A time and place for mag.., p.10
A Time and Place for Magic, page 10
Claudia looked directly at Riley with a look of determination in her green eyes.
“You won’t be alone, and you are more powerful than you know. You will have your family at your side, and we will protect you,” Claudia said, motioning at her sisters. “You might be right about your friends Riley. Not all of the Dark Lord's children will follow him in the final battle but already many of them are a forgotten generation, stuck in foster systems or just plain homeless. So many of them are already without hope. They are ridiculed and hated all over the world. The Dark Lord has begun to light the fires of rebellion within them. When the time comes, even many of those who wouldn’t have aligned themselves with him, will find they have little choice as even their closest family and friends will abandon them in fear. We have watched this sad story play out again and again in countless strings.”
While the sisters paused, Jade went to the kitchen returning with a large pitcher of iced tea and some chocolate chip cookies. The room grew quiet once again and as they indulged in Jade’s refreshments, the mood in the room lifted.
When Lacy finally spoke, her high-pitched voice was difficult to hear over the hum of the whirling ceiling fan.
“Have you ever wondered why the servants of the Dark Lord haven’t found you here? You have Lily and Roman to thank for that. They have been incredibly successful at keeping you all hidden from the Dark Lord.”
Jade was good friends with Lily and Roman. Their twin children Xavier and Tasha were two of Riley’s closest friends. Jade had spent a lot of time with the children, helping them learn control over their powers. She had often been curious about Lily and Roman who’d moved to Galveston after a devastating hurricane in New Orleans. They’d been friendly and welcoming from the very first day, and they were the first to know the truth about herself and Riley. She implicitly trusted them, but now, she found herself questioning if their friendship had been based on a lie.
Atrea recognized the wheels of blame turning in Jade’s mind. “Yes, they knew who you were from the very beginning, and they volunteered to protect you, but they didn’t have to be your friends. They chose that. They could have just as easily remained a distant neighbor while ensuring you stayed hidden from the Dark Lord. I promise there is no need to question their friendship.”
Ashamed, Jade dropped her gaze, letting her negative thoughts melt away. The dynamics of her little world just turned upside down and she felt like she needed to catch her breath. Lily and Roman had spent many late nights with them here or at their place, eating and drinking, sharing stories of their lives.
Jade was intimately familiar with their family’s personal hardships. Lily and Roman, who were both African American, had twins during the time of the Great Curse as it was called. While they had been unable to have children before or since, it was something of a blessing for them. When they realized that Roman was likely not the father, as many parents did during the Great Curse, their fears grew. When at last the children were finally born healthy and human in appearance, they let go of much of their anxiety.
As the children grew and began to display powers, their differences in skin color and abilities, set them up for ridicule at a level not experienced by many other children. They were not black enough to be accepted by the black kids and not white enough to be accepted by the white kids, but most notably, they were also spawn, a reference to demon or Satan spawn that people used as a cruel slur for these children.
It was Riley’s friendship with the twins to which they attributed the stability of their children’s lives. As Jade took on the role of magical advisor, Lily and Roman grew closer to her and Gordon, seeing the true friends they were to their family. Now Jade wondered why they had chosen to keep their abilities a secret from her.
Lacy interrupted her thoughts, asking her for more iced tea, which had just run out. The empty glass pitcher sat beaded with sweat on the glass coffee table atop an old, faded doily. She refilled the pitcher and refilled Lacy’s cup when another knock sounded at the door. Jade set the pitcher down as Gordon answered the door somewhat cautiously, afraid of who else might be at the door.
Jade’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Lightfoot standing there. His hair was in a single braid down his back. His cut off T-shirt emphasized his well-defined arms and shoulders, his brown skin glistened with beads of sweat. Riley beat her to the door hugging him. His arms reached gently around her, and he patted her hair, letting himself smile down at her innocent face.
