by Gina LaManna
I looked between the two faces as Ranger X ignored everyone, standing on a platform supported by a particularly thick branch in the corner. He hadn’t been amused when I’d explained that we held meetings for The Core in a tree.
“Maybe you should lift some weights,” Hettie suggested. “Might help you climb that rope ladder a little faster.”
“Hettie,” I warned.
My grandmother tilted her nose to the ceiling, which was as close as she came to a truce. “I’m assuming Ainsley can’t make it on short notice?”
“Of course not,” an oily voice said as Harpin appeared in the space Gus had been standing in moments before. “No loss. I didn’t agree with inviting that agency witch in the first place.”
“Funny. I feel the same way about you,” Gus said. “Unfortunately, you’re still here.”
Harpin, dressed in his long black robe despite the summer heat, sneered back.
“Children!” Hettie clapped her hands. “I have a pie in the oven, so let’s make this quick. Lily, you called the meeting, so what is it you wanted to discuss?”
“Well…” I sucked in a breath, thrown off at the sudden turn of attention. “I called this meeting, um, because I wanted to explain—”
“Let’s keep things moving,” Harpin interrupted. “I had to close my shop for this. What’s so important?”
Ranger X made a terrifying sound in his throat, but Harpin didn’t seem to notice. Nobody liked Harpin, and I still found myself wondering why Hettie had seen it necessary to invite him into the group in the first place.
“I recently learned some information about The Faction’s leader,” I continued. “Before my mother disappeared, she entrusted Trinket with a secret.”
“Do you have a name?” Harpin pressed.
“My mother gave Trinket the name of my father. Not only that, but she told Trinket she had every reason to believe that my father was being groomed to be the next leader of The Faction.”
Unsurprisingly, the reaction came as stunned silence. There was a rustle of leaves as the breeze changed, the crack of a board as X shifted his weight, but from the rest of the group came nothing.
Until everything came at once.
“What?!”
“No. It can’t be.”
“Names? Who? How?”
“I can’t believe my daughter kept a secret like that from me!” Hettie screeched. “Years. Years! She’s been hiding this!”
“How long have you known?” Gus asked, his face turning red. “And not bothered to tell me?”
“I’d like to point out that there’s only one person who doesn’t look surprised,” Harpin drawled, glancing pointedly at X. “Lily must’ve shared the secret in pillow talk first. Before all of us—the team she’s supposed to trust the most—were told.”
Another silence, this one precarious, followed Harpin’s observation. My hands shook. I hadn’t asked for this—any of it. I didn’t know the man claiming to be my father. I hadn’t asked to join The Core. My blood boiled, frustrated that somehow it was all my fault.
Before I could defend myself, Ranger X surprised everyone as he threw his head back and laughed. This silenced the room faster than my news. X laughing in public was a rare and quite noteworthy event.
“What’s so funny?” Harpin dared speak first. “Why is he here, anyway? He declined membership.”
“Lucky thing I declined,” X agreed. “If the Ranger business operated like this, we’d never get anything accomplished.”
Harpin stepped closer to X, his hands balled into fists. “We were doing just fine before you arrived.”
X held up his hands in submission. “I’m just here as a consultant. I was asked to be involved in The Core, and I only showed up this morning because Lily asked me to be here.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Harpin turned his beady eyes on me, flicking his gaze from head to toe before snorting in derision. “I should’ve guessed she couldn’t stand to break the news to us alone. Without her boyfriend holding her hand, taking the flak for her. In fact, why is Lily here? She’s been a witch for all of five minutes while the rest of us—”
A crack sounded as the branch holding the small platform beneath Harpin’s feet shuddered. As we watched, Harpin rose into the air, his words turning into a garbled, strained grunt of noise. Suspended above us, his face morphed to a deadly shade of purple as his breath vanished. Choking, held up by nothing except air… and magic.
X stood with his hand outstretched before him, his fingers pinching the air together as if squeezing the life from Harpin’s throat. He remained at the far corner of the treehouse, his face a passive wall against all emotion.
