Birthright

  Chapter Eighteen

  There was an explosion of sound from the main room as voices rose. Kelly beamed with pleasure as if the strangers in the other room weren’t threatening to tear each other apart.

  “Gideon’s here!” Kelly said and walked out of the bedroom.

  In the distant living room, Jordan was confronted by a bizarre scene. Mr. Parker and an older man who looked uncannily like him shouted at one another. They both sparked with electricity, causing their hair to hover around them. The older man had a white goatee that seemed to be trying desperately to detach itself from his face and go to Mr. Parker. The older man kept swiping at his unruly hair while he shouted, shooting bolts of electricity that cracked the air like whips while Mr. Parker absorbed them.

  A man with skin so dark it was almost purple was dressed in Bermuda shorts, aloha shirt and straw hat. He stood off to the side, putting in his two cents when Mr. Parker and the older man paused to draw breath. He was unaffected and unimpressed with the bolts of lightning zinging across the room. Cibrian came out of the bedroom, rubbing bloodshot eyes.

  “Uncle G’s here?” he yawned.

  “Oh, yeah,” Kelly said and turned to Jordan. “Come on, it’s time to meet your Grandpa.”

  “M-my what-” Jordan stammered, trying to dig her feet unsuccessfully into the smooth ground.

  Clearly unfazed by the toxic levels of testosterone in the room, Cibrian sauntered down the stairs towards the heated argument. He sat on a lavender armchair and watched the two men as if he were watching a vaguely interesting show on TV. Heath stood a safe distance away in the kitchen with a big grin on his face.

  “What do you mean, ‘it’s true’? You’re telling me that you and Kelly have a secret child?” the older man roared.

  “Always told Gideon you were a sneaky son of a-” the dark man sneered.

  Gideon wagged a finger at his son. “If you weren’t such a rake hell when you were younger-”

  “Dad, give me a break,” Mr. Parker said.

  Heath snickered and tried to look innocent when Mr. Parker turned on him. Seeing Mr. Parker reduced to a naughty boy with his dad wagging his finger at him seemed to be too much for Heath. He giggled into his frosted glass.

  “You cheated on Kelly?” Gideon asked.

  Mr. Parker narrowed his eyes at his father. “Not that you’re one to talk but, no, I didn’t cheat. This was before I got married. The woman’s dead now.”

  Gideon deflated and sat on a chair, staring at his son as if he’d never seen him before. His hair settled. “I feel like I don’t even know you anymore, Donovan. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  The man with the straw hat pulled off oversized sunglasses and Jordan saw that his eyes were a brilliant orange. Why was he dressed as if he was on his way to the beach? Just looking at him made Jordan feel cold. Scraggly bright white dreads hung down on either side of his face. He looked like a bizarre reggae Santa Claus.

  “I’m not surprised,” he said snidely. “Boy was always in trouble, always keeping secrets from his old man.”

  Mr. Parker rounded on him. “Stay out of this, Polly.”

  Polly smiled and it wasn’t pleasant. “Why didn’t you tell your pop you had a kid? Why did he have to hear the rumors like everyone else? He deserves better than that.”

  “You don’t know about the circumstances,” Mr. Parker said and he sounded suddenly weary.

  “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on!” Gideon glared at his son. “You said you wanted space and I gave it to you. You refuse to have anything to do with our world and now you throw this in my face. What am I supposed to think?”

  “Do you have any idea how this looks?” Polly added, crossing his arms across his beefy chest.

  Mr. Parker shrugged. “When have I ever cared what other people think?”

  “That’s true,” Polly muttered.

  Mr. Parker opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw Jordan standing several feet away with Kelly and Levi. Polly and Gideon followed Mr. Parker’s gaze and Jordan met her grandfather’s eyes head on. She expected him to shout, to tell her she didn’t belong and had bad blood, but he did nothing. Polly was the first to break the silence.

  “I’ll be damned,” Polly said. “Is she really yours?”

  Mr. Parker moved so fast, he was a blur of movement. One moment Polly was standing and the next he was flat on his back with Mr. Parker crouched over him, a hand around his throat.

  “Say that again,” Mr. Parker hissed.

  “Donovan,” Heath called from the kitchen. “You can’t kill everyone who asks if Jordan is yours. Plus, Polly’s always been an ass. Don’t let him rile you.”

  “Yeah. Don’t be so sensitive, Donovan,” Polly smirked at Mr. Parker. “And it’s a legitimate question, considering all the women over the years that have claimed you as the father of their kid.”

  “She’s mine.” Mr. Parker walked to the kitchen and Heath handed him a shot glass filled with dark liquid. Mr. Parker drank it in one gulp.

