by Marnie Cate
Standing in front of another door, he said, “And here is the bathroom. I borrowed the designs from Charlemagne's. So, it has a nice big bath tub and a glass shower.”
Interrupting, Meg said, “And then when my Neep is old enough, they will sleep in here.”
She opened a third door I had not noticed before. The door led to my old bedroom. The loft room that Meg and I had shared.
“You have thought of everything,” I said, unable to hold back my tears.
Wiping the wetness from my face, Meg said, “Oh Mara, don't cry. If you don't stop, I must cry with you.” When I began to cry harder, she said, “No, seriously. Enough of that.”
My father laughed. “If you two don't stop. I will be crying with you.”
“We wouldn't want that, Dad,” Meg smiled. “As you can see, there is a lot we need to buy before you leave tomorrow, Mara. We don't want Cole to come home to an unfinished room.”
“How did you know about that?” I asked, not hiding the surprise in my voice.
“I didn't know for sure,” Meg laughed. “Thank you for confirming it. This time you have to promise to not be gone so long.”
Taking one last look around, I hoped that Cole would soon be back at home with me. The small kick from my stomach didn't want to be left out. “Yes, Daddy will be home in time to meet you,” I whispered. “Ok, Meg, I am ready for the day you have planned. Let me just finish getting ready. I will only be a few minutes.”
A strong wind blew into the room.
Breeze stood in the now open window, the Air elemental wore a cross look on her face. “Not so fast, Mara. You're avoiding your training and it is even more important now that you are carrying a child to keep your skills sharp. Sorry, Meg but Mara is mine for a few hours.”
Chapter 3
As Breeze led me deep into the northern part of Starten Forest, I pursed my lips holding back the words I wanted to say to her. Stopping in a clearing tucked in the middle of large red trees, she sat down on one of the gnarled black trunks that had fallen over, all of its blood red leaves piled around it. Breeze looked dark and scary sitting in the middle of it.
“I just ate breakfast and I didn't dress for this,” I pouted.
“You promised me last week that you would continue to practice using your gifts. Hiding and ignoring the magic you have running through your veins won't bring Cole back. If you don't know how to use your magic, how can you protect your child?” Breeze scolded.
“I am here now, Breeze. I am in no mood for a lecture,” I said, crossing my arms.
Clenching her jaw, she said, “Call your magic.”
Halfheartedly, I called a medium ball of fire and threw it on the ground. When she glared at me, I cast a stream of water that doused the flames.
A burst of wind hit me. The air knocked the water out of my hands and threatened to blow me over. Breeze's attack angered me and I threw my own Air magic at her. The tendrils of our magic pushed against each other. When hers began to overpower mine, I called Earth to raise a barrier of thick vines to protect me.
In the cocoon I created for myself, I yelled, “I am pregnant. Are you trying to hurt me?”
“Excuses. Blaze was right. You're letting your sadness make you weak. She wouldn't have let you slack off like this. You're not using all of your magic. Your enemies will not be gentle with you. Now, fight me!”
The violent wind she called began to rip the vines one by one out of the ground. Clearing my mind, I focused on the dark magic of my mother. I called Water to flood the ground. When it was knee high and the wind crashed strong waves into Breeze, I called my dark Air magic. I willed it to freeze the molecules of water surrounding her. As the white crystals formed and trailed towards Breeze, I pushed more of the icy water towards her, freezing it. When the solid block of ice wrapped up her shoulders, I stopped summoning my power.
Smirking, she said, “Is that all you have?”
My hands were dripping with sparks. I threw just enough of the electricity to give her a strong jolt before squashing it in my hands.
“Did you want me to create a dagger to cut you? Did you want me to call the Earth to split open, dragging you deep into the ground before burying you alive? Or are you satisfied with what I have proven I can do?” I cried.
“I just want you to be prepared for anything, Mara,” Breeze said. “You're working from anger right now. Can you do the same when you're in a place of calmness and serenity? Do you know how to counter all of the elements and any other magic that you have not seen yet?”
