“You miss him a lot, don’t you?”
“I do. He was a great wisp.”
“I’m so sorry, Minaut.”
“It’s been a long time, Danny. But thank you.”
“They executed his family? Why?”
“They were the royals before the Youngs. They were raving mad—wanted the supernatural to rule the world and to discard humans. It was dark times, Danny.”
I saw the flash of what she experienced, the way they tortured humans, and I shudder. “How old are you?”
“I will celebrate my four thousandth year soon.”
“Four-thousand-years old?” I gasped.
She laughed. “And no one has heard me for more than a hundred years, Danny.”
“I’m sorry, Minaut. It’s hard to take all this in. When you discovered that night that I could hear you, it was scary.”
“I understand, but it’s seen as a rare gift to hear wisps, Danny. You’re special. You need to start believing it. Hearing minds is seen as something sacred in our world.”
“I’m scared. This isn’t something I’ve grown up with. Why only now? Why not before?”
“Your gift was dormant. When I first saw you, I was drawn to you by something I haven’t felt in a long time. I tried to ignore it—you were merely a human after all—but the feeling became stronger and stronger. When I discover that you were here to stay, I made the choice. I never really knew that you were a witch as you couldn’t hear my thoughts, but when we met again last night in that warehouse, you were different Danny. You were more powerful in a way, and the pull was much stronger than the first time. I must admit, I was terrified. I thought that somehow you were here to fool us like that other shifter, but shifters don’t have powers like we do. And when I found my mark within you, I knew that somehow you had returned to us, and whatever overpowered your gift the last time was gone. I knew it was a matter of time before you will hear me. I didn’t think it would take two days.”
I scratch her head. “I’m sorry I was so skeptical of this.”
“I know it’s difficult, especially if you didn’t grow up with the gift, Danny, but whatever happened to you, why it succumbed, it did you a great disappointment.”
I smiled softly.
“Everything will be fine. It will take time, but you will be okay. I will make sure of it and I’m sure Marick will too.” She looked at the tray again, and I laughed.
The cat looked back at me. “Losing you was the hardest thing for him ever. I thought he would never be himself again. I know I wasn’t.”
“I’m sorry. I wish I knew what happened to me, why someone gave me that potion.”
“I’m afraid of why someone did this behind my back. I’m the royal family’s protector, and I failed them miserably. I failed you.”
“Hey, you didn’t know.”
“I should’ve known.” She was angry at herself.
“Do you remember how Eric became the way he is?”
“I do. I was with Eli at that time. We were not there, but when we came back, I could feel the dark magic radiating of him, the curse. He was cursed to keep him quiet, to keep me from finding the culprit. Do you know how frustrating that was?”
“I’m so sorry, Minaut.”
“They will pay, Danielle. In time, when your gift is strong, I will make them pay.”
We spoke the rest of the night about who she was. She wasn’t sure what made them, what brought them to life, who or what it was, but she could remember the smell of them—like trees and fresh rain; like pine, that strong smell. I experienced the smell through her memories.
She told me that they were created through actions, rare actions, done by witches and that a part of the magic that belong to their creator flows through them.
She told me how she marked her family. I saw her as being at the head of her family, despite being a cat through and through. (I didn’t care what Marick said.)
The queen was the most difficult for her to mark. She had to do it a few times as her mark kept fading. She guessed it had to do with her ability to wash insecurities away, to make you feel as if you could do anything. She was a remarkable woman who loved me dearly.
Marick was easy, apparently. She marked him when he was a baby, and his sisters were simple to mark too. She told me how she marked all of them, even the ones that I didn’t know, like Marick’s ancestors. It was a special gift for a witch to receive. It was how she found Marick and me that time we tried to hide from them.
Not many witch families had wisps anymore. They were dying out as they weren’t born but conjured. Through what action she didn’t know, but she knew it was a pure action that had to come from the heart, mind, and soul. For witches to feel that, they have to be human. She looked at me.
“Yet you can’t even tell me what action, so don’t look at me to create more wisps,” I said.
She laughed. “You’re still the same, even if you don’t remember me anymore. You’re still my Danny,” she said and brushed her face against my cheek. I giggled as her whiskers tickled my neck.
Marick was right. She was amazing.
The day grew into night as Marick brought us both lunch and dinner. He would stay for a few moments, but we were so deep in each other’s discussions that he must have felt like he was intruding. He gave us time to get to know each other and left both times. Finally, she fell asleep. I thought about everything I learned about her as I stroked her head softly, about what she showed me today, about what my life was like through her eyes.
Marick was really someone spectacular. Giving up his throne to be with me should count for the type of man he really was. It makes me think that I should try to embrace this new revelation of who and what I was. Sebastian felt that Marick was the rightful heir to the throne, as did Minaut. If my new existence could give that to him, I should try to embrace it with everything I have.
* * *
MARICK
* * *
The next day I found Danielle and Minaut in the kitchen with Francine. Danny just translated what Minaut said. I didn’t catch all of it, but it made Francine laughed.
“Oh, Marick, she has a wonderful sense of humor. Who would’ve thought?”
