A Little Over A Year Later
Elena stood inside of her tiny magic shop as she explained to a woman how to cut ties off with an old lover. The heartbroken woman had come in explaining that he had left her for another woman and knew she wasn't strong enough to not take him back. Elena knew just the trick though and led her to a shelf that held candles that were connected by the wick. She grabbed a red one from the middle spot and carried it over to the counter.
"You carve your name on one side and his on the other. Then you burn the wick in the middle and once the wick breaks well...so will your feelings. Now, this is irreversible so once you do this you will no longer love him. Ever," Elena told the woman before blessing the candle. She placed it in a brown paper bag and threw in a matchbook.
"This will work?" The woman wipes her stray tears off her cheeks before handing Elena a ten dollar bill. Elena took it and placed it in the register before handing the woman her bag.
"I've never seen it fail," Elena waved goodbye before going back into the hidden room the boys had built for her to work on potions. She was in the middle of making a love potion since Valentine's Day was coming up. The love potion though was for self-love, not for another to fall in love with her. She believed that had to happen on its own but self-love was a very hard thing and she understood that. It took Paul to make her realize how to love herself. Elena added a few more rose petals to her new cauldron, a gift from Seth for Christmas. He said every witch needed one. She was just about to add the peelings of an orange when she heard the bells above the front door go off. She quickly exited the room and went out front to see who was there, she was surprised to see young Claire standing looking at everything in amazement.
"Claire? What are you doing here? Where's Quil?" She had gotten so use to Quil always being with her that she forgot she had a mother somewhere.
"Oh he's working. I came in here to get a gift for him for Valentine's Day," Claire held up her tiny wallet which made Elena laugh. She wouldn't have charged the young girl, she always loved picking her brain.
"What type of gift are you looking for?" Elena wondered what was suitable for the girl to take her imprint but current babysitter.
"Something that'll make him remember me forever," Claire stood up straighter to make herself seem more grown up. Elena nodded before walking over to the watches in a display case. The watches could hold memories that you otherwise would forget. The person can choose the memories that can go into the watch and then the receiver can play the memories in their head until the end of time.
"Choose what memories you'd like him to see. Think really hard," Elena instructed as the girl held onto the watch thinking of memories between her and Quil that she adored. Them sneaking to play Candyland after she was put in time out by Uncle Sam. Him letting her bury him in the sand at the beach. Him letting her ride on his back as a wolf. Them throwing snowballs at Uncle Sam as he walked to his car. Claire listening to the legends for the first time.
"I think these are enough..." Claire seemed sad as she gave the watch back to Elena for her to put the final touches on it.
"Claire, if you don't mind me asking why are you getting him a memory watch? Quil is always with you so I highly doubt he could forget you," Elena rarely sees them apart except during patrol or school. Miss Young allowed Quil to watch her whenever because she knew Claire was the safest with him.
"Mom said her company is moving us. We leave next week for San Francisco," Claire's voice fell soft as she stared at the floor trying not to cry.
"Well, that's just not going to happen," Elena decided that nothing was going to separate those too. She walked up front and switched sign to close and locked the door.
"Follow me," Elena tapped the girl on shoulder as she passed by telling her to follow her into the back secret room. She pointed to a chair in the corner that Paul usually sits in when he comes by during his lunch break. Claire put her backpack on the floor and sat in the chair, crossing her legs underneath of her.
"What are you going to do?" Claire knew the witch could do anything. She once saw her use her powers to make Quil think he was a chicken which was hilarious to her.
"Take this," Elena held out a clear stone, it was almost glasslike. Claire took it gently not wanting to break it.
"Put this in your mouth and then tell the crystal what you want most," Elena handed her a piece of orange peel to chew on which the girl did with no complaining.
"I wish...to stay in La Push with Quil while my mother goes and does her job," Claire let out a few tears finally that landed on the stone in her hand.
"Go ahead and spit the orange out on the stone and bury it in the back. Then you'll see," Elena winked before handing the little girl a spoon to use as a shovel and showing her where the back door was. Once Claire had left, still taking the watch with her and a new found confidence that everything will be okay Elena headed back up to the store front.
