by Ed Masessa
Without warning, Serena veered sharply left and reflexively threw her arms out to keep her balance. The Earth Mother laughed softly, putting Serena at ease. The ancient goddess was toying with her as only an old friend could.
With the temple behind her, she flew alongside the mountain. Again she extended an arm, thinking she was close enough to touch it. In response, the Earth Mother dipped her in closer. Serena laughed aloud as her hand disappeared inside the rock. The experience was so real she had forgotten her physical presence was still submerged in a small mountain hot spring.
Abruptly, the forward motion stopped. She stood at the mouth of a cave. “Go,” said the Earth Mother. All levity was gone. That one word was as much an omen as a command.
Serena walked forward, her feet gliding a dozen meters for each step. Several minutes later, deep inside the mountain, she came upon a pair of intimidating guards. Clothed in the same red robes as the monks, these figures also wore masks. The masks were not decorative, but appeared to provide some sort of biological or chemical protection.
Slung across their chests were dark brown sashes lined with pockets, each one housing a wand—some wood, some crystal. She knew they couldn’t see her, but their heads swiveled from side to side as if they sensed her presence.
The Earth Mother took control. She swept Serena past them into a small cavern where the tunnel ended. An ancient, man-made brick wall blocked her path. “What is it you want me to see?” she asked. Her eyes were drawn to a hollowed-out depression in the wall. Something was inside. Something that radiated immense power.
“Pangaea,” the Earth Mother replied with such reverence and sadness that Serena’s heart felt suddenly heavy.
“Remember.”
Serena opened her eyes, tried to breathe, and coughed up a lungful of water. She rolled onto her side as she retched uncontrollably until at last she lay on her back, her chest heaving from exhaustion.
“Are you all right?”
The familiar voice startled her. “Yes. I think so.”
“Good.” Coralis gazed toward the west, where the sun shone directly through a mountain pass in the distance. He turned to Serena, then looked into the pool.
Serena did the same, almost expecting Gaia to be there. But whatever magic the water had provided was now gone.
“It’s getting late. We should hurry.” Coralis walked swiftly up the slope.
Serena held back for just a moment and was rewarded with a final wave good-bye from the depths of the pool.
Henry sat on the edge of his bed, reliving the meeting with the new guests over and over, like hitting a replay button on his brain. There was no denying it: Luis had gotten under his skin. The new boy’s anger had nothing to do with Henry, yet there was little doubt that he was to be the target. One thing he knew for certain: If Luis was to stay at the castle for any length of time, they were going to have to work through it.
Much to his chagrin, life had just gotten more complicated.
His thoughts drifted to Katelyn. Henry had always been an avid reader. His favorite books were fantasies, and one of his favorite topics was the land of faerie. As far as he was concerned, that land truly existed. His short time with Coralis had taught him that anything was possible. So why not a parallel world or dimension in which mythical creatures thrived?
Many faerie stories took place in Ireland, where Katelyn was from. In fact, with her facial features, she could almost be an elf. Perhaps even a changeling, swapped at birth for a human baby and left to live her life in Henry’s world. He smiled at the thought but knew he’d have to keep it to himself. He imagined that if Luis found out, he would use it against him.
A knock at the door interrupted his rambling thoughts, startling him. “Who is it?”
He expected Gretchen but got Coralis. “May I come in?”
Henry was certain the Wand Master was there to reprimand him for his earlier behavior. But time with the old man had taught him he could not postpone the inevitable. Better to apologize and move on. He opened the door. “Look, I’m sorr—Oh!”
Coralis wasn’t alone. Serena smiled broadly, then rushed forward and wrapped him in a bear hug. “You are not going to believe what happened!” She bounced lively on her toes, unable to contain her excitement.
“Just a minute, young lady.” Coralis ushered them into the room and closed the door. He motioned for them to have a seat on the bed and pulled up a chair to sit across from them.
Henry and Serena glanced at each other. Something was troubling Coralis.
