"She's so going to crash into something," Gabriel pointed out.
"Let her burn off the sugar rush," Mother dismissed, but she sounded amused. I paused for a moment to watch Gabriel hug Mother.
"Happy birthday, my dear son. May you have many more happy years ahead of you," Mother smiled fondly.
"Thank you, Mom," he replied.
I ran up to them and hugged Brother’s leg. "More years. More years! Mom? Can we give him the thingy?!" I asked eagerly.
"Thingy?" Gabriel asked curiously. Mother shook her head with a wide smile.
"Your sister isn't good at keeping secrets,” she pointed out.
I giggled. "You said you would give it to him before school," I defended.
"That I did," Mother acknowledged, walking from the kitchen to the living room. Brother picked me up and followed her. I wrapped my arms around his neck, giggling quietly in excitement. I was looking forward to see him open his gift. He'd love it!
Mother returned with a bright blue box with a red ribbon wrapped around it. She presented it to Gabriel who lowered me to the ground to accept his gift.
"It was once your Father's. Jewel and I went and got it polished up. I hope you cherish it just like he did," Mother whispered.
They shared a sad look and I frowned, wishing Daddy was here to see Gabriel and me. He died during a magic expedition last year. Mommy said they never found his body so they had to use an empty casket during the funeral. It made me sad when we talked about it and I didn't want Brother to be sad on his birthday.
"BE HAPPY!" I demanded, throwing my hands in the air. Mother and brother both looked down at me and I gave my best wide smile. Gabriel laughed, reaching out to stroke my brown hair.
"I'm very happy. Wanna help me open it, Jewel? You can keep the ribbon," Gabriel offered.
"YES!" I cheered and he knelt down so we both could open the gift. I helped tug open the ribbon and Brother opened the box, revealing Father's precious possession: a magic circle necklace.
Mother said he'd left it behind before the expedition, fearing he'd lose it. Mother said it had been passed down from son to son for many generations and contained very old magic. It was now Brother’s turn to have it.
"Mom... Jewel..." Gabriel whispered, staring down at the necklace in wonder. He removed it from the box; the gold chain swayed from side to side as it dangled. The magic circle was gold and had different colored jewels placed evenly around the outer edge of the circle part of the necklace. There was a sun symbol in the middle and a small moon at the top; miniature stars decorated the lower section.
Mother said the power inside had been gathered from generation to generation, each male inputting a small fragment of their power inside before handing it down. I asked Mother if girls could get one too, and she said it was possible but since Brother was the older child, he got to claim it first.
"Do you like it?! Are you going to wear it now?" I asked, jumping up and down in anticipation.
"I can't wear it to school, but afterward I can. You want to wear for me Jewel until I get home?" Gabriel suggested.
"YES! Can I? Mommy, can I please? I'll keep it safe, I promise!" I begged. She glanced at us and smiled warmly. "Sure, but just for today because you're keeping it safe for Gabriel. Understood?"
"Understood!" We said in unison and I squealed. Gabriel laughed. "Stop moving so I can put it on, my hyper Princess."
I stayed perfectly still and mother helped lift up my long hair so brother could hook the necklace around my neck. I felt a weird tingle go through me and giggled.
"This thing tickles," I spoke through laughter.
"I guess the magic likes you," Mother replied.
Gabriel got to his feet and picked me up, walking us over to the standing mirror near the front door. I stared at my reflection, admiring the necklace, before staring up at Brother in the mirror.
His short hair was styled nicely for school and his gold eyes twinkled with happiness. He wore his school uniform, which was a navy blue with gold trim and a gold tie. He went to a school called Brighten Magic Academy. It was the same place where Mom worked as a professor and magic councillor.
"You like it, brother?" I asked him.
He nodded, "I love it. Especially when my baby sister is wearing it so proudly."
"I'll protect it and make sure no evil monsters take it from me," I declared solemnly. This was brother's possession and I would protect it at all cost.
"I'm sure you'll do an amazing job, Princess Jewel. Now, it’s time for me to go to school. I'll see you tonight. We’ll eat cake."
