Chapter 4: Apprentice

"What? WHAT? Eh-I…you…my…n-no. No, I'm not letting you be my apprentice," Christa declared while stumbling over her words.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Why not? Why not? You're asking me why not? Nessie, you don't even know witch apprentices do-"

"So teach me," I said compromising.

"It can be a lot of work sometimes-"

"I can handle it."

"But-"

"I can do whatever a witch apprentice does. Trust me I won't fail you."

"Nessie you're twelve! Twelve years old! Much too young for a witch apprentice. And you need to be a human to be a witch apprentice! Last time I checked, you only fill out half that requirement," Christa contradicted.

"You said there were some exceptions, that there were some apprentices that weren't human," I pointed out.

"Not that I know of! I don't even know if that's true!"

"Oh just let me be your apprentice; it's not like I'll turn to dust the minute I try to be your apprentice, will I?"

"No, but you could be rejected and I hear that's pretty traumatizing."

"I don't think I'll be rejected."

"Why do you want to be my witch apprentice?"

"I want to help you get rid of Victor. Charlie is my family too and I don't want anything bad to happen to him either. Besides, I want some payback for what he did to me," I said.

"I can take him down myself-"

"I don't care I want to help. Look, I don't have to be your apprentice forever. I could just be your apprentice for now and once Victor is gone and Charlie is safe we could go back to just being aunt and niece again. Okay?"

"I don't like it but I'll allow it…just for now," Christa said.

"Yay! I-" I was bout to say but then was cut off by Christa.

"I can't make you my apprentice now. There's a lot to explain to you and we don't have that much more time before your mom shows up to pick you up."

"Fine. Can I come over tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure. Now eat your breakfast or Rosalie is going to complain that I don't feed you."

I drove down Fork's twisted roads that seemed to expand on for eternity. The closer I got to Renesmee the more it felt like time was slowing down, taunting me that I'll never get her in time. I ignored time and continued at the same speed (which was actually over the speed limit) as I was before. It was weird, I had let Renesmee have other sleepovers and I wasn't as bothered as I was now, but then again those sleepovers happened at other vampires' houses where they could keep an eye on her even as she slept.

But this sleepover was at Christa's, a human's house; someone could have easily broke into Christa's tiny cabin in the middle of the night and could have robbed her or worse killed her and maybe Renesmee. I should have stayed around the cabin and watched them to make sure nothing happened. Oh what if they're bleeding to death right now? I'm a horrible mother.

I quickly shook off my paranoia like it would disappear like that. I just couldn't help this feeling that Christa and Renesmee were in trouble…or were in trouble…or are going to be in trouble. My goodness I'm out of my mind!

It hadn't occurred to me that I had already stopped driving and was in Christa's tiny driveway until I looked up from the steering wheel. The cabin seemed to be in the same condition as it was yesterday. No signs of breaking in were apparent

Not wanting to waste time, I stepped out of the car and walked swiftly to the door. I gave the doorbell a light press while trying to hold in my tension. I could hear footsteps thumping-both Christa's and Renesmee's-on the floor from the other side of the cabin to the door. Christa opened the door with a wide welcoming smile.

"We were just waiting for you. I think Ness got a little homesick," Christa said and Resnesmee smiled affectionately.

"Oh really? Well it's good your coming home now because everyone missed you terribly," I said.

I helped carry Renesmee's three bags (Alice insisted on packing that much because she wasn't sure what Renesmee wanted to wear. I said that Renesmee isn't obsessive over clothing and wouldn't care what we packed her, but Alice just had to). We said our adieus and Renesmee and me were driving home with her in one piece like I hoped.

"Hey Mom, can I go over Christa's house tomorrow?" Renesmee asked.

"Already? I mean we just got you back from her," I said confused.

"I know but it's not going to be another sleepover. I'm just going to stay over her house for awhile."

"Oh I don't know."

"Please?" Renesmee asked and then stared at me with wide, innocent, and brown eyes and battered her eyelashes at me. She leaned towards me and pushed out her lower lip. She looked so adorable that it wasn't even fair.

"Oh all right," I said and gave her small smile.

"Yay! Thank you," She cheered and bounced in her seat. I gave an exaggerated sigh of discontent and Renesmee looked over.

"Don't worry Mom," Renesmee said, "What's the worst that could happen?"

We were home in no time and me and Renesmee skipped to the front steps at abnormal speed. Rosalie greeted us before we could knock (though it wasn't like no one heard us come home). I remembered to place a mental shield around everyone (I had progressed from making one large shield around a group of people to making several shields around individuals); I did this so Edward couldn't hear anyone's thoughts. This was both for everyone's and Edward's benefit; they didn't want Edward in their thoughts and Edward wanted to give them privacy.

