Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Rose
"Roses do not bloom hurriedly; for beauty like any other Masterpiece, takes time to blossom...."
She waddled over to the table where the Matron had laid out their snacks. Yet another year had passed and still no sign of the family that had promised to come get her at her mother's funeral. One more birthday spent in an overcrowded Orphanage for the abandoned. She sighed, such macabre thoughts on my birthday, she thought sadly.
" Happy Halloween, Rose and Happy birthday! There's a gift for you in my office."
She eyed the Matron ruefully, wondering, not for the first time what she had done to offend her. To say the Matron disliked her was like saying the Nile was a bit of water. So she had learnt very early to avoid the woman as much as possible. She could almost feel the woman's excitement and knew this would not end well for her.
" Is it from my aunt?"
" Must be," she retorted drily.
Rose nodded, sighing inwardly as she berated herself for the tiny jolt of hope the promised gift offered. Her aunt, her mother's favorite relative had promised to come get her once she was settled in her new job in New York and that had been six years ago. Any hope she had harbored dissolved as she eyed the raggedy looking book on the Matron's desk.
" There it is, that's the gift she sent!"
Rose watched as mirth danced in her eyes as she eyed her silently. The leather journal was neither old nor new and empty as she quickly leafed through the dusty pages. Scratched in her aunt's signature style were the words...Bloom where you are planted.
Rose was seething now but she would not give the Matron the satisfaction of seeing her fall apart so with aplomb, she smiled and thanked her for the gift. Holding the book to her heart, she walked back to her room.
The minute she got to her room and secured her solitude, she hurled the book in the corner. Rage like fire consumed her, a conflagration of six years of misery inundating her until she could hardly breathe.
" Six years! Six stinking years while you spent my mom's money and all you send me is this stupid empty journal and that cryptic statement...Bloom where you are planted! Fuck you, Aunt Rachel!"
Rose sighed, her heart rate going down as her tantrum ended. Fiery red hair fell down her face and into her eyes. She was tying the mass of red waves in a knot on top of her head when a humming sound started in the corner of her tiny room. The book! The book was humming and an ambient light emanated from where she had thrown the journal.
Rose tiptoed to where the the once empty journal laid open on the floor and gasped as words flooded the pages. What the hell was happening here? She bent to retrieve the book and the light vanished, leaving behind a thrum of power that Rose could feel as she held the book.
Her name was written on the front in flowing script that she knew immediately was her mother's handwriting.
Rose Noor born 10/31/2004
Rose felt tears prick her eyelids as she tried to conjure a picture of her mother's face. To her surprise, her mother's visage appeared before her in technicolor.
" What the...?"
" Hello, my darling. I have missed you so. Do not blame your aunt, you had to pass the test of adversity in order to gain my gifts and you have done so. This grimoire has been in our family for generations and it now belongs to you as the newest member of our Coven. You are the light that will lead the others in the fight against the darkness. I love you my girl and remember...Bloom wherever you are planted."
Rose watched as her mother shimmered away, her message still whispering in Rose's heart. She was so confused. Coven? Test of Adversity? What does it all mean?
She flinched as she seemed to hear the Matron and her minions walking down the corridor towards her room.
" I wish I could disappear," she whispered, not in the mood to deal with the snide comments.
She watched as they walked inside her room without knocking and looked around.
" I thought you said, she was in her room."
" I did see her come in here, Matron..."
" Enough! Find her, it's time she made a decision. She can either stay and work as a maid or she can leave, she's eighteen and we have no reason to keep her here."
Rose was frozen and speechless. Not only was she going to be kicked out, she had literally made herself invisible! How had she done it? What had she said? Calming her mind, she repeated the words
" I wish I were visible again."
She sighed, glad when she could see her hands. A surge of excitement lit her heart. She had magic! She was magical! She had always known she was different but now everything thing seemed to fit, everything made sense. She opened the grimoire certain it held answers to questions that now seemed to flood her mind.
The first page revealed her aunt Rachel's address and she was torn between hurt and longing. Could her aunt be trusted?
" Please guide me to the truth."
Her whispered plea set off a flutter in her stomach and before she knew it, she was packing her few meagre possessions. She was ready to embark on the adventure of her life.
" Noor! Matron wants to see you.."
" I am leaving you can tell the Matron that."
" Still acting like the snooty little Princess after they abandoned you nothing but letters to soothe you."
Rage, hot and blinding rent her soul, emerald eyes blazing with fire.
" I wish you would go away, stay away from me and never speak to me again!"
She watched, eyes wide with terror as Allison backed away, her terror evident as she moved almost against her will, a hand clamped firmly over her mouth.
She stomped to the Matron's office, rage and hatred warring for dominance.
" Where are my letters? And anything else sent to me over the years and please I do wish you would tell the truth, "she added as an after thought.
The Matron's eyes widened as words she could not stop flew out of her mouth.
" The letters were blank pages, the money I took for your upkeep and the locket..."
" I wish you would give me my things...now!"
An angry wind blew her red tresses wildly as the Matron eyed her with fear as she hurried to her secret wall safe to retrieve the items she had stolen over the years. Luckily, some inner sense had warned her not to sell them, she thought as fear clawed at her throat. Rose's eyes flashed green fire as she glared at the woman who had been the bane of her existence for 6 years. She watched as she put 6 boxes inside a larger bag then filled the bag with cash before handing everything to a seething Rose.
" I wish you would be the Matron these kids need. I wish you will be kind to them and love them."
She watched in horror as the Matron's eyes bulged as the command warred with the evil inside her. Rose gasped, fearful as she watched the woman clutch at her heart in misery. She ran, ran from this place that was filled only with misery. She ran until a stitch in her side forced her to stop. The bus station ahead beckoned to her and she moved towards it slowly. She dropped into a chair and reached for the grimoire. She was going to see her aunt Rachel.
