**I Do Not Own The Rights To The Covenant, Only To My Own Characters**
Arriving at my grandmother's home made me realize just how long it had been since I had visited the place. The house was old. Well, actually, more like ancient. The house had been in the family since a few decades after my family had ventured over to the States from England. The original house that was built by the first generation of the Towne family from England was burned down sometime after the Salem Witch Trials. The house that stands now was a nice grade of deep red brick that probably cost my family a pretty penny way back when. The front of the house had deep green vines that ran up the right side and latched onto the chimney. If one didn't know any better, they'd probably say that the house was picturesque. Pulling into the paved circle driveway, Grammie shut off the BMW, unbuckled her seatbelt and went to climb out of the car. Realizing that I probably shouldn't just sit in the car staring at the house, I did the same. Grabbing my bags, I made my way to the front door of the large house just as my Grammie was unlocking the front door.
Walking into the foyer of the large house, I realized that the house really hadn't changed much. The floors were still the same dark colored wood and a chandelier still hung from the ceiling in the foyer. A grand staircase rested on the right side of the foyer and led up to the upstairs, where I would no doubt have my choosing of which room I wanted.
My grandmother quickly broke me out of my analyzing thoughts by saying, "Well don't just stand in the doorway Catalena. That's very rude. Come in and shut the door."
Sighing, I walked further into the foyer and made sure to shut the door behind me.
"Now, we are to have dinner guests tonight, so I expect you to go upstairs, get situated, and put on something nice for this evening. Dinner will be served promptly at 6 o'clock.," said Grammie as she hung her coat up on the coat rack and made for the parlor that was just down the hall.
Good lord. I have to eat with probably some deathly looking old people and pretend to be the perfect granddaughter that didn't get kicked out of her last school. Yup, I've got my work cut out for me., I thought as I quietly made my way up the stairs and down one of the halls in search of a descent room.
Picking one of the rooms on the end of the hall, I quickly took my suitcase and backpack and ungracefully flopped them onto the bed. Deciding to ignore the bags for the time being, I made my way over to the window. Looking out over the yard, I realized that the house was surrounded by a grove of oak trees, whose leaves were beginning to cover the green grass. Just over the grove of trees, the chimney of another old house could be seen. The neighborhood was quite old and filled with old money and families to boot. Just a mile down the spread out road was a house owned by Tana's grandmother. No doubt, I would probably see a lot of Beverly Parker, since she is best friends with my own grandmother. Perhaps, she'll be the lady that I can convince into getting my grandmother to agree to letting me spend time with her granddaughter, Katana.
Stepping away from the view of the grounds from the window, I flopped onto the empty side of the queen size bed. Ignoring the bags that lay mere inches from me, I stared up at the ceiling and decided to relax before I needed to finally get ready for the, undoubtedly, boring dinner that I was expected to be at tonight.
Grabbing my iPhone from its pocket in my backpack, I quickly slid my finger across the screen and checked the time. Great its only 4:30, and I still have about a good forty-five minutes before I really need to start getting ready. Just think, if I wasn't stuck staying at this hell hole for the weekend, I would be at practice right now doing what I do best. Am I complaining? Hell yes I am!, I thought as my brain once again began to wander, and I imagined myself holding a phone to my ear and saying, Yes, I would like to place a collect call to one eight hundred my life sucks, and give a complaint about having to stay against my will in a house with a senile old bat that I, unfortunately, have to claim as my grandmother., I silently thought as I put my phone down by my side and blankly looked up at the white ceiling of the old bedroom.
"Gosh my life sucks right now.," I said out loud as I huffed at the though of my current situation.
I decided to text Tana, since I was bored as hell and didn't think that I could spend one more waking moment in the house that reminded me of a graveyard because it was so quiet.
