Disgraced Magical Being Cover Reveal

 DISGRACED MAGICAL BEINGS

BY

JULIA MATTHEWS

RELEASE DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

A fire ended his dream life years before it should have.

Ja Walker wasn’t dead, neither was the love of his life, thanks to his minuscule amount of Magical Power, but the use of it terminated his life. Magical Beings weren’t allowed to use their skills in front of humans. To save the one that mattered most to him, Ja did the one thing that would get him sent back to the place he waited over fifteen long years to get away from . . . the Magical World. And he wouldn’t be returning to the family who disowned him or the coven that he was supposed to have taken over once he turned twenty-one.

He’d be taken to a coven where he’d be shunned, overlooked, or beaten because he had been sent back to the Magical World. After all, that’s what happened to those who disgraced themselves by breaking the laws. But that was okay with Ja, he’d take whatever punishment came his way as long as the love of his life was alive and well.

Ja resigned himself to a life of being invisible, but he never expected what happened when Elder Robert brought him to the Clive Coven.

Disgraced Magical Being Chapter 4

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The food had been excellent. What shocked me even more than the earlier interaction with Coven Leader Oaks was the friendly conversation him and his son carried on while they ate. More than that was the lack of servents I saw in the house. Coven Leader Oaks even gathered up the dirty dishes and took them into the kitchen. He had his son carry his own plate in and he refused to let me do the same. He told me I was a guest and guest did not clean the table. After the meal was over, including apple pie and ice cream, Coven Leader Oak took his son down to his room and put him to bed. I could hear him reading his son a story and he told his son he loved him.

It all had me scratching my head. None of the coven leader actions fit with what I had experienced growing up. If I had things in my life might have been different. I would not have changed meeting Kyle for anything. Nope. The time I had with him was the best of my life. It was why I chose to save him. My life had not mattered to me then. All that had was getting Kyle away from the fire.

“Ready to hear my story?” Coven Leader Oaks motioned me to follow him. “Let’s sit in the living room. It will be more comfortable.” I followed and then went to stand off to the side of the fireplace. “Take a seat. I told you this coven is not like the one you grew up in.”

A fact I was learning quickly. One I still did not trust completely. I expected any day for the joke I feared they were playing on me to come to an end at my expense.

“Ten years ago, I was in the same spot you are.” He sighed. “When I turned twenty-five my father gave me the choice like all Magical Beings get. Human World, or Coven life. I knew what my father desired, but he also knew what I did. There was no big deal made when I chose to live in the Human World. I had openly told my father that I knew what the coven expected the son of the coven leader to choose, but I could not do so. It would make my life miserable. He accepted my choice and told me if I ever changed my mind that I would be welcomed back into the coven with open arms, but I would have to work my way up the ranks like any other coven member who returned to the Coven Life.”

I must have huffed, because Coven Leader Oaks smiled at me.

“It is a hard story for another son of a coven leader to buy. All children, even the second, or young children, of a leader are told and taught from the get-go. I was no different, but like myself, my father chose to run the coven in a less formal manner. I have kept that tradition alive and it will never change as long as my family runs the coven.” He leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs. “Less than a month in the Human World I ran into Jacob. Best man I ever knew. He had my heart from the first word out of his mouth. I knew he was mine. Lucky for me, I did not have to explain what I was, because he also had chosen the Human World lifestyle.”

Wow. Lucky was right. Wished I’d been in the same boat. Wouldn’t have helped me in the end. I still did magic around other humans, meaning the Elders had to erase any humans’ mind that had saw me and Kyle disappear from the fire. If any survived. I hoped some had, but I feared they had all parrished. I would never know. Not since I had been sent back to the coven.

“A year after we moved in together Jacob came up pregnant. We had to come back to my coven until he gave birth.”

A rule that all Human World Magical Beings followed. It avoided the Magical World from being made known to the humans. Also meant that they had to pretend that their son was adopted. I wasn’t sure if that was something I could have done if Kyle had been a Magical Being. My mind would have desired for everyone to know that we had a son together. That I had carried the life inside me for nine months. Yet . . . I knew why the Magical World had such a rule.

“A year after Joshua was born, the three of us was in a park. I was pushing Joshua on a child safety swing. He was giggling and swinging his arms. Having the best time of his life. Just like we longed for him to have. After an hour of park time, I decided it was time to head back home. We made it halfway back when a group of men surrended us. Jacob stepped in front of the stroller and I moved in front of them. Tried to talk the people into leaving us alone. Gave them all the money I had, but it was not good enough. They had not wanted money. They were after pure fear. They had it from Jacob. I could feel his desire to get Joshua to safety. He begged and pleaded with me to get us out of there. I did not want to do so. I knew the risk, but I thought I could handle the situation. I was wrong. There were six guys against me. Jacob had thrown himself over the stroller when the guys charged me. I took on the five that circled me. One came after Joshua and he did what any father would have done. Tried to get our son to safety. He took hold of the stroller and began running the other way. He made it back to the park before he was caught by the guy. I finally got the five around me down and left to get to my family. By the time I got there Jacob was down and the guy was going after Joshua. I had no other choice.”

