Ancestral

by Kirstie Keatings

  “What about Elsie? I can't get a read on her.” she admitted.

  “Mmh, she's pretty panicky. I can't really explain it. She seems like she's hiding something, but that's all I've got.” Sadie hummed lightly, never taking her eyes off of the road. After that, the car fell silent for a while, both girls lost in thought. Neither of them moved, not even to reach across and turn on the radio, and by the time they pulled up outside Adam's house, they were all somewhat silent, even the boys, who had obviously spent the entire car ride playing the fool and ignoring their troubles.

  “We're going to help them, you know.” She spoke to the group even though no one had spoken or voiced a concern. Almost as one, they all turned and looked at her, seemingly mute. Elsie spoke up, her voice tightly wound and quiet. “How do you know?” she asked, arms folded, one foot tapping as she flicked her glances between Lila and the paved drive. Lila moved over, placing one hand on the taller girl's shoulder and rubbing it soothingly. “I just do. Part of my gift is feeling connected to the dead, and whatever this is, it's temporary. I'm sure of it.”

  With a soft 'hmph', Elsie shrugged her off and moved over to the trunk of her car to pull out some clothes. Lila frowned heavily, but it was soon replaced with a look of relief after Troy slung an arm around her shoulders. “Thanks.” his tone was full of genuine affection. “We all know that you're just looking out for us, and that you're doing your best. I guess we all need to try and remember that, Spirit leader or not, you're still the youngest outta us. I mean, I'm not saying you're incompetent or anything... wow, that came out wrong. What I mean is that you're young, and yet you're the one leading this group like someone twice your age. I never met them, but I'm absolutely sure your parents would be proud.” Troy smiled, then broke the slightly awkward but tender moment by ruffling her hair.

  Attempting to stick it down again, Lila gave him a chastising look, slightly tempered by the grateful grin she was trying to stop from overtaking her face completely. It was a big compliment to be told she was doing her parents proud – honestly, she'd worried that she was letting them down. His words had also reminded her that it was the Spirit coven leader's duty to take the overall leadership position in the covens – purely because it was the topmost point in the pentagram, and one of the hardest skills to master. Everything was done democratically, but in the event of a vote being tied, it would be the Spirit coven who cast the final vote.

  Everyone, other than Elsie that was, chose to pat her on the shoulder as a show of solidarity as they walked past her and into the house. Sadie frowned as Elsie stormed past her, seemingly confused at the suddenly aggressive behaviour of the redhead, looking at Lila and shrugging in answer to the unspoken question which passed between them. Trying not to read too much into it, Lila grabbed her own clothes and headed into Adam's house, which was far more impressive on the inside than its modest neo-gothic exterior had suggested. It already spoke volumes of Adam's personality and she wondered how long he'd had to work on it already. While the exterior was strong and rooted in the building's history, though probably built long after the facade would suggest, the interior was bright and modern, with slashes of bright colours artistically bringing each room alive. The art was also strangely on trend, and Lila couldn't help but tilt her head, studying Adam to see if she could reconcile the two aspects.

  He caught her looking and shook his head, looking vaguely amused. “My little sister. She's kind of a genius, just warning you now. She'll be back later. For now though, there's a shower room there - ” he pointed two doors down, “ - for anyone who prefers showers. There's also two bathrooms upstairs, one with an over bath shower, one without, which is my personal favourite.” he explained, somehow knowing that they'd all want to wash off the stresses of the last few days. It also further pointed out to Lila, at least, that the house was bigger than it appeared to be. Giving a chuckle, she made a show of peeking round the stairwell. “Is this house a tardis or something?” she asked, earning an awkward laugh from Adam.

  “No, nothing magickal. It's just kind of an Earth thing, knowing how to get the most out of a space. The house has a cellar, and extends up into the attic, with windows on the roof so it doesn't change the whole aesthetic from the outside. It was actually all down to my sister. She's thirteen now, but I kid you not – eleven years old, she sits down in front of me and my parents, with a fully drawn up blueprint of how we could modify the house so we could have more space. Not that we were cramped or anything, but with more than four of us it would have gotten a bit hard to move.” he suddenly chuckled. “She actually lectured us on our responsibility to the future generations of our family.”

