Two days ago
All my protests went through the windows once he came to my house. The house lit up like a festival was ahead. According to the lores, the wedding of the heiress was nothing short of a festival. The union of two souls would break the barriers between worlds. When that happened, the seven families gained immense power from the cosmos.
That was written in the grimoires too.
My family was one of the seven. The legends said that the ancient seven families saved the world when the dark powers attacked. Each family possessed a grimoire that told us the same stories— the seven families were the original ones and they were the guardians and bluh - bluh - bluh…
I was thinking of more unnecessary topics, things I already knew while waiting for the man. Nani had commanded me to dress up like a doll, so I picked one of my best dresses. The pink frilly dress made me look younger and more vibrant, and somewhat innocent. I felt like vomiting when I saw myself in the mirror after my hair and make-up were done. They had done everything to make me look like a pretty princess, who was about to get married to Prince Charming.
If only I could find a corner to hide. I was playing with my phone when I heard something. A sigh, just behind me. There was a faint touch on the skin under my right ear, almost like a feather brushed against my skin. I shivered. The little skin that was exposed was covered in goosebumps. There was someone in the room, very close to me.
I turned slowly, taking steady breaths. The first lesson of being a witch was to be alert at all times, especially when we sensed an alien presence nearby. Ghosts were the common ones, but there were more apparitions and a few of them were dangerous. There had been many occurrences where innocent witches and wizards found fate worse than death just because they were not careful enough.
I recalled the very first spell my mother had taught me. It was a simple defensive spell, but it was highly effective. By the time I was done reciting the spell, the presence was gone.
There was a commotion on the ground floor. Everybody ran to find out what had happened and came back with huge smiles on their faces. I heard whispers and laughter from my sisters. They could not stop gushing about how handsome he was. I thought of the image I saw in their memories. My heart skipped a beat thinking of his broad shoulders.
"I know what are you thinking," Nina whispered in my ears. She was the one who suggested the little trick, to let their minds open so that I could see what was going on. While I was grateful for that, I was also irritated by that stupid smirk on her face.
"He looks fine, besides he comes from the Sinclair family. He was a good student, popular among women and a good human being."
"And how do you know that?" I wanted to punch something, but that option was not given to me.
"I dated him," Nina said loftily. "Only for six months or so, it's not a big deal really."
"What the f—"
Before I could start screaming, a couple of girls I had never seen grabbed my arms and dragged me downstairs. I felt like being trapped in a storm, which was taking me to my end.
He wore a black suit, tailored perfectly. His eyes sparkled as he spoke to my dad. He was explaining something to him, and my dad looked genuinely interested. Mom sat beside him, almost guarding him from my sisters. My six sisters, who came from a very vast range of age, ogled him as he spoke. As I was pushed to enter the scene, all eyes turned in my direction.
My hands started sweating.
I had not seen them yet, but I could feel their presence. The elder Sinclair couple. Mrs Elma Sinclair was of Spanish descent. She had always been famous for her beauty, but seeing her in person gave me a massive rush of insecurity and fear. She was not just beautiful, she was ethereal. Her sharp cheekbones, large dark brown eyes and long, black hair made her look like a goddess. Would Hecate look like this, if she ever took human form?
Then the mismatch caught my eye. Mr Sinclair, a proud British man, and Mrs Sinclair, the Spanish goddess could never bring this beautiful man to this world. There was something wrong about the three of them. Something I should know, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.
He was adopted. That was the easy part, everybody knew about it. The Sinclairs already had six sons. People gossiped about how Mrs Sinclair went to visit her mother one summer and returned with a son the next summer. What was the part bothering me, then?
He turned to see me, and I froze. My body seemed to be acting up separately, while my mind battled with the storm inside me. He had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen before. They were warm, soft, and calm, like hot chocolate on a lazy winter afternoon. His lips twitched a little, a ghost of a smile appeared and disappeared in an instant. My throat became dry.
He was beautiful.
And a stranger.
I was going to marry him.
Then I remembered the last words Nina had told me.
"I dated him... Only for six months or so, it's not a big deal really."
What had I gotten myself into? My heart beat so fast that I feared everybody would hear. Why did it have to be me?
David Sinclair was beautiful. There was something very calm and soothing about him. A quick and sneaky sweep inside his mind told me, he was not like us. He was a simple man.
A good man.
My hands trembled as I was pushed towards the guests.
I could not marry him.
I should not.
I must not.