The ride to the new town was long and dare I say it, exciting. I had spent the entire car ride with Oracle, our heads out and laughing at the new sights. Even if the sights were tress and mountains, I just glad to be outside where I would see everything, which was a huge thing if you had spent your entire life being homeschool and your only option of leaving the house was going to the Mall or the local arcade. I was a big fan of arcade games.
Grams had been content either one of her many books written by Jane Austen or to work on her laptop. Yep, you heard me. Her laptop. Since I introduced the internet to her, she has been using it nonstop to either Skye with her sisters or browse the world wide web for spell ingredients, charms and crystals. All witch related items, of course.
Oracle was glad that we didn`t need to put her inside a cat cage but I told her I`d only do it if she didn`t behave the entire drive, which fortunately for me she did. By the time, we drive into the town that we`d be staying at, it was late at night.
"Why`d we have to come at night?" I asked as we pulled into a suburban street that had a line of identical three story houses. I then noticed three cars parked in front of a house that we were heading towards," I think you`ve got the wrong house dad, there`s already people there."
Dad parked the car before killing the engine, "We`re at night because the Elders want to meet you and this is the house that was given to us to stay at."
I turned to Gram who nodded at me before exiting the car. I sighed and held Oracle close me as we both got out. The night wind of the town was seriously cold and I resisted the urge to shiver. My parents led the way with Grams right behind them, leaving me dead last with Oracle in hand.
"Be calm and everything will be fine," Oracle whispered to me.
I gulped, "Easier said than done."
When I finally reached the stairs and climbed up onto the porch of the house, the Elders by then had stopped greeting my family and were now waiting for me. There were three women who looked like they around the same age as Grams. There were two red heads and one blonde. The blonde looked like a Grand Witch, judging from the amount of power that I could feel that was coming off of her. I mentally slapped myself for wearing my Pikachu shirt and ripped jeans for the trip.
"My, she`s grown up so fast," The blonde commented when I finally stopped in front of her. Oracle purred and I hugged her closer to my chest.
"And her power is untouched," The red head with the brown eyes observed.
"And undecided," the other red head added. Her eyes I noticed were green. I resisted the urge to duck behind my Grams as they scanned me with smiles as if I was a new toy for them to pay with. I didn`t like this feeling at all.
"Butterfly, this is Andromeda, the Grand Witch of the Amethyst Mansion," Grams introduced her before gesturing to the red heads," Clair, the Grand Witch of the Ice Mansion and finally Elena, the Grand Witch of the Fox Mansion."
"It`s an honor, your Graces," I said with a nod all the while on the inside, I was screaming my head off. Three Grand Witches of three powerhouse Mansions of Magic! Here tonight to see me! What the heck was going on? And this lady is Andromeda, the one that mum and dad were talking about last night.
"I trust your journey went well?" Andromeda asked me directly.
I nodded with a smile, "Of course, I enjoyed it."
"I`m glad to hear."
Elena spoke up, making me turn to her, "We know your ceremony is in two days and that we`d meet you then but we just had to see you sooner."
I blinked, "Why?"
"Thalia!" My mum exclaimed. Oracle sighed against me and I cringed. Anther mistake.
"It`s alright, she`s earned the right to be curious," Elena said with a smile, she then stepped towards me, "Do you know what`s special about your ceremony child?"
"A little, my Grams said that it would be on the night of a Super Moon," I answered, making it seem like I didn`t know much about my ceremony.
"Exactly. Witches for centuries who`s had their ceremonies on Super Moons go on to be powerful spell casters in their Mansions, blessed by the Goddess Hecate herself," Elena revealed.
"The last one was twenty years," Clair added.
"That`s a long time," I commented.
"Indeed, "Andromeda agreed with a nod," So naturally we were curious about you."
"And how does she seem to you?" Grams asked. All three Grand Witches turned to her smiled before retuning their attention back to me.
"A perfect witch in training," Elena answered for them all," You, my dear Thalia, will be a blessing to which Mansion you choose."
"Wait, "I paused and did a double take, "I have to choose? I thought it was decided for me before the ceremony?"
The Grand witches all turned to my family with their eyebrows raised.
"You haven`t told her?" Andromeda asked Grams.
"We were going to," Grams answered with a sigh.
My head swing between my parents and my Grams, "Tell me what?"
"We`ll discuss this later butterfly," Mum said in an attempt to calm me down.
"Well then, we`ll bide you all good night, "Andromeda said before she nodded at Grams. Elena and Clair did the same before I stepped aside to left them through. When they were making walking down the stairs of the porch, Oracle choose that moment to speak up, "See? Nothing to worry about."
"Were you listening the entire time?" I hissed down at her.
"Curious, you have a familiar," Elena said from behind me and I turned to her," Has she been with you since birth?"
"Yes, her name is Oracle," I answered.
"Interesting, undecided yet you have a familiar," Elena mussed which made me pull Oracle tight against my chest. "Very interesting."
Why was me having a familiar interesting? And so what if I hadn`t declared my magic? I could still pull off spells and potions.
Once they were all their cars and leaving, mum and Grams ushered me into the house that we would staying in. I didn`t have time to take in my new home because I was still thinking about the revelations on the porch. Mum sat me down on a long couch and I let Oracle down so she could explore the place for the two of us. Grams sat on the couch opposite of me while mum sat next to men and held my hand.
"Okay, what is going? "I finally asked them both," I have to choose my own Mansion? No one told me that I had to choose my own Mansion and what was that comment about Oracle? All witches have familiars, it`s not weird."
Grams nodded gravely, "No, it`s not, hundreds of years ago, it was not,"
I stared at her for a good long few seconds before leaning back against the couch cushions, "You`ve officially lost me Grams."
"We have some explaining to do," Mum announced and I nodded, "Yes, mum, please."
Mum began, "First of all, your ceremony, your magic and Oracle all come down to the fact that well, you`re kind a big deal in our community."
I chuckled, "Excuse me? Me? I suck at Math and I don`t have a magic declared. I`m homeschooled and I`m pretty sure I`m anti-social."
Grams waved away my reasons, "Whatever the case, the Grand witches took an interest in you two years ago when they discovered that your ceremony was to fall on the night of a Super Moon making you very valuable to whichever Mansion because you choose."
"They didn`t want to show outward favoritism so they`ve left the decision to you, "Mum continued.
I held up my hands to stop them both, "But I don`t know which Mansion to choose, I haven`t been to any of them."
Mum cut in, "And that is why tomorrow, all twenty-four Grand Witches will be coming to see you, to tell you a bit about their Mansion."
My jaw dropped, "That`s a lot of pressure to put on just one girl,"
"Of course, we`ll also make sure you still have time for an appointment tomorrow for your dress," Grams reminded me and I sighed, "Will my dress be even finished in two days?"
Grams nodded, "The seamstress has magic that is linked to clothes, thread and colors, she`ll get it done."
"Okay, but what about Oracle and her being my familiar?" I asked mum.
Mum shifted in her seat and risked a glance at Grams, "About that…you see?"
"To be blunt my dear butterfly, do you see us with our familiars?" Grams asked me and I shook my head, "And have you wondered why that is?"
I swallowed harshly, "I just thought that they like being out of sight."
Grams leaned towards me, "No Thalia, the reason is because no witch in a century has had a familiar, you are the first in a hundred years."