Light Magic

by Ellie Ferguson

  “All right.” I owed her that much, at least. But the first chance I got, I’d head to Dallas to find a car of my own.

  “Thank you.” Miss Serena gave my hand a squeeze. “Talk with Drew when you’re ready to look for a car. I’m sure he’ll be happy to help.”

  “I’ll do that.” Maybe he’d know which dealership would give me the best deal. Not that I could do anything until I heard back from the insurance company.

  Half an hour later, after we’d finished clearing the table, Amy and I loaded the dishwasher. As we did, she explained that the housekeeper, who had worked for her grandmother for years, came in five days a week to clean, run errands and cook. But she always left after getting dinner ready. Emily Gaines lived just down the road with her husband and their young granddaughter who they were raising. That gave me an idea. As long as I stayed with Miss Serena, I’d take over kitchen duty in the evenings. It was the least I could do.

  “Before I head to the coach house, Meg, Lexie asked me to invite you to her place Sunday afternoon for drinks. She said she’d call you tomorrow with details.” Amy wiped her hands on the dish towel and then carefully folded it before placing it on the drain board.

  “Sounds like fun.” I made a mental note to find out where the nearest liquor store was. Mom taught me to never go anywhere for drinks or dinner empty handed. Somehow, I had a feeling she’d learned that from Miss Serena.

  “Good.” She grinned and leaned against the counter. “Meg, thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For the way you’ve treated Grandma. You could have tried to take advantage of her and her money and you haven’t. I have a feeling you’d chop off your own arm before doing so.”

  From the way she spoke, I had a feeling someone had taken advantage of Miss Serena, quite possibly Amy’s own mother, and Amy meant to make sure no one else ever did.

  “Amy, I may not know why Mom sent me here, but I’m glad she did because it’s given me the chance to meet your grandmother.” Anyone who loved Mom as much as she did was special in my book. “I know you need to head out, but can you stay a a little longer?”

  She nodded and motioned to the breakfast table. A moment later, we sat across from one another and she waited for me to explain.

  “Amy, for as long as I can remember, it was just Mom and me. I don’t know who my father was and, frankly, I don’t care to know. For whatever reason, he chose not to be part of my life. As far as I knew until yesterday, Mom was the only family I had. She made sure I had everything I needed. She worked hard to do it. I may never know why she chose to live in Maxon’s Mill, but life there wasn’t easy for either of us. Mossy Creek is so different. There, the Others were ostracized and worse, except when they needed something from us. I never imagined a place like this could exist.”

  I paused and reached for the bottle of beer Amy handed me when we first came into the kitchen to load the dishwasher. Instead of drinking, I moved it around the tabletop, watching the pattern the moisture coating the bottle made on the wood.

  “Finding someone like your grandmother, someone who knew my mother and loved her, who wanted to help her whether Mom wanted her to or not, means the world to me. But it’s more than that. I feel closer to you, Lexie and Annie — even Drew and the others — than I did anyone back home. It doesn’t make sense. I’ve only known you a couple of days. But it’s the truth.” I gave a slight shrug, not sure what more to say, not sure I hadn’t already said too much.

  Tears seemed to glisten in her eyes and she scooted her chair over until she could slide her arm around my shoulders. She gave me a hug and I felt her trying to ease my sorrow. Like her grandmother, she wanted to heal what hurt, whether it was emotional or physical.

  “Then do me a favor. Consider us your family now, because I know that’s how Grandma thinks about you. And, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, if you’re her family, you’re mine as well.” She grinned and gave my shoulders another squeeze. Then she looked up and, when I followed her gaze, I saw Miss Serena standing in the doorway, watching us closely.

  I kept my eyes on Miss Serena as I answered. “I’d like that. I’d like it a lot.”

  “Good.” Amy climbed to her feet. “Of course, that means you have to promise to give Mossy Creek a chance.” With that, she gave me a cheeky grin and left the kitchen, pausing long enough to hug her grandmother.

