1 Chapter One

I grimaced as somebody thumped against my Bedroom door. No doubt father was ready to speak of my first mission. I felt uneasy as I threw the covers off of my body, scowling at the idea of being sent away from my family and my life as I knew it.

I knew everything would change for me after that.. I had only turned eighteen yesterday, which meant I was ready for my duties as a Caster.

'Give me five minutes to get dressed'. I snapped aggressively.

I felt the door whip open and a freezing cold wind hit the direction in which I was sat; Dexter, my brother, stood there smiling in amusement.

Dexter's short bright blonde slicked-back hair shone from the amount of hair product that was out in. He wore the usual black suit, which the men in my family always abided by.

Witches that belonged to a Coven like ours liked to show off their power. They all wore the 'Caster' emblem imprinted onto it. The Caster emblem was the element of a gust of wind.

On occasion we could control other elements like lightning.. my sister, who was no longer with us had been able to use the lightning element.

So our Coven wore black with a symbol of wind on our chest pocket.

Sadly I am the only member of the Coven who is pretty hopeless with spells..

I sighed deeply at my brother, grabbing my hair, to avoid it whipping into my face.

My long straight black hair had now been swept into a messy bun and my choppy fringe insisted to blow around like it had a mind of its own.

'I am just coming, you are so annoying'. I glared.

'And you are lazy but who is comparing?'. Dexter grinned.

I sighed in response. I did not hate my brother but he really did annoy me sometimes.

'What are you wearing today anyway, Aria?'. He chuckled, as he threw me into a small embrace.

'I figured father would not mind a pyjama day'. I grinned, poking him in the gut.

He cackled an awful wretched sound, in response.

I laughed, as he recovered.

I then walked into my walk-in wardrobe and grabbed a light green laced mini dress and placed it down on my bed, my brother laughed.

'Well at least you will stand out in a crowd'. He muttered, just before he walked away.

I usually wore black, so I was changing it up slightly.

I gasped, he knew exactly what and where my first mission was.

'Is it a bad one?'. I frowned at him.

He did not respond. This only made me more nervous, as I threw on my dress and ran out of my Bedroom door.

When I eventually got downstairs, my father's Coven members just stared at me tilting their heads. I sighed sadly. Because I mostly kept to myself and did not often date anybody from our Coven, I was often regarded suspiciously.

It was not like I did not have suitors try their luck, I just never really wanted to spend time with them.

You just never knew if the male only wanted me for my status, which was highly likely.

Father had often ordered me to go on dates with men he approved of but it did not last long. They would try to pressure me into doing things with them, which I would not do just for anybody, I simply was not ready. Or I had not found the right man to be with. I wanted somebody who deeply cared for me before I made any kind of deep commitment to them.

I did not think it was a big deal, but apparently it helps to increase an individual's magical abilities.

My mother seemed to understand my point of view but my father did not.

I took a deep breath, as I knocked lightly on my father's Office door.

He still had the sign I made him when I was a teenager.. it was painted and infused with a small amount of my magic and it read 'BEWARE OF THE WARLOCK'. It was the one time my father actually laughed and seemed happy with me.

'Enter, Arianna'. Agust, my father, spoke in his most neutral tone.

I grimaced, as I walked in, plastering a fake smile on my face.

My father wore his thick long blonde hair up in a ponytail but it was swept onto his shoulder, dangling just past his chest, which meant this was definitely important news.

He wore his usual black suit but with green embroidered patterns on his shirt, it signified his power and status.

One thing I noticed straight away was the frown line on his face; he was not in a good mood.

I took a deep breath and sighed, as I sat down in the chair opposite him; I looked at the floor to show my respect for him.

'Are you forgetting something, daughter?'. He glared at me disapprovingly.

I threw my head up in shock. I would usually stand next to him and give him a hug and kiss on the cheek in the mornings.. but I had assumed I would have to regard him professionally because this was not a personal visit.

I let out a nervous laugh and approached his side, as he pulled me into a hug.

I gasped in shock, this was not my father's usual behaviour. He kissed my head and pulled away gazing me dead on, in the eyes.

'I am sending you as a spy amidst enemy Territory, it is time you earned your place, as your brother has done'. He muttered sharply, as he hugged me to his chest again.