  Lila smiled at that, catching sight of Sadie over Adam's shoulder, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she drew her finger across her throat, silently telling her to back off 'her man'. Lila had to try not to laugh, as Adam was still talking; she didn't want him to think she was laughing at him. “That sounds very responsible.” Lila answered, then gave a half-grin. “Way more responsible than me. If my house is tidy, it's because of my Auntie Gloria.” she explained. “And compared to this place, it's practically a hovel. A nice one, though. My parents have – had good taste.” She corrected herself, managing to do so with only a slight frown.

  Adam smiled indulgently, then noticed Troy hovering, much quieter than he had been in the car. “Troy, jump in the shower down here.” he suggested. The golden-haired witch nodded in response, thanking him before heading down to the shower room. Elsie murmured something about grabbing the other shower, and Sadie pointedly said that she was going to go put the kettle on. Lila took the hint. “I'll grab the bath, if that's okay.”

  After getting the affirmative from Adam, Lila headed up the cream-carpeted stairs, wondering vaguely if she should have taken off her shoes. Despite the amount of walking she'd done, they didn't seem to leave a track behind her, and, upon 'feeling' out the room, she realised there was an enchantment on the carpets, probably the walls too. It was subtle, but clever. Somehow, she knew that this was Adam's magick, the small things that few would notice, but surprisingly thoughtful. He didn't show it often, but she could sense that even when he was being standoffish, he was still considerate of their underlying needs. It was the reason he'd offered the bathrooms as soon as they'd gotten into the door, and had remained downstairs with Sadie so that others could go first. Or, maybe he had a thing for the blonde girl. It wouldn't be a surprise; she was a likeable girl and exceptionally pretty. She wasn't like most 'preppy' girls, who valued a tiny waist above all. Sadie was a healthy weight with curves in all the right places, the dimples in her cheeks only emphasising how bright her eyes were. Her hair fell in natural curves and she must have been around five foot six or seven. Even Lila, who hadn't really given much thought to her sexuality, found the girl attractive.

  Walking into the bathroom, she wasn't exactly surprised to see the high ceiling and tall window, obscured by frosted glass which faded up into clear glass nearer the top and covered by a sheer netting in soft cream. The bath was huge, with gold clawed feet, not attached to the wall like every bath she'd ever used. Soft white towels hung at one end of the bath, matching the bath mats around the bath and toilet. The sink had a white cabinet beneath it with gold handles. It was the epitome of luxury, with enough 'blank slate' to allow you to really daydream and relax in the bath, which was a favourite habit of hers. Almost subconsciously, she reached up and pulled the clip out of her hair. It had been in there since the day before, and was doing a pretty poor job at keeping her hair up now. Most of it hung down her back, tickling her neck. She must have looked like she was homeless in that bar.

  Leaning over the bath, she sealed the plug with the twisting handle beneath the taps, then turned on the water. Seeing an odd button-shaped knob on top of the taps, Lila couldn't resist pushing it, a short stream of thick purple bubble bath spilling into the water at the bottom of the tub, the unmistakeable aroma of lavender wafting up from the frothing liquid. There really was no
other word for this room than perfect. She stripped off her top and skirt, taking the change of clothes she'd bought from the paper bag and hanging them on the back of the door, glad she'd chosen to keep the hangers. Stuffing her old clothes into the bag, she set it aside. It wasn't really a surprise that she felt a sense of relief in getting rid of that outfit. She would never wear it again, even if it were in perfect condition. It came with the memories of burying her parents, something she would keep as few mementos as possible of.