Shit. I wasn’t sure what I would have done if I found myself in that situation. Yes I did. I would have zapped me and my son to safety. I would have saved my son. Just like I saved Kyle. I would not have stood by and let a group of men attack my family, even if I was not the stronger Magical Being.

“I can tell you would have done what I did in the end. I regret my decision to avoid being sent back to live in the coven. My decision cost me that day. I will regret that day until the day I die. I took my son’s father from him. I took the love of my life from myself. Being sent back to the Coven World would have been better than losing Jacob.” He wiped his eyes, making me take a deep breath. Coven leaders did not cry. Did not show so much emotions in front of anyone, let alone a Disgraced Magical Being. “You can see that I do know the spot you are in. Sort of. I knew my father’s coven was different than others. I knew they would not turn their back on me. They would not treat me and Joshua like other Disgraced Magical Beings. My father had promised me that if I had to return to the Coven World for any reason that the Elders would allow me to come back to him. He had made the request, and it had been approved, before I even left for the Human World. Don’t get me wrong. I might have come back to my home coven, but I had to work my way from the bottom of the coven. Just like my father told me I would. I worked hard. Quickly moved through the ten steps of the coven. Soon as I reached the leadership level my father announced me as his heir. It was something I expected the Elders to kick on, but they stood by my father’s decision.”

Wow. The story was hard to believe, but the tingles in my arms promised me that I could believe what the guy said. Not only that, I could see the pain in his eyes. On his face. Those strong feelings could not be faked. Not good enough to trick me. Coven Leader Oaks was indeed like me. Knew what I had gone through. Knew how hard it had been for me to choose the Human World. There was a major difference. My father had immediately told the coven that his heir was my brother, who was two years young than me.

“I tell you this, hoping that it will give you some peace and allow you to begin to interact more with the coven members. I won’t promise that there aren’t some among the coven that will see you as equal, but they will not go against our way of life. They know the punishment if they do.”

The rest of the evening went by easier, but tension still clung to me while I sat and spoke in such a friendly manner with the coven leader.

Disgraced Magical Being Chapter 3

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I arrived at the location that Coven Leader Oak told him to. The house was simple. Was not grand looking, or large. Just another typical size house. It held a clean coat of tan paint and had a porch with large block style post. There was a swing on the left side and toys spread across the right side. A football. Skateboard. Helmet. Kneepads. Trucks. All typical things for an eight-year old. Sure wasn’t like any other coven leader’s house he saw before. Theirs held no toys. Most of their children were forbidden to play with such menial items. They were given tablets, taught to work a computer from the time they started to learn to read. I knew from personal experience. Not that I liked to remember those times. It was best forgotten. It did nothing but irate me.

I shook away the thoughts and knocked on the door. It was yanked open by a waist high semi-brown haired boy.

“Hey. You are Jay, right?”

“Joshua Leon Oaks, you know better than to answer that door.” Coven Leader Oaks came into the hallway, smiling at him. “Sorry, about that.” He waved me in. “He has more energy than I can keep up with at times. Hope your day is going well.”

“It is, Sir.”

“None of that now.” He held his hand out to me. “It is Thomas. Just a simple man. That’s all I am.”

Jay took his hand, caustiously. I did not think he would do me any harm while his son was there, but . . . no sense in letting my guard down.

“Joshua, go wash up for supper.”

“Yes, daddy.”

I watched the young boy rush into a room down the hallway. It was nice to see a child of a coven leader so free spirited and happy.

“Not what you expected.” Coven Leader Oaks waved me into the room he’d exited earlier. “Take a seat at the table while I get the last piece of steak off the stove.”

Steak? Wow. I had never seen a coven leader serve a guest anything so grandious, especially not to a Disgraced Magical Being. Not like I’d ever heard of one like myself being invited to supper with the coven leader and his family. I was taken back by it all. My nerves were high, making me rub my wrist so much they ached. My stomach felt like a pound of vomit sat there waiting for the right moment to make itself known. My mouth tasted like a ton of sand had been shoved inside it.

“Take your seat, Joshua.”

Joshua pulled the seat out beside me and rested his arms on the table as Coven Leader Oaks sat a plate of nicely browned steak in the middle of the table between a huge bowl of salad and a plate of foil covered potatoes. The mere sight of it all had me standing up and rushing down the hallway. I was inside the room I saw Joshua enter earlier and over the commode within a second.