  “Being in Wintra sure is nice, isn’t it?” Heath asked with a smile so wide, it threatened to crack his face.

  Mr. Parker glared at his friend while Polly rose and scowled at his crumpled straw hat.

  Gideon gentled his voice as he spoke to Jordan. “Do you know who I am?”

  “You’re Mr. Parker’s dad,” she said.

  Gideon gave his son a frosty glare. “She calls you Mr. Parker?”

  “I didn’t tell her to call me that,” Mr. Parker said defensively.

  “Well, what did you tell her to call you?” Only silence greeted this question. Gideon grunted and fixed his attention on Jordan once more. “I guess one day you’ll call him dad when he deserves it. You can call me Papa.”

  “Who’s the boy?” Polly asked.

  “This is Levi. He’s part of the family,” Kelly said.

  Polly was incredulous. “Donovan’s a family man now? Hell just froze over.”

  “Shut up, Polly,” Mr. Parker said, but there was no heat in his words. He could barely believe it himself.

  “What’s your name, child?” Gideon asked.

  “Jordan.”

  She folded her arms across her chest and eyed Polly who looked her up and down skeptically. Gideon approached and she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. She was startled when he reached out and cupped her face with warm, calloused hands. They stared at one another and Jordan realized his eyes, so like his sons, were filled with emotion.

  “I have a granddaughter,” he said hoarsely.

  Jordan blinked. “I guess so.”

  “This is a miracle,” Gideon whispered and leaned down and set his forehead against hers.

  Jordan stiffened and tried to pull away, but Gideon kept her still. A distant part of her was alarmed by his close proximity and touch. He was a stranger, but… She closed her eyes and was engulfed in Gideon’s warmth. Comfort, strength and security flowed from him to her, warming her cold heart. Where Mr. Parker held her at bay, this man silently vowed she would never be alone, would never be left out in the cold as long as he lived.

  When he pulled away, still cupping her face, a tear trickled down Jordan’s cheek. Her heart cracked open and emotion simmered within her, unexpected and unfamiliar. She wrapped her hands around his wrists as she began to shake. Tears gathered in his eyes and he kissed her forehead before he wrapped her in a hug. She buried her face against his chest and tried to swallow the sob that wanted to erupt from her mouth. Unlike Mr. Parker, Gideon didn’t shield himself at all. He opened himself up to her and vowed to give her all he had. She had no idea how to explain how Gideon communicated all of this to her without saying a word, but she couldn’t deny that she not only heard the message, she believed him.

  “Dad?” Mr. Parker asked, coming up beside them.

  Jordan fisted her hands in Gideon’s shirt and prayed he wouldn’t pull away just yet. She was a blubbering mess and
she wasn’t keen on having an audience stare at her as if she sprouted horns.

  “Thank you, Donovan,” Gideon said, voice rough.

  “For?”

  “My granddaughter.”

  A beat of silence.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Mr. Parker put a hand on Jordan’s head.

  “We understand one another.” Gideon said and there was satisfaction in his voice.

  “But you didn’t say anything,” Mr. Parker tried to pull her away from his father so he could look at her face.

  “Leave her be, Donovan,” Gideon snapped.

  Before Jordan realized what was happening, Gideon scooped her up in his arms and walked away from their audience. Voices faded and Gideon set her down on the stone bench in the middle of the small island with white lilies. The koi kicked up water around them. She sat and Gideon knelt in front of her.

  “Welcome to the family, honey.”

  Jordan wiped away the tears that slid silently down her cheeks.

  “Why do I sense William Stan’s power in you?” Gideon asked.

  The past weeks crept up on her all at once. She opened her mouth, but a sob came out instead of words. All talking across the room stopped and Mr. Parker started to approach, but Gideon held up a hand. Mr. Parker reluctantly obeyed the command for space. Gideon gave Jordan several minutes to compose herself. He held her hands in his and for some reason; it gave her the strength to speak.

  “He thought I could save him,” Jordan shuddered. “I was there when he died.”

  Gideon’s hands tightened around hers, but otherwise, he didn’t react.

  “M-Mr. Penn forced Mr. Parker to take me in. I didn’t even know I had a dad,” Jordan said and her heart throbbed with pain. “I don’t know if I can d-do this.”

  “You can,” Gideon said firmly. “And you will. You wouldn’t be here unless you were meant to be.”

  Jordan took a deep breath. He released her hand so she could wipe away the tears. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was stuffy, but she felt better.

  “What’s going on?” Mr. Parker asked, making an impossible leap from the shore to the island. He glared at his dad. “Why is she crying?”

  “She needs to,” Gideon said calmly and stroked a hand down her hair.

  “You’re not angry,” Mr. Parker said, stating the obvious.

