Chapter 14: Chapter. 14 Unveiling Memories

“For you my dear.” She had the faintest of Scottish accents and slid the cup a touch closer to Diana to take. “I hope you still like camomile with a shot of honey.”

“Still?” Diana regarded the woman warily. There was something forlorn in the way she waited for Diana to recognise her. Anna sighed and cleared her throat.

“Diana? This is Agnes.”

“Oh your cook?”

“…” Agnes pressed a hand to her stomach and looked wounded by her. “…I am a darn sight more than the cook, young lady.”

“Agnes.” Anna softly interjected and reached over to take one of Agnes’ hands. “She doesn’t remember. Her memories were sealed away when mother sent her away.” Agnes looked with alarm at the blonde, saw the truth in her hazel eyes.

“…what…but…” Agnes held Anna’s hand more tightly and looked again to Diana. She could tell from the hurt on the older woman’s face that she felt betrayed by this revelation. “…you really don’t remember me?”

“Sorry no.” Diana folded her arms on the table and chewed the corner of her lip, stalling, but not forlong. “The last couple of years I’ve been getting flash backs in my sleep. Bits and pieces. Normally of Ma, but-”

“You remember your mother at least.” Agnes seemed to take comfort in that. “She loved you somuch.” She cleared her throat to regain control of her emotions before they spilled over. Anna released Agnes’ hand and looked down into her tea like she was suddenly uncomfortable. “It nearly killed her having to send you away.” Diana visibly tensed and her brown eyes hardened. Being reminded that her mother left her with amnesia on the highway didn’t do her mood any favours.

“Which was to keep you safe.” Anna weighed in before Diana could go on the attack. “Remember? I told you yesterday. Mother sent you away to keep you safe. From the dark ones.” Diana swallowed down the million questions that raised, and picked one. Not the one she wanted to ask the most, but one she thought she’d get a relatively honest answer to.

“Who are they again? Are they witches too?”

“Ha!” Agnes sniggered and marched over to the hob to start cooking breakfast like she was angry with the bacon. “Like a dragon is also a lizard.” Diana looked up, couldn’t figure out whatever that cryptic one-liner was supposed to mean, and instead looked to Anna expectantly.

“Erm, I assume you didn’t send copper top after me and yank my ass through my bed, to hurtle to my almost death, because of a bunch of lizards…so I ask again?” Diana’s natural setting of snark was set firmly at a 7 out of 10. “Who are the dark ones? Infact, whilst we’re at it, why do they want to kill me?”

Suddenly Diana’s plan to not unleash the tap on her questions was abandoned and they flew from her one after the other. “Are they why my mother sent me away? Did they seal my memories, or did Ma? Did she-”

“Hang on a minute.” Anna put her right hand up calm her like Diana was a startled horse about to bolt. “You want answers? That’s understandable, but I can only answer one question at a time.” Diana folded her arms and sat back with a borderline defiant look on her face. She was listening, but her patience was wearing thin. The last 24 hours had been hell, and the prospect of getting some answers was the only thing keeping her placid. For now, at least. “I intended to let you settle in first, but I understand you must be uneasy with so many unknowns. Especially with learning that your childhood memories are sealed away.” Anna sighed and turned her half drank cup of tea in her hands. She threw an appreciative smile over her shoulder briefly, then focused on her sister with renewed confidence. You could hear a pin drop in that hard wood kitchen. Even with the sound of eggs sizzling and Agnes sighing in the back ground. “We witches of Salem are the founders of this town. The settlement was originally called Naumkeag, and was a tiny settlement, but our ancestors arrived by 1628. Out of Europe smaller covens escaped persecution to join the British collective of witches, and they settled here as the Salem Coven. Of those founding families the Couper line have alwaysled the Coven.” Diana felt herself sink into the chair as she distinctly felt like she was about to get a history lesson. Her least favourite subject at school.

She busied her hands by lifting her cup of tea and took a sip. Mmm…that tastes pretty good. Diana looked over her shoulder at Agnes’ back and smiled. Maybe she did know me after all? As Anna continued Diana returned her attention to the younger woman. “Below the land is a magical well of energy and it connects to the spiritual ley lines that bridge our world with the shadow lands.” Diana’s eyes were open wide like saucers. She paused mid sip of tea and barely managed to swallow the sweet liquid as she tried to mentally swim through that ocean of information. Anna wasn’t giving her the time to make her way to the deep end either. She dropped her straight into the murky waters. “The Shadow lands are where the spirit guardians reside when they aren’t bound to a witch.” Diana looked over to Anna’s side and wondered if Knox was stood there. He probably was. All his spider arms feeling at the floor around them and looking down at her with a sneer. This land overflows with magic and magical connections. We call it a nexus. Salem isn’t the only one, but it is pure and therefore highly coveted.” Anna paused as Agnes put a full cooked breakfast down in front of Diana.

“Eat up my dear. You’ll be needing all of your strength.” Between her gargling stomach and the old woman’s spooky tone, Diana didn’t need asking twice. She also wasn’t one forstanding on ceremony, so she dug in whilst looking at Anna to carry on her tale.

“Yes you will.” Anna added soberly. “The dark ones are not witches, per say, but they practice magic. Our craft is rooted in the elements. Fire, water, wind, and so on. Theirs is darker. Malevolent.” Anna reached her right hand over to pat something on her left shoulder, and Diana was utterly convinced Knox had to be touching her there. Perhaps for strength and support? The blonde seemed to smile and her resolve built up at the contact regardless. “They actively practice hexes, mind warping, necromancy and blood magic. They can use the elements as well, of course, but not by preference.”