My hazel eyes locked with her silver ones. We stared at each other silently. Calling a stream of warm wind, I melted the icy trap I had contained her in. A rumble above called my attention and I could see the sky above me becoming dark as thick clouds filled it. Before I could react, a funnel shot down and encircled me.
As I spun inside the small tornado, my mind raced. My attempts to push the air around me failed. Feeling dizzy and out of options to save myself, I cried into the airstream willing it to reach Breeze. “I give up!”
The spinning slowed and I was gently set on the ground. Sitting on the damp grass, I tried to catch my breath. Breeze sat beside me.
“And this is why we insist that you train. Once you are ready, we can try again. Never let your guard down, not even for those you trust,” Breeze said, squeezing my hand.
Breeze had requested to be the one to guide me while the others returned to Danu. I had been so wrapped up in my own self-pity I didn't question why they had to leave. If only Kai would have stayed, I would have been able to talk to him. He would answer me honestly and without riddles.
When I was a small girl, I would run out of the house to the meet my special friends. Children of Danu each were the physical embodiment of the element - Breeze of Air, Blaze of Fire, Bay of Water and Daisy of Earth. They taught me how to call their essence but the magic of my youth had been just a game to me. Throwing water balls, growing flowers, creating small embers of fire and calling soft breezes were the extent of my education. As my gift grew stronger, Gram feared I would not be safe and she bound my access to it, erasing my memories. Before my eighteenth birthday, Gram restored my gift. The elementals returned to help me remember what I had lost but even they did not understand the extent of my gifts. My grandmother didn't have time to tell me everything I needed to know. She left me without the preparation for what I would face. I had thought my mother was my only threat until I learned she had been trying to protect me from Snowystra until the darkness had consumed her. Training now was about protecting myself from an invisible danger. There was so much I didn't understand about the unseen world around me. Breeze refused to answer my questions. She would only tell me to focus on growing stronger. More secrets. More truths were withheld.
One thing Breeze couldn't help me understand was the dark magic running through me. I felt it pulsing through my veins. I feared it as much as I reveled in the strength I know it gave me. I wondered if my mother had felt the same way. If I let myself embrace it, would I end up like her?
In the end, Breeze was right. I did have a child to protect now and there was a chance that I could be raising my baby without a father. I would need to learn to use all the magic I had inside me. The next few hours we spent anticipating a variety of attacks and ways to defend everyone I loved without a clue of what I was fighting against.
Chapter 4
As we entered the town's center, my heart fell. The wooden stores had been replaced with brick buildings with large storefront windows. Stores that I had considered part of my youth appeared to be gone. The sign to Thompson's Used Book and Sauerkraut store was replaced with a flashing Up the Hill Bakery sign. New stores selling their expensive products advertised their exclusive wares. There was even a person dressed as a candy bar trying to lure customers into the newly opened, Jack's Beans candy store.
“I guess I really was gone for five years,” I said softly.
“Not all changes are bad, Mara,” Meg soothed. “Si
mon Jackson calls Jackson's a department store now. It has everything. Mrs. Croft sold her craft store to him but she works there. She said she has never been happier. Trust me. Change can be good.”
“But what about Mrs. Thompson? She loved her old books,” I said.
“She turned it over to her son, Jack. You remember him, right? He went to school with you and Cole,” Meg said. “Mrs. Thompson was so happy to retire. She still makes her sauerkraut for her loyal customers but the new bakery is nice. We will go there for lunch.”
Staring at all the changes, I wanted to cry. It felt like my childhood memories were slipping away. As we approached the new Jackson's Department Store, I grimaced. The granite building was at least fifteen stories high, overshadowing the simple stores of the center of Main Street.
“We are here, ladies,” Essie said, parking the car in front of Jackson's. “Let the shopping begin.”
People waved and smiled at us.
They are going to judge me. They are going to know that Cole has left me pregnant and alone.