  “Why should I be?”

  Mr. Parker shrugged.

  “I feel William’s taint on her. What happened to her power?”

  “She told you-”

  “Her power, Donovan?”

  Mr. Parker ran a hand through his hair. “I had to break the soul tie. She’s been Quiet since.”

  “She’s being Declared tomorrow, right?” Gideon asked in an undertone. “I wonder what the Gem will think of her when she doesn’t have power.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Who knows about William?” Gideon pressed, squeezing Jordan’s hand.

  “Kelly, Heath, Penn, Sweeney, Angelina, Levi, Cibrian.”

  “We better keep it that way.”

  “Yale’s already yapping at my heels. He wants Jordan to be tested,” Mr. Parker said.

  “Yale can kiss my ass. No one’s touching my granddaughter and that test is old school.”

  “Exactly.”

  Gideon crouched in front of Jordan again. “You’ll probably hear lots of stories about your dad. Most of them are true, sad to say. He’s not as stupid as he looks, though. Do you want to come to Paradice with me?”

  “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

  “Why not?”

  “She doesn’t need more exposure. After what happened with William, I’m not taking any chances. I’ve had too many visitors in Texas,” Mr. Parker said.

  Jordan turned her head as Knight exited from the bedroom. He prowled towards her, sapphire eyes fixed on Gideon. When Gideon saw the Valor, he went very still.

  “It can’t be,” Gideon, whispered, “I never thought I would see one in my day. Donovan? Did you-”

  “No. It was Jordan,” Mr. Parker said.

  “Our blood runs strong in your veins,” Gideon said with a satisfied smile. “Have you named him yet?”

  “Knight,” she said quietly.

  Gideon blanched. “Knight?”

  “Don’t ask,” Mr. Parker muttered.

  Knight leapt on the island and nuzzled Jordan’s back. She scratched him under his chin as Gideon bowed his head respectfully to the Valor.

  “Do you know what this means?” Gideon asked Mr. Parker without taking his eyes from the Valor.

  “No.”

  “Something’s coming.”

  “What do you mean?” Jordan asked.

  “Guardians wake to protect our bloodline. Valor’s have saved countless lives in wars past. There hasn’t been a need for them and they’ve almost faded from history. Our bloodline calls to them when they sense danger. How did you do it?”

  Jordan stammered, “I-I didn’t.”

  “Sometimes Guardians are drawn to specific people in the bloodline. He senses you’ll need his protection.”

  “What the hell is that?” Polly shouted .

  “It’s our Guardian,” Gideon told his friend proudly.

  Polly’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “But that’s impossible!”

  “It proves beyond a doubt that Jordan’s a Parker,” Gideon boomed.

  “I don’t know what the media is going to think about an illegitimate granddaughter, Gideon,” Polly said darkly.

  “I don’t care what anyone thinks,” Gideon said.

  Polly threw his hands up. “And you wonder where Donovan gets that attitude from! But you have to care what people think- you’re a Guide!”

  Jordan clenched her hand in Knight’s fur. If Gideon was a Guide then he had to be… “You’re a sorcerer?”

  Gideon winced. “Technically. Don’t hold it against me.”

  “He’s the Guide of Paradice,” Polly put in. “Aren’t you lucky to be dumped into the lap of one of the richest and most powerful families in our world?”

  Kelly put her hands on her hips. “Put a lid on it, Polly.”

  “Jealous,” Heath coughed.

  “I’m not jealous!” Polly bellowed.

  Kelly smiled. “We’re going to see Mary Ann.”

  Most of the men in the room turned alarmed faces towards her. Cibrian jumped on the couch and shook his head vehemently.

  “You’re coming with me, Cib,” Kelly said without looking at him.

  “Nah. I’m good, thanks,” Cibrian said quickly.

  “You’re coming, Cibrian,” Kelly insisted when Cibrian glared at her. “It’ll only be for an hour at the most. Just do it and get it over with. You won’t have to see her for another year.”

  “But she’s crazy!” Cibrian burst out.

  “Crazy or not, she’s your blood.”

  “Maybe I should have stayed with Mom and made house calls to all her friends,” Cibrian muttered.

  “Well, father and son, we’ll leave you alone to catch up, shall we?” Kelly said.

  Heath downed his drinks and headed towards the front door. Cibrian yanked on the collar of his coat and dragged his feet.

  “I always wanted Donovan to have a girl. Knew it would drive him nuts,” Gideon murmured into Jordan’s hair as he hugged her.

  She let out a choked laugh. She didn’t want to leave him, but she knew she shouldn’t cling. She wiped her face and hesitated.

  Almost as if he could read her mind, Gideon added, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Wouldn’t miss it.”

