Chapter 7
A/N
From here on out, Melinda will be watching Pearls memories. What Pearl remembers will be italicized. I will be jumping back and forth between real time and Pearl, so please bear with me. This story is beginning to take a life of it's own! Please R&R… you all have been so helpful!
Additional A/N
In response to this review :
Just a correction, she wouldn't be half mortal, she would be a full witch just like Piper, Patty, Grams etc.
You are in fact right, Melinda is a full witch, but given her siblings and cousins being more than just witch, I was trying to portray her self conciousness. Sorry for the confusion!
Melinda gently ran her index finger over the words that Pearl had written so long ago. Almost as if a movie were playing in her mind, Melinda could see the memories her long dead ancestor had written in the diary as if they were Melinda's own recollections. She was watching through Pearls eyes and feeling with Pearls emotions.
She found herself in the manor many years before her mother's mother was born. The place was loaded full of people, laughing, dancing, and drinking. Where the conservatory was now, there was a swarm of people in line to get their photographs taken by a woman Melinda knew was Pearls cousin, Prudence Baxter.
Prudence smiled and waved Pearl over to her. "I'm swamped," Prudence told her. "Would you mind opening up your fortune table, just to see if some of these people ease up? We'll never be able to flush out the warlock that is lurking about at this rate!"
"Sure," Pearl replied readily.
"But," Pearl whispered, "about that warlock. Can I do anything to help this time? I know that my powers are weak, but I still have them and I was hoping….."
"Pearl," Prudence answered exasperated. "You know that Pippy and I cherish you dearly, and we would never try to keep you away, but from what we can tell of this warlock, he's far too powerful. He absorbs the powers of witches, and you're not strong enough yet to fight him off."
Pearls heart sank. She knew that her powers weren't nearly as strong as her cousins, Prudence and Pippy, but she couldn't help but to feel that they underestimated her. She was sure that one day she could prove to them that she was a first-rate witch, and one day the warlocks and demons would fear her just as much as they feared them. Smiling, she held her head high and announced that her fortune booth would be open momentarily.
The booth indeed gave Prudence less customers. Something about mortal beings was that they were anxious to know when they would find love, where they would find money, or if their husbands were cheating with and who. The booth was full of trivial problems, nonsense really but Pearl enjoyed giving them hope to fuel their dreams.
A little girl appeared at Pearls side, tugging at her sleeve. Pearl looked down fondly at the little girl. She was a beautiful child with long blond hair and pretty blue eyes. Her face was round and innocent, her expression that of admiration and wonder.
"What can I do for you, Christina?" Pearl asked as she took the girls little hand into her own. The warmth of it melted her heart.
"When are you going to teach me how to tell the future," Christina asked innocently.
Pearl smiled and pull the girl close for a hug. "When you're older, my dear. Right now, magic isn't something to be played with. You have to learn the rules first."
Christina smiled and ran off. Pearl watched her go, her heart yearning for a daughter of her own. She was full aware that Christina would never truly learn how to tell the future, but perhaps with a few tricks and learned deception, Christina would be the one sitting at this booth in the years to follow.
"So tell me, Seer of the Future," a mans voice said. "What is in your future?"
Pearl looked up to see the most stunning man she had ever seen before. He was tall with dark black hair. His eyes were soft brown, his jaw line chisled like that of an ancient God. Pearl could tell, even under his black blazer, that he was very muscular and toned. He smiled a smile that made her knees go weak, and she silently thanked the powers above that she was sitting, for surely she would have collapsed.
"I've never been good at telling my own future," Pearl replied coyly. "Perhaps you could take a look into my crystal ball and tell me."
He raised an eyebrow and looked deep into her soul. He pulled out the seat and took both of her hands in his own, continuing to stare intently into her eyes. Pearl felt chills go through her body, as if a current of electricity had shot through her.
"Well," he said thoughtfully. "I'm not very good at telling the future either, but I do plan for the future."
"Oh?" she asked demurely, matching his gaze. "And what is it that you are planning on?"
"On taking you out to dinner, a show, and perhaps a walk along the beach this Friday," he answered coolly.
Pearls heart seemed to stop beating. Could this man, this perfectly handsome and charming man truly be interested in her?
"Hmmm," Pearl said, pretending to consult her crystal ball. "I'm seeing here that your plans may not be."
"Oh, but they have to be!" he protested.
"Well, I can't change what the ball says. But… wait a minute what is this I see?" She answered playfully, leaning closer to the ball. The scent of him, musky and clean, filled her nostrils and she caught her breath.
"Oh what?" he asked, also leaning close to the ball. "I have to know!"
"Well," Pearl whispered, "It is telling me that if you—"
Pearl was cut off mid sentence by the warmth of his soft lips touching hers. The tenderness of the kiss spread through her body, and she was suddenly unaware of the people around her. He ran his thumb gently down her jaw to the bottem of her chin and pulled away, leaving her to cry out silently for more.
"I will pick you up 7 in the evening," he said as he stood up. She simply nodded dumbly and watched him walk away. Quite a view, she thought to herself.
Melinda blinked as she came back into her own world. She had finished reading the excerpt and wanted nothing more to read the next, but the visit back in time exhausted her. Melinda smiled to herself as she felt a connection with Pearl. Both of them were held back by their family, at least now Melinda knew she wasn't the only one. Looking up, she let out a little scream. A man was standing in her room, watching her intently. She raised her hands to throw him away from her, but quickly realized that it was her boyfriend, Tony.
"How the Hell did you get in here?" She asked him.
"Umm, through the door?" he answered her.
"My door was locked," she replied.
"No it wasn't," he answered. He reached behind him and turned the doorknob back and forth.
She stared at the door completely dumbfounded. She was sure that she had locked the door.
"Must have been some book," Tony said gesturing to the diary. "I've been standing here for a full 5 minutes and you didn't even notice me."
Melinda tried to laugh it off. Tony didn't know that she was a witch yet, and she wasn't quite ready to tell him. She thought things were getting serious, but she didn't want to push too fast and risk exposure to her entire family.
"I swear that door was locked," she said again.
"Well, it wasn't," Tony replied. Then grinning he added, "But it is now."
