by Ashley McLeo
Evelyn nodded, her red lips taut.
“It was a prophecy that we believe is based off an ancient, little-known tale. We suspect the prophecy is old and was created under duress—else I’d like to think the creator would have been a wee bit more detailed. It’s a warning from a witch who knew more than us of the evil in this universe. It was destined to reveal itself under a specific set of circumstances. Your births set it free.”
Lily massaged her temples. She knew Brigit was speaking English, but it may as well have been Arabic, for all she understood.
“And Seraphina?” The odd name tripped off Evelyn’s tongue.
“We don’t want to get in too deep right off. It would overload you, and we haven’t all the proper materials to back up the story with us. Let’s just say Seraphina wrote a very important book. The prophecy is the first we’d heard of it, but Mary’s been searching for Seraphina’s book ever since,” Brigit said.
“There’s mention of three in the prophecy, and we’re three. I assume that’s not an error. So how does the prophecy affect us?” Sara asked, leaning forward and resting her forearms on her knees.
“It means someone has been waiting a very long time for you three to be born. And if you’re willing to accept it, you have one hell of a job to take on.” Mary jumped into action, producing a whiteboard from a crevice on the far side of the fireplace. “Aoife wrote down the prophecy in case you needed to study it further.”
Lily squinted at the blurry, blue writing scrawled across the board.
There they were, the same troubling words Mary had spoken moments (years?) before. The triplets eyes raced over curves and angles, craving sense out of the senseless.
“A timeless night,” Sara mused out loud, as Lily wondered dimly whether the name Lilith or Hecate intensified her headache more. “The three of us are destined to save the earth from someone. A king of some sort? And we are Hecate’s daughters? She’s a goddess right? And what does chimeric spawn mean?”
Lily had to hand it to her. The degree of academic detachment in Sara’s voice was downright impressive. She’s probably considering every goddess in history, and here I am proud I haven’t broken out in tears yet.
Aoife, who until that point had been breathing deeply with her eyes closed, opened her eyes. She, too, looked impressed. “Taking into account the spell work performed, there’s room for debate on translation. We believe the caster used one of two methods to ensure the prophecy would be understood. The first would have been weaving a translation spell in with the prophecy. This is problematic as languages change every day. Therefore, the caster’s translation could change with time and information could be lost. All signs point to this being sensitive material. I’d put money down that our caster knew better than to use a translation spell. The second method would ensure the prophecy could be understood by all magical creatures no matter the year or culture.” Aoife paused and lifted a steaming cup of tea to her lips. “It’s called lingua primum, the first language of magic. It’s said that as witches, we know it when we hear it, though the talent to speak lingua primum died with the druids.”
“You’re telling me we actually understood another language, one we’ve never even heard of, without knowing it?” Lily asked, her throat burning as the words rushed out of her.
“Not quite. The first language is a magical entity in itself. It can, as it did in Mary’s prophecy, translate itself into the native language of the listener. You would know if you heard raw lingua primum. Not with your head, but with your intuition. It’s said that to hear it spoken is an alien experience.”
“Can we get back to Sara’s questions, please?” Evelyn asked, looking frustrated. “What about the chimeric spawn?”
“Ahh yes, sorry—got a wee bit distracted. The lingua primum is a passion of mine. Anyhow, for people in antiquity, a chimera meant a creature composed of more than one animal. A mix of species, if you will. There are many legends that claim witches are chimeras. Some say it’s the other, the non-human in us that gives us power. It makes sense in a way, don’t you think?” Aoife tented her fingers together.
“How should I know?” Evelyn’s voice rose in anger with each word. “You are the first people in my life to accuse me of being a witch. How am I supposed to know where magic comes from? Until today I didn’t even believe magic existed!”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Mary whispered. “You’ve never been accused of getting everything you wanted, even though you didn’t deserve it? No man has ever accused you of putting a spell on him?”