  Jordan hopped across the stones and jumped onto solid ground. Kelly put her arm around Jordan and led her to the door where Heath stood, mouth open.

  “I told you Donovan shouldn’t have a girl. Look what she’s doing to the old man. Putty. It’s embarrassing,” Heath muttered.

  “Jordan,” Mr. Parker called.

  She turned reluctantly. Mr.
Parker held up her jacket and when she reached out to take it, he held it up so she could shrug her arms into it. Mr. Parker tugged the jacket on, turned her around and zipped up the front.

  “You don’t have to go. You can stay here,” he said.

  “I want to go,” Jordan said and pulled away.

  Kelly waved gaily at Mr. Parker and Gideon who faced each other like gunslingers. Polly patted his large belly as he waited for the fireworks to begin anew. Jordan slipped into the hallway and stopped when she saw Heath standing on one of three ice circles. Knight pushed her forward by nudging her in the middle of the back. While Jordan searched for a valid argument to avoid jumping on the zooming circle, Kelly stepped onto one with Cibrian. With a groan, Jordan stepped onto the other circle with Levi and Heath. Jordan watched, bemused, as Knight leapt onto the last circle as easily as if he did it all the time. Levi put an arm around her waist as the circle jerked and began to move at a dizzying pace down the narrow hallway.

  What was with the old guy? Levi asked.

  He promised me his life, she said and knew Levi picked up on her mixed feelings.

  He tipped her to the side for balance as the circle wheeled around a corner.

  He doesn’t even know me, Jordan tried to explain. He doesn’t care what I’ve done. He promised me he’d be there no matter what.

  I didn’t hear him say a thing.

  He didn’t say it out loud. He opened his heart to me. He couldn’t lie.

  Jordan buried her face against his shirt because she could feel tears welling up again. She and Levi skidded off the circle when it stopped and thanks to Levi’s reflexes, they didn’t fall on their butts. She looked around as everyone hopped off the circles and faced a gray metal door that led onto the roof of the hotel. Jordan sucked in a breath as cold air hit her with the force of a kick in the stomach. Jordan turned to Heath, dressed casually in jeans and a thin long sleeve black shirt.

  “Aren’t you cold?” she demanded.

  Heath grinned. “I’m half Darsana. The cold doesn’t bother me.”

  Heath put a hand to her cheek. His hand was toasty warm as if he’d been holding his hands over a fire. Knight walked over and she sank her hand into his fur since she wasn’t wearing gloves. Two men dressed in the same white pantsuit with a dizzying array of moving sea life on their uniforms inclined their heads respectfully to Kelly. Carriages of all colors and shapes were lined up like cars on the rooftop. Jordan looked beyond the landing at Wintra, the ice city. The morning sun cast rays over carriages floating through the air and landing on the roofs of other buildings. There was just as much traffic on the ground as there was in the air.

  “Which carriage would you like, Mrs. Parker?” one of the uniformed men asked politely.

  “Big enough for five people. Nothing flashy,” Kelly answered.

  The worker inclined his head at Cibrian. “Mr. Tolly.”

  Cibrian nodded absently, accepting the acknowledgement as his due. The second uniformed man was much younger than his coworker and looked at the group furtively. Jordan saw he had startling violet eyes and bleach blond hair. His brow furrowed when his eyes touched on Jordan and backed away hastily when he saw the Valor by her side.

  Jordan raised her hood and hurried after Cibrian who walked between the carriages and climbed into a black and white one. Knight settled on the floor of the carriage while everyone else climbed in. The carriage was a lot smaller than the one they traveled to Wintra in. This one was more basic, though still richly furnished. The walls were solid, not glass and there was no fire pit. There were two long benches facing one another and a large window covering one side of the carriage.

  “Do you need a driver?” the older worker asked hesitantly from the doorway, eyes on Knight.

  “No, thank you. We’ll drive,” Kelly said.

  “Will Sorcerer Parker be joining you?” the younger man asked and Jordan heard the anticipation in his voice.

  “No, it’s just us. We shouldn’t be gone long,” Kelly said.

  Jordan saw the older uniformed man turn to the younger one and scold him under his breath. Jordan glanced at Cibrian who looked as if he were being sent to detention.

  “Mr. Tolly?” Jordan murmured and Cibrian shrugged.

  “The Tolly name is famous, what can I say?”

  “Ready?” Kelly asked.

  When everyone looked at her expectantly, Kelly nodded and her hand clenched into a fist. The carriage shot into the air and Jordan landed hard against Levi who grunted. Kelly smiled serenely as they sped through the air past other carriages and icy tips of tall buildings.

  “Is your dad coming to the Declaration Ceremony, Cibrian?” Kelly asked conversationally.

