“But that’s only if you don’t know how to control them,” Erin argued. “If you don’t know about magic, accidents are going to happen. Mom, if you had known how to use your magic, if you had learned how to control it, you wouldn’t have hurt anyone. It’s vital that we understand our magic and how to use it.”
Her mother just shook her head. “No, Erin.”
“We decided that it would be better if none of you kids were taught anything beyond the bare facts and not to use your magic,” her father said, interrupting her.
Erin nodded, understanding what drove her parents to that conclusion, but she didn’t agree. “I still believe that knowledge is better. That includes me knowing about this seventh daughter thing. Are you sure your mother didn’t tell you anything?”
“No, honestly sweetie, she didn’t.”
“There is that trunk up in the attic,” her father said.
Her mother’s mouth dropped open for a moment. “I completely forgot about that!”
“Ah!” her father said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
“What trunk?” Erin asked.
“My mother gave it to me just before she died,” her mother explained. “She told me that it was filled with family heirlooms and should be kept safely. To be honest, I’ve never even had the urge to open it.”
“Really?” Erin was surprised. She would have been incredibly curious if she’d been given such a trunk. In fact, she was now. “So, this is up in the attic?”
“Yup,” her father said.
“Buried deep in the back, under stuff…” her mother started.
“In the deepest recesses,” her father added, deepening his voice to sound like a horror movie narrator.
Erin laughed. “So…can I…”
Her mother shrugged. “If you want.”
Erin stood up. “Will you help me find it and pull it out, Dad?”
“Sure. But, um…tomorrow? It’s awfully late, sweetie.”
“Oh.” Erin did her best to hide her disappointment, but sat back down. “Sure.”
Her mother put her hand on Erin’s. “It’s been there for over twenty years. It’ll be there tomorrow, or whenever you get to it.” Giving her hand a squeeze, she said, “So tell us more about David.”
Erin laughed, but gave her a look she hoped said, “I love you, but I’m not sharing my private life with you.”
She didn’t have a chance to put her feelings into words when her phone rang. She’d forgotten that she’d put it in her back pocket, since she normally kept it in her purse. It was really loud in the silence of the room.
“Hello?”
“Erin,” David’s voice sounded choked. “Shawn’s been shot. Could you…would you mind coming down to the hospital? I’m at Medstar Health on Pennsylvania Avenue.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said without hesitation. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m just…I… I’d really appreciate you coming down.” He sounded as if he might start crying, his voice was so tight.
“I’ll be there.” She hung up and turned to her parents.
“David’s client, a teenage boy, has been shot,” she told them.
Both her father and mother gasped at the news.
“Is he all right?” her father asked.
“I don’t know. David sounded really upset, so I’ll go with ‘no’.” Erin turned to her mother. “Could you take me down there? And possibly stay to see how he’s doing?”
Her mother nodded as she stood. “Of course! Although, I’m sure there are nurses there who are looking after him. How old is he, do you know?”
“All I know is that’s he’s a teenager. And, yes, I suppose there are nurses there, but none with your special skills,” Erin said, following her mother out of the kitchen.
Her mother stopped abruptly and spun around. “What do you mean my ‘special skills’?”
Erin swallowed. Something inside of her said this was the right thing to do, but she knew it wasn’t going to be easy. “Both your skills as a nurse, and your abilities as a Vallen.”
Her mother’s eyebrows shifted down over her eyes. “Erin, I just got finished telling you…”
“That you’ve learned how to control your powers,” Erin finished.
“That I don’t use them,” her mother corrected her.
“Mom, I believe it’s a privilege and an honor to have these abilities, and they should be used. But please, let’s not discuss this here. We need to go.” Erin opened the front door and waited for her mother to move again. She did after only a moment’s hesitation, pausing to pick up her purse from the floor by the hall table where she always kept it.
The drive downtown was completed in silence. Half an hour of her mother brooding angrily. Half an hour of Erin wondering how she was going to convince her mother that using her magic was not wrong.
David met them just inside the emergency room. He was radiating anxiety and worry. His arms hung at his sides, his hands balled into fists.
Erin pulled him into a reassuring hug without a thought. With only a moment’s hesitation, she dredged up her own magic, pressing calm into him.
As she did so, his stiff posture softened and curved into her. She pressed harder, heightening her magic. He let out a breath, and then took in another deep one before pulling away. His lips curved up into a little smile. “Thanks, I needed that.”
She caressed her hand down his cheek. “Any time.” Then, remembering her mother’s presence, she pulled back and introduced her to David.
“Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Freyn,” David said, holding out his hand.
“Please, call me Susan,” she said, putting her hand into his. “Now let’s see this young man of yours.”
“Of course!” He held out an arm, “This way.”
He led them to the elevators and then up to the children’s ward. His worry got stronger the closer the elevator got to its destination.
“He’s going to be okay,” Erin said, taking his hand.
David just shook his head. “I hope so. This is all my fault.”
There wasn’t time to question why he thought so. The elevator binged and the doors opened.
