Hemlock Alcove

Hemlock Alcove

"Funny seeing you here, Sorrel." A middle-aged witch, who was manning the bar, remarked. "You usually don't go around Hemlock."

Hemlock alcove, the eastern part of Nightshade's Grove, served as the center for businesses. Casters meet here to trade goods with other casters and non-casters alike.

"I have to unwind for a while, Mrs. Caraway." The younger witch sighed before ordering her drink.

Sorrel had taken the time to relax for the day and found her way to Midnight Brew, the famous café in the area. "Can I have my usual?"

"Of course! Earth Apples with dash of mint." the bartender replied.

Caraway mixed two teaspoons of dried flowers into the concoction, making the dark rum colored beverage turn into a lighter shade of red. She added a pinch of mint leaves which made the flower sprout to life inside the glass.

She waited for the flower to bloom before giving the drink to Sorrel.

The younger witch took a long sip which instantly calmed her nerves. "Sweet!" she smiled as her muscles relaxed.

No one makes enchanted brews and beverages like Mrs. Caraway in the entire Nightshade's Grove.

"Has Heather been overbearing as of late?" Mrs. Caraway inquired while observing the girl.

Sorrel had dark circles around her eyes. Her usual neatly combed dark hair was now knotted in a messy bun. She looks under the weather.

"No. Aunt Heather has never been like that." Sorrel answered after putting her drink down. Unconsciously, she combed some stray strands with her hand.

"So, it means that your problem is linked with that child." Mrs. Caraway said referring to Lily.

News had spread fast in the Nightshade's Grove. A non-caster had been taken by Heather Hallows and had been made into an apprentice. It was no surprise that the news reached Hemlock.

"I heard that the girl had become a child of craft." The witch further added. "Did she begin her training as a witch?"

"She did. But she's having a hard time adjusting." Sorrel answered as she felt a headache assaulting her. It had been a few months since Lily began her training to be a witch but there was little progress.

"She is a non-caster, dear." The older woman remarked. "It was a slim chance that non-caster will survive that. But she did! I am sure she will surely come around."

Heather is one of the best Casters who ever graced our coven." Caraway muttered proudly before attending to her other customers.

There were a number of witches and wizards who were lounging in Midnight Brew.

Left alone, Sorrel decided to forget her worries and enjoy her time. She grabbed the opportunity to indulge in eating Mrs. Caraway's decadent cake.

She was about to eat a piece when all of the sudden, an explosion shook the entire place.

"Oh my goodness!" Sorrel exclaimed when a smudge of icing spread on her face. The tremors continued for a few more seconds before they disappeared.

"That's the nth time just for today!" Caraway complained. "What in the Heavens is going on?"

Sorrel just bowed her head and refused to meet anyone's eye. She knew what those quakes meant.

"Lily messed up again." She said under her breath.

Getting up, she paid for her drink and cake.

"Thank you for the talk and drink Caraway. I am not feeling as troubled as before." Sorrel said with a smile.

Riding on her broomstick, Sorrel took a short tour. She bought a few things around Hemlock before going straight to Arcana.

As she landed on the porch, she noticed Heather's wolves standing by the window watching the commotion inside.

Puzzled, Sorrel made her way to them but stopped when another mini explosion occurred.

A loud curse was heard before the window was covered with smoke from the interior of the shop.

"I don't get it." Dusk said as she sauntered away from the window and sat next to Sorrel's broom. "That child seemed to have a lot of potentials but she keeps on messing up with just the basic spells."

"We might have made a mistake in estimating her abilities." Shadow remarked and made himself comfortable next to his mate.

"Give her some time. It is not easy to learn magic if you are a non-caster." Sorrel defended the girl before making her way inside.

"Why is that child's progress quite slow?" Heather asked as she waved her hand to clear the smoke in the area.

Lily's mess up spell must have left a lot of smoke as residue this time. The entire workshop looked as if it was enshrouded by a grey fog.

Master Chervil coughed for a few times before he replied. "It must have been the compatibility issue. You, Hallows, had the most powerful bloodline. Aside from being purebloods, your magic is strong due to the amount of active caster's circuits in your bodies."