“X, stop!” I cried. “Leave him alone!”
“His Uniqueness,” Gus breathed, staring in awe at X. “He has telekinetic abilities.”
When Ranger X spoke, it was low, and calm, and matter of fact. “You’re wrong, Harpin. I’m not doing this because of Lily. I’m doing this as a favor to you. If you talk to people like you just talked to Lily, you’ll wind up in trouble. Others may not be so kind as Lily.”
Harpin barely managed to squeak a response. His face erred on the side of purple.
“I don’t particularly care what sort of trouble you find yourself in,” Ranger X continued. “But if you’re a true member of The Core, you better start acting like it. Otherwise, you’ll get everyone in trouble. Everyone here, and everyone on this island that you’ve sworn to protect.”
“Let him go,” I pleaded. “You’re going to kill him.”
Ranger X blinked at the sound of my voice, and then he did as I said. His fingers widened as he allowed Harpin some air. Harpin sucked in a few raspy breaths.
“You shouldn’t even be here. You don’t belong.” Harpin dared argue while still locked under the spell of X’s powers. Even Gus flinched. “Go back to where you came from.”
“No, I don’t belong here, but we—the Rangers and The Core—are in a partnership. If we can’t get along, we won’t stand a chance against whatever the future brings.”
To punctuate his warning, Ranger X let Harpin collapse onto the floor. Harpin scrambled desperately to stand, but was unsuccessful. He slumped back down, wheezing in a breath, and it was a long minute before he could pull himself to his feet.
“You’re a monster,” he spat at X. “Some Ranger you are.”
“Watch it,” Gus said, stepping between Harpin and X. “He’s the most respected Ranger The Isle has ever seen, and if word gets out you’ve disrespected him—”
“It won’t,” Ranger X said. “Everything we’ve discussed here today is completely private.”
“Or else…what?” From somewhere, Harpin found the oxygen to speak, to smirk, to press buttons. “You’ll use your secret magic on me again?”
Ranger X’s fingers twitched, but he resisted as I laid a hand on his arm.
“Stop it!” I hissed at them all. “This isn’t about X or The Core. And you can’t be mad at me, Hettie, or at Trinket, for protecting a secret she was sworn to keep. Gus, I trust you with my life. You know I tell you everything as soon as I’m ready.”
Gus stared into space while Hettie bowed her head and looked away.
“Harpin, just stop being so horrible. If you’re not interested in making friends, fine. But we have to work together, and there’s no way around it.”
Next up, I turned to Ranger X. He’d crossed his arms and was glowering at Harpin.
“And you,” I said, more gently. “I invited you here because we all need to work together. Just like you said. I love you,” I said, ignoring Harpin and speaking only to X. “But I can defend myself.”
“Sure,” Harpin said. “But when push comes to shove, he’ll be here to save the day. It’s no wonder with his Uniqueness.”
Ranger X’s breath hitched. I could feel a flood of tension as I leaned into him, a wave of understanding as he realized what he’d done. He’d exposed himself, his Uniqueness, to everyone here. Something so sacred to hi
m that he’d taken every precaution to protect it all this time.
And we all knew.
By the time I looked back to him, he was gone.
“X!” I yelled after him, but I couldn’t move as swiftly or as smoothly as he could. So, I turned my rage on Harpin as I headed for the ladder. “Look what you’ve done. You’ve divided The Core, The Rangers, and next up, it’ll be an island divided.”
“Lily, wait—” Hettie called.
“I’m through with this. The Core. X was right,” I said, my feet searching for the ladder. “I’m done here. We’re done.”
Grasping onto the thin ladder, I slid more than climbed down, sprinting toward The Twist. Ranger X might be able to make it out himself—after all, Hettie had been required to provide a key potion to her labyrinth for Ranger use.
“X, wait!” I huffed as I ran, but there was no answer.