A light knock had me turning my head as I stood and wiped my mouth.

“Wash rags next to the sink is clean.” Coven Leader Oaks gave me a faint smile, making my stomach drop, but I had nothing else to throw up. Thankfully. I had all ready showed how lousy of a Disgraced Magical Being I was. “You are still skittish of being here. I should have waited until I knew you were more comfortable with our coven. I am sorry for putting you in this position.”

I cut the tap on and wet the rag, wiping it across my mouth and around the back of my neck. The coolness eased some of the heat radiating from my skin. Nerves sucked. My lack of steal will was why my father promised I would never amount to anything. It was always why I chose to live among the humans, instead of staying with my family. Not like I fit in there anyway. Not like they let me forget it either.

“I had hoped that you could take peace from being here. I know it is very different than how you grew up, but . . .”

His kindness did nothing to ease my distress. It only put me on guard more and that was not a good thing. Once I reached my limit my mouth ran away. And it did exactly that.

“Is this some kind of trick? If so, I am thoroughly embarrassed. You can stop the kindness. I can take whatever you and your coven can give. It’s not like I did not come here expecting anything other than what I knew would happen to me. I made my decision among the human world and I will always stand by it. I will take my punishment and accept whatever comes with it. I knew what being a Disgraced Magical Being entailed. Still, I saved the man I loved. I will never regret it.”

Coven Leader Oaks came into the bathroom and spun me to face him. My entire body said to step back. Brace for impact. Attack back. I knew better. I’d just said I would take whatever came my way and I meant it. So I stood there and waited for him to strike me. What I got had me falling to my knees.

His hand brushed against my cheek. “This is no joke.” Those soft hands took hold of my arms and tugged me back to my feet. “I might have rushed things with you. I should have expected it to be harder for you to believe what I said. I knew your background. Knew your decision was not regretted. I also know what you it took to do what you did. I know you do not and never would regret it. And I mean I know.”

“How?” I was tired of the insuination of the leader’s personal knowledge of my actions.

“I did the same thing several years back.”

“I’m not fool.” I finally gave into my body’s desire to step back.

“I know that. Come sit down. Let’s eat. Let me put my son to bed, then I will tell you my story.”

“What do I have to lose. Not like I can tell you no.” I stepped around him and returned to the kitchen.

Disgraced Magical Being Chapter 2

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I’d been at the Clive Coven for a couple of weeks. Elder Robert had brought me in during the middle of the night. The Coven Leader did not even bother to greet me. His excuse had been that he’d been caring for his sick son for four nights and was watching over him while he finally got some sleep. Jay wasn’t sure if it was the truth, but if it was, I felt for the leader. Elder Robert had accepted the Cover Leader’s reason and told the second that he appreciated him getting up to show the Disgraced Magical Being around. Not that the second did so. All he done was nod at Elder Robert and then escorted me to a run down little shack. He never spoke to me. Simply opened the door and motioned me in, then shut the door and left. The next morning a young woman showed up on my doorstep as I opened the empty cabinet doors. She’d told me she’d been told to show me to the Kitchen. Jay had expected to be given the duty of landscaping, since that was a job I’d done while in my first coven, but nope. I’d been put to washing dishes. The lowest of jobs. I did as expected and worked hard. Did my best. Least I knew that there was an opportunity to work my way to prepping food, or so the Chef said.

I expected people to ignore and sidestep me unless they had to interact with me. Some had, others had welcomed me. Those had told me they hoped I settled in quickly and that I would like Coven Leader Thomas. I hoped I did, but I’d yet to meet him. Part of me hoped I never met him. I did not want to hear the leader berate me for my action and risk of outing them or telling me that I was nothing among the coven. Not like I didn’t already know that. I’d knew the risk when I saved Kyle. I’d do it again.

“Hello.” A tall, broad chest, rich brown hair man came up to his side.

Jay stopped walking and gave a slight nod.

“I’m assuming you are Jay Walker. Is that not correct?”

I gave another nod.

“It is all right to speak to me. I will not harm you in any way.”

Jay wasn’t sure about that. I knew some had spoken to me kindly, but they’d mostly been women. The men had done their best to avoid me or frown at me. In my first coven I say many Disgraced Magical Beings beaten. Some of them even went without food. I’d not faced that yet. The young woman who showed me to my job, also told me that the storage shed had been given my weekly stipend and each week I work my pay would be added to it. The local store also had access to my stipend if I desired knew clothes or other personal items.

“Please do not make me order you to speak to me.”

“Order me?”

“You . . . Crap. I knew it had taken me too long to seek you out.” The man rubbed the back of his neck and then held his hand out. “I am Coven Leader Thomas Oaks. People here call me Thomas. We are not a formal pack, unless the Elders are around.”

