“She looks like her mother, Emma,” said a voice. It was an old woman’s voice that was raspy, like she had smoked her entire life.
“Yes, I do see the resemblance,” said another voice that was of an old woman, but had an underlining youthfulness mixed with a mature wisdom. “Shame if she should die.”
Die! What was wrong with me and where was I? I tried to force my eyes open, but they were stuck like they had been glued shut. I tried to move my body, but it too wasn’t responding to my commands. Internally I was screaming wanting my body to wake up and demand what was going on. I pushed myself until I was exhausted and I faded to black with the sound of the two old ladies voice’s talking casually over a cup of tea.
I suddenly sat straight up with sweat running down my back. The cool air and darkness surrounded me making my damp skin prickle with goose bumps. My eyes felt like they were coated with sand and my mouth tasted of smoke.
“Abi,” Kelan’s voice came from beside me.
The room was dark and Kelan’s face looked like a beacon out of the darkness.
“Kelan…where am I?” I forced the words out of my dry mouth.
He didn’t answer, but instead handed me a glass of water. I drank it, or more like gulped it down as it stung the back of my parched throat. The relief of moisture was soothing and without asking, Kelan filled up my glass again.
He watched me and I didn’t care that he did, I was dehydrated. He then turned on a small lamp on the table behind him. The room matched the old lady voices that I heard talking. Tiny rose splattered wallpaper covered the walls and an old dresser sat alongside the wall with a stained mirror that reflected the lace curtains that covered the dark window. The bed I was in had a chenille cover and a paint chipped, metal frame with delicate vines curling between the posts.
“Grace, where is she?” I asked with my voice returning to normal. Kelan hesitated and took the glass from me drawing in a deep sigh.
“She met with a guardian last night.” His blue eyes gazed at me with empathy. “I tried her cell phone several times and she hasn’t answered.” He looked away, his eyes were distant. “She was supposed to have called me by now…”
“Kelan what’s going on? What do you know?” I swung my legs over the bed and looked at him.
“Grace said she had to inform the guardians about Victoria. When she didn’t call when she said she would, I got worried and drove by her house. It was dark so then I went to her shop.” His eyes were steady on me. “I could see the smoke almost a block away.” Kelan then got up and went to the window. “The fire was no accident—someone wanted to scare her.”
“And kill me in the process.” I looked down at the blackened skin on my arms. “Thanks,” I said lifting my eyes to Kelan, “for saving me.” I could tell he had been looking at me.
He turned slightly and smiled a crooked smile and then looked away, fidgeting. I tilted my head to the side wondering if I embarrassed him. I almost expected him to say “Aw, shucks ma’am, it was nothin’” by the way he acted which by far didn’t match his icy blue eyes and dark hair that was as black as onyx.
“But, how did you make it through the fire and manage to find me?” I asked. “How did you know where I was?”
Kelan’s face paled, I could see it even in the warm glow of the lamp. He then cleared his throat and sat beside me on the bed.
“Can you keep a secret?” His voice was serious and I shook my head. “It’s a gift. Every guardian has one. Even if they don’t become a guardian, they still have some sort of gift. Mine is called Sight Premonition and what it means is that I can see things in the distance or behind walls.” Kelan stopped and gazed at me. “I found out what mine was when I was sixteen. My grandpa helped me develop it secretly until he died. He never had the chance to show me how to really use it.”
I looked away for a moment to gather the questions that flowed through my head.
“I know it sounds weird, but…”
“So you could see me in the building?” I asked cutting him off.
Kelan smiled slightly looking relieved before he answered. “Yeah, well I didn’t know it was you exactly. I could tell there was someone, but who exactly it was I couldn’t.”
“Well, thanks, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.” I smiled and Kelan returned the smile and we sat there like two teenagers in awkward silence.
A timid knock came to the door followed by two muffled arguing voices.
“Oh, it’s the sisters.” He looked at the door and shook his head.
“The sisters--”
Kelan looked back at me with his hand on the knob. “They’re harmless and mean well, but they’re a little crazy.”
Kelan opened the door and was nearly pushed over by the two old ladies. They both stopped, standing so close to each other that they looked like they were conjoined.
