Returned by Keeley Smith Page A

hair line. “What do you mean?”
    “I was flying like bloody Superman. Once I realised what I was doing I fell and hit my head, whacked it good and scratched my elbow to bits.”
    There was silence as Eli digested the information he’d received. “So, you can levitate, your mother's element has been passed down to you. Come and sit down, Jack.” Eli placed his hand on his shoulder making Jack wince as pain shot across his shoulder blades.
    Eli dropped the hand and made his way to the sofa. “It's time you were told everything about your family.”
     
     

Chapter 11
    CHATTOX FAMILY
     
    “Pay attention to what I tell you, you didn’t listen last time I mentioned this to you and now look at what’s happened. This situation could’ve been avoided, now that it is here we will have to deal with it, you life depends on you listening to me.”
    Talk about being melodramatic. Eli narrowed his eyes just as Jack was going to roll his eyes, how had Eli known he was going to do it?
    “In 1612, thirteen witches were hung for witchcraft. They are known better nowadays as the Pendle Hill witches. The majority of the Pendle Hill witches resided here. According to the commoners living here witches had shown themselves to the public. I don’t believe it for one second. We didn't do such things. I did warn you last time I discussed this with you that demonstrating your magic in front of people is forbidden within our community. The law needs to be upheld at all times.”
    “All right! No need to poke your finger in my face.” He playfully slapped Eli's finger away.
    Eli ignored him. “Villagers were hunting, butchering anyone they believed to be a witch, they became so obsessed with finding us that they killed innocents. If you took a breath and they thought that you did it wrong, they would declare you a witch. It was that simple, and you didn’t have a hope of being found innocent.”
    Eli stalled, his head was in another time and place. Jack shrugged his shoulders.
    “Thanks for the history lesson,” he said and flashed a smile even though his stomach was swirling with some unknown tension. “But I really don't understand why I should pay attention to this?”
    “Jack, that was your history. There were two main families who lived in this village, one family is your own. Your mother is Anne Whittle and she died in 1612 leaving a seventeen year old boy-”
    “What?” It wasn’t true.
    “She left you; she didn’t have any other option.”
    “It isn't true.”
    “It is. You have your mother's power.”
    He knew about the power, had felt it within his body, stretching and yawning. He'd known this, had hurriedly accepted he had powers but had refused to acknowledge the link. Power didn't just come into being. It was passed down.
    “You’re a witch, it's as simple as that. I’ve told you this before but now you will have to believe me.”
    Eli had told him a little less than a year ago that he was a witch and that one day he’d have powers that he would later explain. He had ignored him believing he was living with a man who had a loose wire in his head.
    “Powerful witches go through a change. When you witnessed the death of your mother you went through your change. The country wasn’t safe at that time, witches were being tortured and I knew you would seek revenge. I couldn’t let you so I agreed it was for the best that your power was suppressed and your memories taken from you. It was best that you didn’t remember your past. I wanted to give you a shot at a normal life. ”
    Jack inhaled deeply and then held the air in his lungs. He had watched his mother die?  Exhaling, he took deeper breaths trying to clear his head.
    “I was there too,” Eli spoke. “I was hiding in the shadows to make sure they didn't take you, that was my job. I hope that one day your memories come back to you so you can see what happened that day.”
    “Why don't I remember anything? Who did this to me?”
    “Tabitha, the witch