You don’t look a day over sweet sixteen.
“You were a hopeful acolyte?”
“I was chosen by Phil, but I didn’t work out.”
“Why not? Why didn’t you work out? What happened?” Danica was enjoying the porridge as they chatted.
Emma sat on the edge of the bed. “Nothing happened. That’s just it. My Magic Day arrived, and I was ready for the celebration, and then nothing happened. I was sad at first, but it’s been okay. I’ve been able to hone my skills and I do important work, and I’m happy.”
“Important work. This is important work?”
Emma laughed. “My work as a maid is important, but I was speaking about my other work. I’m a translogician and an interpreter.”
Danica looked confused.
“It’s my gift. I can learn and translate other languages easily.”
“You mean like Spanish and French?” Danica said between sips of tea.
Yes, those are easy. I’m talking about languages from the other worlds.”
“You’re talking about the worlds behind the portals in the cellar.”
“That’s right.”
“So, you use your gift to its full advantage here.”
“I use my gift as far as I can take it. I could have gone much further if I had been accepted.”
“What does that mean—accepted? Who accepts someone?”
“The Magic, of course. Phil has been searching for another translogician for years, hoping to find someone who will become Magic, like you will today. Aren’t you excited?” Her bright eyes sparkled.
“I might be if I knew what to expect. I don’t know where to go, what to wear, what to say. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” Danica realized she was close to tears.
“You don’t need to know anything. It will all be taken care of.” Emma smiled. “Believe me.” She squeezed Danica’s hand.
I like this girl. Maybe we can be friends.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Emma hurried over to open it. There were three people standing on the threshold: two women and a man. On seeing them, Danica moved the tray over. She didn’t know what to expect, and at the same time she was intrigued.
“Hi doll,” the young man said to Emma, kissing her on the cheek. He sauntered into the room like he was expected. He was handsome with waving auburn hair that fell past his ears. He regarded Danica with beautiful topaz eyes outlined in dark liner. He wore a deep purple paisley fitted jacket over a sunny yellow silk shirt. His pants were dark green leather and skintight.
He walked up to the side of her bed. “Danica, we’re your design team. I’m Beau and this is Mei and Jen,” he said, indicating the two women who had followed him into the room. “We don’t have a lot of time here, so we need to get started right away. Mei will take you into the shower and then work on your hair. Jen will do your make-up, and I am your dresser.”
Danica felt herself redden. “Uh, I’ve been dressing myself for fifteen years. I don’t need a man to dress me!” Before she knew what was happening, Beau swept the sheet away. Danica screamed and tried to cover her nakedness.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’s nothing I haven’t seen hundreds of times. And believe me, I’m not interested,” he said as he gently grabbed her arm, pulling her from the bed. “Now hurry into the shower. Mei will help you, and then we’ll get busy making you into the belle of the ball! Oh, I just love my work!” He eyed her appreciatively. “Especially when I have good material to work with.”
He kept talking as Danica was hurried into the bathroom by Mei who turned the water on and then pushed her under the shower. It was cold! She shrieked as Mei quickly shampooed her hair and scrubbed her body with a rough loofa. After a luke-warm rinse off, Danica stepped out of the shower and Mei massaged her skin with a fragrant lotion that tingled with tea-tree oil. Then she wrapped a large Turkish towel around her body and another around her head and led her out of the bathroom to the vanity. She sat Danica in the chair and removed the towel from her head. She plugged in a hair dryer and began drying Danica’s long tresses. Soon her hair was shining and hanging perfectly straight. Her hair had always been uncooperative, curling up in places where it should have been straight. Now it was pin straight, thick, and lustrous, parted in the middle with the ends blunt-cut.
Next, Jen stepped in to do the make-up. She plugged in a small device that rotated and felt like fine sandpaper against the skin on her face. Then she applied a rich emollient and after that a liquid moisturizer that felt like velvet. Danica kept her eyes closed as Jen worked on her face. She felt her plucking and shaping her eyebrows and applying eye shadow and mascara, things Danica had never worn. A brush was used on her lips and cheeks. When Jen was finished, Danica was whisked from the vanity before she had a chance to see what had been done.
