Remember (Protectors of the Elemental Magic Book 1)

by Marnie Cate

  Taking off the dress, I handed it to her. When she finished putting it back in the bag, she handed it to me. Setting it back on the table, I took her hand.

  “Gram, please don't rush back to distract yourself. I am scared about tonight but I need to focus my energy on not being afraid. Kai taught me that I was my own worst enemy,” I said, impatiently.

  Hugging me, she said, as she stroked my hair, “Goddess, we ask for your continued spirit and guidance on this night. With hearts of love, we will unite our family.” Looking into my eyes, she said, “Marina Addisyn Stone, I promise you that we will bring Meg home.” As she kissed me on the cheek, I felt the warmth of the elements around me. Taking the dessert out of the fridge, we returned to Cole and Elliott.

  After we ate our dessert, Gram insisted that we rest before we begin our mission. Cole and I laid in my bed not speaking. I spent the time focusing on controlling my fears. I was not alone. The four of us would bring Meg home.

  Chapter 45

  A little after midnight, my father woke me by gently shaking my shoulders. I was startled by his appearance. He was dressed completely in black including the tight knit cap he wore on his head.

  “You scared me,” I said in a whisper, as I sat up on the edge of the bed.

  “I'm sorry, Caterpillar,” he said, holding out his hand to me. Accepting his hand, he pulled me into a long hug. Being hugged by him brought back so many feelings and emotions, I was once again confident that he truly was my father.

  “Mae sent up some clothes for the both of you. I have put them on the bed,” he said, gesturing to the black clothes laid out on Meg's bed. “I'll let you wake up Cole and get ready. I don't want to scare him too.”

  Chuckling as he went down the stairs, my heart felt full of love. Thoughts of bringing Meg home made me smile. Miles would be brought into a home of peace, love and family. I could not imagine a better place to be able to grow up. Even with the sadness of father's death, my grandfather's passing and my mother disappearing, we always felt safe and loved.

  Looking down at Cole, I smiled, “Wake up, sleepy head.”

  “I wasn't sleeping,” he said groggily, “I was just checking my eyes for cracks.”

  “I see,” I said, taking his hands and pulling him up. “Were you just practicing your best impersonation of a sleeping giant? You could have shaken the birds out of the trees outside.”

  “Yes, I am glad you appreciate my talents,” he said, sitting up and wrapping his arms tightly around my waist.

  Resisting the urge to push him back on the bed and snuggle into his arms, I said, “We need to go get Meg. So up and at it. Our clothes have been laid out for us.”

  Not bothering with modesty, we both undressed and dressed again in our all black outfits including the black boots and caps. Meeting Gram and my father in the kitchen, I felt silly.

  We all look like a bunch of raccoons, I thought to myself.

  “Mara, come let me braid your hair,” Gram said, as she handed me a cup of tea. “They will see you coming for miles with that tangled mess.”

  Catching my reflection in the mirror, I could see what she meant. My hair was a fright. “Thanks for telling me, Cole, that I looked so crazy.”

  “But crazy is why I love you,” he said, sipping the tea Gram had made for him.

  Once my hair was braided, we grabbed the bags Gram had prepared and we walked towards my grandfather's woodshop. Outside the shop, Gram pointed to the two vehicles. “We will take these until we get to the base of the mountain and then we will walk the rest of the way.”

  “Cole, do you remember how to drive one of these?” Gram asked.

  “Yes, ma'am,” he said, saluting her.

  When we were younger, my grandfather had taken turns teaching us how to drive safely through the forest. I showed little interest in learning to drive the bikes so he spent more time with Cole. I always thought that my grandfather thought of him as a grandson.

  “Good, let's go,” she said, hopping on the back of the four-wheeler that my father was driving. “Get on the back of Cole's bike, Mara. No time to dilly dally.”

  As soon as I got on, the loud roaring noise filled the air as the bikes were started.

  “Hold on to my waist,” Cole directed, “It will be a bit bumpy.”

