Chapter 2

The next morning, Maddie woke up much too late for school. She had slept wonderfully, warm, and with an intense sense of security.

Maddie had looked briefly at the sleeping Raven. She still wasn't sure why he had so many deep scars on his body.

And she was worried about that. His energy chilled when she asked him about it.

She got up carefully, slipped into her own room.

Took a quick shower, got dressed, and without breakfast, she went on her way to school in a hurry.

She had to walk because her bicycle was still at school.

For it was not intended to use magic in the world of the ordinary if it was not necessary. Just as she walked out of Stationsstreet, she heard a familiar creak and squeak behind her. It was Buddy on the bike, pedaling quickly.

‘Jump on the back!’ he shouted while cycling.

She did, although the construction of his bike gave little confidence.

'Overslept?’ he concluded. 'Me too'. So cold outside. Nice and warm in bed. So, not good.’

He, gasped because it took a lot of energy to get the pedals around for two people, on a bicycle that had already passed away.

They entered the class together, too late. There were whispers and laughter. The gossip machine, started by Jacqueline and Amy, was running at full speed. Even the teacher commented that they had to take care of getting up on time when they slept together.

Buddy didn’t care what anyone said. He never did. He had always been left out everywhere and found that very pleasant. Participating because you had to belong somewhere or not, were things he did not want to put his energy into. Drawing and his music were enough for him.

His friendship with Maddie had arisen by chance. She was also the odd one out at school. That had been the first click between them and had grown into a deep friendship.

He found it especially annoying for her, all that stupid girl stuff, which he didn't understand anyway.

Buddy's best friends, Leo and Dean, were trained differently at the same school. As a result, they regularly bumped into each other during breaks.

They had a metal band together, ‘Dead Meadow’.

That was what Buddy liked to put his energy into.

For a moment Buddy met Maddie's gaze. He gave her an encouraging wink

‘Stupid bitches,’ he growled.

Of course, the dark duo tried to influence them during the breaks, too.

But Buddy had his secret places around the school.

Buddy sat with Maddie on a bench in the park, a sheltered place, even though it was cold outside.

The bench was in the King Wilhelm Park, which used to be placed there for old people to sit on.

Maddie knew that, just like at the Martini Church, there were regularly men from the Elder Clan sitting there. A group of elderly magicians, who provided extra security at the magical gates in and under the city.

In the city, the men always sat around the Martini Church, where there was a lot of activity. There were also many magical doors there.

The gates in the park were only used at events when the flow of magicians was great. Because the bench was made of wood with a large canopy, they sat there nicely sheltered from the chilly wind. Although it remained a cold place without a heater.

Buddy enthusiastically bit into a sandwich and suddenly saw Maddie's hungry look. He broke his sandwich in half and split it.

‘No protests,’ he said, ‘I bet you didn't eat breakfast or bring bread.’

Two boys approached them.

One was a head taller than Buddy, had long blond hair and blue-gray eyes. He almost rattled the chains on his mostly black clothing. Wore army shoes and a long black leather jacket. The other was more of Buddy's height, with the same clothing style, of course.

Only his hair was dyed jet black, he had a kind of mohawk with shaved sides and brown eyes.

The tall one was Dean and the other Leo. Maddie knew.

‘Cold,’ said Leo, hiding a little more in his coat.

He greeted Buddy elaborately. Dean could not escape that either.

‘Hey Red,’ he greeted her.

‘Hey Blond,’ she greeted him.

His eyes sparkled in amusement.

They climbed on the bench, discussed the band's rehearsal schedule. They had signed up for the town's winterfestival. Dean was the group's charmer. With his confidence in his attraction to women, he looked at Maddie.

‘Still dating?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ she smiled.

‘If he ever abandons you, you will know where to find me.’ Dean's eyes glittered in amusement.

‘For what?’ Maddie asked teasingly.

‘Yes, Dean for what?’ said Leo, laughing.

‘For the best gift for women,’ Dean boasted.

Maddie nodded. ‘And what is that then? A basket of treats, coupons?

Buddy grinned.

Dean nodded. ‘Among other things.’ And he winked.

Maddie laughed loudly.

Because it was very cold, the foursome quickly went back to school to warm up in the canteen.

‘Hey, Dean!’ Shouted Amy, brushing her lips quickly.

Dean just looked at her for a moment, he did not react. He didn't like girls who wanted to be popular and who would pull out all the stops.