I threw myself into the rush of flowers, bushes, and weeds. Blooms the size of chairs drifted into the path, and vines as thick as my leg wound underfoot. Water fixtures spurted and danced beyond, birds chirped and wildlife rustled.
I called again, and still nothing.
“Please, wait—” As I sprinted around a heavily foliaged curve in the road, I ran smack dab into a figure and lost my breath.
“Lily—it’s you.” Mimsey reached out, her nails gripping my shoulders. “I need to talk to you.”
“I’m sorry, can this wait? I was looking for X, and—”
“I helped Ranger X out of The Twist. He was moving quickly and asked for my help. I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“I need to find him.”
“This is important.” Mimsey’s wide eyes found mine, her short, plump frame trembling as she gripped me tighter still. “I need to talk to you about Poppy.”
I hesitated, listened, but The Twist had swallowed any last traces of Ranger X’s movements. He obviously didn’t want company right now, and if he wanted to be alone, well, I’d never be able to track him.
“Okay,” I sighed, letting the thoughts of Ranger X ease to the background. “What is it?”
“I’m worried about the disappearances. I think Poppy might be next.”
A chill ran through my blood. “Excuse me?”
“Poppy is a vampire,” Mimsey said, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m a witch.”
“Right,” I said. “What does that have to do with the disappearances?”
“A witch…” Mimsey fumbled. “Can never have a vampire baby.”
My blood ran cold. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that Poppy is adopted,” Mimsey said, her eyes orbs of fear. “And I believe The Faction is after her.”
Chapter 11
WE WALKED ALONG THE shore outside the bungalow, the sound of the waves masking our conversation. We were alone, the sun warm on our backs, our feet shuffling through the water.
I spoke first. “Does Poppy know?”
“No.” Mimsey’s face pinched in pain. “At least, she never said anything. Never asked questions.”
“Why didn’t you tell her earlier?”
“I always meant to! It wasn’t a plan to keep this a secret from her, but I guess… I just always assumed it would be obvious. I’m a witch. She’s a vampire.”
“Then time slipped away, and it became harder and harder to tell her?”
Mimsey nodded. “I tried, several times. But I couldn’t…or, at least, I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to break us. We’d always been mother and daughter, just the two of us. I didn’t want anything to change.”
“Nothing would’ve changed, Mimsey. Family is what you make of it. It’s who you love. You and Poppy love each other so much—nothing will change that.”
“Maybe if I’d told her as a child, but now?” Mimsey raised a pudgy finger and swiped a tear from her eye. “It’s too late.”
I started to respond, then changed tactics. “One thing, Mimsey. If witches can’t have vampire offspring…what about Zin? She’s a Shiftling. Her mother is a witch, so does that mean—”
Mimsey shook her head. “Zin’s father was a shifter. When shifters and witches mate, their children can be either. As for her Shiftling characteristics—that’s something else entirely, something special. A mutation like having two different colored eyes or… I don’t know, red hair. Something unpredictable.”
“How did it happen? You finding Poppy, I mean.”
“Poppy.” Mimsey paused for a smile. “I suppose she found me.”
I waited, resting in Mimsey’s smile as she searched for the words to continue.
“You know, your grandfather brought her to me.”
“Harvey? The last Mixologist?”
“The one and only. My father was a good man.”
“Where, er—how did he come across Poppy?”
“I’ll have to start at the beginning for that.” Mimsey’s eyes darkened. “As you probably know by now, The Faction has been active in one form or another for a very long time. Many years ago, when Poppy was a baby, they’d implemented a recruitment type of program.”
“Are you talking about the SINGLES program?”
“So, you have heard of it?”
“Ranger X told me this morning,” I said, watching Mimsey’s surprised expression. “He believes the program might be active once more.”
At this, Mimsey crumbled to the sand, sitting with a hard thump before resting her head in her hands. “I knew it, I knew it,” she sobbed. “They’re back.”
“But why would they be after Poppy?”
“She was one of the first vampires recruited to the program,” Mimsey said, jagged breaths halting her words. “Her real mother passed away during her birth—or so we believe. Nobody knows whether or not her father was ever in the picture, but he wasn’t around when they found her. We tried to look for him, but nothing.”