  With those words, the bike lurched forward and we began riding through the property towards the Drygen's in the north. We rode past Starten Lake and back past the tree that I had last seen Kai. Deeper into the forest, we rode until we reached the edge of the mountain and an area of thick brush.

  Stopping the bikes, we buried them deep into the foliage at the base of the mountain. Thoughts of trout snapping their warnings at us crossed my mind. Maybe it was because of our task ahead but it felt eerily quiet in the forest tonight. We began walking up the mountain on a path that seemed as if it had not been used in many years. The rocky walk was full of overgrown brush with pointy branches and slippery foliage that had overgrown hiding the path.

  “The path should clear up the higher we go,” my father said, “Just follow where I am walking and we shouldn't run into any surprises.”

  Continuing to follow, I watched my grandmother climbing the steep slope of the mountain. No one would know that she was going to be sixty-five years old. She was keeping the strong pace set by Elliott and I was pushed to not fall behind. After walking up for almost an hour, we came to a level clearing.

  “We should stop here and catch our breath,” my father said, as he pulled water canteens from his black bag.

  Sipping the water, I watched Gram look through the items in her bag and put them in her jacket pockets. Quietly, I could hear her prayers to the Goddess. Standing up, she held out her hand to me. Accepting it, I stood up and she squeezed my hand lightly.

  “Take hands,” Gram instructed. Listening to her directions, we stood and clasped hands.

  “With open hearts and pure intentions, we ask for your blessings on this night,” Gram said, confidently.

  “With the aid of the air in the east,” she said, holding out her hand to the center of the circle. The air around us swirled blowing leaves and bits of ground in the air.

  “The fire of the south,” she said, looking at me. Listening to my intuition, I held my hand out to the center of the circle. Soft flames of fire flickered from my fingers and I felt the warmth brush my cheek.

  “The water in the west,” Gram said, looking at Cole. Understanding, he put his hand in the center of the circle and I felt soft droplets of water on my arms and face. Cole wore a look of pride as we were sprinkled with moisture.

  “The earth in the north,” she said, as my father added his hand to the circle. The ground under us shook slightly as blades of grass broke through the hard ground.

  “In honor of the Goddess, we prepare for our task,” she said, as the elements began to mix and spin around us.

  The threads of fire, water, earth and air, twisted between each of us and hovered above our hands and the soft mark in the center of our rings pulsed a soft lavender light and began to glow a bright white. My ring finger felt warm as the light softened and my once soft blue ring was now white with a marbling of other colors. Looking to my family, I saw that each of their rings had changed from their unique colors of blue, purple and green to the marbled white.

  Gram took my hand and squeezed it, “Bright Blessing, Danu.” Her brown eyes were bright and shone with tears of joy.

  “Now we put our family back together,” Gram pronounced, picking up her bag and walking towards the Drygen estate.

  Chapter 46

  When we reached the top of the mountain, my father said, “We are here. Be on the lookout for any guards.” As he said this, I noticed a man sitting near one of the trees. He looked as if he was sleeping.

  Opening her bag, Gram pulled out a blue pouch. We watched quietly as she released small tendrils of smoke that slithered from the bag and blew towards the sleeping guard. As the tendrils wrapped around his hands and feet, h
e shifted and opened his eyes. Looking down at his bound hands, his eyes widened and he began to cry out for help. Before he had a chance, the strands of silver entered his open mouth and nostrils and he collapsed.

  “Is he okay?” I asked, nervous that we had hurt him. Looking to Gram, she just nodded.

  “Pull him into the brush, he will be in a deep sleep for many hours and should wake with no idea what had happened,” Gram said, going through his pockets where she found a small flask and a set of keys. She put the keys in her bag and then opened the flask dumping some of the liquid on his chest and handed it to Cole.

  “Put this near him in case he is found. They will think he had too much to drink and passed out,” she said, with a devious smile.