The family rejoiced Renesmee like she had been gone one year rather than one day and she seemed happy to be back. I couldn't imagine Renesmee in someone else's family…

The next day….

"Christa!" I hailed as I bounced into Aunt Christa's cabin and into Christa.

"Hey, what do you want you want to do first? You want to eat or paint or-"

"Teach me how to be your apprentice now!" I screeched as I cut off Christa.

"So impatient. Are you sure there isn't anything else you want to do?" Christa grumbled.

"Nope. Teach me now."

"So stubborn…like your mother," Christa commented. It was weird how many times people said I was like my mother.

"Okay the first thing a good witch apprentice does is make things invisible."

"What?"

"Follow me."

I followed Christa down the basement and into the room Christa kept all her potions and books and all her other witchy stuff. Christa stopped and turned around to face me.

"You see all these potions and magic books here?" Christa asked. I nodded and she continued, "As an apprentice you will have the ability to make these invisible and make them untouchable to anyone to anyone but me. This is used so other witches and wizards and whatever can't steal these from me. This is very simple for you to do. Just touch an object and chant "Not to be seen by others but me, magus." Got it?"

I nodded.

"All right the next thing you'll be able to do is create a physical shield. Apprentices create a shield around themselves and their masters. When they are beginner apprentices they only protect from things like wind or dirt. The longer the witch owns an apprentice, the stronger the shield becomes until it can protect things from other people and creatures. Your shield will not become this powerful because you are a temporary apprentice, okay?" I nodded again.

"This also means that if I go into battle you are forced by the bond of an apprentice and a witch to join me. So when Victor comes around again you'll have to help me fight," Christa warned.

"That's what I'm hoping for," I replied.

"All right," Christ said, "The last main thing you'll be able to do is sense if I'm in peril or danger. You'll be able to see what is happening to me, it will come to you like a vision and it is very traumatizing and you could feint."

"My Aunt has visions all the time, she's gotten used to them."

"There are some other details like you will make my potions and spells more effective but you learn the other stuff along the way."

"Oh okay."

"Now here's the best part," Christa said and grinned evilly, "To be my witch apprentice requires one simple ritual. I just chant a few words but the ritual requires you getting a tattoo on your palm. It's going to burn for a couple of seconds then hurt for a couple of days."

"Will I be able to cover my tattoo from my family?" I asked.

"Yes I have a lotion that will cover it up so no one sees it but it will be permanent and it's going to be even more painful taking it off."

"I'm ready to begin when you are," I said encouragingly.

"All right," Christa said.

Christa began by placing her hands on my shoulders and started saying some words that seemed to be foreign to me. It seemed that she would start saying some words in one language then switch to another one until finally she took my palm and lightly pressed her fingernail into it and spoke aloud words aloud that I understood.

"And to finish this ceremony, I declare Renesmee Carlie Cullen to be part Magica and to let me, Christina Helen Swan, be her Magister," Christina proclaimed and once she did a swirl started forming in my palm. My palm burned like it was on fire but I stifled any cries. It formed into a black, vine-like swirl that had little red roses and leaves protruding from it. It looked beautiful. I held my hand up to get a better look at it and gasped at how intricate it was.

"Congratulations, you are now a witch apprentice," Christa decreed.

"I like my job already," I said in awe.

"Now your first act as a witch apprentice is-" Christa was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing and a short series of soft knocks at the door.

"My first act as a witch apprentice is to answer the door," I said. Christa rolled her eyes and I bounced out of the basement and up the stairs. I answered the door to find a girl whom I had never met before.

She looked about sixteen, maybe fifteen or seventeen. She had pale skin with light brown hair and a side braid that extended all the way down to her waist. She had soft hazel eyes that showed a lost look in them. She was biting down on her lips nervously and was clutching her arm with her hand and I thought I smelled blood coming from her arm. She saw me and looked surprised.

"Is your mother or anyone else home?" The girl asked.

"My Aunt is here, I could go get her for you if you like," I replied.

"Thank you," She said.

"Christa! Aunt Christa!" I called into the cabin and heard a quiet "I'm coming" from Christa. She jogged up the stairs and into the living room and then stopped suddenly when she saw the girl at the door.

Christa stared at the girl with her eyes popped open….

…the girl stared at Christa with a dropped jaw…

…and I just stood there awkwardly.

"Christa?" The girl shouted in disbelief.

"Sage?" Christa shouted back at the girl. It finally hit me then.

"Oh. My. Gosh," I said in shock.

Author's Note: In case you don't know who Sage is, read Chapter 3 again. Sorry if the chapter isn't long enough I will try to make the chapters longer. I know you have some questions about the story and trust me they will be answered as the story continues. I will post the next chapter on Monday, February 20. Until then, you know my three favorite words: Review! Review! REVIEW!