by Marnie Cate
While Cole set the table, I began to chop the vegetables for the salad. The fresh smell of cucumbers, carrots, celery, radishes and crisp leafy lettuce began to fill the air around me. As I sliced and chopped, I was reminded of being young and learning how to prepare the vegetables that we had grown and picked from our garden. I remembered her teaching me what was needed to make a salad. The warm breath of Gram's voice in my ear as she guided me on how to properly use the knife and the best way to cut each came back to me.
“I think we have enough vegetables for the salad, Mara,” Gram's voice interrupted my daydream.
Before me, I had a rainbow of chopped vegetables. Handing me a bowl, Gram chuckled, “Put the extras in here. Tomorrow's breakfast will be bursting with veggies.”
Smiling, I took the bowl from her and set it down. “I was thinking about how you taught me to make a salad. I was caught up in the memory.” Hugging her, I whispered, “I love you, Gram. I never needed Eliza to come home to be my mother. I always had you.”
Chapter 31
When Elliott returned, the dinner was set on the table and Cole was eager to dig in. After we enjoyed the fresh vegetable salad that was drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette, Gram brought us each an individual chicken potpie. The buttery crust of the pies held a creamy gravy full of carrots, peas, potatoes, celery and small savory pieces of chicken.
“Mae, thank you for making this. I have been dreaming of the day I would come home to you all and I would be lying if I didn't admit that your cooking was sadly missed while I was gone,” Elliott said, between bites.
While we ate, Cole told stories of our childhood and the mischief that we had gotten into together. It felt like we really were a family eating a normal evening meal. I pushed back my anger and sadness about my sister not being here with us and my fear of what tonight would reveal. After a while, a silence fell over the table. Maybe it was because the meal was so delicious that words would take from the enjoyment of the food or maybe it was because we all knew that there was a larger issue pressing. When we had eaten every crumb, I began to clear the dishes. As, I returned to my seat, Elliott was the first to speak.
“I think it is probably time that we try that spell. I don't want to wait another day for you to know in your heart that I am your father,” he said sadly. “I failed you before and I don't want you to doubt me anymore. Who would ever believe the story I told you? It sounds crazy and made up. What kind of man leaves his family? But it is really what happened and I need you to know I am Elliott Stone. I am your father. If there is a way I can prove that I am the man I say I am, let's do it now.”
Gram went to the pantry and returned with a bottle of her special zizzleberry wine. She made this wine with a mixture of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries. Her secret was to also add zest from limes and oranges. I had no idea where she had that bottle hidden. I had thought the last of the wine had been used for the Winter Moon celebration months ago.
Cole gathered four glasses for Gram to pour us each some of the wine and I collected the tray of candles that we had prepared earlier. Patting my pocket, I confirmed that I still had the crystal vial of rue powder. Arranging the candles on the table, I placed one of the white candles in front of each of us and placed the large yellow candle in the center.
“Mara is going to add something to your wine before we toast, Elliott,” Gram said, with a serious look on her face. “If you want to back out, now is the time.”
Sliding his wine glass towards me, he said, “I am ready.”
Removing the cap from the vial, I carefully sprinkled the powder into his wine. Listening to my instincts, I stopped when I only had emptied a little over half of the yellow rue into the glass before him. A small whirlpool formed in his glass and the powder began to swirl around until it disappeared. I looked to Gram for confirmation that everything was going as planned and I saw her brown eyes faintly flicker with silver as she stared at the glass. How many times had she done something like this where I didn't notice? I wondered what else I had missed.
“Before we toast, Mara, will you light the candles?” Gram said, with a devious smile. She had realized that I had seen her stirring the powder in his drink. I guess it was my turn to show her that I could also connect with the elements.
Nodding, I closed my eyes and then focused my energy on the yellow candle before us. As the wicks of the candle lit, the flames grew strong and burst high above us. Breathing slowly, I forced myself to contain my emotion and control the blaze and found that this tactic lowered the flames. Then I carefully lit each of the small white candles. This time I had more control and the candles softly flickered.
As I looked to Elliott, his eyes were wide and full of surprise. “It looks like I have missed a lot,” he said, with a soft smile. “But I'm not going to miss any more things in your life, Caterpillar. I promise.”
I held up my glass and said, “A toast to the truth.”
With conviction, Elliott held up his glass, looked deeply into my eyes and vowed, “To the truth.”
Gram and Cole both toasted and we each took a long drink of our wine. The sweetly tart flavor that I usually savored and delighted in having did not taste as good to me tonight. I knew there was nothing wrong with the wine but my fear and anxiety were souring any enjoyment. We continued to sip our drinks as we watched the candles in silence. Nothing seemed to be happening. As we each sat waiting in anticipation and I was beginning to feel the frustration inside me build, the flame from the candles blew out and light strands of smoke rose from each wick. The soft wisps of the extinguished flames began to grow.
At first, they just rose above us but soon they turned thicker and began to fill the ceiling above us. Soon the entire room was covered with a thick mist-like haze. The mist was so thick I could not see the table in front of me. As I went to put my hands on the table to steady myself, I felt nothing but the air around me. The table was gone. Standing up, I tried to reach out to Gram, to Cole, to Elliott but I was alone.
