by K. K. Allen
I squeeze my eyes shut and open them again, willing the radio in my head to turn off. It’s as if I’ve just committed a crime for invading their privacy.
I can almost hear the pounding in my chest as a cold shiver runs down my spine. Okay. So, my vision is excellent and my hearing is perfect. I sniff and smell the rise of bacon coming from the kitchen below – hardly a new sense. I could smell bacon from across the state if I wanted it bad enough.
And then, as I turn around to lean my back on the balcony rail, my eyes set on my vanity. An unsettling thought comes to me but I will it away and move swiftly through the doorway to take a seat in front of the mirror.
Through the mirror’s reflection I look past my narrow shoulders to where the vase sits atop my nightstand. It holds fresh flowers, just as in my dream. I touch the necklace and lift it gently from my neck. Then I squeeze it as if it’s a stress ball for my nerves.
I do my best to tune out every sound, thought, and feeling until I’m solely focused on the vase across the room. Of course I won’t make it move with my mind. The thought is ridiculous.
Shaking my head vigorously, I force the negative thoughts away. Seriousness takes over me as I clear my mind. I zoom in on the vase with my eyes, until it’s perfectly in focus and everything around it blurs. My next command is so powerful that my muscles shake in reaction to the tension.
I watch in astonishment as the vase lifts in exact time to my eye’s movement. It’s floating in mid-air.
Rose isn’t in the great room where I can usually find her during afternoon tea. After speaking with Charlotte, I discover that she is outside by the pool.
As I walk out the back doors, which lead to the pool, I find myself awed again by the house that I now live in. It’s as if I’m seeing everything for the first time. With my new eyes, every detail is crisp and more appreciated. Even my peripheral vision has expanded.
“You missed breakfast,” Rose greets me with an irritated tone from her lounge chair. She sits beneath a multi-colored umbrella at the edge of the pool.
I choose not to speak. Instead, I stare across the pool and lock eyes on a plant that sits in a large ceramic pot. Within seconds, the plant moves from the ground and I will it towards us. Rose gasps and I lose my concentration. The pot falls into the pool, creating a giant splash. I look over at my grandmother who carries a stunned look. Her expression quickly turns to glee and she claps her hands together.
I’m having trouble finding my words. I didn’t prepare any of this. I’m just going with the flow, hoping that something will click. All I know now is that I need to talk to someone. And whether I like it or not, Rose is the best person to talk to about my new – circumstances.
“This is all so hard to comprehend. I have so many questions.”
Rose sighs. “I know, dear. But it’s in you. It’s who you’ve always been – since birth. You must realize now that there’s always been something in you, begging to be released.”
I can’t argue with her there. Then something clicks and I have to ask. “Did my mom know about all of this?”
Rose nods, eyes never leaving mine.
So many questions are flooding my mind now but I push them aside. Rose has more answers, and she’ll tell me when she’s ready. “So what do I do now?”
“You embrace it.” Rose is demanding now. “You do good things with it. You help. You resolve problems. You cherish what you’ve been given. It’s a gift. And there’s so much more, dear. I don’t know where to begin.”
I take a seat now beside her. “But I don’t even know what I’m embracing. I feel so – weird. As if someone else has taken over my body. None of this is possible. Magic is impossible.”
Rose places her magazine in her lap and pulls her feet up, bending her knees. “I’m sorry that I kept this from you. Things probably would have been different if we’d been closer throughout your life. But your mother kept you away for this reason exactly. There were no explaining things to you. No letting you in on the secret early in your life to prepare you for what you were born with. But even then, this was the right way to find out. So now you know. You belong to the family of the Summer Solstice.”
“The Summer Solstice.” I whisper this now, sticking a puzzle piece in its place deep in my brain. “So that’s what all this is about – the library, the artifacts in your den, and the party. Who else knows of me, and you? Is there anyone else?”
Rose nods her head. “Everyone who knows me and about the Solstice has a pretty clear idea about you. Charlotte knows, of course.”
I tilt my head, confusion rising in the pit of my stomach. “Is Charlotte a Solstice too?”
Rose grins now, smoothing out her khaki pants. “Yes.”
“So she’s part of our family?” The million questions are running rampant in my brain.
“No. You don’t have to be a Summer to be a Solstice.”
My brow furrows. “Okay.”
Rose sits up straighter now. “There is a lot to be explained. Where do we begin?”
Although I know she’s thinking to herself aloud, I answer. “The beginning.”
With a brief nod of her head, she begins to lose herself with her words.
“Many years ago, dating back to a time that is untraceable, as far as our family history goes, there was a goddess, born on the day of the Summer Solstice.”
Her name was Astina, Goddess of Enchantment. She was said to grow to be a magical being with powers only to be used for the good of mankind. As Astina grew into her power, people did not fear her. They were enchanted by her beauty and magic. And indeed, she only used her powers for good. Her followers believed that she was the purest soul on earth, and that her powers were bestowed on her because of her goodness. Her followers strived to live a life as pure as her; to help others; to be generous. When she was set to marry, she wished for an opposite to complete her to help her carry on the blood of the Solstice. She fell in love with a god who had been born on the Winter Solstice. They grew together and created a family that commenced our bloodline – their children, descendants upon their power.