It was hard to take their appearances in at first. One was dressed in a kaleidoscope of colors and textures of materials. She wore a long lime green coat and a skirt that seemed to swirl on its own in a patchwork design that looked like a crazy quilt made of random scraps of material. It contained every color and every design imaginable. Her greying flame-red hair was pulled back into a half made braid with strands of hair sticking out from it that either looked windblown or she had recently been electrocuted.
The other was at the opposite end of the color spectrum. She was pale, but not sickly pale. In the whiteness of her skin, clothes and hair that was neatly pulled up into a large fluffy bun, were many pastel colors that floated just under the whiteness, almost like a frost covered her.
“I told you she would live.” The colorful one said in an I-told-you voice.
“I didn’t need you telling me that she would live because I already knew.” The white one said in a snooty tone.
“Abi,” Kelan said stepping in front and to the side of the two sisters, “if I may introduce Lorella and Louetta Hummingbird.”
“Oh,” groaned the one all in white, as I wasn’t sure which was which yet. “I hate that last name that you picked out.” She looked at her sister. “I don’t know why you had to blurt that out when they asked us what we wanted our names to be.”
The colorful one just shrugged her shoulders and then smiled at me. “I like hummingbirds.” She plainly stated then looked at me. “I’m Louetta but you can call me Lou and this is my sister Lorella and you can call her Ella.”
“I can speak for myself and…”
“I don’t think you can speak for yourself sometimes because you’re rude and act like a child.” Lou scolded.
Ella shot Lou a look with her dark brown eyes that radiated like two beacons from all of her whiteness.
“I am not and do not act like a child. You are just obstinate to deal with.”
“Ella and Lou are benefactors and have been helping librarians for a long time.” Kelan raised his voice slightly. Ella slid her eyes over to Kelan and gazed at him through slightly slit eyes.
“Are you saying we’re old?” Ella’s voice was gruff with questioning insult. Her slender frame seemed to grow almost reaching Kelan’s height.
“No, ma’am,” Kelan said quickly as Lou started to laugh.
“You take things too seriously.” She punched Ella on the arm. Ella then gave Lou a sour look and rubbed her shoulder before she regained her almost royal composure.
“Besides, Ella, you were born first.” Lou jabbed at her sister.
“Enough of this acting like little gnomes that run around barely making sense.” Ella shot glances between her sister and Kelan. “We have a new librarian to introduce.” Her dark eyes rested on me and her barely pink lips curled upward into a smile making the corners fade into thin, sharp lines.
I couldn’t help but stare at her ever changing skin. Paleness covered the fluctuating colors of green, blue, pink and yellow that flowed under her skin like liquid. She had no wrinkles but had a mature look and g
race to her.
“Introduce?” I asked. “To who?”
“Well, first to the rest of the house and the staff,” confirmed Ella.
“You mean Roan the gardener.” Lou rolled her green eyes over to me. “And Beannca the…well I’m not sure what she does is legal.” She rubbed her chin with her cubby fingers.
“Never mind her.” Ella pushed her sister aside and stood by me. “What I would like to know is if you have the clearance to the British Library?” Her dark eyes peered into mine holding back a contained desperation.
“British Library…I don’t--”
“She’s not sure of her clearance,” Kelan interjected drawing Ella’s eyes from me to him.
“What do you mean? You said she was a librarian.” Her voice huffed. “You spoke of her heritage.”
“She’s a librarian’s daughter,” Kelan ran his fingers through his dark hair. “But she hasn’t been accepted. She doesn’t have her mother’s status.”
“What are you talking about?” I now pushed Ella out of the way. “Kelan how much do you know about me?”
I stared at Kelan not taking my gaze from him until he answered me. He fidgeted and then looked from the sisters to me.
“I read some things that Grace found out—about your mother. She was a Maker of Words. She could bind or unbind anyone or anything to or from a book.” Kelan gazed solely at me. “That is why Victoria was after her. Your mom was the only one who could free her scepter. Grace—she was onto something and now,” Kelan shook his head. “I don’t know where she is.”
