Now, I wondered how much of it could actually happen. From the mist-covered highlands and the hunters who disappeared, finding themselves in a village that magically appeared only every hundred years, the play now felt oddly prophetic.
Could magic like this exist?
I thought of the mermaid and the stranger from my dream last night. Would I someday vanish into the mists of the highlands? It wouldn't be all bad if I had someone that gorgeous at my side.
But I had no time to consider the veracity of the play as I rushed on and off stage, reviewing lines when I could, and singing my heart out the rest of the time. Warmth filled me, and I could almost feel the light of joy coating the room as I allowed myself to put my heart into each and every note.
When the final curtain dropped, we held our breath backstage until the sound of applause roared out to fill the brief moment of silence. Holding hands, we ran out and bowed for the crowd. Beaming with pride at doing better than expected, joy filled me again when I saw both my dad and Melissa standing front and center, whistling and clapping.
Later, as the audience trickled out, we changed back into street clothes quickly as friends and family milled backstage, waiting to congratulate us in person. My dad brought me twelve dozen long stemmed roses and I took a deep breath, marveling at the softness of the petals and the perfumed richness.
"You didn't have to do this!"
I was touched, not to mention surprised he’d remembered to bring me something. He was so absentminded, I’d been happy to see him in the audience.
"You were amazing up there."
He leaned over and kissed my cheek and I gave him a hug, enjoying the comforting scratch of beard and familiar warmth of his arms. No one gave better hugs than my dad.
When I stepped back, Melissa bowed deferentially before smiling. "You really brought down the house. I couldn’t have done any better with all the extra weeks of practice I had."
My cheeks stung with heat as I blushed. The honesty in her voice and the complete absence of anything other than happiness for me was almost more than I could accept and I tried to downplay it.
“Well, thanks! I had fun and I’m happy to add Brigadoon to my list of performances, but I still think you would have been amazing. Now, on to more important business. I’m in the mood to add eating an entire Mile High Mud Pie to my list of accomplishments, if anyone would care to join me."
"I believe I can handle that. Who else is coming?" Melissa looked around just as Matt and Amanda appeared behind me.
Matt clapped me on the shoulder. "What's this I hear about dessert? You know we’re always down for some of that kind of danger."
I felt like I was floating. The play had been amazing and Melissa looked better than I'd seen her since I’d first heard her coughing. At one point when I'd been singing, I had seen her looking up and sang directly to her.
It was silly, but the in the same way I’d felt someone could have made her sick through a curse, I had a feeling if I could somehow direct every ounce of energy I had into my song and send healing thoughts toward her, I could make her better.
Now, offstage and after the fact, I knew it was impossible to do that. At the time though, I really believed I could. Besides, she was already taking antibiotics and didn't need magical healing, even if I had that kind of power. But then again, it wasn’t like magical thinking would do any damage at this stage either.
My dad chuckled, bringing my attention back to him complimenting my friends as he simultaneously extricated himself from the group.
"Robin? Be home before two, okay? You have exams next week, and if you stay out too late tonight, tomorrow will be a complete write-off.” He gave me another hug, raising an eyebrow as he included my friends. “Have great time tonight kids, and don't do anything you don’t want on social media."
It ended up being six of us in total who chose dessert over the larger cast party. I knew Matt and Amanda planned to head over after, but the rest of us weren’t interested. The remainder of the evening flew by as fast as the play had and before I knew it, I was walking down Sherbrooke back to Van Horne with Melissa.
I hadn’t realized how close she lived to me until she’d gotten sick. Now I turned my head, worried it was too long of a walk for her right after being released.
“You’re sure you want to walk? You just got home today. We can take a cab.”
She shook her head, looking flushed from the heat inside the restaurant but happy. "Maybe. Right now I don't care. I'm just thrilled to be out in the fresh air and around other people again. Besides, it's the strangest thing, but watching you sing tonight gave me such a boost. I feel even better now than I did when I got to the play tonight."
I thought about the feeling I’d had during the play and decided to keep it to myself as Melissa continued.
"Hey, remember when you mentioned Rachel?"
I glanced at her as we kept walking, almost stumbling before picking my way over a broken chunk of pavement.
"Yeah, but that was silly."
She shook her head. "Actually, not so silly. I just heard from Beth."
"Beth? You mean the one Rachel had the fight with today?"
I caught her nod from the corner of my eye. "Same one. Well, turns out the reason they were fighting was because Beth caught her cheating. Apparently, she's been getting the test answers for most of the year. When Beth found out, she was so mad she reported her to the principal. That was what they were discussing when Rachel stormed out."
I stopped dead in my tracks. "What? Beth reported her? Huh. Damn, I really didn't think she had it in her. Either of them!”
"I know. I was stunned too. I had no idea Rachel would ever consider cheating. I think family pressure got to her, especially because it was her last year." Melissa looked sad. "I don't think she cursed me but even if I did believe in curses, it wouldn't have helped her get top marks if I was out of the picture. I think she cheated because of the scholarship money. She needed it for tuition for U of T next year."
