“Bad night’s sleep?” questioned his uncle.
“You could say that,” he groaned.
“You two have had some long days and late nights. I think an early night is in order tonight. Need to get your rest. Rest revives your energy and you both seem short on it this morning. Yup, early to bed tonight.”
The twins gawked at each other. Had he guessed they were planning to sneak out again? They knew they were facing a major grounding in order to help Jae.
Unease overshadowed the rest of the breakfast as their fears intensified. Mostly, they feared getting caught, and Uncle Arnon not allowing them to leave, and Jae being on his own against the Scratchers.
After finishing their morning chores, they headed out to meet Jae and ran into Sebastien.
“You look as bad as we do,” Colin attempted to joke.
“Speak for yourself there Bro,” said Meghan.
“I hope Jae slept better than we did. Let’s get over there!” suggested Sebastien.
Jae greeted them at the wagon door, and to their astonishment, he looked rested and awake.
“You guys look awful,” he told them.
Meghan took special offense. “A little tired maybe,” she commented.
Colin and Sebastien gave Jae a sign to not go there.
Jae changed the subject. “What should we do on my last day here?”
“Do?” Meghan said bombastically. “How do we know that as soon as we go anywhere, to DO anything that those Scratchers won’t be out there?”
Jae could see they were all worried about this. So he made an announcement, one he thought would help.
“I have made a decision.”
They listened eagerly.
“When the time comes tonight, I will go alone.”
At once, the three of them disagreed, arguing the point as to why they should accompany him. He let them continue for a few minutes before interrupting.
“If I’m alone, less can go wrong. I would bet my life my dad will be coming for me, and… I think it will be best if I’m alone when that happens. I have not exactly mentioned it before, but the Svoda, my people, are not always kind to strangers. They will not approve if I’m standing there with three people who obviously know about our magic. Our secret,” he emphasized.
They realized that for Jae’s long-term safety, this might be necessary, but it did not make them any happier about promising.
“Jae, are there more than just the Scratchers out there hunting the Svoda?” asked Meghan, hoping to have at least one question answered. Jae bowed his head and took a long time before answering.
“I do not dare say too much, but yes,” he sighed.
“Oh. I can’t imagine living with constant fear of being hunted.”
“That is why I have to go alone, otherwise…” Jae stopped, and sighed.
“Otherwise, what?” asked Colin, leaning in closer.
“Otherwise, they will make you forget you ever met me.”
“That’s possible?” asked Meghan, alarmed.
“Yes, and they will do it if they find out. When it comes down to it, I have been breaking many rules. Really, there was no way around it. But they will not see it that way, and I do not want you guys to forget, because… well, maybe someday our paths will cross again.”
“Will you get into trouble if you are caught breaking the rules?” asked Sebastien.
“Yes, another reason to keep the secret. If anything ever got back to our Banon, Juliska Nandalia Blackwell, well let’s just say it would be a majorly ugly situation!”
“Banon?” questioned Meghan.
“Our leader. You two must have seen her. She was there the night I got stuck behind.”
Meghan recalled the woman, instantly.
“She fought the Scratchers. I liked her style.”
“Now I remember,” said Colin sarcastically. “Scratchers were looming overhead, people were disappearing into a pine tree, and she remembers how stylish the woman was.”
The boys laughed.
Meghan scowled. “She just seemed to be with it, and beautiful to boot.” It did not help her cause.
“She is definitely with it. She has held her position longer than any other Banon, and many Svoda are stricken by her beauty.”
“Humpf,” was all Meghan said, now annoyed.
“One cannot help it I suppose,” Jae continued, oblivious to Meghan’s escalating temper. “Many think she’s the most beautiful Svoda woman, ever.”
“I’m getting out of here,” huffed Meghan, stomping her way out of the wagon. I will never understand boys. She recalled the woman, the Banon of the Svoda, with an odd fascination.