“Serena has brought back some disturbing news.” He stopped, as if unsure how to proceed. “I … When I saw that Malachai had returned, I knew it would only be a matter of time before he would strike again. Our encounter with his son, Dai She, was bad enough. We lost too much … almost lost everything in that struggle. And yet Dai She had the bite of a teething puppy compared to his father.”
He stood and began to pace. “Shortly after arriving back here, I put out a call to Wandmaker conclaves around the world. Partly to alert them of the forthcoming danger, and partly to instruct them on what to watch for. I know this enemy well. In all likelihood, he will leave residual traces of wand activity that might help lead us to him. But mostly … ”
He sat again, demanding their full attention. “Mostly, it was to put out a call for more apprentices.”
“Not him!” Henry shouted before he could catch himself. Coralis frowned deeply.
“Who’s him?” Serena asked, puzzled by the outburst.
Henry slumped back. He’d been hoping Luis was nothing more than a temporary houseguest. To think that they would be in class together, living under the same roof, sharing uncomfortable meals together … He felt like Coralis had added a wolf to a kennel full of Chihuahuas.
“You will meet our guests very soon, Serena. And stop brooding, Henry. It doesn’t suit you,” Coralis growled. “Two of the new recruits arrived earlier today. A third will arrive tomorrow. I am counting on the two of you to make them feel comfortable as quickly as possible.”
Henry groaned.
“What’s wrong?” Serena asked, concerned over his obvious apprehension.
Henry stopped short of giving an honest reply when he saw a dark cloud settle over Coralis’s face. “You’ll see soon enough.”
“I need to know that I can count on you.” Coralis paused, awaiting an answer.
Serena patted Henry lightly on the hand. “Of course you can.”
Henry stared at his hand, ignoring the four eyes that applied silent pressure for an answer. But something gnawed at his stomach. Over the course of the last year, he’d begun to think of himself as unique. Capable of doing things others couldn’t. For the first time, he was fully in charge of his life, unthreatened by bullies and free to learn and explore and grow. His world had changed for the better and he had found his place in it. But in the span of a few hours, everything had changed once again.
“Well, Henry?” Coralis nudged him, but the words were spoken with kindness and understanding. Perhaps he suspected how Henry felt.
His hand still tingled where Serena had touched him. He smiled. If she was part of his team, there was no way he’d refuse. “I’m in.”
“Good!” Coralis smiled at last. And it suddenly occurred to Henry that the old man could have forced Henry to comply, if he’d so chosen. But the Wand Master had not done anything to influence his decision. He never attempted to read Henry’s thoughts or coerce him into doing something he didn’t want to.
The pit in his stomach vanished. Coralis had shown true respect for him. He knew he had made the right choice and would not let them down. “When do we start?”
Coralis stood. “We meet for dinner in an hour.” On his way out the door he glanced back over his shoulder. “The girl can fill you in on her little adventure.” He winked slyly at Henry and left.
“The girl?” Serena asked indignantly.
“Let it go.” Henry laughed. “Just tell me what happened.”<
br />
“Serena, would you please pass me that plate of mashed cauliflower?”
From the moment they sat down, Luis had gone into flirt mode. He poured his full attention on Serena as if there was no one else in the room. Several times, Henry looked around the table at the others’ faces, but no one seemed bothered by it except him.
Coralis had seated Henry and Katelyn on one side of the broad, weathered table that was meant to accommodate three times as many people. Serena and Luis sat across from them, with Coralis and Gretchen at either end. Brianna, who had a headache, had taken dinner in her room. Henry wished that their mother were near enough to visit, but after she’d left Brianna in Coralis’s care, she had returned to her childhood home to fully reconcile with her estranged parents.
The cauliflower was directly in front of Henry. He pushed it—slowly—toward Luis before Serena could reach for it. “Did you eat much cauliflower in the jungle?” He pressed hard on the word jungle with a sarcastic tone.
Luis flashed a wicked grin. “No, which is why I asked for more. It’s very different from the mashed cassava roots my people eat.”
