“Goodness, no,” Anya replied with a smirk.
Isobel felt dizzy. The trees were turning in wide circles around her. She thought she might become sick. She sat on the stump then jumped to her feet not sure if she should.
Her grandmother placed her hands on her shoulders and gently pressed down, guiding her to sit. “It’s quite alright, child. You can sit here when it’s not put to use.”
Not a witch she thought. She had long suspected it of herself, so hearing those words brought relief. “What are you then?”
Anya sighed and sat next to her. “That may be difficult for you to comprehend, but I will do my best.”
Isobel listened as she explained that witch is the word all would use to describe them if anyone found out their truth. Witches had been around long before Anya arrived here, so it would be highly inaccurate to label themselves as such. The world had not been exposed to what she truly was yet.
“Arrived here? You mean before you were born?”
“I wasn’t born. I came to earth in this form only slightly younger in appearance.”
Her head swirled again. “You came here?”
Anya explained everything. She told her granddaughter her true nature and how she came to be in this realm. She also divulged the Return and one year would be the year she never came back to her earthly home. It was a lot to take in, and Anya tried to bear that in mind. Taking caution in not going too fast, she allowed her granddaughter to ask as many questions as she needed.
“You are an Earth Elemental. In simple terms, you are a witch, but what you truly are is so much more than that.”
They sat side by side while Isobel digested everything her grandmother had shared with her. These were the answers she’d been hoping to find about herself for years, but a part of her wished she was still searching for an explanation. A different explanation. She had long wanted to be normal without her intuition or dreams, and now she had the evidence that could never happen.
“Come,” Anya said, standing. “Daniel will want his supper on time. We need to head back.”
“Does he know?” Isobel asked. “Grandfather. Does he know who you are?”
“Your grandfather believes me to be a tree sprite.”
Isobel’s eyes widened. “He does know then.”
Anya’s eyes lit up in amusement. “No, child. I think he has had his own questions about me at times, but he has had the good sense to never ask anything he didn’t want to know the answer to.”
They walked back to the cabin and began supper. Isobel was surprised that her grandfather never said a word about the time they were gone and what they could have been doing. She thought about what her grandmother had said about not wanting to know the answers. This must be what she meant.
She had a lot on her mind all evening well until it was almost time to retire for the night. She was an Elemental. Something like a witch, but not. It wouldn’t matter if the truth were known. They would still be treated accordingly. The punishment could even be worse if they tried to claim to be something else. Something that came from the heavens above, or the spirit realm as her grandmother had called it.
There was so much on her mind that she hadn’t heard her name called until her grandfather tapped her arm to get her attention. She smiled weakly at him, “Yes, grandfather?”
“What troubles you?”
“It’s not troubles,” she lied, hating that she couldn’t tell him the truth. “I was just thinking is all about everything and nothing.”
“Tell me, young one. What has distracted you tonight?”
Isobel glanced at her grandmother, but she was no help. She was sitting by the fire mending a shirt. “It isn’t just one thing,” she told him truthfully.
He nodded as though he understood how thoughts could get away from you sometimes. “How was your time with your grandmother?”
Isobel looked at her again. The conversation was beginning to make her nervous that she might say the wrong thing.
“Why do you keep casting looks her way? Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
Still her grandmother did nothing. It seemed like she wasn’t paying any attention to them whatsoever. Her grandfather was waiting for an answer, so she said the first thing that came to her mind. “You never asked what we did in the woods for so long.”
“I don’t have to,” he said, glancing at his wife. “I already know.”
“You do?”
Her grandfather leaned in closer and in a hushed tone said, “She’s a tree sprite. Did she tell you?”
“I can hear you,” her grandmother finally spoke.
“Of course you can,” he said, sitting upright. “You’re a sprite, and I would expect nothing less from you.”
Without stopping her sewing, she shook her head and sighed. Isobel could see the smile on her grandmother’s face and knew she secretly enjoyed grandfather’s playful actions even if she pretended to be annoyed.
“Tree sprites,” her grandfather continued, “need time in the woods to be amongst their friends. It’s how they stay healthy and happy. I believe you might be a sprite too.”
Isobel stood up from the floor and gave her grandparents a hug goodnight. When she put her arms around her grandfather, she told him softly, “I think you are right.”
It was the first night in many months Isobel did not awaken from the beast chasing her in her sleep. She didn’t rouse until the first light of the morning started to brighten the house. Her grandmother lie beside her still asleep. She tiptoed to the hearth to fetch a pot for water wanting to surprise them with breakfast.
In her mind, she had come to terms with what her grandmother had shared with her about her true nature. It had been a lot to take in and would take months, even years to fully comprehend it, but she was an Elemental. That much she accepted. In her heart, she knew she was safe and loved here. This place had always been a peaceful retreat, and that belief had even deeper meaning now. In her soul, she yearned to learn more and eagerly awaited the next lesson. She couldn’t wait to embrace the remaining pieces of who she really was.