  Stripping off the rest of her clothes once the bath was full, she stuffed her undergarments into the bag despite their being mostly intact. She had the sudden, amusing thought that Troy and Elsie could probably clean them with their combined powers, but she really had no desire to have the two fashionistas criticising her less-than-sexy underwear. They were mismatched, and not particularly aimed at anyone else ever seeing them. Despite what people claimed, she was fairly certain that most girls didn't wear their best underwear unless they were newly in a relationship and wanted to impress.

  Stepping into the bath, Lila gave a short gasp, barely a noise at all, the water seeming to cling to her skin and sink right into her bones. As she sat down, she felt the sensation spread over everywhere the water touched. Sinking right into it, down to her shoulders, she sighed happily, her long, dark auburn hair spreading out in the water as if it had a mind of its own. She was so relaxed, she didn't really think about much until there was a knock at the door ten minutes later, and Adam's amused voice asking if she was okay or if she was drowning. Blushing, she shrugged despite the fact he couldn't see. “Sorry. Got caught up.” she began to explain. Adam sounded amused when he cut her off.

  “It's okay. That's why I came up. It's the lavender, we make it ourselves and enchant it so that it really relaxes you. It's in the shampoo, too. Over by the left side. I'll come back in another ten minutes if we don't hear from you.. just to make sure.” he teased, then she heard footsteps retreating and heading downstairs. Well, at least it wasn't just your daydreaming, Lila mused, chuckling softly before reaching for the shampoo.

  Lathering her hair, she almost fell asleep thanks to the soothing concoction, which worked into even the painful spots she'd hit when the spirit had attacked, making her feel almost brand new. Scrubbing herself down, she didn't stop until her skin was pink before reluctantly washing it all off and getting out of the bath. Reaching for a towel, she dried herself off and wrapped it around her hair. Beginning to dress in her new clothes, she had everything but the t-shirt and hoodie on when, suddenly, an apparition formed in the bathroom, making her shriek and almost fall into the still draining bath. First the premonition, and now sightings – her powers were greatly increased, and maybe a little out of control.

  Getting herself together, she yanked the t-shirt on, though she couldn't really explain why. It wasn't like ghosts had any interest in whether or not she was dressed. Up until now, the spirit had been completely silent, and she wasn't sure it was even going to talk, or if it was simply making itself known. Lila had a moment to study the figure – a young boy, pale in a way Lila associated with someone who had been dead for years. The only real colour about him was a pale purple bruise all the way around his throat.

  “You're being deceived.” he spoke softly. He couldn't have been more than eleven when he died, Lila realised, a knot of sympathy building in her stomach. It took her a moment to register what he had said and, when she did, she frowned. “What do you mean?” she asked, taking a step forward. The apparition held up a hand, a clear warning not to come any closer. “Just what I said.” he answered. “I'm sorry, I can't say any more.” he grimaced. “I've been bound. I can't even indicate gender of who I'm talking about. All I can say is that someone in your life is deceiving you, and you need to break free of it. Consider me your Nain Rouge.”

  Nain Rouge. The term made her blood run almost as cold as if she had stepped into death herself. She wasn't sure if the boy was actually the so-called harbinger of doom, but considering he'd deemed his message important enough to call himself that, she better pay attention. Giving a nod as words failed her, she swallowed several times over her suddenly dry throat, her voice a croak. “Okay.” she answered, giving him the verbal acknowledgement he needed to leave.