  I stayed at the table and motioned for Miss Serena to join me. Since I’d already had a heart-to-heart with Amy, it seemed like a pretty good time to have one with her grandmother.

  “How much did you hear?” I asked.

  “Enough.”

  I waited, knowing she had more to say.

  “I knew from what little your mother said when she visited that Maxon Mill wasn’t the right place for the two of you. But every time I tried to convince her to return here, she wouldn’t discuss it. She simply said it was for the best, but the time would come when she’d finally bring you home.” Pain filled her voice and I swallowed hard. “She might not have made it back home, but she saw to it you did.”

  I ducked my head and reached up to dash at the tears burning my eyes. Then, looking up, I nodded. Before either of us could say anything, my phone began to vibrate, dancing on the tabletop where I’d laid it. Glancing down, Annie’s name and number shone up at me from the display. I slid my finger across the display, opening the waiting text message. Despite the emotion of a few moments before, I smiled at her invitation to dinner the next evening. Before I could tell Miss Serena about it, my cellphone vibrated again. This time, Quinn wanted to know if I’d like to get together over the weekend. Smiling, I handed my phone to Miss Serena and watched as she read the messages.

  “Three invitations in less than an hour,” I mused, smiling slightly. “I have to admit wondering if this, along with what the judge did earlier, isn’t all an attempt to convince me to stay.”

  To my surprise, Miss Serena said it was. “But it is also nothing more than it seems. Three people who already care for you simply want to get to know you better.”

  I thought about that for a moment and then texted both Annie and Quinn back, saying it sounded like fun. The look of approval on Miss Serena’s face as I did reassured me.

  “Now, why don’t the two of us go to my workroom? I think it’s time for me to see what you can really do.”

  I knew without asking what she meant. She wanted to get a better idea about not only my gifts but how well Mom had trained me to use them. For one very brief moment, resentment flared. No one had the right to question my training. Mom made sure I knew everything she could teach me. Then it passed. Miss Serena hadn’t meant any insult. She’d only asked what anyone with an ounce of sense about our gifts would.

  Two hours later, exhausted and covered in sweat, I lay back on the hardwood floor of the workroom. Somehow, I found the strength to push the hair back from my forehead. Then I blew out a breath. I hadn’t worked that hard in years, not since Mom quit giving me regular lessons. But it felt good, really good. The energy flowed through me. Every sense seemed heightened, sharpened. I might be tired but, for the first time since learning of Mom’s death, I felt alive. Now if I could just muster enough energy to sit up.

  “Your mother was an excellent teacher, Meg.” Miss Serena watched as I sat up and then leaned against the wall.

  “She wanted to make sure I knew everything she could teach me.” Memories of so many days and evenings spent learning to use my talents and to control them washed over me. Mom had been patient but demanding. She’d never let me get away with being sloppy or careless. As an adult, I appreciated all she taught me. As a teen, not quite as much.

  “I can see that, just as I can see the discipline she taught you. No matter how hard I pushed, you never came close to losing control of your powers.”

  Which was pretty good because wind and lightning inside did not bode well for anyone or anything caught inside with it.

  “I take it you’ve done your best to k
eep working on your talents, even while you were in the Army.” It wasn’t so much a question, but I knew I needed to answer, whether I wanted to or not.

  “Yea, ma’am.”

  I looked down, focusing on my hands where they rested in my lap. Memories of my time in Iraq washed over me and I closed my eyes. I wished I could block out the memories as easily as I could the sights around me. Instead, the nightmares I’d brought home with me returned, as they did almost every time I tried to sleep.

  Lost in my memories, I forgot I wasn’t alone until I felt Miss Serena’s arms go around me. She pulled me close, offering comfort without saying a word. A sob ripped from my throat and I buried my face against her shoulder. Pain, the pain of losing Mom and the pain of what happened a lifetime ago, rolled over me. For once, trusting this woman I’d known only a few short days, I let it. Mom told me to quit bottling the memories up. Maybe she as right but, damn it, did she have to die to prove it?

