Chapter 3

Maddie woke up because the winter sun was already shining through the open window. She felt very happy. Raven was still in deep rest.

She watched him for a long time.

Everything she had imagined about making love to him had become true, perhaps more than that. She really felt a connection with him.

She had already experienced becoming one together, when they shared the tree magic together. That had been very special. But making love to him was as if he had become part of her. And she was part of him.

Maybe it was because they were meant for each other, it was written, that they had loved each other for many lifetimes.

She drew circles on his chest with her finger around his scars.

Suddenly he grabbed her hand. He opened his bright blue eyes.

‘What are you doing, little witch?’ he growled huskily.

‘Wake you up,sir,’ her chin rested on her arm that rested on his chest.

‘I am so happy,’ she confided.

He groaned as she teasingly kissed his scars.

‘Stop,’ he looked at her, kissed her mouth, ‘You're knocking me down.’

She crawled into his arms, smiling.

‘Can it be seen, do you think?’ she asked.

'What? That we had sex? ‘

'Yes.'

‘If you keep looking at me like that,’ he said with a laugh.

‘And how do I watch?’

 ‘As if you want to devour me!’

‘Correct.’

He leaned toward her to take on that challenge.

After a long shower, they didn't come down until lunchtime. They walked hand in hand, as they always had.

But took the time for a long, passionate kiss. His hand even disappeared under her shirt for a moment.

Rodolf and Esmee kept track of those who reacted strangely to it. But no one was looking.

Visitors from other covens ignored them. Lies, Anke, and Moon ignored them. They hadn't counted on that. If someone had gone to the trouble of sabotaging the elixir, why was no one interested?

‘This afternoon, I am going with the other high priestesses to a convention in the center of the country. To Dorestad, to be precise. ‘Moon poured the tea. ‘You will be alone until tonight. If there is any trouble, you can leave a message on Jente's phone. She will check these regularly.‘

Maddie thought Omem looked worried. She shared it with the others.

'She is afraid. Gates are closed, ‘Esmee said. Then she saw the questioning looks. She shrugged apologetically.

Doors, they all understood, closed doors that had an irresistible appeal to Esmee, she had to listen at the doors.

Esmee laughed because she turned out to be such an open book.

‘What gates?’ Raven demanded.

‘Gate 31 and gate 2?’ Esmee knew.

‘Where are they?’ asked Maddie.

‘Two is located somewhere in North Holland and 31 in Utrecht near Dorestad,’ Rodolf knew.

‘And there was something about a crocus or something,’ Esmee said. ‘It sounded very, very important because Omems voice was an octave higher then usual, which means she was impressed.’

‘Is that crocus a medicinal plant with a lot of power perhaps?’ Maddie wanted to know She tought Esmee's characterization of her grandmother was interesting.

'No idea. Maybe it’s used by druids, ‘Esmee said, but shrugged,’ it could also be a name used for something else.’

Esmee and Rodolf walked towards the library together to find out, but Raven had other ideas.

‘I'll go with Rodolf,’ he said, ‘otherwise people will only be kissing instead of searching.’

Rodolf laughed. ‘As is the innkeeper, as he trusts his guests.’

Maddie and Esmee, therefore, walked to the kitchen together. Review books with herbs. The Book Of Shadows, the so-called BOS, rummages for information about a crocus.

‘You look for herbs or recipes and I will look at spells with the theme crocus,’ said Maddie.

They continued working in silence.

The spice cabinet contained a lot of herbs in bottles, jars, and boxes.

Dried, ground, cut, tincture infused. And many bottles of composed drinks. And of course a very high pile of books, magazines, folders, notebooks. All with spells that corresponded to all those herbs.

It was going to be a long afternoon. They had to work hard to be ready for the evening.

‘How are things really?’ Esmee asked suddenly.

‘What?’ Maddie took a sip of her tea.

‘Well, I mean the sex.’ Esmee looked at her closely.

‘The way you think it is,’ said Maddie.

'For real? Wow, ‘Esmee said, looking dreamy.’ I'm jealous. We have to wait another two and a half years.’

She looked at Maddie. ‘You can have as much sex as you want!’

‘Esmee!’

‘It's true, isn't it?’

'Yes.'

‘You use protection, right?’

‘Esmee!’

She smiled. ‘Sorry, now that I sound like my mom.’

There was a moment of silence while they searched.

‘Wait,’ Esmee pulled a notebook with a purple crocus on it.

Her eyes slid over the written lines.

‘Crocus Sativus,’ she read, ‘Za Fran, the saffron crocus, known to the ancient Egyptians, was secretly smuggled into England in 1350.