  He flickered out as suddenly as he'd come, leaving Lila to deal with the chill in her bones. Pulling on the hoodie, she zipped it up, towel dried her hair and threw the towel in the hamper before picking up the bag of clothes she was throwing away and heading downstairs. Adam smiled when he saw her, pointing out a large black bin he'd pulled in from the kitchen or something, already full of paper and plastic bags full of clothing. Again, a very considerate thing to do, but now Lila had to suspect everyone. Was he forcing the niceties to throw her off his scent? She cast a glance around the group. Adam and Sadie had apparently jumped into the shower after Elsie and Troy, who must have taken half the time she did to get out of the bath, explaining why Adam had come up to check on her. Sadie had thrown caution to the wind in her clothing choices, obviously not planning for any kind of disaster – her fitted dress was obviously aimed at distracting Adam, not running from certain doom. Troy was casual in jeans and a t-shirt, surprisingly normal given the way he'd been playing his personality up over the last few hours. No doubt Sadie had spoken to him. He looked a lot calmer than before, so whatever she had said had fallen right into the perfect category of reassuring and serious. Sadie was brilliant at mediating. Elsie had donned an interesting and quirky look – black trousers which skimmed her thin legs to make her look more proportionate, a white slouched t-shirt with loose, short sleeves, covered with a black and grey waistcoat she hadn't bothered to fasten up. Her long hair was tied up, still damp. Which was a great idea, really – except Lila had no hair ties. Reaching up to fiddle with her hair, she almost jumped out of her skin when a girl appeared out of nowhere, holding out a small box of hair ties and hair slides.

  “How'd you know?” she asked, before realising Adam hadn't even told her his sister's name. The girl smiled, the same amusement in her eyes which Lila had seen in Adam's. “It's not a psychic thing, Spirit girl. Sadie and Elsie both asked.” she explained. Lila thanked her and took a hair tie and one of the slides, tying up her hair and clipping back her fringe at the side. “I'm Lila.” she added, embarrassed at how much of an afterthought it was.

  “Rose.” The girl answered, holding out her hand to shake Lila's. “My brother, the unhelpful git, is a firm believer in everyone making their own introductions, which means I've had to say who I am four times now.” she chuckled, and Lila relaxed. There was nothing more than a sibling playfulness in her tone, and Lila knew that whatever else was going on in their group, she wasn't going to suss out any hidden motives here. Rose disappeared for a second, then came back with a canvas bag full of books and folders, putting them on the low coffee table which Elsie had, moments before, had her feet on. It also had the protective layer of magick on it, and Lila couldn't help but wonder if one of the siblings, or perhaps their parents had been germophobes. “This is everything I could think of that you might need. I... had a lot of time on my hands.” she explained, looking a little lost for a moment. Adam walked over and crushed her in a hug, which was met with an, “Ew, Gerroff.” though the retort was half-hearted and Lila saw Rose return the hug in obvious gratitude – briefly.

  “I ordered pizza for everyone, but there's take-out menus in the coffee table drawer if anyone objects.” Adam spoke after releasing his little sister. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a soft leather journal, biting his lip and holding it out to Rose. “Dad's journal.” he said softly, even though it was clear Rose knew exactly what it was. It was more of an affirmation that Rose was the one who should read it. Sitting down cross-legged, Adam started handing out other books – folders full of recent financial records (Privacy didn't seem to be an issue), scribbled notes, address books and appointment books. It was boring work compared to their near-death experience the day before, but all of them w
ere willing to endure boring. It also gave them a chance to actually talk about their families.

  “It was just dad and us.” Adam explained. “Mum died of cancer about four years ago.” There were murmurs of sympathy. Unfortunately, not even magick could cure certain ailments, or they'd have found a way to slip the cure, magickal or not, into the general community. They were anything but selfish. The revelation prompted everyone into talking a little about their lives pre-massacre. Elsie's parents had been good, if a little overprotective, and she felt guilty over her last conversation with her mother – it had been an argument over something stupid, about not wanting to babysit for her cousin of all things. Now, she realised family was everything and wished she could take it back. It made sense to Lila suddenly why Elise might be a little standoffish and rude; spending time with them was a reminder that her parents were no longer the coven leaders, that her new power came at a horrible price, one all of them would refuse if they'd known what it'd take.

  Troy was quiet about his parents, simply saying they'd wanted the best for him, which in Lila's mind basically confirmed everything Sadie had speculated about him. She gave him a kind smile between the pages of recent expenses (apparently being the leader meant she had to deal with numbers; the excuse was weak but she didn't argue). Sadie was also quiet, but after last night's incident, Lila couldn't blame her.