  “Sorry.” I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Compassion, maybe even understanding, filled her eyes.

  I shook my head. Maybe later, but I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. Hell, I wasn’t ready to think about what happened yet. The pain ran too deep and the betrayal hurt too much. Still, if I was honest with myself, it hadn’t hurt as badly since I arrived in Mossy Creek. True, I’m almost become a stain on the road and everyone seemed to assume I belonged here. But it went beyond all that. I felt welcome here, at home, something I couldn’t ever remember feeling except in the small house Mom and I shared as I grew up.

  “I won’t push. Just remember I’m here whenever you’re ready.”

  Miss Serena gave my shoulders one last squeeze before climbing to her feet. She held her hand out to me and waited until I grasped it. A moment later, I stood next to her, feeling like I could sleep for a week.

  “Sit,” she said as we entered the kitchen. As she did, she pointed toward the table. Without waiting to see if I complied, she moved to the stove and began heating water. Then she turned to the counter and prepared the teapot. “Meg, would you be interested in learning more about your talents?”

  She hadn’t turned to face me, so I couldn’t see her expression. Not that I needed to. Like before, she wouldn’t push, but she made the offer freely and with the hope I’d accept. Memory of Mom telling me about the woman who had taught her about her own gifts returned. I knew Mom loved that then unnamed woman. More than that, she’d respected her.

  Why hadn’t she told me about Miss Serena?

  “I’d like that very much.” If for no other reason that it would bring me closer to Mom and help me understand her better. At least that’s what I hoped.

  “Then we will start this weekend.” Before I could protest the delay, she continued. “Meg, you need time to recover from your injuries, not to mention adjust to being here. The weekend is soon enough.” Now she smiled as she placed a china cup on the table in front of me. Steam rose over its rim, bringing with it the soothing fragrances of chamomile and something I couldn’t quite identify.

  “Thank you.” I blew gently across the top of the cup before sipping. As I did, I felt, more than tasted, the herbs Miss Serena had added to it. “For everything.”

  “You’re family, Meg. Family by choice. I hope you one day feel the same.”

  I couldn’t say it yet, but I was getting there. “Will you tell me about Mossy Creek? This is like a whole different world compared to Maxon’s Mill.”

  “That will be part of our lesson this weekend.” She shook her head when I opened my mouth to protest. Then, before joining me at the table, she refilled my cup and urged me to drink some more. “The short version is, Mossy Creek became a haven for Others very early on. Normals didn’t discriminate against our kind and word spread. There have been times when certain religious zealots have tried to run our kind out of town, but each has been met with resistance from both sides.”

  I nodded. I’d learned that much in my quick research into the town. “I take it your family has been Other for a long time.”

  “Yes.” She sipped her tea. “We have a few normals, like Amy’s mother, but more of us are Other than not. We’ve also been fortunate to have made good investments over the years and, in more than one instance, to have married well. But, more than that, we’ve never forgotten our roots or the fact this town has been good to us. I was raised to do all I could to give back to Mossy Creek and I hope I’ve raised Amy the same way.”

  “You have.” That much I’d already seen.

  “Quinn’s family has been here as long as my own. They also tend to be Others. Quinn was the exception, or so she thought. Her talents only manifested themselves recently. She is still coming to terms with it all.”

  “And Drew and Annie?”

  “Drew’s as normal as he could be. While he and Quinn have had their problems, it has nothing to do with the fact she’s an Other. Something happened when they were younger and they’ve only dealt with it recently.” She paused for a moment and I waited, closely watching her. I had a feeling she wanted to carefully choose her words. “Annie hasn’t shown any indication she’s anything but normal.”

  “That’s an interesting way of putting it.”

  “Let’s just say I’m waiting to see what happens.” Miss Serena smiled and said no more on the subject. “Bring your tea, Meg. I think it’s time you see the rest of the house.”