I assumed the coven was different than my first pack, but I’d never believed the leader would allow people to address him by his first name.

“I promise you no harm will come to you here.”

None had, but I wasn’t stupid enough to let two weeks in residence give me a sense of peace in my new situation.

My new leader lowered his hand. “If anyone gives you a hard way to go then please reach out to me. Understand.”

“Yes, Coven Leader Oaks.” There was no way I would risk calling him Thomas. He might say he could, but . . .

“You will find out that we do not agree with how the other coven treat Disgraced Magical Beings. You are no different than any other member of the coven. I know this well.”

How could he know? He was a leader. He had chosen to live among the coven.

“I can see the doubt on your face, but I just ask that you watch and find out for yourself. I do not expect you to believe me. I know how the Rexman Coven treat their Disgraced Magical Beings. It is inhumane.”

Was not giving him a shack to live in inhumane? Might not be. Least I had roof over my head. Food. Getting paid for my time in the kitchen. Regular amount of wage in fact. Another fact that shocked me.

“Most covens live by harsher rules than I believe in. It is why you will find that over one-third of the members have come to my coven as punishment. Each of their stories are thiers, but I can tell you that among those are many Disgraced Magical Beings. A word that I despise. Far as I’m concerned you are simply another Magical Being.”

I wasn’t sure how much I believed that, but some of what I’d experiences gave me proof of what the coven leader said. Still, I was not going to risk the wrath of the coven leader.

“It is fine if you have to find out for yourself. I just wanted to apologize for taking so long to greet you. My son was sick for over a week with the flu. I sat at his bedside, watching over him every night. The night you showed up was the first day he had not been sick all day, so I allowed myself to sleep. I’m afraid that threw me behind in my other work and I had to play catch up.”

Was the coven leader truly giving me a detail explanation? Why? No other would. They would not have bothered with introducing themselves.

The coven leader glanced at his watch. “Afraid I have a meeting, but I’d like for you to join me and my son for supper tomorrow night. Is that agreeable?”

“Huh?”

“It is not trick. I promise. Just a simple meal with an eight-year old and me.”

“Okay.” I wasn’t sure why I agreed. Yeah, I did. I had no other choice.

Witch Flash Fiction Scene

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Two taps of his clear light stone staff took ten men down in one second. Left only five for his partner to deal with. If the Supernatural-Human Leadership believed in pairing like talent then that would have been all he had to do, but nope. They stuck him with a human. A human that bore no skills other than hand-to-hand combat, which would do nothing against five Warlocks that equaled his strength. That left him with only one option, kick ass again and piss his partner off for interfering. Better than watching Jeff take his last breath when one of those Warlocks threw a death spell his way, which they would do. None of them cared if they rid the world of one weak human. Not that Jeff was completely week. He might not have no magical skills, but he could kick ass one-on-one. Better yet, the man could fuck like a werewolf in heat.

“What the fuck!” Jeff stormed his way as the last Warlock fell over. “What did you do that for?”

“They were not going to fight fair.”

“Come off of your high-horse, Jaul.”

Here it came. The typical lecture that came every time he stepped in and saved his lover’s life. Jeff did not care about that though. He just wanted to be on equal footing with his partner, and when he was paired up with him that wasn’t going to happen. It was why Jeff and him both asked management to avoid pairing them together. Little good it did.

“You know how I feel about that.”

Jeff was an inch in front of him with his hands balled into fist and pressed into his sides. That was about the amount of anger that the man would show. The man could never get too pissed off to the point of throwing a punch. Oh, he could, but he never let his anger out, which is why he loved the punching bag so good. He took all his frustration and anger out there. Never once had he taken it out on someone else, no matter what they’d done. One of their catches had spit a thick lugi on him, but he didn’t even flinch. Simply twisted his arm behind the vile Vampire and slapped handcuffs on him. Jeff had spent five hours on the bag that night.

“Why did you do that? Answer me.”

“They were equal to - -“

“Don’t go there.”

“Where else am I supposed to go?”

“You are to let me do my job.”

“I did. You took four down, but - -“

“Not listening.” He spun on his heel and walked over to the last group to fall and picked up their staffs. “What does purple stones mean?”

“I’m not sure.” He’d never seen a Warlock, or Witch, carry a magical staff with purple power. It was typical reserved for the Vampire magic, but those Warlocks had way more magical abilities than any Vampire, or other supernatural besides his kind.

“We need to find out.”

“We do.”

“Incase you missed it, I said ‘WE’.”

He’d not missed it. Still, he’d do what had to be done to keep his partner safe. No matter how long the man spent banging on a punching bag.