Catarina and her mother lived together in a modest hut on the outskirts of a small village in Spain. Her mother ventured into town sometimes to gather supplies, but she never took Catarina with her. This was just how things were. Catarina was unaware of her deliberate isolation from the world and the reason for it. For all she knew all children were born with skin the colour of the sky.
Catarina didn't know how lucky she was. She didn't yet understand the heroism of her mother. Her mother had been raped by a demon and born a daughter with light blue skin and white hair. So many warlock children were not so fortunate as Catarina whose mother accepted and loved her totally despite the circumstances of her conception. Warlocks are immortal and powerful beings but dependent in their early years on others. Many warlock children are abandoned. Their mortal parents unable to accept a child with a demon mark. Catarina was not one of these children. Her mother had chosen to hide Catarina from the world to protect her. Catarina has spent her whole life with the love of her mother as her anchor. She has never known fear or loneliness. Such beautiful beginning can bring out the very best in people.
Catarina was very young when her mother fell and broke her ankle. She could remember it well. The look of pain on her mother's face but also fear. If she couldn't walk how would they get by?
Some instinct Catarina couldn't identify prompted her to place her hands on her mother ankle. Catarina could feel the injury. Feel where the bone was broken and where the muscles and tissues were damaged. She focused on the damaged areas and felt warmth flow from her hands into her mother's foot. She felt the bones knit and the tissue heal under her fingertips. Catarina opened her eyes to see glowing light pouring from her hands. She started in awe at it. Then as it sputtered out, she turned her head up to gaze at her mother. As Catarina saw the wonder in her mother's eyes, she knew she had discovered something that would change her world forever.
Her mother picked her up laughing and spun her around three times on her ankle which was as good as new. Ever since that day Catarina had always trusted her healing magic. She practiced whenever she could. Her mother's health had never been better.
The world outside their home was less accepting. Catarina noticed her mother's stress more than anything else when the whispers started. They were looking for witches. To burn them. When her mother came home with cuts on her face, Catarina quickly healed them, but that only make the injuries she had next time she returned home worse.
The men in the village had noticed how healthy her mother was. She lived alone away from society and gathered food enough for two. In these suspicious times that alone made the town think her a witch. To the men's great shock upon entering her mother's house, they found a young woman with light blue skin, white hair and dark blue eyes. Catarina smiled at them unsure why they were here. Catarina saw only briefly the look of horror on her mother's face before the men seized her. Catarina screamed as she watched them haul her mother cruelly from their home. Then a man came back for her. She noticed this time, the look of disgust on his face. She heard them call her demon child as they dragged her out her own front door. Catarina could see her mother ahead still being dragged as she was. The men laughed as she screamed for her mama. Catarina didn't understand the men's words. Her skin wasn't harming them. It was nothing to do with them! She had never been angrier in her life, but she felt powerless. Seized with a sudden idea, she focused all her attention on the hand gripping her arm. Focused on the muscles there. She felt the man gasp releasing her arm, but she was only free for a moment before he grabbed her hair instead. Pulling it hard. Catarina cried out in pain as she listened to the man scream at her. The man was looking at her like she was filth. Like she was a sickening thing. And at that moment, Catarina felt sick. She had never before used her healing magic to harm anyone, but she could see her mother suffering, and she knew where they were headed couldn't be good. She didn't regret it.
The man never touched her skin again. He threw her by her hair into a cold dark cage and slammed a door in her face. Catarina couldn't see her mother anywhere. She couldn't see anything outside the cold walls that surrounded her. Catarina could tell time was passing because she was hungry but there wasn't anything to eat. She was too cold to sleep so she just sat and waited.
When the men came for her, they had torches, and the one that reached for her was wearing thick gloves. As she was dragged out of the cold prison she tried to harm him again but she couldn't find his skin with her magic through the thick material of his glove.
The sun blinded her as she came out into a large group of people. Catarina had never seen so many people before. There stood an enormous wooden platform with small twigs and leaves surrounding it in the center of the crowd. Catarina looked among the faces for her mother, but could not see here anywhere. The men made her stand on the raised platform. They tied her hands behind her back with thick rope that cut into her skin.
