Heirs of Avalon

by Alica Mckenna Johnson

  Miu’s fingers twitched. “May I?”

  I held out a hand to her. She put her hand in mine, her fiery healing gift warming me almost to the point of being uncomfortable. “Other than being tired and your empathy being shattered, you’re fine.”

  “See, I told you,” I picked up my fork and began to eat. People always seem to think as long as you’re eating, everything is good. It took focused effort to keep my hand from shaking.

  “Young man, may I begin?” Grandmother asked.

  Taliesin nodded, and she laid out the cards in the same pattern as before.

  “You are strong, a warrior, you help people, help them balance their soul. But it bothers you because of the chaos and destruction it can bring.” Her hands hovered over the three cards in the middle, Strength, Two of Swords, and The Tower.

  Taliesin was as still and hard as a statue, his breath shallow and quick. What Grandmother said didn’t make much sense to me, but it seemed to make a lot to Taliesin.

  She touched the Queen of Cups. “Your mother is a strong woman who loves you very much, and you have grown from the foundation of love and acceptance she gave you.”

  It’s true, Cordelia was wonderful. Taliesin nodded slightly.

  “You are waiting for something bad to happen.” She tapped the Nine of Wands at the top of the spread. “Your mind is always seeking the next challenge or threat, looking out for those who might deceive you. You feel burdened and weary. But don’t worry, The Knight of Swords shows your inner strength. With your vigilance and insight, you will see what is coming, what hides within the darkness.” She pointed to the Moon, which was upside down.

  Taliesin frowned at the cards. I’d had the Moon in my reading too. So, yeah, attacked by unknown forces.

  “Your future, not your near future, but what is building, what you are helping to create now is full of good possibilities. The Three of Cups shows great friends who come together to make a more powerful group. Maybe one will even become your lover.” Grandmother grinned and winked at Taliesin whose cheeks pinked a little bit. She pointed to the King of Cups and the Magician. “You could become a great man. A man of power, skills, insight, and ability with a loving heart. But you worry you’ll turn to darkness and let fear consume you, betraying those you love and hurting the innocent.”

  Taliesin stiffened next to me. I reached out and squeezed his hand. I wouldn’t let him go dark, none of us would.

  “You have the World before you. If you trust in your friends and yourself, you’ll have a future full of possibilities, of travel, triumph, and hope.” Grandmother sighed and sat back.

  Taliesin stared at The Tower. The image on the card showed a crumbling stone tower on fire, with people falling off of it. “I don’t want to cause such pain and destruction.”

  Grandmother shrugged. “Sometimes life needs to be shaken up. Sometimes we have to leave the safety of what we know, or perhaps suffer the consequences of our actions, which can be devastating. Often the ends justify the means.”

  “The ends justify the means is an easy way for bad people to justify doing what they want. For good people it serves as a warning. Will your actions today justify the outcome tomorrow? Will you be able to look at yourself in the mirror after what you have done? Will the good you do out-weight the pain you cause? Only you know what the right choice is, but I have faith that you’ll make the right one, my darling.”

  Biting my lip, I turned to look at Taliesin. He looked like marble, and a tear slid down his cheek. Lacing my fingers through his I reminded him I was here. He didn’t move, but his hand molded to mine.

  Grandmother’s stared at the cards, her blue eyes losing focus. “What am I missing?”

  Taliesin cleared his throat. “It’s okay, I understand.”

  Gasping, she looked up her eyes glowing. “Oh, I see you now.”

  For a second the star on Taliesin’s forehead glowed blue-silver.

  Blinking, she looked at the cards again. “Yes, it all makes since now.”

  A group of acrobats burst into the room, their bright, laughing voices cutting through the tension and gloom.

  Grandmother smiled and gathered up her cards. “Remember the messages, Taliesin. They might not be clear now but they will be. Now Brandon dear, you get to work. I’ll go see if the others would like a card reading; they look very interesting.”

  Brandon sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “I am so sorry. I had no idea anything like this would happen. She just showed up, and told me to let her in. I can never say no to my Gran.”