Tana, I don't care what you have to do, just come and fucking get me TONIGHT! I'm bored out of my mind right now and in desperate need of something to do. If I have to spend most of my night fucking staring at the white ceiling in this guest room, I'm going to fucking go bat crazy like one of those nut jobs that's been in a white padded room for too long. Just PLEASE come get me! Xoxo
Finishing up the text message, I quickly sent it off and hoped that once swim practice was over that Tana would text me back with her plans for tonight.
Deciding that I could lay around staring at nothing anymore, I finally got up and went over to my duffel to grab the outfit that I'd packed for the dinner. Laying out the low sweetheart neckline black figure fitting dress and black lace long sleeve shirt that would go under the dress to make it more modest, I felt satisfied with my choice for the ensemble I would wear to dinner. Next I took out my six inch black studded pumps from the bag that I would pair with the ensemble as well as my black fish next veil hair piece that would go over my face, making the look very gothic in appearance.
Putting the finishing touches on my appearance for the evening's dinner, I made one last glance in the mirror before grabbing my phone and checking the time. Seeing that it was 5:55pm, I decided that I best head downstairs and be early rather than late. Perhaps Grammie will reward me in some way for being early rather than late or on time., I thought before opening the door to my room and heading downstairs.
In the foyer, Grammie was silently waiting by the door for her guest to arrive. Looking up when she heard the familiar creaking of the old stairs, she acknowledged my dissent down the stairs.
"I'm glad to see that you decided to be punctual, Catalena.," said Grammie in one of her tones that I couldn't tell if she approved or was being sarcastic.
"Well, you know, I didn't want to be rude and keep our guests waiting.," I said as I took my final few steps down the stairs.
Choosing to ignore my comment all together, my grandmother had already turned her attention to the door.
"So, who will be joining us this evening?," I asked as I waited calmly next to my grandmother.
"Two very old friends of the family.," said my grandmother still choosing to be very vague about the identity of the evening's guests.
Hearing the brassy tapping sound of the old knocker on the front door, my grandmother said, "Ah, that must be our guests."
Shuffling over to the door, my grandmother pulled open the heavy old door and greeted our guest.
"Good evening. Do come in.," said my grandmother in her old aristocratic voice as she opened the door further to let in the guests.
Once the older gentleman and lady entered the house, my grandmother shut the door behind her and instructed me, "Don't be rude, Catalena. Take their coats."
Walking over to them, I grabbed each of their coats and placed them upon the foyer's coat rack before turning to follow my grandmother who was bustling in the direction of the set up dinning room.
Assisting our guests in where they were to sit, my grandmother pointed to each of their places and asked them to sit. "Is there any particular refreshment I can get either of you?," asked my grandmother, who was playing the perfect part of a great hostess.
"I'll have a glass of white wine, if you have any, Shirley.," said the old woman.
"And I'll have a glass of scotch.," said the older gentleman.
Nodding her head, my grandmother quietly went over to the bar situated in the far corner of the room and quickly began preparing her guest's drinks. "Catalena, would be so kind as you bring our guests their drinks?," asked my grandmother from over at the bar.
Walking over from my place in the doorway, I wordlessly grabbed the glasses and headed back over to the table and placed each of the guest's glasses in front of them as they each gave a whispered thank you to me in return.
Having a wine glass in front of me filled with water, I sat down as I waited for my grandmother to join the rest of group after she was done preparing herself one of her beloved Long Island Ice Teas.
Finally sitting down at the head of the table, my grandmother said after taking a large sip from her alcoholic drink, "Oh, how rude of me. I have not introduced neither my guests nor my granddaughter."
"This is my granddaughter, Catalena. She will be staying with me for the weekend. She attends Spencer Academy in Ipswich and is quite the swimmer as well as an excellent student.," said Grammie as she introduced me to her guests.
"Catalena, this is Vera Morgan. She's a very old friend of the family's.," said Grammie as she motioned to the older woman.
"And this is Stanley Eaton. His family has been tied to ours for ages, much like Ms. Morgan's.," said Grammie as she stared across the table at me.