“Who?” I asked.
“Your wisp.”
“She does?”
Danny laughed as Minaut looked at me.
“What did she say?”
Danny kept on laughing, making me worry. That wisp knew plenty of things that I would have liked to keep private. I kept staring at Minaut, my eyebrows raised slightly.
“Stop it,” Danny said as she snorted and gently pushed Minaut.
“What did she say?”
“I’m not translating that.”
“That is not fair.” I smiled then stared down Minaut.
“She said not to look at her like that,” Danny said, translating for Minaut.
“Then she needs to keep her mouth shut.”
“Marick, she is not like that. She’s just really witty.”
“Witty? I got her personality so wrong.”
Danny laughed softly again. “She said you’re forgiven.” She looked at Minaut. “Oh shush, I’m not saying that.”
“What?”
Francine almost doubled over this time.
“I’m not doing this. Forget it! Both of you.”
“I can’t hear her, Danny. What did she really say?”
“That you are forgiven,” Danny said. “With a few other things, but I’m not repeating those.”
I glared at Minaut who jumped off the stool and went outside.
Wisps. I looked at Danny. “You two are best friends now?”
“Something like that. She speaks a lot, that’s for sure.”
“I’m glad, Danny, glad she makes you laugh.”
“That she really does.”
“She’s really witty?”
“Oh, like you won’t believe. She’s light and breezy with her snark.”
Francine laughed again. “Sorry
, Marick. Breakfast?”
“Yes, please. I’m starving.”
“I’m going to wash up and then we can go, if you are ready.” Danielle stood and took her dishes to the sink.
“I’ll be ready.” I smiled and watch her leave.
“Scared that Minaut might tell Danny everything?” Francine smiled as she put my plate of food in front of me.
“Not one bit. I seriously got her personality so wrong though. I always thought she was a serious type of wisp.”
“Oh, she has a lovely sense of humor. Or maybe it’s Danny? I really can’t tell.”
“She laughed a lot.”
“That she does, so it’s probably the wisp.”
I chuckled and started to eat. “I hope she doesn’t make Danny uncomfortable with all the things she tells her about me.”
“I doubt she would. She respects you, Marick. She knows how you feel about Danielle. If she does tell her something, I’m sure it would be for your benefit.”
“Thanks, Francine.”
She let me eat in peace. As I finished, Danielle came back down and Minaut rushed back into the house.
“You ready?”
Danny nodded. “How are we going to leave?”
I looked at Minaut. “The wisp didn’t tell you?”
“No?” She chuckled and look down at Minaut.
“It’s something I always wanted to do with you, Danielle, but couldn’t because we thought you were human.”
“Oh, that sounds terrifying.” Danielle’s eyebrows knitted together.
“No.” I chuckled. “It’s really fun.” I turned my ring.
“What?” Danielle asked Minaut as I grabbed Danielle around her waist and pulled her in. She tensed up slightly and nodded at Minaut who jumped in the air, transformed into a black tubby cat, and landed in my arms. We disappeared through the ring.
The swirling was fast. When it stopped, Minaut jumped out of my arms and Danielle swayed slightly.
“What the hell was that?”
I held her tight. “You okay?”
“Just dizzy.” She made a gaging sound but didn’t throw up.
“Here, drink some of this.” I handed her a bottle of water, and she took a few gulps.
“We traveled through your ring?” Danny asked as she handed a half empty bottle back to me. “How is that even possible?”
“It’s like astral travel, very condensed and very technical with a bit of magic.”
She laughed, and I knew Minaut had said something again. Danny looked at me. “She said you are too technical. Magic alone would’ve sufficed, and she hopes you are not going to be like that to win me back.” Danny laughed again.
“Thanks for the love advice, wisp,” I said which made Danny laughed more. “That’s what was going on this morning. She made fun of how I do things.”
“Not everything she says about you is bad, Marick. She loves you—a lot.”
I smiled. “Don’t believe everything she tells you, Danielle.”
She chuckled and looked around. “Where are we?”
“We should be close to your mother’s house. You don’t know this place?” I looked at Danielle.
“Let’s walk around. Maybe we are, maybe we’re not.”
I followed her down the path as Minaut had to run extra fast with short chubby legs.
“Maybe you want to keep your cat form in shape there, missy.”
Danielle laughed. “She does not like that form, does she?”
I shook my head. “What was her reply?”
“‘Oh, bite me.’”
I laughed. She really was grumpy in that form.
We reached the corner when Danny finally remembered the way home. Minaut and I followed her to her mother’s house, talking about her mom as we walked.
I knew a lot about Elizabeth. She had a real witch name—all of them had.
But it was great to hear Danny chatting about the ones she loved.
I ended up carrying Minaut halfway through the trip to her mother’s spot. Danny translated for us. We finally had our first conversation, and it was fun.
We reached her mother’s house. It wasn’t modern, but it was big. Toys were left on the steps.
Danny picked them up as we climbed the steps to the front door. “Are these Eva’s?” I asked, and she nodded.