A gnawing, burrowing hole formed in the pit of my stomach. I sat back down and wrapped my arms around myself realizing my friendship with Grace may have cost her her life. I didn’t want Grace to be gone or anything to happen to her. I felt this was my fault. If I didn’t work for her and let her be so nice to me to let me live above her shop, maybe she would be here. It was simple, I attracted this Victoria person who was seeking revenge for my mother taking her scepter away and now Grace was involved in something my mother had done so long ago.
“Let’s go and get something downstairs to eat. Things of this matter go better with a home cooked meal.” Lou had sat next to me and tenderly tucked my hair behind my ear. “Grace will be with us soon.” She smiled. “I can feel it.” She whispered leaning over slightly towards me and bumping my shoulder in a friendly nudge.
Even though I had just met her, something in her smile and her voice was calming and reassuring. It was like she could almost read through me. I felt my worries ease with the brushing of her fingertips.
“Let’s go down stairs sister and make dinner while Abi here gets cleaned up.” Lou stood up straightening her skirt.
“I don’t cook, you know that.” Ella said in snooty voice.
“Watch then.” Lou looked at her sister from under her eyebrows letting the words pass through her lips with slightly clenched teeth.
“Bathroom is off to the side and I put some of Beannca’s clothes in there for you.” Lou pointed off to the side and then cleared her throat, “the only ones I could find that didn’t look like a prostitute’s and they should fit you since your both about the same height.”
Ella with a stiff swirl and her nose in the air went downstairs followed by Lou.
The door clicked behind them and I stood turning my eyes to Kelan.
“You’re right they are crazy,” I said, “but also nice.” He laughed and nodded his head in agreement.
“But,” I said rolling the soft bedspread between my fingers. “What about Grace? Where do you think she is? Do you think she is hurt? And someone might have her---the guardians, they may know something. How…” Kelan stepped towards me and placed his finger on my mouth while making a soft shushing sound. I stopped and he smiled.
“Grace, she’s a librarian, she can take care of herself. I know she can and she isn’t stupid. No news is good news from her.” Kelan’s voice was confident and did ease my worry. Grace had taken care of herself for so long. I was the one who was probably vulnerable.
“What do you mean no news is good news?” I asked as Kelan placed his hand on the doorknob. He looked at me at first like I had caught him off guard with my question.
“If something was to happen to her, there’d be a sign.” He left with a quiet click of the door.
Kelan, I felt wasn’t telling me everything. I could see it in his eyes like two mirrors. I know he was trying to reassure me, but something lurked in my gut telling me that the cards had been dealt and I was now in the game.
Lou and Ella’s house was a conglomerate of furniture and knick-knacks between the two of them. Basically, it looked like their house was at war between elegant and pale to whimsical and bright. And I wasn’t sure which color spectrum was winning.
A white couch sat across from two pale blue chairs and both were nearly attacked in brightly colored pillows that looked like they could have glowed in the dark. The wood floor was covered in block colored designed rugs, a win on the floor for Lou. And the curtains were delicate lace obviously a win for Ella.
Above the fireplace and hanging on the wall was a bronze face. Nearly as big as the mantle itself, its hollow eyes showed the creamy white paint behind it and also from its smiling open mouth. Full ripe cheeks, rounded and jolly looking were shiny while its hair went outward around the face like rays of sunlight. Except for the hollow eyes, the face seemed kind.
“The image of The Green Man,” Lou said behind me. “I knew him a long time ago, very good sorcerer and good with the kids too.” She shook her head with her eyes still gazing at the sculpture.
“The Green man, who was that?” I asked.
Lou released her gaze from the face and smiled at me with almost the same rounded cheeks. “Come in here my dear and let me tell you a story about thee.” Her voice seemed almost musical.
The living room opened to the kitchen which still had the color war going on from some wildly painted chairs to all wood ones stained in a rich amber color. The table had a white tablecloth on it with a vase of bright yellow tulips.
Ella was daintily slicing an orange and turned upon our presence.
“No.” Ella turned setting the knife down firmly. “I can see it on your face already. You’re not going to tell our librarian about your brief, irrelevant not to mention hideous relationship with The Green Man. That wizard of a man has cost us too much already and I do wish you wouldn’t speak of his name.” Ella’s dark eyes look like they could have shot arrows at her sister. “No, don’t,” she whispered with a pointed finger.