As they approached the nurse’s station where three women were standing around chatting, Erin’s mother paused. “I’m Susan Freyn, here to see—“
One of the women waved a hand and stopped her. “I don’t care. You can go see whoever you want.” She then turned back to her co-workers and went back to her conversation.
Susan’s eyes widened in surprise. She then caught Erin’s gaze and gave her a nod. As they continued on down the hall, she said, “I am so sorry that you were right to bring me here.”
“Inner-city hospitals,” David explained. “Not the best.”
When they entered the dimly lit room David steered them toward, her mother stopped, taking in the six beds lining either side of the large room. They were all occupied with children of varying ages, either sleeping or playing on hand-held devices. Only one bed had the privacy curtains drawn around it.
Ibrahim and Lanie were standing just outside the curtains talking quietly to each other.
Erin walked quickly up to Lanie and gave her a hug. Her mother joined them a moment later, and Lanie transferred her embrace to Susan.
“It’s so good to see you, sweetie,” her mom said to Lanie.
“I’m really glad to see you! I hope you can help this poor kid. He doesn’t look good, and the nurses here aren’t doing a thing! We’ve asked them to look at him or to get the doctor, but they just brushed us off,” Lanie said, her forehead knit with worry.
With a frown, her mom handed Erin her purse. “I’ll see what I can figure out.” She slipped into the bathroom just inside the door to wash her hands and then came back with her nurse face on.
David spoke up before she went in to see Shawn. “They brought him in from surgery about half an hour ago—just before I called you. Ibrahim and Lanie got here just about ten minutes ago.”
Susan gave Ibrahim a solemn nod then went straight through the curtains to see Shawn. Erin followed and watched her mother pick up the clipboard hanging at the end of the bed.
Shawn lay there, asleep or unconscious, Erin didn’t know which. His dark brown skin looked grayish, and there were deep lines under his eyes framing the bags there. An oxygen tube was fitted into his nose above the dark peach-fuzz that would someday be a mustache. Tubes snaked into his arm, resting above the stark, white blanket covering him.
“Could you please hand me my stethoscope? It’s in my purse,” her mother said as she reached for a pair of examination gloves from the box that was conveniently tucked into a bracket on the wall.
Erin opened the zipper and handed her mother her stethoscope. It was hot pink with blue stripes someone had sharpied onto it. The part that went against a patient’s chest had a bright yellow smiley sticker on the top of it so that it smiled at the patient while her mother listened.
They watched in silence as she applied it to Shawn’s chest, and then reached under the covers to listen to his abdomen. After a moment, she shook her head. “I don’t know. According to his chart, he received three bullets to his abdomen and one to the chest. He’s lucky to be alive, but his right lung doesn’t sound good. Apparently, the doctor stitched up everything, but I wonder if he didn’t miss some lacerations to the lung.” She paused and listened to his chest again.
“Can you do anything?” Erin asked.
Her mother shook her head. “We discussed this earlier.”
Erin closed her eyes for a moment and then, when she reopened them, looked intently at her mother. “Why do you think the Vallen have magical abilities?”
Her mother’s eyes widened and slipped to Erin’s right where the others were standing.
“It’s okay, David’s Vallen, and Ibrahim and Lanie know about us,” Erin explained.
Her mother pursed her lips together but didn’t say anything.
“We have these abilities to help people, Mother. Dad told me so when I was little. We help people.”
“Erin, it would be wrong…”
“No. It wouldn’t. It would be saving a life. Have you ever known saving a life to be wrong?” Erin argued.
Her mother sat by Shawn’s side in silence.
“I understand that you made mistakes when you were younger, but you’ve grown and mastered your abilities,” Erin said.
“I have mastered not using them,” her mother said.
“And you haven’t used them once since you were in college?” Erin asked, skeptically.
Her mother stayed silent, her gaze dropping to the floor in guilt.
“Mom, this boy needs you. It’s possible that he will die if you do nothing,” Erin said.
“Then I’ll call the doctor,” her mother retorted.
“The same one who missed fixing his lung the first time?” Erin asked.
“We’ve already tried calling for the doctor. It seems there’s only one on call, and he’s busy with other patients,” Ibrahim answered.
Worry and sadness rolled off her mother. She shook her head. “These hospitals survive on a shoestring budget.”
“But Shawn might not if you don’t do something,” Erin said, pushing her case. “Just a moment’s concentration…”
“Erin, it’s not—“
“It’s why we’re here. It’s why we have these abilities. To help people.” Erin extended her hand toward Shawn. “Help him. Please.”
Her mother finally sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know that I have the ability any more. It’s been so long since I’ve used magic.”
“Just try, Mom. That’s all I’m asking. Just try,” Erin said, giving her mother a pleading look.
“Please, Susan,” David said, adding his voice to Erin’s pleas.
Shawn gave a cough, as if adding his voice to the argument.