  Once the first guard had been dealt with, we crept further into the property. My father insisted we stay behind a tree while he lurked around the immediate surroundings of the house. Watching him creep away into the darkness, he completely disappeared. When he finally returned and appeared behind us, I was surprised by his stealth.

  “There is only one other guard stationed at the front of the property,” he said, with confidence. His green eyes almost sparkled. “We should be able to avoid him since the section we will enter is there.” Pointing to a set of windows at the highest point at the far end of the large gray stone house, he continued, “The nursery is there.”

  Staring at the large house, I was in awe at the grand building and irritated at the same time. Eliza left our warm home to live in this cold monstrosity. The stone mansion was three stories high and the first level had a wrap-around patio with a three-foot wall. On the side of the house, there were four steps that allowed access to the first level. The second and third floors had smaller walkways around ledges at each level with no access. The estate was enormous. The back of the house had a row of eight windows on the top level that were at least three feet high by two feet wide. The third floor had a set of patio doors in the middle. One of the windows had the drapes partly open and I felt pulled there.

  “I feel that Meg is there,” I said, pointing at the window. “How will we get in?”

  “You and I will go to the window together,” my father said. “Once I have opened it and I know you are safe, I will watch for any movement around the house.”

  Handing me a blue pouch like the one we used on the guard, Gram said, “In case you need it, open the sack carefully while focusing your energy on the target. You know what the result will be already.”

  “This,” she said, handing me a small vial with a jade green liquid that slightly bubbled, “should be sprinkled at any barrier your cross. One drop is more than enough in the center of the area. If it turns red, leave the area. It will detect any magic or warning systems Eliza may have cast. Hopefully my daughter is as overconfident as she has always been and did not protect all entries.”

  Taking the items, I slipped them into my jacket pocket, “Don't worry, Gram. I will be in and out with Meg and Miles before you know it.”

  Taking her hand, I squeezed it. As I looked into her soft brown eyes, I could sense her worry and I focused all of my energy into sending her all the love I had for her.

  “I know you will be cautious,” Kissing me on the cheek, she said. “You have always been my strong girl.”

  Cole was watching the exchange between us. “Listen to Gram and be careful, Mar,” he demanded, as he hugged me tightly. Unable to hide the worry in his voice, he said, “I love you.”

  “I will only be gone for a few minutes, everyone,” I said, embracing my inner Gram. “I will go get Meg and Miles and then we will be home in time for breakfast.”

  Taking my father's hand, I said, with fierce determination, “Let's get Meg. One day without her was too long. It is time to take my little sister home.”

  Chapter 47

  Before we climbed each step, I placed a drop of the green liquid Gram gave me in the center of the dark stone. The drops sizzled but stayed the same green color. Careful as we walked down the long patio of the first level, we watched for any signs of movement in the house. The window coverings were tightly closed and no sounds inside could be heard.

  “This is the kitchen and staff quarters,” Elliott cautioned. “Up ahead, there is a long metal pipe that runs up the side of the house. The pole ladder will be how we get to the third floor. Hand me the vial and I will place the drops along the way. Stay a bit behind me in case we need to retreat.”

  Climbing the pole, I could feel the sadness and anger coming from the building. How could a house emit such feelings? I felt chilled at the thought of Meg having to stay here for even one night. The second level was as closed up and as dark as the first level.

  When we reached the third level with no signs of protection spells, we climbed onto the patio. Keeping close to the house and watching for any signs of activity, we arrived at the window of the room that I felt Meg was being kept. Peeking in the window, I could tell it was a child's room. It was dark but the small twin bed was not empty.

  “This is it.” I whispered to him. “How can I open the window?”

  “No worries, Caterpillar.” my father said, “I have gathered many skills while I was gone to include lock picking and other stealthy activities.”

  Pulling out a long flat screwdriver, he inserted it into the top of the windowpane and then slowly began to lift the window. Stopping, he placed a drop of the potion and waited to see if we would alert anyone.

