“Mom, please. Please. Just get it over with.” I know it sounded harsh and it might have even been harsh, but I really wanted this whole ordeal over with. The sooner the better!
“Okay Charlie, let me tell you what happened.” Mom closed her eyes. She opened them and started telling me the story. “One day Tru’s grandfather saw your father using his gifts.” Mom said it in a detached way. Just as Dad looked detached minutes ago, Moms voice was a dry, low, dead sounding detachment. And I felt like my life was falling apart with every condemning word that left her lips!
Chapter Three
Nathaniel and Lilly’s Story
All of a sudden I had to stop the inevitable. I thought I was ready to hear her, but I was wrong.
I asked, “Um, what power did my blood parents have?”
Mom smiled at me warmly. “Your father had two gifts, two extraordinary gifts. Everyone of your kind always gets two abilities, and of course they can also cast spells. They have one common power and one rare power. Your father’s gifts were telekinesis and telepathy. Telekinesis is very rare among your kind, but telepaths are not so rare. Many of your kind have the telepathic ability. Your mother had the gifts of clairvoyance and empathy. Empaths are rare among your kind. However, clairvoyants are common enough. Lilly’s empathic ability was tremendous. Everyone from the supernatural community marveled at how powerful both of your parents were. Charlie, to have rare magical powers such as theirs was amazing. Many supernaturals didn’t like that Lilly and Nathaniel had such powers—”
“Mom, before you go any further, will you explain to me what their powers did? Hello, clueless here. I have no idea what their powers do exactly. You know, in case I inherit their magical ability.”
Her whole face lit up. “Telepaths have the power to read and communicate with another person’s mind. Telekinesis is the gift of movement. Your father could use psychic power to shift or deform inanimate objects without physical force. In layman’s terms he used his mind to move things,” She said.
“That’s cool. I hope I get that power.”
“Yes,” Mom laughed. “It is cool, but also rare. Don’t get your hopes up, ok?”
I nodded. “Mom, what about Lilly’s powers? How did she use hers?”
Dad looked over at Mom. “Janet, allow me to explain.” He kissed her cheek and said, “Lilly was like a sister to me. We grew up together. So when Lilly got her powers, I was there for her.” Dad had a far off look. He shook his head and got straight to the point. “Clairvoyance is seeing what is not normally seen, an ability to see things beyond the range of normal human vision—like what is going to happen, or what has already happened.” Dad sighed. “Lilly’s empathic power was extraordinary. She could understand another’s feelings and pain. Her power gave her the ability to identify with someone in pain, joy or any type of emotion. She could feel when someone was dealing with difficulties or heartache. Whoever she came across, she could feel what they felt. Her power also allowed her to pass her feelings to another person, transferring her own feelings and emotions to that person.” Dad rubbed his hand over his face. “Such as a painter does with one of his paintings, or a singer, with a beautiful song or a musician and their sweet melody—Lilly did that with her gifts! Needless to say, anything to do with emotion your mother could feel, have and know.”
“Wow,” I breathed. “Dad, if you think about it, Lilly’s empathic power could be a deadly thing when dealing with an enemy. If said person were to hurt Lilly, she could make them feel what she felt. That’s a powerful weapon.”
Dad swallowed hard and nodded. With a shaky voice he said, “Yes. Very true, Kiddo.”
He shook his head, one tear falling down his face. He glanced over at my mom. She nodded so he got up and left the room. I guess I understood why he left. I also thought he did a good job explaining Lilly’s powers. I felt myself tearing up too, knowing it hurt them to think of Lilly and Nathaniel. But still, it was time for the story—time to tell me how my blood parents died.
“This is the story,” Mom began. “Tru’s grandfather, Kamal...” Mom stopped. She looked at me after saying the name. Maybe to see if I knew who she was talking about. I nodded for her to continue.
“Kamal saw Nathaniel and Lilly use their power on this very sick man, Jon Hamilton. He had very bad mental problems, Charlie. He was also infatuated with your mother. Jon would follow her around town, but Lilly never paid him any interest. She always said he was never much of a bother, just a mundane human. Never, that is, until that day.”
