"Clove" called Martha from downstairs
"Yes Mama" came the voice of Clove
"What are you doing up there?" asked Martha
"Umm nothing" said Clove as she sounded nervous.
"What do you mean nothing, I am coming up now" said Martha as she began to walk up the stairs.
Clove could hear her footsteps and she was already panicking.
"My mama's coming up, you have to hide" she said as she pushed Azazel around looking for somewhere to hide.
"You are to big to hide in my closet" she said as she panicked and closed the door of her closet.
She could hear Martha's footsteps coming closer and closer, and it made her heart beat out of her chest, they were going to get caught.
"Relax" said Azazel as he snapped his hands and he disappeared.
"Phew" said Clove to herself as she finally relaxed, but she quickly jumped on her bed and took out a book from under her pillow and she pretended to be reading it.
This was the sight that Martha saw when she suddenly barged into Clove's room without knocking.
"Mama, do you need me to do something for you?" asked Clove innocently as she tiled her head to the side.
"What were you doing Clove?" asked Martha suspiciously.
"Nothing mama, just reading, I wanted to catch up on more spells" said Clove as she waved her book to show Martha,
"Hmm" said Martha as she was still suspicious of Clove and she didn't leave, she began to check outside Clove's window and inside her closet.
"Mama what are you looking for?" asked Clove
"I could have sworn that you were not alone here" said Martha
"Whatever do you mean mama?" asked Clove as she played it cool.
"What in the realm is going on here?" asked Edgar as he walked into Clove's room.
"Oh Hi Papa, Mama is convinced that I was talking to someone" said Clove
"Is that so" said Edgar
"Martha what are you doing?" asked Edgar as he turned to look at Martha|
"Edgar leave me be, it's a mothers instinct" replied Martha
"Oh I see, and did that same mother instinct of yours, tell you to leave the pan on the fire" said Edgar
"Oh my, I did, my oh my" said Martha as her eyes went wide and she rushed to the kitchen.
"Is the pan really burning??" asked Clove
"No dear, I already took it off the fire, but that should teach your mother to be more calm" said Edgar as he laughed
"Thank you Papa" said Clove as she smiled
"You're welcome dear" said Edgar as he smiled
"Enjoy your reading" said Edgar as he closed the door behind him.
Clove stood up and made sure that no one was at her door.
"Azazel" she called as she whispered.
"I'm here" said Azazel as he suddenly reappeared.
"Gosh, don't do that, you scared me" said Clove as she calmed her racing heart, she had thought that he had left, but he was here the whole time.
"Haha" chuckled Azazel
"So those are your parents" said Azazel
"Haha yes" said Clove as she sat down on her bed.
"My Papa's very sweet, but my Mama on the other hand... well let's just say that she's strict" said Clove
"I can see that" said Azazel
"They seem like nice people" he said
"Oh yes they are" said Clove as she smiled,
"I can introduce you to them... if you want" she said
"Thank you for the offer, but no... not yet" he said
"Okay" said Clove
"So about you helping me" said Clove as she changed the subject.
"Yes" said Azazel
"When will we start?" asked Clove
"Well, it depends on if you can go out tomorrow" said Azazel
"Tomorrow?" asked Clove, and Azazel nodded.
"Well then don't worry, I will find something to say so I can go out" said Clove as she laughed.
"Okay then, see you" said Azazel as he jumped out her window.
"Bye" said Clove
The next day
"Psst Azazel, are you here?" asked Clove as she opened the barn door.
"Where else would I be?" asked Azazel as he suddenly appeared behind Clove which scared her.
"Ahhh, Azazel don't do that, you scared me" she said
"I don't know, maybe you went somewhere, that's why I asked" said Clove
"I see" said Azazel
"Yes, so I am ready let's go, I got permission to go out" said Clove
"How?" asked Azazel
"Well, I told my mama that I needed to collect some more flowers for my potions" said Clove as she waved a book in her hand and put it in her one strap bag.
"So we have some time to train, I just have to get some flowers before we come back" said Clove as she smiled.
"Well played" said Azazel
"Hehe Thank you" said Clove
"Well then lets go" said Azazel as they walked out of the barn into the field.
"Okay" said Clove as she followed behind him.
"What are we doing here?" asked Clove as she looked at Azazel as they finally topped walking, they were very far away from the house right now.
"We are here to develop your power" said Azazel
"Yes, I know, but why in the field? there are no living things here, my power only works on things that are alive" said Clove
"I know, but have you ever tried using it on inanimate things?" asked Azazel
"Well no" said Clove
"Exactly, how will you know if you don't try" said Azazel
"Why are you so smart?" asked Clove which made Azazel laugh.
