I wake in a new room. The warm bed makes me want to stay in it. Then I realize, I was last in town. Where am I? I wonder.


"Oh, well, you're awake." Asphodel speaks.


"Where am I?" I ask.


"The Crescents of Night." She says flatly. "Your true home."


"I never lived here." I say as I sit up. The warm orange walls greet my eyes along with the dark oak dresser, a pink bassinet, and a dark oak bed-frame. The bed-frame extends almost halfway to the roof. "You trying to tell me this was my room?"


I look around the room and see a mirror. I see my dark hair, wavy like usual, a little frizzy, considering I just awoke. I look down to see a comb with a bat shape to hold the bristles.


"Seem familiar, doesn't it?" She asks.


"Kind of..." I say. "Where is my mother, then?" I quickly ask.


"Let's go get her." She offers a hand. I look down as I shift my hand into hers.


As we enter the hallways, they are nicely carpeted with a red color, trimmed with golden threaded embroidery. Black symbols, similar to the ones on Asphodel's cloak, are all over the floors. They framed the corridor with a dark oak. The hallways almost seem as if they call me.


I walk ahead of Asphodel for a moment. I turn left, and she doesn't interrupt my thoughts. It feels like I've run through these halls before.


I walk up to the big brass trimmed oak doors. They stand at a great height. I place my hand on the handle to open it.


"Are you sure you're ready?" Asphodel asks me.


"Yeah." I turn the handle.


"If you're sure." She says as I start to push the heavy door from my path. A loud creaking echoes through the home.


"Welcome.." An old white-haired woman sits in her rocking chair, near the head of the table, letting her delicate spoken voice greet me.


"Thanks. Do you know my mom?" I ask.


"Uhm, Annie..." Asphodel speaks softly.


"Annie, you've grown so much." The old woman speaks to me.


"I know you?" I ask.


The old woman shakily walks over to me. She gives me a tight hug. The idea is odd; she looks at least ninety years old, but has the strength of a bull. I squirm to hug her back. I don't want to insult an old woman.


"Oh, Annie, I've aged." She says.


"No way... mom?" I question.


"Yes, I've aged. It's a part of the family curse. Asphodel is your older sister." She says.


"Mmhm." Asphodel just agrees.


"Wait.. family curse?" I ask.


"We all age based on the use of our Magick." Asphodel pipes up. "It was a punishment for the War of the Pink moon." She adds.


"You mean that astrology crap everyone rambles about?" I snarkily reply. I thought auntie was a little nutty saying it.


"Look, you may not understand, but we sent you to your aunt Melinda for safe keeping. The war had us all in danger." The old woman, who claims to be my mother, is saying.


"So you send me to safety?" I ask.


"Yes." She replies.


"So, I guess you used magic." I say.


"Correct." She nods.


"So that's part of why you're old?" I ask.


"Yes." She nods.


"Look, you two have fun playing catchup. I have students to teach." Asphodel says.


"Right." My mother says.


"See ya soon, I guess." I say.


Asphodel walks from the massive chamber. I sigh. Mother looks at me. She seems like she's analyzing me.


"What?" I finally cave and ask.


"It's been so long, that's all." She says.


I get uncomfortable. I shift my body and begin to walk along the walls. Pictures of mostly women hang on the walls. I can't help but ponder why.


"So why are there mostly women in these pictures?" I ask.


"The coven deems a female leader once every time the head of the coven dies. Then a new one is elected." She says. "The next one is soon..." she adds, drifting into her own thoughts.


"So usually it's females?" I ask.


"Yes, only the exceptional men make it to be the head of the coven." She answers.


"So there are men who are witches too?" I ask.


"Yes, some prefer warlock or wizard. All are the same idea." She explains. "You'll start school tomorrow." She adds.


"School? It's summer." I state.


"A witch's work is never done." She replies. "Asphodel will take you for your first wand." She adds.


"You're joking, right?" I laugh. " I thought wands were only in the false stories, like witches riding on brooms." I met my wise crack with momentary silence.


"You'll be learning to do that too, Annie." She says flatly.


"Yeah, alright." I scoff in disbelief.


"You'll see." She says.


"Potions too?" I snicker a bit. This has got to be a joke. I think.


"Yes. What is a witch without alchemy?" She asks.


"I don't know." I reply.


"Dead." She says


"Oh." The mood shifts. That's a bit heavy for me.


"Tell me, what happens when you mix wolfsbane with lavender and sea water?" She asks me.


"I don't know." I say.


"It's a beast oil." She says.


"Beast oil?" I ask.


"And this is why alchemy is vital." She says.


"Is it possible to make a witch young again with alchemy?" I ask.


"Theoretically, yes. No one in our coven has figured that out yet."She walks to the table and sits in the head chair. "Everything we have ever accomplished as a coven is in this." She presses a button. An old book bound with animal hide, woven of horsehair for the stitches, comes up from the inside of the table.


"Woah." I can't help myself.


"This book has every potion, spell and ritual ever come across our coven." She explains. "This book came from Shilintha Sertus, who was the first witch known to cure nightmares with a powder." She says with pride.


"So I guess the wand is needed for some things, but not all?" I ask.


"Exactly." She replies.


"Interesting." I say calmly. Why is this starting to make sense? I wonder.


She pulls a bag from under her chair. The red velvet bag holds an assortment of junk, from what I can tell. She pulls out roses, dandelions, a box of salt and a red candle. She makes up a pentagram on the table with the salt and places the candle in the centre of it. The roses and dandelions surround the candle. The sweet aroma fills my nostrils.


The smoke of the candle burning fills the room. My mother smiles and waves a feathery fan about. She seems to be in all of her glory. She waves it about and then slips a stick from her sleeve. The stick is of ivory from some kind of bird.


"I'm cleansing." She says. She must've noticed the lost expression I wear.


"I see." The air is filled with floral scents.


A knock is at the door. It pries open and Asphodel pops in the door. She bows to mom.


"That time already?" I ask.


"You bet," Asphodel replies.


"Don't get yourselves killed," mom suggests.


"Uh what?" I ask.


"Forget it, let's go." Asphodel grabs me and drags me out of the doorway.


"So, where do we get this wand?" I ask, still being half dragged towards what seems like a foyer.


"Well, there is Wendal's." She replies. "That's where I got my first wand." She adds.