Mom closed her eyes visibly collecting herself. She licked her lips and continued, “Lilly and Nathaniel were coming out of a restaurant. Lilly was having all kinds of cravings and that day, she wanted asparagus and mushrooms with black bean sauce.”
I scrunched up my nose making a face. That didn’t sound good. Lilly ate that? Gross. Rationally, I knew it wasn’t the time to make jokes, but it was the only way I knew how to cope with what my mom was about to tell me.
Mom said, “Remember, she was pregnant with you so in a way it was something you ate as well.”
I mimicked throwing up, trying to make light of the situation and what I would hear. “That doesn’t mean I have to eat it now, or that I cannot be grossed out.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Mom grinned sadly. “However, Lilly’s taste buds were going crazy after hearing how good the food was. So, she just had to have some.” Mom’s grin faded as she got back on topic. “After their dinner Lilly and Nathaniel headed out to their car. That’s when Jon Hamilton saw them. Lilly said it was as if something snapped. She told me that the only thing she can think that would make Jon snap the way he did was that he saw them hugging and kissing. Lilly thought that had to be what set him off. Jon had never seen Lilly kiss your father before. He had seen them hug, and hold hands, but never kiss. Jon approached them with one thing on his mind: To have, take and steal Lilly from your father.”
As mom told me the story, a strange thing happened. I started to see it all; slowly the story unraveled itself behind my eyes. Wild! It was like watching a movie playing in my head. Every move Lilly and Nathaniel made, every word they spoke I could see it all just like I did when Tru’s mom told her story but this time it was in more detail.
Mom frowned in concentration. “Lilly said Jon approached them and in a low far off voice he spat, ‘Lilly, what are you doing?’ Lilly looked up from kissing Nathaniel, surprise in her eyes at what she was seeing and feeling. The feelings that were rolling off of Jon’s aura were outright painful. It almost took Lilly’s breath away. She said the feelings she was experiencing-were so strong it was hard to even draw in air. She also said the look on Jon’s face was scary. It was like Lilly was getting punched in the gut over and over. Of all the years Lilly had known Jon, she had never felt hostility, never seen a burning rage in his eyes, as she was seeing and feeling that day.”
“Yes, he had always been the shy, yet messed up type of man. But there was never hostility, anger, hate or rage. The outright pain Jon gave off was coming at her in waves. She said Jon’s feeling slashed at her body, not physically but mentally. Nevertheless, it still hurt. Lilly told me that she wanted so badly to thrust all that pain back at Jon, to let him feel exactly what she herself was feeling. Lilly wanted desperately to stop him. She wanted Jon to have the pain, the anger, the rage. Although, however bad it was hurting her, she knew he was a sick soul that just needed help. If she pushed Jon’s emotions back at him it could cause fatal damage. All the same, giving his emotions back would have been justified, but Jon might be lost in a darker place than he already was in. She couldn’t do that to someone who didn’t know what they were doing in the first place, and yet, it worried her. She knew something bad was going to happen and Lilly decided that in order to help Nathaniel, she needed to call on her clairvoyance. Your mother knew it was not a good idea to use her power in a public place with mundane people roaming the streets, but Lilly said at least it was dark already, so nobody could reall
y see her.”
“Um, Mom?” I interrupted again. She stopped and focused on me. “When my parents died, there weren’t any witnesses to stop what happened? And, why not use their powers in public? Plus, what’s a mundane?”
Mom laughed and shook her head. “Always curious Charlie, and you always ask good questions.” I beamed. “First of all Charlie, mundanes are basically ordinary people, people on this side of the specter. Granting, Lilly and Nathaniel were in a public area; their car was not in a clear location. Likewise, no one was in sight to see what was happening.”
I grimaced. All I really have to go on is what mom said Lilly told her and that is a whole lot of hearsay to me. Besides, I won’t allow myself to believe Tru’s grandfather killed them.
“Sweetie, the reason you or anyone with power should not use magic around mundane is that if someone was to see you, or any other magical being using their abilities, then your race, plus all the supernaturals in general, would not be safe from ordinary everyday people. Scientists and God knows who else would try to take their power, their magic, your magic and study, probe and finally kill out all the supernatural beings. For some, that would not be a bad thing, but for people like you and me, that, my dear Charlie wouldn’t be good at all. As I was saying, Lilly said that she and Nathaniel talked about never using their magical powers in public unless there is no alternative and in that moment, to her, there was no other possibility.”