It is used for menstrual complaints, pain, insomnia. It is also an antidepressant. And promotes sex drive?’

‘Stimulates sex.’ Maddie looked at her. ‘Then maybe that herb was also in the elixer.’

‘If so, it might be Omem's fault after all, because this is her notebook,’ Esmee concluded. ‘She also mentioned the crocus when I was eavesdropping.’

Maddie went to get the bottle with Raven's anti-sex elixir.

Esmee went to test it.

Maddie walked to the library, through the hall with the gray granite floor there were many doors. Suddenly she felt a kind of warm energy.

She looked around but saw nothing. She listened, heard only the boys in the library. Maddie closed her eyes for a moment. The energy circled around her. She tried to make contact with it, but it was as if there was a barrier.

She couldn't get through. It amazed her, the warm energy told her it was not a spirit, in the sense of a lost soul. Cold was fear, but that energy was warm. She felt it tingle. It disappeared again. Maddie walked on to the library.

Rodolf was among the piles of books, reading on his laptop.

Raven stood high on a ladder, leafing through the books. He tried to read the titles of the books with his head to the side.

She smiled, bookworm didn't quite fit his image, but it suited him.

‘Esmee is figuring out if there is also crocus in our version of the elixir,’ she said. ‘Crocus increases libido.’

‘I never needed that,’ growled Raven from above.

Maddie laughed. ‘No, but if it's in there, it could still be Omem who put it in there. The notebook in which it is written in her hand. And if someone wanted to make sure we lost control, that saffron crocus was a good choice.‘

Rodolf looked absent-mindedly over his laptop.

‘If so, then she didn't accidentally put it in the elixir. The question then is why? She might as well have rendered the elixir of no effect and wait and see what came next. If she put it in, you were supposed to have sex right away, at least as soon as possible to get rid of your powers.’

‘The why is obvious,’ replied Raven from the stairs, ‘our magic is gone or disturbed. But for what? Are we a threat? If so, for whom? Not for Omem. And it doesn't seem like an act of protection or love.’

‘It's there,’ Esmee entered the library with the results of her research, ‘it actually contains a lot of it.’

Rodolf's fingers pressed the keyboard fiercely.

‘What,’ he said, ‘if your magic becomes more powerful than you actually know yourself. That someone already knew that. And therefore wanted to make sure it was lost?’

He grabbed a few more books, his finger slid along the lines. Then he nodded. 'Yes, that is it!'

‘What?’ Esmee looked at him intently.

Rodolf leaned back contentedly with his hands behind his head. He stretched triumphantly.

‘Your adventure with the magic of the God of the forest and the moon goddess has matured your magic.’

‘Yes, we already know. They can have sex without consequences,’ Esmee said quickly as if urging him to speak faster.

‘In Maddie, that energy has done a bit more. It has unleashed powerful, ancient knowledge in her. The legacy of her ancestors. This knowledge could not flow into her until she magically matured. It makes her extra strong.’

He paused. ‘What if someone already knew that. Who wanted to prevent it? Because if the sex affected her magic, then there was no chance she would reach maturity. And so she also would not start to gain knowledge and strength, ‘said Rodolf. She has already achieved this through that tree magic and the magic of the red moon goddess, but nobody knows that except us.’

‘Is that so Maddie? Esmee asked. ‘Have you become more powerful yet?’

‘No,’ said Maddie. She looked at them inquisitively, ‘I don't know anything about more powerful magic. Maybe that has disappeared after all?’

‘I don't think so,’ said Rodolf, ‘you probably just haven't really tapped into it yet.’

‘And how do I know that I have moren power?’ asked Maddie, who couldn't imagine anything about it.

‘You are then extra sensitive to energies, you just know things without being told anything, use magic that goes without thinking, then you have contact with nature, you understand trees. Are extra sensitive to nature itself, ‘Rodolf summed up,’ You can see ghosts, talk to them, experience vivid dreams, and so on. Everything a witch or magician could unite in one person.’

Maddie looked a bit confused. ‘What if everything is normal for me?’

Raven climbed down the stairs. He wanted to know what she had experienced from what Rodolf mentioned.

She looked at him. 'Everything?'

She told about the ghost in the old church, also about the one at the door. The influence of nature on her, that the smells in nature soothed her, that she could sleep better. That indeed she almost understood the trees and the animals. That she knew or used spells just like that, sensed energies.

‘That's what I mean,’ said Rodolf triumphantly.

‘Don't you have that then?’ asked Maddie, surprised.

‘No,’ Esmee looked at her indignantly, ‘no Maddie, we practice everything to get better at it. It doesn't all happen automatically for us.

