“Did she just kill her?” Marie exclaimed, worried about the rude teenager.

“Of course not! Rose is a fully-fledged witch; she always has a basic barrier up.” Henry continued.

As to prove his statement, a young voice shouted from outside.

“What the fuck mom? You ruined my shirt!”

The voice of Illy was calmer, but still audible to me.

“I don’t care, it is only proof you are slacking. When was the last time you trained? You think that because you have more magic than me, you can act like you’re better than everyone else?”

“You just took me by surprise! You’re shit, and your nature magic is even lamer than that painting!”

Marie got towards the veranda to see what was happening, she could not hear everything like I was.

I followed her closely. No way was I letting her out of my sight during a potential magic fight. That and the veranda was the best viewing spot.

The afternoon sun was slowly transforming into an evening sunset, and the star was basking the well-maintained garden with warm, crimson light.

Two women were facing each other in this land of vegetables.

Rose was raising her arms up in the sky, shouting angrily at her mother, who was looking more contained after her telekinetic outburst.

“Why should I even listen to you? You’re just a shitty housewife.”

“I am a very good housewife” Corrected Illy. “And also, a much more experienced witch that you should respect. Finally, I am your mother and if you continue with that attitude, I shall punish you.”

Rose cackled. “And do what? Send me to my room?”

Illy didn’t move, but I perceived a flow of something emerging from her. Nothing as clear as to when I was holding her hand, but closer to the compliance thing the vampires did. It was not directed at me, so it was hard for me to understand the feeling perfectly.

Underneath the feet of the trumpeting teenager, I saw the earth shift. Instants later, a green and brown vine surfaced at an unbelievable speed. Before Rose could react, it crept and circled her legs, then pulled violently. She fell face-first into the muddy ground.

“I see how it is.” The vegetal ropes darkened and shriveled, and the teenager got back on her feet. Her angry face was covered in carrot patch dirt.

Swiping her mouth clean, she then, in a very flamboyant and exaggerated way, moved her right hand in front of her.

Once again, I could sense the magic being used before it appeared.

An increasingly big fire tornado materialized from Rose’s palm, setting a course straight to engulf Illy completely.

Who didn’t seem to care, as she did not move an inch. The tornado just suddenly changed directions, as if sucked towards the sky. As a strange gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, making the leaves and the women’s hair rise, I concluded the nature witch had just created a vacuum up in the air. Her hair fell back on her shoulders, and she stepped where the blazing inferno had just passed, while doing a slapping motion with her hand.

A new vine got out of the ground, a few inches away from the teen, and grabbed her neck to pull it towards another plot of farm. I heard a vicious crunch and winced, but it was only a zucchini broken by Rose’s fall.

“Fuck! Stop that!” Said the teenager, trying to get rid of the vine.

Marie gave an anxious look towards Henry, who was making coffee while looking at the scene from the still intact windows on the right side of the kitchen. He was next to where my painting had been put to relative safety.

“Shouldn’t we stop them?” She asked him.

“If you think you can, be my guest.” He answered, serene.

Rose had managed to get back on her feet again. In a very grandiose manner, she crossed her hands in front of her.

At the exact moment she did that, a rumbling noise began.

But before the spell launched, Illy acted.

At least that’s what my senses told me. I could feel the energy coming from the two women, and knew things were happening, but Illy was barely moving, not telegraphing her moves like her daughter.

Out of nowhere, a large bowl of water fell on Rose’s head, very reminiscent of the spell Marie and I had been taught.

“Wha…?” The teen began before the rumbling noise got even stronger. Sparks emerged from her arms.

A terrifying zap of lightning broke the atmosphere of the setting sun, a flash of light illuminating for a fraction of a second everything surrounding Rose.

Who had fallen again and was spasming on the ground.

Her erratic movements quickly ceased, and she seemed unharmed, but she had a fazed look on her face.

“All that powerful, show off magic…for what? No point in killing things to get more magic if you can’t use it in the first place.” Illy commented disappointingly.

“It’s not fair! You know all of my moves!” Rose had regained her senses and was currently trying to get up.

“When you fight someone, don’t give them such obvious tells, even if it makes casting more difficult for you. It’s just the basics. I taught that to Marie today. It is her second lesson. You’ve had thousands.”

