Chapter 19
Xavier eyed Selena solemnly as she cradled the phone in her hands. Making no move to dial it, she calmly held it. He waited with a question on his face and Selena firmly ignored his impatience. Having just arrived from school and sitting on her porch, the sunny day was giving way to clouds and she looked forward to those drops of water in the dry desert.
“Aren’t you going to call your grandmother?” Xavier asked with irritation.
“Give me a little time.”
“Why?”
“Everything is happening so fast,” Selena said quietly. “I just want to enjoy some normalcy, even if it’s only for a few minutes.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, putting his arms tightly around her.
“Why are you sorry?”
“For not being more considerate. I’ve had this strangeness all of my life, but you were just thrown into it.”
“I’m adjusting,” Selena said, giving him a smile. “I’m okay.”
“You sure?” he asked, concerned.
“Positive.”
He held her for a few moments longer and when a few drops of rain started splattering, she decided it was time to call before the rain got worse.
“Hello, Grandmother Chela,” Selena said when she answered.
“Selenita, I’m so glad to hear from you. How are you and Xavier?”
“Fine, he’s next to me.”
“He is?”
“I’m here,” he said, snuggling closer to Selena and the phone.
“Is there something you want to ask me?” Grandmother Chela questioned.
“We need to ask you about a dream we had,” Selena stated.
“Go ahead.”
“In it, Xavier had this key in his—“
“Key?!” Grandmother Chela blurted, her voice shaky and astonished.
“Yes, a key.”
“What did it look like?” demanded Grandmother Chela.
“It was big, crystal and—“
“Did it have a lot of energy in it?” questioned Grandmother Chela with nervous undertones to her voice.
“Yes, that’s it,” joined Xavier. “What kind of key is it?”
Grandmother Chela let out a heavy sigh. “It’s the Key of Hearts,” she uttered quietly.
“The Key of Hearts?” Selena and Xavier asked in unison.
“Yes, the Key of Hearts.”
“What is it, grandmother?”
“Both of you know that human beings function through energies, right?”
“We’re electrical,” stated Xavier.
“That’s what the Key of Hearts is.”
“Energies?” Selena asked.
“Gifted people give off more electrical current than the average person. Those electrical waves eventually come together like magnets. Energy never dies—it transforms, my children.”
“So the Key of Hearts is energy?” asked Xavier.
“Yes.”
“So it’s not a real key—like a car key?” Selena questioned.
“Actually, it is but instead of being metal it’s made from quartz crystal. Several have been formed in the past, but they've been retrieved. A new one has matured and just finished forming. It’s somewhere in the El Paso area.”
“How do you know that?” Selena asked.
“You saw a special sunrise a few weeks ago, didn’t you?”
“We saw it,” answered Xavier.
“It only happened in the El Paso area and it was the sign that the key was almost ready. A windstorm followed it, indicating the near complete pulling together of the energy. Most gifted people felt that pull. You felt it, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Xavier answered.
“How about you, Selena?”
“I felt it too.”
“Then after the sunrise comes a special sunset too.”
“That was yesterday,” informed Selena.
“The sunset marks the completion of the key.”
“Why did we dream about the Key of Hearts?” asked Xavier.
“This is very upsetting,” blurted Grandmother Chela, her voice breaking up as she seemed to be talking to herself. “Very upsetting, very bad. How could this happen?”
“What are you talking about, Grandmother?”
“Danger,” she mumbled harshly.
“What?”
“Your lives are in danger now,” she declared with concern heavy in her words.
“Grandmother, you’re scaring us,” Selena announced, her voice throbbing in her throat.
“I don’t know why the key chose you! This isn't normal.”
“Grandmother Chela! Please get a hold of yourself and explain.”
“Yes, Dona Chela. You’ve got to tell us what’s going on.”
Grandmother Chela took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I lost it but I can’t face the thought that something might happen to you, Selenita.”
“What can happen to me?”