“It was once believed that a Solstice may only truly fall in love and marry another Solstice in order to live together without secrets.” Rose has a look of wonderment now. “But times have changed. And as a Solstice community, we’ve come to understand that we can fall in love with others, outside of the Solstice community, and they can be brought in and share in our secrets with us.”
“Secrets?”
“Like the secrets our family had with your mother before her and Paul had fallen in love and married. She had no idea what we were before then. And it’s the same thing with you. Even though you’re one of us, I had to wait until you were official to completely let you in. It’s a Solstice law to not disclose who we are to anyone else. The law protects our kind from danger. At the beginning of our existence, the Solstice grew to be an all and powerful goddess. There were others, jealous of Astina’s powers, and they began working against her, doing whatever they could to throw her ranks. Those enemies still exist to this day, and the Solstice continues to keep our secret in effort to mask our identities from our enemies. As Solstice descendants, or Enchanters, as we have become, we believe in the purest of all things. We do not tolerate evil, sinning or defiance of any kind. Our ancestry tells us that the purer our souls are, the stronger are powers grow to be.”
“I read about the cycle of life during the Solstice months.” I say now, entranced by the stories Rose knows. “In your books, they talk about birth and rebirth. I don’t understand what all of that means.”
Rose has turned her body to face mine fully. She is fully engaged in this conversation now. I can picture how captivating she is for her Solstice following at the community center.
“You’re a direct descendant of the Summer Solstice. For those who know the stories, you’d be viewed as Astina’s Somer’s reincarnate. Think about it.”
This news drains the blood from my face as I take it all in
. Then I shake my head. “What about you? We share the same birthday.”
Rose shakes her head. “Not my bloodline. Your grandfather comes from the Somer bloodline, not me.”
I begin to connect the dots of this mystery unfolding. Is it all possible? Could I actually be a part of something that’s bigger than I ever realized? Is this why my mom took me away from my family? To protect me from becoming what I am?
“So that’s what the big deal was yesterday? We’re celebrating the birth and re-birth of Astina Somer?”
Rose nods. “It’s why we celebrate. Others celebrate the day for other reasons. But for us, it’s a significant day. Especially this year, being your 16th birthday, the day when you become an official Solstice. I wanted to celebrate you with the other Enchanters and our followers. You are officially a legend in the Solstice community.” She smiles brightly at me.
A legend. The words don’t sit well with me. Everything I ever knew about this world and about myself is changed forever. There are others. And they know about me.
Alec. I take a sharp intake of breath as I think of him and look to Rose. “Alec. Does he know about me?” The thought of him knowing that I have magical powers alarms me for some reason.
Rose shakes her head. “No. His family – they aren’t followers. Not that we know of anyway. They’ve only been here for a year.”
I shake my head. “Followers? Like a cult?”
Rose glares at me. I’m reminded of the day I asked her if she was a Wiccan. “Followers are those who believe and know of the Solstice. Just as we are Solstice descendants, they are descendants of Astina Somer’s followers. You’ll meet them soon.” The way Rose speaks of all of this, with so much confidence is bewildering. For 16 years I’ve lived in a world where magic was make believe, and Greek gods and goddesses were merely elaborate stories told as a form of religion. And here she is, expecting me to accept this as if it’s all natural.
I think about my mom again, wondering why she felt the need to keep this secret from me and take me far from my family. And then I think of the man who I was told abandoned me when I was a baby – where has he been all these years?
“So my dad is a Solstice too?” I stop now, an entire new series of questions form.
Rose’s chest rises and sinks before she adjusts her position in the chair. Is Rose nervous? “Yes, my son – Paul – is a Solstice.” Then she stares at me, as if expecting me to ask the question.
“Then why did she take me away? If Enchanters are good – why wouldn’t she want to be a part of it all?”
“Oh Kat –.” Rose’s expressions falls, revealing her age. She sees my impatience and places a hand on my shoulder. “You will know everything, I promise. But there’s a lot you need to understand first.”
Reluctantly, I change the subject. “So who are the others?”
Rose smiles. “There are many others out there. Some live in Apollo Beach. Some were here yesterday. Others know about me and come to see me from time to time, but Charlotte is the only one who has remained with me.” Rose adjusts herself in her chair. “Charlotte lost her parents many years ago. Like you, and your mom, she was left with no one at a very young age. She’s traveled the world, alone with her power and with a vague understanding of her existence. It’s actually a common thing that happens in our community.”
I tilt my head but say nothing. Rose has a lot more to say.
“Over the centuries our kind has been split apart by wars and circumstances beyond our control. Some Enchanters live their entire lives without knowing what they are, or how to control what they can do. Solstice settlements were set up around the world in order to keep whatever communities we could together. One of those settlements is here, in Apollo Beach. Every now and then, a Solstice will find their way here because of their powers. If they reveal themselves to me then I’m able to help them find out where they came from. Some stay, and some leave. Miraculously, Charlotte found me. We help each other. She has become well aware of where she came from, what she is, and what her purpose is. It works out for both of us. I have the company, care, and friendship of someone who I’ve grown to think of as my daughter. I’ve always had your grandfather as a companion–.” Her voice catches and there’s a longing in Rose’s voice that I don’t quite understand but I can guess that Charlotte was able to fill a void in Rose that was lost when George passed away.
