Chapter 7...
After the day’s events, everyone decided they were a little tired. Taggart headed off to his room to lie down. Kellan decided to swim to clear her mind, since Isabel thought it too soon for her to lift weights again. That left Meckenzie with Isabel. Meckenzie had so many questions. Where should she start?
Isabel motioned for Meckenzie to follow her. They headed to the garden, fresh air was definitely what Meckenzie needed. She was stuck in a swirling vortex of information that she could not wrap her mind around. Everything kept popping in and out of her thoughts, it was a serious case of information overload.
Isabel sat in one of the patio chairs and motioned for Meckenzie to sit opposite her. Isabel sat motionless and stared at Meckenzie; it was a little bit unnerving at first. Why had she brought her here Meckenzie? Then Meckenzie began to relax. A wave of relief washed over her as her mind cleared of all the thoughts that had been swirling about.
"What are you doing?" Meckenzie questioned.
Isabel smiled, "While I don't have any powers, I have been trained in the art of spell casting. One of the spells I'm most proficient at is a ciúnaigh spell, it is a calming spell. It should allow you to focus a bit of that energy you have buzzing around you."
Meckenzie felt wonderful. She hadn't been this calm in months. Not since the dreams started. "Can you teach me that?"
"Soon. Let's talk a bit about your dreamd. When did they start?"
"A couple of weeks ago. It was only once a night for a while. But now every time I close my eyes to sleep the same dream comes. It went the furthest it has ever gone last night. I had never seen the part of my mother coming through the archway to New York before. I can't remember seeing the necklace in the dream before last night either, and the heather plant. My mother grabbed heather before she vanished and then appeared here. I had not noticed the plant until last night. This morning on our jog, I saw some heather beside the Trefoil Arch. Right before Taggart and I got to the arch we saw someone grab some off the plant and walk into the arch and then disappear."
Isabel looked shocked. "When was this?"
"This morning right around sunrise."
Isabel stood up and began pacing around the garden. She looked very worried. "No more running in the park. If someone knows the three of you are here, they could snatch you at the arch and take you back to Aquanis. If it is the Tine Clan then we would lose you forever. They surely have spies amongst our people. I think it is best that we send a message to your mother."
"How will you do that? I'm sure there is not cell phone reception in Aquanis. I'm sure you can't just text her, or email her. How will you get her message?"
"The same way I've been doing it for years. We have curriers that travel between both lands exchanging messages for our people that have come to this world to live without the threat of war. We have the need at times to hide things in this world as well. I'll call the currier and have him come here. Let your siblings know that if they want to send a message to your mother to write it out and I'll include it."
Meckenzie sped downstairs to find Kellan. She was floating in the pool on her back staring at the ceiling.
"Isabel is going to send a message to Mom. She said we could write her a note and she would include it."
Kellan looked at Meckenzie and shook her head. "I don't have anything to say."
"Don't miss this opportunity because you are being stubborn."
"I'm not being stubborn. I just don't know what to say yet, I need some time. I need to know what I want. I spent most of my life relegating myself to not having a mother. I planned a future and I threw myself into my sports. I want to play college ball. I want to work in sports. I don't want to fight a war." Kellan said the last part and thrust herself under water so she missed Meckenzie’s next statement.
"I don't think any of us want to fight a war. I think we will have to though."
With that Meckenzie headed upstairs to find Taggart. She knew Taggart would want to send a message. He was always more level headed than Kellan. Always forgiving.
Taggart was lying on the sofa in his sitting area reading a book. He had this intense look of concentration on his face. Meckenzie remembered that look from when they were kids and would play games. Taggart always trying to figure out the easiest way to win. He had always been frustrated at Meckenzie's ability to win games, once she started winning, there was no defeating her. Meckenzie was a born strategist. She could look at a problem like a puzzle and work out the answer.
"Isabel is sending a message to mom. She said we could write a note and she would include it."
Taggart looked up from his book. Without saying anything he stood up and went into his room. Meckenzie climbed the stairs to her own room and went in search of a pen and piece of paper. She sat down at her desk and began to write.
At first she wrote Dear Mom. Then she wadded it up and took another piece of paper. This time she started Dear Deidra. That sounded way to impersonal. She had to decide what she wanted to say with this letter. Did she want to be forgiving or confrontational? What good could come from confrontation in a letter? So she started again.
Dear Mom,
It is so weird to write that. I don't know what to say really. I have always wondered what I would say if I ever saw you again. I have had those conversations a million times in my head. I guess the one I had most often was the one where we rushed into each other's arms and cried.
I miss you and it is hard not having a mother. I am sure it was even harder leaving your children, but I am grateful we had dad. He is doing well by the way. He is lonely I think and works way too much and I think he still misses you.
I know we will see you soon. Isabel has told us that much. Kellan isn't taking this well. She has so much to lose by leaving this world, Taggart too. I still haven't decided what to do with my life, but it seems that destiny has decided for me. I don't know what else to say, so for now I'll say I love you. I miss you and I can't wait to see you.