“My turn!” Beau said, clapping his hands. “You gorgeous thing, you. I get to do the finishing touches, and you are going to be amazed! But you can’t look until I’m completely finished. Promise? Come over here.”
Danica walked over to the wardrobe. Beau opened the double doors and chose a few items and placed them on the bed. As he attempted to remove her towel, she held on to it. They locked eyes, daring the other to continue. After a few moments, Danica sighed and relented. She could tell by the way he looked at her that he wasn’t seeing her in any kind of lecherous way. It was more like she was a canvas, and he was the artist deciding where to apply color for the greatest effect.
As he took the towel from her, he said, “Darling believe me, your body, perfect as it is, means nothing to me other than a dress form onto which I can create.”
He handed her dainty black slippers, just her size, and when she put them on, she found them comfortable.
Beau looked in the wardrobe. “I have just the thing,” he mused, pulling out an exquisite black garment that flashed with lights. Danica held her arms up and he slipped it over her head. It floated around her like a cloud. The wide neckline extended to her shoulders, and bell sleeves hung loosely to her wrists. It was a long robe, like a ceremonial robe, but the fabric was exquisite and different from anything Danica had ever seen. It flowed out lightly and moved languidly, and it was the most luxurious thing she had ever worn. When she moved, tiny lights fired randomly from the folds giving the impression of liquid fire running across the night sky. Beau fastened a silver head piece around her head. The front of it stood up a couple of inches from her forehead in a pleated pattern with a single large black glittering jewel in the center.
When Beau finally turned her to the mirror, she gasped in disbelief. Staring back at her was . . . who? This person resembled her, and yet it wasn’t her. It was someone else. Someone mysterious and exotic. As she stared at herself, Beau stepped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders leaning his head next to hers. Their eyes met in the mirror.
“You’re stunning. Absolutely gorgeous! I believe I have outdone myself, don’t you think, girls?”
Mei, Emma, and Jen agreed and clapped their hands.
Beau looked at his watch. “It’s 3:20, time for us to go to the auditorium. Are you ready, Danica?” He smiled warmly, the skin around his topaz eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Yes.” She didn’t know what was coming, but whatever it was, she would meet it. She felt regal, beautiful. It was her Magic Day, her time to shine, and she couldn’t wait to see the look on Jimmu’s face when he saw the new Danica.
Eleven
Beau led Danica to the back doors of the auditorium, behind the stage. A band was playing a rousing tune and lively voices were singing along. There was a lighthearted feel in the air. They peeked through the curtains and saw hundreds of people.
“Who are all these people?”
“Fellow citizens. Former acolyte possibles. Visiting dignitaries and associates from other communities. Everyone is here to celebrate your Magic Day, Danica. We haven’t had a celebration in a couple of years.”
Danica’s stomach did a flip.
“Er, I don’t have to sing or dance or anything, do I? I won’t have to make a speech?”
He laughed. “Don’t worry. Nothing will be asked of you that you don’t want to do.”
Right. What if I don’t want to walk out on that stage?
Beau led her to a small room off the left side of the stage.
“Here’s your waiting room, Danica. I’ll call you when it’s time.” He closed the door and left her alone. There was a tall glass of ice water and a bowl of fruit on a low table in front of two blue wing-backed chairs. A picture of a waterfall in a green forest hung on the wall next to a door she discovered led to a large bathroom. She went into the bathroom, turned on the light, and looked in a full-length mirror and was entranced all over again. If my high school classmates could see me now!
Soon Beau knocked on the door of the waiting room and came in. “It’s showtime my darling! Come with me,” and he held out his hand.
Danica was suddenly shy and held back.
Beau walked forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “Get a grip, Danica. This is your moment. You’ll never have another like this. Come, sweetheart. Let’s knock ‘em dead!”
