by Bonnie Lamer
My brow furrows. “Why is he coming ahead of them?”
“Because he wants to convince your grandmother and me to give you up without a fight.” Mom’s the one who looks like a sociopath now. I am so glad all that anger is not directed at me.
“What, does he think we’re just going to let him back in the house for a friendly little chat about whether or not you should let him kill me?” The disgust is oozing out of my mouth. There might be a little bit of fear there, as well. Not that he would be able to convince my mother, but I’m not betting the game on Grandma just yet.
Dad shrugs angrily. “Apparently.”
A hand on my shoulder lets me know that Kallen found us. “Perhaps we should go back inside and discuss how we are going to proceed.”
Good suggestion. I hadn’t put my jacket or anything on when coming outside and I’m starting to shiver. I lean into Kallen and walk back into the house with him.
“Are you hungry?” Grandma asks as she tries to suppress a yawn and walks ahead of us to the kitchen.
“Starved.” I open up the fridge to see what there is.
“Scoot,” she says as she points me towards the table. “I’ll make us some breakfast.”
Mom smiles. “I remember waking up to your French toast. I missed your cooking over the years.”
Did Dad just roll his eyes? And he gets so mad at me when I do that. I have to hide a smile but he catches me and gives me a wink. I wonder what kind of strain having Grandma here is putting on his and Mom’s relationship. They’ve always agreed on just about everything. I can’t even remember the last time they were on opposite sides of the fence like this. Good thing ghost parents can’t get divorced.
I sit down at the table next to Kallen. “Would anyone like to fill me in on all the things I missed while I was passed out?” If they couldn’t wake me, I guess I was more unconscious than sleeping.
As Grandma clanks around the kitchen looking for the things she needs to make breakfast, Mom floats to the table. “Your grandmother made a number of talismans that will offer protection from certain spells. And Kallen worked an impressive circle that surrounds the house.” Mom actually looks at him with respect. Wow, I did miss a lot.
“So, we’re in a protection circle inside a protection circle?”
Mom nods. “Yes, and I’ve thrown up an illusion of us sitting around the table as an extra measure. It’ll take an awful lot on their part to get through it all.”
I notice she didn’t say that they wouldn’t be able to get through it all. Where are the lies when I really need them? “But they will be able to get through them?”
Mom pulls her bottom lip between her nearly invisible teeth. “I don’t know.”
I slump back in my chair feeling dejected and wishing there was some way to know how this day is going to go. As if on cue, a feeling of being struck by lightning hits my body. It’s a quick zap, probably only lasts a millisecond, but that’s long enough for me to jump out of my chair and do an ‘I just got struck by lightning dance.’ “What the heck was that?” I practically scream as I look all over my clothes and stretch to check my backside to make sure I didn’t really get struck by lightning. It takes me a second to realize the other four people in the room are looking at me as if I’ve just gone off the deep end. I look around at the puzzled faces. “Didn’t anyone else feel that?”
With raised brows, Kallen says slowly, “Feel what, Xandra?”
Are you kidding me? I know I didn’t imagine it. “Something just shocked me. Really hard. It felt like lightning.”
He looks doubtfully towards the window where the morning sun is starting to gleam off the snow. Okay, so there aren’t many thunder and lightning storms in the middle of winter in Colorado. That doesn’t change the fact that something just shocked me.
“Are you feeling alright, dear?” Grandma asks from where she is mixing eggs, milk and vanilla in a bowl for French toast. “Perhaps you’re still feeling the effects of the spell you performed yesterday?”
I grimace. Great. They all think I’m delusional. I slump back into my chair trying really hard not to pout. But as soon as I sit down, I feel it again. “What the hell?” I shout as I jump back up.
“Xandra!” Mom admonishes with a frown from where she’s hovering by Grandma.
“Kallen, why don’t you feel her forehead, see if she’s feverish,” Dad says as he hovers closer to me with concern all over his face.
I pull back from the hand that Kallen is about to put on me. “I’m not sick. Something is shocking me!” Why won’t they believe me? “Just because you guys can’t feel it, that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.”
Kallen still looks skeptical but asks, “What exactly does it feel like?”
I roll my eyes in exasperation. “I already told you. It feels like I’m being struck by lightning.” As the last word leaves my mouth, another zap hits me. This time, I drop to my knees in pain as the zap lingers over my skin.
Kallen and Dad are by my side in a heartbeat. “Xandra?” Dad says but I hold up my hand in a plea to give me a minute and then I close my eyes to breathe through the pain.
As soon as my eyes close, the pain is gone and I’m somewhere else. I’m in an airport somewhere and my breath catches in panic. Looking around me, I see a thin light extending through the crowd, like a sun-lit rope. It takes me a moment to realize the light is coming from me. I look down, and it’s as if it’s attached to my navel. I can’t see the other end through the crowd of people.
In my head, I can faintly hear Dad and Kallen talking to me. I wish they would stop; I need to concentrate so I can figure out what’s going on. With my hand, I bring my fingers and thumb together in a stop talking gesture and instantly, their voices quiet. Finally. Now I can follow the light and see where it takes me.