Amy and Jacqueline walked up, smiling broadly, convinced of their attraction to the boys.

‘Did you know that Maddie and Buddy have something together?’ asked Jacqueline, looking up at Dean.

Leo raised his eyebrows just as surprised as Dean did.

‘What do you mean?’ Dean responded.

‘Nothing,’ said Jacqueline, looking up at Dean.

‘Well, that is pretty much the content of your head too,’ said Leo.

Everyone laughed.

Jacqueline's eyes sparkled furiously.

She glanced at Maddie for a moment, as if it were all her fault. Then she walked away. She fiercely pulled Amy by her arm.

‘Are your protectors not there?’

A few hours later, Amy was suddenly standing in front of Maddie's bicycle with a false glint in her eyes. Maddie was just about to go home.

Maddie sighed. She got so tired of that kind of negativity. Sometimes it tickled her. She wanted so badly to use magic, but of course, she didn't. There was a group of girls who followed in the wake of the brave duo.

‘You don't really think the boys like you with your red hair, do you? They only hang out with you because you are so easy to get into a closet! ‘Amy spoke loudly when she saw the crowd.

Everyone giggled so that Amy had even more energy to continue with the attack. She suddenly pushed Maddie, who almost lost her balance as a result.

‘We don't want you here!’ she snapped then, ‘stay home or something!’

Margie's eyes twinkled angrily. She had to hold back not to use magic, she was a very short distance away from losing her self-control.

Jacqueline suddenly got involved again.

‘You are a witch with your ghost chatter, we don't want your kind here! Fuck off, go back to where you came from!’

‘Be careful,’ came Raven's deep voice suddenly, ‘she will enchant you soon.’

He worked his way through the group. Raven raged high above Maddie and the others, with his two meters. He leaned forward to kiss Maddie passionately. She saw the amused look in his bright blue eyes, he loved to shock others. And that's why she kissed him back just as violently. When his tongue played with hers, she felt her legs go soft.

‘She put a spell on me too,’ he said with a wink at Jacqueline.

He passionately kissed Maddie again to make his point clear. ‘That's why I can't get enough of her in the witch's nest.’

His hand slid under Maddie's shirt for a moment, stroking her back teasingly.

Amy's eyes moved enviously over his muscular body, her gaze moved to the arm around Maddie's shoulder.

‘You don't know what you're missing,’ Jacqueline began her flirtation.

Raven laughed his charming smile, put his finger under her chin.

‘But I know that, girl. I miss my Maddie when she's not there, her, kisses, her hands, her, well you understand me, don't you?’ he said, smiling.

He pulled Maddie with him, jumped on her bicycle, and waited until she sat safely on the back.

‘Have a nice weekend!’ he called to the group, ‘Don't do anything I wouldn't do!’ And he cycled off at a fast pace.

Maddie held him tight. She laughed in amusement.

Maddie had enjoyed Raven's presence all the way home, her head rested against his broad back. The bike ride could have been ages for her. When they arrived in Stationsstreet, she followed him to the shed, where he parked her bicycle.

‘Are you bullied at school?’ asked Raven.

‘Well,’ Maddie shrugged. ‘It will blow over again. They just look for another victim now and then.’

‘No magic, right?’ He said, half warning, half amused.

She chuckled. 'Of course not!'

They walked in. The dining room doors were closed.

‘Witches Convention,’ Raven said.

‘In Gaelic? ‘asked Maddie.

He nodded and laughed conspicuously, Gaelic had no secrets from them, it meant.

Raven made two mugs of herbal tea. As they walked down the hall past the library door, he signaled with a short nod of the head that Maddie should look inside.

She looked carefully around the corner from the door. She saw Esmee and Rodolf kissing each other passionately.

She smiled understandingly.

‘Moon can stock up on a few gallons of anti-love elixir,’ said Raven, ‘for all those lovemaking couples who shouldn't go too far.’

Maddie grinned.

She walked on to Raven's room and flopped down on his bed. It was very cold there.

 But with a careless gesture, Raven set the fireplace to burn.

Immediately a pleasant warmth was spread.

‘I'd better remodel my room,’ he said teasingly, ‘you almost live here.’

She walked over to him.

‘There's plenty of room otherwise,’ she said softly, pulling him towards her tenderly, her hands slipping under his shirt.