I can’t believe I have a daughter, I thought. I still needed to speak to my father about that. I couldn’t tell him until I found out what those books contained. But whatever the outcome, Eva was part of the witching world. She needed to learn how to harness her ability, whatever it turned out to be.
Danielle knocked on the door.
The woman I always wanted to meet so badly opened the door and hugged her daughter. She conveyed emotions I fell in love with when I met Danielle—human emotions.
Not that they were human, but they lived for so long as humans that a part of them became human.
“And who is this?” she asked, looking at Minaut in my arms and then at me. “What a beautiful cat.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“A Scott?” she asked.
“Actually Scottish American.”
“It’s a long story. We need to talk.” Danielle said.
She looked at me again, her eyes slightly twitched with suspicion, and her smile disappeared before she looked at Danny again. “Danielle, who is this?”
“This is Marick. Marick, this is my mom, Elizabeth, or Liz. Mom, let’s speak inside, please,” she said, and her mother stepped aside to let us in.
Did she see Eva in me too? I thought.
I followed Danielle and her mother to a small living room. Magic, the kind I haven’t felt in a long time, poured out of a room behind a closed door. I felt slightly stifled. Was it from the book that Danny told me about? I paused momentarily by the door, and Danny stopped.
“You okay?” she asked.
I looked at her with a grave expression. Minaut became restless too and jumped out of my arms. She ran further into the house, away from the door.
“We need to speak, Danielle,” I said and got away from the door as quickly as I could.
“You feel it, don’t you?” she asked.
I grimaced in response as I entered the living room. I found a place to sit on the couch—my leg started to twitch immediately. I never thought that the book was that powerful.
“Feel what?” her mother asked.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Danielle asked me.
“What is going on here? What is bad?” Her mother looked around trying to figure out what we were talking about.
“Mom, please, I’ll explain in a second, okay?” Danielle looked back at me.
“I don’t know. I need to see it.”
“See what?” her mother asked.
“We have to tell her the truth, Marick.”
I nodded. A book like that wouldn’t be in anyone’s possession unless they were witches.
Her mother threw her hands up in the air. “Tell me what?”
“Mom, sit and listen, okay?” Danny spoke as I try to get my thoughts in order. I could still feel its darkness, that magic bound to it, coming from behind that door. “What happened to me ten years ago?” she asked her mother.
“You know what happened.”
Danny paused, then continued. “It was a lie, but I didn’t know.”
“What?”
“I wasn’t part of those victims, Mom.”
Liz brought her palms down on her thighs. “Then where the hell were you, Danielle?”
“I can’t remember. I thought it was with Brolin and Camille because I couldn’t remember a thing, thought it was my mind protecting me from all the harm. It was why the examiners didn’t find the bone breaks and scars they did with those other girls, only that I had already given birth before Eva.”
Liz closed her eyes. “Danielle, you are scaring me. What is going on here?” She looked at me and back at Danielle.
“I was with Marick.” Danielle look
ed at me and then back at her mother. “Mom, I want you to meet my husband.”
She gasped. “Your what?” She closed her eyes and took a deep, controlling breath.
“What you believe in is real.” Danielle carried on.
Liz opened her eyes and glared at her daughter. “What I believe in?”
“The books are real, Mom.”
“I know the books are real, Danielle.”
“I believe it too now.”
She stared at me. “I don’t understand.”
“You can see ghosts, speak to them.”
“Your mother is clairvoyant?” I asked.
She nodded. Liz stared at me again through squinted eyes.
“I have a gift too and so does Marick.”
“You have a gift?” Her mother laughed. “Danielle, you don’t believe in this!”
“I got a crash course. It’s not a prank, okay? I’m dead serious.”
Her laugh disappeared. “What is your gift?”
“It’s not fully in working yet. Marick thinks that I can read minds.”
“Darling, you don’t even know this man.”
“Mom, listen. I know you saw Eva in him when you opened that door. He’s her father. She’s like us, and she can’t stay here.”
“No, Danielle, you gave her to me.”
“I know I did, but I was wrong. Marick is her father, Mom. I didn’t know.”
“How could you not know this, Danielle?”
“Ms. Laurent, she was giving the Forgotten potion.”
“The Forgotten potion? She would’ve told me about you.”
“She couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because of what I am.” I spoke softly.
“What are you?”
“I’m like you, only I grew up with that knowledge.”
“You’re a witch?”
“Well, the male form of it, a warlock.”
“Mom, it’s real, okay? Magic is real. I saw it with my own damn eyes. These past three weeks haven’t been easy, but they were an eye opener. I wasn’t trapped for five years, Mom. I was free, with a family that loved me.”
“And then they gave you a Forgotten potion?”
“No, someone else that has been trying to get us off guard did,” I said. “We don’t know who is doing this, but they are patient, and they meant to hurt your daughter badly, made me believe that she was burned alive in our house.” I sighed and looked at Danielle as that night played off in my mind. “If I knew she was alive, you would’ve met me a long time ago. My best friend walked into her in Paris.”
Playing With Fire Page 33