“Juliska Nandalia Blackwell,” she spoke it aloud. The name had a regal ring to it. A few minutes later, the boys exited the wagon. She still had an annoyed look on her face and sat waiting, but they were not sure for what. Colin searched through her mind trying to pick up what she wanted; it finally hit him.
“Apologize? For what?”
Sebastien and Jae stood off to the side, waiting for an explanation.
Meghan sighed and nodded her head in annoyance. They’d never get it.
It was now late morning and the day was disappearing quicker than she’d anticipated. In her mind, she went over the things she should be taking care of. The laundry was piling up. Uncle Arnon needed a zipper fixed on a pair of jeans. What would they have for dinner?
None of these normal duties mattered to her today. They seemed mundane and pointless.
“Let’s go down to the lake,” she suggested, already taking off. The three boys followed, shaking their heads behind her, muttering, “Girls,” and making crazy motions with their fingers against their heads.
The lake was crowded and loud, which was a rare pleasantry since none of the youngsters desired to talk. They waded in the water, skipped rocks and wasted away the day. With every minute that passed, Meghan, Colin, and Sebastien grew more anxious for Jae, and as evening approached, Jae poorly hid his own rising concerns.
Clouds rolled in, covering the warm sun that had followed them all afternoon. A cool breeze followed, and then it began to drizzle. Fog rolled across the lake hiding most of it from view, patches of it hiding the ground along their pathway home.
Colin protected his book, which he had kept with him all day, hidden under his sweater, just in case. Part way back to camp, one of Kanda’s caretakers was burning a large pile of brush.
“Gotta wait for a rainy day to get a permit,” he reveled in the irony. The foursome enjoyed the fire, but after a minute, Sebastien and Jae went and sat on a nearby rock, saying the heat was too much for them. Colin shortly followed. Meghan thought it was perfect and could have moved closer. When she tried, the manager peeked around the corner.
“Don’t be gettin’ too close, little lady,” he warned. “May be damp out here, but clothes can still catch.”
She stepped back, shivering. In a split second though, the flames pulled her back in.
The Catawitch was back, staring at her from inside the fire.
“Hello Meghan. Did not think I forgot you now, did you?” it purred.
“Like that’s possible,” she mumbled back. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want, and you know you want to.”
“You don’t know anything!” she boasted too loudly, seizing the attention of the manager. He stepped around the corner of the fire.
“All right there, little lady?”
Meghan nodded yes, hoping he would not come any closer and scare away the Catawitch. He left and Meghan interrogated the creature staring at her from inside the fire.
“What do you really want? Are you using me to get to someone else?” She decided to speak bluntly.
“Someone else,” it purred. “Like who, your brother or dear old uncle? Maybe your best friend, Sebastien?” it purred more loudly. “Or perhaps your new friend, Jae? Ah, wouldn’t you like to know.” It hissed at Meghan, stepping closer.
How did t
his thing know so much about her?
Meghan was so close to the fire now she was afraid the manager might come and pull her away.
“Come and you will see. My master will show you.”
“Who is your master?”
Before the Catawitch could reply, the camp manager yanked Meghan backwards. She did not realize that she had fully stepped into the fire. The boys, now aware of what was happening, flew to her side.
The Catawitch was gone. Disappointment covered her face.
The manager looked over her arms, which were completely unharmed by the fire.
“You’re mighty lucky, little lady, not a burn on ya.” He was clearly shaken. “Better be more careful, might not be so lucky next time.”
The boys briskly whisked her away before the manager could ask any questions.
Jae scolded her, harshly. “He is right! You should be more careful. You could have been hurt, or worse.”
“I was standing near the fire. Okay, a little too close.”
“How about in the fire, Meghan. Um, how did you do that exactly?” asked her brother.
“It’s the same as last night. I think it is because of the Catawitch,” she admitted, not quite believing that was the entire truth.
“It was back, just now?” Jae confirmed hastily, glancing back at the now distant fire.
