A/N: This chapter is full of Harry Potter references for one simple reason. It's dedicated to Alan Rickman—a great actor and a great man. May he rest in peace.
"Little Bon Bon, your classes are almost finished," Gloria declared as she lit the candles in the back room of her bar one by one. "Until your powers manifest, there's nothing else I can teach you."
"When do you think they'll appear?" I asked, glancing around the small room that had become almost like a second home over the past two months.
"They should have already. I'm almost sure they're bound," the older witch said, watching me carefully.
"I'm not surprised," I sighed, thinking of Grams. "Let me guess—only someone from my bloodline can unbind them?"
"Indeed. I wonder if you're the only sane Bennett left, dear," she mused, eyes twinkling. "But when your powers are too strong to be contained, they'll force themselves out."
"Most likely. One of them is an old drunk, and the other lost her powers and abandoned her child," I replied dryly. Sheila and Abby Bennett weren't exactly role models. Binding a child's magic was something done in the Middle Ages during witch hunts, and even then it was frowned upon. Doing it in the twenty-first century? Practically a sin.
Magic usually manifested when witches were mentally ready, when they needed it for protection, or when they were simply too powerful to suppress. Canon Bonnie had been bound, which explained her lack of control and the nosebleeds from even simple spells.
"Careful how you talk about us old drunk witch ladies," Gloria warned, though her amusement was obvious. "Now get over here—it's time to see if you actually learned anything."
I walked to the table covered in herbs and potions. It felt like Potions class at Hogwarts, except instead of Snape I had dragon-lady Gloria breathing down my neck.
"Identify the herbs, their effects, and uses," she demanded.
I sat down and began. "Sage: cleansing, purification, healing. Burned for privacy, psychic visions, and mental connections."
"Very well. Next."
"Witch Hazel: divination, healing. Part of the blood replenishing potion—yes, I'm calling it that. Combined with Diviner's Sage, it forces visions of past, present, and future."
Gloria rolled her eyes at my Harry Potter reference, but let me continue.
"Mugwort: mixtures. With Sage, it repels vampires. With Hibiscus, it counteracts Vervain. Also used in divination and protection."
I rattled off herb after herb—Chamomile, Lobelia, Blue Calamus, Wormwood, Ripple Weed, Merlock Orchids, Vervain, Wolfsbane, Jimson Weed, Solomon's Seal, Snapdragon—explaining their properties, uses, and dangers.
By the time I finished, Gloria was staring at me wide-eyed. "Girl, you know more about herbs than I did in my forties."
Well, yeah. An eight-year-old shouldn't know this much, but I was mentally thirty-seven and had been an Occult professor. I knew my shit.
"Now, stones and talismans," Gloria said, clearly impressed.
I launched into it: "Stones are vessels for magic. Ember protects against evil, Lapis Lazuli shields vampires from the sun, Paragon Diamonds focus Kemiya—transfiguration, basically. Talismans amplify a witch's power, store energy, and can be used when needed."
"Did I do good?" I asked sweetly, already knowing the answer.
"You did fantastic, my little apprentice. If you had your magic, I'd be teaching you voodoo right now," she said, ruffling my hair.
"Stop that," I groaned, fixing it.
"This is my gift to you, Bon Bon," Gloria said, pointing at the table of stones and tools.
"What, the whole table?" I asked sarcastically.
"Choose something. We'll make your first talisman."
"But I don't have my magic yet."
"You do. You just can't use it. Talismans are part of a witch's soul. The earlier you start, the stronger it becomes."
I scanned the collection until my eyes landed on a small, shiny black stone.
"This one."
Gloria raised a brow. "Of course. You don't do anything small, do you? That's nuummite—the Sorcerer's Stone."
"Seriously? The Sorcerer's Stone?" I gasped. "Please tell me it grants gold and immortality."
"If it did, do you think I'd show it to you?" she laughed.
"Fine. Ring." I decided after a moment. Necklaces were cliché, bracelets uncomfortable. A ring felt right.
Gloria clasped the stone and metal in her hands, chanting. A flash, and a ring appeared.
"Your first talisman," she said, handing it to me. I slipped it on—and the candles blew out.
"Incendia," Gloria whispered, relighting them.
"What was that?" I asked, stunned.
"Your magic, brat. It's coming sooner than you think."
She smiled proudly. "You know traditional magic, spirit magic, dark magic, ancestral magic, sacrificial magic, representational magic, hoodoo, voodoo—even Kemiya. You know herbs, stones, symbols, potions. There are only two things left."
"Grimoires and practice," I said.
"Exactly. You already know the ins and outs. Now you just need to find your place in the world. See you when I see you, Bon Bon."
"Goodbye, Gloria." I hugged her quickly, then turned to leave. But before I walked out, I called back:
"Don't get stabbed to death."