Love Always,
Meckenzie
Meckenzie folded the paper and headed downstairs. She met up with Isabel in the kitchen and handed her the letter. Isabel placed it into a wooden box along with two more folded pieces of paper.
"Kellan isn't going to write a note."
Isabel shook her head. She then placed small white flower in the box. She closed it and said some words that Meckenzie couldn't understand. As Isabel did this, she began tracing her finger on the box. It sounded as if she were scratching something into the wood. Then Meckenzie noticed the gold writing that was appearing on the box where Isabel had traced her finger. The symbols were not anything that Meckenzie had seen before. Isabel began getting louder and louder, the box seemed to hum with the energy flowing through those golden letters, then it stopped.
When she was done, Isabel turned to Meckenzie.
"That is a protection spell. Your mother and I have a specific way we relay messages about you. The box is protected by the spell and if it is opened by anyone other than your mother, the flower will turn to flames and burn the letters. She also knows that notes from me always come with a white flower. Sort of secret Fae code."
"So do you often communicate with mom?"
"Not as often as we would like. There are spies everywhere, in Aquanis, in New York. We can't risk the enemy finding you, so we send messages only in an emergency. I haven't actually received a message in months. I better head out to the park, which is where the messenger will meet me. You stay here; I can't risk someone seeing you with me and the messenger."
Isabel headed out and left Meckenzie with her own thoughts. What did she really know about her history? Just one story. Meckenzie went to the front windows just in time to watch Isabel head into Central Park. As she sat there lost in her own thoughts, she caught movement in the trees directly across from the window. Meckenzie could swear someone wa
s there watching her.
Meckenzie closed the curtains and decided to run upstairs to her father's balcony. She was sure she was being watched, so she decided to take the higher ground and get a better view. Meckenzie stepped out on the balcony and walked over to stand in the shadow of one of the large plants flanking the ends of the balcony. From there Meckenzie could see the trees, the pathway, and well into the park. She scanned the area looking for anyone suspicious.
After scanning the area for a few minutes, Meckenzie determined it must be the creepiness of the stories they had heard today that had her thinking someone was watching her. She couldn't see the Trefoil Arch from here. Meckenzie wondered who Isabel was meeting. All these years and there mother had just been one magic box away. All these years she could have been asking her mother important questions.
Meckenzie was sure that Taggart would be okay after all of this, he was strong. Kellan, on the other hand, was sensitive despite her muscular build. She took so many things personally. It was possible that Kellan would never trust their mother, or Isabel, for that matter, ever again. Kellan could hold a grudge.
Meckenzie remembered one game of hide and seek the trips had been playing when they were younger. Taggart was it and Meckenzie and Kellan had run off to hide. Taggart found Meckenzie first and they decided to leave Kellan hidden and went and had a snack. When Kellan finally gave up, Taggart and Meckenzie were swimming in the pool. She hadn't spoken to them for nearly two days, which was quiet a fete for a ten year old. Meckenzie knew that the betrayal Kellan was feeling was a real emotion. Their mother had been trying to protect them, but it did not make the hurt any less. It was a gaping hole in their lives where a mother's love should have been.
At that moment Meckenzie spotted Isabel coming out of the park. She watched Isabel as she walked cautiously to the cross walk, watching behind her for anyone following. Isabel crossed the street and continued walking down the side street not to the front door of the house. Meckenzie began scanning the park for any suspicious movements. Meckenzie saw a large guy about her age emerge from the trees that she had been watching. His hair had the reflective darkness of a raven's feathers, it was long enough to cover his face. From Meckenzie’s viewpoint on the second floor balcony, he seemed to be well over six feet tall and must have weighed more than 200 pounds. He rushed across the street, not waiting for traffic, and down the side street that Isabel had taken.
Meckenzie ran upstairs and grabbed her phone and her backpack that contained a cane of pepper spray. As she was headed downstairs, she passed Taggart in his sitting area. "Someone is following Isabel out of the park." She shouted as she sped down the stairs.
Taggart leapt off the couch and ran after Meckenzie down the stairs.
"What do you think you are going to do? Isabel is smart enough to keep herself out of trouble. Don't go getting yourself into some kind of trouble because you think it is your destiny to rescue the world." Taggart said the last part with spite.
Meckenzie wheeled around, ready for a fight. "Come or don't come, but don't lecture me. Isabel has been the closest thing we have had to a mother figure for a big part of our life and I will not let her get hurt protecting us."
Taggart followed her down the steps, already several steps behind Meckenzie. They headed toward the side street that Meckenzie had seen the rather large man follow Isabel. As they worked their way down the street, they looked inside the windows and doors of shops looking for some sign of Isabel.
"What did the guy look like?" Taggart said as they neared the end of the block.
