Chapter 10: The Truth
Mona’s eyes meet mine. She sighs, but doesn’t answer my question right away.
“Feeling okay?” she asks, her face weary.
“Headache,” I mumble.
“Let’s get you an aspirin and some liquids.”
Still in a daze, I can’t argue. She hoists me to my feet. I lean on her for balance as she guides me to the kitchen. She lowers me onto a couch, then fluffs a pillow and props it behind my head.
She leaves to drift around the kitchen, but remains silent as she riffles through the cabinets for pills and a glass for water. With the two in her hand, she returns to my side with a look I can’t place. Pity. Pride. I’m not sure which.
I toss the aspirin on my tongue and chug the freezing water. At first, it shocks my system, but it warms as it fills my empty belly. My stomach gurgles.
“Hungry?” she asks, stroking my aching forehead.
“A little.”
She jumps up and runs to inspect the pantry and refrigerator. She’s in no rush to supply answers, which I’m okay with for the moment. I lean back onto the pillow, allowing my body to relax.
The weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. No, bigger—the weight of the universe. Maybe because to some degree, my secret is finally out? Maybe because my secret is possibly Mona’s secret, as well? And maybe, most importantly, because it’s proof that I’m not going insane. Mona saw what Terease did to me, and that fact makes it real. The Lady in Black is real.
Mona returns with a plate arranged with a hodgepodge of finger foods. She doesn’t actually cook—ever. I think it’s because she never has had anyone to take care of…no kids, no husband. When I ask her about her unusual love of appetizers, she merely claims, “The most delicious flavors are the simplest ones.” And then again with some thought, “Cooking takes too long. I’d rather read or attend to my arts and crafts.” She laughs very loudly at herself.
A medley of roasted peppers, olives, crostini bread, mozzarella, and tomatoes sit on the hand-painted dish. Italian seems to be the theme tonight.
“Isn’t this plate lovely? I bought it in Sicily on one of my painting excursions.”
“Love-ly, dar-ling,” I say, mimicking her rich, sophisticated voice and flinging my hand in the air.
“Oh, stop it, Seraphina.” She lightly smacks my arm. “Feeling well enough to make fun of me?”
“Yeah. I guess. I’m just glad she’s gone.” The word “she” hangs in the air as we both remember the tense encounter.
Mona clears her throat. “Yes, well, I’m very sorry about that. I very much wanted to tell you everything, but it’s forbidden.”
I stop chewing and stare, eyes wide. “You can’t tell me anything?” The words escape in a squeak. “You’re kidding—right?” The thought of still not having any answers leaves a dry lump in my throat.
“I mean, before. Before we knew whether you had wandered or not. I would have been forbidden from discussing it with you. It’s the one rule I disagree with. I believe guardians should be able to tell their children, so they know that change may be coming. And when and if it does, they can embrace it, instead of being scared.”
“I’m not scared,” I correct her abruptly.
“No, of course you’re not.” She looks as though she isn’t buying it. “I just mean that it really makes for a stressful beginning when a young person first experiences their gifts. I remember,” she pauses, looking at her hands twisting in her lap, “I thought I was going nutter.” Then she smiles. “But enough of that. You have wandered, haven’t you?” Her eyes search mine.
“I think I have, but—” I pause. “I’m really confused.”
She drops everything and hugs me. Tears well in her eyes. “Yes, I know. This is exactly what I mean. It’s very confusing. I remember.”
“Who is she, Mona?”
“Terease?”
“Uh-huh.” I place an olive in my mouth.
“Well—she’s one of my oldest friends. We met at Washington Square Academy. She, your mother, and I attended together.”
Now she has my full attention. I see her face registering my interest. “We attended your school and then the east school. The one that mirrors yours,” she continues.
“The boarding school?”
“Yes, exactly.” She smiles. “But it’s a different kind of boarding school—a special one. One for those with gifts and abilities not known to the rest of society.” She looks at me seriously and places her hand on mine.
“Sera, you must promise to keep everything I disclose a secret.” I start to talk, but she hushes me by holding up her palm. “A secret from your father and all of your friends—especially your new friends at school.”
“Um—I guess.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” I say with more assurance.
“Okay then, Terease is what we call a Harvester. It’s her unique gift and job, of sorts. She travels all over the world searching the minds of Wanderers’ descendants to see if they were passed the gift.”
“She travels around hurting children?” I shoot up from my seat, angry at the thought of that crazed lady running around, hunting innocent people.
“No. Sit.” She gives a stern look, and I do as she asks. “You’re the exception to her harvesting. She has never encountered a young person whose thoughts she couldn’t search. She’s merely peeking into their minds to sense their abilities and nothing more. Normally, it’s very easily done without their knowledge.”
“But in Miami, I felt her searching, looking for something. She burned my mind with her eyes, Mona.” I look at her with intensity, hoping there’s some way for her to see the pain in my eyes, but of course she can’t.
“Perhaps, but she couldn’t acquire the information she needed. Somehow you blocked her.”
