The Arrival - The Madeline Calderon Trilogy: Book 1

by Maymi Alicea

  Chapter 6

  I sit on my bed staring at the book unsure of its usefulness. The eye begins to blink, "what are you waiting for Princess? I thought you were eager to learn?" the book says in a challenging tone. Taking a deep breath I open the book to page one. Staring back at me is a family tree containing pictures and birth information about my ancestors. I am shocked to see that I have been added to the tree. Moving up along the tree there are pictures of my parents, which branch out to the sides to my mother's siblings, and up toward her parents. It appears I am royalty from my mother's side. I assumed this birth rite derived from my father's lineage since my grandmother was so open about everything, but failed to share that tidbit. Why hadn't she told me about this? I would think this information was just as important as my abilities. Her Royal Highness Gwendolyn Adams looks breathtaking and poised in her photo. I wonder who or what is in charge of the picture updates. My grandmother's picture depicts exactly what she looks like now. It's amazing! And my ancestors pictures appear to be from whatever year they passed on. Seeing all these pictures makes me miss my grandmother. Before continuing on I pick up the phone and dial my grandmother.

  On the second ring her sweet and calming voice melodically said, "Hello sweet pea, how are you?"

  With a smile that I hope carries into my voice I reply, "Hello Your Majesty." I chuckle and my grandmother follows suit.

  "So I see you and your father are becoming acquainted. Interesting that he would choose to begin with discussing our family before his own." Her tone suggested she was annoyed but instead of commenting any further, she asked, "I suspect you have some questions for me."

  Mentally debating back and forth as to whether or not I should dare ask this question, I went out on a limb and just let it out. "Does our family's position have anything to do with my mother's disappearance?" The silence was deafening, and I begin to feel as if I just sucker punched her in the stomach. I suspect for years that she was hiding details from me, and I wait patiently on the line hoping she wouldn't brush me off this time.

  "No, it was not her position, but her abilities. The women of our family are the most powerful witches in the world, but we are not without weakness. The main being we are, at the end of the day, mortals. Any blast of power can take us out, luckily we have yet to meet anyone quick or strong enough to penetrate our shield. Many found her powers most appealing because it was evenly matched with my own. Because the crown skips a generation so does the level of power each princess receives. And you my dear are even more enticing because you not only have powers passed on from our family but also the gifts possessed by your father's side. One of the reasons we made the decision to have you live with him was to learn more about the powers he has passed on. Has he told you about any of this yet?"

  Taken back by the news that I have powers from my father, I decided not to relay my adventure through the secret door of my father's library, and about the book. But I decide to share what I know about Lance and Bash in the hopes she will shed some light on who these guys are and what they want from me. Although it's becoming increasingly obvious my crown is a big factor.

  "Lance's family, like ours, moved to Massachusetts after arriving from the island. It is quite possible he seems familiar because you are destined to be with him. You also seem to have an unspoken connection with Bash, however, that is for you to figure out. I can tell you, that if you want more information about tall, dark, and dangerous you should ask your father. Their families are quite close."

  "Tall dark and dangerous, uh!" I chuckle at Gram's description of Bash. "Have you met him?"

  "No not officially, but he's parents are good people who are currently overseeing the affairs of the underworld. Together with your father they are maintaining order between the two worlds."

  Bash's connection to my dad wasn't a shock to me since seeing my dad's family tree. "Go to your father and get as much information as you can, but in the end you are going to have to choose with your heart. I love and believe in you, and am certain you will make the right decision." We talk a bit longer about school, and how her few days in her new position have been going. After saying our goodbyes I decide there is no way I could sleep without at least one attempt to probe my father for information about the town and even a little about Bash.

  I head downstairs once again looking at the animated shots of my ancestors that line the wall. Feeling anxious as I search for my father, my nerves work to cripple me just as I find him reading in a corner of the library. He looks up in surprise and gestures for me to sit in the chair across from him. I walk over folding my legs under me as I sit in the large, royal blue, suede chair. As my father places a mark in the book he is reading and places it on the table next to him, I take the chance to glance at the title. "You're reading War And Peace?on purpose?!?" His chuckle is warm and calming. I smile as he catches his breath and looks at me.