“Of course people have said those things! People suck up to me all the time, hoping to get in my parents’ good graces!” Evelyn roared, throwing her hands to the ceiling.
“Mary’s right, dear,” Brigit said apologetically. “No doubt you have led a charmed life, but I’d wager to guess that your power seeped through a bit here and there to help you along. No matter how well our binding took, magic was sure to find a way out. We only hoped it would be gradual to draw less attention. I’m guessing you may have gotten more attention than you deserved at times.”
“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Evelyn said, leaning forward, her eyes narrowed into slits.
“Your binding? What is that?” Sara interrupted, placing her hand on Evelyn’s chest and pushing her back into the couch.
“This one takes after you in more than looks, Aoife. She’s quick to get to the heart of the matter,” Gwenn said, nodding with approval.
Sara blushed, though her gaze never left Brigit.
“I couldn’t very well send three powerful infant witchlings out into the world. Even in a proper magical home it would have been years before you had any control over your magic. You’d have been a danger to everyone around you in the normal world. We couldn’t have that. There was only one solution as far as I could tell. I bound your power to my own, to my own life, before hiding you—as the prophecy instructed—in the normal world. I hoped no one would think to look for you there. Then we waited until the time was right, until you were full grown women as the prophecy specified,” Brigit said.
“So that’s what we’re here for?” Sara asked, a look of understanding coming over her. “You’re hoping we’ll consent to be unbound, whatever that entails?”
“That is a large part of why you’re here, though it’s a bit more complex than that,” Brigit said hesitantly.
“It’s so much to take in,” Lily said, her voice ragged. The mere thought of more magic was making her feel worse.
“We don’t expect you to decide right this minute,” Brigit said. “We have extra rooms you can take to rest in and think, though I’m afraid two of you will have to share.” She eyed Lily with concern.
“I’d like that,” Lily replied. At any rate, it saved her a trip into town to find a hotel room. She wasn’t even sure how she’d get there or if she could manage the trip with her pounding headache.
“Me, too,” Sara said.
“I call the solo room,” Evelyn said. “Do you get WiFi or phone service out here?” She pulled a sleek new iPhone from her purse and scowled. “My phone’s been acting strange since we hit that dirt road. I’d like to discuss this with my parents.”
“We’ve set a temporary charm around the property to interfere with phone signals,” Aoife said. “We’d prefer that you not tell anyone of your circumstances at this time. There’s much more to tell you, and we need time to ensure that those around your families are trustworthy. Of course we trust your families. We would not have left you with them otherwise. But what if your disappearance didn’t go unnoticed? People have been watching our family for years. It’s possible they were watching yours, too. They may even have seen you arrive here. Once you’re unbound, if you choose to do so, all sorts of creatures will come out of the woodwork. It’s impossible to release the kind of power we believe you three control and have it go unnoticed. You wouldn’t want to put your parents in danger by giving them information they won’t understand. W
hat if they confided in the wrong person? It could threaten their safety.”
“Is that a threat?” Evelyn said, slipping the phone back into her bag.
“Not at all,” Brigit jumped in, her tone soothing after Aoife’s gravelly voice. “Sometimes being yourself is enough to bring about danger. I’m sorry for it, too. We owe each of your families more than they know.”
“I’ll show you to the rooms,” Mary said, rising before the conversation could escalate further.
Lily and Sara rose, but Evelyn remained seated, her back rigid as she glared at Aoife. Finally, she stood, her mouth set in a scowl, and joined them.
“This here’s the double. Make yourselves at home,” Mary said, presenting the room to them with a flourish of her arms. She smelled of grapefruit and rain, and the shiny pink sleeves of her dress reminded Lily of something Vanna White would wear.
Lily sighed with relief as Sara shut the bedroom door behind them. It was a large room, reminiscent of a college dorm but cozier, with two twin beds, two desks, two velvet wingback chairs, and a large closet. Faint afternoon light seeped through curtains. The wall farthest from the beds was covered with photos. Lily collapsed face first on the bed closest to the door. Her mouth opened as a loud groan escaped her lips. At last, a moment of peace to sort all this out. Or try to, she thought.
