by C C Solomon
I frowned. She had a point. I couldn’t keep kicking the can down the road. I couldn’t expect them to wait around for me. No man’s ego would allow that.
Grace clapped her hands. “You’ll know what to do,” Grace started to back away. “Oh, yeah, Annie Mae is usually gardening on Saturdays. Okay, bye now.” And she was off jogging at in-shape speed again.
I nodded and looked after her in confusion. Why did I care about Annie Mae’s gardening schedule?
I decided to take a hint and pay a visit to Annie Mae. I like to think of myself as a pretty clever gal. Plus, I was looking forward to a one-on-one session with the wise woman.
I walked back to the garden area where I first met Annie Mae and there she was, like Grace said, on her knees tending to a patch of the vegetable garden.
“Hey, there, Mina, can I call you that? Feel free to call me Mae,” she said, not turning around.
“Sure,” I replied, no longer surprised at her gift.
“Good. We’re going to be great friends. No need to be so formal.” Mae got up and wiped dirt off of her jeans. She turned around and opened her arms to give me a hug.
“I’m sweaty,” I said.
She wrapped her arms around me anyway. “So am I. I went power walking earlier, then came to garden.”
I hugged her back. “I saw Grace just now. She sent me here.”
“I see. Would you like some shrimp and grits? I was making some and then had a craving for some fried green tomatoes.” She picked up a plastic bag that I assumed held the tomatoes.
“I’m sorry did you just say shrimp?” My mouth was already watering. “Where did you get them from?”
Mae walked towards the glass apartment door, leaving the enclosed garden area. I followed. “I suppose they came from the sea. A group of folks go fishing and seafood-gathering regularly. It’s pretty pricey, getting something like shrimp from them, but I figure it’s a nice treat from time to time.”
Mae made a left down a brightly-lit, carpeted hall and I followed. “I can’t recall the last time I’ve had any seafood other than fish and even that was rare.”
“Well, then you are in for a treat, my dear.” Mae opened a door on the left and we walked through into a spacious two-bedroom apartment. The open kitchen overlooked the dining room, the living room was on the left, and a coat room/laundry room was on the right. She had lovely, light-brown wood floors. Beyond the living room, I could see glass doors leading to a terrace and a view of the garden. “I know we took the long way ‘round but I went straight to the garden after my walk, so I didn’t leave my patio doors unlocked. Come on into the kitchen. Want anything to drink while I make the tomatoes? Won’t take me long.”
“No, thank you. Can I help with anything?”
“No, no, have a seat and keep me company in here.”
I took a seat at a small, two-seater, rectangle table in the kitchen.
“So, how’s your one-month anniversary going so far?”
“Okay. Except, well, that morning announcement thing kind of startled me. I thought maybe we were under attack.”
Mae nodded and rinsed the tomatoes. “He does that once or twice a month.”
“Why?”
She moved the tomatoes to a cutting board. “Did it bother you?”
“Yes. It felt odd to me. Charles didn’t think it was a big deal and seemed to already have the speech memorized. It was weird.”
“Some time ago I had a spell put on my apartment and the courtyard to block out eavesdroppers. No one knows that, except who I tell specifically,” Mae stated, chopping the tomatoes.
I frowned, confused about why she was telling me this again. “Okay, I won’t tell anyone. Should I do the same? Is this really like big brother? Grace told me I shouldn’t talk negatively about the speech.”
“She was right. But for now, I wouldn’t suggest you putting a spell up. It would cause early suspicion. Do you know about Phillip’s gifts?”
“Only about his telekinetic and dream walker abilities.”
She didn’t speak and continued to prepare the tomatoes. I was beginning to understand Mae. She didn’t like to give away too much information. She wanted us to connect the dots and for someone who had the power of precognition, I could see how she didn’t want to influence us so much to control the outcome of our futures. It was still annoying.
