Chapter 9: Chapter. 9 Revelation

…when she saw hands.

So many hands.

Each had three fingers tipped with claws. Diana’s mouth was open in shock as she swept her teary gaze slowly up through the sea of hands up to the body they were attached to. It was another blue being like Yani, but looked more like the offspring of a spider and a man. Those arms with hands joined with his back and he had one set of ‘human’ arms and legs. He wore a white hood and long hanging skirt, but nothing else. Anything else would hinder the many spider like legs coming out of his back. Had two large white eyes, with clusters of smaller eyes around them. All of them seemed to be staring at Diana as she silently screamed.

“You are not worthy of the Couper name, but the Couper blood runs diluted through your veins all the same. We will protect Salem, and you will help my keeper and your coven mother. Willingly, or not.” Knox spoke with a sneer and a heavy threat. “You don’t have a spirit guardian, so you can’t stop me, or any other spirit guardians from dragging you right back here. Like a spider’s web you are stuck in my sights, and I will weave my way to you in an instant if you ever leave. Even when you can’t see me? I can see you.”

“That’s enough Knox.” Anna’s anger had dissipated and she seemed less sure that this was a good idea. “I wanted to help her remember and see the truth, not terrify her. I-I was angry, yes, but she wasn’t being very nice. This isn’t easy for me either.” Anna spoke to her spirit guardian, and he turned to frown at her.

“You are doing your best Anna. You give everything you have to the Coven. To Salem. You are a true leader, and leaders are very rarely thanked. Or liked by the many.”

“…but she’s my sister.” Anna whispered, but it went right over Diana's head. She was frozen in fear by Knox.

“By a technicality, nothing more. She never met you. She never knew you. She has no loyalty to you.” Diana slowly lowered from the ceiling as she watched and listened to them talking like she wasn’t still being restrained to the bed. “I know you hoped for more, but you prepared yourself for her rejection. I told you to harden your heart.”

“I’m not giving up yet.” Anna tried to whisper, but Diana heard her. “This is very shocking for her, that’s all. She’s been convinced for years that magic isn’t real.” Anna turned to look at Diana’s stupefied face and took in her slowly dawning realisation. “As she comes to accept the truth, she will realise that she needs me. Almost as much as I need her. I am her sister, even if she never knew it. I’m the only family she has.”

Diana cupped her mouth and cried.

She had only two options left.

Option A, she has had a full mental break down. She’s lost her sanity and she’s hallucinating everything. The incident at the diner, Elaina and Yani, plummeting to Salem, and now Anna and Knox. Said Spirit guardian started to retract his hands from her legs and she trembled at the very real sensation of being released. She wasn’t a threat, and they’d seen her realise she couldn’t escape them either way. If she was mad, then there was no way to escape a delusion.

Or there was option B, which felt like the likeliest and scariest option. Dr Jones was wrong. She wasn’t raised by a cult, but by a real coven. Her mother was a witch, and magic was to blame for her memories being suppressed. Honestly, I don’t have much of an imagination. I couldnt dream up Yani and Knox in the space of 24 hours if I tried. “…Diana? You look…pale?”

“…can you…tell Knox…not to stop me if I…run to the bathroom? I erm…I’m going to hurl again. No wait? Too late.” Diana stumbled off the bed, landed on all fours and heaved bile onto herbedroom floor.

“Diana!” Anna ran around Knox, who shook his head and faded from view. “It’s alright. I’m sorry. I should have been gentler with you.” She stroked Diana’s back and made sure her braid hung safely down herback. “Knox is very intimidating at times, but he has a heart of gold. He just wants to protect everyone as much as I do.” Diana didn’t reply. She was too busy vomiting onto the floor of her childhood bedroom. She sobbed and shook with the force of it. Waves of nausea and revelation wracked through her.

I’m a witch. Magic is real. Spirit guardians too. My mother didn’t throw me away, but sent me away to protect me. My mother died protecting a sister I didn’t know I had, and the city I was born in. From evil ‘dark ones’ who assassinated her. The same ones who will now try and kill me because I happen to be a Couper. Holy crap! “It’ll be alright. I’ll spell away the mess one you’re done. Then how about a nice warm bath? I can enchant it to speed up your recovery. I’ve already healed your injuries but I bet you still ache. Oh, and when you feel up to it Agnes has made a fantastic beef stew.”

“Who the hell is Agnes now?” Diana grunted through her nausea. “If you tell me she’s another sister or an aunt or something, I’m passing out right here.” Anna giggled and stroked her back.

“No, Agnes isn’t a Couper. You and I are the last. Agnes is our cook.”

