Up until that time, Joseph and I were home-schooled, by Uncle Michael and his wife, Bea, along with Timothy Goth’s two children, Lena and Corbin. Timothy was Grandfather Alex’s youngest brother. He married later in life to a young witch from Newcrest and moved into the Goth Manor across the street when his mother, and grandfather passed.
Lena was a year older than I, and Corbin was a year younger than Joseph. Lena however was not as skilled as I or, Joseph for that matter. Corbin was intellectually gifted, but had very few magic abilities. Lena and I were like minded, and we naturally became close as children. Corbin and Joseph were inseparable. Birds of a feather, you could say. But the four of us were close, very close. Not being in the public school system, we never really saw other children so we really had no other friends.
Even though mother said time and time again that the discussion of me going to Alexandria to the Realm House was not up for discussion, Jules continued to make it her goal to bring it up at every opportunity. Anytime I disobeyed, any time I was sneaky, or any time I did anything that she didn’t like. Which to be honest was quite often. Finally by the end of that summer, Jules had won. They had cornered Joseph when they found the bowl we used to cast the fake spell in our room. He told them everything. About the spells, and about all the gifts I had, and about using them to get what I wanted not only from them, but on Corbin and Lena. But not even Joseph knew everything. He had no idea at that time that I had vampiric gifts of mind control and compulsion. But Jules knew, and soon she was able to convince Mother, Michael and Bebe.
But all that ended that summer and when school was to begin, Joseph, Corbin and Lena and myself were ALL sent to Alexandria, under the watchful eye of my mother, who was the Realm Master at the time, Simon Brouchard and of course, Jules.