“He can do more than that. So can you. His powers are all mind related. He can influence. It’s how you got your gifts back. He was able to trick your mind into believing you weren’t drugged. Your magic then broke through whatever drugs tried to block your gifts.”
“That’s a pretty powerful mind control. Especially when we weren’t even in the same vicinity.”
“It is.” She nodded slowly, still cooking.
“Is he controlling the people of this town? Maybe through those speaker messages or whatever they are?”
Mae turned to me and smiled, then turned back to her cooking. “Phillip’s a very idealistic man. He wants the best for this town and the people in it. He’s been through some things these past nine years. More before that. He had a brother who was unjustly killed by a rookie cop when Phillip was fourteen. He doesn’t talk about it with anyone. I counsel him, so he opened up to me.”
I shook my head, not knowing what to say.
“Since then, he’s had a lot of issues with authority. He felt very powerless. He told me that he went to college and business school so he could get rich and bring wealth in his community. He thought that was what would make him powerful. Then this all happened and the only way to get power is magic now. And he has a lot of it.”
“He doesn’t like regular humans.”
Mae sighed. “No, no, he doesn’t. But that only happened a few years ago.”
“Why?”
Mae paused the stirring of her pot. “Someone who was like a father to him was murdered by humans. He was a gargoyle. They change into their non-human forms at night. Some humans found him, were frightened, and killed him. In front of his wife and Phillip.”
“So much death,” I whispered.
Mae nodded and began to stir the pot again. “Yes. There is.” She sighed. “Phillip exerts control because he is afraid of losing control. Afraid of being powerless. But he’s a good man, Amina.”
“He saved me.”
“Yes, he did. He’s grown much more powerful in the last two months or so. His ability to control a large group is something new. It happened right before he became the new leader. I assume it has something to do with you.”
“How?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t know for certain. But when our former leader died—he was a witch named Thomas—things started to really change with him. Thomas taught Phillip everything he knew. He was the one who created this place. He was a politician, believe it or not. A senator. Some super-liberal hippie who had no desire to reconnect with this new government. He wanted something new and different. Thought this new world was our way of making things right that were so wrong. Like a new Noah’s Ark. He didn’t trust the normal humans, though. That was his biggest flaw. Built that ugly wall around this place.”
“How’d he die?”
“He was eighty-one years old. Died of a heart attack alone in his room at night. With the magic in this town, he could have been saved but no one knew until the next morning. Then we had an election and Phillip won. Landslide vote. People really like him. He is a charmer, isn’t he?” She turned from frying the tomatoes and looked at me with a knowing smile.
I raised my eyebrows and gave an awkward grin.
Mae turned back to the food, chuckling. “Don’t feel embarrassed. He is a cutie. His eyes get you. That stare. Like he means everything he says and you are the most important person at that moment to him. Makes it hard to stay angry with him.”
“But he’s not being honest, then?”
“I’m sure, for you, he is. He is quite taken with you. Honey, my power is connected to my mind. I see the future and the past. I c
an tell what’s in your heart. I can tell when you are using magic.” She turned back to me. “Phillip needs you. And I certainly would believe that he is quite fond of you but it won’t make it easier.” She turned back to the stove. “Okay, food is done. Let’s eat.”
We prepared the food and sat out on Mae’s terrace.
“Hmm, I have to say. I put my foot in it,” Mae stated after eating a fork full of grits. She looked over to me. “Not hungry?”
I looked down at my plate. I was feeling too uneasy about things, but I’d regret passing up shrimp so I dug in, chewing slowly. It was amazing. “This is really good.”
“Don’t you worry about Phillip. I think with you here, it’ll settle him more. Losing Thomas was difficult for him. It was like losing yet another father all over again. Maybe you can heal his heart. You’re very much connected after all. You and Phillip are both mages. You’re just a special kind. Probably aren’t many, if any others at all.”
“What are we mages of? I just thought I was a witch.”