"Okay then, I will try" said Clove
"Good, so touch that and tell me what's going to happen to it" said Azazel as he pointed to dead grass.
"Okay??" said Clove as she bent down and closed her eyes as she touched the grass and tried to see.
"I don't see anything" she said to Azazel with her eyes still closed.
"You are not trying, try harder" said Azazel
"Fine" said Clove as she concentrated even harder this time.
"What do you see?" asked Azazel
"I see..."
"I see fire" said Clove as she opened her eyes and let go of the grass.
"You were right" said Azazel as he snapped his fingers and the patch of grass burnt up.
"Eeek" said Clove as she moved away from the fire.
"Don't let the fire spread" said Clove
"I won't" said Azazel as he fire immediately stopped.
"Haha I did it!!" said Clove as she celebrated.
"You did" said Azazel
"But that was just one try, you need more practice" said Azazel
"Okay" said Clove.
After some time of training Clove was exhausted so she sat down in the grass and she began to write in her notebook, while Azazel just sat and watched her.
"You know I have been thinking" said Clove as she continued writing.
"About what?" asked Azazel
"We are friends, so we need nicknames for each other" said Clove as she looked up.
"Nicknames?" asked Azazel
"Yes, it's cool" said Clove
"I don't think so" said Azazel
"Awww come one" said Clove
"So from now on I will call you Aza dear" said Clove
"Aza dear?" asked Azazel, he was surprised, this girl decided to put dear in his name?? he was called many things and being called dear was not one of them.
"Yes, Aza dear" said Clove
"Your turn give me a nickname" said Clove as she smiled.
"I will stick with Clove" said Azazel
"Oh well okay then Aza dear" said Clove as she smiled and went back to writing.
Azazel didn't know if he was crazy to think that Clove calling him Aza dear was cute.
"Welll I'm done now, lets go" said Clove as she stood up.
"What about the flowers?" asked Azazel
"We can pick them on our way back" said Clove
"Okay" said Azazel as they began to walk side by side.
Two days later.
"Clove, Clove" called Martha
"Yes Mama" said Clove as she rushed downstairs.
"Clove, me and your Papa are going to the market, so be good and don't go anywhere" said Martha as she wore her coat.
"Okay mama" said Clove
"But, don't you want me to see if you will make successful sales??" asked Clove energetically
"No my dear, we have gone through this before" said Martha
"Your power is not for anyone else to use, you are special, and you should not be turned to a slave because of your power" said Martha as she smiled.
"Yes mama" said Clove as she bowed her head and looked sad, it was always the same thing, when she volunteered to help her parents they would always refuse saying that it was not fair for them to use it.
"Your mother is right Clove" said Edgar as he walked towards Clove and patted her on the back.
"Don't worry about us, we will be fine, just stay home and be good" said Edgar as he smiled.
"Yes Papa, yes Mama" said Clove as she smiled like an obedient child.
"Good girl, now see you my dear" said Martha
"Bye" said Clove.
"Ahhh Aza, don't scare me like that I always tell you" said Clove as she turned and saw Azazel right behind her.
"So your parents are gone?" asked Azazel
"Yes, they went to the market" said Clove
"But they never let me help them, even though I know that I can" said Clove as she looked upset.
"You have good parents, you should be grateful for that, not many parents would want to protect you like they do" said Azazel seriously
"I know, but I wish they would let me help them, just a little bit" said Clove
"You are sweet, and I am sure your parents are going to be fine" said Azazel
"Okay if you say so" said Clove
"So do you want to go out?" asked Azazel
"To where??" asked Clove as her eyes shimmered, she was getting too used to sneaking out.
"But wait my parents told me to stay home" said Clove
"I don't think that they will know if we get back before them" said Azazel
"Really?? then lets go" said Clove as she jumped for joy.
"Alright then" said Azazel as he opened the front door and Clove followed behind him.
...
"No why are we here??" asked Clove as she hid behind Azazel
"Why can we not be here? are you scared of public places?" asked Azazel
"No it's not that" said Clove as she hid behind him.
"Then what is it?" asked Azazel
"This is the market, my parents are here and if they see us, I will be in big trouble" said Clove.
"That is true, but that is only if they see us, so we can just be extra careful" said Azazel
"You are a bad influence" said Clove as she hit him on the back.
"I know" said Azazel
"Okay fine" said Clove
"This is my first time in the market" said Azazel
"Oh really well then let me show you around" said Clove as she finally came out of hiding, Azazel knew just what to say to make her change.
The market was very quiet, with every witch buying and others displaying their products in the stalls nearby, there was a lot of noise with people shouting their prices to attract customers.
"Over here is the fruit stand" said Clove
"Those witches over there, they have the best fruit prices, and also the freshest fruit" said Clove as she laughed.
