I was sure that I got it right. The potion sitting in front of me looked the right shade of turquiose yet it wasn`t fizzing. I leaned in close and taped the bottle slightly. Pouting slightly, I turned and moved to sit on my bed before grabbing my Grimoire on my night stand to glance through the potion`s instructions again.
The ingredients I had used lay forgotten on my work table as was the homework I was supposed to be doing. I perked up slightly when I heard the door slam shut downstairs and strained my ears, searching for my Gram's voice. When I heard that it was my mother, my shoulders fell with relief.
"Thank the Goddess," I mumbled before turning back to the book.
One would think that I was over reacting but my Grams was really a force to be reckoned with. I glanced up to stare at my table once more as I took in my work table and my normal study table. Both was huge and taking up all the space in the left side of the room but they were essential for any Witch of Thessaly.
"And just what do you think you`re doing young lady?"
Gasping, I spun around to see my Grams with both her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.
I glanced down at the Grimoire and smiled sheepishly at her. I didn`t hear her come into the house or even climb up the creaking stairs of our home.
Grams shook her in disapproval before entering my room and taking the Grimoire from my hands. She closed it and turned to leave when I moved to stand in front of her, effectively blocking her exit.
"I just wanted to experiment," I hastily explained.
Grams arched a brow at me "Again?"
"I`m sorry," I muttered.
Grams sighed and shook her head, "Child, I know you`re advancing fast but these lessons take time."
"But I`m bored. I finished all my other work, why can`t learn a few new spells?" I insisted, clasping my hands.
"Because there is nothing more to teach you and we cannot go another level until after your Initiation Ceremony," Grams said as if she were reciting a book. I looked down with a pout.
The Initiation Ceremony was like a coming-of-age party to welcome young witches into the Witch Society. From the moment they are born, they are kept in their family covens until they turned seventeen. That is when they are fully accepted in the Witchdom. A place in another plane where witches live in Mansions of Magic and Power.
Something I was looking forward to ever since I was ten.
I nodded, accepting her answer, "Okay."
"Now come down for dinner, and put that potion on your window sill. The reason it isn`t working is because it needs tears of the moon," Grams said as she left my room.
I smacked my forehead," Moonlight ray."
"Exactly," Grams yelled from the hallway.
I sighed before going over to my desk and closing my books and putting away my potion ingredients. Just because you were a witch, it doesn`t mean you be careless and leave your things lying around. Simple rules of the household that have been given to me since I was old enough to practice my magic.
When I finally arrived downstairs, my mum had already set up the table and was putting a lasagna disk on a placemat," Lia honey, would you go and get your father in his study? Tell him that dinner is ready?"
"Sure," I said as I turned and walked down the hallway before reaching the study door. I knocked twice before hearing my dad say enter. I gently pushed the door open and smiled. Dad was sitting in his chair typing away on his computer and was talking on the phone. If you looked at him and my mum, you`d say on the spot that I resembled my mum more. I had gotten her skin cocoa brown skin color and brown eyes but my hair was inky black like my dad`s.
"Of course, I`ve already made the necessary changes to your company, you will see it tomorrow, bye." He said as he hung up before putting the phone time, "What is it, butterfly?"
I smiled at my nickname before answering," Mum says dinner is ready. You have five minutes."
Dad chuckled before he typed a few commands onto his laptop, "Very well. I`ll hear you. I`m coming."
I was about to leave when he called my name this time," Yes?"
"Did you finish your homework? I`d like to have a look at them tonight before going through my own work."
My eyes widened slightly and dad stopped typing to give me a hard stare," Thalia, did you finish your work or not?"
"I…I finished some of them," I answered slowly. My shoulder stiffening at the half-truth which my dad noticed.
Leaning back in his arm chair, he asked, "How much of it?"
My eyes darted from left to right, "The English and History work but not the math problems."
"Lia," Dad said with a groan.
"I`ll finished it tonight, I promise, I just need to understand the work, I suck at math remember?" I reminded. I really did hate anything involving numbers. Math was my weakest subject.
"Alright, you have tonight and no excuses this time," Dad warned me.
"Thank you, dad," I said as I turned and left with a skip.
When I went back to the dining room, Grams was already seated with mum. They were in the middle of passing a basket of baked bread. Grams liked home baked bread as opposed to store bought bread. She said you could see the love in the bread we made at home.
Of course, to me it wasn't odd. I had spent most of life doing everything at home. Sleeping, reading, watching movies, going to homeschool and practicing my magic.
I took my seat before mum passed my plate over to I could serve my lasagna. Mum then opened her bottle of wine before pouring three glasses for the adults in the house. I simple left the table to get my pitcher of orange juice form the fridge. While I was at the regarded drinking age, my family were super strict about me not drinking anything that could harm my body.
"You must be healthy at all times, "Grams would remind me when she saw that I was drinking too much soda or when I was indulging into a box of cream puffs.
"It`s just junk food," I would say.
"You need to prepare your body," She would tell me and I would frown all the time.
"Prepare me my body for what?"
Dad was already in the dining room when I came back from kitchen. He was listening to Grams talk about our plans for the weekend while chewing on a piece of bread.
"The house is already fixed up but I want us to get there so before the ceremony so we can take extra protection measures," Grams said.
"Do we need to mum?" My mum asked Grams who turned to her with frown, "We`ve been undisturbed for a very long time."
"Child, let me remind you that the Super moon is fast approaching, we cannot have anything go wrong," Grams answered. I took my seat and poured out a cup of juice.
"It`s odd that my Initiation will be on the night of the Super Moon, "I said with smile.
My mother smiled as she reached across to cup my cheek which I nuzzled against, "Great things happen on the night of the Super Moon. Your Initiation will be wonderful, Lia."
Smiled at her as she leaned back before Grams spoke up, "We'll need to be there few days before your Initiation."
"She`ll also need a dress," Mum pointed out.
I pointed up stairs, "Aren`t the dresses I already have enough?"
Grams shook her head, "No honey, you`ll need a proper ceremonial dress."
"I`ll book a seamstress when we get there." Mum added with a grin.
I bit my lip, "That sounds like a hassle."
"Just let them spoil you butterfly," Dad insisted and so I gave in.
After dinner, I was sent upstairs with instructions to finish my work. I happily accepted the punishment as it meant that I didn't have to do the dishes.
An hour or so had passed so I felt that it might be safe to go down stairs to grab a glass of orange juice. When I stood from my table, my cat, Oracle, suddenly appeared before me with a meow. Her grey fur a contrast to the purple collar I had given her when she first became my familiar.
"And what do you think you`re doing?" Oracle asked me with a slight purr. Her blue eyes glowing slightly making me feel like she had just caught me doing something bad.
I shrugged," Going downstairs. To get something to drink."
"Your dad has left instructions to finish your math work," Oracle reminded me before glancing down at my workbook. She looked up and sighed," Not even the third problem and you`re already giving up."
I grimaced," I`ll get it. I just need a boost."