“Wait, Beau. You were a hopeful acolyte, right?”
“Yes, long ago.”
“What is your talent? Will you tell me?”
Beau smiled beatifically. “Of course, darling. I have the gift of subtlety. I can tweak someone—something—and nudge it from the commonplace into the exceptional.”
Danica sucked in her breath.
“Me . . . you changed me.”
“Just a little, lovey. You didn’t need much changing. The moment this gown that I created slipped over your head you became the young woman you were meant to be, so to speak. I’m only revealing what was invisible earlier but is now clear to see. The Magic will create the real change.”
When she looked confused, he said, “I never change anyone too much. Just little things here and there. Things that were his or hers to begin with but were lost somewhere along the way. Once The Magic accepts you, the dramatic changes will happen. Now come with me. My work is done and yours begins.”
He took her hand and led her from the room. They stood just off stage while an elderly man addressed the crowd from behind a lectern. He was wearing an ornate headpiece, almost crown like, over his long gray hair. A red robe with embroidered silver oracle-like designs covered him head to toe.
“I could do wonders for him,” Beau mused.
Danica smiled nervously.
“He’ll finish soon, and then you’ll walk out on stage and stand where the blue tape is on the floor. Do you see it?”
She nodded, seeing the X marking the spot where she was to stand.
“Once you’re on the stage, you will be told what to do. Easy-peasy.” He hugged her shoulders.
Shortly after, the man called out her name and extended his arm out in the direction of where she was standing. Danica walked slowly on to the stage feeling slightly nauseated, and suddenly the audience went wild. Every person stood and clapped, chanting her name over and over. She looked wonderingly out at a sea of faces looking up at her, smiling and laughing.
Wow! Best birthday party ever. I’m a star!
The man walked over and stood next to her.
“Hello, Danica. I am Yonova, the High Strium of the Five Realms. Welcome to the celebration of your Magic Day! We have been anticipating your arrival for a long time, and tonight we want to celebrate you and your gifts.”
High Strium? What’s that? And what are the Five Realms? Could I be more in the dark?
The crowd cheered wildly. He turned to address them, and they quieted. “Danica has been carefully observed for years and we feel she will be an exemplary Covert. Before we witness her suitability, I want to bring out our Coverts who will stand in support of Danica as she transitions.
Transitions? That sounds scary. What am I going to change into?
Jimmu, Wilder, Neith and Liam walked onto the stage from where they had been waiting behind the curtains. They were all wearing flowing white robes. They stood in a semi-circle behind her and joined hands. Danica met each one’s eyes briefly. Wilder gave her a smile and a wink. Jimmu looked stern as usual, but there was also something else in his expression. Admiration Danica realized. The crowd was ecstatic. Hundreds of voices rose in praise and jubilation.
Danica was transfixed. She had never been a church go-er, but she likened this to a tent revival meeting.
I hope they don’t bring out the snakes. What if I have to walk on hot coals?
Just as her thoughts were running away with her, Yonova spoke again.
“Danica, in just a few minutes we will all know if you are accepted by The Magic as an acolyte who will be trained to become our next Covert, or if you will join us here in the Beyond as a talented and gifted citizen. Whatever happens, you will become a valued member of our community and we will celebrate you.”
“What do I have to do?” she asked nervously.
He smiled benignly at her. “You need do nothing, Danica. There is no test. There was no campaign or vote, no majority rule, no consensus. There is no king or queen appointing you. No great and wise councils have met to determine your worthiness. You have simply been recognized from infancy and observed. This morning is your seventeenth birthday, which happens to be your Magic number, and at four-oh-nine your status and your future will be determined.” His eyes twinkled under bushy eyebrows.
He looked out at the people in the auditorium. “All of us here this morning support you, Danica. We are expecting you will be our next Covert. Your destiny has been written in the stars.” Yonova stepped away from her. She looked out at the sea of faces, each one turned towards her in anticipation.