“That sounds yummy,” Serena said, then proceeded to ask him about other things he ate in the Amazon.
“Oh, you’d be surprised. Pan-fried piranha is one of my favorites.”
“Piranha! Aren’t they dangerous?” Serena asked eagerly.
Henry stabbed at his food. No matter what he did to take Luis down a notch, the other boy had a response that enticed Serena to ask more. It bothered him that he couldn’t tell if it was her insatiable thirst for knowledge … or something else.
“We eat potatoes,” Katelyn said.
Henry was so caught up in Luis’s antics that he’d almost forgotten she was there. “Excuse me?” he asked politely.
“We eat potatoes,” Katelyn repeated. “I know everyone thinks the Irish only eat potatoes, and that’s not strictly true, but I can tell you, we eat a lot of them.” She smiled at Henry and started speaking with a horrible Southern accent. “There’s fried potatoes, barbecued potatoes, mashed potatoes, potatoes and gravy, potatoes and shrimp … ”
“Forrest Gump?” Henry laughed. “Is that your best impression of Forrest Gump?”
“Aye, from the movie. One of my favorites.” She giggled. “But it was actually Bubba who said that line.”
Henry lost it. “Say that again. Say ‘Bubba.’ ”
She repeated the name. Henry laughed loud and long until Coralis tapped a fork against his plate in reprimand.
“Sorry,” Henry said, but could barely contain a chuckle.
“Katelyn, why don’t you tell us about yourself,” said Gretchen as she popped a piece of baked butternut squash into her mouth.
“There’s not much to tell, really.” Katelyn moved the food around on her plate.
Henry knew what it was like to be shy and reluctant to talk to a group of strangers, but he was very interested in her homeland and was glad Gretchen had opened that door. “There has to be more to Ireland than potatoes,” he prodded. “What town are you from? What’s it like there? Have you ever seen faeries?”
As soon as the words came out, he wished he could take them back. Luis snorted from across the table. Even Serena failed to stifle a giggle. But the effect on Katelyn was quite the opposite. Her hand froze in place and her entire body visibly tensed up. The others must have noticed too, as conversation ground to a halt and silence settled like a dead weight.
“Why don’t you tell us about Inishmore,” said Coralis, using the slightest push of Voice to calm her down.
“Inishmore,” she said softly. “An old isle with an older past.” She abruptly laughed, startling everyone. “You certainly don’t want to hear me talk in riddles now, do ya? Though truth be told, you can learn the most about Ireland through riddles, limericks, and ballads. ’Tis the best way to learn history. Helps you remember things that otherwise might be forgotten.”
“Is it pretty?” Serena leaned forward. “Where I’m from is mostly red earth and rock. I’d always imagined lots of green in Ireland.”
“Green in every shade.” Katelyn smiled and relaxed. “Inishmore is a lovely island off the western coast, with lush green grass and beautiful flowers.”
“Like Hawaii?” asked Serena.
“I couldn’t say, but probably fewer people. When my friend Trisha and her family moved away, that left eight hundred thirty-seven of us.”
“My village had half that,” said Luis thoughtfully.
“Aye, then you know, eh? No secrets in small places.”
Luis frowned as he nodded. “No secrets.”
“Well then.” She exhaled deeply. “Let’s get to it. I grew up not far from Dun Aengus.”
“I only meant for you to tell us more about your home,” said Coralis, suddenly concerned.
“No, this is fine. Better I share now than they find out later.” The tiniest smile and shrug of her shoulders told him she was okay to continue. “Dun Aengus is an old fort that dates back over three thousand years. How old is America?” she asked Henry.
“A little more than five hundred years.”
“By your history books,” Serena said, offended.
Henry stuttered, “S-sorry … I mean … ”
“It’s okay.” Serena winked at him. “That’s a story for another day.”
“Still,” continued Katelyn. “You get my point. There’s old, and there’s old. There are no clever limericks to tell us the history of Dun Aengus. Some think it was built as a fort to defend the island. Others think that perhaps it was used for ancient religious ceremonies. It doesn’t really matter what anyone thinks. What matters is what happened.”