She smiled. “Life. Just as your brother has power over all technology or our head doctor has power over anything healing, you and Phillip have power over living things. Both supernatural and natural. Mammals, amphibians, bugs, plants, nature. Anything that grows or is of the earth.”
I frowned. Well, hell, that made perfect sense now. How had I not made that connection? Once again, my college and year of law school had failed me in the new world. That and the fact that I’d never bothered to use my powers to that level until recently, so I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it.
“I’m not a witch,” Mae began, “But I know a lot about them. We have some very knowledgeable witches here. Every witch has spells and potions, but the higher-level witches have automatic powers over certain things. Those are called mages.”
“Right, I knew that. How I didn’t connect the dots that me having power over other paranormals or supernatural life without a spell or potion made me a mage, is embarrassing.”
Mae shook her head. “Oh, don’t bother thinking about that. It wouldn’t matter. You made it to where you needed to go.”
“So, Phillip and I have the same powers?”
Mae nodded before taking another bite of food.
“Does he know we have the same mage abilities?”
Mae dug into her bowl of shrimp and grits. “No. And I’d advise you not tell him. Or anyone else, for now. He might not understand as well as you.”
Why did I have to tip-toe around Phillip? I thought about his smiling face; the one from my dreams and the one I met the first time on the patio. That Phillip, the only one I knew, was sensitive and thoughtful. Why would him knowing we had the same power bother him? If anything, wouldn’t it make him happy? I sure was comforted by having a fellow mage with my powers. One who clearly knew more about our gifts than I did. He could teach me things. A thought entered my mind.
“Should I be scared of Phillip?”
Mae looked at me with pained eyes. “No. Never.”
She didn’t elaborate and I didn’t press her.
“Honey, eat up! Shrimp doesn’t come around here often and we best not waste it.”
And with that, Mae was done talking about Phillip. But I was just left with more concerns.
Chapter 19
When I left Mae’s place, I went to the indoor farmer’s market for some groceries and then decided to head home. I couldn’t find anyone else, which was odd. Even my brother was no longer in his room. The mystery was solved when I found a note taped to my bedroom door that said everyone was gathering at Felix’s place for some very important news. I walked down two flights of stairs to Felix’s apartment and knocked on his door.
Faith answered with a somber face.
Oh, shit. We’d only been here a month. What the hell happened?
I walked into the living room and saw Erik, Felix, Lisa, Charles and Carter spread out around the space.
“Who died?” I asked, cautiously.
“Erik’s going to fight for a spot in the pack,” Felix blurted out from the dining room area.
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, well, that sounds barbaric.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“Thank you, Felix,” Erik growled.
I looked to Erik. “Well, beating each other up does sound dangerous. You didn’t want to wait a little bit before jumping in? I thought we were still giving this play a test run.”
“It’s been a month.”
“Sooo, I guess you unilaterally are deciding for all of us to stay?” I looked around at the others. “What do the rest of us say? Are we fine with staying?”
The others gave slow nods and verbal confirmation. I couldn’t say I was surprised. Lisa and Faith shared an apartment and had made themselves a large part of the community. Lisa had situated herself as a mage and no one seemed to be the wiser. Felix and Erik lived on their own, Erik in the pack high-rise apartments, and both Felix and I were doing well teaching at the town school.
“Are you fine with staying, Amina?” Erik asked me.
I looked over to him, folding my arms. I wasn’t actually angry. I’d come to like the town and I was learning more in the short time being here than I had in years. I’d made friends, Charles had found love with Lisa, I was enjoying teaching and I was happy. Well, as happy as I could be while still missing Chelsea and Jared.
I nodded. “I’m good with staying. But why are you so determined to join this pack right now? That’s a major commitment.”
“I have to,” Erik said, solemnly. “They need my help but I can only do that with a spot.”
“What do you mean spot? I thought if you’re a were you’re already in the pack.”