"Strawberry cheesecake!" I agreed gleefully.
He laughed, leaning in to rub his nose against mine. "Of course. Be a good girl for Mom and make sure Alice doesn't steal any shiny jewels from the neighbor."
I giggled, squirming in his hold, wanting to be set down. He lowered me to the ground and I ran to Mom who was approaching us.
"Alice has a mind of her own. WEEE!" I sang, circling around Mommy who shook her head in dismay. "She's gonna let Alice take twice as many jewels now," Mother chided.
"Alice acts like a raven more than an owl," Gabriel commented.
"HOOT!"
I stopped in my tracks when I saw my little owl familiar fly into the room. She landed on my shoulder and I squealed.
"Alice says ‘happy birthday,’ Brother!" I cheered.
"Thank you, Alice," Brother spoke soothingly to my familiar.
"Hoot!" she replied, fluttering her white feathers.
Mother clapped her hands. "You're going to be really late if you don't leave now, Gabriel. I may teach there, but I'm not covering for you," she grumbled and Gabriel gave her a pout.
"Mom! It's my birthday. Be nice."
"I'll be at the school at lunch for a meeting. Meet me after, alright?" she asked.
"Will do, Mom. I'm off. See ya, Jewel and Alice. Love you all," Gabriel smirked, standing from where he was putting on his shoes and waved goodbye.
"LOVE YOU!" I declared loudly.
"HOOT!" Alice followed my lead.
"I love you, sweetheart. Have fun," Mother encouraged. I noticed a change in Brother’s expression, making me tilt my head, but in a flash it was replaced with a wide smile.
"Bye," He called, leaving the house and closing the door softly behind him.
"Mommy?" I walked up to her and looked up to meet her bright gold eyes. They were totally different than my ruby ones that I inherited from Father.
"What's the matter, Jewel?" Mother knelt down to talk to me.
"Brother looked scared a second ago. Didn't you see?"
My brother never looked afraid unless he had to kill a spider. He didn't like those. I thought they were awesome.
"He's probably just nervous. Exams are coming up for him. He wants to do really well like Father and I once did. He struggles with certain types of magic," Mother explained.
"He needs to learn from a pro like ME!" I declared.
Mother grinned. "I agree, my little prodigy. Just don't set the house on fire again, okay?"
"Hoot!" Alice nuzzled her head against my face as I let out a nervous giggle. "That was an accident," I admitted shyly.
Mother smiled and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I know. Now, are you going to have a bath and change into your nice dress brother bought you?"
"YES! I'm going with you to school to take brother home early, right?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yup. He really wants to go to the magic show that just opened. We'll go there first and then have a nice fancy dinner."
"And a movie?!"
"Sure," Mother laughed at my excitement. "Brother is going to be so happy, Mommy! I’ll go bath!" I announced, making my way to the stairs but then paused, turning around to run back to Mother who looked confused. Alice flew up and hovered in the air, watching us.
I lifted my arms. "I want a hug before I go," I announced. Her face softened and she pulled me into a hug. "What's this for?" she wondered.
"I know y
ou miss Daddy. I miss him too. But he loves you, me, brother and Alice! And I love you," I whispered, giving mommy a kiss on the nose. She blinked, looking shocked by my sudden words.
"Thank you, Jewel. Father would be very proud of his mini prodigy. I love you too," she replied in a choked voice, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
"Let's get your bath running," she whispered. I nodded happily and began to sing the bath song as I always did before having a bath.
I couldn't wait to see Brother's happy face when we picked him up from school.
"Mommy, does Logan get to come over tomorrow?" I asked, tightening my hand in hers as we walked past the school entrance gates which were a shiny gold.
"Do you want to play with Logan?" Mom questioned.
"Yes. I miss him." I hadn't seen him since my sixth birthday, which was last month and his parents were too busy to bring him over.
"I'll talk with Logan's parents after this and see if we can go pick him up. He can come with us and stay the night. I'm sure neither of his parents would mind," Mother reassured me.