“Yes,” she answered, remembering that Sebastien did not understand what they were discussing. He was about to ask when she broke in, explaining.
Jae was gravely concerned. What would happen to his new friends after his departure?
“Meghan,” he said, after she’d finished. “Promise me something, will you?” He looked her straight in the eye, his old arrogance returning. “After I leave, if the Catawitch comes back, ignore it! Do not even talk to it. It cannot harm you or take you anywhere unless you go willingly.” He turned to Colin. “I expect you to watch her until this Catawitch decides to leave her alone.”
He clearly did not trust Meghan to listen to him, which angered her. And she certainly didn’t need a babysitter, especially if it was Colin.
She stormed off but Sebastien seized her arm, stopping her. She faced him eye to eye, recognizing something she had never seen before… fear.
“I think this is important, Meghan.”
She did not speak, but gawked awkwardly at the three boys, growing infuriated. She kept walking and no one stopped her this time.
“Why does everyone suddenly think they need to tell me what to do? I have always done just fine on my own,” she muttered crossly. Her stomach rolled, leaving behind a sick pang. She hated that she had not found out what the Catawitch wanted.
What if it did come back?
What would she do?
Could she ignore something that might want to harm her, her family, or her friends?
What if the Catawitch did not mean any harm? Jae had said they were not evil cats, just loyal to their masters.
No. She knew if she followed her gut, that it did not have good intentions. She found herself back at her uncle’s trailer, but with no desire to go inside. Tears filled her eyes and she slumped down letting the rain drizzle over her face; it did not hide the fact that she was crying. She heard the boys enter Jae’s wagon. Colin’s thoughts perplexed her.
“No, I think we should let her be. You can’t talk to her when she gets like this.”
“Like this! What is that supposed to mean?”
Behind her, the trailer door opened and Kanda climbed down the steps. Meghan hastily wiped her face, but her smudged makeup easily gave her away.
Her uncle waved Meghan into the trailer and out of the rain, but she refused him. It was impossible for Meghan to hide. Kanda had already spotted her.
“Get yourself together,” Meghan said. “This isn’t like you.”
“Hello, Meghan,” greeted Kanda. “I dropped off an old radio I am hoping Arnon can fix. If anyone can…” she saw Meghan’s face and plopped down, putting an arm around her shoulder. “What, may I ask, is the cause of this?” she asked, genuinely concerned.
“It’s nothing, I’m fine,” squeaked out Meghan.
“Meghan, I have seen plenty of tears in my day. Tears do not happen for no reason.” She took out a tissue and dabbed Meghan’s wet face. She could not answer; the words would not come out. Instead, a torrent of uncontrollable tears erupted.
Meghan despised it.
It was weak.
It wasn’t something she did.
Kanda hugged her and let the tears fall. After a few minutes, she was finally able to stop the tears and regain some control. Kanda did not ask her to speak, but sat patiently as Meghan blew her nose.
“Thanks,” she said, throwing the tissue into the rain soaked fire pit.
“It was nothing. Honestly, I almost decided to join you. Sometimes there is nothing like a good cry. Somehow I feel better after, renewed.”
As Meghan thought about it, she did feel better. “I wish there were another way. Crying sucks,” she admitted.
“So why were you, if you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t know. A lot of reasons. Everything’s changing.”
“Oh, I see. Change is bound to happen.”
“But that doesn’t make it any easier. And I don’t like it.”
“Meghan, you are growing up and so is your brother. People change. You cannot expect things to stay the same forever.” It was one of those statements grown ups were known to make. Meghan considered herself already quite grown up, but still did not see why anything should have to change.
“Meghan, my sweet child, if I may be honest,” Kanda began.
Meghan feared what she would say, but it was not what she expected.