It wasn't until the man holding the torch brought it down to light the twigs at her feet that Catarina realized what was going to happen. She tried to pull her hands free of the ropes but only managed to cut the soft skin of her wrists. Tears were falling down her face as Catarina closed her eyes. She could feel the heat from the fire as it moved closer to her. The smoke blowing with the wind to choke her. The hot air surrounding her was becoming unbearable, but the fire was still feet away from her. Catarina was screaming. There was nothing she could do to remove herself from the blaze. She closed her eyes. Just when she thought there was no hope and she would burn to ash the heat vanished. Replaced with a warm tingling sensation. She opened her eyes. The fire wasn't orange anymore. The flames were blue and they were wrapped around her in what she could only describe as a protective way. It felt like a warm flowing blanket. There was still smoke, however. Thick unnatural smoke that blocked her view of the watching crowd but it didn't choke her like the thinner hotter smoke had. Just as the smoke became so thick as to obscure her vision, entirely Catarina felt a spark behind her back and the ropes tying her hands become loose and fall to the ground.
"Come young warlock," a voice spoke through the fog.
"Who are you?" Catarina asked with wonder. All she could see through the smoke was two points of light shining bright gold and green. There was no answering voice through the haze, but Catarina felt a hand take hold of hers and lead her through the smoke. Catarina let herself be lead.
When they cleared, the thick smoke Catarina was staring at the most remarkable man she had ever seen. The two points of gold-green light were his eyes. She could see now that the center of his eyes weren't like her mother. This man's eyes had a black slit at the center. He had black hair, and his skin was darker than her mother's. His features spoke of a land far away. Catarina thought he looked like a hero from a fairytale.
"Who are you?" Catarina repeated as she stared at him.
"Just passing by," the man said, but he didn't look at her while he spoke. He was walking pointedly to a building nearby. Catarina hurried to keep up. When the man finally stopped, they were behind a building around a corner, well out of sight.
"Are you hurt?" the man asked. Catarina looked down at her wrists. There were deep cuts and bruising where the ropes had been. The skin red and sore.
"May I?" the man asked holding out his hands. Catarina shook her head, but she smiled at him so as not to offend him. This she could handle. Closing her eyes, she focused on her injuries and felt the warmth of her healing. Soon her drying blood was all that remained. The skin under it smooth and whole. Catarina wiped the blood on the bottom of her dress.
"Impressive," the man said. She beamed at him. "Do you have somewhere to go?"
"Mother," Catarina said. The strange man's appears had momentarily driven all other thoughts from her mind.
"Where is your mother?" the man asked.
"I don't know," she said.
"Alright then," the man said. "You wait here then."
"But they will find me again if you go!" The man flicked his hands in the air, and Catarina saw blue flames, just like the ones before, on his hands. Her eyes went wide.
"No they won't," the man said. "I have put up a glamour. No one can see you if you stay right here." He smiled at her and Catarina decided to trust him. Knowing he was the one who had made the flames that had saved her. She nodded, positioning her feet in a solid stance as if to say I am staying here. The corner of his mouth twitched as if he was going to smile but he didn't. The man quickly turned away from her and headed back the way they had come.
Magnus Bane had been passing through Spain. He knew of the witch burning happening in the area and had almost decided to take a different route. Spain was where he had spent his youth. And it wasn't a happy memory for him. Plus the idea of traveling through a country currently doing its best to burn every witch to ash wasn't appealing. Even if Magnus was in no danger, the concept saddened him. Magnus had seen humans kill each other over nothing many times before, and it always depressed him. He was glad now he had traveled through Spain if only for the fact he had been in the right place at the right time. It had been quite a surprise to him when he had seen the blue skin of the women standing in the flames. She was a warlock; there was no mistaking a mark like that. Magnus had never dreamed the mundanes would have caught an actual magic user with their morbid death show.
Magnus had quickly switched the flames so the girl wouldn't be hurt before he went to retrieve her in the chaos, using his own magical smoke for cover. He had been again surprised by the girls excellent healing magic. If she was so skilled at magic why had she not saved herself from the flames? She seemed old enough to him to be using magic. Older indeed than Magnus had been when his father had tried to drown him. If not for his magic Magnus would have died that day.
