Chapter 7 - An Honest Conversation

It took me a while to pull myself together and find the energy to return back to Lilith’s cottage. I knew I had no choice, I couldn’t just continue lying on the ground wallowing in self pity for all eternity. I had questions. Questions that only Lilith would know the answers too. At least that was the hope.

It was well past midday by the time I had returned, the sun hovering over the tree line. The air held a light chill to it signalling the start of a new season approaching.

I push the front door open and let myself in. Following the smell of homemade cooking I headed towards the kitchen. The door was open and peeked my head around the door frame to make sure Lilith was there. She was stood over the aga stirring something in a large heavy bottomed pot. Freshly made bread sat in the middle of a heavy wooden farmhouse table, chopped into large chunks.

I stepped into the room, before even announcing my present Lilith calls out in her musical voice, “Avalon dear, do sit down you must be exhausted.” She pulls a bowl out from a rack above her and ladles a large bowl of beef broth out for me, before tuning and placing it on the table. “You missed lunch, eat.” She reprimands.

I sit without a word, taking a mouthful not feeling at all hungry. As soon as the hot broth hit the back of my neck and made its way down to my stomach, my hunger flared with gusto. I hummed happily taking several more mouthfuls.

“Lilith this is amazing, thank you.” She watches as I eat, a happy glint in her eye. We sat in companionable silence as I ate.

“You have had a busy morning.” Lilith observes as I sit back in my chair. My spoon now sat in an empty bowl.

“You know?”

“I am a witch remember? There isn’t much I miss my dear, especially on my own land. Do you want to talk about it?” her voice is gentle, almost a whisper, as if too much noise might make me break.

“I have some questions.” I didn’t want to talk about feelings, not now, I had already cried too much for someone who isn’t used to the sensation.

“I’m sure you do, I will do my best to answer.” She got up and pulled a whistling kettle off of the heating plates on top of the aga, and filled a tea pot with boiling water. Making her way back to table she settled back down and turning in her chair so her full attention is on me. Waiting expectantly.

I hesitated, unsure as to where to start with my questions. I think the most logical place would be the mark on my back.

“In your story yesterday, you told me that in order to grant you internal life, Lucifer drew a mark upon your back transferring some of his power to you. The mark you said was a pentagram?”

“Yes that’s right, a symbol which has come to be quite significant to my kind.” She answers.

“This morning in the shower I felt a burning pain, my Hunters mark began to change, the snake surrounding it changed into a 5 pointed star. Its head becoming the central point at the top of the star. Do you have any idea what it means?” I cast my eyes down, recalling the burning pain I felt this morning. Lilith paused for the moment, perhaps reaching into her memories for an answer.

“The pentagram is a symbol of the five elements. Earth, fire, water, air and life. When Lucifer drew the symbol onto me, he created an ultimate being who was able to encompass all 5 elements and wield them to my will.

“Your family, that is on your mother's side, is a very ancient line of demons. In fact Raphael St Leger was the first to fall after Lucifer. He became apart of Lucifer’s Council. Raphael was powerful in his own right, as I told you yesterday, the oldest female in the St Leger family inherits the fire in her blood. Raphael used the females in his line to do his bidding, they become some of the most feared demons in the underworld. When Oona's mother died, your grandmother, Raphael tried to use Oona as well. But she refused. She decided to take her fate in her own hands and leave to forge a new path. Her brother found out about her plan, he helped her escape. But not because he was a doting brother, he had his own agenda, Lucien has always been a jealous soul. He hated that the female members of his family commanded more respect than him. He would do almost anything to take the power for himself, including getting rid of your mother. He believed that if your mother refused her birth right and left the underworld, that she would loose the power she was rightfully hers.”

“But that didn’t happen.” 

“No, you see Oona never rejected her magic, only the use of it for evil doings. When she left the underworld she took the magic with her, and then when she found Steven, it sealed her banishment from the underworld. The mark that now resides on your back is just a visual representation of the power that you are coming into. The fact that symbol has been made using your hunters mark only lead me to think that your magic is linked with you being a hunter now.”