“That’s true,” Carter began, sitting in a dining room chair. “But if you want a leadership role, you have to fight to get it. The better the fighter you are, the higher you are in line.”
I frowned. I was frowning a lot today. “Well, that is a dumb way to pick a leader.”
“Power’s all that matters, Amina. That’s the only way you’ll get respect.”
I shook my head. “Erik, I thought you didn’t want leadership?”
He leaned forward on the couch and rested his elbows on his thighs “I was reluctant to at first, but I can’t shake this feeling that I’m needed. Then Mae met with me a few days ago and she suggested I run for a leadership role. She said I had to be in the top five. She had some sort of vision.”
I cocked an eyebrow. Well, that was a bit of information Mae neglected to tell me. Then again, it wasn’t exactly information that was for me. “What was her vision?” I asked.
Erik slowly shook his head. “She wouldn’t get into it. She just was adamant that the pack needed me. I’m still learning about the pack. It’s not perfect and I’ve heard some things about certain people, but I can’t really do anything if I’m not in a power role.” Erik glanced over to Lisa. “I can’t just continue to snatch people and run anymore. I need to do some good. And if the town oracle thinks I’m needed, I think I should listen.”
I couldn’t help myself and smiled slightly. Now I knew what drew me to Erik; his heart. Of course, he’d want to be a protector. It was in his nature. “Fine, fine. But, seriously, Carter, how can you follow someone that allows for this barbaric ritual?” I asked Carter.
Carter sighed. “There are a lot of innocent people in the group. Betas that need protecting,” Carter replied. “And I don’t want to leave.”
I wanted to ask why but I knew the answer. Phillip’s morning messages let people know that this was the best place to be and they didn’t want to be anywhere else. I ached to tell them the truth.
“I think I can do some good for the pack by being in leadership. I’m not afraid of Seth and so far, he doesn’t hate me,” Erik explained. “But the only way I’ll get any clout is if I fight for a position and win.”
I nodded slowly. “Well, I don’t like it, but I understand. I can also talk to Phillip about what’s going on. So,
what, you start from the bottom and fight your way up the line?”
“You can. Or you can challenge a certain spot.”
“So, what are you doing?”
“I’m challenging for the third spot.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, that’s aiming high.”
Erik nodded. “I’d go higher but Carter is number two.”
I looked over at Carter and gave him a nod of respect. He returned my nod with a bashful grin.
“And there’s something else,” Erik stated, his face still all too serious.
Lisa let out a dramatic sigh and turned her head from me, arms crossed. Charles, seated next to her at the dining room table with Carter and Felix, touched her back.
My stomach tightened. Not good. “What is it?”
“It’s not like boxing where we fight until someone taps out or gets knocked out,” Erik started.
I nodded slowly. “Oookaay.”
He paused and I looked around at everyone’s faces for a clue but they all avoided my eyes. “I don’t like suspense.”
“It’s a fight to the death.”
My mind wasn’t quite registering what he told me. “No.”
Erik raised his eyebrows. “No?”
I shrugged. “No. You’re not going to do that.”
“Mina, I have to.”
“I feel like maybe you guys can just surprise attack this asshole and take him out.”
“If we did that, I wouldn’t get clout, which is what I need. The only way to get buy-in is to fight.”
“Or die, because that could happen.”
Erik looked up at me, his eyes filled with determination and strength. “I’m not going to die.”
I smiled. “Oh, so you talked to Mae and she told you that you’d be okay.”
“That’s a good idea, why didn’t we do that?” Felix whispered.
“We can try, but her visions aren’t always on demand,” Carter replied.
I nodded my head slowly. “So, I’m back to no again.”
Erik smirked at me. “I don’t need your permission, Mina.”
I huffed and put my hands on my hips. Why’d he have to be such a stubborn ass? Didn’t he know that we cared about him? That I cared about him? That I needed him alive? “Then why the hell are we gathered here? You could have sent us all an email. Subject line: I’m gonna die.”