“But why does she try to hurt me?”
“I’m afraid, it seems, she derives a bit of pleasure in knowing she can affect someone. Her abilities are normally passive.”
“Great.” I announce sarcastically. “It figures that I would have to be the lucky one.”
“Well, the good news is that since you’ve wandered, she hopefully won’t have any need to bother you ever again.” She smiles, but I take note of the carefully chosen word “hopefully.” Terease is crazy with a capital C. And I don’t mind if I never see that woman again.
“Ray doesn’t know?”
“No, definitely not. You were passed the gift from Eliza.”
“And what is the gift, exactly?”
“It’s different for everyone, but in your case, I suspect, you have the ability to time travel as Eliza did. It’s common to pass down similar abilities.”
“Time travel?” I swallow hard. I didn’t expect to hear those words. Although, I really don’t know what explanation I expected.
“Yes. Some science fiction books call it jumping, but in the real world it’s called wandering.”
I sit, computing the new information. The ludicrous thought reminds me of science fiction movies or a comic book. “Are you serious, Mona? You know how ridiculous you sound, right?”
“I know it’s going to feel very surreal, but once we switch you to the other school, you will understand the full weight of your gift.”
“The other school? I’m switching schools again?” My voice rises with an attitude that seems to take Mona by surprise.
“I promise, you will absolutely love it.” She rubs my back.
“Are you going to make me live there?” I fold my arms across my chest.
“I won’t make you, but I suspect that after you see it for yourself, you will change your mind.”
“I really, really doubt it.”
She laughs loudly. “Okay—well—we’ll see.” She throws her arms around me, disarming my bad mood.
“You said you attended with Mom. So you—um—wander also?”
“No, I have a different gift. The gift of sight. I’m a Seer.”
She pauses with some thought and then mumbles, “But the skill doesn’t work well anymore. That’s a long story, for another day.”
“Uh, Seer? Sounds lame,” I say, making fun.
“Definitely not as fabulous as wandering, but it’s still wonderful, I assure you.” She smiles, grabs a piece of bread, and dabs it into a saucer of olive oil.
“So, wait a second. If Terease would’ve seen my gift back in Miami, how would you have talked Ray into letting me come to Chicago for school?”
“I worked on Ray for quite a while. Apparently, you both had a bad day back in the fall, and he finally called me that night and gave in. Even if you didn’t have the gift, it still would have been a great opportunity for you to attend the west academy, even if it was merely to have some stability. I hate that he’s moved you around so much. The west academy is still a wonderful school on its own.”
“That was the day it happened. I mean, the first time I wandered—the day Ray took me to the ER.” I replay the memory in my mind. It doesn’t seem possible for the earth to move the way it has, but I’ve seen it for myself, several times now.
“Where did you go?” She grabs my hand in hers again. It feels warm and secure.
“To the Academy,” I pause, “about twenty years ago—I think. I’m not even sure what happened. I was really freaked out—ya know?”
“Twenty years? That’s remarkable. That’s not normally possible for one so young.”
“Well, I can’t be sure—just guessing. It’s not like I asked someone the date.” I thought back to the day. “How did I even get there?”
“The portal is opened by three things: the Wanderer, a relic, and a keyword you hold in your mind.” She taps her head. “The energy from the relic you are holding, mixed with your concentrated thoughts of the keyword, will send you back in time, specifically to when the keyword and the relic crossed paths,” she explains.
“I was running.”
“Yes, that’s typical. You will learn to control your gift so you won’t fly off into the unknown. It’s the reason you need to go to a school dedicated to the study of wandering. It’s a brilliant gift that should be used wisely.”
“I was putting on Mom’s bracelet.” I realize when I say the words that my mom could have been in that courtyard—somewhere. “Oh, wow—I could have seen Mom. Oh, Mona, if I had only known! I could have found her and talked to her.” Tears instantly fill my eyes, and my nose burns. I can’t stop the waterworks now. I’m too emotional at the thought, the possibilities.
“It’s better that you didn’t interact with her. She may not have known at that point that she was a Wanderer. You could have changed history.”
I don’t care. I cry harder and drop my head onto her shoulder. She wraps her arms around my back and pulls me tight. She strokes my hair, comforting me.
“Seraphina, it’s possible that you may see her in the future, but only after you have been properly trained.”
I breathe deeply and pull away from her. “It’s just…just knowing I was so close, ya know?” I wipe my tears away with my sleeve. Mona hands over a tissue, and I blow my nose.
“Yes, I know. Think of it this way—your mom left you a wonderful gift, and I think you should learn to use it properly. You will find her again, I promise.”
I nod and then stifle the forthcoming sob. I want to believe every word she says.
“So, what now? It’s like I’m some kind of freak or something.”
“Oh, yes. You’re the best kind of freak.”
We both laugh, and I rub away the dampness under my eyes with my fingers.
“You should get some sleep,” she says, looking at her watch. “Try to rest. You have a big day tomorrow.”
“What’s tomorrow?”
“I’m taking you to school—your new school.”