"I see" said Azazel
"Yes, and over there is the vegetable stand" said Clove as she pointed.
She showed Azazel around the market for a while, before she saw something or rather someone that made her stop right in her steps.
"What is it?" asked Azazel when he saw that Clove stopped.
"It's my mama, I see her, we have to go now" said Clove
"Okay" said Azazel as he did not waste any time, and they ran like people were chasing them, which was what was going to happen soon if they did not get out of there.
They ran like crazy people, and they crashed into innocent people who were going about their business.
"What's all that commotion happening?" asked Martha
"I don't know" said Edgar
"Anyway, lets pack up the store and return home, Clove must be lonely" said Martha
"You are right dear" said Edgar.
"Hahaha, no we can't play anymore, my parents should be home now" said Clove as she picked up her pace and ran towards her house, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she something horrible.
It was fire... everywhere, the barn had burnt down, the house had burnt down and the once lively area had turned dark.
"No no no" said Clove as she rushed to the still burning barn
"Mama, Papa" cried Clove
"Mama, Papa" she cried as she looked at where their house used to be, but now it was just a bare empty ground.
"Clove what-" said Azazel as he stopped once he saw what happened.
Azazel bent down and he touched a pinkish substance on the floor, once he saw that, the expression on his face went grim, he knew what had happened, those were potion bombs that he himself developed.
"Clove Clove" he called and he saw Clove sitting on her knees in front of where their house used to be , she was crying.
"Azazel, my parents, the animals, everything is gone" she said as she cried
"Clove, how are you sure?" asked Azazel
"This is my Papa's hat, that he wore before he left, it didn't burn" said Clove as she cried more.
Azazel looked at Clove, his heart ached.
"Clove, I have to tell you something" said Azazel
"I... I'm the reason this happened" he said
"My men they must have been looking for me" he said
"I should have contacted them and let them know my whereabouts, then they would not have come here" said Azazel as he explained himself.
But Clove did not reply him, she was just crying very deeply.
"Come on let's go I will take care of you" he said as he carried her up and hugged her while she was still crying.
Clove looked back, there was nothing else here for her, the only family she knew were now gone, and she did not know what to do.
"Will you go with me?" asked Azazel
Clove looked at him, she did not reply for a while, but she looked at his eyes, and she nodded, with tears still dropping.
"Let's go" said Azazel as he held her hand and they began to walk into the fields.
"Master Azazel, we have finally found you" came the voice of a young Selene who had a smile on her face, but it faltered when she saw a woman behind him.
"Selene take her to a room, and come back here, we need to talk" said Azazel as he commanded.
"Yes Master" said Selene as she bowed and took Clove.
...
"Why did you attack the area?" asked Azazel, he looked cold and serious.
"Umm Master... we had no luck in finding you, we thought the worst had happened, and the only thing we could think of is finding you" said Selene as she was scared, she had never seen Azazel this angry,
"I understand that, but did you have to bomb the area?" asked Azazel.
"Master that was not my idea" said Selene
"THEN WHO'S WAS IT?" said Azazel, as he startled Selene
"It was...." said Selene as she was stammering.
"Were there civilians present?" asked Azazel
"Yes" said Selene as she was confused, since when did Azazel care about people, was it because of that woman earlier??
"Ahhh" he said as he slammed his hands on the desk.
"Master are you alright?" asked Selene
"Just go" said Azazel
"Yes Master" said Selene as she bowed her head and left.
...
"Clove, are you awake?" asked Azazel as he entered into Clove's room.
Clove wasn't sleeping, her eyes were red from all the crying, she sat on the bed while holding her knees.
"Clove I'm so sorry, it's all my fault" said Azazel, but he received no reply from her.
The roles had changed, he was usually the quiet one but now she was the one ignoring him.
"I know how much you loved your parents, and they also loved you too" he said as he walked closer and sat next to her on the bed.
"Clove talk to me, I don't like seeing you like this, it breaks my heart" said Azazel as he pleaded with her, Clove only looked at him.
"You don't know how it feels" came her cracked voice.
"Trust me I don't, but I know that, right now my opinions don't matter" he said.
"But I promise, to take care of you, and never leave your side" he said seriously, and Clove looked at him with her red eyes.
"Aza... don't break your promise okay?" asked Clove as she hugged him and sobbed very deeply.
"Don't break it" she said between sobs
"I won't... I promise" said Azazel as he patted her on the back as she cried.
From that moment on, Azazel promised to stay by Clove's side, he promised to take care of her, and treat her well, he felt guilty because he was the reason that she lost her parents, but a selfish part of him was glad that Clove was going to stay by his side.
....
"To some people he's a tyrant, to some he's heartless... but to me he's my best friend, my saviour and my one true love" wrote Clove in her diary.