“The key chose you—I can’t believe it! It chose two rookies. It always chooses experienced people, but this time it chose novices who aren’t strong enough in their gifts yet.”
“What do you mean it chose us?” asked Xavier.
“If you dreamt you had it then it chose you to retrieve it.”
“Retrieve it?” asked Selena.
“If the greedy gifted get it, I don’t even want to think about what will happen.”
“The greedy gifted?” asked Xavier. “The dangerous forces you had told us about?”
“Yes, they’re our opposites. We try to protect while they try to disrupt and steal everything they can.”
“Are they that evil?” Selena asked, still puzzled.
“Power can be used for good or bad,” stated Grandmother Chela. “I told you that the world is very complicated.”
“Do you think those greedy gifted are already here?” inquired Xavier.
“Yes! That’s the danger I’ve been telling you about . . . I’m so sorry,” Grandmother Chela cried. “I’ve made a big mistake.”
“About what?” asked Selena.
“I told you that those strange happenings at school were just coincidences or just energy bursts.”
“They’re not, are they?” asked Selena.
“No,” stated Grandmother Chela, upset.
“Don’t feel bad, Dona Chela. You also told us to be careful and not to trust anybody, remember?”
“Yes, Grandmother, you told us that.”
“I did, didn't I?” she asked with a surge of relief in her voice.
“Tell us more about the greedy gifted,” Selena asked.
“They’re desperate for that key but unlike us, who always take it to the Tree of Birth, they want to harness its power.”
“The Tree of Birth?” Selena asked, gulping.
“A tall majestic Weeping Willow that’s been around since before humans. It’s located off of Trans Mountain Road.”
“We dreamt about that tree,” Xavier explained.
“The Tree of Birth has a type of key hole for the Key of Hearts. Once it’s completely in, no human can touch it.”
“What’ll happen if these thieves get the key?” Xavier asked.
“They’ll steal its power and then usurp our own through it,” she stated. “Evil will take over.”
“They’ll take over our abilities?” asked Xavier.
“Yes.”
“We can’t let that happen, Grandmother.”
“Where can we find the key?” questioned Xavier.
“You have to search for it.”
“How do we even begin to do that?” he asked.
“Xavier, Selena,” Grandmother Chela stated, demanding attention, “life is a puzzle.”
“Like the one in the dream I had?” Selena asked.
“Yes, Selenita,” Grandmother Chela declared solemnly. “No human being has the full puzzle. Pieces are here and there. You’ve got to put them together.”
“So what you’re trying
to tell us is that we’ll get clues from different people and things?” Selena asked.
“The Key of Hearts will want to reach you and its energy will move your way because it really belongs to the ones who share their gifts with the world.”
“So the clues will be coming?” questioned Xavier.
“Yes. The key will try to find you.”
“By the way, why is it called the Key of Hearts?” Selena asked.
“Because those of us with loving gifts protect with our hearts. We care and that’s why we do what we do.”
“We’ll find the Key of Hearts no matter what,” asserted Selena.
“Be very careful, my children.”
Xavier frowned lightly. “If we only knew who the greedy gifted were, it would make everything a lot easier but you said that they could be anybody, Dona Chela.”
“You’ve got a big advantage going for you,” assured Grandmother Chela.
“What is that?” asked Xavier.
“Just like I didn’t know that the key would choose you, I’m sure they’re in the same boat.”
“What?” asked Selena.
“They’re probably assuming like I did that the Key of Hearts would choose more seasoned warriors.”
“Maybe they’re not at our school, after all,” said a hopeful Selena.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” stated Grandmother Chela. “Those strange happenings sound like them. Right now, at least one greedy gifted has to be at every school and business in the El Paso area trying to sniff out the heart gifted—just like we don’t know who all of them are, they don’t know who all of us are either.”
“How will we see them coming?” asked Xavier, concerned.
“They create a mess wherever they’re at. Follow the chaos.”
The Key of Hearts Page 19