  “All clear,” he said, handing me the vial and then hugging me tightly. “We will meet you at the tree where we found the guard. I will be watching for you in case you need me.”

  “Thank you,” I said, pushing back my fear and climbing through the window.

  When I entered the room, I realized that it was not Meg that was sleeping in the bed. The small lump in the bed was my brother, Miles. The room was plain. With a dark green comforter covering the bed and the space was filled with heavy, dark furniture, it seemed more like an old man's room than a child's. There were not toys, pictures or signs that a young boy lived here. Once again, I felt a cold feeling. I did not feel any joy or happiness in this room.

  Kneeling down by the sleeping boy, I stared at him for a few minutes just watching him sleep. He looked so much like Meg that I instantly felt protective of him. His dark brown hair was covering his forehead and I found myself stroking his hair away from his eyes. I was not sure how to wake him without frightening him. As I sat staring at him pondering the best approach, he slowly opened his big green eyes and smiled.

  “She promised me you would come for us, Mara,” he said and threw his arms around my neck. Surprised by his reaction, I had no words other than hugging him back.

  “Miles, we will have so much time to get to know each other,” I promised, “but we need to get you safety first. Is Meg's room close?”

  “She is in a room down the hall,” he said, “I know a secret way we can go. We do not want to wake Grandmother Blanche. She is a light sleeper.”

  “Let's dress you quickly and you can show me the way.” I said, as he got out of bed, “You will need to put on warm, dark clothes.”

  While he dressed, I arranged his bed covers to make it look like there was still a sleeping child in the bed if he was checked on. Miles dressed quickly and then grabbed a small box from his dresser.

  “Come this way,” he whispered, grabbing my hand and leading me into his closet shutting the door behind us.

  “Stay here,” he insisted as he began slowly moving things. He handed a small flashlight to me and pointed at the back of the closet, “Shine this here.”

  Doing as I was told, I watched as he slowly popped off a panel of the wood in the closet that led to an opening in the wall.

  “Ok, come in here but we need to turn the light off,” he said, motioning for me to come with him.

  As I entered the musty space, I waited while he replaced the panel to hide any evidence of our entering the wall. Miles led me through his secret maze until we stopped
at a cutout in the wall.

  “This is Meg's room,” he said, “Wait here until I make sure the coast is clear.”

  As he entered the closet, I could hear voices in the room. Miles came back when he realized that Meg was not alone and put his finger to his mouth to warn me to be quiet. As he sat in my arms, we listened to the conversation that was going on in the room.

  “Meg, I am growing tired of you and your insistence that you have absolutely no knowledge of magic,” Eliza's cold voice snapped. “You must stop this nonsense. You will not continue to be the brat my mother let you turn into. It is time to act like the daughter I always wanted. You would be so happy here if you would stop lying and tell me what I need to know.”

  “It is not nice to tell stories trying to trick me. I do not know any magic since IT IS NOT REAL! I cannot do what you keep demanding me to do,” Meg said, in a firm voice and slapped her hands on something hard. Fear filled me as I prepared for the next words that would come from Meg.

  Full of anger, Meg shouted, “I am sorry I am not the daughter you always wanted but you are nothing like the mothers I already have. I have two mothers that are much better and kinder than you will ever be.”

  “How can you speak so harshly to me?” Eliza cried out, in despair, “If you want to break my heart and be so cruel, I will go. If you want to be alone, I promise I will not come back.”

  After a few minutes of silence, she realized her tactics were not working on my sister. Eliza said, with such venom in her voice that I felt the hair on my arms stand up, “I know you have access to the magic I need even if you won't admit it. I have waited many years and I can wait a few more days or weeks even if I must. Your sister will be along soon enough to save you. She is the one that has access to the magic I truly want. And thanks to you, she will be happy to give me whatever I want in exchange for your life.”

  “Since you want to be alone, you will be until she arrives,” she snarled. “I hope you enjoyed your dinner. It will be the last meal you have until I get what I want.”