MAGIC SECRETS

"Powers of the light,

Guardians of the Earth,

I call to thee to give me,

Your strength, open all doors,

Watch over me, I trust in your hand,

to help me through this,

Difficult time, so let it be,"

Bang the attic begins to rumble, then it's over. What did I just witness? My mother and grandmother doing magic. How?

"What is mother?"

I listen intently at my mother and grandmother, clearly something is bothering my grandmother.

"Iris, we need to tell Star the truth, She deserves to know about our family, the family she was born into."

"I will tell her when the time is right."

Shoot! They are coming. I run as quickly as possible down the stairs and hide in the bathroom. I open the door a bit and see my mother and grandmother arguing.

Secrets, what are they hiding from me? I'm old enough to know the truth but like always my mother treats me like a child. I wait a few more minutes and head back to the attic.

I enter the attic, look around for anything that will tell me their secrets. The attic is dusty and old filled with cobwebs and spiders.

Damn it! I can't find anything. I decide to go back to my hiding place where I saw my mother and grandmother. Right over there in front of the window is where I saw them. I walk there and look around.

Under a stack of blankets, I find a chest. I pull the chest out and open it. Inside the chest I find candles, different color candles, little bottles and under all that I find a book.

I take the book out. On the outside of the book is a symbol that looks like a moon and below that it reads Eldridge. I open the book.

Oh My God! I never believed this was real. My mother always told me magic is not real. She lied to me. This book proves magic is real. But the question is, why hide it from me?

Eldridge, that name sounds familiar. Where have I heard that name?

"My dear Star, the truth shall be upon you soon."

I better leave before I get caught. I head to my room and look up the name Eldridge. Wow, I didn't realize there would be so many results but one caught my eye. I click on that one.

The Eldridge family flees Covington Falls in the middle of the night. Covington Manor has been destroyed. Where did the Eldridge family flee too?

For 300 years the mystery of the Eldridge family has been told over and over and over again in the hopes someone will tell the truth.

I close my eyes and begin to think about everything that has happened tonight. My mother and grandmother doing magic. My mother not wanting tell me the truth about whatever they are hiding but my grandmother wants to tell me the truth. Then there is the book of magic and the name Eldridge. I wonder if I should confront my mother.

I begin to pace my room when I notice a piece of paper on the floor. I pick up the paper. It reads "The truth is here. Come to the library and all will be revealed."

Yes, my home does have a library. I guess someone knows I know the truth and it's not my mother so it must be my grandmother.

I walk to the library, open the door and enter. "Hello." No answer. I keep walking. "Come to the back my dear."

I walk to the back and see my grandmother. "Grandma, what are you doing here?" I run and hug my grandmother. Wow this library is amazing. I only been in the library twice, this is my third time here and it's so beautiful.

"I know you want answers. I'm here to give you those answers you are seeking."

I nod and listen to my grandmother. "Many years ago in Covington falls, the Eldridge and Covington families lived in perfect harmony until one disastrous night.

On that night the two eldest Eldridge children decided to play with magic. They didn't know anything about magic or how it works but they didn't care. What happen next tore these two families apart and a fierce rivalry grew all in the name of vengeance.

The two eldest Eldridge children used magic the wrong way and a beloved member of both families was killed. This story doesn't end there.

The Eldridge children blamed one of the Covington daughters. Both of them said she tricked them into doing magic. The Covington daughter said the Eldridge sons who tricked her, took her prisoner and was forced to watch them do magic. They both denied it.

Because the name of the town was Covington Falls, the Eldridge family became enemy No.1. The Covington's were out for blood.

The Eldridge family had no choice but to leave and in doing so they destroyed the Covington Manor. This book will give you more answers to your questions."

My grandmother hands me the book then leaves. This is a lot to take in. I sit down and begin to think about everything I was told. But the one thing she didn't tell was if we belonged to the Eldridge family.

The book is interesting, had a lot of history on the Covington family, none on the Eldridge family. Why is that? I keep reading. Some interesting facts keep popping up like witches and great power.

"I can't believe you did this mother."

"She must know who she is Iris. Star needs to learn how to protect herself. Her training must begin now."

No way this cannot possibly be true. The Covington and Eldridge families are related. Oh My God! where does my family fall in all this?

I keep reading and I finally have my answer. Rosemary Covington married Henry Eldridge. Since that union the family has become two. In the back of the book, I find the Eldridge family tree. I look at it from top to bottom, all the way down I spot my grandmother's name and my mother's name and under my mother's name I find my name. It is true we are part of the Eldridge family.

There is more to the story I just know it. "Your right baby girl, there is more to the story."

I see my mother standing in front of me. I'm sorry mother."

"No star, it is me who is sorry. I was trying to protect you. Your grandmother is right. You need to know the truth and how to protect yourself."

What is my mother talking about? Protect me from what? "I don't understand what's going on mother."

"I will finish grandma's story then we can begin training." I nod.

I listen intently as my mother begins. "Your grandmother left off when the Covington Manor was destroyed. The manor was destroyed by the Eldridge family. They wanted nothing to remain of their time at the manor.

The Eldridge family took all of their precious belongs and disappeared. No one in Covington falls knew where they went. The Covington family tried and tried to find any signs of the Eldridge family but they couldn't. Years went by, generations of new Covington's were born, still the stigma of the Eldridge family remained.

Where is the Eldridge family? The million dollar question no can answer. I'm going to give you the answers. It's going to change your life forever.

The Eldridge family settled in the town of Canyon Hills and changed their to St. James. That wasn't the only thing that changed. The appearance of the family also changed."

St. James, that's our name. Oh My God! we are the Eldridge family. "How is this possible?" My mother stands up and with a snap of her finger changes into a different person. Wow this is all surreal. I'm speechless.

"We belong to the Eldridge family. Rosemary Eldridge your many times over great grandmother was the most powerful witch of all time. Her magic, the magic me and your grandmother practice is past down from mother to daughter.

The Eldridge sons that the Covington's blamed for the death of the beloved family member didn't do what everyone said they did. They never in their lifetime ever used magic. Those two boys were Rosemary's sons.

Rosemary had a sister who was jealous of her. Her name was Roxanne. She was the one who blamed the Eldridge sons. The truth is Roxanne was the one who misused magic and caused the death.

Roxanne told many lies that the Covington family believed. Rosemary, she said was the one to blame for not hiding magic from her family. So, Rosemary her husband and the rest of the Eldridge family had no choice. They fled to survive.

Rosemary and her family came here to Canyon Hills, changed their name and appearance to survive. The Covington's are still searching to this day for any signs of us.

Each generation of Eldridge/St. James child has their appearance changed. Star, your appearance was changed for your protection.

The Covington's are also witches but not nearly as powerful as Rosemary, this is the reason we went undetected and the reason why we never told you. Right now, things have changed, a new threat is coming. Your grandmother is right you need to know the truth and begin your training."

I was born into a family of witches. This is life changing. I don't know how to process all this. "Tell me what you are think."

"This is a lot to take in. Can you change yourself back into the woman who raised me." my mother changes back.

"Who was the person that was killed?" I ask my mother.

"His name is Arthur, patriarch of both families."

"And the two brothers?"

"Theo and Sebastian."

Okay, I know their names and the truth about my family, now I can begin my training to become the next Eldridge/St. James witch.

I'm looking at myself in the mirror and I say to myself you can do it Star. "Do you want to see how you look now?"

I shake my head. I'm perfectly fine the way I am.

"Ready to begin."

"I am."