“Come on, Mara,” Meg said, unlatching the door from the seat behind me.
Opening the door to the car, Essie held out her hand to me. “It will be ok, Mara. No one will bite you. People have grown up and things have changed. Just like you did.”
But they had time to adjust it, I thought bitterly.
Sighing, I accepted her hand and was relieved that her touch did calm me.
Meg had been correct. Jackson's store did have everything a person could ever want. Essie guided us through the departments picking up anything we liked. She asked the clerks to charge it to her account and deliver it to our home. After we finished with the clothing department, she insisted that I pick out new things for every room in our suite. To my surprise, I was swept up in the excitement of decorating my new rooms. I found myself drawn to a bedspread. The satin fabric was brilliant white against a black swirling pattern. Its sensual material and contrasting colors reminded me of our suite in Snowstrum.
“Is this the one you like?” Essie asked. She ran her fingers over the bedding. “It is a very nice fabric. What is your hesitation?”
“It might be too much of a reminder to Cole of where we were,” I said, walking away from it and looking at a pale-yellow bedspread instead.
“You can't hide from where you were and what happened. Pick the one you like,” Essie insisted.
Across the room, a flash of color caught my eye. The blue and white bedspread reminded me of Cole's eyes. The white pillows had a soft floral design. It felt peaceful and calm.
“That is the one,” I said, pointing to my find.
“Simon, have that set sent to the house, please,” she said to the salt and pepper haired man who had been watching us.
“Will do, Essie,” he said. “You have impeccable taste. I can't wait until we are able to work together on our new project.”
“In time, Simon. Today is about my girls,” she said with a bright smile and turned her attention back to me. “So, we bought everything for the master bathroom, the bedroom, several new dresses and now we need to look at stuff for my grandchild.”
As we looked at the bedding, I whispered to Meg. “What new project was he talking about?”
“Oh that. She wants to build a hotel here since she is not returning to Great Winds,” Meg said. Meg held up an animal print blanket.
Shaking my head at her offering, I said, “But what will she do with Charlemagne's?”
“Thomas and Hazel are running it well. I have turned it over to them,” Essie said, handing me a soft yellow blanket. “Nothing is final. It is just something we have been talking about.”
“I don't know what color bedding to pick out,” I said, changing the subject. “Everything seems so –”
Meg handed me an ocean blue blanket covered in colorful sea life.
“Cos would love this, Mar,” Meg said, using the nickname she had given him when she was a small child.
“You're right. It is perfect. I think that means we are done shopping for today,” I said.
“Thank the Goddess,” Meg smiled. “I am starving.”
Meg insisted that we go to the Up the Hill Bakery for lunch. As we walked down Main Street, I tried to see the good side of the changes. Despite the new exterior, many of the stores remained the same. The ice cream parlor was bustling with customers. A couple sat in our booth sharing a sundae. Cole and I had always ended our dates there with a banana split for him and a malt for me. The jukebox kicked on and a group of girls began an impromptu dance shaking my thoughts. While the outside of the storefronts had changed, the sense of community I loved was still there. The joyful mood of the people around me chipped away at the anxiety I was feeling. As we grew closer to the bakery, the smells of fresh baked cookies and bread filled the air. Inside the store, the familiar sight of books had been replaced with tables and a display case filled with colorful cookies, cakes, cupcakes and other tempting treats.
“Mara,” a tall blond man called as he stepped out from behind the display, wiping his hands on his white apron. “It has been a long time since I have seen you. How do you look exactly the same? You haven't aged a bit.”
“Hi Jack,” I said. “It has been awhile. Look at what you have done here and you're a baker now.”
“Yes, there have been many changes in my life,” he said. “Come sit. I will get you something to eat and drink.”
We sat and a willowy brunette with her hair in braids came to take our order.
“Mara, I would like you to meet my wife, Jill,” Jack said, putting his arms around the waitress. “Mara's husband and I were good friends before he whisked her away to Great Winds. Isn't that right, Mara?”
