Vivienne: The Craft Society of Divination

By

Ellie Keys

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Vivienne

(The Craft Society of Divination, Book II)

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons-living or dead-or places, events, or locales is purely accidental. The characters are reproductions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. This book contains content that is not suitable for readers 17 and under.

Cover Art designed by Redbird Designs

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Copyright © 2016 Ellie Keys

All rights reserved.

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Printed in the United States of America

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Recap

Life often throws us curve balls and either we adapt to it or we strike out. I have often chosen to be the one that strikes out. My sister is—and has always been—the thinker in the family. I usually thought as far as my reaction time would allow me to, which means that I don’t ever think things through. I’m more of the take action first then deal with the consequences later. So little yet so much has gone on in my little family that it scares me sometimes. Yeah, Vivienne Deshion scared is an unthinkable statement. I fear for my family more than I do for myself. My sister has always felt that I had my own agenda and my own selfish way about me that I have set into, especially after we grew up and became adults. It’s like she feels that I never had the right to ever live my own life. Just because she’s duty bound to the Society like our mother before us doesn’t mean that I should be or ever wanted to be. I had enough duty with the whole big sister thing. I digress.

Our lives as witchlings weren’t exactly the oh happy day of the everyday average teenager. We were allowed, no given the right to be children until the fated day that we came into our powers. I was thrust into nonstop drills and teachings at my parents’ behest. I guess they feared if I didn’t control my ability I would disappear and not know how or never try to return. My own ability came in a fit of anger. Yeah, there’s a story to that. My sister, the Chosen, the Coveted Leader, has always been the precious gift. I’m guessing Mama knew which of us was the one who would get her abilities. She did have a little foresight into that. Katerina, the duty bound, always had it easier. The youngest, the chosen, the more beautiful and graceful had an easy life. She had a choice to remain a child. It did leave her behind in the learning curve department once our mother was taken from us, but that is neither here nor there now.

She had it much easier than I did. I fought for every piece of recognition I had. I made my destiny and had my trials and torments. To be totally honest about it all, I was part of the reason the latter part of her life was so much of a tumultuous one. Her meeting and completely falling for my husband’s cousin was one turn I never expected. I guess a part of me enjoyed the fact that she needed me then and still needs me. It has and always will make me feel empowered knowing the all-powerful one needs me. I shouldn’t feel like this since I do adore my little sister and her babies, every last one of them. Xavian wasn’t always this bad guy and that was why...well, that’s for another day.

We’ve been trying to avoid his return to our family’s lives. The Deshion’s have enough discord with all the sibling rivalry. I’ve heard of aunts and uncles not getting along, but sheesh. In our family, it takes on a whole new realm of drama. My mother’s family was split directly down the middle, and the battle didn’t cease completely when the elder of the six children killed their parents. Mind you, it was an accident. When they came together, it was like putting a blanket over a fully stoked fire. It was always about the power and leadership of our coven. Our coven has always been one that stated the siblings protected the chosen leader. The leader had always been the first-born. It had always been that way. My mother’s line broke that little lineage long tradition by being the second-born child, but first-born girl. Allen Sr. was none too happy to find out that he was passed over (sounds vaguely familiar). I just would never think to respond in such a way. Katerina and I don’t always get along, but she’s my baby sister, and I would do anything for her.

Allen Sr. felt the foolish need to be seen as the most powerful and his trying to tap into his siblings’ abilities caused the siblings to fight. Two of the siblings didn’t mind sharing their abilities with him, even though he would sometimes drain them. Mama always said Uncle Carl and Uncle Brandon tended not to think for themselves and were Uncle Allen’s pawns. They practically worshipped the man. When it came time for Mama to defend what she felt was rightfully hers, they joined up with him (the losing team, as I call them). Auntie B and Uncle Ricky, the babies of the family, adored Mama and joined her. She was their caretaker and protector. Naturally, they joined forces with her and in turn were the only other two who had rights within the Craft Society of Divination.

Mama had never been one to openly start a fight, but she usually was the one to finish it. Until the day that someone lured her to her death. We found out it was the uncles. They were dealt with, but not before we lost one of the most important beings of any child’s life and in turn lost our father to his endless need for revenge. In the end, Daddy couldn’t live without his Amelia. I don’t think Daddy thought about the fact that his girls needed him. With one fatal, life-altering event, I was set to shoulder the burden of looking after my sissy.

I did my duty then. In the end, it was by my hand that the threat that started decades ago, ended. Mama and Daddy would’ve been proud of my taking care of things for my little sister. Seeing the cousins come together and take out the reigning discord of our family was icing on the cake. It wasn’t an easy task. Key players needed to be disposed of or lost in order for some to join up.

After all was said and done, Rina and I were left to deal with the aftermath of it all. To each its own, they say. Yeah, that would never be the case in our little group. It all comes back to the whole no I in team bit for us. Family is what it is all about.

I know that wholeheartedly now. It took me a while to get there, but you live and you learn. It took a whole lot of fighting, battling, witch fights, and talking to get the Deshion sisters aligned, but I’m glad we are. My life would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the following events.

