The wedding day
They caught me on my way to the motel. I chose the cheapest and dirtiest looking motel in the outskirts of the town, used all my cash, left my mobile phone at home, and even shut down my mind so that nobody could trace my location.
Of course, I had to run away.
I was all for a handsome man with puppy dog eyes, but getting married to a stranger who had also dated my sister was a completely different thing. I had already secured a job in the next town. They did not ask me about my name or IDs, just a commitment to using my special skills whenever my clients needed them. I knew this kind of job. These shady businessmen wanted average skilled witches to make predictions, and sneak into people's minds when required. It would have been an easy job if we had kept our eyes and ears shut.
What I didn't count was my Nani and her enormous powers, and of course, the ghosts she had kept bound to herself. When I was walking down the deserted alley, I felt the hair on my neck rising. The air was turning colder, and there was eerie silence around me. It was only instantaneous, but I knew what was happening. I ran towards the motel.
Before I could step inside, a black car stopped behind me. The screech made me turn, and the strong aura inside the car made my blood chill. I knew who it was, and I knew how cruel that woman was. I started running.
I could only increase the gap between myself and the car by a couple of feet. The moment I thought I was out of her reach, I started feeling hot. It was too hot, too hot for a January midnight. I took off my coat and threw it away. Along came off the scarf, and then the sweater, and finally the hoodie I had on. I was dressed in a plain shirt now, along with my denims, even I had to take off my sneakers.
Running in bare feet was way more difficult than I had thought.
The what was still rising, my blood felt like boiling in my veins. I had read about offensive spells in my mother's secret grimoire, but never thought witches still use it. It was written that such spells burnt the souls of the caster. It was one of a lesser dark spell, lesser but murderous, not something one would cast on a family member.
But here was my grandmother, who did not even hesitate for a moment before casting such spell on her blood. Even in this excruciating pain, a smile cracked through my lips. Nani was rumoured to burn her best friend alive, cursing a number of people around herself, to keep her position safe. My legs were losing all senses. With a scream, I fell on the concrete road. I could feel a shooting pain in my knees and elbows.
A few footsteps were heard behind me. I didn't have to look up to find out who they were. Nani never went out alone; she was always accompanied by her two loyal assistants– Devin and Lyle. I felt two strong hands pulling me from the ground.
"You tend to forget that we are of the same blood, dear girl." Nani spoke in what seemed to be a regretful tone, "I would always find you, regardless of the distance you put between us."
"You just used a burning spell on your own blood," I hissed. It pained my throat to utter the words.
"I never wanted to do it, but I needed to show you your place."
I was pushed inside the backseat of the car, a thin cotton thread tied my wrists together. Although Devin looked gloomy when he tied my hands together, he made sure to put a tight knot so that the thread didn't slip away. It looked simple enough, but it was a charmed cotton, which meant I could not cast any spell, or even move without the charmer's permission, who in this case was my Nani.
I stayed quiet. I was too angry and hurt to speak. I looked out of the window as the silent roads of the city led us to home. There was no point in speaking, as I knew Nani wouldn't listen. That was the very first reason I ran away.
"Did you know that I met your grandfather on my wedding night when I was even younger than you? I was fifteen, had my first blood, and my parents decided to get me married to your grandfather."
I never knew that. I paid attention to what she was saying.
"Women have always been forced to make certain sacrifices. This is where we witches are different. We choose our own paths. We choose our destinies," she said with a faint smile.
"Forcing into an arranged marriage is hardly parallel to what you are saying right now," I whispered. We had been brought up to be obedient daughters. I could not think of a time when I had spoken with Nani or any of the elders at home in a raised voice. Sometimes I felt it would have been better if we were rebel children. We could at least speak our minds.
"Have you tried reading him?"
I looked out of the window again. I did not feel like talking anymore, but Nani continued.
"What have you read so far, other than the fact that he is handsome?" I felt my cheeks heat.
"Nothing," I muttered. "He is a simpleton."
"With no magic," she concluded. "Do you think it is possible for a Sinclair to adopt a child with no magic?"
"What are you getting at, Nani?" I couldn't help but turn to face her and ask her directly. "Why am I feeling that it is not just an arranged marriage? Do you have an ultimate agenda behind it?"
"No, I just want my grad daughter to marry a handsome young man, who happens to be a really good man." She smirked and said, "Hate me as much as you want, Thea, but you have to marry him."
All the courage and rage I had mustered started to fade away, and in their place, I could feel despair and sadness building in my chest. This tone was too familiar to me. This tone meant she had decided already.
For one last time, I tried to release my hands from the thread. It was getting tighter with time. As I struggled, I felt it cut through my skin.
"That thread will only come out once you get married to David."
That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.