Chapter Five

The restaurant was nice, with thick carpet, soft lighting, and large menus. It reminded me of every upscale chain. I wondered why it was here in the middle of a refueling center until I realized we were near Chicago. I leaned over and whispered, “Mom, I’m hungry. What do girls eat?”

I thought Mom was going to laugh so hard she would fall over. "You really don’t need to ask me how to behave. Anything that makes sense is okay. I’m guessing that you want a double cheeseburger, fries, and onion rings, right?”

I nodded sheepishly. “Uh-huh. But I need to stay in character. Do girls eat like that?”

Mom was grinning as she shook her head. “Your true self is a little smaller now, but you haven’t eaten today either. Order what you want. Don’t worry about being clocked. You are very female, not just skin deep. Your concern should be that you don’t want anyone to discover that you’re a witch.”

I kept looking at the menu and realized my brain was tired. It had been a long day. I checked the time on my wristwatch. I was wearing a girl’s Apple Watch, and my nails were shaped and covered with light pink satin nail polish. I wondered how all this magic worked. I was seriously a completely different person, except my brain could still remember everything Doug had done in his past life.

I leaned over to my mom and whispered, “This is confusing. I still have all of Doug’s memories.”

Mom smiled. “And you always will. You might have been hidden away in his body, but you still have the same brain. I know it’s very hard to understand, but it just had to be that way. We’ve kept you safe from danger for fourteen years. But you are a conscious person now. We could have never introduced any of those ideas before this. You are not the first child we have hidden.”

“What’s going on back in New York? Are they searching for us because I released power?”

“Yes. But the Coven is waiting and will handle the Witch Hunters so they won’t be a problem anymore.”

“What occurs?”

“Their Particulars will wipe them out entirely.”

“They kill them?”

Mom nodded. Before I could ask another question, a server came over and placed a basket of rolls on the table. Then, she smiled and took our order. I tried to pace myself, knowing that I could eat all the bread but didn’t want to carb out.

I listened to Judith and Mom make small talk until my Particular spoke in my head. ‘Hey, Anna. Do you need anything?’

I shrugged inwardly. ‘I’m good. Did you feed?’

‘I did. There are a lot less rodents prowling the dumpsters out there now.’

‘Rats?’

‘Rats, possums, skunks, and raccoons.’

‘What do you do with the bones and fur?’

‘There’s just a little ash when I finish. I absorb their life source. Now, I’m curled up and sleeping in the backseat.

I wondered what made a demon happy. “Mom, do you have a Particular?”

Suddenly, I flashed on two more cats sleeping on the carpet in the back of the SUV. One was a tabby, and the other had short black hair. I realized three demons were riding with us.

By the time we stopped the SUV and pulled into an open garage, I was ready to meet my grandmother. All I knew was that my Particular was intimidated by her. Seriously, who scares a demon?

I grabbed my Go Bag and followed Mom through a door into a very large living room. I looked around and saw a young woman approaching me with her arms outstretched.

“Anna, it’s good to finally meet my granddaughter. I’ve been waiting for years to see you revealed.”

My grandmother looked like she would be carded to buy liquor. I was trying to recall her age when my mom spoke in my head. ‘160’

I guess I stared until she burst out laughing.

“Oh, Anna. Your mom is right. I have lived on this Earth for 160 years and loved every moment of it. We all face choices, and I’ve really enjoyed being an ingenue. Even when women lacked power, everyone would stop to please a young femme fatale, especially one whose morals were often called into question. Many men and women tried to please me in every way possible, without me needing to use my true powers.”

I think my mouth was probably open because all three women were laughing at my dazed look.

“You see, dear. At my age, you possess all the power and wisdom you need, so why not enjoy your life instead of resigning to your age and fate?”

She took my hand and led me into the kitchen, where she sat me down on a stool. I was still struggling to find my words. This was the home of a very old witch. “My dear Anna, you and I will start our lessons tomorrow, and soon enough, we are going to hide you safely in public school.”

Her voice hypnotized me. It felt so worldly, yet young and energetic. “I sense you don’t feel comfortable being a junior varsity cheerleader and charming all the jocks who want to get into your panties. What would you like to do?”

I swallowed hard to clear my voice while I found the nerve to speak. “I just want to play sports. Will this school have a soccer team?”

My grandmother, Pollyanna, smiled. “Of course. I'm sure they do. I know Doug loved playing soccer. You realize Doug had more strength than my granddaughter, so you're going to have to compensate with your brains and your agility. Are you going to want a boyfriend or hang around the girls in the locker room?”

I thought carefully before answering. “Doug’s brain was hardwired for girls. Is that a bad thing?”

My grandmother smiled. “For now, sweetie-pie, it would be best if you played innocent. A girl your age can’t have too many girlfriends and guy friends, but it’s better if there isn’t a lot of kissing.”

Then she turned to everyone and asked, “Now, how about a cocktail and some nibbles?”