Mama Katerina: The Craft Society of Divination, #1

By Ellie Keys

At a very young age Katerina Deshion became the Chosen One; leader of the Society of Divination and their covens. With this title came great responsibility and sacrifice. If only foreshadowing was part of her innate powers. Temptation comes knocking on her door in the form of Xavian--a true, life Angel. A moment of weakness changes Katerina's life forever.

Will Katerina's power be enough to save their son's life or will Xavian be successful in his never ending quest?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Life in E-motion, LLC
• Release date: Feb 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781386453512

Book preview

Mama Katerina

The Craft Society of Divination, Book 1

––––––––

By

Ellie Keys

Table of Contents

Title Page

Mama Katerina

Introduction (So to speak)

Mama, Katerina – In Her Own Words | One

The World Changes | Two

A Change is Gonna Come | Three

Dating a Witch | Four

The Lonely Years | Five

Life Altering, Soul Shattering | Six

Bottoms Up | Seven

New Life | Eight

A Mother’s vs. A Father’s Determination | Nine

Reunion | Ten

Author’s Note

Also By Ellie Keys

Mama Katerina

(The Craft Society of Divination, Book I)

Copyright © 2013 (First Edition) 2016 (Third Edition)

All rights reserved.

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

Please be aware that this book cannot be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without written permission from the author, Ellie Keys, by emailing her at [e-mail] or within the sharing guidelines at a legitimate library or bookseller.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.  Purchase only authorized editions.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction, sharing, or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/) and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250, 000.

Copyright © 2016 Ellie Keys

All rights reserved.

ISBN

Designed by Ellen L. Jones

Printed in the United States of America

To my Isaiah, you will always be my biggest cheerleader.

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Introduction (So to speak)

Secrets! Whoever invented that word should have kept that little secret in a special little box under lock and key. The keeper of a secret has added stress and responsibility with the knowledge of said secret. Truthfully, Evian believed, some secrets should remain with the keeper. To date, nothing good had come with having a secret or sharing it for that matter. Every secret Evian had heard had been in a moment of utter frustration, hurt, and/or fear. Lately, for the most part . . . definitely fear.

Today, Evian had decided that he was going to face that fear head on. This was not going to be the thing that he would let get the better of him. It just wasn’t who he was. The person who held his world’s balance in the palm of her hands definitely had some explaining to do. It really didn’t matter the strength and the power they held. It didn’t matter the numerous checkpoints and security measures Evian had to bypass. He had a bone to pick with her and she definitely held the answers to what had rocked his world on its axis. When the final barrier between him and his intended target was breached, he breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart was filled with trepidation.

As the door opened wide and revealed the figure standing behind the desk of the massive office, he took a deep, almost calming breath. The light from the massive windows behind the model-esque figure blurred his vision of her: Katerina Iris Deshion. Although most say that legally her last name is Angelus, no one actually knew for sure. One of many things the great one was able to remove from every search sight and database. Honestly, she didn’t exist in any known government system, short of business owner and mother. Any other histories, stories or blogs were immediately removed. That’s the kind of power she carried.

The sun shone brightly in the sky beyond her. It was amazing that she actually looked like a mythical being in this light. She looked truly mystical, even magical, standing in her no-nonsense, but always-typical attire: navy blue, silk-lined, crisply pressed business suit, matching thin heel stilettos, hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. Her lips were glossed, light makeup only on her eyelids. She completed signing some documents and moved them neatly off to the corner of her desk. She then crossed her petite, but strong hands over themselves and allowed them to rest in the crooks of the opposite of each arm. That was never a good posture when it came to dealings with this woman. It meant that she was already on alert and in the mindset of being ready to protect whatever it was that she deemed necessary for her to keep safe within the confines of her mind. She still hadn’t completely lifted her eyes to show that her focus was actually on him, which worried him even more. It meant that she was going to deal with Evian on her own terms and in her own time.

The beauty of who she was remained stilted by the cavalierly cool nature of her being. She ran her right forefinger and middle finger over the only jewel that always remained on her left wrist. She stilled as she lifted her forefinger and continued the circular movement over the fuchsia toned jewel. The oval shaped piece was the perfect combination of a pink and purple shading that he felt he somehow knew. The glimmer of purple reminded him of a happier time—a time where he played happily and life was much simpler. He quickly cast the thought aside and refocused on the bracelet. Something about it called to him.

The leather of the bracelet had braiding on each side twined together to create the initials of her name: K. A. Well, that put that questioned rumor to an end. She was definitely Katerina Angelus. The jewel glowed then as if it had a life of its own. There was a soft hum and it appeared as if a soft light encompassed her then in the blink of an eye it was gone. Evian didn’t have time to contemplate what he’d just seen.

She finally lifted a single digit on her right hand and called him forward. He’d stopped at the very edge of the invisible perimeter she’d erected. It was as if his body knew that she’d drawn a line to keep him at a distance. Even as he wanted to draw closer, his body had instinctively known to remain where it was until she requested he come to her.

When she heard his footfalls complete the task of walking the three to four feet it took to walk across the floor to her desk, she officially raised her head and looked him directly in the eyes. The time for completing the task felt as if hours had passed. It was more fervently marked by the way she sighed impatiently just prior to Evian finally standing before her.

She spoke one word, Sit.

How could one word feel as if she’d sliced through his skin? She said the word as if he’d personally caused the world to collapse around her—as if Evian had stolen her very being, will and purpose from her—as if Evian were the one that was inflicting some detrimental flurry of frustration in her otherwise normative and happily functional life. Evian felt as if he should be the one standing with the looks of contempt, hurt, and displeasure even. As if she could read his thoughts, she tilted her head at an angle and finally seemed to completely focus on him. She looked at him as if finally seeing him—the man that stood before her.