"We heard there was a known witch around," a raspy voice called out making Elena jump and instantly put up a shield around her. She pulled out the dagger she keeps on her thigh under her skirt to look frantically around the showroom. In the corner looking at the potion shelf was a rotting demon. Hair sliding off of the scalp, black boils all over the body and tattered clothes hung off of their skeleton like body.
"May I help you?" Elena asked while pointing her dagger at the demon, she was going to take no chances.
"Me? No. But...Richard wanted to know why a witch was making her presence known," the demons voice was barely a whiper when they turned and looked at her. Elena held back a gasp as she stared into beady black eyes. Black blood ran over the open sores of the face. Elena tried to stay calm as she knew what the demon was talking about, Richard was the ruler of all witches and covens. He decided what was allowed and what was not. He decided who got to live after breaking a rule and who didn't. Unfortunately, Elena has broken a rule by letting the townspeople know what she is, even if they protect her just like she protects them. Richard never really liked Elena in the first place due to her never bowing down to him and fearing him like the others, she had no reason to. Until now when she had so much to lose.
"They all think I'm just a hoax," Elena narrowed her eyes as the demon neared her. Elena held her ground though and held her hand steady.
"I smell...lies," the demons mouth was sliding off of their face the mouth they talked. It was enough to make any human sick to their stomach and faint.
"They just think I'm a con-artist and that's it," Elena told her lie again this time following the demon as they circled her. Elena couldn't take her eyes off of them because she was scared what might happen.
"Lies...I smell lies..." The demon this time said louder, their voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard. Elena was about to respond when a knock on the glass door scared the demon, making him stumble to where Elena had a chance to break her shield and put the poisoned dagger through their heart, causing them to turn into nothing but soot and some slime.
"El! What is going on in there?" It was Paul and she could hear him using his spare key to unlock the door. She quickly dropped her dagger and raced to the front door. She fell into the safety of his arms as soon he was through the threshold.
"Paul, he knows," Elena cried into his chest concerned for the first time not of her safety but the safety of her loved ones and the town she's grown to call home.
"Who knows?" Paul asked as he wrapped his arms around her allowing her to cry on his shirt. He took a quick look around the store to see the pile of slime and soot along with her dagger, something she always has but never uses. He immediately knew trouble was among them.
"To the back, lock the door," Elena backed away from him wiping her eyes. She had to go lock the back door and make sure no one else was going to walk in for the day. She needed time with just Paul for the time being to figure out what to do and then later the pack.
"El, what is happening? You never lock the door unless it's closing time. What is on the floor up front? Why is your dagger out?" Paul was firing off questions as he followed his terrified girlfriend. She had taken her hair down out of the bun which means she was trying to hide herself, close up into her own little world.
"Richard," Elena muttered as she took the cauldron off the heat knowing that the potion would have to wait until later. She closed the door behind them and sat on the floor, leaning her head against the wall.
"Who is Richard?" Paul felt jealousy grow in his chest but was quickly calmed when Elena reached for his hand.
"Richard is the ruler of witches. A very powerful warlock who took his place as ruler centuries ago, no one has ever been able to overthrow him. He is the one who makes the laws. Makes us not be able to settle down. Makes us hide ourselves. Somehow...he learned about what I've been doing here. The shop, the readings, the...everything. He knows," Elena was whispering, scared there was even more demons lurking out there.
"He won't get near you," Paul growled and bared his teeth as he sat in front of Elena. The wolf fighting to come out and protect what was his.
"Paul it can happen whenever. He can appear whenever. He can send a stronger demon then he did today to take me out. Or worse...take me to him," Elena begin twirling the one ring on her right ring finger that was just a silver band. Something simple but meaningful, something Paul gave to her last Christmas.
"Then you'll be with someone 24/7. Never alone. He will not get you. You are not dying or burning. You will not be taken from me," Paul pulled Elenas chin up so she had to look at him in the eyes. Her eyes were filled up with tears, almost spilling over, they were full of panic and terror. Her clothes had bits of soot and slime that had flown off of the demon. Her jaw was clenched tightly, a thing she does she she's stressed out.
"Paul..." Elena wanted to argue with him, tell him that he had no control over what was going to happen. Instead she pulled him close and slammed her mouth on his, wanting to get lost with him. She knew it was a high possibility that her days were now numbered and all she wanted to do was mesmerize everything about the man she loves.