‘Wow ho!’ Raven shouted defensively. He broke away from her embrace, ‘You took your elixir, didn't you?’

She nodded. ‘Of course.’ And she added that she has been faithful doing so since he came home.

‘We can just spoil each other,’ she said softly with a longing look in her eyes.

‘That's fuel on the fire, honey,’ said Raven.

She saw in his eyes what she felt.

There was a brief wrinkle in his forehead as he thought.

‘Maybe we should increase the dose,’ he said. ‘I don't really feel like we're being slowed down anywhere.’

He looked at her lovingly.

‘Relying on my willpower alone is not really an option,’ he confessed self-aware.

She smiled.

Maddie picked up the large mug of tea and settled in the large chair in front of the fireplace.

‘It is not I who influenced the effect of the anti-love elixir this time,’ she said. She knew he was worried about that, because she had already done so a few times a while ago.

He smiled at the memory.

Maddie enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace. She felt so much love for her tall boyfriend. That way she could take on the whole world.

During dinner, everyone was busy with their own thoughts.

Rodolf and Esmee only had an eye for each other, but Raven and Maddie also focused on their love, not so much on the environment.

Omem was silent, but it was Raven who sensed her anxiety.

‘Is there something wrong Moon?’ he asked.

He recently called her by her first name, nobody knew when that started.

Moon was pleased that the distance between them had narrowed again, after the great misunderstanding that had deeply affected the bond of trust between them at the time.

‘Well,’ she sighed deeply, ‘the magic world buzzes a bit. Prime Minister Mauli suddenly gets the broom through all kinds of laws. There is even talk of some sort of registration taking place for all magical beings!’

‘The better cubicle work,’ said Raven with a sigh of incomprehension.

Moon nodded. She smiled. ‘Well, it might not get that far, there are still many negotiations going on.’

Raven helped clear the table

‘Moon, I think you should make the anti-love elixir stronger.’

 She looked at him closely. ‘You know what happens when you mix your energies!’ She warned him again.

He was grateful that she didn't use the word sex because it was already a strange conversation to have with her about her granddaughter.

‘I know,’ he looked at her openly, ‘no more magic. Maddie's life assignments in danger.’

She nodded. ‘Exactly. It is so important for all of you not to take any extra risks, your magic must be fully developed.’

She went to her spice cupboard and rummaged in it.

Raven heard her cast spells and then she gave him a new bottle.

‘Extra strong,’ she said.

He pressed a kiss on her head and put the bottle in his pocket.

And it seemed to work. Maddie and Raven sat in each other's arms all evening. Looking at a movie. There was no fight with a flaring passion to stay on the right path. They only enjoyed each other's closeness.

Raven, in a habit, caressed her long hair, marveled at her sensitivity as the film they were watching made her cry. He pressed a kiss on top of her head, she looked at him with tearful eyes.

‘I'm so sentimental,’ she said with a smile, wiping away her tears

‘You are very compassionate, one of the qualities that makes you who you are and why I love you so much.’

She kissed his mouth. ‘I love you too Raven!’

He kissed her back and freed himself from her arms. ‘I have something for you.’ Raven got up and walked over to the old cupboard.

He rummaged in a drawer and returned with a small bag. He took out a pendant.

It was the image of a tree of life with the full moon behind it.

‘So you don't forget where your roots are,’ he said with a grin.

He made a hand movement and the pendant began to glow.

‘When the tree is glowing, then I am where I went, completely safe, or just at home like now. When the moon glows, I am on my way to you and I will be home soon. You can find me with it too, by changing the spell.’

There were tears of emotion in her eyes.

‘It's made with blood magic, so it's very strong.’

He kissed her forehead. ‘The spell is, Gaol eachdra idheilm, eternal love.’

He took a long lace from his trouser pocket and put his hand above it.

‘Fadna Chláir,

 forever connected,

Cha chaill mi riamh,

you will never lose me.

Chan ann le draoidheachd, fóirneart no úine,

not through magic, violence, or time. ‘

He hung the amulet on the lace and tied it around Maddie's neck.

She looked at it in the mirror.

‘Beautiful, I think it's so sweet of you, Raven.’

‘Self-interest,’ he chuckled. ‘then I will have a less stressed girlfriend when I get home because she knows I'm safe.’

She smiled and kissed his mouth.

His arms held her tight.

Maddie shot up in the middle of the night.