Springs squeaked as Sara eased herself onto the other bed. Lily considered talking to the petite redhead but found she simply didn’t have the energy. No, it’ll be best if I go over everything first, that way I can’t be swayed. I’ll meditate on it, she thought, allowing her eyes to close. That’s what Annika always says to do when faced with a tough decision.
A whisper of rustling fabric filtered through her dream. Someone was in her room. Lily’s eyes shot open. Where the hell am I? she thought, her heart pounding as she gripped the unfamiliar gingham bedspread. Slowly, she lifted her head to see Sara seated in a wingback chair by the window. She sighed. How odd it was to wake up in the strangest house she had ever set foot in and feel relief at seeing a near total stranger in the room. The bones in her back popped as she sat up and stretched her arms overhead. Sara had pulled back the curtains to reveal a large stained glass Celtic knot in the middle of the window. It’s deep red color stood out proudly against the luminous, star-filled sky. The scene made Lily’s heart ache for home—her own, steady, star-filled sky half a world away.
Sara turned from the window, a serene smile so unlike how Lily felt on her elfin face. “How was your nap? I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“Needed,” Lily said, chancing a grin. “At least now my headache is gone. What does that symbol mean? It’s seems to be everywhere in this house,” Lily said, recalling the symbols prominence in the sitting room.
Sara followed her finger and smiled. “The triquetra has a lot of meanings depending on the culture. In this instance, I would guess it symbolizes one of the Celtic triple goddesses, but I’d have to ask Brigit to be sure. Christianity picked it up from the pagans, so it could be Christian. Though from what I’ve seen of this house that seems less likely.”
Lily nodded. She would have to brush up on her Celtic mythology. “Did you manage to get any rest?”
“No. I meditated for a while. Did a little yoga. And thought, of course.”
“Of course . . . So, what do you make of this whole scenario?” Lily asked. “Sisters, triplets, and witches—it’s a lot to take in. Don’t even get me started on Aoife’s little magic trick. I hope I never have to go through that again.”
“It was a definitely an experience,” Sara said, fingering a tassel hanging from the green mala bead necklace around her neck. “One I’m not dying to repeat either, but as far as I can tell everything rings true.” She paused to stare down at her hands. A protracted silence followed in which Sara appeared to be weighing her words.
Lily didn’t mind. Rena, too, was partial to long pauses before she spoke.
“Morgane was the one to find me at university. She told me she had a hell of a time tracking me down. You see, the first couple they entrusted me to, the ones I thought were my biological parents, died when I was four. Brigit didn’t find out for a couple of months, and by then I had disappeared into the U.S. foster care system. That’s where they lost track of me. I got adopted quickly by a couple. My adoptive father was a highly ranked military officer. He worked with sensitive information, which meant our location was confidential. We moved a lot, sometimes every six months. I never understood how kids felt when they said they’d had the same best friend for years. I was always starting anew, by myself.”
“Sara, I can’t even imagine . . .” Lily let the sentence hang. What was she going to say anyways? She’d always had a family and a home to count on.
Sara shrugged.
“You want to know the worst part? My first parents, the ones Morgane knew, died in a car crash. It was stupid. My dad was fiddling around, doing huge curves and stuff on a country road. Then a drunk driver came out of a field and rammed them from the side. Dad was killed instantly. Mom was unconscious but alive. I had a couple of scrapes but was fine otherwise. I remember sitting in my car seat screaming my head off as my parents sat unresponsive in the front. It’s one of my first vivid memories.”
“They couldn’t save her?” Lily asked, hugging her blanket.
Sara’s eyes flew back to her hands, and she sucked in a long breath.
“They could have—if the car hadn’t caught fire.”
Holy crap.
