Page 2 of Scarred

“Never thought I would meet an animal matchmaker.” Jo stretched and rubbed her eyes. “I still need to grab a shower and dress. See you at breakfast.”

“See you later.” Amma closed her balcony doors as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She loved living with her five sisters, three cousins, mom, and auntie, but sometimes a woman wanted some space. Maybe once she was ready to have her own children, she would move to her own place. Amma snorted. She was never leaving her family home. She wanted her children to have the benefits of living as their true selves. Some of her cousins, who lived within city limits all around the world, had to practice their magic in underground rooms or with all the window shades closed. Amma had no idea how they did it. A witch needed nature to replenish her magic.

“Amma!” The moment Amma opened her door, her sister, Joy, poked her head out of her room. Joy was a light witch and was constantly moving, creating, and had raw sexuality seeping from her pores. Whenever she went to town, the family had to beat men and women back. Joy never seemed to notice she was the center of attention. “I thought I heard you and Jo talking. Aren’t you excited about the next few days?”

“You mean, am I excited to have even more women with power running around the house?” she teased. “I can hardly keep up with the seven of you.”

“You always think you can’t keep up and then you become the belle of the party.” Joy entered the hallway. “I guess I’m just excited to see all the rooms in use. This is my first gathering of this magnitude.”

“This is the first generational celebration of our generation.” Amma couldn’t wait to see just how many of their family showed up. She came from a long line of powerful magical women, and even small gatherings always turned into friendly competitions. “We get to be part of the second circle of power.”

“I know!” Joy exclaimed. “I was talking to Molly, and she told me that she can’t wait to give me some of the seeds from her safsaf willow. It’s a different strain. She is also a light witch.”

“I’m going to warn Mama,” Amma warned. “Two of you in the same house is going to cause a riot in town. I can see the parade marching up here, demanding we hand you both over to be worshiped as goddesses.”

“I guess I should dress to impress.” Joy started walking backward down the hall. “I think I’ll wear all white, so I seem more virginal.”

“Girl, you are a virgin.” Amma caught Joy’s arm before she went ass-first down the winding staircase. “If you want to meet them on this side of the veil, you need to watch where you’re going.”

“Sis, that’s why I have you here.” Joy smirked before straddling the railing and sailing down to the first floor. “See?” She held her arms up in victory. “I made it without any trouble.”

Amma chuckled as she followed her sister down the stairs in a more adult manner. It wasn’t because she feared sliding down the railing. She had done it every morning when she was younger, but she was thirty-six and thought she should show a better example to the younger girls in the house. She was also aware they didn’t have a resident healer since her auntie Bantu moved back to the motherland to have her first child. Amma had hoped she would stay home until they either found a new healer or one of the younger girls came into their powers, but a pregnant woman’s needs were placed above everything else. Amma had talked to her mother about asking one of the healing witches who came to visit to stay. It wasn’t good to have young witches practicing their magic, where anything could go wrong, without a healer present.

Amma entered the main living room and smiled to see her mother sitting on a couch, arranging flowers from her garden. The room was homey and filled with plants and flowers, fluffy blankets, and way too many pillows. Amma always teased her mother every time a new pillow arrived.

“Mama.” Amma’s smile widened. “The room looks and smells lovely. How are you this morning?”

“It is a beautiful morning, like always,” Lily answered. “There is a hint of rain in the air and the flowers in my garden are opening.”

“I saw the blooms this morning,” Amma said. “I took a few moments to enjoy the quiet before the horde descended.”

Lily giggled. “I haven’t seen many of my cousins for years and I want to compare my children’s powers with theirs. I have a zoopathic daughter and a battle witch niece. Oh, there will be jealousy all around. I’m looking forward to the chaos.” She stood and twirled in a circle. Her white and gold summer dress swirled around her ankles. “I got a few emails last night. We are going to have more people than expected show up for the early celebrations. I ordered two temporary housing units to go along the west wall of the house. I will need everyone’s help to make everything hospitable before tonight.”

“I’ll round everyone up right after we eat.” Amma followed her mother to the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

“Thank you, daughter.” Lily started taking out the pots and pans she would need to make breakfast for their large family. “I know I’ve been depending on you a lot these last few days, but I promise it will be worth it when everyone arrives.”

Amma loved watching her mother work. The kitchen was Lily’s domain, and it was decorated with white daisies, lilies, and other flowers. Every morning her mother changed out the bouquets. Depending on the season, the room smelled like heaven.

“I’m kind of looking forward to seeing everyone,” Amma admitted. “Maybe Shelly can find someone else to bug.”

“Oh, your cousin just wants to be like you,” Lily said. “You have the same powers. Teach her how to become a good witch.”

“I promise I will.” She loved teasing her cousin, but in the end, it was her job as the older relative with the same power to teach her how to use it responsibly. “Would you like help with breakfast?”

“If you don’t mind getting the biscuits ready.” Lily finished breaking two dozen eggs and started whipping them with a little milk, cheese, and sweet cream. “I made the dough already. All you must do is roll it out, cut it, and place the biscuits in the oven.”

Amma loved helping her mother cook. It was a time of bonding and she got to hear stories her siblings didn’t. “Wow.” She pulled out a large bowl with dough. “This is a little too much for us to eat all at breakfast.”

“I know.” Lily laughed. “As much as you girls eat, it would still be too much. Just use half and put the rest away for dinner.”

“Mama, you know when the others arrive, you’ll have to fight for your kitchen.” Amma started rolling out half the dough until it was an inch thick before using a glass cup coated in flour to cut each biscuit.

“I don’t mind. This is my love language. It will be nice to cook with other hearth witches.”

“I will be here for the cooking competition. That reminds me, who’s picking the family up from the airport?” Silently, she was hoping her mother would give the job to one of her sisters. She hated going into town.

“I asked Dhakiya to be the taxi.” Lily spoke of the second youngest of her girls. “I want her to have something to do to get her back into the world of the living. She is spending too much time seeking beyond the veil for her daughter.”

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