Dreamlike State (The Magic of Black Forest Book 1) (14 page)

I spent the next few days packing up my parents’ stuff. Melissa’s mom insisted I get right on it. If I didn’t do it now I never would. She said it was unhealthy to leave things the way they were. They both helped me pack up their stuff then move it to the garage. Before moving their stuff to the garage, I had to pack up my belongings so that I could move into the main house. It took us two days to get everything moved around. I appreciated the help. We took a lot of stuff to the local shelter and good will. Next week we were going to paint their bedroom and the living room.

Even though I kept myself busy, I always thought of Bradley. Sometimes the thoughts were painful, but most of the time they put a huge smile on my face.

The first day I returned to the office, I handed in my resignation. I gave two weeks’ notice and thanked them for everything. Due to the recent events in my life, my supervisor Rhonda was concerned by my sudden decision, so she had the human resource manager talk to me. I explained that although I enjoyed working there, I needed a change.

The next two weeks went by quickly and before I knew it, they were having a farewell party for me. It was a lot harder than I thought, and of course I cried. Now that I was leaving, I was beginning to wonder if this drastic move was a good idea, and I was a little relieved when they told me I could come back anytime.

On the first day of my unofficial retirement, I decided to give Jesse a call. I hadn’t heard from him or Colleen in over two weeks. When he answered the phone, I could tell I woke him but he was happy to hear from me. He told me that they weren’t able to come and see me anytime soon. There was some trouble on the home front that they needed to take care of. He said maybe after the holidays. We didn’t talk too long. I was disappointed that they weren’t able to come. Oh and let us not forget that my aunt was coming over. Over the last few weeks she called a couple times to arrange a meeting but I kept putting her off.

I had put off her visit long enough. She sounded like it was important, mentioning that she’s not interested in anything that belonged to my parents. She made a promise to my mom a long time ago. My mom had never mentioned my aunt but I did have this sudden feeling that I should meet with her, like whatever she had to say would be important to my future. She arrived bright and early in the morning. I wasn’t even done with my coffee yet. I got her a cup of coffee and we just sat there at the kitchen table for a while, saying nothing. Awkward.

When I couldn’t take the silence anymore I said, “Susie…” I had no clue what to call her. “…what do you need to talk to me about?”

“Natalia, please bear with me, I’m trying to figure out the best way to tell you who you are.” – There was another long pause then finally she spoke again, this time really fast. – “Your mother was a witch and your father a wizard. They wanted to raise you ‘normal’ so they walked away from the coven but your twenty fifth birthday is coming up and your life is about to change dramatically, for the better, of course. I promised your mother if she wasn’t here to help you get through it, I would explain everything.”

Freaked out and sure she was lying I was about to tell her to get out. She put up her hand to gesture for me to let her finish.

“Your mother gave me this letter.” She held up an envelope that had my name on it and I could see it was in my mother’s handwriting. “It’s important that you read this letter before I go any further. If you wish, I can leave and come back later. This will be a lot to digest. Would you like me to leave?”

My response bewildered me. As I thought the answer, I said it before I could stop myself. “No, please stay.” I have no idea why I wanted her to stay.

The moment I began to read the letter the tears started to spill from my eyes.

My dearest Natalia,

If you’re reading this letter then we are no longer with you and you’re about to turn 25. I am so sorry you had to find out this way. Please know that your father and I never intended for this to happen. We intended to tell and teach you ourselves.

You can trust Susie. She knows everything about you, from the day you were born. She will teach you everything you need to know. Be sure to listen and learn. For if you don’t, your power will control you, and you must control it.

Do you remember when I told you the most important things are the wind on your face, the trees over your head and the dirt at your feet… that it will set you free, that when this happens your life will never be the same and to remember to embrace all of it? This is where your power will come from.

You have magic in your blood. There is no escaping it. Both your father and I are from generations of…well people call us witches and wizards.

On the day of your 25th birthday, your powers will be unleashed. Your Aunt Susie will be there to guide you.

I have to go honey, you’re crying… you’re ready for your nap.

Remember we love you with all our hearts. Most importantly tell no one and never let anyone see you perform magic. Some people still protest against our kind.

Love, Mommy. XOXOXOXOX

With tears still streaming down my face I said, “Aunt Susie, how old was I when she wrote this letter?” She smiled. Pleased, I’m sure, with my calling her Aunt Susie.

“You were almost a year old. They were so proud. They wanted to prepare for the worst just in case…” She trailed off, there was no need to finish, the worst had happened. “It’s important that we prepare you for your upcoming birthday. Are you okay, Nat?”

“Yes, considering I just found out I’m a witch.” I never really believed in that sort of thing. I mean, sure I had a gift, but anyone can do that if they were in touch with their inner psyche. For some people it just came more naturally. I mean witches and wizards… really how could that be real?

“You’re not
just
a witch, Natalia. Your mother was a witch, your father a wizard and you were born on October 31st, Halloween. You’ll be much more powerful than any witch or wizard I’ve ever met.”

I just stared at her, my eyes wide and my mouth agape. The last few days my facial expression had been the same. If I wasn’t careful the look may just become permanent. I giggled at the thought. Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I was both intrigued and excited. My birthday is just around the corner. “Is there anything I need to do to prepare for my birthday?”

“Yes.” She pulled out an old book from the bag she brought with her. She said a rhyme while waving her hand over the book. Then she took my hand put it on the book and repeated the same words. “I’ve temporarily blocked the spells so if you read them nothing will happen. Not until your birthday, at which time my spell will no longer work. Read through this, start at the beginning, it will explain your heritage, from both your father and your mother. Do not read any spells aloud on your birthday, not until you understand your powers. If you’re not careful you could hurt yourself and other people.”

