"Father!" She smiled and went to hug the only parent who would spare some warmth for her. "How was your trip?"
She knew that their coven was suffering from constant attacks by vampires and the conditions were dire. Her father was the son of their high priestess, the head of the coven, who lived in the high altar.
They had been relocating witches to live in other lands, and she wondered if they moved, would she have a chance to make friends like Ana this time?
"It was exhausting," he smiled as he hugged his daughter only for a moment and then let her go. "I will visit my mother in the evening to inform her about the movements of the vampires."
Her eyes flashed with longing he ignored as he looked away toward his second daughter.
"Ana! Witches do not need that much sleep." Ana just flopped onto the bed and covered her face with her sheets, making him chuckle.
"Father..." his smile grew strained as he turned to look at Bella, not noticing the difference in his eyes when he looked at his other daughter. He forced himself to meet Bella's eyes again. "Will mother and Ana go with you too?"
Her voice was full of yearning when his face turned grave.
"Of course, they will. We will need Julia's help in this situation, and Ana... will help with cooking." The girl nodded, but her desperate eyes remained fixed on her father.
He didn't mention her, but she wasn't discouraged by it.
"Can I come too? I'm better at cooking, and I also know..." He sighed, a deep sigh that interrupted the girl in her long speech.
"Bella, you know that mother will not welcome you." His voice sounded defeated, but it didn't lessen her pain as she winced at his soft tone.
"Bella..." he ran a hand through his hair, regretting the decision to come and meet them. He could have left this conversation for his wife.
"You can stay here and clean the house. Your mother would be pleased if you completed all her chores, and maybe you can have a good conversation with each other afterward. Hmm?" He patted her head as if she were still a child.
The girl could only nod. She knew that arguing would only summon her mother, and she would end up being thrown out of the house again.
The man nodded and left the room, while Bella didn't feel like moving. Her body was weighed down by the loneliness that never left her.
"I don't know why you want to visit them," Ana whispered, finally sitting on the bed and looking at her sister. "They are snobs. They behave all high and mighty, and they barely acknowledge me. I know they didn't like me. More than that, they only insult and harass you. I don't want to go either. We can just stay here and braid each other's hair." Ana announced in a chilly tone as she got up and hugged her sister.
Bella let out a breath. She knew Ana was only trying to comfort her.
Their grandmother's house was the best place in their coven. It was always bustling with people. They discussed things, tried new spells, and played together. The elders chatted and enjoyed food, while the younger ones competed in various activities. Bella had only visited once, yet she couldn't let go of that memory, and she wanted to relive it again.
"You should go since you're invited," she declared, not wanting Ana to suffer because of her. "I have my own plans."
Ana shook her head and hugged Bella once more. Bella didn't resist this time. She knew they both didn't have much of a choice, just like hers.
"Ana! Come and have your breakfast. We need to leave for the altar soon." Ana flinched as their mother's sweet voice filled the room.
She struggled but looked at Bella for support.
"You know your smirk isn't helping much," Ana hissed, but Bella just rolled her eyes.
Ana puffed her cheeks and pouted, but when the voice rang out again, she darted to her closet, threw a few dresses out, and then pulled out a lavender dress. With a spell, her hair was done, her skin was fresh and soft, as if she had taken a warm bath, and her dress had transformed into lavender, the one she had been holding just seconds ago. She took a glance at herself in the small mirror near the window, but instead of her smiling reflection, her sister's gloomy eyes caught her attention.
If only she could exchange her eyes with her sister, she would give her own to Bella. She understood how much Bella longed for their love, appreciation, and affection. But she never received any.
They were all struggling to keep each other safe, yet they rejected the help of the strongest witch among them. Ana never understood why that was?
"You know, if you challenged your grandmother, you'd win the battle," Bella raised her head and met her sister's eyes with a laugh.
"Yes, and then they'd hate me even more. Don't you remember what happened when I used my powers last time?" To remind her sister, Bella raised her hand and displayed a small pearl bracelet she was wearing.
Her mother had made it. Julia specialized in spells that could seal a witch's magic. She had the ability to cast that spell into jewelry. As long as a witch wore that jewel, she wouldn't be able to use her powers. No one could sense their power or aura.
It had helped many witches behave like perfect humans in the southern Wennekes. But for Bella, it was a way to stop her from performing any kind of spell and force her to live as a human. Because...