Cuckoo in the Coven

“Don’t be afraid of the word. Consider us your friendly neighborhood community.”

“That certainly makes it more accessible, I agree.”

“In the coven, we each bring different things to the table, but we have common magic, even though our skills and practices stem from our own backgrounds. Deep within ourselves it is humanity that bonds us, the magical element is a commonality.”

Sunny listened, trying to take it all in. He talked about it in a way she could relate to. Celeste was chattier, Aveline and Willow more theoretical. “Why don’t you tell Aveline you’re in love with her?”

Eben paused and stood upright at his full height. He was well over six feet tall, imposing. “How did you know?”

“I expect everyone knows, except maybe Aveline. You must be brave and tell her.”

“I would rather remain a friend than have her push me away because I showed her the tempest of my affections.”

Sunny swayed on her feet. Seeing just a glimpse of his affections for Aveline was quite daunting. “She might draw you closer. If you don’t take the risk, you might live to regret it. I’m surprised Celeste hasn’t matchmade for you too.”

His eyelids lowered. “I forbade it.”

Sunny nodded. “I can understand that. I had doubts about the fact Cullen and I were brought together through witchcraft. He assures me he would have loved me anyway.”

He shrugged. “Some days I think it shouldn’t bother me. People in our century meet through internet dating. Why should we worry about matchmaking with positive magic at its heart?”

“Good point.” It was hard for her to imagine having met Cullen through an internet dating site, but she took on board what he was saying.

“Come,” he said, beckoning her closer to the fire. “Let me tell you about the moment I discovered my magic.”

Sunny stepped closer to the forge, looking into the flames. Eben was right up against them, unafraid. He moved his hands around the flames and they shifted and danced, as if responding to him.

“How do you do that?”

“I can answer your question one of two ways. I can try to explain how I do it, logically.” He laughed, a deep belly of a laugh. “Or I can tell you how it happened for me, which will go some way in explaining.”

Curious, Sunny nodded. “Was it very long ago?”

“Longer than I care to remember.” He took a deep breath and stared into the flames, as if casting his mind back. “I’d already begun my training as a blacksmith apprentice. I don’t know how old I was, maybe fourteen.” While he spoke, his hands danced amongst the flames, sometimes sending spirals of light from the fire.

“One day, our village was attacked by enemies. They ransacked the dwellings, killing at random, taking what they wanted.” When he lifted his eyelids again, he looked straight at her. “One of them lit a torch from the forge where I was apprentice. I was hiding behind a rack of tools. I watched as he set fire to the building.”

He cupped both hands in the flames, as if to capture the fire. Cradling a ball of fire in his hands, he lifted it free of the forge. The flickering flames were reflected in his eyes, showing his domain over the elements. “They ran away, and I was alone and trapped. The anger I felt listening to the screams of the women around me, and the sight of the place going up in fire, unleashed my magic.”

“An emotional response,” Sunny whispered, identifying with what he said. “That’s what happened to me, I think.”

“It often happens that way. The anger boiled up inside me. I wanted to undo the harm they’d done. I found myself controlling the flames, dampening them down, and sending them on their way.” He smiled a sad smile. “I managed to save a few, but not many.”

“That must have been incredibly difficult.”

“It was. I stayed long enough to help rebuild the dwellings for those that were left. Then I knew I had to find others like myself, because the ones I saved were grateful, but they didn’t trust me any more. They feared me because of what I’d done.”

Sunny ached with the immensity of his loss.

“I traveled the world until I found my resting place here in Raven’s Landing. Eventually, I became comfortable with fire again.” He moved his hand through the flames again, playing with it, sculpting it into shapes of his choosing.

Sunny was mesmerized.

“The most important thing is to play to your strengths. I understood fire, and controlling my fear of it enabled it to become my creative source. My understanding of it became a bond. I am now bonded with the element.” He paused. “You can play to your strengths too. If your source is emotional magic, which we suspect it is from your description of your encounter wi

th Fox, then store up your fiercest emotions. They can be used as defensive weapons. If nature is your channel, work with it.”

“How?”