The Familiar

by Tatiana G. Roces

  I stare at the ceiling of our pod, and notice a shiny silver button almost directly above my head. “I wonder what this is for?”

  Louise looks up. “I’ve got one too.”

  We stretch our arms out, simultaneously reaching for the buttons. When we press down, there’s soft whir as we wait for something to happen. Suddenly, the white ceiling starts turning translucent, and within a few seconds, it’s as clear as glass, revealing the night sky and the millions of twinkling stars above us.

  Louise looks up in awe. “Wow. Is this not the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?”

  I’m feeling wide-awake now, as the stars shine down on us.

  “Louise, I don’t want to, I don’t know, bring up bad memories or anything like that, but I’d really like to know more about how your parents died…”

  Louise pauses, and takes a deep breath. “Sure, don’t worry, I understand… Well, it all pretty much started with my grandfather Lyle. He was chosen by your grandmother Celestina to be her familiar. Eventually, she grew into a powerful witch, and the Council took notice. They recruited her to join them and she accepted. After ten years, my grandfather chose to stay on with her, even though his obligation was fulfilled.”

  “You mean we only have to be someone’s familiar for ten years?” I interrupt.

  Louise turns to look at me. “Yes, I mean we’re not slaves or anything. When we finish our contract, it’s our choice to stay or go. Some choose to start a career, some get married and have children, but others such as my grandfather, stay on for the rest of their lives… Either way, a familiar will always be connected to their witch or wizard for life.”

  “Huh. That’s interesting. I had no idea. So, okay, your grandfather was able to have a family even though he continued on as my grandmother’s familiar?”

  “Well yeah. Anyone that stays on is encouraged to start a family. Continuing the bloodlines is important to ensure that the shape-shifter populations don’t dwindle or die out completely. My grandmother and my parents lived with Celestina. And I think because of that my parents, in a way, felt like Celestina was a second mom to them,” she explains. I feel envious hearing her story, knowing that I will never get a chance to know my grandmother.

  She continues, “So after your mom disappeared, Celestina became really distraught, and she started getting weaker, losing more and more of her powers every day. Oh and I should mention that by then, both of my parents had already moved on, becoming familiars for other witches. But they decided to take a leave of absence when Celestina got sick. Around the same time, my grandfather also became rather frail.”

  “So what happened next?” I ask, wrapped up in the story.

  “One night, Celestina asked my parents to accompany her on her nightly walk through the gardens. An hour or so went by and when they didn’t return, my grandfather got worried and went out to look for them. By the time he found them in the rose garden, they were already dead. My parents’ bodies were covering Celestina, so the theory is that someone tried to attack her, and they jumped in front to protect her. It’s possible she died from a heart attack, or from shock, but no one really knows. To this day, I can’t stand the smell of roses,” she says sadly.

  I’m stunned, as I make an effort to absorb everything she’s told me. “So what happened to your grandfather?”

  “He and my grandmother, Abigail, both died within a year of the incident,” she explains.

  I stare at Louise, amazed by her composure.

  “I’m sorry about everything that happened, Louise.”

  “I was just a baby, Hazel. I mean of course it’s sad, and I wish I had gotten to know my parents, but I did have a happy childhood. I understand that they died for a reason, and I choose to celebrate that they died heroically, rather than dwelling on the sadness of it all,” says Louise, giving me a reassuring smile. Her smile doesn’t show me happiness, but something else. Contentment. Her eyes look peaceful and soft, like she’s had time to recover from the unimaginable loss.

  “I think you probably take after your parents more than you’ll ever know,” I say, yawning sleepily.

  “Thanks, Hazel. Well, we really better go to sleep now, I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be a full day…Goodnight.” she says, curling up under her blankets.

  I stay awake for a while longer, mesmerized by the stars and wondering if this is the life I’m really meant to be living. As I begin losing consciousness, I hear Mom calling my name softly.