“You’re jealous.” Lou’s voice was compassionate like someone trying to remind someone of a past bad experience that once was resolved only to reopen. “He wasn’t hideous, he was humongous!” Lou laughed and for a moment Ella’s cheeks flushed with a brighter shade of pink as her sister pointed to her crotch raising her eyebrows at me. “I mean he was…”
“Louetta Hummingbird! Honestly you have no etiquette! Maybe instead of blurting out our last name when they asked us what we wanted it to be, maybe you should’ve gone down to the manners line and asked for some.”
“Everyone has their own method of living.” Lou looked at me ignoring her sister who whispered under her breath. “That’s what I learned from Green Man—live and let live and hurt none in ye path.” Her eyes beamed upward like she was preaching to the masses of her revelation as the sun beamed down on her. It was hard not to smile at Lou.
“Hurt none in ye path—lizard warts! I hold that man solely responsible for our incarceration! If only you didn’t associate with him we wouldn’t have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Yes, but what we were doing wasn’t exactly legal.” Lou turned to Kelan. “By the way none of this conversation is happening right now—as far as the guardianship is concerned.” Kelan nodded his head.
“I’m not claiming to be a goody-two-sho
es, but we might not have been caught if it wasn’t for that retched man,” Ella said.
“Enough about the Green Man Lou, we’re tired of hearing about him,” said a voice behind me.
I turned to see a girl about my age pouring hot water into a black mug. She was dressed in a pin striped suit dress that hugged her hourglass shape. Her long blonde hair looked as smooth as silk and gently rested on her shoulder in large waves. She flicked the tea bag into the sink and peered at me with her grass green eyes as she took a sip of tea.
She was gorgeous in a vintage sort of way. Everything from her red fingernails to her shoes reminded me of a pin-up calendar girl from the 1940s.
She sat the mug down and smiled at me with her matching red lips. “Glad the pants fit; they were too big for me.” Her lips curled into a glad-they fit-you-piggo smile. It didn’t bother me. Jenna was this type of girl and I was used to it.
“And this lovely girl is Beannca.” Lou put her hand on Beannca’s shoulder and gave her a small shake as if shaking her would produce another nicer personality.
“Nice to meet you Beannca and thanks for the jeans…I didn’t know they still made them in this style or, did you get them in a vintage store?” What could have been asked in a nice, curious way, I instead put a twist on my tone of words turning them back to her.
Her mouth parted but no words came out. She hesitated, and then smiled. “I like this librarian.”
“Glad you approve Bea,” Kelan said sitting at the table.
Beannca shrugged her shoulders and then flicked her hair back and gazed at me with her sultry eyes.
“Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I’ve got to be going.” She turned to go out the door that led to a carport where Kelan had his truck parked.
“Where are you going today?” Kelan questioned.
Beannca raised her eyebrows with her hand on the knob. “It really isn’t any of your business guardian wanna be, but if you must know I have a meeting with my counselor.”
Just then the door opened with her hand still on the knob. Beannca stepped back to let in a tall, thin man with a variety of herbs in his hands.
“Just picked the oregano in time. It’s best before the sun comes up too much and there is still dew on it, perfect.” He pushed beside Beannca and went over to the sink and turned it on.
A honking horn alerted a car had pulled up in the drive and Beannca shot out of the door.
“Don’t seduce anyone today into falling in love with you!” Lou yelled out through the screen door. “Don’t need any lovesick men hanging on the eaves,” she said under her breath.
“You’re not my mother Lou!” Beannca replied back as the car door slammed shut. The car left spinning its tires in the gravel.
“Honestly, that girl.” Lou shook her head and went over to the sink beside the man.
“Who’s the new girl at the kitchen table?” The man asked looking at Lou as if I wasn’t there. “We don’t have a new benefactor on probation do we? Because if we do, the bathroom situation here is going to be dire.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Lou said turning to me. “I’ve forgotten my manners.”
“Should’ve gotten in line for them,” Ella said in a low voice. Lou ignored her sister.
“This is Abigail VanHaven and she is a librarian.” Lou said proudly. “And this is Roan.”