  “He said he would,” Cibrian’s tone was doubtful.

  Kelly pursed her lips. “Have you called him?”

  “No. He’s busy.” Cibrian looked out the window.

  Kelly frowned, but didn’t continue pushing what was evidently a touchy subject.

  “Do you think they’ve killed each other yet?” Heath asked.

  “Gideon has a better hold on his temper than he used to,” Kelly said.

  Heath looked disappointed. “I remember one time I went over to Gideon’s house. They were fighting, like, literally. Donovan was throwing fireballs at Gideon and Gideon bounced them back at him. It was awesome.” Heath glared at Jordan accusingly. “He’s going soft.”

  “They fight because Gideon’s never been able to accept that Donovan doesn’t want to be a Guide. How can two people so similar argue so much?”

  Jordan tapped her shoe on the carriage floor. Why were there so few sorcerers in the world, but she came into contact with every single one? She was related to two. Were there more relatives or sorcerers she didn’t know about? The word family drifted uncomfortably through her mind.

  “You should have seen the time Donovan turned our teacher into a shrub,” Heath said.

  Cibrian and Levi sat up.

  “This teacher was nasty to him on purpose. The teacher, Ted Bragger, was mad the Gem made him a teacher instead of a warrior. In front of the whole class, he said just because some men have great power, it doesn’t mean they’re worthy of it.”

  Cibrian whistled.

  “Oh, yeah. Donovan was pissed,” Heath said with a broad smile. “Stopped old Bragger in mid-sentence when a branch full of leaves sprouted from his mouth. In five minutes flat, Donovan turned him into a duck shaped shrub. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. You should have seen Gideon when the Principal called him. He was so pissed, the grass frosted. But, when Donovan told his dad what Bragger said, Gideon left him as a shrub for a week.”

  Cibrian burst into laughter.

  “Those two are one of a kind,” Kelly said as the carriage landed.

  Jordan peered through the window at the naked rooftop. They all piled out of the carriage and Jordan looked around at the other rooftops. Off in the distance, she could see The Aquarium. The buildings in the city center were the tallest and they declined in height the further away you traveled from the heart. Jordan suspected they were now in what they would call the “suburbs” in the normal world.

  “Come, Jordan,” Kelly called.

  Kelly stood over a square hole several yards away. When Jordan approached, she saw narrow, steep steps leading down in a tunnel of glowing black ice. Kelly started down the staircase first with Jordan and Knight behind. Kelly held up a hand that glowed. The staircase was so narrow, Jordan couldn’t look around Kelly to see where they were going.

  The glow of Kelly’s hand cast eerie shadows on black ice. As they crept deeper into the tunnel, the light from above disappeared completely. Jordan’s breathing grew heavier as they climbed down and she focused on not scraping her face against the extremely low ceiling or brushing against the creepy ice on either side of her. Jordan knew that the guys, all much taller than her were having a hard time. They had to duck their heads and every once in a while she heard a
scraping sound and a curse. Jordan shivered and focused on keeping herself from panicking and racing back up the stairs to fresh, cold air.

  “Here we are.”

  Kelly stood before a surprisingly normal looking wooden door built into the black ice. Kelly knocked, the sound loud in the small space. Those behind her stood impatiently on the staircase, waiting.

  “Maybe she’s not home,” Cibrian piped up hopefully.

  Kelly ignored him and knocked once more. Jordan heard Kelly jiggle the knob and the door swung open. Jordan heard Cibrian curse under his breath as Kelly stepped forward. Jordan looked down as her foot caught on something. There was a welcoming mat before the door that read, Beware of Igor.

  “Who’s Igor?” Jordan asked, raising her head.

  A huge black shape appeared in front of Kelly and howled. Knight knocked Jordan to the ground and stood over her, teeth bared. The black thing swooped down on Kelly, black arms shooting out to grab her. Behind Jordan, there was a frenzy as Heath tried to pass Cibrian and Levi to get into the small space.

  Jordan shoved at Knight to get up just as the creature let out a loud whining sound like a wounded dog. The thing straightened and Jordan got a good look at the creature. It stood at least seven feet tall like a man except it wasn’t human. Sharp thorns, a foot in length stood out all over its body. It had arms that looked like branches and instead of legs, it had seven root-like feet that helped it move. Its head was the size of a huge pumpkin and there was no face, just spikes protruding everywhere.

  “I see he hasn’t calmed down since the last time I visited,” Cibrian said dryly.

  Kelly looked up at the thorny monster and wagged her finger in its face. “You behave before I break off one of your spikes.”

  The thing whined again and backed away from her. Kelly turned back to the group, most who wore expressions of revulsion.