  "You're smile is as infectious as your mother's. You look so much like her." Despite the pain visible on his face he went on to explain his intrigue with the moral of the story. "In our world destiny and fate play major roles in the decision making process. However it is important to remember that with every step we take the plan meant for us changes. General Kutuzov is a great leader not only because of his strategic planning, but also because of his ability to handle the unexpected. It is a lesson each leader should learn, embrace, and implement," my father said looking at me knowingly. I begin to wonder if the fates brought me to Lodi because my reign is destined to start now.

  "What can you tell me about the town's history? The town has an eclectic population of supes." My father look at me hesitantly, takes a deep breath and looks up into my eyes.

  "The town name derives from a city in northern Italy. It was chosen by a group of elders working to divide Saddleriver and Lodi township. During its incorporation in the late 1800s many travelers from the north, south, and east were drawn to this location. Majority of the settlers were not supes, in fact the town, once upon a time, had a good balance of the two. Most just wanted to live a quiet life void of judgment and persecution. For decades the supernatural lived without issues, however, the more that arrived the more trouble was seen. People started randomly disappearing and various other strange and unexplained situations occurred. The reason was not apparent to many of the inhabitants, until some became careless with their hunts. When things became gravely out of control I joined the local police force. I figured it was my best shot at getting close to crime scenes, so I could get a better idea of what the town was facing. My first year on the job we ran across a number of bodies left in various places with the same puncture marks on the neck, wrist, and inner thigh. I thought it was the act of Vampires new to the area or new to immortality. Reviewing the evidence I made connections between the places the victims were found and began staking out similar locations that had yet to be plagued by death."

  My father takes a sip of his drink and looks at my face for a sign of discomfort or exhaustion. Although I have class the next day, nothing would get in my way of finding out more about my father's past and experiences in this town. Any and everything he tells me will only serve as an advantage when I am faced with dealing with the metaphysical residents.

  "I began looking at old articles in search of a connection between mortal and supe attacks. There was one seriously dangerous Vampire name Dominic who was as ruthless as they come. He was also extremely powerful, which as you can imagine is a bad combination. After countless nights of checking the usual areas, I was getting ready to give up. The killings had stopped, which gave me the impression the killer was just passing through town. The night I decided was going to be my last all-nighter, turned to be the night that would change my life.

  There's an industrial area close to the airport you arrived in, which would be a prime spot for someone to take a victim. It is just off the highway but cannot be seen from the highway. The exit leading to t
he area is a winding road, and just as I arrived at the bottom of the turn something told me to turn my lights off. Off to the right was an abandoned, white Range Rover. I parked a few feet away from it, grabbed a flashlight, and crept my way toward it. I peered into the car from the driver's side and noticed a women's purse in the passenger seat. Suddenly, I heard a loud blast and saw a burst of light in the distance. I immediately ran toward the light." The distress my father expressed with that last statement made me think of the movie The Poltergiest and the woman's plea to the little girl to "Don't go into the light." Returning my focus to the story I noticed my father's face becoming sad and dark.

  "The noise of the blast grew louder as I ran closer. I used the light from the explosions as my guide. When I was close enough to make out the fighters, I found a Vampire battling it out against a seemingly powerful witch. As the Vampire rose to strike I caught a good look and confirmed he was the one I had feared was involved in the killings. Dominic looked at the witch like a dog preparing to pounce on its toy. Watching a crimson ball fly over toward the witch and dissipate into bright blue crystals was unlike any light spectacle I had ever seen. The woman was equally as breathtaking. Long brown hair that complimented her piercing green eyes, she was beautiful as she was strong." My father appears to be in a daze as he continues to describe the woman who obviously stole his heart. I wonder if he met her before or after he met my mother. "She wore a silver medallion with a dragon intertwined with a bow." I gasp, and he looks at me knowingly. The powerful witch he was describing was my mother. The dragon and bow is our family's crest. I remember Grams giving me a diary with the emblem embossed on the cover.