Vivienne – The Lost One

One

Amelia Maxine Honor-Deshion recognized in me the woman that she was and the independent, defiant strength that she once was. I always said that mama had her third eye trained on me and there was no way that I could get away with one minute thing. She knew me better than I knew myself. I cherished the fact that there was someone in this world that knew me that well. Mama caught me every time that I even remotely thought of doing something devious, save one time. Both parties paid dearly for their part in that one. Even at such a young age, I knew that she and I had a special bond even though Katerina was and is the Chosen. We shared the fact that we were the oldest girls and understood the responsibility that came with that.

I knew well that my sister Katerina (the eternal baby of the family) harbored an ever-present fear of me. Never mind the fact that Mama had and was the only one, during this time, to ever have witnessed the very worst of Vivienne Elizabeth Deshion. That’s me. So Rina had every right to fear my rage. I believe the story of my actions on that day are a bit blown out of proportion, but that’s irrelevant. Mama should’ve known that I would never harm Rina. For that matter, I would never harm my own sister’s offspring. The fact that my own sister’s anger and frustration were so vividly wrapped up in the supernatural hold that Rina currently held on me led me to believe Katerina thought otherwise. She wasn’t so fearful in that moment. I’ll get to my sister’s anger a little later. I digress, once again.

We had been one another’s rescuer since the time that Rina was old enough to handle herself and her ability. Amelia’s children would not be walking the face of this earth if it weren’t for our sisterly devotion that Mama practically browbeat into us. Amelia would have personally seen to it that whatever dissension came to pass would be destroyed immediately. She would rather not have her little witchlings have to deal with another family squabble the likes of the one that was a constant between her and her own siblings. The only time in my life when I had unleashed the beast that my mother had tamped down so many years ago was during my encounter with Allen Sr. years ago.

Mama probably wouldn’t have been so proud the day I walked away from Rina and the Craft though. I had trusted my precious sister’s and soon to be leader’s care to my Uncle Ricky. I told him that I didn’t have any negative feelings about the fact that Katerina had been gifted with the ancient chosen power of leader of our craft. I just couldn’t, at that time, remain in place and watch as Katerina prepared to ascend to greatness. I felt I’d needed time away to collect myself. I wanted to discover who I was without having to be sister to the great leader and protector of the one to be coveted for eternity.

It wasn’t that I really wanted the responsibility myself. That could never be the case. I just knew all too well the strains of having someone’s livelihood on my shoulders. I didn’t want to have that crushing weight multiplied by hundreds—thousands even. I just felt as if my sister’s connection with our mother was now stronger than my own due to the fact that she was imbued with the power of our line. A part of me was shredded the day that I recognized that I would not be the one to have to take on that role. I realized that relief was what pulsed so thoroughly throughout my being, but I also knew that as the eldest I would always be the one to be the protector, the shield. My leaving and traveling was something that I needed to do for me. This would be the one truly selfish act of my life. I wanted this more than anything else.

It had been instilled in me that I had one purpose. Not by my mother, never by my beautiful mother, but my father was a different story altogether. He advised that he wanted me to keep my sister safe. Daddy told me we all bore the burden of responsible ones and were the protectors of her. She was to be the one to carry a greater burden than most. It was as if she was the most important thing...well, actually, she was and still is. So there was some merit to his statement.

This is your responsibility, little lady. She is needed in ways that you may never understand. I know it is a great weight, but you will know your worth by how well you care for her.

I resented him for many years because of statements such as those. I was always his little lady and Katerina was always his precious girl.  I never understood why I couldn’t have an endearment that didn’t have an undercurrent of an older age than I was. My heart wanted me to be a little girl, carefree and with no responsibility. My heart throbbed for it. I needed there to be a time of my own before I submitted myself completely to the task I was born to.

I hadn’t realized how long I was gone. Time was not a factor when I left my then twenty-one-year-old sister to the care of our Uncle D or Ricky, depending on which sister you were speaking with. My father had passed years before. Even then, his mark was left in my memory forever. It would periodically call to remembrance his words, causing me to feel guilty, but I hadn’t felt that I was ready to return yet. I spent the first year of me time combing through Europe. I stopped whenever I wanted to and slept, then enjoyed life for the first time without any feeling of regret, save missing my little sister.

I was enjoying the night and city life of Paris then the beauty of Italy. I was privileged enough to spend a great deal of time in Spain, Poland, and Russia. The stop that rocked my world was my time in Denmark. Denmark was where I found my Gayleth. Gayleth was a force to be reckoned with when he came into my life and remained thus to this very day. His amber-colored eyes, jet-black hair, and honey-toned skin captured my heart from hello and kept my heart thundering from that moment on. His build was that of a man who’d strived for perfection, even in dealing with himself. The perfection suited me just fine. When he smiled that ear-to-ear, gleaming smile, it assaulted me throughout my entire being. It made my core surge with heat and dampened my panties instantaneously. He knew. He always wore a knowing smirk on his face when he saw me and felt the reaction I had to him. I just had a feeling that he knew. It was truly uncanny.

We met