Half A Heart Without You

Chapter VIII

"Welcome back, how was that walk down memory lane? Tell me, did my son profess his undying love for you?" Esther asked, mixing something together in a small pot.

"You said I would get answers about my family's past," Charley stated, ignoring her question, her entire body was hurting and drenched in sweat. She was desperately in need of blood and growing weaker by the minute, she didn't want to play these games.

"Ah, yes. Well, I suppose I should start from the beginning. After losing our first daughter, Freya, to the plague we moved, to the present day, Mystic Falls. There I met your mother. Your family's line was quite scattered according to your mother, though between her stories and digging of my own I pieced together most of it," She began explaining.

"See, your mother, Roe, before her death, was one of my best friends and she was a very powerful witch. Her bloodline traces all the way back to right here in New Orleans. Your grandmother had given away your mother only after a few years of life, it is said that your mother showed signs of darkness and interest in dark magic even at such a young age. The ancestors demanded the child's life be ended before she could do harm to anyone. However, your grandmother couldn't bear the thought of killing her own child so she instead sent your mother away and left her to fend for herself. This didn't stop your mother from practicing dark magic though. Your mother was mentored by a man, who is long gone to this world now, he taught her everything he knew about the dark arts. Dark magic is dangerous and I'm still surprised your mother lasted as long as she did,"

"By the time your mother came into my life she was already extremely powerful, even more powerful than myself. We grew close and I helped her through her pregnancy since she was alone, knocked up by a man who meant nothing, other than giving your mother the child she always wanted. Towards the end of her pregnancy your mother confided in me that she'd been on the run from other witches who'd wanted to take the child, wanted to take you, because they could sense how powerful you would be and so she gave me a ring to spell for you once you were born, something that would never leave you. The ring, which is now your daylight ring, would suppress your powers, causing them to become dormant inside of you. Your mother made me promise if anything ever happened to her I would raise you as my own," She paused for a moment, smiling sadly and Charley could almost swear she was showing real emotion.

"For what it's worth, you did  make me feel very loved after my mother died. I don't quite think she would agree with our present situation though," Charley said rattling the chains for emphasis.

"No, I suppose she wouldn't. In any case, I agreed. She had you and things were great for a long time, though she still practiced dark magic even knowing the danger it put you both in. When you were about three years old, your mother and I caught you, for lack of a better word, torturing an animal in the woods, the mimic of an animal sacrifice your mother often used for her spells. I knew something had to be done as you were so young and innocent. I retrieved the ring your mother gave to me before your birth and cast a spell on the existing one so you could wear it as a necklace and no one could take it off of you. When you were six your mother came to me panicked, asking me to take you in and if anyone asked to say you were my own child. Not long after a group of witches came to our village looking for you, but because your magic was suppressed they couldn't sense you. That didn't stop them though, in their rage for not finding you they killed your mother. As far as I know all of those witches died long ago as well. That was also one of the first times I realized Elijah's love for you. He'd comforted you after you learned of your mother's death. After that I made a promise to you that I would find out anything I could about your family, though you were just a child I think you forgot. Did you know you still have family alive?" Esther asked, now crouched in front of the girl. She cocked  her head silently waiting for Esther to continue.