“What’s a librarian doing at our house then?” Roan asked looking at me with his brown eyes with surprise. He looked to be a little older than me and his long, straight hair kept falling in his eyes. “Are we being reviewed?” He folded his long, gangly arms over his chest and spoke in an assertive voice.
I looked at him for a moment and he peered at me looking down at me from his large nose. He kind of reminded me of one of my teachers in high school that looked like they would be intimidating, but were really spineless the more you got to know them.
He cleared his throat. “I said are we being reviewed?” His dark eyes darted at me waiting for a reply.
“Of course not, you babbling, dim wit. Librarians don’t review us and you would know this if you read your manual.” Ella turned her head slightly to Roan. “She isn’t even a librarian, just the daughter of one. Grace’s business was burned last night and now she hasn’t reported in and Abigail here was living in the apartment above her shop and nearly was incinerated. Thank goodness Kelan saved her.”
“You’ve got the makings of a guardian yet.” Roan pointed playfully at Kelan. “Well, in that case, welcome Abigail to our lovely house.” Roan smiled at me.
“Thanks.” I replied as Roan put his herbs into the sink.
“Those stink. Please do something with them quickly.” Ella said in a put out tone.
“Yes, my queen.” Roan teased. I smiled as Lou rolled her eyes and sat down at the table.
I looked at Kelan who sat beside Lou with a pile of pancakes shellacked in syrup and topped with cream. They looked good and smelled even better. He pulled out a chair next to him and motioned for me to sit down. I knew I was welcomed but I wanted to watch my manners, especially around Ella.
“Pancake?” he asked. I shook my head.
He got a plate down and I took a couple of cakes smothering them in syrup as well.
“Lou, please help me with this orange juice, instead of stuffing your face.” Ella demanded without looking at her.
“Just keep your pants on, like we have anything better to do.” Lou replied and got up as Roan hummed and swayed side to side singing softly to himself.
“It needs to be refrigerated and I want it chilled for later.” Ella gave Lou an orange to cut in half.
I watched them wanting to know more about them. Exactly where they were from and why they were all here living together. I decided I would ask Kelan in private later.
“So who’s this Green Man?” I asked Kelan instead.
“Well, he’s a sorcerer and was the first one to form the benefactors. It’s a group of enchanted people who have either sworn themselves to it or joined after a time of showing good conduct after being released from prison.”
“You mean the books?’
“Yeah, but it isn’t a book to them. There are no words only punishment designated by the librarian. Green Man wanted to show the treelords not all enchanted sort were evil. So he formed the group and they help us when needed.”
“So the guardians and the librarians work together along with the benefactors who are either willingly helping us or on probation and helping us as well. And we serve the treelords to imprison their enemies and in return they pay us with wealth and power?”
“Pretty much,” Kelan said taking a bite of cake.
“Except we are first class benefactors,” Lou said evidentially arguing with her sister at the same time listening to us, “which means we earn certain privileges and get to live here at a halfway house.”
“Honestly, you make us sound like drug addicted, alcoholic riffraff that litter this world.” Ella stood with hands on hips and eyes like beams on her sister. “A halfway house—why do they have to call it that?” Ella asked more to herself.
“Really, this is a lovely home. And with wonderful space for a garden, which reminds me, it needs weeding.” Roan shook his head and then went out the door with his wet herbs.
“Would you rather be in book number 02251972 or here,” Lou glided her open palm through the air, “in this lovely halfway house?”
Ella didn’t reply, only gazed around the room and then out the widow, speechless, as the rising sun covered her in oranges and yellows. Her eyes fell distant and then she turned back to Lou who looked at her waiting for Ella’s reply.
“You’re right,” Ella said in slightly labored voice. “No matter what it’s called, it’s better than book number 02251972.”
We sat in silence paying homage to whatever happened in that book. That question along with others burned in my head that eventually made it
s way to my mouth.
“What…what I mean,” I didn’t know how to ask. “What…”
“You have a lot to learn my little librarian.” Lou tapped me gently on the shoulder and I couldn’t agree with her more.
Kelan kept a vigil with his phone, checking it every fifteen minutes. If he was as worried as I thought he was, he didn’t show it except for the phone watching.