  “It’s fine.” Taliesin let go of my hand. “I think they need to order lunch.”

  Brandon nodded and went to the other end of the table where his Grandmother entertained the acrobats.

  “Well,” said Miu. “That was a ball of suck.”

  I snorted. “Eloquent and tasteful.”

  “I try,” she smiled. “Hey, it’s almost one. Taliesin, did you want to …” she trailed off.

  “Yes,” he looked at his half full plate and sighed. “I don’t think I can eat any more, let’s go.”

  I thought about saying something, but I wasn’t Taliesin’s keeper. And after what happened, I wasn’t hungry either.

  * * *

  After finishing my history report on Nicola Tesla, I scrolled through the list of assignments I needed to complete. The virtual academy Anali and Gavin signed us up for was intense. Our schooling wasn’t going to suffer just because we traveled the world on a magical beings rescue mission. Let’s see, my choices were: conjugating French verbs, a geometry test, or reading a chapter in marine biology and taking the quiz. It all sounded like so much fun while sitting in my luxury hotel room in London. Placing my finger on the screen, I began to chant eenie, meenie, miny, moe to choose when someone knocked on my door.

  “Hey Gavin,” I said.

  He smiled, his eyes calm and focused. “Are you ready?”

  “Sure let me grab my things. Where are we going?” I texted Miu and asked if she needed anything from the room.

  “Well, Anali would like to go to the British Museum, but you have a bad reaction to antiques.” Gavin fluttered his hands at me.

  “I don’t mind going. I’ve been practicing, and my shields are stronger now.” I ignored the fact that I hadn’t been able to fully repair them since the encounter with Brandon’s grandmother.

  “There are large sections that are newer and many exits,” Gavin said.

  I smiled at Gavin’s emotions tugging in different directions. “Gavin, I’ll be fine. I’ll be careful to not stare at or touch the displays, and I doubt anything too traumatic happened in the museum itself.” My phone beeped, and I hunted through the piles of Miu’s clothing to find the requested items. “If it’ll make you feel better I’ll stay next to Kayin the whole time, and he can keep an eye on me so you can be free to take care of Anali.”

  Gavin frowned. “I don’t want you to feel ignored.”

  I rolled my eyes. Adults are so difficult. “Anali needs you right now; I might have an issue. These are different things. If it’ll make you feel better, once Anali is feeling better, I’ll demand you spend a day with me.”

  Gavin gave me a one-armed hug as we walked out the door. “You won’t have to demand. I enjoy spending time with you. Both Anali and I feel bad that we haven’t been around much, but thank you for understanding.”

  “Uncle Gavin, you worry too much. I understand the difference between someone needing attention and being ignored.”

  “That’s because you’re very mature,” Anali said. I jumped a bit. I hadn’t heard their door open. She looked pale and had bags under her eyes, but she smiled. The joy radiating from her felt like soda bubbles.

  “Not really, just used to seeing kids losing it when I lived in group homes. Helping me with math wasn’t as urgent as helping a kid who was hysterical over a missed visit.” I smiled. “It’s all about perspective.” And I knew this was temporary and nothing to worry about.

  An
ali hugged me. “You are so special, thank you.”

  I hugged her back. I wasn’t that special.

  “Are we going?” Miu asked as she and Taliesin came down the hallway.

  “Yes,” Anali said, letting go. “I need to get out, even if I can only handle an hour or two.”

  Taliesin looked tired, but I felt his sense of accomplishment, while Miu felt pleased. What had they been up to? “Did you guys have a productive time together?” I asked.”

  Miu nodded, and her braids slid over her back. “Yes, very, and you?”

  “I finished my history essay,”

  “Guh. I still need to do that one,” Miu said. “I’ve read everything, I just need to put it all together.”

  “I finished all my work for this semester,” Taliesin said.

  Anali patted his arm. “Good for you. I’m sure the others are almost done.”

  There was no mistaking the mom tone. Miu and I dutifully recited the assignments we needed to complete. Anali smiled, pleased with her little brood of chicks. I hoped Sasha and Kayin were also close to being finished.