This was my father showing fear.. he was afraid for me.

I whimpered, allowing myself to cry, thinking of the peril I would be facing.

I knew I was the weakest Witch in our Coven.. which only made this so much harder. And yet, if he did not send me, people would see him as weak.

I squeezed his back slightly, and backed away regarding him with a smile, as I wiped my tears and moved to the chair.

'Tell me what I am to be facing and what I must do'. I muttered awkwardly.

He regarded me with a small all-knowing smile.

'I am sending you to an old town called Crimson Falls, inhabited by humans and Werewolves. Two Werewolf clans co-exist in that town, which of course is very unheard of. I want you to watch them carefully and report anything you deem worthy of mentioning'.

I gasped in shock, this could be a very dangerous mission. If I was discovered, they would probably kill me. I sighed, as I felt my hands begin to shake out of fear.

'I understand.. I will do my best not to be discovered and to serve the Coven in any way I can'. I muttered sadly.

He nodded and then smiled, he must have thought of an alternative. I felt a deeper sense of dread in the pit of my stomach.

'Unless you would rather marry, who I deem worthy of our bloodline'. He had the biggest grin on his face.

I glared at him, thinking that he would just ship me off like a present to some Warlock I had never met and would probably never love.

I shook my head in a quick denial.

'We have spoken about this father'. I snapped, feeling my blood boiling and wind magic began flowing through my body.

I gasped in shock and it stopped.

And yet, there he was, grinning widely from ear to ear. It was a test.

'You are ready'. He smirked and began laughing like a maniac.

I could not help but frown in response.

'Go and speak to your mother, because you will not have time to tomorrow'. He muttered matter-of-factly.

'Of course'. I smiled, and walked away.

'I do love you Arianna, never forget that my dear'. He muttered just low enough that I could hear.

I nodded, as I left his Office.

I did not cry in front of the Coven members, which were regarding me cooly. I kept my head high and walked away into the Kitchen, to make me and my mother a cup of coffee.

My mother was in the garden basking in the sunlight, with her familiar; a black cat named Maison. He saw me approaching and eyed me curiously. It was not often I would see my mother in the Garden, I usually had my head glued into some new novel, so to speak.

I loved reading more than anything in the world. Mother often joked, calling me a bookworm.

'Ah, my little bookworm graces me with her wonderful presence'. Dorothy my mother, spoke with a slight musical laugh.

Her hair was jet black and curly, stopping just below her shoulders. She always looked very graceful; she was wearing a long black dress, with red embroidered patterns, it signified her power and status, very much the same concept as my father's suit.

I smiled lightly, as I set our coffees on the side table and picked up Maison, who began purring in my arms, as I stroked him lightly.

'Perhaps I should teach you how to summon your very own familiar, my dear'. She smiled softly, as she picked up her coffee and brought it to her lips, smiling at me after she tasted it.

'Father has given me a mission'. I muttered sadly.

She scowled in the direction of his Office, as her hair whipped into her face and I felt a ice cold gust of wind flow past me and glide into the house.

I could hear my father swearing in his Office. She was letting him know that she was angry at his decision.

'It is okay, mother. I have accepted it'. I sighed.

'It is not okay. You barely know what those beasts are.. tell me he is at least sending you somewhere remotely safe'. She snapped.

I shook my head awkwardly in response and she grimaced.

'You are summoning a familiar with me tonight, no arguments. You need some form of protection and I know of just the creature to protect you'. She muttered angrily.

I winced at the idea of having something that would live off my life force, bonded to me forever. She did not leave any room for arguments, I knew that for sure.

My elder sister, Annabelle, died on a mission with no familiar. So I understood her fears, I barely knew her however, so it did not upset me as much. I had heard she was very strong and very pretty.

All I could do was nod in response, I finished my coffee which now tasted so bitter thanks to my emotions.

I sighed and kissed my mother on the cheek, placing Maison in her lap, before going back in the house.

When I got back into my Bedroom, I felt another person's presence. I felt my blood boil at the idea of somebody in my room, I whipped up a small warning whip of wind and threw it at my brother, who jumped out of the way and let my window absorb my casting.

'What the hell were you thinking!?'. I snapped.

Dexter laughed happily.