  “Hazel… Hazel… Can you hear me?” I open my eyes, and I’m standing in a bright white room. I see her almost floating in the midst of it, looking so lifelike that I’m having doubts as to whether it’s a dream or reality.

  I walk towards her, and she smiles radiantly. Her long hair is draped over a simple white cotton dress.

  “Mom? Is that really you?”

  “Yes, it’s me. You’re dreaming, Hazel, but it really is me,” she replies.

  I feel deeply confused, but decide to just go with it. “What are you doing here? And how are you in my dream?”

  She holds my hand. “Come. Let’s go for a walk.”

  We take a few steps in silence, until I hear the sound of waves, and suddenly we’re walking down my favorite beach in Safe Harbor. She sees the joyful look on my face and smiles. “I figured you were a bit homesick.”

  It all feels so real, even the sensation of the sand on my bare feet.

  “Seriously, Mom… How are you doing this?”

  “Dream manipulation. It’s usually a difficult power to master, and to be honest, this is one of the few times I’ve been successful. It probably has something to do with you being my daughter,” she explains.

  I stare at the waves as they wash up on the beach. “Okay, I guess that kind of makes sense. But why are you here? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond happy to see you, but I have a feeling this isn’t just dropping in to say hello.”

  “Well, I felt that you needed me. It must be a mother’s intuition,” she explains, holding my hand like she did when I was a little girl.

  I stop walking, and study the scenery, realizing that it’s devoid of any fishing boats, or seagulls. In fact we are the lone inhabitants of this dreamscape.

  “Your instincts were right,” I say softly, scared of the words that will be coming out of my mouth next.

  “Some things have been happening, things I think are just beyond my own control, Mom… To be honest, I don’t really know what to do.”

  She pulls me close, and embraces me. I feel safe, like nothing can hurt me. I pull away not because I want to, but because I feel like I have to look her in the eye when I tell her.

  “Mom, I think… I might also be… a witch.”

  She stares at me without saying a word. She seems beyond shocked, and it takes a long minute before she responds.

  “What do you mean?”

  I breathe deeply, trying to remain calm.

  “Remember when you healed the cuts and bruises on my legs? Well… I did the same thing today. Akiko’s ankle was completely mangled. She fell in between some rocks and it was just so bad, Mom. The bone was literally sticking out of her flesh.”

  “How did you know what to do? I mean, the power to heal requires some training and experience,” she says, shaking her head in disbelief.

  I feel anxious, and my head starts to throb.

  “I don’t know, Mom. I just put my hands over her wounds, hoping to do something to help ease her pain, and just like that, her ankle was healed. It was like the injury was never even there…”

  She’s silent, and I can almost hear her thinking.

  “Okay, so are there any other signs? Has anything else out of the ordinary happened?”

  “Yes. I was able to access someone’s memory during a training exercise. I really don’t know how it happened,” I admit.

  “Hazel, if all of this is true, that means you’re a hybrid, a true hybrid, a descendant of a witch and familiar who inherits both powers equally. I’ve
never really thought it was truly possible,” she says skeptically.

  “The things you’re describing are things most young witches aren’t even capable of pulling off. I’ve never even successfully entered someone’s memories.”

  “What do you mean? You were able to share your memories with me. Isn’t that the same?” I ask, trying to make sense of it all.

  She shakes her head. “No, it’s not the same thing. Gifting your own memories to someone else is easy. Most young witches, even while still in training can do this. What requires true skill is entering someone else’s memories without their permission.”

  I feel myself getting weak in the knees, but Mom puts her hands on my shoulders and I feel her strength penetrate my body.

  “Hazel, please don’t tell anybody about this, okay? It could be very dangerous for you… If Rufus White or any other dark witches or wizards with illicit intentions found out about your powers, they might want to take you, use you for experiments or as a weapon. It used to happen, Hazel. Whenever someone displayed even the slightest hybrid attributes they were at risk for capture. You have no idea the lines some witches and wizards are willing to cross just to possess the kind of power you have. You’re healing powers are significant, Hazel. You need to protect them.”

