WHO: Sabrina Spellman WHEN: today WHERE: Geliara Academy WHAT: realization of accidental use of powers of persuasion and worry of becoming her father. WARNINGS: no STATUS: Narrative, complete
It hadn’t been anything overly obvious at first, nothing that she had noticed being out of the ordinary. A few off the hand comments here or there when she had been out in the city doing stuff but it was at the academy that she really started to notice.
“Ahhhh, man,” she let out a sigh, looking longingly as one of the girls in front of her picked up the last cinnamon roll. They were huge, bigger than the span of her hand, still piping hot and frosting oozing down the sides. Everyone always headed straight to the cafeteria to try and pick up one of the coveted treats and Sabrina had thought she’d been quick enough today, but it looked like she had just missed it. “I really wanted that one.”
It was an offhand comment, barely audible, but the girl turned toward her. “You really wanted this one.” There was a haziness to her gaze as she extended the plate forward for Sabrina to take.
Sabrina blinked, holding a hand up at the gesture. “You got it first. I just need to get here earlier tomorrow.”
The girl nodded, the shade that seemed to have fallen over her eyes lifting as she blinked, looking confused for a moment before proceeding along in the line. Weird.
Salem moved between her legs as Sabrina moved forward, settling on one of the chocolate chip brownies. It’d satisfy her sweet tooth. “Ms. Spellman,” one of the staff members started, stopping in front of her and looking pointedly at the cat.
Crap. She wracked her mind trying to remember what the rule book had said about familiars. They were allowed on campus--unlike at the academy back home--but had there been something about keeping them out of the cafeteria? She honestly couldn’t remember.
“That’s just Salem, my familiar. It’s okay that he’s here, right?” She offered up her most innocent smile, even as she waited for the reprimand.
It didn’t happen, same glazed expression falling over the Warlock, his voice hauntingly hollow like the girl’s had been. “He’s just Salem, your familiar. It’s okay that he’s here.”
“Th-thanks?” A quick look down at Salem and Sabrina hurriedly paid for her treat before scrambling out of the room and into the open courtyard just beyond. She needed the cold chill of the fresh air, taking deep breaths as she sat down on one of the stone benches.
Salem jumped up beside her, the brownie placed down on the other side, as she replayed the instances in her head, cataloguing them with the previous ones that flicked through her mind. “Did I just…”
Get them to do what you wanted with your words? the cat’s voice echoed in her mind and Sabrina slowly nodded in reply. You already know the answer to that.
She hadn’t been able to do that before but she had felt the creeping intensity of her powers beneath her skin, growing as steadily as they had since she had risen from the dead. Healing was one thing, willing things into being and happening another, but persuasion...she wasn’t sure how she felt about that one at all. Especially not when she hadn’t meant to use it on anyone.
Taking away someone else’s free will wasn’t an ability she wanted to have...or well...she supposed it could come in handy from time to time. No. She clenched her eyes shut at the very idea of it, nails biting into her palms. The ground shook slightly around her, forcing Sabrina to take a deep breath, working to calm herself down.
That wasn’t her way of thinking. That was His way of thinking--the stupid Dark Lord who pretended that any of them were free to do as they pleased, when really he manipulated the game the entire time to his preferred ending. And she wasn’t like him, she wasn’t going to be like him.
It didn’t matter that it was his power that flowed through her, his legacy that she was supposed to fulfill. She might be half of him but she was also half of Diana Spellman, mortal who had done everything in her power to protect her daughter from the Dark Lord’s grasp.
She could master this new ability, not take away anyone’s free will. It wasn’t inevitable for her to become what Satan had set into place. “I’m Sabrina Spellman and I make my own destiny,” she murmured, needing to hear the words out loud.
Maybe if she said them enough she would finally begin to believe that again.