  Ten minutes later, I sat on the edge of my bed more than a little convinced this was all a dream. Until Miss Serena gave me the “full tour” of the house, I thought I’d seen most of it. Boy was I mistaken. This might be Texas, but I swear the house reminded me of some of the old plantation houses I’d seen with Mom on one of our vacations. I’d been about ten then and she’d wanted to give me a taste of our country’s history.

  As she took me through the house, telling me its history, Miss Serena made sure I understood nothing was off-limits. She did ask that I knock before entering her workroom, something I would have done anyway. Mom taught me that rule as soon as I was old enough to be curious about the small room at the back of our house she kept locked. Miss Serena surprised me when, a moment later, she told me I was free to use her workroom whenever I wanted.

  “Your house.” I shook my head, searching for the words to explain. “Miss Serena, your house is lovely. But it’s more than that, it feels warm and welcoming, like it’s home. I know that doesn’t make sense.” I gave a small shrug, convinced she’d think I’d lost my mind. After all, how could a place I hadn’t seen a few days ago feel more like home than any place I’d lived except for that small house Mom and I shared when I was growing up?

  Instead of laughing at me, her smiled in approval as she sat next to me and reached for my hands. “Meg, this is your home for as long as you want. It won’t matter if you choose to live elsewhere, the door here will always be open to you.”

  As she spoke, I gasped softly. It was as if the house was suddenly alive. Energies danced around us, and I felt its presence in my mind. Never before had I seen — or felt — anything like it. Maybe I’d lost my mind. After the events of the last few days, would anyone blame me if I had? But I knew the house was alive and, gulp, at least semi-sentient.

  “W-what?” Not the most intelligent question I’ve ever asked but it was all I could get out.

  Miss Serena gave my shoulders a quick hug and then looked at me in approval. “The house has accepted you.” She said it as simply as if she were talking about the weather. I blinked at her, unable to process what she meant. “Meg, I don’t understand it, not fully. But this house was one of the first built in Mossy Creek. My family has lived here since then. The house is as much a part of us, and of the town, as if it were alive. It will protect us if needed and it watches over us. It’s not exactly alive but close to it.”

  “And what I just felt?” I swallowed hard, relaxing a little as the energy patterns settled back to normal.

  “That was the bourse acceptin
g that you belong here. It doesn’t accept everyone, Meg, and certainly not people who aren’t blood relations. In fact, the last person it accepted as it has you was your mother.”

  “I-I don’t understand.”

  “Think of it as your personal key to the property. You’ll still have the remotes for the gate and the garage, but you won’t need them. They’ll open for you as will the doors to the house. They will also stay closed if you don’t want someone coming in or coming onto the property. It’s your magical key in a way.”

  “Why me?”

  And why couldn’t I wrap my mind around it?

  “My guess?”

  I nodded.

  “Because the house recognized your mother in you and because it recognizes how Amy and I have accepted you and welcomed you to the family. It also knows you are an Other, a strong one.”

  “I have a feeling I’m going to want to talk about this more in the morning.” And probably a number of mornings after that.

  “Of course.” She stood and motioned for me to lie back. “Get some sleep, child. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  Sleep, how the hell was I supposed to sleep after discovering the house was alive? Memory of too many bad movies returned. Before they triggered fear, reasonable or not, the energies around me shifted again.

  Home. Safe. Welcome.

  God, I hoped so.

  Chapter 12

  “Thanks for picking me up, Drew.”

  “My pleasure.”

  He opened the passenger door of an almost new Dodge Ram pickup and waited as I climbed inside. Once I had, he handed me the bottle of bourbon I’d bought for Sam and then the rhubarb pie Miss Serena assured me was one of Annie’s favorites. From the look in Drew’s eyes when he first saw the pie, not to mention the way he’d bent his head and inhaled deeply, a look of anticipation on his face, the pie would be a hit at tonight’s dinner.