It was apparent Lightfoot already knew why the sisters were there by his knowing glance at Jade. Her heart sank. This would mean the end of Riley’s childhood, an unfair and cruel twist of fate that for once, had nothing to do with the sisters directly.
They all stayed for Riley’s sixteenth birthday party. Claudia mentioned how surprised she was by the number of children who were progeny of the Dark Lord and yet like regular kids they laughed, gossiped and teased each other.
It was obvious that Riley was closest to the twins, which was in and of itself an interesting dynamic. The boy was a little effeminate and the girl looked at Riley with something that seemed more than friendship. All three friends for different reasons but bound together by emotions and connections that didn’t take magic to understand.
Claudia felt sorry for the twins, being biracial, children of the Dark Lord and likely homosexuals, they would have a hard road ahead of them without Riley... unless... Claudia would have Atrea check their life strings tonight. She hadn’t even considered their effect on Riley before.
The party was a success and the sisters stayed to help clean up afterwards. Jade offered them a place to stay but they insisted they needed to return to their hotel room on the island but promised to come back the next morning to continue their conversation.
The sisters stayed up late that night. They spent their entire evening reading the strings of the tapestry, comparing the various outcomes if threads were guided, redirected or cut short. Because Atrea’s gift was stronger with future events, Claudia and Lacy found themselves turning to her for guidance when the strings seemed uncertain. By the end of the night one thing became clear, Claudia’s hunch was correct.
The next morning Jade found her living room crowded with the three sisters, Lightfoot, Gordon, Lily and Roman. Riley was in her room with Xavier and Tasha, listening to music. Jade could hear them speaking purposefully in low voices. She felt stretched thin, trying to stay involved in the conversation with the other adults, keeping the refreshments coming and an ear out for Riley’s room.
Jade missed Rachel right now. She could have used her support and her innate understanding of her own emotions, but Rachel had finally met someone. Shortly after her move to Arizona, Rachel confessed her love to Jade over the phone one winter evening. It was an awkward conversation to say the least, and the distance made it difficult to resolve. Jade was relieved when a few years later Rachel found someone else to return her feelings. At the time, Jade felt guilty but knew she had to be honest with her if there was any chance of keeping their friendship. It was rocky between them for a few years after that, but eventually things returned to normal.
Claudia covered the same points she had made yesterday, telling the group that they had a chance to save Riley’s brother and together, he and Riley would be able to defeat the Dark Lord. This time there was something Jade hadn’t seen coming. They wanted the twins to go too. Roman and Lily were silent and suddenly very hard to read. Lightfoot stood behind Jade, looking ready to be the voice of reason.
Gordon couldn’t hold back any longer. “You know it's bad enough you’re considering putting my daughter in danger but the lives of two more children? I want to save my son’s life, but not at the risk of others. I say we vote to see who wants to go.”
Jade heard Riley’s music stop followed by the creek of her door opening. Riley led the twins single file down the hallway into the living room where they were all gathered. She held her head up high and folded her arms across her chest.
“If I have to go find my brother and somehow stop this Dark Lord, then Xavier and Tasha are coming with me and that’s final!”
Xavier and Tasha stood behind her resolutely, with a slight leaning in their stance. It was as if they were waiting to see if the adults would actually give in to her demands.
Riley’s declaration set the sisters’ plan in motion, despite Gordon’s call for a vote. Soon the decision was made, and plans finalized for the journey to find and retrieve the boy. The sisters had a quiet conversation with Roman and Lily who agreed to think about letting the twins join the rescue effort. They promised a decision by the end of the following week. Jade wasn’t able to hear most of what was said, but from the looks on Roman and Lily’s faces, she guessed it wasn’t good. Then the sisters politely insisted they had more work to do and returned to their hotel.
Shortly after, Jade found herself on the phone with Rachel, telling her all about the past couple days, hoping to talk her into coming down. Just like always, Rachel’s words were comforting, and her advice left her with the peace of mind Jade needed. By the time she hung up the phone, she felt that everything might just work out somehow.