Marie tugged my shirt. “Gray? Can you stop them?”

“If it gets dangerous. I can.” I said with absolute confidence. “But I think Illy is in control. You should concentrate on the fight; you’ll learn from it.”

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“I thought my teacher was the kind type.”

“She’s Natasha’s friend, she had to be more than meets the eyes.”

Marie snorted.

While we talked, mother and daughter outside were circling each other.

“You’ll just run out of magic before me.” Rose taunted.

“You’ve already used ten times more than me; you’re reaching your limit.” Illy countered.

The teen suddenly stopped moving, and a large number of thorny roots got out of the ground, surrounding her mother like she was in a jungle of giant roses. The teen had not moved to cast this time.

“Much better.” Her mother approved. “You’re excellent at using nature-based spells.” She complimented.

That seemed to piss off Rose: “Shut up!”. The roots stretched themselves, growing higher and higher, but also creeping away from Illy. Then, with terrifying harmony, struck like whips towards her.

I smirked.

By doing that, Illy had disappeared, hidden by the unnatural foliage.

The sound of the roots tore the air, but I felt it had hit nothing else than empty space.

“Shit. Fucking coward.” Rose swore, realizing the same thing I had.

A vine appeared, once again, breaching the ground in front of her to grab her arm. This time though, the teen was prepared and simply sidestepped to dodge the attack…just to be grabbed by another vine coming from her blind side. Her face met the ground once again. But it didn’t stop there. New vines got out of the ground, pulled her back on her feet, then smashed her face over and over again inside the vegetable farm. It felt like a bad rendition of a marionette show.

After a few minutes of this spectacle, Rose began crying. “Enough! I’ve had enough…” She sobbed.

Her mother emerged from the dirt, as if it were opening up and pushing her out. Her clothes and face seemed pristine of any stains. “Good. You will remember this lesson.”

“I hate you.”

The woman towering her daughter showed a pained look at those words, but her expression quickly switched to one of determination.

“Maybe. But I love you. I won’t let you ruin your life. As of now, you’re banned from using death magic, and you’ll help me with tending the farm… A fire tornado. What did you think? You only learned it last year…”

“Shut up…” Rose was still on the ground, enveloped in a thick layer of mud, and had clearly lost the will to fight, contrary to her words.

“Is that a no?” Her mother threatened.

“No, I’ll do it…”

“Also, you’ll join me and Marie to her lessons during the weekends.”

“What!? She’s a nobody who just arrived in the U!”

“Which is extremely rare. You don’t understand how lucky an opportunity this is for us. Anyway, it is not to help her, it is for you. You clearly need to start over from the beginning.”

“No fucking way am I...”

Her mother raised a finger. I felt the energy appear.

“Sure…please don’t.” Rose sobbed again.

“Perfect.” The energy receded. “Now go take a shower, dress in something that doesn’t make me want to repair it immediately, and join us for dinner. You know who joins us tonight, I want only smiles and respectful tones.”

“…I’m not that dumb.”

“Go.”

Rose got back on her feet, one last time, and dragged herself back inside.

“Hope you enjoyed the show…” She said as she passed next to us.

“You’re privileged to have such good parents, Rose. Even if you don’t realize it now.” Marie responded with a smile.

“Shut up, rookie.” I winced but refrained the menacing growl surfacing in my throat; the teenager had said that with no real spite.

“Rose, you’ll wash the mud you’re putting everywhere.” Henry noted.

“…yes dad.” She sighed.

And leaving muddy footprints in her wake, Rose went upstairs.

“Will you stay for dinner?” Illy asked us as she was dusting off some dirt on her mimosa-patterned dress.

“Erm. Sure?” Marie nodded, not sure how to act anymore.

“Wasn’t this a bit rough?” I asked.

“No, I think I needed to do this since long ago. It’s the only way to get a message across her thick skull. I’m afraid I’m the one responsible for this particular trait of personality. And I feel extremely happy. This painting is beautiful. I’m happy no glass shards fell on it. I didn’t find decent meat at the market yesterday though Gray, is fish okay?”

“Erm. Sure.” I repeated what my girlfriend had just said.

“Marie?” Illy asked her.

“Yup. Fish okay. Just to be sure, you’ll never fight me like that, right?”

Illy gave her a big smile. “Not until I teach you a few protection spells first.”