“So who exactly are Beannca and Roan?” I asked with a smile from Kelan.
“Well,” he slid his gaze over to me and then back on the road. “Beannca is what you call a siren and Roan is a gnome.”
I looked at him for a moment thinking if I hadn’t talked to a tree just a couple of days ago, I would’ve jumped out of the Kelan’s truck as he drove it down the road.
“Really,” he could see my questioning look. “They are a siren and a gnome, but not from the same realm.”
“Realms?” this just kept getting deeper.
Kelan took a deep breath and pulled over to the side of the road as the gravel crunched under the tires.
“Realms are the places where people like Lou, Ella, Beannca and Roan live. Another world if you want to call it that. But really they are a part of this world only they are like pockets in this world.”
“You mean like a rabbit’s hole?” Thinking back to my childhood and loving the story Alice in Wonderland.
“Not exactly, more like…well, have you ever had a coat with a hidden pocket on the inside of it?” He asked and I remembered a winter coat that had one and I forgot my cell phone was in there and washed it. “It’s kind of like that. You only see the coat on the outside, but on the inside and very much there, is a pocket that is a part of the coat but hidden.”
Kelan made sense and I was surprised that I could even begin to fathom other worlds or “hidden pockets” as he described them.
“So why are Ella, Lou,” I shook my head. “Why are they all here?”
“I’ve known Lou and Ella the longest and Grace was once their counselor for a short while just filling in. Grace kept in touch with them ever since and they’re sort of friends. But, I’m not sure what they did to end up in book 01251972.” I raised my eyebrows that he remembered the number. “They mention the book they were imprisoned in a lot. The number stuck in my head.”
“Grace never talked about their case with me, it was confidential information.” Kelan continued. “As for Roan,” he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure what a gnome could do to get into so much trouble to be imprisoned. They are good natured and as you could see, love plants and animals and taking care of them. I think he’s being protected by the treelords--- kind of like in a witness protection program.”
“I always thought gnomes were little people that lived in trees and wore pointed hats.” I thought of how tall and lanky Roan was in comparison to the cement garden statues of the smiling, fat, round faced gnomes that Grace had in her store.
“Stereotype,” Kelan said in a flat tone.
“What about Beannca?” I asked.
“Beannca,” Kelan nodded his head. “She’s a siren and…well…you’ve seen her. That’s what siren’s do. Lure people into doing something either by the will of the siren or employed by another.”
“She is pretty.”
“And deadly, at least her kind is. Beannca goes to meetings set up by the treelords to control their powers before they are set free.” Kelan looked in his rear view mirror. “We’d better go or the cop is going to stop. He’s been by two times now.”
“So do they go back to their worlds then? I mean after they’re out of prison?” I asked as Kelan turned the ignition.
“Most never get out. Once they are in a book, they stay there, unless, a treelord gives them leniency and allows them to be reformed to enter another world. It depends upon the crime and threat level really.”
I sat quietly as we made our way into town thinking about everything from hidden realms to imprisoning people in books. I still had a hard time absorbing the idea, but seeing Grace’s burned shop made it a terrifyingly tangible one.
We drove by a couple of times and then among the firefighters and police that were still watching the burning embers, I saw him. It was the man I saw talking to Grace.
“Drive by one more time. I think I seen someone.” I slid downward in the leather seat so he didn’t see me.
“Who?” Kelan asked.
“The night Grace’s shop burned, I saw her talking to someone, a man, and I think I just saw him.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier about this?” Kelan asked.
“I don’t know. That night is still a blur of fire and smoke or I would have said something.”
We drove by again and rummaging through the rubble, dressed in in a fireman’s uniform was unmistakably the man I had seen talking to Grace.
“There,” I said looking at Kelan. “The dark skinned one with the scar; he was talking to Grace the night her shop burned. I saw them outside in front of the shop through my window. They were arguing and then left. I tried to follow, but they simply vanished.”
Casually he leaned over and looked out my window as a horn honked behind us catching the attention of the working firemen including the one that had talked to Grace.
“He seen us,” Kelan said speeding up. “But I know who he is.”
“You do?” I was surprised. “Who?”