"I can't wait! He's going to be happy," I gleefully announced, feeling excited to see my best friend. We'd known each other for as long as I could remember.
We reached a large fountain that was surrounded by little flowers in various colors. A woman stood not too far away and was wearing the same long cloak uniform Mommy did. She even had a similar witch hat but Mother's had embroidered symbols which she said was because of her position at the school.
"Jewel, wait here for a moment. I need to have an adult conversation with Ms. Lansford," Mother announced. I nodded distractedly, too concerned with staring at the large castle structure and passing students who smiled at me.
Some came over and complimented me on my pink poofy dress that had blue roses on the skirt part. Brother loved blue and I liked pink, so I was happy to wear it for the special occasion.
"Okay, Mommy. I'll stay near the fountain," I replied. She walked over to the woman with long purple hair and they began talking. I walked over to the bench and sat down, kicking my legs happily as I hummed.
Alice was doing her own thing, but I knew she'd be back before the show, wanting to participate in the activities with us. She was a familiar with a mind of her own. I was happy she at least listened to me. She rarely listened to Brother or Mother.
I glanced up at the side tower closest to us, staring at the highest balcony. Brother had taken me up there when he had his school tour and said that was where they would train how to use levitation magic and other flying spells. There was a magic circle that would activate if anyone couldn't accomplish the spell, which would make some wind thing that would catch them so they didn’t fall.
It was one of the many cool things that the school had to offer. I just wished it wasn't an all-boys school. The girl school was on the other side of the city, which meant I'd be far away from Brother.
He wanted to become a professor here just like Mother, but I wanted to be here with him too. I continued pondering the situation as I saw a few students walk out onto balcony.
"Hmm? Brother!" I cheered, spotting him. I jumped off the bench and ran over to where mom was. I began tugging at her cloak while I continued staring at Brother’s figure high above.
"Mommy! Brother," I announced.
"One second, Jewel sweetheart," Mother replied.
"Good morning, Jewel. You look lovely today," I heard Ms. Landsford say. I tugged my eyes away from the scene above to give her a courtesy bow. "Hello."
I looked upward again and tilted my head in confusion. "Mommy?" I called again, feeling a little worried about how close brother and another male with orange hair were to the edge.
It didn't look as safe as last time we'd come. I looked around to look for the other teachers who were supposed to be present during the flying sessions, but I couldn't spot anyone else in black cloaks and hats.
I tugged on Mom's cloak again, harder than before, biting my lip nervously. They didn't look like they were having fun up there. Brother and the other boy looked like they were fighting.
"Jewel, please. One more minute," Mother soothed and my eyes widened when the orange haired male pushed Brother, who toppled over the edge.
"MOMMY!" I screamed, causing everyone around us to look in my direction before I pointed up. I didn't wait for anyone to reply before I began running as fast as I could.
"WIND!" I shouted, using all my power to create anything that would catch Brother, directing my hands out as I sprinted towards the entrance.
A little whirlpool of wind formed but it wasn't strong enough. I skidded to a stop and my heart seemed to stop when my brother hit the ground. It was like everything stilled; the sounds of people screaming and the loud noise rang in my ears as I stood there in shock.
Mother and Ms. Landsford were at Brother's side and I lowered my gaze to the blood that began to pool beneath him. I couldn't help him. I didn't save Brother!
Tears began to well as I walked closer, ignoring the students that began running around, calling for help.
Brother was on his back and Mother and Ms. Landsford were using some spells to try and heal him but deep within, I knew he wouldn't make it. He'd leave just like Father had.
His head rolled to the side and I saw the stream of tears staining his face. His gold eyes locked onto my desperate ones and I wanted to run to his side, to give him one more hug, but I couldn't move any closer. I was afraid of the blood. More importantly, I was scared to accept that he would die and leave me and Mommy alone.
"Brother," I whispered, my voice barely audible. He blinked and opened his mouth which was stained with blood that began to run down the side of his face to the ground.
He mouthed something that I didn't understand and my chest grew hot. I looked down at the necklace and it glowed a bright gold before a third symbol appeared. It looked to be a heart in blue.
