Crimson Echo (31 page)

“You have another brother?” I asked.

“Stefan’s my fiancé.” Sabrina eyed Kane and then shoved her massive diamond ring in my face.

“Wow, that’s huge.”

“He crafted it himself from a meteor rock. He’s really into all that science crap.” She smiled widely.

“
That’s really amazing”

“It is, isn’t it?” She held the ring up to the light and let it sparkle.

“So, where’s Stefan?” Kole grew impatient.

“He got caught up in Botswana. He should be back tomorrow.” Sabrina never looked up from her ring.

“Someday he’ll take you with him and you can hunt all you want.” Aurora reassured them as she sealed the potions with a tiny corkscrew and placed them back in the cabinet above the sink.

“Do we have invisibility?” Kane asked.

“If my calculations are correct, we do.” Aurora smiled. “Sabrina, be a dear and put these potions away.”

“Tristan, do you want to come too? I’ll show you the altar room.”
Sabrina asked excitedly.

“Umm,” I looked to Kane and he nodded.
“Yeah, sure.”

            I was terrified to be left alone wit
h Sabrina after the last talk we had, but Kane must have threatened her because she was acting like a completely different person. I followed a little ways behind her as she led me down a set of stairs. It grew darker the farther away from the kitchen we got.

“Lights,” Sabrina commanded and then suddenly the room lit up. “This is the basement
where we do most of our spells. It was once a bomb shelter. It’s probably the safest room in the house.”

            The basement seemed to go on for miles. It was easily as long and wide as the whole house. Sabrina took the vials from the serving tray and placed them in an empty slot in a wooden cabinet. Everything was neatly organized and labeled accordingly. There were potions for every power you could imagine.

“I’m glad you came tonight.” Sabrina smiled. “I feel terrible about the way I acted at the diner. I should have never said any of that stuff to you.”

I shook my head and acknowledged her apology.

“I just don’t want you to hate me for that. I don’t usually behave that way, I promise. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own little world that I forget what it could do to other people. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I am sorry and I hope you can forgive me.”

“You’re forgiven.” I stuttered.

“Can we have a do over?”

I nodded.
“Yes, I would like that.”

“Good,” she grabbed me around the shoulders and hugged me. “I’m so excited that there’s another girl in the house. You wouldn’t believe how torturous it is living with all this testosterone all the time.”

“You’re lucky to have siblings. Being an only child sucks.”

“I guess I can see you what you mean.” She took me by the hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the basement.”

            I followed her around a corridor and up a different set of steps and the lights automatically came on. In the ceiling were spotlights that trialed on for about a mile. I noticed as we walked that on either side of us were doors with a small space for a window. It was like prison cells with bars over the opening.

“What is this?” I asked Sabrina.

“Oh, this is where we put witches who are coming off of unnatural magic— mostly dark magic. It’s like rehab, but for witches. It’s very effective.”

I stared at the prison cells and tried to wrap my head around the idea of detoxing a witch.

“Don’t worry Tristan we’re not going to put you in there.” She laughed as she opened a door that led out to the backyard.

“Are there a lot of witches who practice dark magic?”

“You’d be surprised. Dark magic is very
seductive and also very dangerous. It’s all consuming— it’s like it takes over every fiber of your being and you can’t control yourself.”

“
That sounds like the voice of experience.”

“It might be. I might tell you about it someday.” She shrugged.

            We walked along a stone path that led out to a giant tea garden with countless flowers and trees. There were thousands of solar lights all around lighting up everything in sight. It was beautiful even at night. To my left was a large pond with a dozen Koi fish swimming in circles and behind that were lilies, roses, tulips, orchids and gardenias.

“I need to ask you a serious question now that we’re friends.” Sabrina took a seat on a stone bench and patted the space beside her.

“Okay, go ahead.” I sat beside her and braced myself for whatever was about to come.

“I know I have no right to ask you for such a favor after all I’ve done, but it would mean a lot to me if you agreed.” She sighed. “Would you be my
Maid of Honor?”

“Me, be your
Maid of Honor?” I asked horrified. “Don’t you have any other friends that could do it?”

“I do, but since you and my brother are so close it’s like you’re practically family and I wanted you to be a part of my big day.”

“Won’t your friends be mad if you ask me instead of them?”

“Oh no, you’re the one I want up there with me. You won’t have to do much, just show up on the big day. I know you have school and work, so I won’t have you doing much.”

“Well, if that’s what you want, I guess I would be honored.” I smiled and she pulled me into another hug.

“I’m so excited!”

             After I agreed to be Sabrina’s Maid of Honor we went back inside where the rest of the family was. I assumed Sabrina didn’t have many friends if the only person she could ask was me, but it seemed that she had really turned over a new leaf and was really trying to be a nicer person. Kane’s family sat at the dining room table talking and laughing— I paused in the doorway for a moment and took it all in. Having a big family was something I had always dreamed about. Being the only child could get pretty boring.

             For hours w
e all sat around the dining room table and discussed living in a world where witches were feared, condemned or glorified. They were all too excited to share what they could do with me, an outsider. They each had an individual gift that made them unique and fit well with their own personalities.

“Do you want to see our gifts?” Kaleb asked eagerly.

Aurora shot Kaleb a worried look.

“Yes, please.”
I said.