I push through the crowd. Actually, the crowd seems to part for me even though the people don’t really seem to know I’m there. Finally, after getting by a heavy set couple dragging their carry-ons and a screaming toddler, I see the end of the rope. It’s wrapped around the head of a tall, skinny fortyish looking man with thinning brown hair and stooped shoulders. He’s scowling and holding his temples as if he has a serious migraine. Good, I hope it hurts worse than the zaps I’ve been feeling.
As I walk closer to him, his pain seems to intensify. He’s leaning forward now with his elbows on his knees. And sitting next to him, is a willowy woman in a long, flowing blue dress that looks to be in her fifties with dull blond hair that’s turning to gray and frown lines on her forehead. She has the oddest expression on her face – a combination of shock and determination. I watch curiously as the air around her shimmers a bit. Obviously, she’s trying to work some magic. A satisfied smile appears on her face as I continue to walk closer. I’m not sure what she thinks she just did, but it must be good if that egotistical gleam in her eyes means anything. I just roll my eyes and shake my head which causes her to look down at herself. Her head snaps back up and she glares at me. I shrug like I don’t really care what her problem is, because I don’t, and I keep walking towards the man who is attached to my bellybutton light.
It’s his turn to drop to his knees now and a small mirror tumbles to the ground. I’m right in front of him and my shadow falling over him encourages him to open his eyes. “Who are you?” he demands gruffly.
He’s pretty cocky considering he’s the one in pain right now, not me. “I think a better question is - who are you?”
He glares at me but he doesn’t answer. Fortunately, I have a keen mind and I can use deductive logic as I look at the mirror that fell to the floor. A reflective surface. “Ah,” I say as it hits me. “You must be Beren. Grandma told me about you.”
Beren straightens but he doesn’t rise to his feet. I can see the pain in his eyes still but he’s trying to ignore it. “And you must be Xandra. You have saved us a trip to Colorado. Thank you for that. Now, I order you to return with us to the King’s home where you can be tried by the Witan and
made to pay for your crimes against the magical world.”
I don’t think he expected me to start laughing because his eyes almost bug out of his head. “You really thought that was going to work?”
His brows slam together so fast and hard he winces in pain at the additional trauma to his already aching head. “I order you to return with us…”
I hold my hand up to stop him. “You seem to be under the impression that I am attached to you by this light thing.” I gesture towards the beam of light that stretches from my navel to his head. I’m sure glad no one else can see it because it’s really rather disturbing. “But if I pull on it,” I demonstrate by putting my hands on the rope of light that is surprisingly solid, “you will find that isn’t the case.” I yank on the rope and he falls forward onto his face. People walking by stop to stare at the man who just collapsed for no apparent reason. The woman next to him gasps. Oh, I almost forgot about her.
I look over at her appraisingly. I’m pretty sure I know who she is now. “Maeva, right?”
Her smile is pure acid. “My reputation must have preceded me.”
I shake my head. “No, you just seem way too into yourself to be anyone else on the Witan.” Turning back to Beren, I pull on the rope again and he barely stifles a yelp. “Now, I just came to tell you that if you try scrying for me again, I’m going to come back a lot angrier than I am right now. And you really won’t like that.” Turning my eyes back to Maeva, I let them roam up and down her frame. “Sorry, you’re definitely not my idea of a dream lover.” With a simpering smile, I mentally retract the rope of light and walk back into the crowd.
Slowly, I feel myself coming back to the kitchen. I open my eyes to Grandma shaking my shoulders. Dad and Kallen have moved back and Kallen looks pretty mad. Now what did I do?
“Xandra, dear, are you back?” Grandma’s still shaking my shoulders and now that I’m back in my own little reality, it’s getting pretty annoying.
“Yes,” I say as I gently push her hands away.
“Thank goodness,” she says with a sigh of relief. Looking over at Dad and Kallen, she says, “Do you think you could give them their voices back now?”
I look up sheepishly at the two of them. That’s why Kallen is so mad. I’ve done this to him before when I wanted him to stop talking. With a small smile that hopefully contains the appropriate amount of apology, I take back the magic that I used to make them both mute.
“Thank you,” Kallen says dryly.
“Xandra? What happened?” Mom asks. She’s hovering behind Grandma wringing her hands.
“I just met Beren and Maeva,” I say as I get unsteadily to my feet. Grandma grabs my elbow and helps steer me back to the chair I was sitting in a few minutes ago.
“What do you mean, you just met them?” Kallen asks. At least he doesn’t look mad anymore.
I look up into his vibrant green eyes that are now filled with concern. “I mean, I just met them. We introduced ourselves, I told Beren to quit scrying for me and I told Maeva that she wasn’t my type.”
Grandma covers her mouth to hide the pure glee in her smile. “Did you really?” she asks. I nod and her smile gets bigger.
Mom looks significantly less amused. “How is this possible, Mother?”
