they get
caught or killed in the process he can just walk away. He cares for no one.”
“But
why come after us now? After a decade of silence?” A man named Gregory is the
one to speak this time.
Rose
glances at me and my chest tightens, but she plays it off by sweeping her eyes
around the room. “The god of darkness is just a lonely soul who has been
trapped on Earth for centuries by his own magic. His mission is, and has always
been, to kill off Enchanters. It’s how he thrives. Perhaps there are more of us
now and that’s why he’s back.”
“Wait,”
I say aloud as another thought comes to me. “How can this be an act of the
Equinox?” I shake my head. Something isn’t right. “Summer Island is protected,
remember? The Equinox’s evil is dead on the Island.”
This
must have already played on everyone’s mind, and most likely it was already
discussed it because no one reacts.
Rose
frowns, deeply. “That is the big
question today. It’s clear that whatever magic kept the Equinox out before, no
longer exists. We need to find out why and fix it. My fear is that once George passed away, so did his magic. He was
the one that created the protection spell, and he’s the one who watched over
the island. I don’t know why I never thought about it before.”
“How
can we find out?” asks another member. She’s an Elder I recognize her as Marcia.
She sits to the right of Darla and squeezes her hand.
“I
have Tori running tests at the Island right now. She’s with Detectives Xavier
and Daniel; they’re investigating the murder so they can report to the Normals.
Obviously the Normals will never know what really happened tonight, but that is
for their protection.” Rose looks around the room, checking to see that we’re
all still paying attention.
Tori,
Xavier, and Daniel are detectives at the Apollo Beach PD. They wear their
uniforms everywhere they go so it would have been impossible for me to miss
them. They rarely smile and when they greet people, it’s always with a curt
nod. Rose once explained that their formality is for our safety; to protect our
secret. They do their jobs just as any other Normal does, but they are on the
inside of things so that they can control information released to the Normals.
They take their roles in the community very seriously.
“Elders
are not to be at the Island unaccompanied. You are safer to travel in groups,
especially at night.” Rose is stern now, looking around at all of us, laying
down the law. “Tori will be able to tell how many Equinox’s were there tonight,
and she will see if the Island is still protected.”
Everyone
chatters heatedly amongst themselves for a few minutes. I stay quiet, thinking
about it all.
How
could the island suddenly lose its power of protection? How long has the power
been lost? Something is very, very wrong here.
“Everyone
should return to their own homes,” Rose says as she stands. “We’ll meet again
in a couple of days when we have more information. We must take tonight’s
events as a warning. I believe there is something much bigger coming, and we
need to be ready for it.”
* * *
The
crowd disperses and I’m left sitting beside Charlotte on the couch. Rose is
across from us sipping her tea. I take a sip of tea myself. I’ve never really
liked the stuff but Rose’s obsession with it has rubbed off on me. The hot liquid
passing my lips and down my throat feels oddly nice. Its lavender flavor has a
calming effect too.
“So, Isaac told you about your mother.”
This is how Rose starts our conversation. Blunt and to the point. I don’t mind.
“He found her—you healed her and took
her in. You can tell me the rest now.” My desolate eyes reach
Rose, begging her to tell me whatever left there is to tell me. Rose looks as
if she’s about to cry now. I can’t imagine what secret could be so awful.
In the longest silence of
the night Rose stares back at me blankly. “You are an unusual
caught or killed in the process he can just walk away. He cares for no one.”
“But
why come after us now? After a decade of silence?” A man named Gregory is the
one to speak this time.
Rose
glances at me and my chest tightens, but she plays it off by sweeping her eyes
around the room. “The god of darkness is just a lonely soul who has been
trapped on Earth for centuries by his own magic. His mission is, and has always
been, to kill off Enchanters. It’s how he thrives. Perhaps there are more of us
now and that’s why he’s back.”
“Wait,”
I say aloud as another thought comes to me. “How can this be an act of the
Equinox?” I shake my head. Something isn’t right. “Summer Island is protected,
remember? The Equinox’s evil is dead on the Island.”
This
must have already played on everyone’s mind, and most likely it was already
discussed it because no one reacts.
Rose
frowns, deeply. “That is the big
question today. It’s clear that whatever magic kept the Equinox out before, no
longer exists. We need to find out why and fix it. My fear is that once George passed away, so did his magic. He was
the one that created the protection spell, and he’s the one who watched over
the island. I don’t know why I never thought about it before.”
“How
can we find out?” asks another member. She’s an Elder I recognize her as Marcia.
She sits to the right of Darla and squeezes her hand.
“I
have Tori running tests at the Island right now. She’s with Detectives Xavier
and Daniel; they’re investigating the murder so they can report to the Normals.
Obviously the Normals will never know what really happened tonight, but that is
for their protection.” Rose looks around the room, checking to see that we’re
all still paying attention.
Tori,
Xavier, and Daniel are detectives at the Apollo Beach PD. They wear their
uniforms everywhere they go so it would have been impossible for me to miss
them. They rarely smile and when they greet people, it’s always with a curt
nod. Rose once explained that their formality is for our safety; to protect our
secret. They do their jobs just as any other Normal does, but they are on the
inside of things so that they can control information released to the Normals.
They take their roles in the community very seriously.
“Elders
are not to be at the Island unaccompanied. You are safer to travel in groups,
especially at night.” Rose is stern now, looking around at all of us, laying
down the law. “Tori will be able to tell how many Equinox’s were there tonight,
and she will see if the Island is still protected.”
Everyone
chatters heatedly amongst themselves for a few minutes. I stay quiet, thinking
about it all.
How
could the island suddenly lose its power of protection? How long has the power
been lost? Something is very, very wrong here.
“Everyone
should return to their own homes,” Rose says as she stands. “We’ll meet again
in a couple of days when we have more information. We must take tonight’s
events as a warning. I believe there is something much bigger coming, and we
need to be ready for it.”
* * *
The
crowd disperses and I’m left sitting beside Charlotte on the couch. Rose is
across from us sipping her tea. I take a sip of tea myself. I’ve never really
liked the stuff but Rose’s obsession with it has rubbed off on me. The hot liquid
passing my lips and down my throat feels oddly nice. Its lavender flavor has a
calming effect too.
“So, Isaac told you about your mother.”
This is how Rose starts our conversation. Blunt and to the point. I don’t mind.
“He found her—you healed her and took
her in. You can tell me the rest now.” My desolate eyes reach
Rose, begging her to tell me whatever left there is to tell me. Rose looks as
if she’s about to cry now. I can’t imagine what secret could be so awful.
In the longest silence of
the night Rose stares back at me blankly. “You are an unusual
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