  “But, Akiko and Jared… They already know.”

  I can see she’s trying not to panic. “Do you trust them? I mean really trust them, Hazel? Trust them as if your life depended on it?”

  I don’t hesitate to answer, “Yes.”

  She takes a deep breath. “Okay, well, I guess I’ll have to take your word for it right now.”

  “So, what now?” I say, feeling a simultaneous sense of relief and tension that confuses me.

  For the first time in my life, Mom actually looks dumbfounded. “I don’t know, Hazel, but it’s best you keep a low profile for now. I’ll think of something.”

  “Okay,” I say softly. I feel tired, my body weakening with every step. She puts her hands on my temples, and kisses me on the forehead.

  “Go to sleep now, my love,” she says, as she and the dreamscape slowly fade away.

  26

  I open my eyes and see Louise fast asleep next to me. I decide to go for an early morning swim. Somehow, having the waterfalls to myself first thing in the morning seems like a cathartic way to start the day. Outside, the silence is almost unnerving. The only sound is my flip-flops, as they make squishy sounds when I walk. I dip my toe into the crystal blue water, expecting it to be icy cold, but instead it feels like bath water. When I dive in, the water skims my body. As I swim, floating on my back and looking up at the waterfalls above me, I almost forget my worries.

  Suddenly though, I get the sensation I’m being watched. I search the perimeter to see if anyone’s lurking, but see no one. I scan the treetops and branches for unusual birds, but again I see nothing. The sensation is strong, and I know in the pit of my stomach that someone’s out there. I decide to ignore it and hope whoever it is loses interest and goes away. But then I hear a voice behind me, and whip my head around.

  “Good morning, Hazel!” says Brad in a chipper voice.

  I look at him suspiciously. “Oh. Hi, Brad… Have you been there long?”

  “Nah, I just woke-up. I had one too many hot chocolates last night,” he says jokingly.

  I pretend to laugh, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

  “I’m going to dry off and get dressed for breakfast,” I say as I get out of the water and wrap myself in my towel.

  Brad smiles and gives me a friendly wave. “Okay! See you in a bit.”

  When I get back to the pod, I find Louise just waking up.

  “You’re up already?” she asks groggily.

  I find some clean clothes to change into and reply, “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep anymore, so I went for a swim.”

  She gets out of her sleeping compartment, and stretches. “I hope breakfast is ready. I’m starving.”

  Once we’re dressed, we head out to join the rest of the campers. I peruse the buffet and grab a couple of breakfast burritos and a big bowl of cinnamon raisin oatmeal. Just as I’m about to dig in, Maya makes an announcement, “Good morning! We hope that you’re all enjoying the outing. Mirror Falls is truly a special place, and we’re glad to have shared it with you… Enjoy your breakfast, because afterwards, we’ll be packing up and heading back to camp.”

  Everyone thinks she’s done talking, but she clears her throat and continues, “Instead of going back the way we came though, we thought it might be more challenging to make it into a race…”

  The minute she says race, we look at one another with dread.

  “We’ll be giving all of you maps with different routes, and it’ll be completely up to you to decide which one to pick. Additionally, we want you to do the race as shape-shifters, not in human form. Feel free to be as creative as you like. Does anyone have any questions?”

  Lance and Donovan raise their hands up simultaneously.

  “Lance? Donovan?” Maya questions, unsure which twin will speak up.

  Lance sits down, allowing Donovan to speak, “So what does the winner of the race get?”

  “Well, Donovan, I’m sure you’re not the only one who was wondering about that. One of the things we try and teach you at camp is that not everything is about a prize, or about stats. Sure, it’s important sometimes, but what we do as familiars is not necessarily about getting something in return. We want to achieve success by being the best at what we do, and helping the greater good with our talents. So I want you to just have some fun, and let your competitive juices flow.”

  Donovan sits back down, looking mildly disappointed.

