Chapter 1

"Seventeen"

It was a cold brisk morning in London. It was November, so you should expect nothing less. I didn't really have the want to go anywhere today. It was Saturday after all, but I forced myself out the door anyway. I walked down the pavement on my way to the park. I always liked going out to draw the scenery. I had my sketch book tucked away under my long leather jacket. The cool breeze blew my long, wavy, dark brown hair around. It was probably a tangled mess now. I finally made it to a park bench and began to draw the trees. Always beautiful those trees. The leaves are always a lushes green and I loved watching them blow in the breeze, so peaceful.

"Gracie! Oh Miss Gracie!" I was knocked quickly out of my concentration by none other then Mrs. Carson. The old middle aged lady that lives down my street . She came prancing up to me. Her graying blonde hair slightly hidden under a hat. She was also wearing a long yellow rain coat. I've never seen a more tacky coat.

"Yes ma'm?" I sat my sketch book in my lap and looked up at her.

"I hear its your birthday tomorrow. You be seventeen correct?" She asked. I smiled softly.

"Yes, I'll be seventeen."

"Oh wonderful, what are your parents doing for your birthday." Whoa, parents? I guess she hasn't caught the fact that I live in a foster home, and not a very good one. My foster parents are the least bit parent like. They probably wont even remember its my birthday. I just smiled at her and spoke up.

"I don't really know. We usually don't make a big deal out of birthdays".

"Oh, well, I still hope you have a great birthday tomorrow." she smiled and walked off. Finally some peace and quiet.

"Oh wait Gracie, I almost forgot. I got a letter in the mail today with a locket in it. The letter said to give it to you and that you know what to do with it." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver chain with a heart shaped locket on it. On the center of the locket was a topaz, my birthstone.

"Why did someone send it to you if it was meant for me?" I asked.

"I don't know, there wasn't a return address and no name of who it was from. Well, I'm sure you'll find out what to do with it. Bye" She scurried off again and I stared down at the beautiful locket. What do you mean I'll know what to do with it? It didn't let it bother me to much as I put it in my jacket pocket, finished up my drawing and went home. The wind began to blow the leaves around me on my walk back. I soon started to hear a whisper in the wind, or what sounded like one.

"Gracie….." I picked up the pace. The wind was still blowing the leaves around me. "Gracie….." I heard the whisper again. No one around me seemed to notice anything. I picked up the pace a little more. "Gracie!" The whisper turned to a loud yell.

"Stop it!" I yelled. All of the sudden the leaves dropped to the ground and the wind stopped blowing. That wasn't the first time a weird thing like that happened. The first time was when I was thirteen, I got really mad at my foster parents that the light bulb in the living room lamp broke. A few more times something like that happened. I would feel a sharp shoot of emotions and something would crack, brake, rattle, or fall off a shelf. I finally made it home and my foster parents were already home. My foster mom Jesse rose a ruckus over me walking in.

"Where have you been!"

"Out" I kept walking past her to the kitchen to get some water. My foster dad Don stood in the way of the sink.

"Ha, not a good answer".

"I was out, at the park." I decided just to walk to my room. Don grabbed my arm and pulled me back. My wrist popped in the process. I had a want to scream, but why give him something else to hit me about.

"We are not done talking about this!" He squeezed my wrist even harder and I let out a small whimper.

"I'm sorry, please". He let go of my wrist.

"Now that's more like it. Now go to your room you ungrateful little twit". I listened and ran up stairs. My wrist was throbbing and now swelling up. A small tear fell down the side of my face. I pulled the locket out of my pocket and just stared at it. What am I supposed to do with you? I laid it down on my bedside table and just stared at the ceiling. I didn't come out of my room for the rest of the day. Not like they would care. I decided to go get a snack after they went to sleep. I just ate a bagel or two as I looked at the clock. Twelve o' two in the morning.

"Happy Birthday to me" I whispered to myself as I went back to my room. Birthday, that is when it came to me. I searched under my bed for it. A journal, that was left with me at the orphanage. When I was eleven I woke up at an orphanage with no memory of who I was or who my parents were. People always told me it was amnesia. The journal had a note attached to it that said, Don't try to open it until your seventeen. Then you will find the key to remembering, love RH. The key, that's it. I took a good look at the locket, then I knew how to use it. I opened the locket and pressed it down in the heart shapes on the lock and the journal opened. Oh my goodness it worked. I opened the journal slowly. There was an entry. I read it.

My sweet Gracie,

If you are reading this, then it must be your seventeenth birthday. Happy Birthday dear. I know you probably have a lot of questions to ask, like who am I? Well, I am your mother, and I love you very much dear. When you were eleven I erased your memories to keep you safe and I placed you in an orphanage. I left you this journal so that when you turn seventeen, you can figure out more of who you are and where you come from. You have probably seen by now that you are different, and you are. You are a witch, like me and your father. I am a mud blood, which means I have no magic parents and your father is a pure blood, meaning he is from an all magic family.

I know this is a lot to take in, but I know you know that you have power. By now you should have made things brake or levitate or crack, just by getting angry or sad. Embrace your power Gracie, learn and grow to be the strong witch I know you are. In this journal I have left you pictures of me and your father and beginners spells to help you along the way. Along with more jounral entries from me. But never forget this my dear, stay away from the wolves.

I love you Gracie,

Rowan H.

Well, I didn't expect that at all. My heart feels like it just stopped beating. This is all coming so fast. I always knew I was different, but a witch. I flipped through the journal, there was an entry on almost every page and there was some pictures of my parents. I could tell they were magic because the pictures were moving, but not in the entire journal did it say what stay away from the wolves meant. I need to figure this out. I am so confused, what does all of this even mean? I fell back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Protect me from what? And what wolves? I felt like screaming. I need to get out of here. The clock now read twelve thirty, so the foster parents should still be asleep.

I grabbed one of my over the shoulder bag and put some money, my sketch pad, a few pencils, and the journal in the bag. I also put in some granola bars. I slipped on my tennis shoes, blue jeans, and a long sleeved green shirt. I pulled my long dark brown hair back into a pony tail and snuck out the window and jumped to the ground. I don't have an idea where I am going, or when I will get there. All I do know is I am a witch, I need to get out of this abusive home, and I need to find answers.