Chapter 9...
When their father returned home, he found his children and Isabel preparing dinner. There was little evidence of all the events that had happened that day. Everyone seemed to be in a very good mood.
Taggart was setting the table, and though no one had openly discussed it, he set five settings. Isabel had not previously taken her meals with the family, but since she would be staying as a guest, the trips had decided to treat her as one. Lawrence Desmond noticed immediately the number of place settings, but did not say a word.
Meckenzie and Kellan began bringing in dinner and took their places at the table. When Isabel started into the room with the chicken she had roasted, she was surprised to see Taggart holding a chair out for her.
"Sit here beside me Isabel." Taggart said.
Isabel smiled at him and took her place at the table.
"Let's make a deal not to talk about anything fairy related at dinner this evening." Lawrence said.
They all nodded their heads in agreement and began serving themselves.
"How was your day dad?" Meckenzie asked.
"It was very busy. I have a couple of big deals coming up, so I've been preparing for those. I have also decided to take a couple of days off for your birthday and I thought I might be able to help with the preparations. We also have to make a trip to the bank, though I did say we wouldn't discuss that at dinner."
"I was thinking we could change the fabric on the patio furniture. It might be nice to match it with the color scheme we have chosen for the party." Taggart stated.
Meckenzie giggled, "Maybe Adam can help you find someone to reupholster the cushions. He might also be able to show you some fabric swatches that would match what he is going to use."
"Who is Adam?" Their father asked.
"He is the designer that Doreen is using for the party. He was here yesterday with her so he could sketch the design for the ballroom set up." Meckenzie replied. “He took quiet a fancy to Taggart.”
Lawrence Desmond blushed at this statement. He cleared his throat as if he was going to talk, when Taggart spoke up to save him the trouble of addressing the issue that his son might have taken a fancy to Adam as well.
“Meckenzie is just trying to start something because she thought he was cute. So I had to save him from her admiring looks.” Taggart started to laugh.
“Oh Taggart if only you were into boys, Adam would be such a catch.” Kellan threw in her two cents worth at this point and the whole table was laughing before dinner was finished. No fights, no spells, and no fairy talk.
As Isabel began clearing the dishes from the table, Meckenzie took the lead on speaking to their father about the day’s events.
"Dad, I think we need to talk to you about today. Do you want to do that now?"
"Let's go up to the study."
The three siblings followed their father up the stairs and into the study. Meckenzie silently communicated with her brother and sister.
"I think we should start with the fact that we sent letters to mom. Then the guy in the park. Then the spell that is protecting the house. Then we should tell him that Isabel is going to stay with us."
Taggart and Kellan both nodded in agreement.
Their father sat in one of the wingback chairs and the trips took the couch.
"Well, what has happened?" Lawrence asked.
"First, after we and Isabel talked, she decided that there was reason enough to warn mom that we might already have been spotted by some of the Fae. So she sent her a message via a courier that can travel between the worlds. She allowed us the option of sending a message along with hers. Taggart and I sent one, but Kellan decided against it." Meckenzie paused to judge her father's response. He remained calm and unemotional, so she continued.
"Then when Isabel went to meet the courier in the park, she felt like she was being watched. She had given us strict orders to stay in the house so that we wouldn't be spotted with her. I was watching from your balcony when I saw Isabel come out of the park and a guy was following her."
Meckenzie paused again to judge her father's reaction.
"I guess I acted a little reckless, because I grabbed my phone and pepper spray and went to follow them. Taggart caught me coming down the stairs and came with me. We had lost them, but as we turned the corner a couple of blocks away, we ran into the guy. He saw me, but I don't think he knew anything was up. Taggart pulled me into World Coffee and we got some coffee and hung out for a few minutes. Then we continued on away from the house and doubled back a few blocks away. On our way back we saw Isabel hanging out in front of the Natural History Museum. She indicated from a distance that we should head home and not acknowledge her. So that is what we did."
This time Lawrence Desmond could not hold his tongue. "That was very careless of you. I am very glad you made it back okay, but you are both still teenagers. You could have been hurt, or killed. Neither of you is trained to protect yourself. I don't want to lose you before I have to."
"That is why when Isabel got back, she thought we should cast a protection spell on the house. So we did. You might see some little black stones in various locations. They are part of the spell." Taggart interjected.
"Spells? What is a spell going to do? I think I would feel better if I hired someone to protect you three."
"That might help, but the spells that Isabel taught us really do work. We did a calming spell this afternoon to help Kellan. Also, I think it would be hard for one person to guard all three of us, our schedules are so different. There is just so much going on, how are we going to explain to a security person that we are possibly being followed by fairies." Taggart was being very level headed with his arguments. Meckenzie thought it might be better if he informed their father of Isabel's staying.
I think Taggart should tell dad about Isabel staying. Meckenzie projected to her siblings.
Taggart took the lead again, "Also, we invited Isabel to stay here in the guest quarters. She has the most knowledge about what we are possibly looking for. She also said she could sense the guy this afternoon. So maybe Isabel would be able to sense if someone was watching us. She is making some protection charms for us. I'm not sure how they work, but I'm sure they will help with our safety. Isabel is going to train us over the next few months, so we need her close. Also, all of us will carry pepper spray and our cell phones. I think it is best if we just return to school tomorrow and try to live as normal as possible."
Their father sat silently for a moment. Then he stood up and went to his desk. As he shuffled some papers around he seemed to be thinking about what his children had said.