Before Jade knew it, the week was nearly over. Between her shifts at work and collecting the seeds and supplies she thought they would need for the journey, Jade had little time to relax or reflect. Even so, she managed to drop by the sister’s hotel room unexpectedly, several times during the week, venting her anger and frustration at them. She felt guilty each time as they just sat there in silence enduring her verbal lashings, but she didn’t know how else to work through the years of resentment she had allowed to build up. Those nights, she cried herself to sleep. Then, nightmares came, and she re-lived the night Miranda nearly died. Within each dream, the Dark Lord's army killed them in ways she hadn’t ever imagined.
When Friday night arrived, she took Lightfoot with her to visit the sisters again. In her mind, it would be a sort of peace offering. The triplets were staying at an old hotel, but the property had a clear view of the beach, and the breeze was refreshing. Upon entering their room, she was surprised to see Atrea and Lacy working on the tapestry. Jade had never actually watched them working with it before. Looking at the tapestry straight on, it looked like a multi-colored cloth that shimmered ever so slightly. When Jade turned her head, out of the corner of her eye the threads seemed to vibrate brightly and move in new directions but when she turned back, they were still as if it had been an illusion. It left Jade with a feeling of disquiet. There was one thing she knew for sure. The power that emanated from the tapestry was undeniable, leaving Jade with a new respect for the sisters.
“So, what brings you two here on a Friday night? Don’t tell me this is your idea of a date night!” Claudia teased, hoping to distract Jade from another verbal barrage.
Jade grinned, “Well, we are getting older you know,” which was followed by a moment of awkward silence. Claudia knew there was something on Jade’s mind but hoped it wasn’t more of the same.
“Out with it then. Why did you come? I’m guessing it’s not just to catch up.”
Jade stammered a little, “No, I do want to catch up. It’s been too long, and I feel I owe you three an apology. I didn’t truly understand the burden you carried, and I blamed you for things that weren’t your fault.”
Atrea and Lacy looked up from what they were doing and nodded understandingly, while Claudia’s eyes welled up with tears.
“You don’t owe us an apology. We are the ones who should’ve apologized years ago. We’ve missed you so much!”
Jade met Claudia’s gaze, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. “I have missed you too. You three will always be my little girls, and I am so proud of who you have become. I do have questions, but first catch me up on all the years I’ve missed. I saw the rock on Lacy’s finger, and I want to know about you and Atrea. Do any of you have kids?”
Claudia proceeded to fill Jade in on the last sixteen years. Lacy had married the cop from the protest and together they had five children, three girls and two boys. Atrea had been in and out of various relationships over the years but had no children. Claudia dated Jared, the local bar owner for a while but had broken it off when she realized how it would interfere with her future. She decided to dedicate her life to her craft instead of dating.
Lacy moved into Jade’s old house and made some improvements. It gave Jade a warm feeling to know her home was loved and lived in again. She wanted to ask Claudia about her gardens but decided it was best she didn’t. She knew what five children could do to a yard and shuddered to think what may have happened to all her beloved plants.
Claudia spoke of their frequent trips to meet with Miranda, who had become a powerful force of her own. Her gifts, coupled with the amplifying power of the Wall, allowed her to read minds from great distances. Her telekinetic abilities had also grown. Because Miranda was able to communicate with a disembodied Raspiria, she had access to knowledge she wouldn’t have had otherwise. She shared this information with the sisters regularly, which allowed them to more fully understand the threads and how events were unfolding.
Claudia finally told Jade about their time with Riley. She and her sisters visited Riley here on the island many times. They felt responsible to educate and train Riley in the little time they were allotted by secretly checking her out of school or making up field trips that would go unnoticed. Some of their visits occurred at the Wall when Lightfoot had been the only one to accompany Riley to see her mother. They had grown fond of her and knew that she would need the knowledge and training they could give her if she were to fulfill her destiny.