“Our bond was strong. We share great memories and had some cherished Solstice experiences together. Now that he’s gone things have been difficult for me. I’m used to the Solstice life but since his death, my powers grow weaker with my age. But it’s also my choice. I’m giving my powers up. But not until you’re fully trained.”
Fully trained? I store that one away to ask later. “What happens when your power goes away? You just lose it?”
Rose nods. “Yes, once it fades completely it will be gone forever.”
I’m nodding slowly now, understanding. “And you say everyone gets their power at 16? Then why the visions and dreams before that?”
“I’m sorry about that, Katrina. I wanted to explain to you, to comfort you. But it’s against our law to reveal what you possess before your legal Solstice date. The age has always been 16 but the powers do not come in exact time. However, the powers are uncontrollable until your legal age. You will see that your powers will come only when you ask them to now. And they will only grow stronger.”
I nod my head slowly and think back on yesterday when I was mysteriously transported from the pool to the beach. My imagination begins to go wild. When I ask Rose if time travel and teleportation is possible, I’m immediately anxious for the answer. I wonder if it’s possible to see my mother again.
To my disappointment Rose shakes her head. “It’s a difficult thing to understand at first but once you begin practicing, you’ll see. As Enchanters, we can manipulate the natural progression of things. We can influence. We can even control the emotions and sometimes actions of others. But we can’t rewrite history and we can’t change the future.
She allows me to process the information, and as I do I sit back in my chair and shut my eyes.
“Didn’t you feel it?” I don’t know what she means at first. And then I remember the sensation that came over me right before I opened my eyes to find myself on the beach.
I nod slowly. “I didn’t know what that was.”
“That was your power. The first time you step outside on the day of the Summer Solstice is when you receive full control of your powers. And then the rest was me. I saw you walk outside – I almost missed it but Charlotte was helping me keep an eye on you. I froze everyone and then created a scene for Alec to remember while I helped you to the beach. I knew you’d come to, feeling disoriented, and I didn’t want to attract attention to you.”
I ask her to tell me more, about the evil that works against the Solstice but she doesn’t want to answer. “In due time. First, we must start at the beginning. Before we can practice magic, you must learn the rules. Are you ready?”
I nod as wonder spreads across my face and butterflies flutter wildly in my stomach. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for this. But I follow Rose into the house, past the great room and down the small hallway until we reach the small hallway with the few steps that lead down to the library.
Once we’re inside she takes me up a set of stairs and she grins at me from over her shoulder. “You know how there are secret rooms in old libraries? All you have to do is turn the candlestick?” As she says this, she places her hand on a wall candle and pulls it forward. She laughs, watching my shocked expression.
The door doesn’t rotate on a mechanical floor as I’m expecting, nor does it flip upside down to reveal a new wall. Instead, Rose pulls on the candlestick and literally pulls a door open. Now, looking at the upside-down candlestick I realize that it looks like a door handle.
Behind the wall is another den filled with loose papers, uneven stacks of books lying about, and another bookshelf filled with
raggedy-spines of all shapes and sizes. An old desk sits on the far side of the room. I see Charlotte behind the desk, a titanic-sized book beneath her crossed forearms. She’s beaming up at me.
“Hello, Kat. I see you’ve come to your senses.”
Without answering right away, my eyes sweep the room again. There is a line of photos hanging on the wall and I walk over to them, fascinated. I already know who they are – direct descendants of the Summer Solstice. The first is a hand drawn illustration of the Goddess of Enchantment, Astina Somer. I stare at her, eyeing every detail of her features and soaking them into my memory.
“I still don’t know what to make of all of this,” I say this breathlessly as my eyes float across the room and land on Charlotte.
“I am going to have my afternoon tea.” Rose exclaims with a new excitement. “We will chat later but for now, Charlotte has everything that you need to get started.”
I watch her go, wondering when she’s going to give me more of the story. “Sit,” Charlotte says, interrupting my thoughts and I turn to see a chair from the other side of the den slide over and hit the back of my legs. I gasp, Charlotte giggles like a schoolgirl. For the first time this morning I am relaxed. The corners of my mouth turn up slightly.
“How long have you known about me?” It’s the first question out of my mouth, though it’s not the first question I want to ask.
Charlotte smiles. “Well, it wasn’t too long after I met Rose. I figured it out for myself after knowing you were out there. It doesn’t take long once you understand the family tree.” Her face turns to sympathy. “How are you doing with all of this?”
I shrug at first and then sigh. “It’s like, I know these things are happening so it’s undeniable really. But there is a still a part of me waiting to wake up from a dream.”
“I understand that feeling.” Charlotte makes a face. “Imagine these things happening to you and not understanding a thing for ten years! I can’t believe I survived this long. I thought I was going crazy. But deep down I knew there had to be others out there.”