I shook my head as what she was saying sank in. "Now what? If she was caught cheating, she’s totally screwed."
Melissa nodded. "I know. I haven't talked to her yet. I’ll call tomorrow and see if she wants to talk, but not tonight. I think she's going to lose her spot at the university for sure, but I’m not sure what else will happen. Valedictorian and any shot of scholarship are gone too." She made a gesture, like things were vanishing, then her shoulders slumped.
"It's not your fault. You couldn't have known."
She shrugged and began walking again, but at a slower pace. "Logically I know that." She gave me a half-smile. "Much like you know you didn't curse me with your jealousy. Even so, Rachel was my best friend until all of this. I wish she would have said something. Maybe I could have talked her out of it before she lost everything."
"You were probably the last person she would have told. You said it yourself— you guys were always competing for marks. It sounds like it may have been a friendly competition for you, but clearly it was more than that for her.”
She sighed, kicking an empty can off the sidewalk. "I know. Man, who would have thought? This year is not ending the way I imagined it would."
I laughed, punching her lightly on the arm. "Tell me about it. My new best friend is a girl I've been jealous of for the last two years. Let me tell you, I didn’t see that happening. Apocalypse, perhaps. Melissa my friend? Truly, the stuff of fiction."
I laughed again and this time, she joined in. We discussed more enjoyable topics as we walked the rest of the way home, leaving the matter of Rachel far behind.
Chapter 12
I approached the rock jutting out of the surf, unable to hold back. The mermaid from the music box was sitting there, only this time instead of floating further away she sat, waiting for me with an amused expression on her face.
She was incredible; beautiful long, red hair which fell in front of her as she reclined, covering everything except the iridescent emerald tail wh
ere legs should have been. She rested on her forearms with a patient expression as I struggled toward her.
When I had finally managed to swim within an arms-length away, she started speaking as if we were old friends.
"So, how did it go? Did you learn what you needed to know?"
"I don't understand. I was supposed to learn something?”
I was too bewildered by her question to think of anything more intelligent to say and immediately felt ridiculous, like a little kid meeting a movie star and stuttering out ums and ers instead of actual words. Even before I pinched myself I’d decided I was dreaming. I was talking to a mermaid after all—it was completely impossible for this to be happening otherwise.
Not to mention I was somehow in the middle of the ocean. While Montreal had the Old Port, it wasn't exactly open water. My dreams had really stepped it up in the last few weeks.
Maybe it was all the stress.
A muffled snort of amusement caused me look up in time to see her arch an eyebrow. “Just because you're dreaming doesn't mean it isn’t real, you know.”
“Who are you? You look exactly like the figurine on the music box that showed up at my house.”
"You're not ready yet to know all the answers and now isn’t the correct time for me to explain everything."
The amusement faded from her face as she looked off into the distance. Curious, I turned to see what had captured her interest, but there was nothing there. I spun around, half-expecting her to have vanished like the last time I’d seen her in my dream, and was surprised to find her still there.
She began to sing and I remembered the words from the last time only now, there was an extra verse.
“A songbird on water,
you are more than you believe.
Look within yourself for power;
if you trust, you shall achieve.
When you reach your desperate hour
Help will arrive when you call
It will save your heart and find your soul
Entwined in destiny and all."
Her eyes locked onto mine, glittering and mesmerizing, the emerald-green glinting like sun hitting the water.
"It will be a few years until we will encounter each other again, but the time will pass almost as quickly as the stream. You must pass through one more gauntlet before you can begin to understand.”
I felt like she was speaking in riddles, or in a language I didn't understand. Although the words made sense, the content didn't.
"What do you mean there's more I have to get through yet? Is there something I’ve already gotten through? Was Melissa cursed?"
I narrowed my eyes as I tried to figure out what she was implying. She merely tilted her head, giving me a reproving look.
“I cannot tell you. Even a simple yes or no could sway the course. But know that you are loved, Robin. Sister siren, daughter of the prophet.”
My eyes widened as I caught on. "Sister? Siren? Prophet? Wait—did I do something to heal Melissa?"
She gave a mysterious smile as she looked into the distance again, her teeth small pearls against coral lips. "History is a channel and time flows like water. Many paths end in the sea. For now, it is important only that you understand there are those you can turn to for help when you need them, and magic is all around us."
I opened my mouth to question her further but she held up an elegant, green-tipped finger and placed it against my lips. "Trust in your instincts and those worthy of your love. They will be your guides."
I blinked, and as if she’d been a mirage the entire time when I opened my eyes, she was gone. I blinked once more and darkness surrounded me.
Panic filled me until I saw the florescent glow of the numbers on my bedside clock. They lit the room enough to allow me to see it was nearly dawn, but despite the early hour I knew sleep was done for the night.