I gazed at Mom with wide eyes. Hating that I was intrigued by the story she was telling me and all the while I knew this story was about my blood parents and yet, I wanted her to keep going. Instead I should have begged Mom to stop, begged her not to say anymore, that would’ve been the normal thing to do. However, I didn’t. I wanted to see how the movie in my head ended. Even though I knew how it would end, I still wanted to see it all play out for myself. No one in their right mind would be this interested.
“Lilly looked at Jon and this is what she said, ‘Jon, what are you talking about?’ Lilly had a bad feeling that something was going to go wrong, Jon glared and pointed his finger at them he spat, ‘I see you. I know what you are doing and it will stop now.’ Lilly was taken aback. She told me that she decided to call on her power. However, Nathaniel touched Lilly’s cheek sweetly saying, ‘Let me try first honey.’ Lilly said she smiled at her levelheaded husband. He was so sweet, so nice and willing to calm Jon down. Lilly firmly believed that if it wasn’t for Jon’s mental problems, Nathaniel would have hurt him for speaking to her that way, but instead he was going to try and talk some sense into him. Nathaniel looked at Jon, ‘Jon, you know me, right?’
“Jon took his eyes off of Lilly and glanced at Nathaniel. He nodded unsurely. Nathaniel smiled. ‘Good, why don’t you let us pass? I need to get Lilly home, she is tired and with her almost ready to have the baby she needs all the rest she can get. You do understand, right?’ Jon nodded like he did understand. Nathaniel smiled again taking Lilly’s hand and turning back to their car, but that was when everything went wrong. Lilly said Jon jumped on Nathaniel’s back pulling out a knife. Nathaniel pushed Lilly out of the way. She ended up falling down hard on the concrete. Nathaniel locked his gaze with Lilly and that was all it took, fury burned in his eyes.”
Mom’s voice dropped an octave. “Lilly said when your father saw her fall; he thought that it was his fault. She could feel it in his emotions. She said he roared with anger, grabbed Jon’s wrist and twisted it. A snap rung out, but Jon did not cry in pain. All it seemed he could feel was hate, the pain did not even faze him. Nathaniel yanked him up over his back and through him hard. Jon went sprawling to the ground with a thud and crack, Lilly thought for sure Jon was hurt badly or something worse than that. Surprisingly, Jon scrambled to his feet and started to lunge at your father yet again. At this point Lilly said that Nathaniel had enough, so he decided to use his telepathic abilities to stop Jon.”
While Mom was telling the story, my mind was racing, seeing everything. It was crazy, but it also seemed real. As if I was there in Lilly and Nathaniel’s bodies, living the events through them. Wow, when I think my life could not get any crazier, something else jumps into the mix.
First of all: I have dreams that feel real.
Next: I start talking to people in my dreams that I find out are real.
Then: I shot fire from my body.
Now: I learn that I will soon have magical powers.
Topping it all off ladies and gentlemen: I’m watching a real life movie that happened to my blood parents in my head. Wow, my life should be a TV show-starring, drum roll please . . . one really messed up girl named Charlie. But who would watch that?
Mom was saying, “Nathaniel commanded Jon to do his will, putting the right amount of persuasion in his voice. ‘Jon! Look at me now.’ Jon stopped and looked into your father’s eyes. Everything in his face blanked. Jon looked like a shell, empty and hollow. Lilly said he was now some kind of zombie, entranced in your father’s every word. Nathaniel looked into Jon’s eyes. ‘You’re going to leave and never look at me or Lilly again. Any memories you have of us are now gone. If you ever see us, you will turn around and take an alternate route. Do you understand me Jon?’ Nathaniel looked at Jon closely. Jon nodded in comprehension. Nathaniel continued. ‘Good, now leave us before I do something far worse than what I’ve already done.’ Lilly said Jon snapped out of it. He looked bewildered and dazed. Jon swayed. ‘I’m sorry,’ Jon said. ‘I must have taken a wrong turn.’ Jon turned and walked away from Lilly and Nathaniel.”
I’ve decided; seeing into the past is wicked cool.