Suddenly a giant clock face appeared above the heads of the crowd, the hands pointing to four -oh-seven. From above her, bright tiny crystals began floating down like snowflakes and stacking themselves on top of each other creating a sparkling tube-like enclosure surrounding her. The lights in the auditorium dimmed and then went out and the only lights came from the glowing crystals that were steadily building up around her.
Everything was diamonds and light. Danica looked up and watched these tiny stars dropping from blackness onto her and all around her. When they touched her face, they felt weightless and icy cold and then warm.
It’s so beautiful!
She was mesmerized, entranced, and she raised her arms above her head and held out her hands. Lights bled from her fingers down her arms and over her body transforming her into a glowing, pulsing energetic life-force. She heard the crowd as if from far away chanting “Five, Four, Three, Two, ONE!”
Yes! She thought, and suddenly her body fractured outward into pieces that looked like glass reflecting the crowd, the auditorium, the High Strium, the Coverts, the stage. Nothing was left except for the fragments of her and the crystals that swirled tornado-like around her and transported her up and out of the auditorium into a nothingness where she felt total belonging, where there was only silence and darkness. Nothing was important or had meaning. She had the clear realization that she knew everything, and nothing mattered; she knew her life for what it was, a small blip on an infinite plane of existence.
As the fragments of her recollected themselves, she looked at her hands and saw through the skin to the bones, ligaments, and tissue, the nerves, and the veins where the blood flowed freely and within the blood the corpuscles and cells. Her hair swirled around her and she saw individual strands broken into the long chains of amino acids intertwining around each other in helix shapes. Her robe, so carefully chosen by Beau, flowed out from her in slow motion, the little lights merging with the crystals and taking her up into the night sky where she seemed to become one with the stars. She felt tears on her cheeks and realized she was crying. She was whole, filled up, and she understood that her life up to this point—the boring and predictable life she had led—had all been for this. This profound moment.
This is
where I belong. I want to stay here forever. Please, just let me stay!
As soon as she had that thought, she felt herself transporting back. The crystals grew ever brighter as she re-entered the auditorium. In a single motion she was left on the stage, the lights swirling around her and then ascending into the darkness from where they had come leaving her as she had been, but somehow so much more.
There was a quiet hush surrounding her, like everything was suspended in space, and then someone softly said her name, “Danica”, and a few more added their voices, repeating “Danica, Danica,” and soon the repetition of her name gained momentum and was shouted in a thunderous roar from the crowd. Gradually the lights came on as the audience cried out her name over and over and raised their arms toward her. Minutes later they quieted when Phil walked onto the stage, her white robe billowing around her. She went up to Danica and took her hands. Danica felt the familiar surge of power that she always felt when Phil touched her, but this time there was something else. It was a corresponding electric spark from herself. A question and an echo.
Phil’s eyes glowed like phosphorescence under water. Her cheeks were wet.
Tears? Danica wondered. The room was totally quiet.
Phil’s voice rang out in the silence. “You are one of us now. The Magic has accepted you and filled you with its ascendancy.” Her eyes changed to the green of a blue spruce tree struck by moonlight. She turned to the audience. “We have all witnessed this. We saw the stars come down and take her up. We saw her become one of them, the brightest one.” She looked back to Danica. “We saw with our eyes your inspiration. You are of the stars, and from here on your name shall be Danica, daughter of Astrid the High Priestess of Lymonia, star dancer, bringer of light.”
The crowd chanted her name softly.
“Your Magic gifts are valuable to us. We will give you careful guidance and instruction before you will be asked to step fully into your power.” She turned to the Coverts behind them. “Your partners are here to welcome you.”
Danica turned wondering eyes to the Coverts. Phil stepped aside and Liam walked up to her. His twelve-year-old face looked young, but Danica knew the age and wisdom beneath the surface. He took her right hand and looked into her eyes. “Welcome Danica. You are one of us now.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek.
The Acolyte: Magicians of the Beyond Page 6