Sitting up, I gently touched the music box and switched on the lamp beside my bed. When I saw what was there, my mouth fell open.
In place of the delicate red-haired mermaid was a small, pink ballerina.
Chapter 13
When I arrived at school Monday, the first thing I noticed was Rachel wasn't at her locker as per usual. Beth, whose locker was a couple down from Rachel's, was there looking glum. Curiosity warred with dread.
I had to know.
We weren’t close and I couldn't think if I’d ever spoken with her beyond a passing hello. Did I know her well enough to ask about Rachel?
I was about to find out.
"Hey, Beth. I wanted to see if you were okay after the cafeteria blow-up on Friday but I didn’t get a chance last week."
Beth looked down, pretending to straighten her text book as she smiled tremulously. "I'm okay. It's just…" She bit her lip and let the sentence trail off.
I took a quick look around, and finding the coast clear, I dropped my voice and leaned in. "It's really hard to do what's right, especially when it involves friends."
Her eyes widened as she hesitated, then nodded. "It really is. I didn't want to do it, but it wasn't fair. Not to mention she'd been acting so different lately; I was worried there was more going on."
Now she looked perplexed, and there was a hint of fear out of proportion to the situation in her face. Had she seen Rachel do something?
I thought of the woman at the tarot shop and wished I knew what Rachel had been up to in there.
"The Rachel I knew, or at least the person I thought I knew, wasn’t a cheater. I hope she’ll get whatever help she needs now, but it’s really odd—it was almost like she was a different person when I talked to her. Like she’d stop at nothing to achieve her goals."
She shuddered, rubbing her arms around the books she held. I arranged my face into what I hoped was an appropriate expression of concern as I filed the information away.
"I understand. I hope she gets help too. She dropped a paper the other day and I had my own concerns, but wasn't as brave as you were." I wrinkled my nose, feeling a need to apologize. "Maybe if I’d said something, she wouldn’t be angry at you."
Beth shook her head. "No, one paper on the floor isn't enough to stick your neck out for. Besides, she could have said it wasn’t hers. I had more information to go on, which is why they took it so seriously. I’m not going to go into details though. It’s between her and the teachers now."
"I wish there was more I could do. Are you okay? I mean you guys were pretty close."
Beth shrugged one shoulder and gave me a weak smile. "I have other friends. Melissa’s coming back next week, I think."
We both smiled and this time she didn't have to try to look happy.
"I heard. I'm really glad for her. I was stopping by to drop off her homework when she was sick. I felt so bad for her when she couldn't be lead in the play. I’m thrilled they figured out what was wrong so fast. She’s a great person."
"Yeah, she really is. She's going to make a fantastic nurse," Beth agreed.
"What about you? What are your plans for next year?" Now I was curious about her goals.
The bell rang and we began walking.
"Well, I was kind of thinking science, maybe medicine afterward. Melissa's such a kind heart and I know her mom is a nurse, so it makes sense that's the direction she wants to go. I'm fascinated by the inner workings of the body, so I’m more interested in medical research, but we’ll see how undergrad goes first."
"Wow, that sounds impressive. Are you going to be here next year?"
"Yep. First year science at McGill."
"That's great! Maybe we can set up a study group. I'll be there next year as well. It would be nice to know people. It's such a big campus."
"Yeah. I don't like big groups much, and from what my older brother has told me, first year can get a little crazy. That's why I’m going to live at home instead of moving into res."
"Me too. Well, that, and my dad will pay my rent if I live at home," I smirked.
She laughed and we waved before going our separate ways. I
smiled, wondering why I’d never tried harder to talk to her. So much wasted time. I was already looking forward to next year.
I didn’t know if I would ever find out the true story behind Rachel’s sudden about-face or whether or not she’d actually cursed Melissa, but I had a feeling things were only starting to get interesting.
With a new friend at my side and a lot to learn about magic, something told me university was going to be way cooler than high school.
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Towers by Chelli Larsen
Copyright © 2019 by Chelli Larsen
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: [email protected]
FIRST EDITION
www.chellilarsen.com
Dedication: To my nieces, Hannah, Abbey, Mylee, Eva, Emery, Alivia, Ivy, and Violet. You are the heroes in your story. You are brave enough, smart enough, and clever enough to face whatever life brings your way. When things are, and they will be, look for the strength that comes from within. That doesn’t mean that you don’t need a handsome prince. By all means, go and rescue him too! Love you always—Aunt Chell
Created with Vellum
Part I
*This story is best read in order. PART ONE titled Mother May I? is in the Kingdom of Darkness Anthology.
Prologue
Rapunzel
Once, as a little girl, Rapunzel had broken an oil lamp. When Papa Otto came upon the mess, he had asked her what happened. Rapunzel, being scared of getting into trouble, automatically replied, “I don’t know, Papa Otto. It wasn’t me.”
Kingdom of Crowns and Glory Page 16