  “It’s okay. I should have warned you. This is Igor, Mary Ann’s, um, watch dog so to speak.”

  Jordan crawled out from under Knight. The hair on his spine stood up and his tail wasn’t moving. The tree squeaked timidly and Jordan patted Knight, trying to assure him that the danger passed.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a Watching tree. He’s been with her for years, but he has a short term memory.”

  Kelly made a shooing motion. Igor scuttled off to the side, spikes quivering.

  “Igor’s the nicest thing you’ll find in here,” Cibrian muttered.

  Levi moved forward and Igor let out a warning growl. “What does he do to visitors he doesn’t know?”

  Heath stepped forward and cast a dark glance at the tree who whimpered and moved backwards several more inches. “He wraps his arms around the person, pulls them in for a bear hug and runs them through with his spikes.”

  Cibrian put an arm around Jordan and skirted around Igor and Knight who examined one another in silence, predator to predator. Levi seemed fascinated by the tree, but wisely kept his distance. Cibrian pulled Jordan through the doorway and stepped onto a small landing. To the right and left were narrow staircases that led to upper and lower levels of the house. She couldn’t see what lay at the top of the staircase that led to the third level. Directly before them was a short walkway that led to a door with a giant chili pepper plant before it.

  The ceiling was a mass of black ivy over more black ice. Jordan moved closer to Cibrian who looked around warily as if he was in a haunted house and expected something to jump out at him. Jordan felt an unpleasant chill creep up her spine. Unlike the rest of Wintra, which was white and pure, this house seemed dark and menacing. Who was Mary Ann?

  “Let’s get this over with,” Cibrian said uneasily.

  “Mary Ann?” Kelly called.

  They all waited for the scurry of footsteps or the sound of a voice, but there was nothing. The sound of a door closing downstairs made everyone look over the railing to the ground floor, but no one appeared.

  “Well, she must be in her garden. Let’s go,” Kelly said.

  Cibrian sighed as they followed Kelly down the rickety, creaking staircase to the ground floor. The only light in this house emanated from the dark ice. There were no windows to let in even a sliver of sunlight. On the ground floor was an open kitchen against the wall that would have been more appropriate in a studio apartment than a house. Dirty dishes scattered over the minuscule counter beside the sink. Open books, torn pages and dead leaves littered the ground. Jordan glanced down at a torn page near her boot. It was a detailed illustration of a plant with cherries hanging from orange flower petals. Knight sniffed some dead flowers on the floor and sneezed.

  To the left of the kitchen was a large doorway that led into a room with a high ceiling that extended the length of a football field. As far as the eye could see, plants of all shapes and sizes moved like sea anemone, swaying slowly from side to side in an invisible current. All of the plants looked as if they were lit by a black light- the fluorescent hues of the plants were unreal. The foliage were planted in patches of snow instead of dirt or grass. A bright purple path wove its way through the maze of plants.

  A figure moved in the darkness and Kelly called, “Mary Ann?”

  The figure stilled. Frowning, Kelly lifted her hand and an orb the size of a grapefruit cast light over the nearby plants. Jordan peered around Kelly at the figure and stiffened.

  “Mom?” Cibrian said.

  Ruth had her arms full of black branches. Orange pus oozed from where the branches had been severed from the tree. She blinked at the sudden light and glared at the group.

  “What are you doing here?” Ruth snapped.

  Kelly frowned. “We came to see Mary Ann. What are you doing here?”

  Ruth juggled the branches in her arms that began to shudder and jerk as if trying to get away from her. “Mary Ann’s been teaching me how to make several potions and I came here to get more supplies.”

  “Oh. Well, where is she?” Kelly said.

  “How should I know?” Ruth switched her gaze to Jordan. “Where’s your daddy? He should be more careful about letting you go loose. We wouldn’t want any… accidents.”

  Kelly stepped in front of Jordan. “Does Mary Ann know you’re here?”

  “I have a lot of work to do. So, if you’ll excuse me.”

  Ruth stormed past the group. The orange pus seeped from a branch and hit the floor with a hiss. Heath examined the branches in Ruth’s arms as she passed with her nose up in the air. Ruth hefted the trembling branches in her arms with a hard jerk, spraying orange droplets everywhere. Heath let out a hiss as several drops of orange pus settled on his arm, burned through his thin shirt and began to smoke. He took a step after Ruth who had a cocky smile on her face, but Kelly waved him off. She grasped his arm in both hands and began to mutter under her breath. The smoking stopped and his arms were unblemished.

  “She hasn’t changed, has she?” Kelly asked in a subdued voice.

