Silvery-Edged Black Cloud

“Yes!” Alison yells suddenly, earning a few odd glances.

“Okay, I’m gonna go ahead and ask what’s up before you think of a lie,” I say,  laughing slightly.

“I just discovered a unicorn!” Marilynn yells, grinning.

“Yes, we all know you did, Mary,” Alison says, rolling her eyes. “But that’s not what I was going to say.”

“Unicorns aren’t real,” Jesse says, rolling his eyes, looking like Donovan for a moment there.

“I thought the exact same thing,” Alec says. “Till I actually saw it.”

“Anyway! My mom enrolled all of us into college!” Alison says, grinning. “She said something about how my uncle Joseph owns a college and would be happy to meet the guy he was named after.”

Of course all heads turned toward Kevin, who just sat indifferently. “What? You think I didn’t know?” Kevin asks, rolling his eyes.

“But you didn’t,” Alison, Jesse, Scarlett, Mary, and Alec say together.

“Uncle Joseph lives in Florida,” Alison says, rolling her eyes. “Momma said something about a rabbit, too.”

“No! She said that he lived in Kentucky!” Alec says, rolling her eyes. “Uncle Joseph will be waiting in Florida.”

“Oh, yeah,” Alison says. “Anyway, we’re all enrolled. Except for the obvious.”

“Awww,” Alec, Mary, and Scarlett whine. Jesse had already graduated high school. I know, so weird!

“You heard Momma!” Jesse says, grinning smugly.

“You’re staying with your sisters,” and they stick their tongues out at Jesse.

“What? Why?!”

“Because you’re enrolled into the university of Hecate,” Alison says sarcastically. “Have fun, level one.”

It was seriously odd how she acted like such a kid around them. But, they turn out okay. Kind of.

“And what level are you?”

“I graduated that school when I was three,” Alison says smugly.

“Crap,” Sophie says, glaring. “I’m guessing I’m enrolled?”

“Good guess, baby sis,” Alison says, smirking. “You barely got pass level one.”

“I was six! We can’t all be freaky powerful witches!”

“True,” Alison says, rolling her eyes. “Any arguments? No? Okay! See y’all at school! Come on, Martin!”

Oh, and I should probably tell you this already. Sophie and Duncan are married! Yep. Sophie’s a Riddle.

“Do you think the Witch went insane?” Raine snickers.

“Nah, I think she just got knocked up again,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Oh, and then there’s the fact that we can do just about anything we want because of the all-powerful Hecate children.”

“What?” Josh asks, looking up.

“Hecate. Greek goddess of witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons, and the underworld,” Chris says, rolling his eyes. “Alison’s a pure-bred witch, right?”

“And her entire family are direct children of Hecate,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Mommy’s a goddess!” Scarlett says, grinning.

“No! She’s the reincarnation,” Alec says matter-of-factly. “And she’s a Muse.”

“Yeah, we get the point,” I say, rolling my eyes. “You’re a smart-ass who knows way too much.”

“And I can kick your butt any day.”

“Oh yeah? We’ll see ‘bout that,” I say, smirking cockily at her. “There’s a reason why you’re named after me, Alexandria.”

“It’s Alec,” she snaps grouchily.

“Either way your middle name is Melody.”

“Because Mommy knew I could get your butt.”

“Do you really wanna go there?”

“I think I just did.”

“ALEXANDRIA DESTINY MELODY JOHNSON!!!” Alison yells, mother-mode coming in. “Leave your aunt Melody alone or I’ll send Hades after you.”

“Yes, Mommy,” Alec grumbles, rolling her eyes. “Yes, Mommy. I know.”

♠ ♣ ♠

“Okay, so where exactly is your uncle Joseph?” I ask, rolling my eyes. So far we had been wandering Florida like tourists, while Raine’s up everyone’s asses about how she shouldn’t be apart of this.

“Oh, is that what y’all have been expecting?” Alison laughs, rolling her eyes. “I thought we could just look around.”

“We’re not tourists visiting the Lincoln Monument,” Raine sneers.

“No. We aren’t. We’re in Florida. Duh,” Alison says in her smart-ass way. “Besides, uncle Joseph finds us. That’s how this whole family thing works.”

“So, he’s psychic?”

“No,” Alison says, smirking. “He just follows the trail.”

“What trail?” Kevin snaps grouchily. Now I know why Alison’s so grouchy in the morning!

“He’s a tracker. Level fifty,” Alison says, rolling her eyes. “Ever notice how I always know where Donovan is? Like that he’s stalking me right behind that tree.”

“Very comforting information, Al, thanks,” I say sarcastically.

“He just ran,” Alec says, looking around. “Where’s he now?”

“Texas,” Alison says automatically. “Graduated witch. One of one.”

“Actually eight,” Mary says, rolling her eyes. “Hecate, Katharina, Delilah, Sofia, Zenaida, Boudicca, and Thekla.”

“Someone’s been studying,” Alison says, looking around. “What time is it?”

“Noon,” Dylan says, rolling his eyes. “Why?”

“Alison!” A man yells suddenly. “Hecate, you’ve grown. Last time I saw you, you were in diapers sending hurricanes and tornados all along America.”

“Good to see yah, too, uncle Joseph,” Alison says sarcastically. “This Jesse, Scarlett, Mary, and Alec.”

“Isn’t Alec a boy’s name?”

“Isn’t a level fifty supposed to find someone within thirty seconds?” Alec backfires, smirking cockily.

“Ah, kids, whatcha gonna do?” Alison says, shrugging.

“They definitely look like you,” Joseph says, rolling his eyes.

“Then there’s my husband, Martin —”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three,” she says automatically. “Yah don’t wanna know. Anyway, then there’s Raine, Josh, Sophie and her busband Duncan, Ash, Mirabelle, Chris and his wife Laura, Jessica, Cassie, Salome, Kim, Kenny, Randy, Nina, Tyler —”

“I don’t remember Meagan talking about him.”

“He’s a werewolf.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, then Jesse and Scarlett’s dad is in Texas hunting.”

“Hunting?”

“Vampire. Don’t ask. Daniel Connor, Donovan Andrews. Same thing,” Alison says dismissively. “Then there’s Joseph and his as-soon-as-he-admits-it wife Melody.”

“WHAT?!” We yell together.

“Suck it up and be a man, Kevin! You’re over five-hundred years old for crying out loud!” Alison says, glaring at him. “She’s more a man than you!”

“That’s it! I’m just gonna get this out of the way! Alison, did Martin knock you up again?” I yell, glaring at her.

“Maybe,” she says sheepishly.

“YES!” Jesse, Scarlett, Mary, and Alec yell.

“Damn these kids,” Alison grumbles. “Love you all.”

“YOU DIRTY LITTLE LIAR!!”

“How would you know?”

They grumble to themselves, obviously knowing it was no use arguing with Alison. These kids caught on quick.

“Alright, so, Meagan said that you’re enrolling all of you into college?” Joseph asks, looking around.

“Everyone except for these four little raccoons,” Alison says, rolling her eyes at their complaints. “Would you rather me say snakes?”

“What’s wrong with a snake?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“Oh, umm, in the bible,” Alison says uncomfortably. “The Devil turned into a snake, framing him as he tricked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.”

“You read the bible?”

“Witches have their own religion,” Alison grumbles. “And, no! I did not read the bible. I just heard the stories from what Momma told me. Grandma was Christian.”

“You were a Christian. Then Leona will be a Christian,” Joseph says.

“Yes, yes. I know. Now, how much?”

“Free. You are my niece after all.”

“Great. See yah in August, uncle Joseph!” Alison says, quickly flying away.

“That was weird,” I say, as I follow after her.