At the mention of the name Eaton, I suddenly began to feel very hot under the collar. Really, my grandmother had to invite the man to dinner whose family was the cause of the curse upon my family.
Biting my tongue and trying to be the perfect example of a respectful granddaughter, I said, "It's very nice to meet you both."
"Likewise, Catalena.," said Vera with a smile directed in my language.
The stern, Stanley Eaton, however, did not say anything to me, but rather turned his cold gaze in my direction.
"So, Shirley, why did you ask us to dinner?," asked Mr. Eaton, who directed his cold and emotionless gaze in my grandmother's direction.
"As you both know, long ago a curse was set upon the descendant's of my family. With my granddaughter's eighteenth birthday coming up, I think its time that it ended. The once strained relationship between the Parker family and my own has long been mended. I think my own relationship with Beverly attests to that as well as my granddaughter's own relationship with Beverly's granddaughter, Katana.," said Grammie, in a very frank voice.
Raising his eyebrow at my grandmother, Stanley Eaton seemed to be silently thinking to himself about how he was going to approach the situation. From my own perspective, it seemed as if Mr. Eaton had already made up his mind about the situation, and it looked as if he didn't intend on changing the binding curse placed upon my family.
"Shirley, be that as if may, Vera and I cannot just lift the curse ourselves. The Council is made up of ten families, two of whom are yours and the Parker's. In order to the lift the curse, we would have to go to the other six families.," said Stanley using a very diplomatic tone.
"Stanley, you and Vera stand as the heads of the Council. If you really want the curse lifted, I'm sure all you'd have to do is appeal to the other families, and they would support your decision.," said Grammie as she looked at the man flabbergasted.
"My hands are tied. If you want the curse lifted, then you will need to wait a month's time for the next Council to make your appeal. I'm sorry, but you know the laws that govern us.," said Stanley has he reached to take a sip from his glass filled with scotch.
Not being able to contain my contempt for the man any longer, I said, "You pompous ass. You are just one of those juice heads who let too much power get to his head. If you really wanted this curse lifted from my family, you would just go to the other families and have them appeal it. I bet you are so afraid of what will happen when the next generations gets power that you are intent on keeping us weak.," I said not caring who I was talking to.
"Excuse you young lady. Shirley, I think you need to control your granddaughter.," said Stanley, turning his harsh gaze upon my grandmother.
"No, excuse you. You are a guest of this house. How dare you say who needs to be controlled. It is you with your position on the Council that needs control. This is the twenty first century for crying out loud! The Salem Witch Trials happened over three hundred years ago! The only reason the Council hasn't lifted this curse is to retain its power over the families. We are being used as an example of what happens when there is an ounce of opposition. You are keeping this over us to induce fear in the other families. Or perhaps its not fear over them, but your own fear of us. I may be new to this whole thing, but I am certainly not stupid. You think that this curse has weakened us? I grow stronger by the day, and if you think that this curse is going to stop me from becoming what I as meant to be then you have a rude awakening coming. If you or the Council dares to come in between my family or my right to gain my powers, don't think that I won't call upon old magic to end everything the Council has worked for. And don't think that there aren't other who will stand behind us.," I said seethingly.
Breaking eye contact from the perturbed elderly man to the left of me, I glanced across the table at Grammie to see her eyes gleaming with pride.
This was just going to be the beginning of my family's new rein, and it was all going to start with my coming of age.
So, as probably many of you may have guessed, I've been super busy with work and school. I've been writing though and trying to keep this story going, so just bear with me! Thank you to everyone who has continued to keep up with this story and make reviews! You guys rock! :) So tell me what you think of this chapter, and I promise that the next chapter will probably have a lot more to do with Reid! However, right now I'm trying to give you guys a little more background on Tana and Lena's families, so I hope that you don't mind that I'm flip flopping a lot! Thanks again for keeping up with the story, and I'll do my best to continue to update!
Xoxo,
Nova