by K. K. Allen
Rose nods, her eyes never leaving mine. “It’s why she kept you away, Katrina. She didn’t want you to become—” She sweeps a hand up and down, gesturing to all of me. “But there was no stopping it.”
“You spoke about divine intervention before. Are you saying that because she tried to keep me away from all of this, from you and from Apollo Beach, that it ended up killing her?”
Rose tilts her head, and I can see she’s trying to find the right words. “I believe so, yes.”
Sorrow fills me to the brim. “So, what now?”
“You embrace it,” Rose says. “You learn, you train, and then you find out how to exist in a world that desperately needs you.”
I take a few more steps to get to the lounge chair beside her and sit. “But why would the world need any of this? Nothing good has come from what I’m capable of.”
“That’s because you didn’t know what you possessed. We start to feel the effects of our Enchantings months, sometimes years, before we officially get our powers. That’s when the magic inside of us comes alive. Yesterday, on your eighteenth birthday, under the high sun of the summer solstice, your transformation was complete. That’s why at the moment noon hit, you could no longer hide from what you are.”
“Why didn’t you try to warn me?”
Rose shakes her head. “Oh no, dear. It’s Solstice law to not discuss one’s Enchantment until full development is reached. There are some exceptions to the rule, but the law book states that I had to wait.”
“There’s a Solstice law book?”
“There is. You’ll come to know it well. You’ll also learn to control when and how your powers are used. Trust me, Katrina. You’ve been bestowed such an incredible gift.”
“By who?”
“Many years ago, dating back to a time that is untraceable, as far as our family history goes, a goddess was born on the day of the summer solstice.”
“Astina Summer,” I say on a breath.
Rose smiles. “That’s right. Astina, the Goddess of Enchantment, is the original summer solstice goddess. Before the Horae existed, Astina came to be the most powerful goddess of our seasons. She was said to have grown to be a magical being with powers only to be used for the good of mankind. As Astina grew into her power, people did not fear her. They were captivated by her beauty and magic, and indeed, she only used her powers for good. Her Followers believed she was the purest soul on earth, and that her powers were bestowed to her because of that goodness. Her Followers strived to live a life as pure as her—to help others, to be generous—and as a thank you, they were gifted powers of Enchantment as well.”
I swallow. “So that’s it? That’s how the Summer bloodline began?”
“Almost, dear. When Astina was set to marry, she wished for an opposite to complete her, to help her carry on the bloodline of the solstice. She met two men, one of whom would turn out to be her Fated, her one true mate. The other, her nemesis for a lifetime to come.”
I shudder, but continue listening without a word.
“Her Fated was Zavier, another primordial god, who had been born on the day of the winter solstice. They grew together and created a family that commenced your bloodline—their children, the descendants of their power. Your grandfather, your father, and you are direct descendants of that blood.”
I frown as hundreds of questions form at once. “But what about you? Does that mean you haven’t always been a Solstice?”
Rose smiles. “I have. I come from a line of original Followers, those who were gifted Solstice powers by Astina. After Astina passed away, the ability to grant Enchantment died. We can, however, become Enchanted Solstices through marriage. We can also invite new Followers in to partake in our events and witness our actions. It’s one way we keep ourselves in check.”
My mind is spinning. “So there are Solstices, Followers, and—” I look up at her. “What do you call someone who doesn’t possess powers and who isn’t let in on the secret?”
“They are called Normals.”
“Normals.” I say the word quietly, as if I might offend someone.
Rose smiles. “It’s not an insult, Katrina. We all coexist, but our purposes are different.”
I swallow. “So, then what about my mom? Was she a Normal until she married my father? You said she knew what you all were.”
Rose hesitates for a second before responding. “Grace wasn’t brought into the secret until after she married Paul. She had to wait until she was officially Enchanted before she could be let in on our secrets. Like I mentioned, it is Solstice law not to disclose who we are to anyone else. Since she wasn’t a Follower, she had to wait.”
“That’s a little confusing.”
Rose nods. “As is any law, I suppose. But it exists to protect our kind from danger.”
A chill shakes through me. “Danger?”
“At the start of our existence, Astina grew to be an all-powerful goddess with thousands of Followers, both Enchanted and not. There was another—an opposite—who became jealous of Astina’s powers.”
“Wait. You said there was a second opposite when she was to choose her Fated. Is that who you’re referring to now?”
Rose nods. “Yes, the God of Darkness, Erebus. You see, there were two other primordial gods that came to be around the same time as Astina and Xavier. The God of Autumn and the Goddess of Spring. Together, they created an Equinox bloodline that worked and lived parallel to the Solstice bloodline. But the God of Darkness became jealous of what they were creating. He murdered the primordial Equinox Gods and created an army out of the Equinox descendants to rival Astina. Out of fear, the Equinox did as Erebus commanded to work against her, doing whatever they could to sabotage her position of leadership in the deity community. Erebus and his Followers caused the Great Enchanted War in ancient Greece in an attempt to overthrow Astina completely. Loved ones were torn apart, our bloodlines were compromised, and while the Solstice Army came out on top, the Equinox Army still exists to this day.”