Grandma shrugs as she steps back away from the table and returns to put bread in the French toast batter and transfer it to the griddle. “As we discussed yesterday, she seems to have a strong connection to the protection circle amongst the trees. I cannot account for it, but she is more in tune with them than I had ever dreamed possible.” There’s a hint of worry in her eyes but she ducks her head and busies herself with flipping the bread on the griddle over. There’s that secret of hers rearing its ugly head again.
“Tell us what happened,” Dad demands gently. “You were physically here but your mind was gone for several minutes.” He looks pointedly at Grandma before adding, “I don’t like this.”
“I’m fine, Dad.” I’m not sticking up for Grandma, I’m just telling the truth. I am fine. And, there’s no annoying lightning strikes hitting my body anymore.
“Where did you come upon them?” Kallen asks.
“They were in an airport. Apparently, they’re on their way.”
I look over at Grandma who is fuming now. She slams the spatula she just used to take French toast off the griddle onto the counter. “I knew he was lying to me.”
I can’t help but feel badly for her. The betrayal is too raw on her face. “I didn’t actually see Grandpa there. Only Beren and Maeva,” I say but the flashing behind her eyes tells me she doesn’t care if I saw him or not. She still believes he lied to her about coming ahead of the others. I’m not sure why it matters so much, though. It’s not like he was coming to kiss and make up. He was just hoping to be able to kill me sooner and easier.
“I don’t understand how you intercepted them at an airport. You were right here the whole time.” Dad looks baffled. I’m not the only one new to all this crazy magic stuff.
“I think the protection spell brought me – or my spirit, or something – there. It was Beren trying to scry for me that was causing the shocks, I think, and the spell brought me to him. And only Maeva and he could see me.” I explain about the rope of light coming from my navel stretching to Beren. Kallen looks at me dubiously but Grandma gasps. All eight of our eyes focus on her instantly.
“Mother?” Mom prompts.
Grandma is suddenly busy again with breakfast. “I had no idea there would be such a strong connection. Xandra must be very powerful.”
“Is there something you’re not telling us, Athear?” Dad asks.
Grandma looks up at him and quickly back down at the griddle. “Don’t be silly. What would I be keeping from you?”
A retort is on Dad’s lips when the phone rings. Closing his mouth in a grim line, he floats to the voice activated phone and says, “Answer,” followed by, “Hello.”
“Where is Athear?” an angry voice demands through the speaker phone. “What has that horrible daughter of yours done to her?” Ah, the loving voice of my grandfather. I might make cookies with Grandma someday, but I’m pretty sure the fishing with Grandpa is a definite no go.
Grandma shakes her head in disgust even though Grandpa can’t see her. “Sveargith, quit being foolish. Your granddaughter has done nothing to me except welcome me into her home.” Well, I sort of did.
“Beren called me from the airport. He said he can’t scry for you – all he gets is a blank wall when he tries. And he said that girl showed up.”
That girl? He won’t even call me by name? I guess he’s going with the theory that if he doesn’t personalize me, it’ll be easier when the time comes to kill me. Or maybe it’s the whole saying a Fairy’s name thing. I don’t really care which it is. Either way, he’s still an idiot.
A smug smile plasters itself on Grandma’s face and can be heard in her voice. “How wonderful to know the spell worked so well. You should be very proud of your granddaughter for being able to wield such powerful magic at such a young age!”
Grandpa’s voice comes through as a growl now. “Proud of her? She almost killed Beren when she came to him and Maeva.”
“Wow, is that your lie or theirs?” I ask, dumbfounded that things got blown so out of proportion. “I didn’t even touch him.” Okay, my belly button light did, but still.
“The only lies that are being told, young lady, are yours.”
I turn to Dad. “I know I’m supposed to respect my elders, but would you mind terribly if I told Grandpa to go suck a rotten egg?”
Dad shakes his head. “Nope, you go right ahead. Why don’t you tell him that for me, as well.”
“Of all the impertinence! Do you know who you’re talking to, young man?” Young man? I’ve never heard my father referred to as that before. But Grandpa is pretty old.
“Sveargith, I believe you’ve lost all hope of having anyone here garner any respect for you,” Grandma tells him.
Grandpa
’s quiet for a moment. Finally, with more pleading in his voice than he probably meant for there to be, he says, “Athear, please, you have to understand. You know why this has to be done.”
“Hang up,” Grandma tells the phone and then Grandpa’s gone.
Chapter 9
The next hour is spent eating breakfast, during which Mom and Grandma spend the entire meal reminiscing, much to the chagrin of Dad, and then they show me the talismans and amulets Grandma made the night before. Apparently, they’re the standard stuff – Witch bottle repellents, see beyond the magic disguise necklaces, etc. Honestly, I stopped listening after the tenth or eleventh one. Yes, I probably should be paying attention, but my mind can’t seem to concentrate on the details. I feel on edge, understandably, I’m sure, and I’m practically crawling out of my skin.
After half an hour of continuous fidgeting on my part, Mom finally asks, “Xandra, what on earth is wrong with you? You aren’t listening to a thing we’re saying.”