‘And speaking to ghosts is not something that many magicians can do,’ explained Rodolf, ‘or use magic without thinking.’

‘Oh,’ Maddie felt a little taken aback, so she was strange. Raven kissed her forehead.

‘What did the spirit say at that church door?’ he demanded.

‘Gabh aire do neach sam bith,’ said Maddie, still a little lost in thought.

‘Watch out for number one,’ Raven translated.

‘Who's number one?’ asked Esmee, ‘and from what? And why does he need protection? ‘

‘Or,’ said Rodolf, ‘she meant that Maddie should be careful about number one.’

‘The question still remains who that is?’ Esmee said.

They nodded.

They stopped their research mid-afternoon. Worrying, looking up all kinds of information on the internet and in the books was not the most pleasant activity to devote a weekend off.

Esmee and Rodolf went for a walk through town, to get a pizza. And then watch a movie. Maddie and Raven did not feel like it. They were in her room.

There the balcony doors were wide open, it was bitter cold. Maddie walked onto the balcony, she took a deep breath of fresh air.

‘It's so stuffy in my head,’ she said, ‘like I'm walking around in a fog because of all that worrying.’

‘We're going to Loch Rannoch,’ Raven decided.

She nodded happily. 'Good plan'.

He took her hand.

They disappeared, just like that, without a portal.

There was snow in the wasteland around Loch Rannoch.

The rugged landscape was covered with a white blanket. It, therefore, seemed very fairytale.

The cold almost took Maddie's breath, but it was very pleasant for the fog in her head. Raven saw the goosebumps on her arms. With a movement of his hand, they suddenly wore long woolen coats.

Maddie thought of a campfire, it suddenly arose for her.

She came to believe Rodolf was right, her magic was more powerful than she ever realized. Raven smiled, nodded approvingly.

They warmed by the fire and enjoyed the clear, clean energy the land was spreading.

‘I feel close to the old energy here, which also flows through you,’ Maddie said suddenly. She looked up at Raven.

She was between his arms, he pulled her close.

She closed her eyes for a moment to find her focus. She felt his hidden anger, strength, intense love, confidence, and power. But also a very deep pain in the soul and a sense of immense sadness in him.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes of emotions that weren't hers.

‘Oh Raven,’ she whispered softly, ‘what sorrow and pain you have to carry.’

‘You mean my brother and his death?’ he asked, looking down at her.

She studied him. 'Perhaps.'

She felt him shut himself off, so she kissed his cold mouth.

He withdrew, through the pain of the memories she did not know, something that made him fear. Only slowly did he relax again, then kissed her back.

In the evening they came running down the Stationsstreet together.

Starved and elated. When they entered the kitchen, Moon was standing in the kitchen with a, to them, strange man. He was an older man, with long, gray-white hair down over his shoulders.

He had a neat gray beard, trimmed tightly.

He wore expensive black trousers with a matching waistcoat, a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves. Expensive shiny shoes completed the picture. His bright gray eyes looked at them inquisitive, but friendly.

‘Maddie, Raven, this is an old friend of Opi's, Floyd. Floyd my granddaughter Maddie and her friend Raven, ‘Moon introduced them.

They got a firm hand.

Raven grunted in greeting. Maddie felt how Raven cutoff his energy. It goes without saying that she did the same in a reflex of protection. She wasn't sure why, because Floyd looked sympathetic.

What struck her were the red blushes on Omem's cheeks. There was a sparkle in her blue eyes. She even kept her long hair loose.

Floyd was accommodating, and he helped her peel the potatoes, pulled up her chair, poured the tea. He laughed at her jokes.

When he turned his attention to Maddie and Raven, he was full of genuine interest. It seemed.

Still, Maddie remained on her guard. And Raven kept his distance.

Rodolf and Esmee were fully involved in the acquaintance. Anke, Lies, and Jente were also clearly impressed by Floyd's charms. They were on his every word. He was a wizard, a high-level druïde. He was not afraid to show it.

Maddie thought it was amusing to see how impressed Omem was by a man.

She caught Raven's gaze, which kept looking at Floyd suspiciously and very wary. And it stayed that way all evening.

It was surprising that the next morning, that Floyd appeared at breakfast at the same time as Omem.

Maddie saw their hands touch each other, as did their looks.

Omem then blushed. Floyd gave her a loving smile.

She later told that to Raven in the kitchen, it darkened his gaze.

‘I don't trust him,’ he said. ‘I can't put my finger on it, maybe he's just too nice or too personable. My witch protection is tingling.’

Maddie kissed his lips and then the frown between his eyebrows.

He smiled when he felt her hands on his bareback.

