Victor snaps his head up in shock. “Wait. You knew my grandma?”
The maid smiles softly as she returns to packing. “Yes. I have been with the Russo family since 1946. It was such a shame when she passed. She was an incredible witch.”
Victor crawls into bed and sits against the headboard. “Can you tell me about her?”
She looks up in thought as she folds the shirts. “Marie Russo was very kind. Had a wonderful heart. Hell, she might have been annoyed by me, but she appreciated me and what I did for the family.” She smiles softly as she places the folded shirts in the suitcase. “I was still a young witch myself when I was hired. Before I was hired, the Russo family was much larger. They were also very powerful and very wealthy many, many years ago. But that was no hindrance for them helping out their fellow witch.”
“There were more Russos?” Victor inquires.
“Oh yes. But I never got a chance to meet all of them,” the maid explains as she finishes with the laundry and moves on to remove any clothing from the dresser. “I think it was sometime after 1931 when things started to go awry within the covens. It was almost like a civil war. Witch against witch. Coven against coven. It was because your great-grandfather was showing potential to become the first Grand Warlock, but there were other reasons, too.
“It lasted a good part of a decade until your grandmother, and several other covens made a truce. By the time a truce was made, it was only your great-grandmother, Carmela Russo, and your grandmother, Marie. Sadly, Carmela passed away shortly after I was hired.”
The maid stops for a moment as she goes over the memory. “I was supposed to be Carmela’s caregiver, but Marie knew that I didn’t have a coven to fall back on, so she allowed me to stay as a housekeeper. The house might have been filled with membersof her coven, but Marie felt lonely until she finally remarried and had children.”
She resumes packing and continues her story. “It wasn’t until 1961 that your grandmother started showing signs that she might be the next Grand Witch. The fighting almost started up again before her grand trials. Luckily, plenty of new superiors were elected to the covens. They were able to prevent another civil war; however, it put Marie’s grand trials on hold. But that didn’t stop one particular witch from putting a curse on Marie twelve years later, just before Marie could retake the trials.”
She zips up the suitcase and takes it off the chair and onto the floor. She takes a moment before she looks over at Victor. “When it was certain that Mrs. Russo would perish, she asked me to keep things in order for her family. I gave her my wordthat I would return to assist her family with their needs, even though I didn’t know if any other Russo would return. But something told me I needed to keep my promise. As soon as it was known that you had survived, I was contacted by Madame Jeanette. She was one of only a few witches Marie asked to find me.”
She steps closer to the bed, giving Victor a somber expression. “I just wish I were there to help your mother, but when Mrs. Russo took her children into hiding with her, I was asked never to come looking for them, for everyone’s protection.”
“With everything that’s happened to a family I never knew about, I don’t know if this is something that I want,” Victor says as he brings his knees to his chest.
The maid takes a seat at the foot of the bed. “What do you mean?
“It just feels like people have high expectations of me. I know nothing about my mother’s side of the family. Maybe I should just go back into hiding.”
“You mustn’t think that way, Mr. Russo,” she declares.
“How can I be a powerful warlock when I never learned to be one at a young age?”
“Your grandmother’s blood flows through your veins. Just like in your mother’s and uncle’s.”
His eyes shift around as he goes into thought. “I remember seeing my uncle a few times when I was little, but I don’t remember much after that. Have you heard anything about him? Where he might be by chance? Maybe if I could reach out to him, he could help me with my training and understand what’s at stake.”
She places her hands in her lap and slouches her shoulders. “I haven’t seen or heard anything from your uncle since he found out your grandmother was cursed. I thought he just disappeared off the face of the Earth.”
“Do you remember my mom or my uncle?” Victor asks, crisscrossing his legs.
The maid lets out a light laugh as she thinks about Victor’s mother. “I do remember your mother. Such a sweet young lady. It was a shame that she had to stop her lessons. I could tell she too, had great potential. Your uncle, on the other hand, was a stubborn boy. He was a ladies’ man, always showing off his powers. He didn’t like it when your grandmother told him he needed to go into hiding and stop using his powers. But then he left in a rage, looking for whoever cursed your grandmother. I haven’t heard from him since. I could have been working for him if he stuck around, keeping the Russo household going.”
“Do you think things would be different if my grandmother were still alive?” Victor ponders.
“Oh, most definitely, dear. She would have brought order to chaos,” the maid responds.
“Were you part of her coven?” Victor asks.
The maid smooths out her outfit. “I’m a solus witch. No coven wanted me.”
“Why was that?” Victor inquires. “Surely, you must have gotten an invite.”
She shakes her head subtly. “No, my magic isn’t that powerful. Especially during those dark times, I wasn’t fit for battle. But your grandmother knew that if I couldn’t defend myself, I should be somewhere I could be protected. She had a few on her staff whose magic wasn’t very, well, magical.”
The maid pauses. “I guess you could say that your grandmother made a coven for those who had magic, just unable to wield it.” She stands up and brushes out her skirt. “Well, your bags are packed, and your suit will be delivered to your hotel later today.”
“Thank you,” Victor says as he gets up from the bed. “Umm, I guess it’s been very rude of me never getting to know your name.”
“Annabelle,” she mentions before she walks out the door.
