My First Coven

What's New Pussycat?

I woke up feeling groggy, nauseous and bit cold too, along with not feeling my arms which was worrying. I was flat on my back on a cold hard surface, with something just a little squishy propping my head up ever so slightly. My vision was blurry but it wasn't being helped by being blinded by some particularly harsh overhead lighting.

'Maddie? Maddie are you with us?'

'Wait... what?'

'You can't be awake for this sweetie, I'm gonna send you to sleep okay.'

The blurry vision of my Aunt hovering over me and talking didn't calm me down in the slightest. She held her left hand over my face which emanated a strange heat. And staring at my Aunts sweaty palm was the last thing I remembered when I woke again.

I came to on a huge comfortable bed in a deliciously extravagant room wearing a nice and soft set of pyjamas. There was no other way to describe it. It smelt of mahogany wood, freshly starched linen and a burning log fire which was throwing out a rather pleasant heat. The bed I was tucked up in was plush and cosy and I just felt, comfortable. I looked at my hands in the dim light coming from the fire and noticed that the colour of them was going back to normal, nor did I have the excruciating pain any more.

'God I wonder what my Aunt did to me?' I whispered to myself.

'Oh something complicated.'

I squealed and pulled the covers up to my chin. I didn't know there was anybody else in the room with me. From the sound of the accent, it was Duncan. He was sat in a chair beside the bed and stretched over to the bedside table and switched on a small lamp.

'Sorry to startle you, but your Aunt asked me to keep an eye on you... and this little guy.'

Duncan reached over the bed and planted the little black and white kitten my Aunt had rescued in my lap. The kitten instantly started purring and snuggling up to me. He looked miles better than the last time I had seen him. The gunk had been cleaned away from his eyes and I think he'd even been given a bath as his fur was a lot cleaner and softer. He eventually settled on my chest and put his head down to sleep.

'He was crying for you all the way through your Aunt treating you. He wouldn't shut up until we let him near you.' Duncan told me as he gazed at the kitten. 'Your Aunt says he's chosen you.'

'Is this how you get a familiar?' I asked, looking down at the small ball of fur that had made itself comfortable on me.

'Your Aunt seems to think he is. He liked her, but he likes you more.'

Wow I spend some time unconscious and end up with a pet cat. In fact...

'Wait, Duncan how long was I out for? And where the hell am I?'

'Most of Monday. It's Tuesday evening now. You're at Arne's mansion, our clan lives here.'

'Oh shit I've missed school! My attendance record is gonna be even worse now!' I shrieked. Sure I'd had the occasional day off here and there due to illness, but I couldn't afford to have any more time off.

'Hey hey! Don't worry about it. Morrigan rang in for you both and said the pair of you were suffering from the flu you had caught at the party you had gone to. She's taken care of it.' Duncan reassured me. 'In fact, she's here now.'

Sure enough there was a light knock on the door and in walked my Auntie M, wearing a black silk nightie that stopped just above her knees and an even longer black silk robe over the top.

'You had me worried there for a bit Maddie, you really must have needed the rest you were out that long.' She said to me as she sat on the bed beside me. 'How are you feeling now?'