She was startled by a terrible dream, but as soon as she opened her eyes it faded. She only felt the terrified knowledge that it had been about Raven. Her Raven. She looked at him with relief.

Raven was sleeping deeply. He was aware of no harm. She heard his calm breathing, it calmed her.

Maddie curled herself against his chest and sighed with relief.

While sleeping, he put his arm around her, there she lay safe. She snuggled up against him, confident.

Then suddenlijk her love for him flowed through her very strongly, she felt her passion grow explosively. Raven also groaned in his sleep.

‘Raven?’ she looked up at him.

He also seemed to be dreaming fiercely.

She gently kissed his chest, his neck. She couldn't hold back or slow down, leave him alone. It went without saying.

He opened his eyes, smiled, and kissed her back, still half asleep.

Maddie suddenly felt her passion flare-up, she kissed him until her lips burned. Kissing his body.

Raven groaned, straightened up, rolled her onto her back, took off her shirt, and hungrily explored her body with his mouth and his hands.

Her last bit of alertness disappeared when he kissed her neck and he took off her boxershorts.

For a moment she lost consciousness of the world around her.

She magically made his clothes disappear, because she could only feel her desire, the desire to be one with him.

That time, just spoiling each other,was not what she wanted. It was not enough. She totally wanted him.

Longingly, Maddie let her hands wander over the dimples in his lower back, just above his firm buttocks, causing him to lose his last bit of resistance.

She clung to him hungrily.

Raven cautiously entered her, but that only spurred her on. They lost sense of place, time, promises, and Wiccan laws. They gave themselves to each other completely, until all the passion and love accumulated in a gigantic explosion.

Slowly they drifted back to reality.

Satisfied, warm, and still glowing, came the realization of what had happened.

Wiccan law had been broken! Raven was twenty, Maddie just nineteen years old, so the danger of magic loss was real.

They looked at each other, startled. Maddie sat down.

‘Oh Raven,’ she said, ‘what have we done? Why didn't we stop? ‘

The realization that they had probably lost all their magic, or at least could never fully use or develop it, suddenly sank.

Raven also sat upright in bewilderment.

‘My god Maddie, why didn't I slow down, as I normally do? And that elixir then, why didn't that stop us? It was extra strong, didn't it do what it was supposed to do at first?’

He jumped out of bed, grabbed his black work suit from the chair, rummaged in his trouser pocket, and found Moon's bottle. He turned it open, but he couldn't make out anything strange.

'Raven?'

'Yes?'

He gave her a questioning look, saw a glint in her blue eyes before she tossed his boxers. He looked guilty but saw the loving look which she gave him as she put on her own shirt and boxershorts.

'Raven? Whatever the consequences, it doesn't change how I feel about you.’ She looked up at him. ‘It was great and wonderful to feel so close.’

Despite everything, he smiled, his arms wrapped tightly around her, pulling her close.

‘It was. But I don't understand.’

He kissed her lips gently.

They were still sensitive because of their intense lovemaking.

‘We have to tell Rodolf and Esmee. Maybe there is something else we can do to limit the damage done to the magic,’ she said.

He frowned, hesitantly.

‘Or do you want to submit it to Omem?’ she continued.

He raised his hands defensively. ‘Oh God no. Not Omem! ‘

Despite everything, Maddie had to laugh.

When Esmee and Rodolf finally awoke, after an eternal knock on their door, they told them what had happened. There was a pause.

‘Gosh,’ Esmee sighed, ‘otherwise the drink helps us fine!’

‘Yes, no fight for control,’ said Rodolf. He walked over to Esmee's desk in his striped pajama bottoms and white shirt. Because he recently camped there, his things gradually found a new home there. He booted up his laptop.

‘I don't understand that if you asked for an extra-strong anti-love elixir, it suddenly backfire! And did it relax you at first? ‘Rodolf asked, wrinkling in his forehead.

Raven nodded.

‘Do you still have the bottle?’ asked Esmee.

Raven took the bottle from his pocket.

Esmee smelled it. ‘Hey?’ she said. ‘Wait a minute.’

She dived into the books scattered on the floor next to the bed.

In the silence, Raven looked at Maddie. The flush of red on her cheeks, her soft pink lips, the tousled hair, betrayed what had happened. At least to him. Her sight warmed him, made the blood rush through his veins, made him long for her again. He took a deep breath to get himself back under control.

