out. He smiled wolfishly and took a step back and bowed
“Sabnac, lord of poisons, at your service” There was a strange humor behind his eyes.
“I am sorry Sabnac,” Jennoveve whispered, truly meaning it. If she had just been an adult and asked for help none of this would have happened. He laughed again.
“Do not apologize, sweetness. Jennoveve you have given me a gift. Hell is boring, and frankly too hot. I will enjoy my time chained at your side I think” He pulled her in against his body “Especially when I am chained to one as beautiful as you, Jennoveve” he whispered into her ear.
There was a sound from outside her attic room.
“Jennoveve? Girl what are you doing” it was her grandmother's voice, approaching. A look of fear and anxiety crossed her face. Sabnac laughed and then he was gone. Her door opened and she jerked her marked arm behind her back. “Damn girl what did you do!” the ancient woman standing at her door barked. Her grandmother was old and thin with hair white as snow and calculating green eyes.
“I was just-” Jennoveve searched for words to excuse what was obviously spellwork when a meow came from behind her and a large black cat slinked between her legs, rubbing against her. She looked down startled.
“Jennoveve! Have you bound a familiar!” the woman exclaimed, pride in her voice.
“I- um yes yes this is… This is Sab.” She gestured at the cat who turned and winked at her.
“Oh, dear one! I am so proud! I better go and tell Viola!” the old woman rushed away as fast as her frail bones would take her. Jennnoveve’s door shut. The cat disappeared in a cloud of smoke that reformed into Sabnac
“Sab? I like it.” he grinned, leaning against the door.
“You can shapeshift?” she asked.
“Well obviously, you would have keeled over dead if I showed up in my true form” There was so much humor in his voice.
“Well….what now?” she asked, hesitantly.
“Now, my mistress Jennoveve, I serve you.”
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