‘That free sex life will kill me,’ he grumbled, but his gaze said otherwise.

‘I feel sorry for yoy ,’ said Maddie.

She ran away, after which he ran after her up the stairs.

Esmee found Floyd incredibly charming.

‘Rodolf is your friend,’ Floyd stated.

‘Yes,’ Esmee replied, ‘we don't have sex. Just take the drops, nothing to worry about. ‘

She blushed when she realized what she had been talking about.

Floyd acted charmingly as if he hadn't seen her shame.

‘Well done,’ he said, ‘because before you know it, you've lost the magic.’

‘Or cut in half,’ Esmee said, unsure whether she had betrayed anything.

‘Raven, has lived here long?’ Floyd then asked Moon.

She smiled and nodded.

‘Yes, for a number of years. He had been through a lot at home. Then he came to live here. ‘

‘A great wizard?’

‘No,’ Moon looked at him, ‘what do you mean?’

‘I think he looks like Randolf MacGregor, he could be related to him,’ admitted Floyd.

‘No.’ Moon shook her head. ‘He is not related to that. His family name is Greag. ‘

‘Then I'm wrong,’ said Floyd with a shrug. ‘And you Rodolf? You are related to Bertram? ‘

Rodolf nodded.

‘But not a druid?’ asked Floyd

‘No, not really, more Wicca,’ Rodolf looked at him intently. 'And you?'

‘What do you mean?’ Floyd ran a hand through his beard.

‘Who are you related to?’ Esmee and Rodolf both looked at him questioningly.

Floyd laughed proudly. ‘The Grahams, I'm Floyd de Graham.’

It didn't mean anything to them.

‘A great family of sorcerers from the Gray house,’ suddenly came Raven's voice. He came down for tea because they had to pretend they had little magic, so nothing appeared. Floyd looked up in surprise.

‘Indeed,’ he admitted.

His gaze was fixed on Raven, who ignored him further.

Intrigued, Floyd watched him as Raven walked out of the kitchen, looking at him no more.

Raven and Maddie came downstairs later in the afternoon.

Floyd was in the dining room. He looked up in irritation.

‘Where were you?’ he asked, there was a loud undertone in his voice.

‘Why?’ Maddie asked curtly, feeling more and more that Raven was right about his suspicions.

‘Moon needed you, I searched your rooms but couldn't find you,’ Floyd explained. He smiled almost friendly.

Maddie looked at Raven for a moment with a look of understanding.

‘We were out,’ she said and continued to the kitchen.

Raven was glad he had secretly cast a cover-up spell that made sure that no one could find, what shouldnt be found. Including them.

They had just been in his room. He hadn't seen Floyd appear and wondered how he'd searched for them.

He kept his eyes on Floyd and slid down to the table. Floyd didn't lower his eyes, rather there was an amused glint in the gray. As if he were challenging Raven.

‘There is something wrong with you,’ Floyd said suspiciously.

‘I had that idea too,’ Raven's voice was cool and distant, ‘if I notice you hurting Moon or using her, I will call you to account.’

Floyd laughed at the threat.

‘And what would you do,’ he said condescendingly.

‘Never underestimate the ingenuity of your adversary,’ Raven said, standing up.

‘Exactly,’ Floyd's voice was dripping with sarcasm, he grinned, ‘you take care of your girl, that she keeps her strength. Would be a shame if she lost her potency.’

‘I always take good care of the people I love,’ Raven promised. He was immediately certain that Floyd had something to do with the elixir that had been tampered with.

When Maddie entered, Floyd was his charming self again.

Raven's eyes flashed when he saw Floyd working with his charms. No one saw the scornful smile on Floyds mouth.

Maddie wanted to spend the evening with Raven in his room because the next day would be just another boring day at school.

He thought it was fine since Floyd was back downstairs drawing all the attention. He didn't want to witness that.

‘Maddie, you have to keep a close eye on that Floyd, because there is something wrong with that man. Why is he here so suddenly, is he spending so much time with Moon? I don't know him, is he really an old friend of Opi's? He also has something to do with the mess with the elixir. ‘

Raven paced back and forth to control his anger.

‘Let Omem go her way,’ said Maddie, ‘she is old and wise enough.’

She stared at him, wondering for the first time from whom he actually inherited his magic.

‘Why are you suddenly asking that?’ he said.

 Raven heard the irritated tone of his own voice.

When he saw that Maddie raised her eyebrows without understanding, he sighed deeply to suppress his blazing anger.

‘My magic is just like yours, I'm a legacy witch.’

‘On your father's or mother's side?’ Maddie asked curiously, ‘I would like to know everything about you, your past is mysterious.’