And then put his focus on the research.

‘Yes, I knew it!’ Esmee suddenly exclaimed. ‘The posion has bark from the oak tree in it.’

‘What?’ Raven was surprised

‘Here,’ Esmee read, ‘the bark of the oak tree is very strong. All magical incantations that create a spell are slowed down, taken away, frozen, canceled. Any protective spells will not remain intact. Note; the bark of this primeval tree lifts all enchantment. ‘

They all looked at each other.

‘Then it is the remainder of the drink that we made from the bark of the primeval tree,’ said Maddie, surprised, ‘but why put it in the elixer?’

‘But what about your magic?’ asked Rodolf. He looked over his laptop.

Maddie and Raven looked at each other.

‘I don't know,’ said Raven, getting up, pointing to the fireplace, and the fire burning.

‘Maddie?’ asked Rodolf.

 She looked at the ornament of the full moon with the tree of life around her neck.

‘Gaol eachdra idheil, eternal love,’ she said, the tree of life glowing.

‘I'm home,’ said Raven with a grin.

‘Nothing seems wrong,’ stated Rodolf. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Good.’ Raven shrugged.

‘I feel good too,’ said Maddie, ‘by the way, it just seems like I have more energy. As if I am no longer held back by anything. Kind of like I experienced when the oppressive herbal teas were stopped which slowed my powers down. Only then less intense, less confusing.‘

‘You have a point there,’ said Rodolf, ‘wait a minute, I’ve red something about that.’

His fingers raced across the keyboard for answers in ‘The Akasha of Magic,’ the witches' and magicians' answer book on his laptop.

‘Yes, found it. Of course! By carrying the energy of the moon goddess, you have magically matured,’ he explained with a surprised grin. ‘That means that the rule of, no sex before you are twenty-one, does not apply to you, Maddie. And that the anti-love elixir probably affected your magic too much, so indeed slowed it down. ‘

'What about me?’ asked Raven. ‘Am I going to experience some more loss?’

‘You are also free from that law, you have carried the magic for the God of the forest,’ Rodolf said.

‘Well then,’ Esmee sighed jealously, ‘you didn't need any elixir potion at alle.’

Raven and Maddie looked at each other with relief.

‘Fortunately,’ Maddie sighed.

When she looked into Raven's eyes, she could see the benefits he saw.

She blushed.

‘The question remains why there is the bark from the oak tree in your elixir. Maybe someone who, if you broke the ban, hoped the magic would disappear? ‘Rodolf said.

‘Moon made it right in front of me.’ Raven thought. ‘The bottle has not left my side.’

‘She wouldn't do something like that, would she?’ said Maddie, shocked. ‘She just brought you here to assist me with whatever I have to do. To protect me, to help. Then it doesn't make sense if she wants to undermine my magic.’

‘Someone sabotaged the elixir, hoping your magic was tarnished or disappeared,’ Rodolf drew the most logical conclusion. ‘The elixir allowed you to relax so that in a night of deep sleep you were open to the feelings for each other. It looks like an extreme, magical manipulation.  Almoest like black magic.‘

There was a moment of silence.

‘Maybe it's due to the tasks ahead of Maddie,’ Raven thought aloud. ‘Or is there someone with bad intentions, who don't want us to be able to get our powers. Wants to sabotage that. But why? Are we a threath?’

That's going to be a bit of detective work,’ Rodolf promised. ‘Meanwhile, you shouldn't use much magic around anyone. Until we have some idea who caused this.‘

‘Pretend your magic is messed up,’ recommended Esmee, ‘because that's the least that would have happened to you. Or be out of control when it comes to your crush. Maybe someone will respond.’

Raven could do something with those ideas. He looked forward to executing them. A little shock couldn't hurt.

In the meantime, Rodolf tryed to find out what Maddie's future duties were as heir to the moon goddess. And what that had to do with sabotaging the anti-love elixir.

Raven, with his arm around Maddie, walked up the stairs.

‘What?’ she asked when he stared at her.

‘I have some nice ideas about what we're going to do next,’ he whispered in her ear.

She almost blushed. ‘I would have been disappointed if yoy hadn’t any,’ she whispered back.

He looked at her in surprise. When they entered Raven's bedroom, Maddie already took off her shirt in front of his astonished eyes.

She drew him to her longingly. She had the same plans as he had.