"Poor dear..." Helaena commented worriedly, glancing back at her daughter as they drove home. "She could barely stand..."

Katie was fast asleep in the back seat, her head leaning against the window. But a small part of her mind could hear her parents.

"She'll be all right. The ritual went perfectly. It just took a lot out of her."

"I don't remember it being that exhausting when I took the pledge..." Mrs Thomas noted.

"Ah, we took them in pairs in our day, now they're all on their own," Katie's father reminded.

This change had occurred after several pledge ceremonies had resulted in severe accidents. Indeed, the more witches and warlocks took the pledge, the more power was channelled, and that was dangerous enough with one person. Katie's parents had been lucky enough to already be together at the time of their ceremony, so they had been very careful to not harm one another. Others hadn't been so fortunate.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Mrs Thomas agreed. "I'm just relieved nothing bad happened... that poor Jessica Lawson on Hill Street will never be the same..."

Kendall's face turned grave.

"That was different. It was no secret Jessica didn't want to be a witch, and we know how that can affect one's magic." Kendall reminded as they climbed into bed.

"True..."

Jessica Lawson was another member of the Thomas family's clan, the Starchild clan. She had gone to school with Katie before, though they had never really gotten along. Probably because unlike Katie, who had fully accepted her identity as a spellcaster, Jessica hadn't. Which had had dreary consequences, when she had taken the pledge a few months ago. It had taken a lot of effort for Katie not to start fearing her own pledge ceremony. She had lost control and her mind was not quite the same as it had been. But for some reason, her powers remained unchanged, which could be a very dangerous combination. She was under heavy surveillance in a special institution run by witches and warlocks. Everyone else thought it was just another mental institution, but anyone with no magic was redirected, officially due to it being insufficiently manned. She hardly had any visitors beside her parents.

 Katie had considered visiting her, but hadn't quite found the courage to. A part of her was scared of what she'd see. She'd always believed magic was a positive force, that it just sometimes ended up being used for evil things. And she was afraid that if she saw the damage it could do to a person would change her own opinion, and possibly lead her to the same fate. Her parents kept assuring her they were two different people, and that she never needed to be afraid of it. And Katie wasn't, but was worried she would be if she saw Jessica. That was why she'd never tried to know what her exact condition. Her brother, Gideon, who was three years older than her and in university, had seen her and it had shaken him They looked quite similar and had sometimes been mistaken for twins. Gideon. As for Hazel, who like most twelve year-olds, was incredibly curious, but their parents had firmly refused to take her to see Jessica. So they tended to avoid the subject, and focus on how much good magic brought to people.

The next morning, Katie had felt the same and different at the same time. The same because she still had short dark hair and bright blue eyes, a very strong distaste for roller coasters and other extreme rides, and still measured just under six feet. And different because... she wasn't sure how to describe it. The closest she could think of was that it was like this whole other side of her had unlocked itself within her somehow. A part of her she didn't know yet. Which was funny, she thought, because she'd studied magic all her life. She didn't quite remember how she had come back home. She'd probably fallen asleep in the car as her parents had driven her home. Her brother and sister Gideon and Hazel had wanted to go, but the rules were clear. Only the pledger's parents could attend. She got to her feet, rubbing her eyes and pulled on her jeans and a shirt. Her body ached a little, but she felt great. 

Now, Katie was nothing like the old, nasty witches many books depict. She was young, with dark hair and wide blue eyes much like many girls in the world, aside from the hint of gold that only other witches or warlocks could see. It could be helpful if one tried to attack you. Because there were several rival families, all allegiant to either the Starchild clan, like the Thomas family, or their rival clan, the Silverwolf. Being a witch meant Katie had to live two lives in one. On the one hand was her "normal" life, going to school, doing her homework, studying to pass her final exams and get into a good university. On the other hand was what she liked to think of as her "true" life, because she felt more comfortable as a witch reading spell books and practising her sleeping draught than having lunch at the cafeteria with everyone gossiping about her. She had been forced to miss school several times over the years because her magic and premature birth didn't always mix. But after several weeks of physical and magical preparation every year, she was now strong enough to wield her magic and her body was healthier, more robust. She was getting ready to go to class. Just then, she heard footsteps coming from down the hall.

"Morning, Katie!"

"Morning, Gideon," she called back.

She picked up her back pack and was just about to follow him downstairs when a small whirlwind shot past her, shouting a hurried:

"Morning, Katie!"

Katie smiled and replied:

"Morning, Hazel."

She smiled and followed them to the kitchen where Gideon was swallowing coffee while Hazel was eating her cereal. Their parents were sitting at the table too, sipping their tea and reading the paper.

"Morning, mum, morning Dad." Katie said.

"Morning, Katie." her mother answered.

It was almost as if they were perfectly ordinary people. And yet, they were not. They worked hard to conceal everything that was related to their magical abilities. Hazel was of course still not pledged, and her parents strictly forbade her to use her powers because at twelve years old, you couldn't control them. She could practice in the house, of course, but never outside.

"Has the dizziness stopped?" Healena asked.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine, now," Katie said.

"I remember when I took the pledge," Gideon smiled. "Right, mum? I was sick for a week!"

"Yes, how could I forget!"

"Why aren't I, then?"

"Oh, well your brother had recently had a nasty bout of flu, so I suppose that might have been part of it. But I suppose it just affects everyone differently. Now, get moving, you'll be late for school."

************

If you enjoyed this chapter, please feel free to vote and comment :-)

I always loved the idea of good witches and warlocks, don't you? ;-) I'd love to hear your thoughts!