  * * *

  I bit my lip as we walked up the steps to the British Museum’s towering Greek revival building. The off-white stone looked old, and my stomach clenched as I watched ghosts of memories walk around: transparent women in dresses with bustles and men in top hats and tails, people in hard hats running in between rubble as bombs dropped from the sky. I saw these flickers of the past all the time. The emotions and memories seeped into the stone, brick, and wood of every building. I ignored them since few were strong enough for me to feel. It’s like walking through movie images with no sound.

  “It’s beautiful,” Kayin said standing next to me as we looked up at the columns and the gods and goddess carved into the building above them.

  “Yes, very,” I said.

  “You okay?” Sasha asked.

  I took a deep breath and stood straighter. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  He snorted, but I ignored him. It was just a building and with beautiful treasures inside. I wasn’t going to let it overwhelm me.

  The museum won, not because my empathy was overwhelmed but because I was. The beauty, the history, the power of seeing our ancestor’s creations was awesome. Truly awesome, not the slang version of the word but such as to inspire awe. If I stared too long at an object, I could feel a tug as if it wanted to tell me the story of its life. When my powers were new I fell into the emotions trapped inside a Sumerian bottle and saw the bottle’s ‘life.’ A few months ago in Peru, I walked into a square once used for human sacrifices and couldn’t block the images or emotions seeped into the stones. So far I resisted the call of the different objects.

  “Oh, look at this,” Miu said her eyes focused on a display of samurai armor.

  I shivered, it looked demonic. Images of the men who wore it overlaid each other inside the helmet, making the demonic image complete. Ghostly blood splatter appeared on the lacquered plates and polished metal helmets. Emotions swirled: fear, strength, pride, pain, and triumph. The armor had a story to tell, and it called to me. Stepping back, I took a deep breath and turned to look at a painting, a woodblock of a man and women, and oh! I blushed at the racy wood block. The next one showed a girl combing her hair, wearing a blue kimono with white flowers. I stared at it for a long time while the others admired the samurai weapons.

  “Are you alright?” Taliesin asked.

  I smiled. “Are you guys on a schedule? I don’t think the same person has asked if I’m okay twice in a row.”

  He smiled. “This way you can’t get angry because one of us keeps bugging you.”

  “I’m fine. There is less emotion trapped in the woodblock, so I’m admiring it while the others finish. You can go back and look at the swords if you want.”

  “They are amazing works of art, but I can sense the pain they have caused. I’d rather look at this.” Taliesin pointed to the next woodblock. Huge blue waves rocked two small fishing boats, half hidden behind frothing white caps. “The plaque says each color needed its own carved block.”

  “How did they fit it together so perfectly?” I asked. “Do you sense anything?”

  Taliesin shook his head his white hair fluttered around his arms. “No. You?”

  “A vague sense of peace and joy. I’m guessing that it’s because the painting wasn’t handled,” I said.

  “Do you need to sit down?” Gavin asked Anali. “The map shows a cafe close by.”

  Anali squeezed his arm which she had taken as soon as we left the cab and had not let go of. They looked so cute, his arm bent, hand on his stomach so she could hold onto him easily. “I’m a little thirsty, and the midwife said eating smaller amounts frequently should help with the nausea.”

  “Well, then, we shall have some refreshments,” Gavin said.

  They smiled so sweetly my teeth ached. I was so not sitting at the table with them. Adults are so embarrassing.

  Gavin, Taliesin, and I watched the others to gush over the rooms which showed their countries’ art and history. It felt odd not having anything to connect to. “Gavin, what am I?”

  He looked away from the gold Russian icon displayed across from the cafe. “What?”

  “Well, where do our ancestors come from? I don’t know if I’m British, or German, or what.” I twisted my mom’s ring, watching the midnight blue strip set in silver sparkle like the night sky.

  “Oh, yes, well,” Gavin ran his fingers through his fire red hair. “Your father was English, Scottish, and French. And our side is German, Danish, and Swiss, I think. Of course you go back four thousand years, and originally we’re from Babylon.”