“And the SINGLES program takes in orphans.”
“The younger the better. They groom them. Can you imagine?! My poor, sweet Poppy being groomed to be one of them.”
“How did my grandfather wind up with a baby vampire?”
“As soon as the people of The Isle learned what was happening, they sent a task force to disband the program. A combination of Rangers and volunteers. Your grandfather offered to help.”
“Was their mission successful?”
“They disbanded the program and freed most of the children and young adults who’d been kidnapped. There were few adults, but they, too, were freed.”
“So, it was successful?”
“That’s a complicated question.” Mimsey gave a tight smile. “If they’re back, that means the program wasn’t obliterated for good.”
“You said there were others rescued along with Poppy. Where did they go?”
“They were placed with families around the country. A few came to this very island. Among the few who were brought here, one of them was my daughter.” Mimsey’s wrapped her arms around herself and hugged tight. “The day they disembarked from the boat, I saw her in his arms. Poppy wouldn’t let go of your grandfather—not until I reached for her, and then she came to me.”
A hard lump arose in my throat. The love Mimsey had for her daughter—blood related or not—radiated from her. There was nothing I could say to make this easier.
“I guess I never felt the need to tell Poppy she was adopted. She’s mine, she’s always been mine, and I’ve never seen her as anything other than my daughter. I’ve never had a single doubt we were meant to be a family.”
I ran my fingers through the sand, staring into the water. “Why’d you come to me? Are you ready to tell Poppy?”
“I need to warn her. I’m worried, Lily. What if she doesn’t take the news well?”
“If you tell her the same story you told me, I’m sure she’ll understand. Poppy loves you more than anything.”
“Do you think?”
“I’m positive.”
Mimsey nodded. “Is there something…anything we can do to pr
otect her?”
“Are you sure she’s even a target for the SINGLES program this time around? She’s not alone, not an orphan anymore. I’d argue she’s quite the opposite of what they’re looking for in a recruit.”
“I thought so, too,” Mimsey said. “Until this morning. Did you see the paper?”
“Yes, but Manuel—”
“—was one of the children brought to The Isle on the same day as Poppy. He was an orphan just like my Poppy.”
“You think they’re bringing back former recruits?”
Mimsey shrugged, helpless. “All I know is that now he’s gone.”
At the word gone, Mimsey burst into tears, sobbing so wantonly that I couldn’t get in a word of comfort. She sobbed and sobbed until finally, she quieted of her own accord and began dabbing her cheeks with my shirt.
“It’s going to be okay,” I told her once her head rested on my shoulder in the wake of her tears. “Ranger X is already investigating. If there’s anyone who can put an end to this, it’s his team. And Zin—she’s a Ranger-in-training now, too. She won’t let anything happen to her cousin.”
Mimsey sniffled. “I suppose you’re right. And nothing’s happened to her yet. I just couldn’t bear it if anything did.”
“I know, Mimsey. You’re her mother. It’s natural to be worried.”
“If only I’d told her ages ago.” Mimsey’s shoulders shook with a delayed sigh. “I suppose I should tell her soon. After her birthday. I can’t ruin her birthday.”
“I’m sure she’ll understand,” I said. “It’s Poppy. Remember that—she’s your daughter. Nothing can change that.”
Mimsey nodded, then lapsed into silence. We watched the waves ebb and flow, the colors on the horizon change and morph as time quietly ticked by. Eventually, Mimsey rose to her feet and announced it was time to leave.
I followed, watching her trundle away, her big skirts blowing in the wind as she clutched them tight. The water lapped at my ankles as I stood there until she disappeared into the distance.
While I waited, I realized that I should’ve pointed out the similarity between my story and Poppy’s. After twenty-six years of operating business-as-usual in the human world, I’d learned of my true calling, of my true nature, of the place that would become my home. My path as the Mixologist had come clear as I’d settled into a whole new world.