She paused to collect her thoughts. “It’s a popular tourist site, as it sits on a cliff one hundred meters high with a spectacular view of the water. But when the days turned cold and the tourists were gone, Trisha, our friend Liam, and I would sneak over the outer walls and play among the ruins. Sometimes it was just hide-and-seek, but sometimes we fashioned ourselves to be druids, conducting ancient rituals. We’d chant all sorts of silly things that made no sense.”
She smiled at the memory, but it disappeared rapidly. “Until the day I found the old book in Mum’s closet. It was hidden for a reason, but I was always the curious one. What’s the old saying? Curiosity killed the cat? Well … the book contained many passages that looked like they could be spells.”
“Oh no,” said Henry gravely.
“Aye, it gets worse. One particular spell had notes in Mum’s handwriting, so I memorized it.” She reached into a fold in her skirt and withdrew a stone wand. “Not much to look at, is it?”
Henry and Serena groaned.
“Then you know already. It doesn’t matter how innocent it looks. I’d like to take credit for finding it, but about six months ago—”
“You got a visit from a falcon.” Luis finished her sentence, then reached into a pants pocket and produced a wand of his own.
Henry glanced worriedly toward Serena. Now was not the time for another Coralis relapse.
Katelyn raised an eyebrow at Luis. “At first I thought it was just a piece of limestone the bird picked up. But there was something about it that spoke to me. I kept it. But I never thought to try and use it until that day at Dun Aengus. There is a very large stone slab that always seemed like a place we druids should conduct our business. Liam stood larger than life, chanting his usual nonsense while Trisha urged him on. I joined in—pointing my wand toward the slab and reciting my mum’s spell.”
Her bottom lip trembled slightly. “The two of them stared at me, frightened, and backed away. I looked down and saw myself glowing. It spread from me onto the slab. The ground rumbled and began to crack open. You asked if I’ve ever seen a faerie, Henry? Not until that moment. But they weren’t the wee cutesy type. They were large and angry and misshapen and horrible-looking. As you might imagine, I panicked. But I was at a loss for what to do. It was totally beyond my control.”
/> She stopped again, this time to calm herself down. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Fortunately, Mum had found that her book had been opened and tracked me down. She looked like a raving witch as she hurdled the stone wall and tackled me off the slab. She quickly reversed the spell and the cracks slowly closed, trapping the beasties within.”
Katelyn picked up her fork and began to eat. Henry glanced at the others, whose mouths were open in shock. All but Coralis. His grim expression was one Henry had not seen since the Wand Master had unsuccessfully tried to remove all the bad moonbeams from his aura. His visible concern worried Henry. Was Katelyn under the sway of an evil similar to the bad moon?
“Katelyn,” Coralis said softly. “I am sorry. I did not know the whole story, only that your mother thought it best to send you here for training.”
Katelyn put her fork down gently and dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. Tears welled in her eyes. “Why me? Why didn’t someone tell me who I was, what I could do? Liam will never speak to me again. Trisha moved away. Because they saw the real me. They saw I am a monster!” She slammed her hands flat against the table, the force of which made it jump a half meter off the ground.
Henry, Luis, and Serena leapt back from the forceful power of her reaction. Coralis stood slowly. “You are nothing of the sort. To be honest, you are quite the opposite. You have enormous talent and potential. I take full responsibility for what happened.”
“Ha!” Katelyn’s scornful laugh cut him short. “You weren’t even there! If it’s anyone’s fault other than my own, it’s Mum’s. She should have told me something … anything.”
Coralis went to her side and touched her lightly on the shoulder. Katelyn immediately relaxed. “I should have been in contact with your mother long ago. You have a very strong Wandmaker bloodline, and it is up to me to nurture that. But I went into seclusion and shut out the world, ignoring all the signs. If it hadn’t been for that meddling falcon … ”