“You have a cook?” Diana groggily looked up at Anna through wisps of black hair. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were loaded huh?”

“The Coupers are a founding family in Salem. We have invested well over the generations.” Anna chuckled and nodded to the bile on the floor. “Do you think you’re done?”

“…yeah…I think so.”

“Alright then.” Anna looked down at the vomit, her eyes flashed hazel and she flicked a hand absently at it. “All gone. Now how about you fresh up in a bath and we’ll talk some more over dinner?” Diana groaned with disgust at the thought of food. “You’ll be up for it later I’m sure.”

Anna walked Diana carefully to the bathroom and ran a bath for her. Diana warily watched as Anna whispered things to the water and poured various oils into it. The water had a pink hue and smelt of lavender by the time she was done. “All the usual toiletries are on the shelf here. Take your time. We have a lot to talk about, and we’re safe here. Just…let it all sink in. And?” She nervously added as she lingered in the doorway. “I hope you’ll forgive me for losing my temper with you and using Knox to force you into seeing the truth. I planed on doing this gently but…well? Honestly mother is a sore spot for me.”

“She is for me too.” Diana folded her arms and kept the bath between them. “I…don’t know how much you know, but I was never able to do anything. I’m not going to be any good to you.”

“If you had no power and weren’t a threat, then you wouldn’t have been in danger Diana. Mother wouldn’t have sent you away if you weren’t so important.” Anna gave her an even look that spoke of 100% confidence in her deduction. “All our lives depend on unlocking your memories and the power locked in our bloodline. We can’t fail.”

“No pressure then?” Diana chuckled anxiously.

“Sorry, but yes. There is very much pressure to succeed. We’ve…lost so many already.” Anna sighed and smiled sadly. “Sorry, I’m not being very gentle again. Enjoy your bath and think about whatever you want to ask me. I promise I will answer anything you want to know. No matter how…painful it might be.” She clearly anticipated questions about their mother.

And she was right. Diana wanted to know why she was sent away. Why couldn’t she stay and be raised a Couper after all? Was it because she never got her magic? She’d never recalled anything from turning 13, a good month was a total black out for her from when her birthday should be in her memory. At the end of the black out, she’d been found in Portland walking the highway and entered the foster system shortly afterward. “I’ll see you downstairs Diana.” Anna shut the door and Diana went through the motions. She stepped out of her sleeping shorts and vest and into the bath. She hugged her knees and stared blanky ahead of her. Her mind decided in that moment to remind her that her mother had washed her in this very bath many times as a little girl. Laughing splashing her with bubbles and combing through her long black hair. Her mother had always commented on how lovely her hair was. It’s why she never got it cut short, even when it was fashionable to do so. She remembered so little of her mother, but she remembered her hair being combed by her and admired as being beautiful.

Diana wept as she released her hair from her braid and ran her fingers through it. She trembled with grief as she thought of her mother’s smiling face. She’s dead. I’ll never see her again. I’m finally home, and she’s long gone.

On the other side of the bathroom door Anna sat on the floor with her back against the door. She had the back of her head resting against the wood and listened to the soft whimpering on the other side of the door.

“…I wasn’t…gentle with her either.” Knox lowered to one knee beside her and frowned. “You are a true witch. You’re the one holding the coven and this whole town together. You. The wards should be responding to you, not her.”

“And yet?” Anna turned her head on the door and whispered to Knox. “The moment she entered through the wards? We all felt them bolster. They’re nowhere near as strong as they were, but they have strengthened a little. Just because Diana is here. She hasn’t done anything yet, and her presence alone was enough to strengthen them.”

“You still did that.” Knox lifted her chin with one of his human looking hands. “You brought her here. You sent Elaina. This is your doing. Diana is your pawn in this. You are still the Coven mother. You are the one who is going to save Salem. Not her.”

“Thank you. You’ve always had such faith in me.” Anna smiled and leaned into the hand. “We have to save Salem. If I can get a sister out of it, that would be great, but it’s not necessary. Even if she hates me for it, she will return the wards to their former glory.”

“That’s the Coven mother I know and love.” Knox grinned and tugged her up to her feet. “Come on. Agnes bought your favourite Merlo. Go and have a glass.”

“A perk of being Coven Mother. Underage drinking isn’t frowned upon.” She giggled and Knox used one of his spider hands to tousle her hair. “Hey?” She laughed and enjoyed the brotherly way he teased her at times. That was Knox. A protective big brother one minute, a fearsome force of nature the next. A worthy spirit guardian for any Coven Mother.

If only I was a worthy Coven mother.