Chapter 14
I didn't want to believe the only thing that could possibly explain how we had gotten back. Magic didn't exist anymore then god did and I knew without doubt there was no god, at least not in the way the myriad religions of the world explained god.
“You do not understand daughter,” Grandmother said.
“Understand what grandmother?” I asked.
“You do not believe in who you are. You do not understand why you save Min Li, Chow Lin, and an old woman that calls you daughter,” she said.
“No grandmother I don't understand. I don't understand why I felt such a driving need to save you and your family, and I especially don't understand why your refer to me as daughter of the Lotus,” I said.
“I cannot explain what only you can know child. One day you will proclaim yourself, then you will know the answers,” she said.
“Can you tell me how we got here?” I asked.
“You wished us here daughter, that is how we get here,” she said.
“I wished it? I remember seeing all my men and the men of Charlie company, seeing all the men sitting in the chow hall talking enjoying a meal together, but that was just after you, Min Li, and Chow Lin joined us the next thing I remember we are here,” I said.
“As I say daughter, you wish us here, so we are here,” she said.
“Grandmother I don't believe in magic, and magic is the only thing that your explanation leaves room for,” I said.
“Tell me daughter can you close your eyes and smell the sweet fragrance of your white rose? Is it not magic of the mind that you can smell the sweet scent even though there is no white rose here. Magic is what your mind can see not what you see with your eyes,” she said.
So much I didn't understand, I hadn't thought of magic being a thing of the mind in the way grandmother said. The only way I had thought of magic was the way fairytales talk of it. Conjuring things out of nothing and that I knew wasn't real, but what if magic, real magic was as grandmother said, simply visualizing something you wanted, or needed and making your mind believe it. It wasn't the same I could smell the sweet fragrance of the rose simply by closing my eyes and letting my mind smell what it already knew to be real. It was the memories of the rose I was smelling, but it still smelled just as sweet.
“Are you okay Captain?” Mac asked entering my quarters.
“I'm fine Mac.” I didn't bother opening my eyes I knew each of the men standing in front of me simply by the sound of their foot steps and the smell each had. The way they breathed even the beat of their hearts. “Tell me Curtis have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your own unit like ours?” I asked.
“No sir, I haven't,” Curtis replied.
“How about you Mac? Wouldn't you like to be the one giving the orders for a change?” I asked.
“I never thought about it,” Mac said.
“Curtis can you let Mac and I have a few minutes alone, please,” I asked.
I heard all but Mac turn and leave still never opening my eyes.
“Mac what would you think if I told you I hate being called sir, that I'd rather be called ma'am?” I asked.
“The old lady is still calling you daughter isn't she?” he asked.
“Mac this goes back way before we ever met grandmother. As long as I can remember I've felt I should have been female not male,” I said,
“She will be hidden from the world in a way none can know, showing herself only to those she most trusted until the day her heart completed the Rose,” Mac said, as though remembering something he'd heard a long time ago.
“Part of that story about The White Rose Mac?” I asked.
“You aren't The White Rose yet are you?” he asked.
“I may never be this White Rose you talk of, but then again you're as much The White Rose as I am. Mac it was together we built the White Rose legends. Our unit wouldn't be what it is without both of us,” I said.
“You don't seem so skeptical about magic, so I'm guessing that old woman is starting to get to you,” he said.
“She said I'm the one who got us back. Mac, she said it was because I wished it, that because I knew what I wanted it happened. I still don't believe in fairytale magic, but I think I understand the kind of magic she was talking about,” I said.
“Fairytale magic? Is that what you think those stories of The White Rose are all about? Sam those stories talk about a woman that has mastered the magic of thought, that is able to overcome what seems impossible because she is no longer limited to the blocks of the mind that prevent what her imagination can conceive,” he said.
“She can smell the scent of the rose simply by closing her eyes and imagine herself smelling a rose? I know Mac, I know. Like I said I'm not The White Rose, but maybe one day I will be, today isn't that day though,” I said.
“You were smelling the rose when we came in, weren't you?” he asked.
“Mac I know ever man in our unit by the sound of their foot fall, the smell of their person, the beat of their heart. Yours is the easiest of the men for me to identify, but then I've known you longer than the others. I knew who was here before you entered. There might not be another person on this base who can identify someone in the way I can, but that still doesn't make me The White Rose, your White Rose is more than I could ever dream of being, she is still a mythical creature. One created to scare enemies and comfort children. Someone able to take away the fear of the helpless while instilling fear in those who would prey on the helpless,” I said.
“By the beat of their heart? Are you telling me you can hear our hearts beating?” he asked.
“I don't know if I can hear them as much as I can feel them. Tell me Mac how many people are in this room right now?” I asked.
“It's just you and me,” he said.
“Use your magic Mac, reach out with your feelings and then try again,” I said.
He closed his eyes and gasped he knew she had been there the whole time, but he hadn't let his conscious mind acknowledge what his senses said was true.
“Min Li it is not polite to listen in on a conversation you were not invited to. I know you did not learn this from grandmother,” I said.
“You are the Lotus as grandmother said,” Min Li said.
“She said I could be, not that I am,” I corrected.
She came out of her hiding place and I saw Mac gasp again as he realize she like him was a vampire from birth. She wore the Rose of the White Rose clan as well.
“Forgive me sister I did not mean harm to you,” Min Li said.
“If I had thought you did Min Li, I would have said something when you entered, not waited until now.”
“Forgive me sister I will leave if that is your wish,” she said.
“Why do you call me sister Min Li?” I asked.
“Grandmother said you are the sister of the White Lotus and when the time is right you will acknowledge yourself and be completed to have the power of the White Lotus Blossom. That you will one day unite the clan and the coven as you have done in your home land,” she said.
“Has grandmother ever been wrong?” I asked.
“I do not know, but I am only a child still,” she said.
“And you Chow Lin are you still a child?” I asked.
Both Min Li and Mac looked around trying to find Chow Lin.
“The Lotus Blossom is a children's tale from long ago. I do not believe in children's stories any longer. If you were The Lotus Blossom you would not have let our family die, but now there is only Min Li, grandmother and me left of our line,” Chow Lin said.
“I have not claimed to be what I am not Chow Lin. I am who I am, someone who wished to help and did all I could. If there were others in the house why didn't they come out were we could see them? If you wish to judge me, be sure you know all the facts, or your judgment is meaningless,” I said.
The rest of the men who had been with Mac entered the room and seeing the children took defensive postures.
“I
t's a bit late to get defensive don't you think? Where were all of you when they came in here? Relax if these children had meant any harm they wouldn't be sitting here now. It seems however that all of you need to work on your powers of observation, they were in here before you were and not one of you seemed to notice until now,” I said.
“I hate to disagree with you sir, but there was no one but you here when we got here,” Curtis said.
“Is that so Curtis? Mac did you know either of these children where here until I made mention of them being here?” I asked.
“No sir I didn't, but I do know they didn't come in while you and I were talking,” he said.
“You're right they didn't. That of course means they were already here. Chow Lin was here while I was talking to grandmother, and Min Li arrived just ahead of you. Since neither of them seemed to want to talk and weren't posing any kind of threat I didn't see any point in saying anything,” I said.
They all gave a sheepish look that they had so completely missed that the children were there.
“Sir, Major Jacobs is back and wishes to talk to you,” Curtis said.
“Major Jacobs knows where my quarters are Curtis, if it's important enough he'll find me I'm not going anywhere until dinner time,” I said.
“I'll let him know sir,” Curtis replied.
The kids left along with the men. I felt Chow Lin look back a few times trying to understand just how I had known he was there.
The Hidden Rose Page 49