Fear bristles in my chest. “Are you serious?”
“Quite serious, dear. The threat is real, but we’ve built a safe community around the world, one that thrives by constructing protections all around us. While Zeus created the Horae to preside over the seasons and time, it never changed our roles, even if the Greek mythology stories don’t reflect our history.” She purses her lips to reflect her annoyance. “As Solstice descendants, we believe in the purest of all things. We do not tolerate evil, sinning, or defiance of any kind. Our ancestry tells us that the purer our souls are, the stronger our powers grow to be. And that is how we live.”
For eighteen years, I’ve lived in a world where magic was make-believe and Greek gods and goddesses were merely elaborate stories told as a way of teaching, and here she is, expecting me to accept this as if it’s all real.
“I’m sorry, Rose, but so much of this isn’t adding up. If we are good, why would my mom take me away?”
“Oh, Kat—” Rose’s expression falls, revealing her age. She sees my impatience and places a hand on my shoulder. “You will know everything, I promise, but there’s a lot you need to understand first.”
I should have known the secrets wouldn’t stop. It seems Rose is filled with them. I push my frustration aside for the time being. “Are there many others?”
Rose’s eyes light up. “Oh, yes. Some live here, in Apollo Beach. You’ll meet them all soon.”
“What about Charlotte? Is she a Solstice too?”
“She is.” Rose adjusts herself in her chair. “Charlotte lost her parents many years ago. Like you and your mom, she was left without parents at a very young age. She’s traveled the world, alone with her power and a vague understanding of her existence.”
My heart squeezes. “That’s so sad.”
“You’ll find it’s actually a common occurrence in our community.”
I tilt my head but say nothing, allowing Rose to complete her train of thought. At least she’s talking.
“That’s amazing.”
“It is. Out of all things I do here, my favorite thing is to help the Lost find out where they came from. Some stay, and some leave. That’s how Charlotte found me, and I’m so grateful that she stayed. She’s been a wonderful companion to me ever since George… well—” Her voice catches. “Anyway, I’m used to the Solstice life, but since his death, my powers only grow weaker with age. A direct descendant’s powers are much stronger, and they can survive a longer lifespan.”
“So one day your powers will just fade completely?”
There’s a darkening in her eyes that twists in my gut. “Something like that, yes.”
I frown, her answer not sitting well with me. “So, what is it that we can do exactly?”
“As Enchanters, we can manipulate the natural progression of things. We can even influence the emotions and sometimes the actions of others. What we can’t do is rewrite history.”
“But we can levitate and teleport?”
Rose chuckles. “Levitate, yes. Teleport, not exactly.”
I frown, confused. “But then how do you explain what happened to me yesterday? One second I was at the pool with Alec, and then next, I was on the beach alone.”
“We call that cross-dimensional awareness. It’s when your senses take over your body and allow you to travel between two planes of existence. When I came outside and saw you with Alec, I saw what was happening. I immobilized him so he wouldn’t see. Then I planted a little scenario in his mind before releasing him from the frozen state.” She shrugs like there was nothing strange about it at all. “He walked inside, none the wiser, and I went to the beach to find you.”
“Wow.”
She allows me to process the information for some time before she perks up. “Now that you know I’m not crazy.” She smiles. “What do you say we get started on your training?”
A wild fluttering sensation comes alive in my stomach. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for this, but I follow Rose into the house, past the great room, and down to the library.
Once we’re inside, she takes me up a set of stairs and grins at me from over her shoulder. “You know how there are always secret rooms in old libraries? All you have to do is turn the candlestick?” She places her hand on a wall candle and pulls it forward.
A door doesn’t rotate on a mechanical floor as I expect, nor does one flip upside down to reveal a new wall. Instead, Rose literally pulls open a hinged door. She laughs, watching my shocked expression.
Beyond it is another den, this one filled with loose papers, uneven stacks of books lying about, and another bookshelf stuffed with ragged books of all shapes and sizes. An old desk stands on the far side of the room.
Charlotte sits at it, a titanic-sized book beneath her crossed forearms as she beams up at me. “Hello, Kat. I see you’ve come to your senses—quite literally, I suppose.”
Without answering right away, I sweep the room with my eyes again. A line of photos hangs on one wall, and I stand before them, fascinated. I already know who they are—direct descendants of the Summer Solstice. The first is a hand-drawn illustration of the Goddess of Enchantment, Astina Summer. I stare at her, scrutinizing every detail of her features and soaking them into my memory like I did with her statue.
“I’m still unsure what to make of all this.” I’m breathless as my gaze floats across the room and lands on Charlotte.
“If you’ll excuse me, Katrina. I will have my afternoon tea now,” Rose exclaims. “We will chat later, but for now, Charlotte has everything you need to get started.”
I watch her go, still reeling from everything she’s told me.
“Sit,” Charlotte says, interrupting my thoughts.