Then he added. "The mana you produce can be overwhelming compared to ordinary casters. With Lily being a non-caster, her body is not hundred percent compatible with Hallows blood."

"She did manage to survive the worst during the ritual." Heather stated as a matter of fact.

"That is not a guarantee that the whole thing is successful. Right now, she is having a hard time controlling her newly gain abilities. What I fear is that the circuits might destroy her body." Master Chervil forehead was filled with worry lines at that.

"A pleasant afternoon, Master Chervil. Aunt Heather." Sorrel entered and made her presence known.

"Will Lily be okay?" Sorrel couldn't help but ask. "Can she become like us?"

"Good afternoon, Sorrel." Master Chervil greeted and replied. "For now, she is. But only time can tell if she will become a full-fledged caster."

With that, Master Chervil bid goodbye.

On the other hand, Heather sat down on one of the couches before motioning to Sorrel. "Do check the girl before she does more damage and reduce this whole place to ashes."

"Yes, Aunt Heather." Sorrel put her things down on the working table and noticed the haggard look on Heather's face.

She had never seen the headwitch this stressed out. Teaching Lily must have strained her a lot.

After making sure that things were in order, she made her way to the basement area where Lily practices her spells.

Sorrel was halfway down the stairs when another cuss rang out. It had come from Lily who was glaring at the spell book and apple before her.

"Urggh! Why can't I get it right?" Lily gritted.

"You temper gets in the way, Your Highness." Zeke patiently pointed out. He seemed to be the only one patient enough to remain and teach the girl.

"But I've been trying!" Lily complained.

Sorrel had observed Lily's outbursts as of late. Ever since her caster's circuits were activated, Lily had become quite hot tempered. Even the simple things that could go wrong set her off.

"It must have been the effect of the ritual. It did not only make her change physically. Her attitude and temperament must have changed as well." Sorrel hypothesized.

"You have to calm down, Lily." Sorrel decided to butt in. "If you lose your temper, the spell will not work properly and you will end up making things explode."

"I'm trying!" the girl answered in an irritated tone. "But I easily lose my cool when the spell fails."

Zeke sighed before grabbing the girl by her shoulder. "Look at me, princess." He ordered. "Now, take deep breaths..."

Lily closed her eyes before doing the breathing exercise.

Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale...

When she was considerable calm, she took a shot in casting the spell again.

Sorrel peered at the spell book and took note of the princess's current task. That girl had to make an object change shape into another completely different item.

"Beginner's level magic." Sorrel said under her breath.

If she could barely remember, that spell was taught to caster's children when they first enter school at the age of seven.

But being a member of the Hallows family, Sorrel mastered the spell when she was barely four.

Sorrel snapped out of her musing when Lily managed to make the apple levitate a few inches above the table. The girl seemed to have let her mana flow towards the apple and commanded the item to change form.

In response, the apple shook for a few seconds before gradually distorting it shape to take another form.

Unfortunately, before it could completely shift into another object, the apple stopped moving and fell on the wooden floor.

"Something must have snapped her concentration." Sorrel thought as she watched Lily scream. The apple burst open before it caught up in green flames.

"That's not supposed to happen." Sorrel could not help but comment.

"I think it is better for us to call it a day." Zeke said while giving the princess a comforting pat on her head.

The girl was shaking with anger. Tears of frustration were leaking out of her eyes.

Without a word, she stormed out of the basement leaving the two casters behind.

Sorrel waved her hand and the fire was put out. "Any progress?"

Zeke clapped and the materials put themselves back on their respective places. "She did make some of the things levitate properly but she couldn't make the other spells work. It seemed that her temper gets on her way."

"Should we subject her to anger management?" Sorrel probed.

She had remembered some cases of witches who had failed with their spell casting. There were instances that emotions, particularly negative ones affect spells.

They make casters lose control and mess up the spells. That was the reason why witches never cast spells when they are furious. Such a thing could wreak havoc and make irreversible damage.

"No." Zeke answered which made Sorrel snap out of her thoughts. "There are witches who are far more temperamental than Lily. And yet they can make spells work. What she needed to learn is to control her mana levels. It seemed they flow in excessive amount."

"Then, what do you have in mind?"

"She will have to do some extra training with control."