“Where are you, Cole,” I called out. “Gram? Elliott?”
There was no response from them. Just the echo of my words. Suddenly feeling frightened, I stood up and began to try to find a way out of the hazy air that was surrounding me. As I walked forward, I stopped when I reached a wall. Feeling around, I found a door.
Opening the door and walking through it, I found myself in the main lobby of the town library. Turning back around to leave, I opened the door to leave the library. Instead of returning to my home as expected, I found myself once again in the library.
“You are supposed to be here,” I said, aloud to myself. I just had to trust that the spell would lead me to the information I was seeking.
The library was empty except for the small light shining in the back. As I walked towards the light, I saw four girls sitting around a large book intently reading it.
“Viv, I found it. We should definitely try this one,” the redheaded girl said, with excitement to the girl beside her. The dark haired girl had pale white skin and soft brown eyes and I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew her. She seemed so familiar to me.
“Good idea, Camille,” Viv said to the redhead and turned to the other two girls. “Let's meet up tomorrow night and we will try this one.”
“Michelle has to ask her mommy if she can come play,” Camille said mockingly turning to the girl next to her. “Isn't that right?”
A spark of anger grew in the girl's violet eyes and she retorted, "I don't have to ask anyone. I will be there.
“She's just teasing you, Michelle,” a quiet voice came from the fourth girl. In a nervous way, she kept twirling her long blonde hair. “I will be there too.”
“Lucy, can you bring some candles from your mother's shop?” Viv asked, the nervous girl. “I think I know the perfect spot for us behind my house in the forest. If you all sleep at my house, we will be able to slip in and out undetected.”
“Here is the list of items we each need to get,” C
amille said, as she handed a slip of paper to each girl, “Let's meet early tomorrow afternoon and make a day of it.”
As the girls hugged and began saying their goodbyes, I realized what I had seen. Viv was my great-grandmother, Genevieve. I had just watched the original protectors making plans to cast their first spell. In awe, I watched as each girl left the library. All left quickly, except one – Michelle. She took her time cleaning up and returning the books to the shelves. When she finally began to leave, I felt that I should follow and learn more about her.
Opening the door of the library to follow her, I was again greeted with a thick fog. Taking a deep breath, I cautiously walked into the dense air. Once again, I reached another door. When I opened this door, I found myself on the front porch of a large blue house.
Standing in front of me, I found the girl that I had followed. It was Michelle but she was older now and was in a heated discussion with a tall redheaded woman. When I saw the woman's face, I knew that it was Camille Drygen.
Camille coldly hissed, “I know what you all did, Michelle. You need to reverse it.” Pacing back and forth, she continued her rant, “This is my life that you are ruining. You need to give me back my magic.”
Michelle put her hand on Camille's arm and regretfully said, “You know we can't do that. We made a promise…you made a promise. We cannot let you continue to use this gift the way you have been.”
Grabbing her wrist tightly, she began to dig her nails into the flesh of Michelle's skin, “You will return my power. You will give me back what is mine.”
Jerking herself away from Camille, she said, “I do not have the power to do that alone.”
“Then you need to convince them or I will destroy your family,” she snarled.
“You can't do this. You made the same promise we made to protect,” Michelle said, steadily.
Interrupting her, Camille angrily shouted as she walked away, “You will make it happen. You will return what is mine or I will stop at nothing to take away everything you love. This is not a request, Michelle. You will make it happen.”
A surge of white washed over me and I found myself inside a home. Michelle was sitting at a table with a man with sandy blonde hair and a kind smile.
Michelle insisted, “We need to leave tonight. I cannot risk what she will do to you or to our unborn child. I spoke to Viv and she gave us some money to help us leave. You know she will not give up until she gets what she wants. She's a Drygen now.”
Another wave of white washed over me, this time it took me a moment to focus my eyes. When I finally found Michelle, I could see she was braiding the hair of a small girl that I guessed to be around seven years old.
The girl began to bounce up and down as she begged, “Please let me go. I promise that I won't go far, Mommy. I will be careful.”
Kissing her on the cheek, Michelle said, “Don't be gone long, Eva.” As the happy child opened the door to go outside, the sun shined intensely in my eyes. I raised my hands to shield my eyes from the glare and closed my eyes waiting for the light to soften.
The soft sound of women laughing told me that I was no longer in the same place. Opening my eyes, I saw a large group of women all looking in the direction of Michelle. She was a mature woman now. Her dark hair was pulled up in a delicate bun and she wore a dazzling smile on her face as she looked at the young woman sitting beside her. The young girl was holding a baby boy with curly blonde hair.
“He looks so much like your father,” Michelle said, as she tickled the belly of the grinning baby, “Don't you, Elliott? You are going to be just as handsome as my Samuel. Aren't you?”
Overwhelmed by everything, I needed to sit down. I turned to find somewhere to sit and I was faced with two women and a man. I turned to see Michelle with the baby and instead I found myself in front of an older Michelle. Her long hair was now silver. I concentrated my eyes on the teenage boy and I knew without a doubt that it was my father. He was my father and he was the son of Michelle Elliott. Why would he keep that from us?