And if that wasn’t enough to get my attention, a loud scraping against the floor does the trick. When I turn to see what the noise was, I find a chair sliding from the other side of the den. Before I can react, it hits the back of my legs, tipping me back into the chair. I gasp, and Charlotte giggles like a schoolgirl. For the first time this morning, I start to feel relaxed.
“How long have you known about me?” It’s the first question out of my mouth, although it’s not the first question I want to ask.
Charlotte smiles. “Well, it wasn’t too long after I met Rose. I figured it out for myself after knowing you existed.” Her face relaxes, expressing her sympathy. “How are you doing with all of this?”
I struggle to find my words. “It’s like I know these things are happening, so it’s undeniable, but there’s still a part of me waiting to wake up from a dream.”
“I understand that feeling all too well.” Charlotte makes a face. “Imagine these things happening to you and not understanding a thing for ten years. I can’t believe I survived as long as I did. I thought I was going crazy, but deep down, I knew there had to be others out there.”
Poor Charlotte. “I’m so glad you found Rose.”
She smiles. “Me too. And now,” she says with a wink, “it’s time for me to pay it forward and to help you find your way. Consider me your private tutor.”
For the first time since learning about all of this, I allow myself to feel excited about it. “I can’t believe we’re really talking about practicing magic.”
Her smile softens as she leans in to reach for my hand. She squeezes it. “Well, start believing it. Your powers will be out of this world.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “You don’t know that.”
Her smile falls completely, and her eyes widen with a seriousness that grips my heart. “But I do. You’re a direct descendant. That’s a big deal.”
“Rose mentioned that, but that makes me no different than my father and my grandfather.”
Charlotte laughs like I’ve just told her the most amusing story. “Oh, Kat. You have no idea just how rare you are. Not just among the Solstice community, but the Enchanter community as a whole.”
“Wait.” I frown. “There’s a difference?”
Charlotte’s laugh deepens. “The Solstices are just one species among the Enchanted gods, but as for you, let me put it this way. It is extremely rare to be born from Astina’s bloodline and to have your Enchantment on the day of the summer solstice.” She squeezes my hand again as if she can’t contain her excitement. “Your connection to Astina Summer is by far the strongest connection our kind has ever witnessed.” She sits back in her chair, her energy practically buzzing through the air.
I let my breath out in a whoosh. “Geez. No pressure there.”
She smiles. “What do you say we get to work?”
“I need a break,” I say before slamming the Solstice law book closed.
Dust particles float up into the air, and I wave my hand through them before meeting Charlotte’s high-browed stare. “You’ve barely made a dent in that thing.”
I look down at the 3,456-page textbook and balk. “I’ve read over six hundred pages just today. And it’s all written in cursive. My vision is blurring. I’m more of a hands-on learner. I thought you were going to be showing me how to use my powers.” I omit the part about how my mind keeps returning to Alec. Guilt compounds with every intercepted call and visit to our front door, but Rose has been adamant about me lying low.
Charlotte presses her lips together like she’s trying to contain her amusement. “You heard Rose. You won’t be practicing any magic until you’ve read the entire book.”
I push the book away and stand up to stretch. “Fine, then I need to take a break and go for a run or something. Being cooped up in this little room has me all wound up.”
Charlotte frowns. “You know how Rose feels about yo
u leaving the house right now. We have a lot of work to do.”
“But it’s been a week,” I whine. “No offense, but this is boring.”
I glance at Charlotte just as she finishes her eye roll. “I assure you, there is nothing boring about what we are. Just you wait.”
Wait. That feels like all I’ve been doing. Meanwhile, I have so much energy inside me, I feel like I’m going to burst. It’s not just my powers I need to learn about. There are changes happening to my body too. Physical changes. And right now, my inner self feels like a jailed bird that yearns to open its wings. I suck in a deep breath, knowing that my thoughts are only contributing to the compounding firestorm locked inside me.
Charlotte narrows her eyes on me. “Keep reading, and then maybe I’ll give you a small break.”
The fact that the chapter I just finished was over two hundred fifty pages of a variety of powers doesn’t help my situation. There seem to be an infinite number of powers to learn, but Rose is adamant that I learn about the protective ones first, like shield manipulation, deflection, and intangibility.
“You’re telling me I can prevent a weapon from harming me by allowing it to pass through my body?” I asked Charlotte earlier after reading a small passage on intangibility.
She laughed heartily before correcting me. “An actual weapon? No. Our magic doesn’t make us invincible, Kat. If anything, it makes us a target. The book is referring to elemental damage caused by charges of energy.”
After realizing Charlotte has already settled back into her own book, I sigh and look back down at the next chapter of Solstice law titled “Restrictions.” When I catch myself reading the same passage multiple times, my eyes start to roam around the room until they lock on a candlestick near the door. It’s currently dimmed to its lowest light setting. Curious if what I learned about fire manipulation is possible, I narrow my eyes on the flame. Focusing all my energy on the flickering light, I start to widen my eyes again, silently commanding the flame to adjust with my gaze. The flame grows larger, causing excitement to rush through me. I’m already craving to do it again. But when I narrow my gaze, the flame dims.