I looked back to see him smile at me and his voice entered my mind.
"I'm sorry Jewel. I don't think I can have my necklace back. Keep it safe for me and Father, okay?"
Brother! No. No, don't leave me and Mommy. I'm sorry I couldn't make a stronger wind. I tried! I'll do better. Just don’t die.
His eyes began to close but he continued to smile. "You did good, Jewel. Take care of Mommy for me. I love you."
Gabriel... I love you too, Brother. Don't go! Fight. Please? We have to go see the magic show together!
"I'm sorry," his weak voice whispered and just like that, the feeling of him in my mind faded.
"Brother?" I whispered with trembling lips. I stared into his gold eyes that dulled and watched him take his final breath. His eyes remained open and all I could hear was Mother's agonizing scream.
I didn't move. I remained frozen as I watched people crowd around him, trying to wake him up, but his eyes remained open and his chest was still. I stared intently, as people whipped past me until I couldn't see Brother anymore as a crowd of adults crowded around him.
I slowly looked up and the same orange haired boy was looking down from the balcony. Instead of looking shocked, he actually smiled. A wicked smile that made him look evil. He killed Brother! My brother. How dare he? He took my brother away from me. But he's happy. Happy that I would never see Brother again and neither would Mommy.
As if he could feel my gaze, his eyes met mine and I narrowed my eyes at him. If he thought this was funny, maybe he should give it a try himself.
I didn't know where Alice came from, but she flew straight into Orange Hair. He tried to hit her but she continued to slam into him over and over again. I saw the other boys try and help him but it was as if they couldn't get to him. Or maybe it was because I didn't want them to.
Alice flew up and shot back into Orange Hair, but this time the force pushed him completely off the edge.
"Jewel!"
A boy appeared in front of me with gold eyes that reminded me of brother. He blocked my gaze, preventing me from seeing the tragic end of the person who
killed my brother. My hearing returned and with it came multiple screams, then a loud thump as the boy hit the ground.
"Logan," I whispered, breaking through my haze to finally see who was in front of me. He removed his hands and we both stared at the orange haired boy who was on the ground screaming in agonizing pain. I frowned, realizing someone had saved him. He didn’t deserve it, though. He took Brother from me.
Logan cupped my head in his hands. "Jewel. Stop."
"He took Brother. He killed him," I announced in a monotone voice, feeling devoid of any emotion other than the anger and hatred I felt for the boy who killed my brother. A woman knelt next to us and I slowly met her pink eyes.
"Jewel, sweetheart. It's okay, come here." Logan's mother pulled me into her arms and lifted me up.
"No. It's not okay! Brother! He killed brother!" I screamed, trying to pull away. I would make him pay. I had to for Brother. I began to cry, thrashing in Logan’s mother’s arms. Her arms tightened around me, making it impossible for me to escape.
"Logan!" She screamed. I opened my eyes to stare as Logan walked towards the crowd that was beginning to form around Orange Hair. Logan’s mom carried me over there, trying to stop Logan but he got there first.
"Logan Smith what are-" someone began, but Logan pointed at the orange haired boy at his feet.
"MURDERER! HE KILLED JEWEL'S BROTHER! HE PUSHED HIM! I SAW IT!" he announced loudly for everyone to hear.
"What?!" Similar exclamations were heard across the crowd of students and teachers.
"Jewel. He pushed your brother?" Logan's mom asked me. I nodded.
"HE KILLED BROTHER," I called out.
A man came through the crowd with a stern expression on his face. He stared at Logan and me, looking between us for a full minute before nodding his head.
"They speak TRUTH! Lark Minton, you are under arrest."
The crowd went hysterical and Logan took a final look at the boy, mumbling something before turning away, coming over towards me. Logan's mom lowered me and I ran to Logan. He opened his arms and hugged me tightly as I began to cry.
"Brother!" I wailed in Logan's arms and didn't care about anything else around me.
Taming the Storm (Crimson Storm Chronicles Book 1) Page 32