“He’s a guardian. His name is Donavan. I found out through Lou and I were going to contact him about joining the guardianship.”
“What do we do now?” I asked as he turned the corner.
“Ask him if I can join the guardianship.” Kelan didn’t look at me only parked in front of the grocery store. “Besides, he might know something about Grace.”
“What?” I asked not believing my ears. “You’re just going to ask him about joining the guardianship, why don’t you just ask him about Grace?”
“I’ll be right back.” Kelan ignored me. He went inside and in a couple of minutes came back with a short, brown tube that looked like would hold important papers.
“This is my application for guardianship. My grandpa got one for me and he started to fill it out,” Kelan unrolled the yellowed paper, “but he never got to finish it with me.” His eyes stared at the paper, but I don’t think he was looking at the application.
“I’m sorry your grandpa didn’t get the chance to help you.” My words were tender.
Kelan took a deep breath and then rolled up the paper, placed it in the tube and put the cap on. He looked at me and then smiled. “How can you be so nice at the same time deadly with a garden spade?” I knew one day that would be brought up.
My cheeks flushed remembering the day I was in Grace’s greenhouse and Kelan came to pick up tomatoes. He had just asked if I was living here and if I was related to the Hawthorns. I remember the sudden rush of what I would call fear mixed with an animalistic protectiveness that I had no idea why I felt that way, but I had to struggle to control it when it did surface.
“That was when I thought you were some stalker,” I replied.
“A stalker?” he chuckled.
I looked away, my cheeks burned even more from embarrassment.
“I can see it,” he said barely whispering. “There’s something more to it than just being paranoid of someone stalking you.”
I tuned my head to meet his icy blue eyes. Various shades of blue filled them and they reminded me of an icy chasm in some far away wintery place not traveled by man. Something wild and unruly danced beneath the surface that I couldn’t help but to stare into.
“Yeah,” his voice cut through my trance. “That’s something I’ve never seen before.”
“What…what do you mean? What did you…what just happened?” My embarrassment had turned to anger.
Kelan started his truck and pulled onto the highway. “I can see something by using my Sight Premonition. There’s somethi
ng in your head, your memories, that has a block on it. More likely a spell.”
I looked out the window watching the greening roadside flash by. At one time I would think it crazy to even think seriously about spells, magic and things associated with magic. “You mean like a memory has been erased by a spell?” I asked.
“No, not erased, just blocked out. You can’t erase memories. Alter them and cover them up, yes, but never erase.”
“I thought your Sight Premonition was for seeing through buildings, like Superman, not for reading people’s minds.” I kind of felt violated and folded my arms over my chest.
“I can’t read your mind. It allows me to see things in various situations. Just like through the walls of Just Thyme and walls created by spells.” I lifted my eyes to him just for a second. “All I can do is release the memory.” He glanced at me quickly. I could feel his gentle but penetrating eyes on me. I wanted to stare into them at the same time I didn’t. “Look, it’s like opening a door without being able to see inside.” He tried to reassure me.
I continued to watch the greenery go by in flashes.
“I can release those memories,” Kelan said as I drew in a deep breath. “You don’t have to do it. I’m just asking.” Kelan’s voice was sincere. “It may give you some insight to your mother.”
I turned my head and looked at him. We exchanged glances without a word for few moments. “You can’t see anything—just open the door?”
He gave a quick smile. “Just open the door.”
It was midday when we got back to the halfway house and everyone was gone. I was relieved. Kelan darkened the living room by closing the blinds. I sat fidgeting on the couch as he lit a single candle. The matched hissed with flame and then latched onto the wick of the bee’s wax candle.
“Romantic,” I said with a smile from Kelan.
“Romance takes lots of candles, doesn’t it?” he teased.
“I wouldn’t know.” I started to feel uncomfortable again.
“You know if you’re uptight, I can’t open the door.” He sat across from me with his brilliant blue eyes framed in dark hair and pale skin that reminded me of calm, cool and enchanting winter’s night when nothing but the stillness moves.
“How many times have you done this?” I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the answer. “I’m not a guinea pig, am I?”
He smiled resting his arms on his knees. “Two times…or three if you count the cat.”
“Are you serious, a cat?” I had to laugh at that. “What could possibly be troubling a cat?”