“But the fact that she was a demon, that she had magic at all, didn’t that make her evil? And how will be being a hunter effect my magic?” I questioned.

“No dear, quite the opposite. You seem to forget, Demons were once Angels. They fell from grace because they didn’t not agree with God’s will. They aren’t inherently evil. The evil in them is a choice brought about by centuries of isolation and torment. Oona chose the path that led her away from evil. Magic is just the same child. You can use it for light or you can use it for dark. A choice you to will have to make.”

“On my 18^th Birthday?” I suddenly realised that the clock was ticking, my birthday was less than 5 days away now. What would that mean for me?

“Yes which is exactly why it is so important to learn control now. Power such as yours will always pull you to the dark, but with patience and a strong will you can guide it to the light.” Lilith spoke as if this was the easiest thing in the world.

“But my Birthday is this Saturday!” I squeak, struggling to keep the panic from my voice.

“All the more reason to start tonight. As for your second question, I have no idea how it will effect your magic, only time will tell I’m afraid. But first you need to ask the rest of your questions. You should go into your training with a clear mind.”

“What is a blood vow?” Lilith looks at me with her standard cocked eyebrow. “Yes, yes I know it means Lucas and I are bound together, that we are the ultimate pair, but what does it actually mean?”

“Blood binding is ancient magic, before a time of humans, when gods and angels walked freely about the universe. There were some who chose to bind themselves to another in the form of a blood vow. A form of marriage if you will, only this could not be undone. Others were fated to be together, a product of a greater design. By binding yourself to another using a blood vow, they became apart of you and you them. One could not live without the other, it was like two parts of a soul. The magic was so powerful that they became an ultimate powerhouse, capable of destroying galaxies or creating solar systems. It was true love “

“So your saying Lucas and I are capable of creating solar systems?” I ask in confusion.

Lilith’s twinkling laugh filled the room. “Perhaps, who knows what is possible for love. But not yet, first you must complete the blood vow with a hand fasting. Your mother and I tied your fates together. You will be drawn to each other, perhaps even feel each other through your bond, but until you decide to complete the bond you are still very much two people.”

“I’m confused, so are we blood bound or not?” my head was starting to spin, this was so confusing.

“Yes, you are bound by blood, but by our blood, your mothers and mine. That will only account for so much. Only Lucas and yourself can choose to complete the binding. But remember child, Lucas has been led into the darkness, blood binding it white magic in its purest kind, I’m not convinced that even you could bring him back to the light.” She gave me a sad smile.

“But it is possible?” Hope evident in my voice.

“Anything is possible Avalon, especially when it comes to love. If anyone can bring him back, it would be you my dear.” She gently pats the back of my hand, a way of telling me she understand my need to fix this mess but also sympathy that it would not be a simple task.

“There is one final thing I would like to know Lilith.” I ask. “Why did Darren do what he did?” Lilith took a steadying breath.

“Well that is a loaded question. One that even I cannot answer honestly. I do have my theories however. Steve and Darren grew up together. Their families were extremely close. Both went to train at the academy and became sworn Hunters together. A friendship like that can mean everything, a sort of bond in its own right, minus the blood.” Lilith winked at me giving me a sidewards smile. “But with knowing everything about someone you know both their strengths and weaknesses. Its my belief that Darren was jealous of Steven, he was after all a widely proclaimed warrior, even the underworld had heard his name. And then on top of that he found a true mate in your mother. I am not sure of his exact motives, but I do believe that Darren sought Lucien out to tell him of Oona’s and my whereabouts. Besides Steven he was the only other person so set foot over our threshold. Maybe in seeking the demons help he gained something out of it. A transaction if you will.

“As for him taking you in. Well that is not hard to hazard a guess at. He had just single handily lead the enemy to his best friends door, killing both him and his wife. I would imagine the guilt was laying heavily on his heart. It took him three days before he sought you out, that is a long time for guilt to eat away at a soul. He would have known your heritage, there was no way for him to know for sure, but the fact you torched the cottage would have told him you were powerful. I expect he wanted to harness that power for himself.”