More Than Moonlight

Chapter 2

"Gaberiel," a soft, femenine voice echoed through the huge house. Caught up in the excitement, Willow and Gabriel had forgotten there was someone else in the house. They both flinched at the sound, before turning towards the stairs, leading to the bottom floor. "You don't need to leave, the house is safe," the woman's words followed her as she climbed the stairs.

"Evie," Gabriel sighed with relief, realizing who it was "What do you mean? How do you know?"

"Iris was my wife," her eyes wallowed with grief, "I vowed to always take care of her, now that she's passed, I will do my best to continue doing so by protecting her legacy, and her family," she stumbled on her words, "My family."

Evie, and Willow's grandmother, Iris, got married a few years after Iris's husband died of a heart attack at fifty-one. Evie has been in Gabriels life since he was a teenager, and Willow has known her her entire life. She always thought it was so cool she had two grandmothers. Although her bond was stronger with Iris, her biological grandmother, Evie was still a great role model.

"What do you mean the house is safe?" Willow's eyebrows furrowed, circling back to the question Evie avoided.

"Iris and I put a protection spell on it the day you were born Willow," Evie stepped towards Willow and reached her hands out, grabbing both of Willow's hands, "We had to protect you."

Willow stared at her hands, Evie still holding onto them. She looked up slowly, "A spell? Are you a witch too?" She turned around and looked at her dad, "And..." She paused, "You?" Willow sighed with disbelief in her voice.

"Yes, that's how I met your grandmother," She took a break from the sentence and they both looked towards Gabriel. When Willow turned her head back to look at Evie, all she had to do was shake her head up and down, and Willow knew what she meant. Evie squeezed Willow's hands as a gesture of love, "We always knew you would be special."

Her voice began to shake, "Why...me?" Her head began to spin, like her world was quite literally turning upside down. She broke away from Evie's grasp and turned around, placing her head in her hands as if to balance it.

"Listen hon, there are a lot of things you don't know yet, but there's a reason it was hidden from you," Evie spoke softly while slowly approaching Willow who moved her body towards the large windowsill in the hallway. Stroking her hair, Evie gently pulled her into a comforting hug.

"I promise, all you need to know right now is this is the safest place you could be," Evie spoke in a loud whisper.

Willow lifted her head, looking over Evie's shoulder. She locked eyes with her dad, and as if he read her mind, he gave her a solace nod. She let herself become buried in the hug, and tried to forget about everything happening around her, just for a minute.

***

The house grew quiet as Evie retired to her bedroom, Gabriel disappeared into his childhood one not too long after. Willow however couldn't sleep. She creeped out of the bedroom she kept in her grandmother's house.

Careful not to make the old floorboards creak, she tiptoed back into the attic, looking for anything that would give her answers that weren't so vague.

Sneaking cunningly up the stairs, Willow reached the door and slowly slipped into the small room. It was shockingly bright, the full moon shining straight through the window. Willow walked over to the window and sat on the bench embedded in the wall. She sat and stared for a minute, not only dazed by the beauty, but in awe by the connection she felt to it, as if there was an invisible tether connecting her to the giant, orbiting ball.

The door creaked behind her, snapping her out of the trance. Willow looked over her shoulder, as her father's face appeared in the doorframe, he stood there, one arm raised, resting it on the wall.

"What are you doing up, kiddo?" Gabriel's voice filled the silence Willow had been sitting in.

"Couldn't sleep," She lifted her gaze, making eye contact, "You?"

"Same here," his arm relaxed, falling to his side.

He carried his body over to the window. Moving a throw pillow to the side, Gabriel plants himself comfortably on the seat next to his daughter.

"I think it's time we talk about what's going on, don't you think?"

"Finally," Willow marvelled.

Repositioning her body, she turned to face her dad. Crossing her legs, she did a one-eighty, sitting criss-cross applesauce, facing the side of his body. She rested her elbow on her knee, and her face on her palm, getting comfortable so she could give him her full attention.

Gabriel cleared his throat with two quaint coughs, before beginning the story.

"Your grandmother Iris's family comes from a long line of witches, including those who were killed during the trials in Salem."

Willow felt only slightly surprised with this conformation, since she'd found the Grimoire already, and her small town of Greenbrooke, Massachusetts sat about thirty miles from Salem.

"One of our ancestors managed to stay alive through the trials, which is why we are here today," He took a deep breath, "But the accusers were not the only threat to the witches, there has always been a divide between people like us, who practice earth magic, and those who practice dark magic. Unfortunately, our family has always been in the spotlight."

"But," Willow interrupted, "This was so long ago, what does it have to do with anything right now?"

"Just like we have descended from these witches, dark magic has also traveled far through family lines." Gabriel stands up, his voice shifts into a more serious tone, "I tried to separate you from all this, I slowly stopped practicing magic after you were born, but the same magic that flows through my veins, your grandmothers, and everyone before her, Willow you have it in you."

Willow looks at her father standing in front of her. She shakes her head, "Why do you guys keep saying there's something different about me?" She becomes more frustrated with so many unanswered questions, "How could I not know?"

"You were born June eighth, 2004, the first time in over two-hundred years that Venus was in transit. Celestial events are very powerful to witches who draw their power from nature. For a witch to be born during this, no one in nearly two centuries has witnessed the effects it may cause."

Willow shifted around, scanning the vast night sky. Speechless she turned back to her dad, eager for him to continue. Not noticing her que, Gabriel stood silently. Willow raised her eyebrow indicating he was not finished.

Gabriel smiled at his pushy daughter before continuing, "Since you were never introduced to the magic you hold, it remained dormant, until you found my mom's Grimoire." Gabriel was no longer standing still, but pacing the floor in front of the window, "You unlocked it from within you, but we're unsure of what else might come with you finding this power. I worry it might expose you to the things I spent seventeen years shielding you from."

"Dad," worry coated Willow's words, "Do you think I put us in danger?"

Stopping his pace, Gabriel brushed a piece of Willows hair behind her ear, before leaning in and kissing her on the forehead.

"I think I told you enough for tonight. I know it's a lot to process, but I don't need you worrying. Come on now, get to bed," He encouraged.

Satisfied with their conversation, Willow stood up and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a big hug before whispering, "Thank you," and slipping away down the stairs.