  "You met my mother while she was fighting one of the most powerful Vampires you have ever known?" I knew very little about my mother's past as Grams spent most of my years teaching me about my own abilities. I knew most of my gifts came from her, and that my father's power worked to further strengthen them, but I had no clue about the power she possessed. "How did the fight end?" I ask eagerly.

  "I was hiding behind a rock, and had decided to get a closer look but made a noise that distracted your mother. Dominic immediately thought to use this to his advantage and released a dark red energy ball. I ran out and dove to push your mother out of the way. Just as quickly as the sphere flew past, he was sending another one our way. We jumped up and each released our own globe of power. As the orbs traveled toward Dominic something neither of us had ever witnessed before happened." My father took a moment to pause, although I am not sure if it is for affect or to gather his thoughts. "They joined together and grew in size. The look of horror on Dominic's face was unforgettable. He tried deflecting it, but his power was no match for our combined efforts. The collision forced him high into the air, and the ball did not dissolve until he landed back on the ground and burned into ash. Your mother and I stared at his remains in disbelief. After what seemed like an eternity we turned and looked at each other."

  She jumped into a defensive position and formed another energy ball. I put my hands up to show I surrendered. "Whoa, calm down. I am not going try anything. My target was Dominic. I kept my hands up to show her I meant no harm."

  "Right I'm sure. Pretty convenient you are in the same deserted area as the vampire. Dominic was so under-handed I could see him teaming up with a Vamp/Demon." Your mother said with such distaste."

  "Listen, I am a cop and my lineage is a result of a one night stand. Neither side of my families are okay with it. I wouldn't expect a witch to understand. Your people put your nose up at everyone." "I just said that to get a rise out of her. She really was that much more beautiful when she was angry," my dad said with a chuckle.

  "That is not true of all of us, and most certainly not of me," she said defensively. "Are you seriously a cop? Like for the mortals?" she asked with a smirk."

  I could tell at this point she was letting her guard down. The sparkle of her personality came through shining brightly. She was exquisite, fiery, and would make even the most jaded believe in love at first sight. The pain in his eyes was heartbreaking. He missed my mother just as much as I did. It was evident the light she brought to his life was the same that was missing from mine.

  "Talk about an explosive introduction," she said with a killer smile. She introduced herself as Marta Alvarez. As I gave her my name I extended my hand and she snickered as I gently placed a kiss on her hand. The moment my lips touched her soft skin we both jumped as a slight jolt of electric shock coursed through our bodies. "We seem to be quite a powerful pair, and I'm wondering what other magic we could create together."

  "I have to admit I started to blush as she continued to flirt." As my father looks like a love sick teenager, as he continues to describe his first meeting with my mother. It is reassuring to know how much he loves her. I always wondered how deep his affection ran considering he allowed my grandmother to take me shortly after her disappearance.

  "You didn't find it strange that a witch as powerful as my mother would vanish the way she did?" The question was clearly a punch in the gut to my father. I could tell even at a young age he blamed himself for whatever happened to her. I refuse to feel guilty for asking the question because I am certain he knows more than he is sharing.

  "Even the greatest of heroes have weaknesses, and unfortunately whoever is responsible for the loss of your mother knew what to do." My father rose from his chair with a stretch.

  Realizing I too am placing some unwarranted blame on my father I stop myself from pushing the issue. "Sometime soon could we talk about Sebastian and what you know about his family?"

  My father stopped just before exiting the library, "Of course, and you can tell me how you really feel about him."

  "What does how I feel matter?" I ask while standing up from my chair.

  "I just want to make sure your judgment is not clouded by a school boy crush. You need to approach him with a head first, heart second mind-frame. He has good in him but if you are not willing to weed out the bad he may not only break your heart, but he may also break your soul." And with that spine tingling thought my father left the library. Leaning against the door I look at the expansive room filled to the top with thousands and thousands of books. This is definitely my favorite part of the house. My imagination running as I picture the story my father just shared, I turn off all the lights and walk up to my room.