Chapter 104 - Arch-witches

"Aunt, can I ask you some questions first?" I did my best to keep my face even and my eyes nailed on Lisa's. It helped that I towered over her now that she was sitting. There were many things I wanted to say, that just rushed on my tongue, like, "Why are you such a cold bitch?" but I held that one in and instead asked. "Why the sudden change of attitude? I thought you didn't care."

I was too old to let people treat me like a doormat. Well, old was a wrong word. I was in my prime years. Too grown up, that sounded better. Too adult.

"Ah, it's nothing personal, dearest. There are rules, you must understand. Surely the mutts that picked you up taught you about the importance of secrecy." Lisa beamed an apologetic smile at me and gestured at the other chair. "Please, calm down and sit. We shouldn't waste time until night on pointless arguing if we want to introduce you to everyone at the celebration, and it would be such a shame to miss that perfect opportunity!"

Yes, indeed. Despite the urge to walk out on Lisa and her assurance that I would join her in whatever she planned, I sat down against her, not breaking eye contact once. I would have an opportunity to disillusion her later. And that word again, 'mutts'. Was she calling my coven-mates this way? Elitism really thrived around here.

"Aunt Lisa, you didn't really explain me anything just now. Can you start from the beginning, please? Like why did you stop checking on me after I turned nineteen?"

"Oh, my dear Diana, please, don't look so cross. It wasn't my decision, I only followed the Matriarch! When your mother died, it fell on me to bring you to the coven if you Awakened. As you know, with me living in Moscow, it wasn't very convenient to do… But I know we never were very close to each other, and I hope you won't have any bad feelings towards me. It's all in the past, and here we are, meeting again."

Lisa smiled at me again. I smiled back, not sincerely at all. "It's highly unusual for a witch to Awaken as late as you did. Even the late bloomers usually Awaken at eighteen, not later than that. But these are joyful news, truly. Those who Awaken late have more talent than ones who Awaken early. I can only imagine what well you must have, dear! To open it so late… Maybe, just maybe, you are even a true arch-witch. I wish I could tell."

"An arch-witch? What is that?"

Lisa's brows rose to her bleached brown hairline. Her mouth curved into a perfect 'O'. "You don't know? These mutts! I never expected a proper education from them, but not learn something even that simple! I'm so sorry you had to pick your guidance from them, Diana dearest. It's like having a blind person teach you how to draw… How did you manage? I feel surprised they taught you at least how to close your well. Can you open it, though? You should, but now I feel afraid that even that was beyond them…"

"Aunt, what is an arch-witch?" I repeated with more insistence as soon as there was a pause in Aunt's words. She blinked, and I could see the switching of the gears in her head.

"Arch-witches. Of course. As you must know, even if you don't yet, every witch is born with a well of a different size. The bigger the well, the more we can see and channel through it. It's about the same as having better or worse eyesight, except that there are no glasses for witches. And of course, when we try to control what we don't see or see badly, mistakes can easily occur, which is why it's of such importance for a witch who wishes to grow into power to have a wide well. But there's a limit to how well you can see, too."

"And how arch-witches are related to that?"

"Arch-witches, my dearest, are that limit. Their wells are so wide that every aspect of the world is open for them. They don't have to fear the inevitable magical pollution that comes to our kind with magic practice, and the opportunities they have are without count. Anything there is, they can grasp and hold in their hands. Immortality for yourself and others, pure physical strength and speed, beauty, anything! In the days of old arch-witches were often mistaken with gods."

I sucked in a sharp breath when a keyword I was hunting for caught my ear. Immortality. It was possible, after all. Within my reach… I raised my hand to my chest, unable to really believe it for a moment. There was mad hope raising to life in my chest, but I didn't dare to let it.

"And you say I can be one of these… arch-witches, Aunt?"

"Yes, and isn't that a splendid luck? Our coven is big enough, but on the grand scale of things, we are mediocre. Now, if we had an arch-witch, our standing would be entirely different! We'd be on top of the world. You must know how rare arch-witches are. They say one born only once in a century, or even rarer. There are only around thirty of them in the entire world, and most of those had long ago went into seclusion away from the worldly matters. Diana, you can be our miracle!"

I still couldn't believe it. Not when there was a 'might' somewhere in all this word avalanche thrown at me. I might, I can be their miracle. Or I can be not and then I will have to search for a real arch-witch for the boon of immortality… Or be her matchmaker with JJ, I guess. I didn't want to think about that second option.

I took in a deep breath.

"Aunt. How can I tell if I'm an arch-witch or not?"