My Familiar

Today was the day I've been waiting for, for as long as I can remember. It is my sixteenth birthday and the day that I get to choose my familiar. As a descendent of a long line of witches predating the Salem witch trials, choosing your familiar was a big deal. It was the coming of age for the women in my family. A familiar is a spiritual entity that would appears to us in an animal form, sometimes they were referred as animal guides. A familiar was a witch’s most faithful companion that would remain with them until the end of their days, they acted as a guardians and protectors to the ones their loyalty was sworn to. They were more than a pet, a familiars bond was deeper then family blood.

Familiars and their humans were two parts of the same soul, they were made for each other and the loss of one was unbearable. A witch could live if their familiar was taken unexpectedly but they would be left with a gaping wound that would never heal, an emptiness that could never be filled. If a witch died so would their familiar. Once their souls were bound and they had sworn to each other the familiars life line was forever twined with their witches.

I dressed in a slimming black dress that pooled around my ankles, held up by straps of black velvet that rested across my shoulders, cris-crossing behind my back. I pulled on black lace gloves that came up just past my elbows, and I wore simple black flats. My long blonde hair fell in loos curls to just above my waist, I applied a layer of black eye liner around my eyes making the blue of my irises stand out, and I applied elegant red lipstick to my full lips. Looking in the full length mirror beside my bedroom I felt satisfied with what I saw. The dress hugged my curves in all the right places, the black making my pale skin look even paler then it usually did. I knew that the contrasts in the moonlight would be stunning.

Today I would meet the soul that was destined to match my own, I would meet the soul that would be loyal to me and only me. The soul that was a mirror image of my own, we would be together until I took my last breath. It was the biggest event that would ever take place in my life and everything had to be perfect.

"Elisabeta, its time" My mother called up the stairs, I checked my appearance once more before leaving my room. My mother and father were standing at the bottom of the stairs smiling up at me. Her humming bird familiar rested on her shoulder as my father’s crow rested on his. My mother had been lucky, shortly after she was joined with her familiar she met my father. Their souls had shared a connection that not many witches and warlocks are destined to find. They cherished each other and their familiars, they all lived in perfect harmony.

"We have gifts for you my daughter" My father smiled once at me, he turned and picked up a rectangular box, it was wrapped in elegant black wrapping paper with a red ribbon tied into a bow in the center. I took the package and pulled at the ribbon, I opened the lid to find a beautiful red cloak made of the finest wool I had ever see. My father stepped forward and pulled the cloak out of the box, he wrapped it around me and tied it at the base of my neck were it rested lightly against my collar bone.

"It’s beautiful" I told them both admiring the cloak. My mother held out another gift smaller than the first, this one was had read packaging with a black ribbon. I opened it and my breath caught in my throat. It was my great great grandmother's grimoire. It had been given to her by her great grandmother who had lived in secrecy and escaped hanging during the Witch Trials. This spell book was filled with spells from generations of my family blood it was the greatest honor my parents could bestow on me this day.

"I am honored" My voice was rough with emotion. My mother smiled at me wiping away her own escaped tears.

"The spell that you will need tonight is in this book, take it with you and know that as you meet your soulmate your ancestors are with you in the pages of this book."

"Go now my daughter" My father stepped away from my mother to open the doorway for me. "Go now and return to us whole." With one last breath I stepped through the door, there was a car waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. It was a black Cadillac with dark tinted windows, the driver- a man in a suite held open the door for me. I held my head high as I nodded at him and got into the back seats, he shut the door softly behind me before walking around the car and getting into the driver’s seat.

I stared out the window as we drove, watching as we sped past the fall colored trees. I was eager to reach our destination, I had dreamt about this day for many years. As every young witch did, I felt my entire life that a piece of me was missing and tonight that piece would be filled and I would never be alone again, from our first meeting our bond would only grow stronger. The car came to a stop outside of what appeared as an abandoned building, I knew differently. Within was the headquarters of our coven, although witches had become make believe many years ago and mortals tended to write anything they didn't understand off the covens around the world took many precautions to protect our secrecy.

I was led several stories below ground level into a large summoning chambers by our coven elder. This was a journey one had to take alone, the Elder gestured for me to place my book open the grimoire stand in the center of the room.

"Preform the spell and wait child, once the spell is cast you will be unable to leave these chambers until your familiar appears. It can take minutes and it can also take hours be patient. If you leave this room before your familiar appears to you, your bond will be severed and you will forever be alone" Her voice stern and demanded respect.

"Do you understand this child?" She looked down her long nose at me, I bowed my head respectfully.

"I understand Elder Acantha" Satisfied she left the room, leaving me alone in the dark. I turned towards my grimoire and ran my hand over the elegant candle stands that were placed to offer just enough light to perform the spell, willing them to light. Satisfied with the flickering flames that I had created I opened the grimoire, I could feel the life energy of my ancestors radiating through the pages and I turned them looking for the spell that I required. Darkness pooled around my bubble of light, as if in anticipation of the gates opening into the shadow realm. I took a breath and began to recite the spell.

"Open the gates

Bring forth the one

Soul like soul

Bound together

Destined souls

Unite forever

Until death do we part

Come fourth my familiar soul"

My voice was strong and clear, I tried to look beyond the darkness but I could see nothing, the sounds of big iron gates opening startled me and I looked harder in that direction. I could see a shadowy outline as they came to a stop, the gates were opened and now there was nothing left for me to do but wait. After an hour I could hear whispering coming from within the gate, I stood up and walked forward not daring to leave my circle of light.

"Elizabetha" A voice called out to me, it was crackly and rough, goose bumps raised across my skin.

"I am here" I called back, my eyes straining as I searched the darkness.

"You are mine and I am yours.... Do you accept me?" A shadow began to approach, it stood taller than me and I could make out the claw like hands.

"I accept you" My voice rang clear, I was not afraid of the entity before me. Our souls were made for each other.

"I offer you my loyalty. I am sworn to you" The devotion in his voice was evident.

"As I am sworn to you" I bowed my head respectively.

“I have waited for you in the realm of shadows for a thousand years"

"Tell me your name and come into the light" I commanded him.

"I am Magnus" It was as if I had known his name all along, I could feel his breath on my face as he stood just outside the circle of light. A breeze blew through out the room and the shadow entity was gone, instead a grey cat walked into the shadow of light and brushed up against my legs. I scooped him up into my arms and he licked my face.

"Magnus" The cat stared into my eyes with his big green ones, in that moment I could feel our life lines being tied together, we were bound for life. Together our souls as one, we were the perfect pairing.