  Levi and Jordan glanced at Cibrian who looked at the front door where his mom disappeared onto the street. There was a mixture of relief, anger and embarrassment on his face. He was so distracted, he didn’t even notice Knight sidle up beside him.

  “Who’s making all that racket?” a shrill voice called down the stairs.

  Kelly looked up and her face broke into a wide smile as a tiny woman dressed all in black slid down the rickety banister from the landing above. She jumped nimbly off the end and stood with her hands on hips for several seconds. The woman had on a black apron smeared with thick, pasty… stuff. She had short silver hair standing straight up and intelligent bright green eyes. She was less than five feet tall but she peered up at Heath with a superior sneer on her face. She spotted the trail of orange drops leading to the front door and screeched.

  “Who hacked my Bran Bran?” she snarled.

  “Ruth,” Heath said cheerfully.

  “Ruth? What the hell is she doing stealing from me?”

  Cibrian shuffled his feet nervousl
y. He tried to move backwards into the dark garden. Mary Ann’s eyes were immediately drawn to him by his retreat.

  “What’s your mom doing with the Bran Bran?”

  “I-I don’t know, Mary Ann,” Cibrian said hastily.

  “She said you’ve been teaching her some potions,” Kelly said.

  “Eh?” Mary Ann glared at Kelly. “Why would I teach your ungrateful sister anything? She visits me once a year and something always go missing. I’ve never caught the wench. Lying, thieving, daughter of Satan-”

  Levi coughed and Heath grinned broadly. Cibrian’s face was bright red and Kelly tried to look stern, but her eyes twinkled. Jordan’s estimation of Mary Ann rose. She would take a grouchy old lady over deceitful, rich snobs any day of the week.

  “And what do you want?” Mary Ann asked.

  Kelly didn’t look offended by her aunt’s abrasive attitude. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I haven’t seen you for years. I thought it would be nice to stop by.”

  Mary Ann sniffed. “Better you than evil Ruth or desperate Monica. I heard she tied herself to some random sorcerer straight out of school. Benelvia had the worst set of girls I’ve ever-”

  “Luther is twenty five,” Kelly interjected.

  Mary Ann waved a veiny hand. “So he’s fifteen years younger. Monica’s a numbskull, tying herself to someone with a questionable bloodline-”

  “She’s happy, Aunty,” Kelly interrupted.

  Mary Ann looked incredulous. “So?”

  The little woman glanced around at the assembled group. Heath stiffened when Mary Ann took a step towards him and poked him in the chest with a pointed fingernail.

  “You. Have you been watching over that crazy fool Kelly married?” she asked.

  Heath nodded curtly. “Yes.”

  “Good. At least you’re good for something.” Mary Ann’s voice softened. “Do you need more sleeping potions?”

  Heath shook his head. “No. Thanks though.”

  Mary Ann patted his chest. “It was tragic. You’re healing, though. Slowly, but surely.” Without looking away from Heath, Mary Ann said, “Come here, boy.”

  Cibrian shuffled forward. She grabbed his chin and jerked it down so he couldn’t avoid her piercing eyes.

  “You stopped coming for your lessons, boy,” Mary Ann said sternly.

  “Uh, yeah,” Cibrian said.

  “Why?” she snapped.

  “Um, I don’t know.”

  Mary Ann clucked her tongue. “Do you want to be an idiot like your mother?”

  Cibrian’s face was such a bright red, Jordan was sure she could get sunburn just by looking at him. Cibrian shook his head vehemently.

  “Then you shouldn’t dismiss what plants can offer if you know what you’re doing,” she scolded. “Even though you don’t have an affinity to the earth, you can learn. You will continue your lessons, yes?”

  Cibrian hesitated, unease written clearly on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but Mary Ann turned away.

  “Good. Okay, then. And who are you?” she said belligerently, staring up at Levi. She reached out and placed a hand on his face; probably about to jerk his chin down too, but she froze. She braced her hands on his chest and went on her tiptoes to get a better look at him.

  “Well, well. A wild card, eh?” Mary Ann said, intrigued.

  “This is Levi,” Kelly began.

  Mary Ann didn’t waste time with introductions. She waved a hand, silencing Kelly. “You have a very strong affinity to the earth,” she said approvingly. “How many species of plants are in the garden behind you?”

  “How could he know how many-” Heath began.

  “Shut up,” Mary Ann ordered. “How many, boy?”

  To everyone’s surprise Levi answered, “Four thousand one hundred seventy three.”

  Mary Ann smiled and it was suddenly apparent that she and Kelly were related.

  “He’s a hunter. He’s aware of every living thing connected to the earth,” Mary Ann said.

  Everyone stared at Levi, including Jordan.

  “You will come with Ruth’s boy to study, yes?”