So, Great Winds was the cover story. I wanted to shout, No, I followed Cole to the home of the dark Goddess where he was a pawn in her evil game.
Instead, I forced a smile and said, “Yes, we have been living in Great Winds.”
“Meg told us Cole had stayed behind. Will you be returning to us or is this just a visit?”
“We will be staying. When Cole returns, we will live in Starten.” As I said the words I realized us being together here was the only thing I truly wanted and I would do all I could to make it happen.
“When Cole returns, we must get together. Well, I better get back to the kitchen.”
“Welcome, Mara. I have heard so much about you,” Jill said.
I smiled at her without replying. I was not in the mood to pretend my life was perfect and answer questions about where we had been living.
Not acknowledging my coldness, she beamed at Meg. “Do you want your usual, Meg or do you want to be adventurous?”
“Of course, my usual and Mara would probably like the ginger tea,” Meg said, looking at me to confirm my approval.
“Sure, that sounds good. If you excuse me, I need to use the ladies' room. Anything Meg orders will be great,” I said, trying to match her friendly tone.
Glad to have a reason to hide away, I locked the door and took a slow, deep breath.
A coldness blew over me and the words of Snowystra whispered in my ear, “They are looking at the poor Marina Stone. Abandoned. Pregnant. Alone. You know he loves me and he will always.”
I whipped around to face her and instead of the dark goddess, I was alone.
“Air, I call you and ask for your calming aid,” I softly whispered. The air around me grew warm, encircling me with lavender petals. The soft chime of children's laughter echoed and the life inside me moved in response.
Sighing, I decided that I couldn't hide anymore and prepared myself to be the woman my grandmother had raised. Even if I wasn't sure that person existed anymore. As I left the bathroom, I trembled as I heard her evil laughter. Only a crazed person would hear voices from the dead. Was I losing my mind?
Chapter 5
“Surprise!”
When I entered the room, I stepped into a small party. Miles stood proudly holding a white frosted cake with a brightly
colored butterfly on top. Essie and my father stood next to him holding Charlie who clapped excitedly.
“Happy Birthday, Mara,” my father shouted.
Clenching my fingers into a tight ball, I extinguished the flames I had instinctually called. I realized my family were not the only people in the room. In addition to Jack and Jill, who were distracted by putting candles on the cake, there was my neighbor Mrs. Ward. My eyes met her penetrating deep blue gaze. The intensity of her stare made me uncomfortable and I quickly directed my attention to Meg who had slipped in next to me. The last time I had seen her was in Snowstrum. Guilt filled me. I had not thought about her since she was led away by guards.
Everyone began singing the traditional Happy Birthday song. I painted on the best fake smile I could muster. “I can't believe you didn't warn me, Meg. I could have burned this place down or something worse.”
“I know. I am sorry,” Meg whispered back. “I saw but I don't think anyone else noticed. You covered it up quickly.”
“Mrs. Ward did and she gave me the strangest look,” I hissed back, maintaining my surprise smile.
“Oh, her. Don't worry about her. She knows about our magic,” Meg said.
“Yes, I know. She was Gram's best friend but….”
Our conversation was cut short by chants for me to blow out the candles and make a wish. Resisting my urge to call Air, I used my own breath to blow out the candles. Soon, I was swarmed with hugs and well wishes. Accepting the compliments and greetings with patience, I was relieved when Jack and Jill began to serve the cake. As everyone flocked to the sweet treat, I found myself face-to-face with Mrs. Ward.
“Mara, I am so relieved to see you. When I left you, I couldn't forgive myself for not doing something to save you,” the silver haired woman said in a hushed voice. “I should have done something more to help you. Mae would have known what to do.”
“There was nothing that you could have done. Not even Gram could have changed what was supposed to be. You being there to perform the binding ceremony was more than I could have hoped for,” I said, hugging her. “When I watched them drag you away, I feared the worst.”