There was suddenly a strange kind of tension between them, neither of which understood.

‘You sound like Floyd!’ Raven suddenly snapped.

‘Raven?’ Maddie looked at him in alarm, got up, and walked over to him.

She put her hand on his back, but he turned away.

‘Leave me alone,’ he hissed.

He couldn't help it, but he felt an uncontrolled rage.

She was clearly startled by the hardness, the detachment in his voice, his energy.

‘Okay,’ she said softly. She walked to the door.

She looked back for a moment. ‘I love you anyway.’

He didn't look at her, stood with his back to her. He just raised his hand in annoyance in greeting.

Gently the door closed behind Maddie.

Raven's attitude changed. It was as if he woke up from his rage.

His bright blue eyes looked concerned.  He had hurt Maddie, on purpose. He had enjoyed the feeling of power he had over her emotions. The power he'd had to manipulate her. He shook his head to get rid of the feeling.

When he realized that it was all because of black magic, he didn't have to think long about who had been responsible for it.

Raven knew that Floyd was dangerous, his magic was powerful because he had influenced him invisibly.

‘Do you have more information about this Floyd de Graham?’ he asked Rodolf a little later. He was in his room with him.

‘Just that he has attended many conferences around the country. Also a few abroad, ‘Rodolf replied,’ he has been seen in Egypt.’

'Egypt?'

‘Yes, let's see,’ Rodolf peered at his computer, ‘near the pyramids of Gizeh’. ‘Is there not one of the gates that were opened, by the Witte Wieven, with the crystal that was in me then?’ Raven said.

Rodolf nodded. ‘Yes, that other gate goes to Stonehenge.’

‘From Hintlop,’ Raven knew, ‘that smells of black magic.’

And he had just witnessed an example of that.

‘What is the purpose of this black magic here at home? What is the connection with Maddie and wanting to affect her magic?

Because I don't think Moon had made that up herself,’ Raven thought out loud,’ he put a spell on Moon, to tamper with the elixir.’

‘Maybe he is afraid of the strength that Maddie has? Or could have? We saw what she was capable of with the powers of her ancestors, ‘said Rodolf. There was still admiration in his voice.

‘She did let the black magic escape, even if it was for balance between good and evil.’ Raven paced back and forth, because of the unrest he felt, ‘maybe it all has to do with that Floyd.’

‘That's it!’ exclaimed Rodolf. ‘Black magic must of course prevail, although I don't know how yet. Probably the Prime Minister's decisions also have to do with that. ‘

Raven thought about it. He knew ways to find out how the black magicians had to do with those new portals. Besides, he had to find out exactly what Graham was coming to do if he wanted to protect everyone.

Raven asked his friend to keep an eye on Maddie because he had to go away for a few days.

He himself estimated about four days, but it could also be a week.

‘Should I ask where you are going,’ asked Rodolf.

Raven shook his head. ‘No, I can't tell you that, but I know a way to find out what's going on. I want you to keep your ears and eyes on.  Keep everyone safe. ‘

Rodolf nodded understandingly. ‘Can I still reach you?’

‘Only in need. Then Maddie knows a way,’ he said, lost in thought.

Raven quietly opened the door to Maddie's room.

She was on top of her bed with her clothes on. He saw the glow of the moon illuminate one side of her face.

She slept relaxed, but he could tell she had been crying from the mascara marks on her freckles.

It hurt him that he had hurt her so much, even though it had been under the influence of the black magic. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

She opened her eyes, startled. When she saw him, her gaze softened.

‘Raven,’ she said softly.

He heard the love for him in her voice. His plan to sneak off suddenly became a lot less concrete.

‘Sorry,’ he said, his voice hoarse. ‘I was under the influence of black magic. And the culprit is downstairs.’

She put her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her while kissing.

He felt his resistance melt until nothing was left of it. He quickly took off his shirt and then her shirt. He wanted her so badly.

They went completely into each other and no longer had a clue of the world around them. Likewise, they did not see Floyd's appearance in the large mirror above the fireplace, who smiled contentedly when he saw that there was no sexual inhibition whatsoever between them.

His image disappeared with a grin.

His plan had worked. Part one, anyway. They could no longer control themselves because of the conflict he had caused them. He was satisfied. Fortunately, he had also messed a lot with the anti-love elixir.

Better safe than sorry.

The last thing he needed were kids playing with powerful magic, getting in his way. He grinned. It was actually too easy to fool them.

But hey, it could be easy at times.

Besides, he was the most powerful mage the world knew.

He grinned happily at himself.

In a little while, he would rule the entire magic world, as he should be.