“You have had a hard life, traveling from place to place, losing your parents before you could even remember them. Plus, you seem to be under the impression you can control everything about your life. Do not think it has gone unnoticed, how you take care of your brother when he is in trouble. Or worry about your uncle. You have taken on many responsibilities, far beyond most girls your age.”
Meghan’s perplexed face made it clear she had never thought about it that way before.
“My point is, have a good little cry over it. But please, remember, sometimes you have to look out for yourself too.”
Meghan was speechless.
“Look, it’s getting colder and you’re soaked,” said Kanda. “We do not need you getting sick again, so why don’t you get warmed up and dried off. Come by tomorrow and we will have a tonic, or some hot tea, if it persists on raining.”
It had been a while since Meghan had visited Kanda. Her teas were always soothing.
“Yeah, okay,” she agreed.
Kanda reached over and hugged her. It was a deep, warm kind of hug, one that you could disappear and hide in. Meghan stiffened a little, not being used to that kind of a hug. Kanda let go and stood up to leave. The drizzle had wilted her hair and was collecting on her sweater.
“If events start to seem overwhelming, Meghan,” she started, “there is only one place to look.” Kanda placed her hand over her heart. “It will guide you through the muck and confusion.”
Meghan was confident that her heart was causing most of her confusion. She sat a little longer, watching Kanda’s figure disappear around the corner. It was the first time she had ever had a grown up type conversation, and although she felt better, she still did not want things to change.
She definitely did not want to worry her uncle.
It seemed he always had enough to worry about for the three of them.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Evening arrived.
Meghan had cleaned up her face and dried off, before heading back to Jae’s wagon, determined to salvage the rest of the day. The boys were sitting at the table. They stared at her unsure of what to say. She sat down, opened a tonic, with an air about her that said you’re the crazies, not me.
“So what is your plan for tonight, Jae?” asked Colin af
ter a few minutes.
“Pretty simple. Gonna head out about a half hour before midnight, stay hidden, and when the doorway opens, go home.”
“And what if something does go wrong?” challenged Meghan.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be alone. As I said, I am sure my dad will be there, maybe more. They will fight off the Scratchers if they show. It will all go just fine.”
Sebastien raised his bottle of tonic.
“A toast then, to our departing friend.”
“And our lives getting back to normal,” added Meghan.
“To hoping maybe a little magic sticks around once you’re gone,” Colin muttered timidly.
Jae raised his bottle clinking it against the others.
“To my new friends! I hope we meet again.”
They downed the tonic, which bubbled and stung their throats. Sebastien was the first to finish and belched loudly and proudly. Meghan swished her hand across her nose, choking over hers. Colin could do little better than tiny sips at a time. Jae guzzled his and slammed the bottle down.
The sun was fading fast.
“Do you want to have dinner with us, Jae?” asked Meghan.
“I need to rest, save my strength for later. Just in case,” he added at the end, seeing their distrustful glowers. They said their goodbyes, hugging and patting each other on the back.
Jae waved to the trio as they departed, somberly. He hoped he’d see them again. But even if he did, it might not be for years. And he hoped even more they’d be safe once he left. He’d never seen the magical world encroach around two people who knew nothing of magic, and yet appeared to come from a magical bloodline.
Sebastien walked the twins to their camp and joined them around the fire. Uncle Arnon had dinner simmering over the fire pit and glanced oddly at the gloomy trio as he stirred the pot. Meghan, noticing her uncle’s stares busied herself setting the dinner table, and ordered Colin to help. The last thing they needed was for him to question their somber demeanor.
Every few minutes their eyes drifted toward Jae’s soon to be deserted wagon. In between their doubtful gazes, they listened for any sign of the Scratchers.
After dinner, which Sebastien ended up staying for, their uncle told them it was time to come in for the night. Colin went in first, not wanting to watch Meghan and Sebastien awkwardly say goodnight to each other.
Awaken (The Witches, The Spell Book, and The Magic Tree) (A Fated Fantasy Quest Adventure Book 1) Page 16