'Just testing my little sister before she abandons her big brother for that big wide world'.

I glared at him in response and he just shrugged, sitting down on my bed and patting it besides him.

I sat next to him and sighed.

'Have you ever been to this wretched town?'. I murmured.

'I have not, I hear it is not so bad though'. He smiled softly.

I frowned and he ruffled my hair in response. It was awkward because we rarely got along.

'Just do not do anything stupid while you are there, okay?'. He muttered angrily.

I could not help but glare at him in response.

'Like what exactly?'

'Falling in love, would be bad'. He sighed.

I gasped at his accusing demeanour. Falling in love..

'With one of those beasts!?'. I snapped, in complete shock.

He laughed sarcastically.

'Well you do not exactly know much about men, do you sweet little sister?'. He grinned.

It was because I still had my innocence and at eighteen I apparently should have experienced sex with one of my own kind by now.

'I want to fall in love and to be loved, not used!'. I snapped.

He only laughed again.

'What if I promised I could get you Ray?'. He muttered awkwardly.

I knew my jaw dropped and my eyes bulged. I also knew that I was a deep red in my cheeks. I had not thought anybody had noticed my crush on a fellow member of my father's Coven.

Ray was new to the Coven, he had barely been with us for a year and all the girls liked him.

I sighed just thinking about him. He never once even looked at me twice and yet there was something about him that I liked.

He has short choppy chestnut hair which was often styled spiked up, with blue narrow eyes, that looked straight through your soul.. or that was what it felt like.

He grinned because he knew how naïve I was. He began laughing uncontrollably.

'I have a summoning to do with mother, stop playing around with my feelings'. I snapped.

He raised an eyebrow in response, laughed and then walked out the door.

I sunk back on my bed, now thinking about Ray's odd nature. I was not sure if I would have agreed to be with him, even if I fancied him.

I heard my mother shouting downstairs at my father.

She was not happy about me leaving for a dangerous mission. Spies did not last long out in environments like I was going into.

I heard a thud and could only assume she had hit father. I threw my hands over my ears and found tears falling. They were fighting because I was weak.

In less than an hour, my mother knocked on my Bedroom door.

'Follow me, daughter. We are going to begin the rite of summoning in the Study Room'. Dorothy muttered.

'Yes, mother'. I smiled awkwardly, as I followed her towards the end of the Hall, leading onto the study room.

When I entered, many Coven members were present, along with my father. My brother was not there and neither was Ray. I had hoped to show off slightly.

I sighed sadly. It would have been nice to see his face at least, before I left the house.

'Do you remember the rite?'. Dorothy smiled.

I nodded awkwardly, noticing my father's worried expression.

'Father?'. I muttered worried.

He just shook his head in response.

He must have been worried because if a rite of summoning went badly I could lose a limb or my life.. and in front of them.

I took a deep breath, remembering the pentagram symbols and began drawing them with purified salt crystals. Shortly after, my mother stepped behind me, taking a long blade and bringing it across the palm of my hand.

I winced in pain as it inched deeply into my palm and blood droplets dropped onto my pentagram.

I was shocked at how quickly my familiar or familiar's arrived sitting in front of me taking their place, bowing at my side. Not one, but four, black dogs eyed me obediently.

I smiled at them bringing my hand to their snouts as the licked at my wound, accepting my life pact.

I ignored surprised murmurs from Coven members.

When I eyed my parents, they were grinning from ear to ear. Nobody had expected this outcome, certainly not me.

'Treat your familiars well, my dear'. Agust muttered happily.

'They better keep you alive, or I'll find them in the afterlife'. Dorothy glared at them, to which they bowed in respect.

Coven members began cheering in response.

I smiled, yet oddly I did not feel happy. I had just tied my life to these four black dogs forever. If I died, while they were protecting me, they would too. But if I died of old age, they would be able to serve another Witch or Warlock in the future.

It was not long before I left the ceremony and walked to my Bedroom. My familiars, who I had yet to name, eyed me as if requesting leave..

It was obvious that they were asking for permission to do as they pleased, as I did not need to be protected right now.

I simply smiled and nodded at them, as I walked into my Bedroom.

I would not get enough rest tomorrow.. so I needed it tonight.