            I watched patiently as Kole and Kaleb both stood up, perfectly mimicking the other.
They looked at each other and smirked. Before my very eyes Kole and Kaleb both multiplied and then multiplied again until the whole kitchen was full of their clones. It was obviously a cruel joke, because two of them seemed more than plenty.

“It’s cool, right?” Kole said after the clones had disappeared.

“That’s amazing. You guys could have your own army.” I smiled. “Who’s next?”

“Well, you’ve already witnessed firsthand what I can do.” Kane bounced a ball of fire in his hand. “I think
it’s Sabrina’s turn, don’t you?”

“I’ll need a light bulb than.” She said and one of the twins appeared with a set of lights.

            Sabrina cracked her neck and then knuckles— making a show of it. I assumed that she really enjoyed the attention. She placed the light bulbs on the table in a row and took a deep breath before picking one of them up. As she held the bulb in her right hand tiny currents started to flow through her hand and into the light causing it to shine. She picked up three more— two in each hand and they all lit up.

“That’s incredible, but where does the electricity come from?” I asked.

“It’s kind of like static. When you rub your feet across a carpet and then touch a door knob you get a little shock. I can absorb that shock through millions of items everyday and then magnify it into a current.”

“Wow, it’s all so scientific and nerdy.” I laughed. “I think I’ll be paying more attention during science class now.”

Everyone laughed.

“Mom’s turn,” Sabrina clapped.
“Show Tristan what you can do.”

“I hate to show off.” Aurora ducked her head away from the attention.

“You have to, we all showed her ours.” Kaleb smiled carrying a knife back from the kitchen.

“Kane, will you be my assistant?” She asked.

            Kane stretched his arm out across the table and gauged my reaction. It took me until Aurora held up the knife to understand what was about to happen. I held on to the arms of my chair as I waited for Aurora to show me her power. She stared intently at Kane and then dragged the knife across the palm of his hand. He winced and then laughed when he saw the worry on my face.

“I didn’t feel anything.” He promised. “Keep watching, this is the good part.”

            As Kane began to bleed out onto the table Aurora took his hand in hers and closed her eyes. As she pressed their hands together a tiny golden light began to flow from her hand into his. Kane’s eyes never left mine until Aurora let out a sigh of relief and released Kane’s hand. He held it in the air and flipped it over for me to see that his wound had disappeared.

“Good as new.” Aurora smiled at Kane.

“Who needs a doctor when you’re around?” I joked.

            
They also informed me that they all shared a collective power of strength, speed and teleportation, also known as orbing— like their individual gifts weren’t enough. Kole and Kaleb played around for a while, orbing in and out of the room, just to see my reaction.

“Boy
s,” Aurora scolded. “Stop showing off, it’s not polite.”

“I don’t mind.” I laughed.

“You would think that after two hundred years we would be treated like adults.” Kaleb rolled his eyes at Kole.”

“You would think after two hundred years you would start acting like adults.” Aurora shot back.

“Mom, you should tell Tristan what it was like when you were growing up.” Kane interrupted the dispute.

“I grew up in a very different time, before all of this crazy technology was invented.
” She held up a cell phone. “

“What was it like five hundred years ago?” I asked.

“Oppression was a major problem in the fifteen hundreds. Women were treated like low class citizens, but we didn’t know any better at the time. I was unbelievably lucky to have found their father. He treated me like an equal and not a slave, like most women I knew. We did a lot of traveling, exploring many countries. We even became great allies with the Ancient Guardian; she was a gracious host to us and welcomed us into her kingdom. She’s actually the main reason Emporia was opened, if it wasn’t for her we wouldn’t have been able to cut through all the red tape.”

“A guardian, what’s that?” I looked to every person in the room.

“It’s just a fancy way of saying Queen.” Sabrina informed me. “

“You’ve met a real Queen? Wasn’t she intimidating?” I asked, enthusiastically.

“They’re supposed to be intimidating. They prefer you to fear them, but as long as you’re on her good side you have nothing to worry about.” Kane whispered.

“I’ll remember that next time I bump into a Queen.” I laughed.

“Yes, you should.” He laughed back.

“
Well kids, it’s almost midnight and I’m sure Tristan would like to get some sleep tonight.” Aurora announced. “I’m sure we’ll have more opportunities to share more of our history with you.”

“She’s right.
I should get home before my parents notice.”

            Kane smiled at Aurora and then went outside with his siblings as
I said my goodbyes to his mom. She pushed her chair into the table and we stared at her children from the dining room. I tried to think of something appropriate to say to her to let her know how much I had enjoyed my evening with them.

“Tristan, I just want you to know that I appreciate what you’re doing for my son.” She said, lacing her arms with mine.

“Thank you, but I’m not sure what I’ve done exactly.”

“Don’t be modest.” She whispered. “You’ve brought a light and a joy into this house that I haven’t seen in decades. That boy is really crazy about you.”

“I’m pretty crazy about him too.” I smiled.

“I know, I can see it and I see great things in your future.”

“Thank you.” I hugged her and then she led me out to the front porch where Kane was waiting.

“It was such a pleasure to finally meet you Tristan, you’re welcom
e here anytime.” Aurora waved at us from the front porch as we drove away. We followed the same complicated obstacle course to get back to the main road.

“Your family is so cool.” I murmured, fastening my seat belt.

“I think they were pretty impressed with you too.”

“You don’t get many human visitors, do you?” If they thought I was interesting, they would
have really loved Faith, I thought absent-mindedly to myself.

“You’re the very first.” He confessed.