A/N: Please don't forget to go check out To Love Again by BL Clark. It is a fantastic story and I highly recommend it to all.
Chapter Six: Magic Lesson
"Mommy?" Jayden called, waking to find her mother gone. "Mama?!"
Willow rushed into the room at the sound of her daughter's cry and wrapped her arms around her terrified child, holding her close in her arms as she attempted to ease the little girl's fears. "Shh. I'm here. It's okay." With her green eyes opened staring into the distance, Willow rocked her daughter as she slowly calmed down.
"Where were you?" Jayden asked, her voice breaking slightly as she clung to her mother.
"I'm sorry. I was outside," Willow told her, looking at her daughter. "I didn't mean to upset you, Baby," Willow whispered, kissing her daughter's forehead.
"I thought the mean lady hurt you," Jayden admitted, looking into her mother's green eyes with tearful blue ones.
"What do you mean, Baby? No one hurt me," Willow assured her, frowning at her daughter's words.
"I dreamt the mean lady was hitting you," Jayden explained, laying her head against her mother's shoulder.
"I'm alright. I promise," Willow said, tightening her hold on her daughter slightly.
Jayden nodded her head against her mother's shoulder and relaxed slightly, already beginning to doze in her mother's arms. "Get some sleep, Sweetie. I've got you. I'm not going anywhere until you wake up," Willow promised, kissing the top of her daughter's head and laying back so her daughter could sleep.
The next morning, Willow stood outside a door with Jayden's hand in hers, terrified to knock. For some reason, the thought of knocking on Tara's door and asking her for help, scared her more than she was willing to admit.
"Mommy, why aren't you knocking?" Jayden asked, looking at her mother in confusion.
"I'm about to, Baby Girl," Willow whispered, smiling down at her daughter before lifting her hand to knock.
They stood there for a moment before the door opened and blue eyes met green. "Hi," Tara said, surprised to see Willow standing there.
"Hi, Tara!" Jayden exclaimed, removing her hand from her mother's to wrap her arms around Tara in a hug.
Looking down, Tara smiled at the sight of Jayden. "Hey, Sweetie," Tara replied, hugging the little girl back. "What brings you here?"
"Mommy asked if I wanted to see you today so I said yes. It's okay, right?" Jayden asked, her smile falling slightly from her face at the thought of Tara not wanting to see her.
"Of course it's okay," Tara told her, kneeling down to look the little girl in the eyes. "You're always welcome here as long as your mother doesn't mind."
"Cool," Jayden responded, hugging Tara again.
Standing up, Tara took the little girl's hand and gave it a quick squeeze before releasing it. "Do you want to come in?" she asked, looking at Willow for an answer.
Willow just nodded, not wanting to speak. It amazed her how easy Jayden was with Tara. Willow had never seen her daughter open up to anyone like that. Though she knew her daughter had never had the opportunity to become close enough to anyone else. "Thank you," Willow whispered as they stepped into the room.
Tara nodded in response, seeing the distant look on Willow's face. She knew the dark witch was lost in her thoughts and decided to leave her to them as she distracted Jayden. "Hey, wanna see something cool?" Tara asked, kneeling down to look at Jayden again.
"Uh huh!"
Tara smiled as she opened her palm and whispered a few words in Latin, causing a small, blue orb of light to appear. "Oh, pretty!" Jayden exclaimed, her eyes widening in wonder as she looked at the light. "Look, Mommy!"
Hearing her daughter's words, Willow looked down at her daughter and forced a smile to her lips. "That's beautiful, Baby Girl," Willow said, knowing her daughter wasn't paying much attention to her.
"Can I try?" Jayden asked, staring at Tara excitedly.
"I don't know if your mom will like that," Tara admitted, turning to look at the distracted witch.
"Mommy?" Jayden called, watching her mother for a few moments before fear etched into the little girl's face. "Mama!"
Willow shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she turned to face her daughter. "Yeah, Baby?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Willow whispered, kneeling down and letting green replace black. "I was thinking about some things. What is it?"
"Can Tara teach me some magic?"
Willow stiffened at her daughter's question and looked at the light witch before looking at her daughter. "What kind of magic?"
"Making lights. It's really cool. Please?"
"I don't know, Baby. I don't think that's a good idea," Willow admitted, looking at Jayden. She knew how easy it would be for her daughter to get addicted to magic and end up just like her. Willow would never let her daughter become what she is.
"But-"
"Jayden," Willow said softly, causing her daughter to stop her protest.
"Yes ma'am," Jayden responded, a pout forming on her lips as she dropped her head in defeat.
Willow shook her head in amusement at her daughter's attempt to change her mind and stood. She turned away from Tara and Jayden and started to look at the books on the shelf, recognizing a few of them from the time when she worked light magic. "The pout doesn't work on me," Willow told Jayden, causing the little girl to stomp her feet in irritation.
"Please, Mommy? I really want to learn? You never teach me!"
Tara watched in amazement as the dark witch turned to look at her little girl with patience in her eyes. "And why would I? I'm the last person you should learn magic from Jayden."
"But why? You can do cool things, too."
Willow shook her head and looked at Tara for a moment before looking down at her daughter. "Tara and I have differences in our powers. She's what is considered a light witch, or a Wiccan. She uses her powers for the good of those around her. I'm a dark witch. I use my powers for selfish reasons," Willow admitted. "I've been doing that since before you were born. I'm too far gone to change my ways."
"But you're good, Mommy."
"Not always."
A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for all the help with this story and all my others. Thank you Matash21 for the awesome cover photo.