“When the paramedics arrived, I was wiggling out of the vehicle. The car was engulfed in flames, but I didn’t have a single burn. I used to have nightmares about flames parting before me while everyone around me died. Brigit’s story explains so much about my life. It’s impossible for me not to believe her.”
“You think it was magic that saved you?” Lily asked, tiptoeing around the question of why the fire had started in the first place.
Sara smiled gratefully, sensing the omission. “I know so. I don’t know about you or Evelyn, but I’m doing the unbinding. I need to know how I’m meant to feel. I’ve felt like a part of me has been missing for so long. Now I think it’s possible it’s still there, and all I have to do is set it free.” Her words hung in the air between them, resonating, then floating away.
Have I come this far, learned this much, and gone through all that shit with mind magic to leave with my tail between my legs? Lily wondered. The pain of her first official magical experience was still fresh, but she couldn’t deny the truth in Sara’s words. Aside from when she was home, surrounded by the love of her family at the commune, she’d never felt like she fit in either.
Slowly Lily rose and set her feet on the ground. She wobbled as she leaned into her base, allowing the floorboards to take her weight. I hope all magic doesn’t affect me this way, she thought, shaking her head. More than anything it rankled Lily that she seemed to be the only one affected.
“I can do it,” Lily said when Sara stood to help.
Sara sat down, though she didn’t look convinced. She relaxed only when Lily’s hands were resting on the back of the armchair.
“You know, I’m usually very athlet—”
A small, faded photo of three baby girls encircled by a dozen other framed photos caught her eye. The babies were staring back at the camera, their green, blue, and penny colored eyes all wide open.
“Is that—us?” Lily asked, her gaze shifting to take in the photos surrounding the baby picture. Brigit, Aoife, Mary, Gwenn, even one of Aengus and Brigit all smiled back at her. It’s like they’re protecting us.
“I’ve never seen a happier baby picture of myself,” Sara replied. “I always look sullen, angry even, in the few I was able to obtain after my adoption. I wonder if I remembered what I lost.”
Lily sighed and studied the photos. “I’m so conflicted. I want to be upset. To rage and storm that Brigit gave us up. To make Brigit work for my love. But at the same time, I can’t deny I had a great life up until now
. I have family that loves me, and it’s obvious the witches out there do, too, even if they barely know me. I guess what I’m trying to say is . . . what’s the point? I’m convinced magic is real. That they’re my blood. Shit watching Gwenn in that memory was like staring at myself in a few years. Why waste more time?” She touched the photo of Brigit and Aengus and wondered where their father was, before turning back to Sara. “I’m going to do it.”
“I thought you would,” Sara said with a warm smile, “though I’m not so sure about Evelyn. She’s not taking this well at all, is she?”
“I can’t say I’ve been much better. It’s strange . . . not only do I disagree with most of what Evelyn says, it’s like I want to make sure she knows I disagree with her. I swear I’m not usually so hard to get along with,” Lily said, shaking her head at her own behavior.
“You haven’t clicked yet. This was a pretty stressful day to be meeting new people. Don’t judge yourself, or Evelyn, too harshly.”
Lily nodded. “You’re right. Maybe we should go see what she’s thinking?”
“I think they put her there,” Sara said, pointing to a door at the end of the hallway.
“You’d know better than me,” Lily shrugged.
The faint sound of pots clanking together in the kitchen, masked their footsteps on the creaky wood floor.
Sara raised her hand to knock, let it drop, and spun around to face Lily, a conflicted look on her face. “What if she’s asleep? It is pretty late.”
“Did you see her? I doubt she sleeps for a week after what we learned,” Lily said, reaching around Sara to rap lightly on the door.
No answer.
Sara turned to retreat, but Lily blocked her. Her arm shot out under Sara’s elbow to grasp the door knob. The door opened without a sound.
Evelyn’s room was like theirs, sparse but comfortable, with a set of drawers, a nightstand, and a single bed. They found Evelyn lying face down on the bed, sobbing into her pillow, unaware of their intrusion.
