know how to create a charm of that nature… or any charm for as that matters?” Devon asked.
Ellen slightly cringed before saying, “No, but I was hoping to solicit some help from you, Sadie, Blaire and Trevor.”
“It might be possible to invert the spell that makes a mirror capable of reflecting souls and spirits,” Sadie thought aloud.
“So does that mean you’ll help?” Ellen asked Sadie.
“Well, creating a charm that will prevent Andie from seeing and hearing ghosts is a solution less likely to get you into serious trouble,” Sadie retorted. Ellen shot Sadie a smirk. Sadie grinned as she continued with, “So yeah. I’ll help.”
“Thanks,” Ellen said, gratefully.
Sadie nodded before saying, “I’ll need your book on incantations that has the spell that makes a mirror capable of reflecting souls and spirits.”
“I’ll go get it,” Ellen said.
“Before you step away, Ellen, I thought of a couple more tidbits that you, Jessica and Karla should be aware of,” Trevor said.
Everyone gave Trevor his or her focus as Ellen asked, “What are they?”
“As you, Jessica and Karla well know, there are incantations that wizards and sorceresses can do that witches and warlocks can’t,” Trevor began. “However, thirteen or more devoted-to-the-craft witches and/or warlocks can make eighty percent of those incantations work by combining their magical energy.”
“Is that where the thought of covens having to have thirteen members each had come from?” Everett asked.
“Actually, that belief had come about in 1662 during Isobel Gowdie’s trial for being a witch,” Trevor began. “Isobel Gowdie had supposedly confessed that her coven had thirteen members, and so the belief that all witches’ covens having to be thirteen members was born.”
“Interesting,” Everett replied.
“So what is the second tidbit that you want us to know?” Ellen asked.
“Everyone in the world is born with the potential of becoming a psychic,” Trevor began. “That potential psychic ability remains high within everyone until the age of eight with the occasional to frequent psychic or paranormal occurrences, and then after the age of eight that potential psychic ability begins to recede.
“For five percent of the world’s population, that potential psychic ability will linger on beyond the age of twenty with the occasional psychic or paranormal occurrences. For two percent of the world’s population, that potential psychic ability will linger on beyond the age of thirty with the occasional psychic or paranormal occurrences. It’s only one percent of the world’s population—if even that—that actually becomes a bona fide psychic with frequent psychic or paranormal occurrences.”
“Interesting,” Ellen told Trevor.
“Of course if someone is a psychic, then his or her children and grandchildren… and so on have better chances of becoming psychics as well,” Trevor added.
“Okay,” Ellen said in an uncertain tone.
“Anyway, my point is that there are wizards and witches out there who will sacrifice children during their sacrificing rituals in order to tap into and utilize that potential psychic ability,” Trevor continued.
“Great!” Ellen uttered unenthusiastically as she looked towards Everett. “As if Everett needs another reason to dislike the magical community.”
Everett grinned before saying, “I know that everyone here doesn’t practice those sacrificing rituals.”
Ellen rubbed Everett’s arm in a consoling manner with a grin. Everett gave Ellen a delightful grin for a response.
Ellen then gestured towards her room while saying, “Anyway, I’ll go get the book that Sadie wants.”
“Bring back a pencil with an eraser and a notepad too,” Sadie told Ellen before she could step away.
“Okay,” Ellen said as she was walking in the direction of her room.
Ellen was gone from the room for a short time before returning with the book—opened to the correct page—a notepad and a pencil.
Once Ellen had stepped back into the room Sadie stood up. As she held out her hand for the items, she told Ellen, “I’ll work on this incantation in the dining room.”
As Ellen went to hand Sadie the items, Devon asked, “Do you need any help?”
As Sadie was taking the items, she replied, “Thanks for the offer, but when it comes to creating incantations, I work better alone and without an audience.”
“I guess that means I can’t tag along and watch,” Ellen presumed.
“Not trying to be rude, but I prefer that you didn’t,” Sadie replied.
“Okay, I’ll stay here,” Ellen said.
Sadie turned, and as she walked towards the dining room, Ellen sat on the floor next to the playpen.
Everett sat on the floor next to Ellen as Jessica and Karla sat in the two dining room chairs.
“So what was everyone discussing before we came in?” Ellen asked.
Blaire glanced in Jessica and Karla’s direction while gesturing and saying, “Their mother.”
“What about our mother?” Karla quickly asked.
“We had continued our discussion of your mother’s possible appeal after you, Jessica, Ellen and Everett left,” Blaire replied.
Ellen gave Blaire a curious look as Jessica asked, “You’re not changing your mind about asking Wolfgang Alistair to help with her appeal, are you?”
“No, but your mother was seen by a room full of people shooting Peter Berkeley, and being hypnotized to kill at the time of the shooting isn’t a strong defense,” Blaire began before glancing at Everett. “Your mother is doing life in prison for a crime that she didn’t truly commit, and we were discussing other options on how to help your mother.”
“What other options are there?” Jessica asked.
Blaire glanced towards Harris while lying convincingly, “Unfortunately we are unable to come up with any.” Harris, Allyson, Sadie, Trevor and Devon responded as if there was a big secret in the air, which Ellen had noticed. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand,” Jessica said as Ellen shook off the ‘secret in the air’ feeling.
“We appreciate any help that you can give us,” Karla added.
Blaire just nodded for a response.
After a short moment of silence, Ellen asked, “When the covens gather, what are the meetings like?”
Trevor responded first with, “It’s kind of like an informal community meeting; however, the members do sit in front of a podium and the current president addresses certain issues that might’ve presented themselves after the last meeting… or if an old issue is still lingering about then we’ll discuss that again. Many of our members are also philanthropists, so we do organize a lot of fundraisers during the year.” Trevor thought for a moment before continuing with, “We socialize. For the ones who can create incantations, they’ll trade them. Oh and there will also be tables set up for tarot card readings, palm readings and crystal ball readings, and if time allows, some of us will perform stage magic.”
Devon was about to speak, but when the doorbell sounded, he didn’t.
“I’ll go see who that is,” Allyson said while standing.
As Allyson was stepping away, Devon said, “With the Clover Coven, many of the coven members bring food.”
“Tabitha, one of the members