He locked eyes with the matching gray eyes of the woman that had been the most important part of his being every day of his life for as long as he could remember. His center always, even though she was absent in more ways than one. She sighed again and Evian could see the sadness and disappointment of the first woman he ever truly loved. A love that had been tested so many times over he’d lost count, but love her he did. He feared her just as much though. It was with good reason, from what he’d come to understand.

Mother, Evian stated curtly, trying to regain some semblance of control of his erratic heart rate.

Son, she responded just as curtly. She’s going to dish it as well as he gave it, he thought to himself.

I just left Auntie Vivi’s, and I can’t say that I’m all too pleased with what she told me, Evian stated, trying not to allow his mind to drift too far away from his purpose. He didn’t want to dwell on the pain of what his aunt had revealed.

I can’t say that I am all that pleased that your auntie chose to share what was not hers to share, his mother stated in response.

How is it that you have a belief that this was not hers to share? How is it that you actually believe that I didn’t have a right to know . . . to understand? Are you really that cold and unfeeling? Evian asked, knowing that the fire was building within. A fire that was causing his mind to dwell on the heartache her coldness made him feel. He tried to squelch the fire within and returned his focus to his true reason for being there. She spoke before he could continue.

"I have taken certain . . . liberties in my life . . . and with your life. Such things I don’t feel obligated to explain because every choice that I made was for the betterment of our family, she stated with an edge to her voice as she pointed between the two of them. She then leveled him with the cut of her eyes. You think that your Auntie is telling you tidbits about yourself and our family because she wants you to better know yourself?" she asked, but it seemed to be more of a statement since she really asked as if she knew he had no rational response.

The question was there, but it was spoken with such distaste and annoyance that Evian couldn’t possibly know if he should attempt to actually answer or not. He warred with himself. If he came up with a response, would it be enough to have his mother thrown off by it? Would it be enough to warrant his frustration or wipe the all-knowing look off of her face? His internal battle continued. After a couple moments of silence, she lifted her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders. This was always a signifier that she was waiting with not-so-bated breath for his reply, but was also preparing to move on to another subject or dismiss him. Evian decided for the fight versus flight approach.

She has been the one that picked up the broken pieces of me when you were too busy to do it, he seethed. He felt the flames of fury being fanned and with that feeling came a more callous attitude. Evian began not to care that Katerina was his mother or that they were two sides of the same coin.

Just how do you think she came to be the person who was there to put those ‘pieces’ together? Did you ever see her going off to work? Did you ever see her taking care of the menial day-to-day tasks like grocery shopping? Paying the bills? Shopping for your clothing? Schoolbooks? Did you ever see her personally take you to any appointment? Or game for that matter? Was she ever on the sidelines cheering you on? Did she ever have the conversations that made you the man that you have become? she sat, finally, as if she were exhausted from having a conversation that she’d had countless times before. Could it be possible that she may have thought on this conversation happening between the two of them? No. That wasn’t possible. His mother was just that in name only.

"The question or questions should be did I see you doing any of those things," Evian threw the words at his mother with all of the resentment and dejection that he felt inside.

He saw it then. It was only for a single moment, a breath of time. In that moment, he saw in his mother the anguish that his line of questioning had caused her. She let down her guard for a solitary moment as she sat in her executive chair before her glass desk. When she sat forward, she had control of herself again.

Amazing, that you still don’t know that your existence, your very being, is because I live and breathe you, she stated in such a low aside that he barely believed he had heard it. She’d schooled her features but the quiver in her softly spoken voice let him know that she didn’t have the same control going on behind her stoic expression. He felt slightly vindicated to know that he’d caused a chink in her armor to loosen, but he felt an overwhelming feeling of duty to lessen the impact of the next blow or blows. He was in no way done with his inquiry.

My Auntie did what she needed to, I believe. I never questioned those things. Those were things that I suspected she took care of when I wasn’t around . . . when I was ... Evian was clipped in his trying to explain at least twenty-three years of non-observation.

You are a grown man now, Evian. You’ve lived twenty-five years of life. I don’t even want to know how she was able to pull the wool over your eyes during all this time, but it is time for you to step up. She has opened up a whole world to you that you are truly not prepared to step into, his mother shook her head then. She sat back and closed her eyes. Was it possible that he had hurt her even more with his selfish ignorance?

Yes, she quietly whispered. She didn’t open her eyes. She sat there in her chair as still as a cucumber. Yes, Evian, it does hurt.

Whoa! Did I say that out loud? I don’t believe I ... he started, then tried to continue changing his statement slightly. ... I know I didn’t speak those words out loud, Evian said shaking his head.

"Evian, what did your Auntie tell you exactly? Tell me so that I can know where to begin," the second part was clearly stated in the confines of his head. That he knew because he felt it and it actually rang louder than the first part. They sat staring at one another for a moment.

How are you doing that? he asked the question as he jumped up from his chair almost knocking it over.

Ah, yes, so that answers that question. She gave you just a basic knowledge. She only gave you a single word and truly nothing more, she spoke as she stood and moved forward. The little finger moved again, but this time it was directed at the full length wall of books housed in metallic bookshelves. In response, a book flew from the shelf and landed quietly on her desk.

What the . . . ? Are you kidding me? This is freaking me out, he said grabbing hold to his head. If he had any length of hair on his head, beyond