Mom stopped for a breath and the movie in my mind stopped as well. It was like someone pulled the plug. One moment I was watching Jon walk away and the next everything went fuzzy and I was staring at my mom. I didn’t know if I should say something, tell Mom that I was seeing what was happening to Lilly and Nathaniel. I’m also a little terrified. Hello, I’m seeing what has happened! What did it all mean on a greater scale? Did it mean I was already receiving another power? Maybe like the fire thing? I shook my head trying to clear the fog that had settled in my mind. I looked deep into Mom’s sad eyes. I noticed this was taking a lot out of her; telling me something she tried to bury, must really-truly be hard.
“Now Charlie, here comes the hard part. What I am about to tell you, is word for word what your mother Lilly told us.” Mom looked down at her hands resting calmly on her lap. She stared captivatingly at her hands; she brought one hand up and rubbed her face. I readied myself once again. However, this time the movie never started. That had me wondering: Did I turn the movie off self-consciously. Maybe I stopped the movie without knowing it, because what my mom was about to tell me was so bad that my mind did not want any part in seeing how Lilly and Nathaniel died. I mentally shrugged.
“Tru’s grandfather,” Mom started. “He heard and saw what Nathaniel said and did to Jon. So he followed them back to their car. When no one was around he confronted them.”
I tried to see Kamal, but I got nothing.
“Kamal said in a low melodic voice, ‘My name is Kamal, I am chief and leader of the local Cherokee Tribe. Stop right there Traveler.’ Lilly and Nathaniel stopped, turned around and looked at Kamal with tired eyes. ‘I saw what just happened. I saw everything you did just now to that man.’ Lilly and Nathaniel looked shocked.”
I was shocked, this didn’t sound like the man I met.
“Nathaniel and Lilly looked at him; worry filled their bodies.” Mom was grimacing. “Nathaniel said, ‘I’m sorry sir; I don’t know what you are talking about.’
“Kamal growled at them, ‘Don’t lie to me Traveler. I know what you are. And I know what she is. I know exactly what you’re kind are.’
“Lilly pleaded, ‘Sir, if you saw what just happened then why not help us?’ “Kamal pointed his finger at Nathaniel, ‘You did something. I saw that man’s face; you used your magic… I know! You cannot tell me that one second the man wanted to kill you, and in the next he changed
his mind. No one can change their disposition that quickly… No one!’
Mom’s shoulders slumped. “Lilly said, ‘Well sir. If, you saw everything then you would have seen Jon-that sick man attack my husband. Jon is crazy. We did not do anything wrong. Nathaniel just talked to Jon, calming him down. That is what you just saw, nothing more.’ I believe he was unsure if your parents were indeed the Traveler and that is why he didn’t out right attack them. Kamal scowled, ‘I know what I saw, Traveler. I saw your husband take hold of that man’s mind, and it is time your kind pays for all they have done. Both of you shall pay for your ancestors’ past accountabilities. It is time dear lady that my people destroy all of the Travelers kind. I am going to start with you two.’ Kamal smiled coldly, curling his lips up.”
I frowned. I was freaking out at this point. For real, Tru’s grandfather sounded awful. But, I met him. He was nice. Something about this just didn’t add up.
Mom continued, “Nathaniel held both hands out fingers spread in mock surrender. ‘Sir, like my wife just said we didn’t hurt that man. Jon attacked me first, so I had to defend myself. Then I carefully calmed him down. He left.’ Nathaniel added. ‘There was no bloodshed. Everyone is all right. Furthermore, we do not know why you call us Traveler. We are not this Traveler you speak of. Please let us leave, we are tired and my wife needs her rest.’ Nathaniel’s shoulders sagged.
Mom rubbed at her face with both hands. She said, “Kamal shouted, ‘Liar!’ and he changed in one instant into a big gray wolf. Shocked, they both stood there, mouths gaping opened. Lilly said she saw the wolf-Kamal charge your father. Lilly yelled, ‘look out Nathaniel!’ You’re father tried to use his power on the wolf. To stop the wolf from attacking him, but nothing was working. Lilly felt every horrifying emotion, and the tremendous pain that Nathaniel was feeling. Lilly felt the claws ripping and tearing at your father’s body.
A Blaze of Magic: Chosen Saga Book Two Page 3