The biggest surprise for Magnus today however was the way the warlock had spoken of her mother. There had been so much love in her voice. Magnus was still young for a warlock. It had not been long ago that he had still aged. He remembered all too well the horror of being young and small; dependent and rejected by a parent.
Magnus was determined to find the girl's mother. The look of hope on the young warlock's face had been so trusting. He wanted to earn that trust. Magnus had used another glamour to blend into the crowd as he reached the pier, now clear of blue flames.
"She was definitely a witch."
"Cursed us all she did!"
"The end of days is coming. It's a sign. Blue fire consuming red. Darkness to coming, mark my words."
"She escaped. We must search the woods."
"Witches explode when they die. She is gone. We don't need to search."
"The women next then."
"Yeah. Both witches burn!"
"Burn the witches! Burn! Burn!"
Magnus listened to the human's words with a sick feeling in his stomach. Humans were quite the mystory to him. So much potential for both good and evil inside each of them. But at least he knew the girl's mother was still alive. Though it seemed that was about to change. These Mundanes were quickly becoming Magnus least favourite people. They all deserved to be cursed he thought. He considered a few good curses that he could cast on them before Magnus remembered he was supposed to be looking for the young warlock's mother.
Magnus turned his attention back to his surroundings and heard a soft sound. Somewhere between a whimper and a scream. The sound of suffering. He followed it and found himself in a dark dungeon. In the cell at the end, there was a woman. She was standing holding the bars of her cage screaming her lungs out for her daughter. He had been right to follow the noise. Magnus could see the woman well with his cat's eyes. He knew this was the warlock's mother not only because of the words she spoke but also her face had a similar shape. There was something similar about their eyes as well. Though the girl's eyes had been dark blue and her mother's were brown. The women before him had long thick brown hair while her daughter had soft white hair. Besides those features however it was unmistakable that his woman was the warlock's mother. Much the way Magnus resembled his mother and maternal grandmother. He did notice however that she was very young. Too young he thought to have such a grown-up daughter, but he supposed with that same sick feeling in his stomach demons preferred they human women young.
"Please stop screaming," Magnus told the women quickly. "Your daughter is alright. I can take you to her."
"Who are you?"
"I am like your daughter," Magnus explained. "A warlock."
"There are others like her?" Magnus nodded. He waved his hand, and the door of her cell swung open gracefully. The women stared at him with wide eyes, but she was apparently used to her her daughter's magic because she didn't panic. She seemed to accept his ability to move a heavy metal door with just a flick of his wrist without a moment's hesitation.
Once the women was freed Magnus glamoured her to look like one of the random faces he could recall from the group of people outside. The women followed him through the group trusting him completely just as her daughter had Magnus marvelled.
When they turned the corner of the building there the young warlock waited Magnus saw the girl catch sight of her mother and forget she had promised to stay put. The girl came running full speed toward them. She crashed into her mother and was welcomed with a fierce hug.
"I was so worried," the warlock's mother said, holding her daughter so tight Magnus wasn't sure she was still breathing.
"It's okay mother," the girl said, turning from her mother to Magnus. "The strange man saved us." Her mother loosened her grip and the young warlock turned to face him still encircled by her mother's arms. Magnus had been staring wide eyed at the reunion. Such love for a child forced on you by a demon had him spellbound. There was no way the mother didn't know what had sired her child and yet...
"Thank you," the mother said. "I owe you everything. If there is anything I can do for you-"
"You owe me nothing," Magnus said. He couldn't help compare himself to this girl. To wonder what his life would have been like if his mother had loved him knowing what he was. "I was just passing through. I couldn't let one of my own kind die like that. You two just take care of each other." Magnus knew his life could never have been like hers. His mother had feared him once she knew where his cat's eyes had come from. Once she had learned, her son was a monster. Magnus was suddenly feeling like an introduer to their family. He made to turn away but had barely moved when a blue hand closed around his wrist. The girl was gazing up at him her eyes wide and wondering.
"My name is Catarina," the girl said. "Its nice to meet you."
"Magnus Bane," Magnus said automatically. He wasn't the name his mother had given him, but it was the name he had chosen. The name his mother had given him had been too painful to use for a long time now.
"And you are like me!"
"I am a warlock," Magnus said. "So are you."
"What you did, was that magic?" Magnus nodded. She was still holding his wrist. "Can you teach me?"