She stayed with her grandparents for several weeks. Many mornings she would walk to the clearing in the woods to learn how to channel her power within. There was so much to learn, and she tried to absorb every word her grandmother spoke. Other days, they would work on potions in the house while grandfather was busy tending to business in the barn. She learned the magical uses of countless herbs. Not once was she harshly jolted from sleep again after the first night.
The time came for her to return home. Her grandfather was going to take her while grandmother stayed behind. Before leaving, her grandmother pulled her aside and gifted her with a thin leather bound book. The pages inside were all blank save for the first one where her grandmother had drawn a beautiful oak tree.
“Fit for a tree sprite,” her grandmother’s eyes lit up, noticing how Isobel admired it.
“Thank you. It’s beautiful.”
“It’s a grimoire. It’s for you to record your spells, potions and other notions to look back on as needed, or to pass on to your own grandchild one day. Keep it hid well.”
“I promise.”
If she had known this would be the last time her grandmother would share her wisdom and teach her how to control her power, she would have asked more questions. She thought she had plenty of time to learn about the elements found in nature and how to use each one. Balance between them was of the upmost importance. There would certainly be no reason to think there wouldn’t be more chances to walk in the woods together sharing ideas and bonding in their talks at the stump. There would never be a next time. There would only be a hand bound book wrapped inside a piece of material that her father would hand her while telling her that her grandmother had written her name on it. The pages were blank to the unknowing eye, but a revealing spell would show the words of her grandmother’s grimoire to anyone who knew how to use it.
Chapter Fourteen
“You inv
ited that girl to our Samhain celebration?” Grandma Eloise sounded extraordinarily irate. “I only said I wanted to meet her, not that I wanted to include her in our celebrations.”
Aunt Meredith stepped back getting out of the direct path of grandma’s anger. It made it evident she would be no help in Everleigh’s defense.
“I didn’t realize,” Everleigh began, not sure what to say to explain her actions. “Lilah’s not coming,” she offered, hoping it would make a difference.
“And if she could make it?” Grandma Eloise fired back. “What then? How would you explain it to your friend when you revoked the invitation?”
Everleigh sighed. It had been too long since she’d been on the receiving end of her grandma’s disapproval. This was not where she wanted to be, and she hadn’t expected this reaction. “I thought it would be a good idea to invite her.”
That wasn’t what her grandma wanted to hear. It looked like it only upset her even more. “How? Everleigh, what were you thinking?” her grandma sounded confounded.
“We want them to help, don’t we? Air? We want them to join with us to fight whatever or whoever it is that’s after us. They’ve been isolated so long they don’t know us. It seemed like the right thing to do to introduce her to us…the family…as well as the ways of our Element.”
Grandma Eloise turned away from her and didn’t say anything. The moon water she had been harvesting for their rituals the next night was ready, and she set to work distributing it into smaller vials to pass out to the coven.
Everleigh wanted to leave the room. The quiet solitude of her bedroom was calling to her to hide out in safety, but it wasn’t time yet. More was coming. She knew her grandma well enough to know this wasn’t over and not to leave until she had been dismissed. The longer her grandma’s silence went on the more uncomfortable she became.
They were the only ones left in the room. Aunt Meredith had slipped out undetected. Perhaps it was better than sticking around to gloat. She was the one who was usually on the crossed side of grandma, but it provided some comfort while she was there just knowing an ally was nearby. Her aunt had warned her not to invite Lilah. Everleigh had been certain that with all the strides made recently to unite the two groups, this was the logical next step. Nothing her aunt tried could talk her out of it.
“Child, I understand your heart was in the right place, but remember, they are not the only ones who put themselves into isolation. We all did. All of the Elementals agreed to keep to themselves for their own protection. Now, yes, some smaller groups here and there have been more open to mixed company,” Grandma Eloise flashed a look behind Everleigh.
The sound of Aunt Meredith’s wince could be felt even if it was nonverbal. Everleigh might not have been able to see her from where she stood, but her aunt was still nearby. Grandma never missed an opportunity to take at jab at her aunt’s love life.
“Even so, my coven and especially here in this house, we mind our own first and foremost. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” Everleigh replied softly.
“Working together is for the benefit of us all, and it will take some adjusting on everybody’s end. That does not qualify us as friends as such. You will discuss with me any future invites and inclusions before extending the welcome.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Everleigh told her. “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. You need not be sorry for trying to build a bridge, only for setting to work on construction before getting the blueprints.”
Everleigh understood what she meant. Many times her grandma would talk in riddles using euphemisms and analogies. This one was fairly straight forward. There was a way to heal the distance between Air and Earth, but Everleigh should ask the Elders for advice on how to go about it.
Grandma looked off out the window overtaken by her thoughts. “You feel it too, Eloise,” Aunt Meredith commented, slowly walking back into the room.
Not breaking the gaze she cast at nothing in particular, Grandma Eloise nodded. “I do. Japan.”
Everleigh glanced between the two women waiting and hoping one of them would fill her in, but neither of them said anything more. “What’s in Japan?”