  “We’re not staying in Wintra after the Declaration Ceremony, Aunty-” Kelly began.

  “We’ll figure it out. You wouldn’t want to pass up my superior knowledge now, would you?” Mary Ann patted Levi’s cheek. “This is turning out to be an interesting day.”

  Mary Ann turned from Levi and crooked a finger at Jordan. As Jordan made her way around the men, Mary Ann tilted her head to the side like a bird examining a worm on the ground. She inhaled deeply and her eyes narrowed to slits.

  “You have Parker blood. Donovan’s daughter?” Mary Ann murmured and nodded before Jordan could answer. “So, the devil’s spawn did have a child. Slap me twice and call me an Ignorant. Since I’m only seeing you now, I assume Donovan hasn’t been your guardian. Who’s been keeping watch over you all these years?”

  Jordan glanced at Kelly. Mr. Parker didn’t want anyone to know about her past, but she had a nasty suspicion that Mary Ann would know if she lied. Plus, Mary Ann was family, kinda. “I was in foster homes most of the time.”

  Mary Ann looked troubled. “In these homes, did they ever inject you with anything? Gave you medication of any kind? A pain reliever or relaxant?”

  Jordan’s stomach churned. How could Mary Ann know about the pill?

  “I can see my answer is yes. Those pills are illegal. Why an adult would give a child the Ever After pill and Donovan’s daughter to boot...” Her voice trailed off. “I assume if Donovan knew who this person was, they would be dead?” Mary Ann glanced at Heath who nodded. “Adults giving my pills to children before they Awaken? What is this world coming to?”

  “Your pills?” Jordan whispered.

  “My invention. I created the Ever After pill to control sorcerers on the verge of Falling. It was never intended to be put in the wrong hands, but I can see it has. I can smell the drug in your blood.”

  Mary Ann looked at the last member in the group. Mary Ann didn’t seem frightened or surprised by the Valor’s presence. She pressed her face to Knight’s and Jordan sucked in a sharp breath. Knight didn’t swipe at Mary Ann. To Jordan’s surprise, Knight showed no signs of aggression.

  “I knew the end was coming,” Mary Ann murmured.

  “What are you talking about?” Jordan asked.

  “War’s coming. That’s why your Guardian woke up. I can feel it.” She turned back to Kelly. “They’re all going to the Declaration Ceremony?”

  Kelly nodded. “Will you come?”

  “Why not? It’s held here only once every four years. It will be interesting to see what’s going to happen this year. Princess needs to be Declared as well, hmm?”

  Kelly’s lips compressed. Mary Ann smiled evilly and clapped her hands together.

  “Maybe I’ll get to see your sisters too, hmm?”

  It was clear from her tone that she wasn’t planning on hugging them and reminiscing about the good old days.

  “Maybe,” Kelly said noncommittally.

  “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow bright and early,” Mary Ann paused. “Is Gideon around?”

  “We just left him at The Aquarium.”

  “I suppose he brought that fool Polly with him,” Mary Ann sniffed.

  “He did.”

  “Oh, he’s going to hate seeing me. Of course I’ll go! He never forgave me for ruining his ceremony when they crowned him as Guide. I let out one little giggle-”

  Kelly rolled her eyes. “You laughed right through his ceremony.”

  Mary Ann waved a dismissive hand. “Well, the arrogant fool needed a dose of reality. Thinks he’s invincible, you know? I’ll see you all tomorrow. Now shoo, I have work to do.”

  With that, Mary Ann disappeared into the black-lit garden as it began to snow. Fine white snowflakes drifted down from the ceiling, covering all of the colorful plants in white dust.

  “Too
dles,” Cibrian said and rushed up the staircase.

  Everyone was eager to leave Mary Ann’s house. Heath hiked up the stairs after Cibrian, but Levi lingered and watched Mary Ann walk along the path in her garden. The group that trudged up the staircase was silent, disturbed by Mary Ann’s dire predictions. No one spoke as they passed Igor who snarled and whined. They walked up the narrow, claustrophobic staircase to the roof where everyone paced for several minutes, shaking off the doom and gloom of Mary Ann’s house. Jordan walked to the edge of the roof and looked over the city while Knight sat beside her.

  Kelly ran a hand over her hair. “Mary Ann may come off sharp, but she’s a good person. She’s wise and intelligent.”

  “She created the pill?” Mary Ann created the pill that was Jordan’s own personal heaven and hell.

  “Yes. We lost so many sorcerers that Mary Ann worked night and day for years to find a way to save them without killing them.”

  “How did she smell the Ever After pill in my blood? It’s been months since I’ve taken one.”

  “Don’t worry about that now. Let’s go,” Kelly said and moved towards the carriage.