"It is an instinct in warlocks," Magnus said. "I was able to use it when I was younger than you."
"She is like that too," the mother said. "She could heal me before she could talk." Magnus started at the expression on the woman's face. It took him a long time to recognize it as pride. She was proud of her daughter.
"That is remarkable," Magnus said. He was stunned not for the girls skills though they were impressive but for the mother's reaction. Healing magic didn't come easy to Magnus. He always had to work at it, but it seemed to be Catarina's natural talent.
"How did you hide me here?" Catarina asked.
"I used a glamour," Magnus said. "It can make you appear different than you are. Change your appearance or hide you."
"Please teach me that," Catarina said. Magnus saw another expression pass over the mother's face. Like she was in pain.
"Are you alright?" Magnus asked her.
"She shouldn't have to hide," the women said with real anger. And Magnus realized what the pain he had seen on her face had meant. He found himself in awe of this little family.
"If you like," Magnus said. "I will teach you." Catarina released his wrist and beamed up at him. She was not yet quite fully grown but he knew she would stop aging soon. She would one day watch her mother grow old and die before her eyes. Magnus both envied her and felt sorry for her. He leaned down to the girl's height and instructed her on glamours as her mother watched. She was an excellent student and quickly picked up the basics. Within a few minutes she had glamoured her skin to make it appear the same colour as her mother's.
"I told you," Magnus said. "It's instinct." The girl's mother was staring at her daughter's new pink skin.
"I like your natural colour," the women said. "But if this is what you want." She smiled and her daughter who smiled. The expression of love and family on their face made Magnus feel suddenly very alone in the world. Which he reminded himself, he was.
"Thank you Magnus," Catarina said looking up at him from where she stood at her mother's side. Their hands interlinked. Then the pair turned and walked away from him. Magnus stood for a moment watching them go.
Suddenly Catarina had left her mother's side and come running toward him. Magnus stared at her, white hair flowing in the breeze a huge grin on her face.
"Come back and see us, okay," Catarina said, those dark blue eyes gazing up at him, hopefully.
"Why?" Magnus asked. The warlock wasn't in any danger now that is as long as she didn't let herself get caught again. Magnus had a feeling she would use her glamour in future; he wasn't worried.
"So we can be friends," Catarina said.
"You want to be friends with me?" Magnus asked, stunned. Magnus could see his mother swinging from the rope she hung herself with. Could remember the look of disgust on his father's face as he was held underwater. Magnus had lived with the Silent Brother's in spain for about seven years after that. They had fed him and let him rest under their roof but that was all. He had hated himself. Blamed himself for what had happened to his parents. He could still remember the love they had once had for him. Before they had learned what he was.
"Of course I do silly," Catarina said, she was beaming up at him her eyes trusting and what? Magnus started trying to figured it out. Then he realized with sudden horror it had been so long since someone had looked at him with affection he hadn't even been able to recognize it.
"I would be honoured to be your friend Catarina," Magnus said. The girl's smile light up her eyes. Blue Magnus thought. The first eyes to look at him without hatred or mere tolerance in so long. Blue was his new favourite colour. Even now and then the world conspired to make him believe again.
Magnus would forget over the years why he liked blue eyes so much. Time and distance messes with your memory. His mother's face would fade from his mind and the pain of his parents rejection would became dulled as he learned he wasn't a monster. Learned to be comfortable in his own skin. He would meet a warlock with green skin and horns that had also been saved by the love of his mortal family. And together they would go on adventures, especially in Peru. Catarina would always be his closest friend however. She knew when to call him out on his stupid ideas. They could be found hundreds of years later sitting together at a bar talking about boys. A certain blue eyed boy in fact. The one who would finally convince Magnus Bane that he was a hero.
If you enjoyed this please leave me a review and tell me what you think! Also if you are interested I have a few more stories with Magnus Bane. One Magnus and Alec's point of view of the Mortal Instruments and is therefore quite long. I complete the referenced with Catarina thinking he is a hero in that story in one of my chapters.
To Guest reviewer: OMG Thank you thank you Thank you! Is it horrible that the fact I made you sad makes me so happy! And I am so glad you liked this. It isn't my usual style. I find dialogue much easier than description.