  Akiko frowns at us, and sighs. “I knew that a nice relaxing camping trip was just too good to be true.”

  Louise nudges Akiko. “Hey, lighten up. It’s just for fun!”

  We finish our breakfast, and get back to our pods to gather our belongings. There’s a knock, and Alicia peeks in. “You guys done in here?”

  I stuff my swimsuit into my backpack, and zip it closed.

  “I think so,” I say, looking around to make sure I haven’t left anything behind.

  We carry our stuff and join Alicia outside. She walks to the side of the pod, and points at a small red button. “This is the collapse button.”

  We stand back as she presses the button lightly. After a second or two passes, we hear a high-pitched buzzing sound followed by a crumpling noise, as the pod shrinks back to the size of an egg. Alicia bends down to pick it up, stuffing it into a velvet pouch.

  “Come on, we’re all meeting up in five minutes,” she says, gesturing for us to follow her. We walk to the edge of the clearing where everyone’s already congregated. Brad is handing out little golden capsules as Maya stands aside and addresses the crowd.

  “These capsules are what we call mental map caps, or MMCs. Once you swallow it, the map will be imprinted into your memory. As you travel your chosen route, it’ll show your progress much like a GPS system. Once you swallow your MMC, you may drop your backpack on the floor. We’ll make sure it gets back to camp safely.”

  We watch each other swallow the capsules, then leave our bags in a big pile in front of Maya.

  “Okay, you should soon be able to see the map. At the sound of the whistle, the race will commence,” she shouts out. We stand on alert, and wait. Finally, a high-pitched whistle echoes through the forest. Most of the group takes off running in different directions, while others stay in place with their eyes closed, mentally planning their moves. I see the map in front of me, as if it’s a hologram projected for only me to see. A few routes are highlighted in black, and after studying them I choose the more treacherous one, since it looks like the quickest way back to camp.

  The trek requires an almost vertical climb on the side of a cliff, then a steep incline downhill which leads directly back. Making the trip by air will be the quickest, albeit the most challenging. I think back, recalling one of Mom’s books a
bout birds I’d flipped through on a whim. I remember reading about the swift, and how it’s the fastest bird when it comes to level and climbing flights, but that the peregrine falcon is the fastest at diving flights, especially when catching prey. I sprint into the forest and look for somewhere with a high vantage. I catch site of a spot where a dead tree has fallen over into a ravine, and decide it’s a good place to take-off from. I look at my hands, suddenly noticing that I forgot to remove Mom’s ring. Not wanting to lose it during the transformation, I do the only thing I can think of. I take it off and put it into my mouth for safekeeping.

  When I feel ready, I close my eyes and think of a graceful black swift flapping its wings with the air pushing its feathers like the rudders of a plane. I take a deep breath, and run towards the edge of the ravine, one, two, three steps, and then I jump off. I shift midair, and flap my wings frantically until I establish a steady glide. I feel the large silver ring in my beak, and clamp down on it. I rotate my beady eyes, and locate the vertical cliff, then dip to the side, and head towards it. I fly as quickly as I can, and with the wind pushing me from behind, I’m able to reach my destination in no time. As I approach the steep rock wall, I start flying upwards, higher and higher. Despite the strain of flying up the steep incline, I’m able to clear the cliff. The panoramic view from this height allows me to study the terrain up ahead. In between the mountains and cliffs below I see the camp. I fly towards it, and picture a falcon diving with its sharp talons reaching out for its prey. Suddenly, I feel a jolt as my wings get longer and my speed accelerates uncontrollably. I’m flying down, almost as if I’m freefalling. When I near the bottom, I level my body and my wings catch air so that I’m gliding evenly over the treetops. After a few minutes, I get closer, and the field behind the main house appears as I fly to the other side near the large oak tree. I zero in on a sturdy tree branch, and land gracefully, my talons gripping tightly. Just beyond the field, from a distance, I detect another bird making its descent.