Henry arrived and gave his wife a cup of coffee. “Good job.”

“Thanks love.”

They both looked at my painting for an instant.

“Where should we put it?”

“I’d say on the wall in the living room.”

“Shouldn’t you do something for the windows…and the mess.” Marie gently reminded them of the glass shards all over the ground on the other side of the room.

“Yes! This is perfect for you Marie, use your telekinesis spell to put them in a bin, I’ll repair the window.” Illy said.

Marie looked at the ground littered with broken glass. “Really?”

“Yes! It’s slightly dangerous so you’ll be extra concentrated, and all the pieces are small and different, so a very good training exercise. The more you use a spell, the better you visualize it and use it.”

“Ok…”

“Marie?” I would not miss this opportunity.

“What?” She said defensively, looking at me with suspicion.

“Magic, am I right?”

She burst into laughter. Then stuck out her tongue.

“I’m going to read magic encyclopedias about monsters in the meantime.” I announced.

“Find me a bin first.” Marie countered.

“You can find one in the closet here.” Henry pointed me towards a door.

I sighed.

“So, who is your other guest tonight?” I was back on the couch, an open book in my lap, with Henry proofreading something on his computer.

“Belfor Marak. He’s one of the stronger members of the coven, he’s in charge of Law business.”

“Wasn’t that Natasha’s work?”

“Oh no, not at all. She’s a magic consultant. She’s involved with the First Law, but only because she’s Alik’s magic consultant.”

“Because she’ll have to tell him the truth?”

“Yes. Mr. Marak is well… he makes sure we don’t break the laws, but he is not as severe as the vampires considering the punishment if we fail.”

“…wouldn’t that go against this ‘no second chances’ policy of the U world?”

Henry stopped looking at his computer screen and lounged back in his comfy chair.

“Yes. But witches have always been an in-between. We are normal humans, and many witches have used magic long before the creation of such a thing as a U world. Stories of magic and prophecies have existed since the dawn of time. Even now, there is a large proportion of magic users who are not part of the U world.”

“…a bit like Oracles.”

Henry gave me an interested look. “Oracles? That is the old name we gave Conscients, isn’t it? Even though both are quite different if I remember my lore correctly.”

I laughed, embarrassed. “I really don’t know much. I…I think I would have been called an Oracle, a long time ago, but my powers are fairly different I guess.”

“How so?”

“I don’t really know, it is just a hunch.” I had been the only one who prophesized by drawing and dancing. Was that the difference? “But I think you’re right, Oracles and Conscients are very different things.”

Henry hummed with approval. “Yes, yes. The only reason why we consider both the same thing is because of their natural resilience to compliance-type spells.”

“It’s a spell? I thought it was something vampires did…”

“No, it’s using magic. Vampires excel at it, as it is the only spell they have ever been known to use.”

“So, saying vampires can’t use magic is…”

“Mostly correct, with one specific exception, only true with old individuals. Simplistic, as with all things, but yes, you could say that.”

No wonder magic felt similar to the compliance power then.

“Could you tell me a bit what a Conscient is, then? What you can do?” Henry questioned me with great interest.

“I can try. It’s just, so weird. I go into trances sometimes, where I see things of the past, the present, the future. Some forgotten truths or well-hidden lies. And I can use art to express it, to reveal it.”

“Interesting…probably not surprising Conscient don’t usually live long then.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Well, there is a rather well-known prophecy of the end of the world surrounding them, and your…I don’t really know how to say it otherwise but, your kind was hunted because of it for eons. If to that you add the ability to reveal secrets, it is understandable why they are short-lived.”

I grimaced.

“Sorry.” Henry apologized. “I’m not saying you will be short-lived. Times have changed, most of us don’t believe in such legends, and even those who do have stopped hunting Conscients, because we have realized that as there has never been two living Conscients at the same time. Them fusing is impossible.”

I smiled, not wanting to lie.

“Still, you and Marie should be careful with Mr. Marak, he could teach you lots about the coven and how it works, even some really rare spells, if he likes you. But he is one of the more traditional practitioners.”

“Which means?”

Henry cleared his throat. “We are not exactly friends.”

I understood perfectly. I sighed.

The evening wasn’t going to be exactly pleasant, if I had to guess.