During these visits to the Wall, Raspiria spoke through Miranda to her daughter. Sometimes it was directly between their minds. Other times it was out loud, and the sisters listened intently for any information that they might be able to gain from Raspiria. Once Raspiria realized the sisters’ ulterior motive in accompanying Riley she applauded their stealth. Oddly however, she was more concerned that they did not call Riley by her elven name Rajlea, which Riley secretly despised.
Finally, Claudia spoke of the strings and how most of them ended in the near future and with it, the unravelling of the entire tapestry. It was clear that the Dark Lord would destroy the Wall and conquer their world, eliminating all who dared stand against him. Their best hope was to help Riley find her brother so that together they could stop the end of all life.
Claudia got up, motioning for Jade and Lightfoot to join her at the tapestry.
“See here” she said pointing to a golden yellow string, “I can make out that this young man is full of promise and potential. Look here, a little further up and his string abruptly ends as do countless others.”
Jade nodded her head, seeing the end of the string but not able to see the same details. She watched as Lacy and Atrea worked. They redirected a string and then another nodding in agreement at the change they made. It appeared as if the strings ended a little later than most of the others, giving Jade a sudden hope.
“Is there another possibility, rather than putting Riley in the middle of all this? Couldn’t you keep manipulating the strings until a new future emerges?” Jade asked, her voice pleading.
“I’m sorry Jade. I didn’t show you this to give you hope for a different outcome. I just wanted you to understand how this works. I see best into the past. My gift allows me to see and understand the motivations of others, even some of the Dark Lord’s. Lacy sees the secrets of the here and now. Together, the three of us can find the best way forward and we have spent many years trying to find another solution. In the end, it always comes back to Riley and her brother as our best hope.”
Jade let the conversation change, and she and Lightfoot stayed with the sisters catching up until it was late. She felt that she was finally starting to forgive and empathize with the three of them.
When they left the sisters’ hotel room, a full moon had risen, reflecting moonlight on the ocean water. Jade let the power of the moon seep into her, its calming effect helped heal her raw emotions. She’d always felt like a kindred spirit lived up there in its ghostly light. She savored each month’s ritual of drawing down the moon. It was an opportunity to commune with a higher power.
As Jade and Lightfoot walked home hand in hand, the island wafted with the fragrance of sweet flowers in full bloom. Little vines and branches reached out to gently brush against Jade’s skin. A trail of butterfly moths flew behind her like a long veil dancing on moonbeams.
Despite the kindly advances of the plants and moths or even the familiar reassurance of Lightfoot’s strong hand in hers, Jade’s mind imagined new and terrible outcomes of taking Riley to face the Dark Lord. How could two children defeat an immortal being, bent on the destruction of all life? Jade’s brows furrowed, as she had more questions than answers. Claudia had again been unable or unwilling to answer her completely. Jade was not ready to take things on faith again but what choice did she really have?
The next day, Lily and Roman gave their permission for the twins to accompany Riley. Jade spoke with them alone afterwards sharing with them details of her visit with the sisters. She asked them directly why they had decided to let the children go. Their response was as she suspected it would be. The sisters’ version of the future if the children weren’t allowed to go with Riley ended in their deaths. It was a heart wrenching decision for Lily and Roman but in the end, they simply wanted to save the lives of their children. Jade promised them that she and Gordon would protect the twins and return them home safely. She sounded more confident than she felt but knew she would do everything in her power to make it happen. She owed them that.
Then unexpectedly, Lily apologized to Jade, for not keeping the truth about herself and her powers a secret from her. While Jade knew of Lily and Roman’s Espiritismo practices, she hadn’t realized the power that they actually wielded. Their connection to the spirit world and their ability to commune with it had kept them all safe and hidden from the Dark Lord. Lily assured Jade they would watch over their journey and promised her help when she needed it. They parted with silent tears and hugs. Jade would miss them and understood now all the great sacrifices they had made for her, no longer questioning if their friendship had been real.
