Seeing Magic (The Queen of the Night Series Book 1) (25 page)

“I had breast cancer in my right breast.” 

I gasped.

Corey just looked down into his hands.

“After you guys left, Rose came to help me out. The tumor was large, almost 2.3 centimeters, so the doctors recommended a course of chemotherapy to shrink it. It took two months. Then they operated and removed the rest of the cancer. I have to undergo radiation treatments to make sure it doesn’t come back, but there’s only two more weeks of those. After, things can start returning to normal. Rose has been here to help me get through the treatment and to minimize the side effects.”  She looked gratefully at her sister. “The whole ordeal would have taken twice as long without her help. Rose is going to stay with us for a month or so until I get my strength back…any questions?”

Corey was unusually quiet, but I wasn’t. “I have tons of questions.”

Rose interrupted. “Is anyone hungry?  I can start dinner.”

Corey jumped. “I’ll help you make it, Aunt Rose. Love you, Mom,” he kissed Mom’s cheek and scurried off the bed.
My brother wants to help in the kitchen
? 
The whole world has turned backwards
.

Rose cut in again. “Oh, speaking of cancer…Maggie, Fiona wanted me to tell you that Jeremy Rogers was checked into the Berkeley Springs Hospice. He’s got stage four cancerous tumors all over his body. They don’t expect him to live more than a couple of days.”

“What did he tell people about how he got the cancer?”

“Apparently, he’s been telling everyone he was kidnapped by aliens who took him to a meadow in the forest and made him sick. No one believes him, of course.”

“What do they think?”

“Well, the guy lived alone and has no friends or family. He had no health insurance and wasn’t being treated by any doctor. They figure he’s been sick for a long time and didn’t tell anyone…because he was exposed to the same chemical in the mine that hurt everyone else. One of the tumors is pressing against his brain so they think he’s just delusional now.”

“Thanks for the update, Aunt Rose.”  He had been ill for a long time, just not that ill.

I turned back to my mom and put my head on her shoulder. She stroked my hair like she used to when I was a little kid.

“Mom, I’m sorry you were sick. I wish I could have been here to help.”

“It worked out for the best. Fiona tells me you’ve learned how to diagnose illness with healing hands.” 

I didn’t tell her I didn’t need to use my hands to examine someone. Fiona wanted me to keep it a secret.

Mom continued, “In time you’ll be a wonderful Healer, honey. It was more important you learned about your gift. By the way, your brother doesn’t know anything about magic, does he?”

“I haven’t told him anything,” I said honestly.

“Good, let’s not tell him yet, okay?” 

Everyone wanted me to keep secrets from everyone else. I nodded my assent.

“Why didn’t you just heal yourself, Mom?”

“Well, I’m sure that Fiona explained to you that once a tumor is formed, our magic isn’t strong enough to eradicate it. I’m afraid I didn’t find out about the cancer until it was too late. It’s unusual for someone as young as I am to get this type of illness, so they don’t screen for it as often.”

“Oh, I see.”

“I’m so proud of you, honey. Maybe we’ll do questions later. I’d like to rest now.”

“Sure thing, Mom.”  I got up to leave. “Mom, are the doctor’s sure the cancer is gone?”

“Yeah baby, it’s all gone,” she assured me.

I had to keep another secret. I understood now why Fiona didn’t want me to tell Mom about Seer gifts or my meeting with Arianrhod. Mom needed a low-stress environment to recover. I definitely understood why Mom didn’t want Corey to know magic existed. We needed to keep his gifts, provided he had any, repressed.

But if I couldn’t tell Mom about my Healer vision, then I couldn’t tell her about the new tumor I’d seen in her left breast. Way in the back, it wasn’t any bigger than one of the silver beads on the moon necklace Fiona had given me, about four to six millimeters. I decided I’d keep an eye on it. If it grew any larger, then I’d tell her the truth. Otherwise, I had a lot of secrets to keep and the eleventh grade ahead of me. Plus, I had magic…and Evan…and next summer.

About THE Author

Laura started writing fiction at the age of nine, when a class at the West LA Parks Department seemed more fun than doing nothing all summer. After high school she gave up the hobby in lieu of a career in computers and telecommunications.

It was only after she became a stay-at-home mom to care for her two special needs boys that she found comfort in writing again.

Laura lives with her beautiful family in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. She loves feedback and can be reached at http://www.facebook.com/lauraewrites/.

Coming Fall 2014

Book Two in the
Queen of the Night Series

     In the last six months, every aspect of Maggie Stewart's life has changed. She's no longer a carefree high school junior from southern California. She's alone, a mid-year transfer student, and the only person who can keep her little brother from destroying the cycle between Night and Day.

     This year, Maggie is supposed to develop the crucial skill of energy-touch therapy (aka Healing Hands) so she can become the next great spiritual healer of the Cacapon coven of Appalachia, but she's distracted by her feelings for Evan, the coven's psychic. Romance between Healers and Seers is forbidden, but their connection is hard to resist.

     If she doesn't find out who's been murdering members of her family for seven generations, she’ll probably be next.

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