“Elliott, our family has hid too long. I should have stayed and fought but I let fear guide me,” Michelle confessed. Taking his face into her hands, she wore a serious look on her face as she insisted, “You need to go home and protect the magic. One day you will have a daughter and she will be blessed with the gift.”
“Ok, let's all go back then,” Elliott pleaded. “I don't want to leave you both. We can go back together.”
“No, Elliott,” Eva said. “It is not safe for us all to return. They will not know that you are my son. You can return home. Do you understand everything we told you tonight?” With those words, she held out a small silver box to him.
Opening the box, he pulled out a silver ring with an emerald stone. After he gazed into the box, he held the ring in front of him saying with determination, “I know what I need to do now. I promise to protect the magic at all costs.”
The candle in the center of the table they were seated at knocked over and the flames began to spread. Soon the room was filled with a large blaze of fire. I was surrounded and could feel the heat but the flames licking at my skin did not burn. Holding my hand out through the wall of fire, I felt a cool breeze.
Stepping forward into the fire, I prayed, “Goddess, please protect me.” Thoughts of being burned alive came to mind as I stepped through the fire but I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself in the kitchen at my home.
Waiting for me in the same places they had been seated before the mist rolled in, I found my grandmother, Cole and my father.
Gram stood up and gave me a long hug and released me with a kiss on my cheek, “I love you, Mar.” Turning to Cole, Gram said, “Let's make some tea and then we can all talk.”
Cole looked at me. I felt all the questions he was asking me. Nodding, I let him know that I was going to be fine. Giving me one of his warm smiles, he winked and went with Gram.
Elliott and I stared at each other for a long time. “So, you're the grandson of Michelle Elliott,” I said, much colder than I had intended. “You are also a protector of the magic?”
Feeling the emotions of the day crashing on me, I choked back my tears, “And you really are my father, Elliott Stone?” As I spoke the words, my vision blurred and then everything went black.
Chapter 32
“Maraaaaa, Maraaaaa,” a soft voice whispered my name. Opening my eyes, I was greeted with a blinding light. Shielding my eyes with my hands, I tried to gather my thoughts and see who was talking to me.
“Follow me,” the voice said, happily.
Lowering my hands, I once again tried to see exactly who was calling me. The light softened and was no longer blinding me with its brightness. As I slowly look around, I realized I was in the Starten Forest. The black tree trunks were full with green leaves and covered with a dark green moss that spread down the trunks and across the ground.
Unexpectedly, a blue orb appeared and began to bounce around me. With a soft giggle, the glow formed a young woman that stood face to face with me. As I looked into the silver eyes, I was mesmerized. Frantically, she began to spin around and around whipping her long, blue hair and blue dress. Stepping back from her to avoid being knocked, my toes squished in the soft moss.
“Don't you recognize me,” she said, as she twirled again this time making her dress sparkle like a thousand fire flies in the night sky.
“Bay?” I questioned, as I continued to stare at her. “This can't be real. I have to be dreaming.”
In response to my doubt, she reached out and pinched my upper arm roughly.
“Ouch!” I cried out loud, swatting at her, “That really hurt.”
“See, it is not a dream. You don't feel pain when you are sleeping!” She laughed as began to shape-shift from the form of a young woman to a blue bouncing light and then turning into the small doll-like form that was familiar to me. As I stared wide-eyed at her, she returned to the young woman that had just pinched me.
“Now stop wasting time
and come with me,” she said impatiently. Grabbing my hand, she quickly began running through the forest dragging me behind her.
Before I could protest, images of trees and forest creatures flashed around me as we moved at lightning speed. When we reached a large oak tree, she suddenly stopped and I crashed into her.
“You came at the best time!” she exclaimed, as she disappeared through the tree. Poking her head back out, she said, “Tonight is the Gealach Nua. Our celebration of the coming new moon. We will have so much fun.”
“Wait!” I said, as she disappeared again, “I can't go through the tree. I am human.”
She called to me with a disappointed tone in her voice, “You are always the doubter, Mara. Stop believing everything you see.”
Staring at the spot that she had vanished into, a strange sensation of familiarity overcame me. I felt that I had been here before. Pushing away my thoughts, I closed my eyes and stepped into the tree. As I walked through the hard bark, I felt a tingling sensation throughout my body. The sound of my blood pumping filled my ears and the bu dum, bu dum sound of my heartbeat filled my head as I felt an electric pulse flowing through me. I found the sensation comforting even though I was surrounded in a black void. My head told me to panic but a soft voice inside me reminded me to connect with my feelings. Listening to my instinct, I continued forward. Abruptly, I was jerked out of the blackness into a large cave by strong hands grasping my wrists.
The cave that I was pulled into was full of waterfalls that flowed into small pools of water. The different sounds of the water splashing and the smell of a summer rainstorm filled my senses.
“I told you that you could come through,” Bay said laughing, as she dragged me farther into the room. I could now see small blue lights bouncing and splashing in water as they slid down the waterfalls.
“Where are we?” I questioned, as I looked around. The blue lights had stopped their play and began to move towards us. Feeling apprehensive, I grabbed Bay's hand.