“So they’re the bad guys?”

“Utterly.” Anna was steadfast in her belief and she nodded to Diana with such seriousness, she lost her appetite. “Before the wards went up around Salem to keep them out, it was a blood bath. Witches of this Coven, and the humans, were being picked off in such brutal ways. Burning at the steak would have been kinder than the curses the dark ones wielded. All to try and take this land from us and have sole access to the nexus.” Diana leaned with her elbows on the table and broke apart a slice of toast with both hands.

“So, it’s a power grab? They want the magic here, and the magical barrier thingie I fell through yesterday is keeping them out?”

“Yes.” Anna nodded witha smile, but it soon faltered with worry. “Salem has had 400 years of peace from the dark ones because of the Couper bloodline. While ever a Couper rules the Coven and resides within Salem, the wards will hold.” Anna recited the last line like she had done so all her life. “And yet…” She looked less sure of herself and licked her lips nervously as she looked Diana right in her eyes. “When mother died to save my life, it was at the hands of a dark one.” Diana felt a lump form in her throat. She didn’t want to think about her mother being murdered. Or the horrible way her sister described her death. Days of suffering before finally passing away. “Somehow they got through the barrier. That should have been impossible. Yet from that moment 2 years ago, more and more have entered Salem.” Anna folded her arms and looked to Diana like she somehow had answers to give. “They are slowly getting a foothold and leeching magic from the nexus. They have even purchased a plot of land within the barrier and have built houses there. More than they will need, which tell of how many they expect will soon join them.”

“An army.” Agnes offered as placed two shot glasses of amber liquid before them. “They have invaded, and they are setting up a strong hold to launch an attack.” Diana raised a brow at this. More so that Agnes had placed a whiskey in front of the 16 year old. Before Anna could finish reaching for it, Diana swiped it, along with her own, and held them both out to her left side. I might not want to play house with the kid, but I’m not sitting here whilst she breaks the law. “What are you doing dear?”

“I’m 18, and she’s 16.” Diana felt that was explanation enough. She got up from the table and ignored the way they all looked at her like she was crazy. She emptied both shots into the sink, washed the glasses and placed them on the draining board. She continued to ignore them gawking at her as she went to the fridge and retrieved a carton of orange juice. She returned to the table with whiskey tumblers filled orange juice in both hands. “Much better.” Diana put the glass back in front of Anna, who looked positively stupefied, but Diana wasn’t phased. “So let me get this straight?” Diana lifted her orange juice up like it was whiskey and took a sip, to then point at Anna with it and one finger extended at her. “These evil magic wielding not witches, somehow got through the impenetrable magic barrier, tired to kill you, ended up killing our mother, have been sneaking across the ward ever since, become big on real estate, and are preparing for a war?” She took another sip and held the glass in both hands with her elbows on the table. Diana raised her brow which prompted Anna to snap out of her daze and fluster to catch up with her.

“Y-yes. That just about covers it.”

“And you became the Coven Mother after Ma died?”

“Yes.”

“And after Ma died the wards started to get weaker?”

“Yes.” Anna looked a tad sheepish and habitually took a drink of her orange juice simply to subconsciously mirror Diana. “I think the dark ones did something when they killed our mother to weaken it. To stop the custody of the spell transferring to me properly. I therefore hope that having more Couper blood in Salem would counter balance whatever they did. Thankfully my prediction was correct, as they are already getting stronger.” Anna nodded resolutely and offered her left palm up to Diana. “That is why I had you brought here, to bolster the wards. To help me repair the damage to the dark ones did and expel them from Salem.”

“…so you brought me from a place I was safe, into a place where I’m in danger, for your benefit?” the edge of accusation was intentional, as was the cold smirk on her face.

“You wouldn’t have remained safe for long Diana.” Anna scowled at her like she was being unkind. “You have no magical knowledge to protect yourself with. No spirit guardian. Hardly any memories of your upbringing and education as a witch. Here I can protect you. If the dark ones win this war and take over Salem, they would ensure they keep custody of the nexus by wiping out the entire Couper line. Including you, no matter where in the world you were serving instant coffee and meatloaf.” She sneered and put her orange juice down with a clink of her glass on the wood.

“Cold burn there little sis.” Diana chuckled and leaned over the table with a grin, which unnerved the younger teen to no end. She looked visibly uncomfortable under Diana’s intense brown stare. Agnes darted her eyes between the two of them and looked worried about something.

The silver haired woman saw a flash of Isabella's lioness nature growling through the eldest Couper. Anna inherited their mother's looks and cunning, but not her ferocity or the air of authority.

Apparently, Diana had those qualities. Something that Agnes thought was both wonderful, and a cause for concern. Isabella bowed to no one, but Diana would have to, if she wanted to survive.

She especially had to submit to Anna as Coven Mother. “…I’m not ashamed of working for a living.” Diana finally dropped the devil may care smirk and everyone else in the room exhaled with relief. “In fact, since you’ve made it clear I’ll be staying in Salem for the foreseeable future, I’m going to have to do so again to make my way.”

“Work?” Anna was openly baffled and shook her head. “No, no Diana, you’re a Couper. You don’t need to work.”

“Sure I do.” Diana finished her orange juice with a pleased gasp and licked her lips. “I can’t and won’t sponge off of you for the rest of my life. I’ll need to get my own place eventually, and that requires money. Which requires a job.”

“You think you’re moving out?” Anna rose to her challenge with a scowl and an angry flare in her hazel eyes.