  Yes, and a Phoenix King. “Thanks.”

  “You know your dad loved genealogy. I know he traced his family and our family back as far as he was able to.”

  “Maybe we can find his research,” Anali offered.

  “I can ask Preston to start looking,” Gavin replied.

  “You don’t have too. It isn’t that big a deal,” I said.

  “It’s not a problem; he’s probably bored anyway. And if you want to find out more about our family and who you are, then I will make that happen,” Gavin said.

  “Thanks, Uncle Gavin.” I moved to look at a collection of Russian stacking dolls before things got too mushy.

  The museum was about to close. We scattered to look at as much of the current exhibit as possible, despite the fact that we could come back over the next few weeks. I was looking at a display of Roman-era artifacts found in England. A pair of dragonesque brooches caught my attention. To me they looked like seahorses, the silver dull, and some of the blue and red enamel chipped. There was something about them, something different. A hint of Akasha, but it wasn’t strong. Then I fell—no, not fell—was pulled into the piece. I still felt my body and heard the low hum of voices. I was shown the history of the brooches.

  An elf lay dying. His whole village had been infected by something, no one knew what. They tried to contact Shamash, but were too weak. A little green deva came to him. Earth devas—each planet had them—little beings that helps things grow, nature spirits that were tied to the land.

  “I think I can help,” the deva said. “But it’ll change you. Do you wish it?”

  “Yes.” He didn’t want to die.

  The deva smiled and her hands began to glow.

  Ache was the next thing he knew. His whole body ached, his mouth went dry, and his neck itched. Rolling over he found a cup of water. His long fingers wrapped around the wood cup which hummed in greeting. The cool water seemed to sing and rejoice as it soothed his dry mouth. Reaching up to scratch his neck, his fingers touched his necklace: a simple silver chain from Akasha, a chain which now bothered him. It wasn’t painful, but the power in it moved too fast and felt too strong.

  Dressing in simple green tunic and leggings, he went to see how the others fared. Some chose to die, or were too sick for the devas to heal. The rest chose life and found themselves changed�
�they belonged to Earth now. Their soft magic tuned into the steady deep heartbeat of Earth. He missed the wild, strong, rhythm of Akasha. His necklace seemed to mock his lack of power.

  He went to a human silversmith, careful to hide his ash-blond hair, as they had some silly superstition about it being evil. He had the necklace melted into Earth silver and made into images of water fairies with bright blue-and-red- lacquered scales. The silversmith thought they looked like dragons and asked if he could make the design for others. The elf didn’t mind.

  The elves mourned their loss, but over time learned to use their new powers and accept life as one of Earth’s creatures. When the humans multiplied, they created a deep lake around their village. Some curious humans watched them and ran back to their villages with stories of magic, enchantments, and creatures of myth and legends. Others asked to learn to study how to be stewards to Mother Earth. They wanted to connect to her and not dominate and fight her.

  The elf stood on the top of the hill looking over the village of stone houses and thatched roofs, lush fields, and at elves and people studying Earth’s magic, while devas and fairies flew around them. His heart filled with joy and peace. Together they had created a new home: Avalon.

  A hand took my elbow and warm Phoenix energy thrummed. Blinking, I took a shuddering breath. Wow, that was interesting.

  “Sapphire, are you okay?” Kayin asked.

  “Yes, fine,” I shook my head black and red curls fluttering around my face. “I stared at that piece a little too long.”

  “Should we tell Gavin?” he asked.

  “No, I’m not hurt, it wasn’t anything scary or bad, and you know now, so you can keep an eye on me,” I said.

  “Time to go,” Gavin called out as he helped Anali to her feet.

  “See, we’re leaving now—it won’t happen again.” I smiled. Kayin arched an eyebrow and stared at me. I held his gaze for a minute, but as usual his deep brown eyes demanded the truth. I squirmed, looked away, and sighed. “Big Brother, I should have been more careful, but if I hold onto you, I’ll regain my focus and strengthen my protective bubble so my empathy isn’t picking up everything.”