Erin turned to David. He was so upset and worried for this kid—this boy who was no relation to him, not a friend, nothing but a client who he’d met just a few times. She was amazed at how much he cared. The fact that he and his friends were the only ones here to see Shawn clearly told her that he was probably the only person who did care. That fact touched Erin somewhere deep inside.
Her heart whispered to her, He cares. He matters. And he’s yours.
Erin took David’s hand, intertwining her fingers with his, as her mother turned back to Shawn. Susan placed the end of her stethoscope against his chest, her hand just next to it. Erin could hear her take in a deep breath. They waited.
David’s fingers clutched at Erin’s, drawing strength and comfort from her. The air around them seemed to get colder, as if her mother were drawing on the warmth around her to heat her fire magic.
Erin felt David give her hand a squeeze. She looked up at him. The small smile on his face was filled with gratitude. She returned it with one of hope. Neither said a word as they waited.
After a few minutes, her mother let out her breath. “Let’s see if that works.” She turned toward them. “He sounds better, but it’s a very delicate thing knitting together a wound, especially one I can’t see.”
Erin released David’s hand, putting it on her mother’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
From the corner of her eye, she caught some movement. Shawn’s deep, brown eyes blinked open.
Susan turned back to him. “Can you breathe all right? Nod if you can.”
He opened his mouth a touch, took a shallow breath, and nodded.
“Good. You’re going to be all right. Try and sleep.”
The boy looked nervously at all the people standing around him, panic beginning to pinch his face.
Erin reached down and caressed his arm, pressing a little of her calming magic into him. “It’s all right. There’s no need to be worried or frightened. We’re all friends here who care about you.”
He looked questioningly at her.
“I’m Erin. You know Mr. Elder. This is my mom, she’s a nurse. And those are our friends, Ibrahim and Lanie,” she explained.
“Why?” Shawn croaked.
“Why? Why do we care?” Erin asked.
The boy nodded.
She smiled. “Because Mr. Elder said you were a very special person. Smart and with a great future ahead of you.”
He looked up at David.
“It’s true, Shawn. That’s why I’ve been working so hard to get you out of jail, so you can get back to school and on with your life,” David said.
“No one’s ever…” Shawn’s voice petered out, his eyes fluttering closed again.
Erin’s mother put her hand over his eyes. “You’re going to be just fine. Sleep now.”
Shawn took a deeper breath and sank into sleep.
They all moved quietly outside of the room.
“Thank you so much, Susan. Really. I can’t thank you enough,” David said as soon as they were clear of the door.
She gave him a smile. “I’m happy to do what I can. Not thrilled at Erin’s pressure to do it the way I did…”
“But you did the right thing,” Erin persisted.
“We’ll see about that,” her mother answered.
“I have to agree with Erin,” David said. “We’re here for a reason. We’ve got these abilities for a reason. It’s for us to use them responsibly.”
“It’s like if someone with an incredible talent for math and physics didn’t use it to explore the world. Or a musician didn’t use their talent to compose beautiful music,” Erin explained. “It’s a talent. You should use it.” She saw her mother open her mouth to say something. “With caution, yes,” Erin said quickly before her mother could voice her misgivings, “but you should use it.”
Her mother closed her mouth again.
“And I know one young man who will now be able to lead a normal life thanks to you,” Ibrahim put in.
Her mother just nodded, but Erin noticed the small smile playing on her lips.
Chapter Twenty
As they were all saying their goodbyes, David was pleasantly surprised when Erin asked if he’d stop and have a cup of hot cocoa with her at Uncle Sam’s Diner. He wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity like that—especially when she’d held his hand so tightly earlier.
Was it too much to think that she had reconsidered her position on their relationship? He was hopefully optimistic.
“It was really incredible, what your mom did tonight,” David said, leaping in and starting the conversation after they’d placed their orders. It was a strange combination Erin had asked for—hot chocolate and french fries—but he kept his thoughts to himself. Maybe it was a girl thing.
He was working hard at being patient, waiting for Erin to tell him whatever it was that was on her mind. It wasn’t easy. Especially when he could have reached out with his magic to listen in on her thoughts, but so far he’d respected her privacy. He wouldn’t stop now just because he was dying of curiosity.
“I know!” Erin said. “I’m still a little shocked she used her abilities like that. Honestly, I didn’t think she would agree to do so.”
David shook his head in amazement. “I can’t get over the fact that your parents have totally rejected their abilities.” He couldn’t tell if this was what Erin had wanted to talk about or if there was something else.
Erin shrugged. “Oh! I wanted to tell you, I spoke with my mom earlier this evening about my heritage.”
David perked up. Maybe this was it? It was, at least, a step in the right direction. He was curious about Erin’s family and whether she really was descended from a high priestess. It wasn’t exactly what he’d been hoping she’d want to discuss, but that was all right. He was just happy to be with her and that she wanted to be with him too. “You did? She actually spoke to you about it?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, she really doesn’t know anything. But there’s apparently a trunk in the attic at my parents’ house which may hold some of the answers I want.”
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