I looked at the cover. It was old and dusty. I blew the dust off the cover and it read, ‘The Middleton’s Book of Shadows’.

“Holy cow! Unbelievable! We have our own Book of Shadows?” I looked up at her waiting for her to correct me, to tell me I was wrong.

She laughed. It was a soft gentle laugh. It sounded just like my mom's. I stared at her through a new set of eyes, appreciative and thankful to have her in my life, especially now. Before today, I had resented her so much.

“I’m glad to be here too, Natalia. Yes, this is your parents' Book of Shadows. They created all these spells for you. Some are from our side, some from your father’s family and a few that they created together. They were both very powerful.”

“Wow, did you just hear my thoughts? How did you know?”

“We have the same gift. Well, sort of. I can control mine a little more than you can control yours. As the years pass, your powers will grow stronger. For example, I can shield myself a lot better and I no longer need to touch most people to see them. Moreover, when I do, I can see things they have hidden deep in their minds, things they haven’t even realized they know or have decided. The information is hidden deep in the depth of their psyche.”

Her eyes turned mischievous while a huge grin spread across her face. Laughing she said, “Do you want to see how your mom and I used to do the dishes when we were kids and no one was looking?”

“Sure.” It was hard for me not to laugh with her. She acted as though she was about to do something really sneaky. She looked over her left shoulder then over her right, as to check and make sure no one was looking, and while still giggling she chanted
,“
The dishes are dirty… the dishes aren’t done… wipe and clean until the food and dirt are gon
e
…
”
She waved her hands through the air and the next thing I saw was the dishes being cleaned and then placed in the strainer to dry.

“Get out! How cool is that?” I was in awe over her mantic abilities.

“That’s just one of the smaller tricks. You’ll be able to make the wind blow, the trees sway and the dirt fly. Doing the dishes isn’t dangerous. It’s the latter that is dangerous. Some magic will require you to verbalize the spell while others will only require thought. That’s why it’s important for you to be careful, never perform magic when you’re angry. Ever! The consequences could be severe.” Her warning scared me a little just then.

“Just thinking about something could cause it to happen?”

“No, Natalia, well... yes… no, after you’ve been trained it will be easier to manage.” I think she saw the fear in my eyes. Spells were one thing but… “Natalia, please don’t worry. You have a good, pure heart. As long as you concentrate, think before you react, everything will be okay. Respect the power, never abuse the privilege. I’ll be with you for the next couple of months until we’re sure you have things under control.”

“I don’t know Aunt Susie; I’ve been told my thoughts are reckless at times.” Remembering my reckless thoughts made me laugh aloud because they were always about sex. Since only one other person could hear my thoughts, they were only reckless to him. Deep inside my chest started to ache, and agony filled my heart at the thought of him.

“What! Sex! What are you thinking, Natalia, falling in love with a vampire and…” Her eyes bulging out of her head, she gasped. “…you’re friends with shape-shifters? Natalia what are you doing?”

Of course I didn’t believe her, she couldn’t be serious. “Yea, right. Like there’s such a thing as vampires and shape-shifters. Nice try. You crack me up.” I stared at her waiting for the punch line. “Well, what’s the punch line?” She reached across the table and grabbed my hand. Her head whipped back as if a sudden wave of information came rushing through her. I knew exactly what she was seeing and the agony turns into extreme embarrassment. I yanked my hand from her. “They’re my private thoughts.”

She just stared at me not even blinking. She looked frozen. I wave my hand in front of her face. “Aunt Susie, are you okay?” I reached out to shake her again asking, “Aunt Susie, you okay?”

“Oh, Natalia, we need to get training immediately. I’ve seen the path you’ve unknowingly chosen. We need to prepare.”

“What path? Prepare for what?” I want to know what she sees. I’d never been on this side, I want to know.

“I won’t tell you what I saw. It could influence your decision. I promised my sister I would never do that unless you were in danger. I didn’t see any danger and I’ve already said too much. I have to go. I’ll be back soon. Please begin memorizing the Book. We have to prepare.”

“You’re leaving? But why can’t you stay a little longer?” I didn’t want her to go. With her here, I didn’t feel so sad…well…unless I was thinking about ‘He Whose Name Must Remain Unspoken.’

“Natalia, I promise to be back soon. I need to clear my head of your thoughts. There’s a lesson I can teach you when I return -- how to block me and everyone else – like a shield over your thoughts without having to concentrate or even think about it. Your thoughts are reckless, they need to be shielded. Until then, do what you can to protect your thoughts.”

She kissed me on my forehead and said she loved me. Walking out the door, she reminded me one more time to block my thoughts. I mustn’t let anyone know about my inheritance. I was waving goodbye through the window when it hit me, she said she’d be back soon. Ugh. I’d have to see her before my birthday, soon could only mean a few days.

“Seager, can you believe what she said about my gift inheritance? Whew, this is a lot to digest.”

“Makes sense to me. I’ve seen your parents around the house when you weren’t home. They swore me to secrecy. That’s why the house is stocked with Beggin’ Strips. Yum, my favorite. I guess you could call it a bribe, but we never actually spoke about it.”
Thinking about his favorite treats, he nonchalantly walked over to the lower cabinet, opened it, grabbed the bag and put it on the table in front of me.
“Two would be great.”

I gave him three and put the treats away. He was with my parents all day while I worked. The things he could have seen. At first, I was saddened that he got to see my parents being themselves. That feeling changed as I thought about the stories he could tell me, ones I’d never hear about had he not been there. Suddenly, I was grateful. Maybe this was why he was brought into my life, to help me through this difficult time.

“We’ve been together for centuries, Natalia. I’m not here to get you through this moment. I’m here to get you through your future.”