“You’d be surprised…bad episodes with mice, sibling rivalry…hairballs.”
I laughed even louder with Kelan watching me, smiling with his twinkling eyes. Slowly I stopped laughing and let myself flow into his stare. The blue chasm opened as our eyes interlaced. My mind let everything go. All that mattered was the stillness that surrounded me and the steadiness of Kelan’s eyes that pulled me closer until I thought we could have melted into one.
Then suddenly something sharp pulled at the back of my head. It was sharp and quick like a thorn being plucked out of my finger by Aunt Kathleen.
“There all better.” I heard her voice and then it passed like the wind.
Another vision filled my mind. It was all of Aunt Kathleen’s jewels.
“But Jenna, we’re not supposed to get into them,” I said to her.
“I didn’t get into them.” She took off the tiara and placed it on my head. “You did.” And then she ran into the kitchen. “Aunt Kathleen!”
That faded too, like a rushing wave pulling out more memories and then tugging them back until I heard someone screaming my name.
“Abi! Run! My little girl, run!” The voice was a woman’s and she was frantic as I stood holding a teddy bear with one eye.
“Mama,” I said following her voice.
Why did I call her mama? I could see and hear and I followed her voice until I came to a woman with hair as red as mine pinned to the wall by an invisible force.
“Abi,” she whispered with tears running down her face.
I shook holding onto teddy as tears welled in my eyes.
Then another woman with blonde hair, nearly white and dressed all in black stood between me and my mother. She looked at me and smiled with surprised amusement. To me she looked like a big spider all in black.
“So, this is the child? Your child?” She looked back at my mother.
I tried to run to her, but two hairy and very strong arms held me back.
“I told you not to get involved and this is what it has come to…you stupid librarian. Your kind has nothing to do with us and shouldn’t mettle in our business, but, then again, I don’t mind eliminating you.”
The blonde haired woman flicked a slender silver wand from her gloved hand and threw it at my mother striking her in the belly.
I screamed and tried to pull away finally biting into the hairy arm to release me. He let out a yowl and before I could get away the woman caught me and laughed in my face amused and turning me to see my mother’s limp body.
“This is what happens when you mess with the wrong person and take their toys little one.” Her voice slithered like snakes around my ear.
With my arms outstretched, I reached for my mother. She lifted her head slightly and with a shaking hand reached for me. Blood soaked through her clothes until the only color I could see was the dark red blood and her flame red hair—two very different shades of red. My mother was surrounded by the color until her body fell limp.
The next thing I knew I was on the ground with light flashing behind. I sat screaming my mother’s name with tears streaming my face. Suddenly a shadow fell around me and a hand followed by a man with emerald green eyes and short brown hair.
“Gone…” was the only word I heard him speak as his mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear him.
Suddenly, I was pushed back like a strong wave had grasped onto me. I floated backwards through the sea of voices and fragmented visions until I opened my eyes.
Kelan held onto my hands and we were on the floor kneeling in front of one another. I gasped for air and when I looked down my shirt was soaked with blood and a silver wand stuck out from me. I screamed and let go of Kelan’s hands.
“The blood!” I managed to yell as I pulled at the wand to yank it out. “Kelan, get it out of me!” He grabbed onto my hands and jerked them outward.
“Abi, stop it! You’re alright!” He tried to calm me.
“Don’t you see it? I’m bleeding!” I protested and struggled to get my arms free. “I’m bleeding!” I cried.
“Let it go Abi. It’s a memory that came with you. It isn’t real.”
I closed my eyes tightly listening to Kelan’s voice.
“Take deep breaths and let it go.” Kelan’s voice was like a calm wind, a summer wind that danced through the wind chimes playing their tune.
My body shook with weakness and slowly I opened my eyes to see my shirt stretched out to where I was pulling on it at. There was no blood, no wand. I gazed at Kelan as he lowered my arms and then wrapped me up in them. I was weak and trembled as he pulled me up. I wanted to tell him what I saw, but my mind was numb and my voice was gone. Our eyes met and without a word, he carried me upstairs.
Chapter Five
The Librarian's Daughter The Story of Abi VanHaven Page 4