When her grandma didn’t answer, her aunt turned to her, and said one word, “Volcano.”
“Another one? Wasn’t there just an eruption in…Iceland? Right?”
Aunt Meredith nodded.
“Earthquakes are inbound too. The southeast of the US will be rocked overnight.” Grandma Eloise looked down with a heavy breath. “Not time to linger. Not now. We have preparations for tonight to get underway.”
Everleigh knew the relentless increase in natural disasters was a sign of the chaos caused by the Elements having been trapped here for so long. Balance wasn’t in order any longer. The Elements needed to get home. Today was the only day of the year they could do so. Their celebration tonight would begin with blessings for a successful Return. If the Return wasn’t completed, they would begin rituals for a blessed New Year.
No one knew for sure how the night would end if the Return was completed. There was no way of knowing what would happen to those remaining. They could lose their powers immediately or worse. They could cease to exist. Everleigh tried not to dwell on it as did everyone else. Nothing could stop the outcome whatever it might be. The only way to prevent anything bad from possibly happening to them would be to prevent the Return, but with the ever growing list of disasters happening every day, the planet may not last much longer. It would be better to sacrifice your own for the good of the whole.
In years past, they would be at the farmhouse outside of town where they gathered for all of their celebrations. Something was preventing them from going there this year, but as usual, Grandma Eloise wasn’t being forthcoming with an explanation. It plagued Everleigh’s unending curiosity, but she knew the most logical choice is almost always the right answer. Grandma was probably staying close to home for safety.
No one had an accurate count on the remaining amount of vampires, and it would be next to impossible to know for sure with the vast number who went into hiding. Their numbers had dropped substantially enough that any day now Earth could find themselves under attack. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.
The celebration would have to be at home this year. They tried their best to set up outside near the garden. It should work for the Return blessings, but it would be too cold to stay out there all night without a fire. Town ordinances dictate that’s out of the question. Tonight would be too important to risk one only to have a cop show up interrupting their work.
Everleigh had participated in this ritual every year as long as she could remember. They offered all the Elements a blessing hoping for a safe Return. Water had become more and more emphasized as the years wore on since that was the only Element to never make an attempt.
Halloween was her favorite day of the year. This was their New Year. It was Samhain. This was the biggest Sabbat of their wheel. The celebration would begin tonight and continue into the next day. It was a time to remember those you’ve lost and honor them. Granted, the idea of a fire festival usually implied a fire. This year’s celebration would be entirely different than what she had been accustomed to experiencing.
It was also the scariest day of the year. The fear had nothing to do with goblins or clown costumes. It was fear of the unknown. As much as the Return needed to be completed for the good of everyone alive, it was worrisome for the Elementals. No one had any way to know their fate. The Divine Spirit had been asked countless times over the centuries, but no answer had ever been handed down.
The best case scenario would be nothing changed for the descendants left behind. Life would continue as it always had for them with their Elements on the other side of the veil doing what they had been created to do. Balance is necessary for survival. Most people expected all powers to be stripped. Those like Everleigh would live out a mortal life no longer capable of spell casting or any other magical gifts. It was not as easy to presu
me where that would leave Meredith or any of the Fire Elementals. Would they become mortal and live out their life? Or would they become mortal and instantly age their actual years? It would be certain death for almost all of the Fire line.
The topic wasn’t discussed by many, but most had a gnawing fear the Return would result in their disappearance as well. None of them were supposed to be here. The races of Elementals had never been planned into existence by the Divine Spirit. If all of the Elements had obeyed orders the first year, there would be no witches or werewolves, and no approaching storm intent on wiping them out. There was a chance regardless of how small or how paranoid some may think it to be. The chance remained that they could simply be obliterated by some means whether they vanish, their histories erased, or they die on the spot leaving the humans to figure out the mass deaths across the globe.
Each passing year made it more difficult for Everleigh to clear her mind during the blessings. When she was younger, it seemed more like an old wives’ tale that Elements walked in human form and were her ancestors. Now, she knew the stories to be true. The Return was real, and the lingering questions never got easier.
With the Return blessings completed, they decided to go ahead with the ritual spell casting outside before coming in for the celebrations. Grandma Eloise disappeared inside for a few moments and came out with her shawl. It was a family heirloom. A great-grandmother somewhere down the line had been the one to knit it. The only time Everleigh ever saw her grandma wear it was at Samhain.
The spells didn’t take long, and soon they took turns making offerings to their dearly departed loved ones before going inside. Grandma Eloise always went last spending ample time communicating with her late husband. It was both heart breaking and romantic knowing her love for him was still so strong.
Between the nightfall and the nearby houses and trees, it was nearly pitch black in the backyard without a fire. Everleigh peered out the window, but couldn’t make out her grandma’s silhouette amongst the darkness. It was probably for the best. Even as she gazed out over the backyard, she knew her grandma would rather have total privacy anyway.
Earth: The Elementals Book Two Page 15