"He was over six foot tall, 200 or more pounds, and dark shoulder length hair. He was wearing dark clothes, like a trench coat. I don't know anything else. He was a big fella."
As they got to the end of the block, Meckenzie saw the mystery man further down the street. Meckenzie began to run with Taggart trailing behind. She got about twenty steps behind the guy, when he suddenly turned around and stared right at her.
His crystal blue eyes seemed out of place amongst his strong features and dark hair, they seemed so pure. He had a scar from his right ear to the middle of his cheek that made him look a seasoned warrior. He was built like a tall boulder, pure muscle rippled under his dirty disheveled clothes. He seemed to be covered in a thin layer of dust that did not look out of place on him. It was like it was his second skin. His eyes searched Meckenzie's for some kind of recognition.
Taggart grabbed Meckenzie's hand and pulled her inside the coffee shop across the street. He weaved them through the crowd towards the back where a table with two chairs open faced the door. Meckenzie protested by trying to pull away from him.
"We have to avoid him figuring out who we are. If he is Fae, he might be looking for us through Isabel. We know he doesn't have her, because he is by himself." Taggart looked pleadingly into Meckenzie’s eyes with his last statement.
Meckenzie knew he was right but there were so many questions she had, and she knew this man had answers. She could see in his eyes that he was looking for them. There had been a spark of recognition in the stranger’s eyes as he had looked at Meckenzie, but he had made no move towards her, no move to hurt her.
Taggart stood up just as the mystery man looked in the door. "I'll get us some coffee. Pull out your phone and pretend to make a phone call."
Meckenzie did as Taggart had instructed her. She pulled out her phone, but instead of pretending, she called Kellan. As she held the phone to her ear, she once again made eye contact with the large stranger. He looked at her, once again recognition sparked in his eyes, but he moved on and didn’t enter the coffee shop.
"Kellan"
"Yeah, are you in the house somewhere?"
"No, someone was following Isabel out of the park, so I took off to follow him and Taggart came with me. We are at the World Coffee around the corner. Can you check to see if Isabel has made it back to the house yet?"
"Sure, I'm in my room so let me run down stairs."
"You want us to bring you back a coffee or something?"
Kellan laughed, "You run off chasing some strange guy who is following Isabel and now you’re taking my coffee order. You really are something you know."
"No reason to be impolite. Plus we are trying to look indiscrete, the strange guy spotted us following him and we ducked into the coffee shop to look inconspicuous."
"I don't see Isabel anywhere." Kellan said. "Isabel? You here?"
Meckenzie waited for Kellan to finish looking for Isabel. She hoped she would come home so that they could just grab their coffees and head back to the house. She could hear Kellan opening doors and shouting for Isabel.
"She's not here. You want me to come to you guys and we can search for her?"
"I think we will take our coffees and stroll back to the house the long way. Thanks Kellan."
"No prob."
As Meckenzie was hanging up the phone with Kellan, Taggart returned to the table with two coffees. "I called Kellan and had her see if Isabel had made it back to the house."
"Any luck?"
"She isn't there. I think we should take our coffees and go for a casual stroll back to the house. Maybe going down the way he was facing and then doubling back to the house in a couple of blocks."
Taggart and Meckenzie headed out of the coffee shop. They headed southwest for a couple of blocks then doubled back in front of the Natural History Museum. Meckenzie spotted Isabel sitting in front of the Museum looking intently at some brochures. She met Meckenzie's eyes and made the slightest head shake indicating that they should not acknowledge her.
Meckenzie grabbed Taggart's attention, "We should head home."
Taggart looked confused, "Isn't that what we are doing."
"Yes, but I spotted Isabel. Don't look. She indicated that we should just head home."
As they entered the front door, Kellan was waiting for them by the window.
"I've been
watching for you guys. No sign of Isabel."
"She's sitting in front of the Museum." Meckenzie replied.
"So what exactly happened," Kellan asked.
"Isabel went to meet the courier that would be delivering the messages to mom. She headed off into the park and I thought I saw something in the trees, so I ran upstairs to Dad's balcony to watch. As she was leaving the park, some large guy followed her from the trees right across from the house. They both headed down the side street. Taggart and I followed them, then ran into big scary guy across from Coffee World."
Taggart interjected, "He was kinda scary."
"Like what kind of scary? Creepy, drag you into the park and take advantage of you scary? Mug you in the side street scary? Or trying to take over the world kinda scary?" Kellan seemed more amused with her wit than actually interested in an answer.
"He was just scary. It's hard to explain. He was huge first of all and dirty. He seemed to be looking for Isabel. When he spotted us he followed us to the coffee shop, but didn’t come in after us." Meckenzie remembered the dirt that layered his clothes, it was so curious. Like years of dust had been building up on him and he had never actually thought that cleaning it off was a good idea.
Taggart headed for the kitchen. "Let's have some lunch and wait for Isabel."
"That's a plan." Kellan and Meckenzie said at the same time.