"I will agree to Isabel staying here. I will also hire a security guy to follow you to school and home, if possible leave together. I know that Kellan has workouts after school. So as long as you call the guy when you are getting ready to leave, I think it will be fine. I will call the security company tonight, so expect him here tomorrow. Also, no more running in the park, you can use the treadmill in the gym instead."
They all agreed. Their father seemed to be dealing with all the day’s events really well. Meckenzie sent a thought to her siblings.
I think we should not tell him about Kellan's new talent. I also think that we should avoid telling him about my new mind trick.
Taggart and Kellan nodded again, this was coming in pretty handy. The three of them could communicate if necessary without anyone knowing. Meckenzie wished she had come into this talent earlier. She might have done better in school for one. Meckenzie was an above average student, but she could have been way above average.
The three siblings left their father's study and went to find Isabel. She was still in the kitchen cleaning the dinner mess. Meckenzie and Kellan began helping her clean up. Taggart found a pen and paper. He thought it might be important to write down some of the stuff they had learned today. He wanted to remember the spells and learn as much about
all of their new talents as possible.
Taggart really did feel like they were on the brink of doing something amazing. If he could just resolve himself to the fact that his lifelong dream of being a doctor was about to be shattered into a million pieces. He would still be a healer, but he had just always imagined being able to hang that diploma from Harvard on his wall.
"I'd like to take some notes about the spells and our gifts." He said to Isabel.
She turned to him and smiled. "I thought you might say that, so I brought a book from Aquinas that I had in my apartment. It has other spells and description of gifts that people had in the past. I think you'll find almost everything you are looking for in it. I just ask that you not try any spells before talking to me about them. I don't want something to go awry."
"I think I can handle that. So should we start on the protection charms?"
"Sure, meet me in the garden?" Isabel said.
Kellan asked, "Is there a reason we always meet in the garden?"
"Yes, spells like the Fae have created work better among nature. Especially if you are surrounded by all four elements of the Fae nature, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. So that is why we sit in the garden, with the soil, the open air, the fire from a candle, and the water from the fountain."
With that explanation Isabel went to grab her bag from beside the front door and they all headed to the garden yet again.
Isabel pulled a candle from her bag and lit it, sitting it in the middle of the open space by the fountain. She then pulled three leather bracelets out of her bag. She handed one to each of the trips. They were intricately woven leather with a clear crystal set in behind two pieces in the center of the bracelet.
"Tie them on your right wrist, so the stone is against your skin. Then stand around the candle and join hands. We will use the same spell from earlier. It will work in a similar way. You will feel the buzzing of the spell work its way through you, then in your mind’s eye you will see the clear crystal. It will then burn bright and change color."
"What color?" Kellan asked.
"That depends, it is never the same. The crystal represents your spirit and your spirits are different. Each of your gifts represents a different color. I will say that the crystals that are in the Trefoil charms were clear until the original Trefoil transferred their powers into them. They are now red, blue and green. I imagine that the same thing will happen with your bracelets."
They took their positions and joined hands. Isabel began chanting the spell again and the trips joined in. Soon the buzzing was working its way through their bodies. They soon saw the crystals in their minds eye. The bright flash of light that exploded from the vision made them all flinch a little, then it was over.
Each of them flipped the leather over to see the color the stone had turned.
"It seems that your stones have taken on the colors of the Trefoil. Be sure and keep the stone against your skin, it will help fuel the protection charm and keep the stones color out of sight if anyone should see you with them on. I'm sure that when you receive the Trefoil necklaces that they will match the stones in your bracelets. Now, I think we should all retire for the evening. You guys will be going back to school tomorrow and we have the arrival of the security guard your father hired."
"How did you know that?" Meckenzie asked.
"You are transmitting quite loudly right now. I think it is because we have done so much spell casting today and because of our familial link. I'll start teaching you shielding techniques soon. We will have to start individual training soon. All of you will need different training, though some spell casting training will be needed. We'll talk about it tomorrow after school."
With that, Isabel left and headed up to her room. The triplets all sat down in the garden. No one spoke for a long time; everyone was caught up in their own thoughts.
Meckenzie was trying to not transmit her thoughts to her siblings. Kellan was thinking about working out. It had been a long day and she needed some endorphins to keep her mind clear. Taggart wanted to study the book Isabel had given him, but he thought his sisters might want to talk, so he had not left to go up to his room yet.
"Can you hear me in your head?” Meckenzie asked.
"Not since before the spell." Taggart responded.
"I'm trying not to transmit; I think it might be weird if at school tomorrow someone hears me, since I’m not entirely sure how this works."
"I think I need to swim, or run, or something. Anyone want to come?" Kellan asked.
"Nope." Taggart responded, "I'm going to take the book Isabel gave me and head up to my room to study it."
"I'm going to try to sleep. I haven’t' had much sleep this week." Meckenzie felt tired, but she still had tons of energy running through her body from the spell casting.
"Maybe if we do the calming spell, you'll be able to sleep." Taggart said excitedly.
"We could try." Kellan added.
They all joined hands and began the words to the calming spell that Taggart found in the book.
"Ciunaigh reacht. Ciunaigh stuaim." The triplets began chanting and soon the buzzing feeling took over them again.
Meckenzie began to feel an overwhelming sense of calm. She felt peaceful and tired. She knew she would sleep well tonight.
They all stopped chanting at the same time. All three of them smiled and dropped their hands. There was nothing else to be said; they all felt the calming effect of the spell, so they went their separate ways for the night.