The Pyre Starter

Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3

As it turned out, Eleanor was the eldest of three sisters. The two younger ones were twins: Edith—a.k.a. Eddie—and Emily. Eddie had gone off to college but returned after a year, and Emily stayed put to work on the farm. They lived with their mother, several farm animals—including horses, goats, and cows—and the family dog.

Lorna was a sweet, aging woman with calloused hands and a warm temperament. She baked every day, and she prayed every night. Their father David had been a stern but fair God-fearing man. He always had a story to tell or a lesson to convey, until a heart attack took him about six months ago. The family still reeled, and some of his things remained, packed up in boxes to be sent to storage whenever his wife and children could bear to let them go.

It was a tight-knit, loving group. By the looks of their house, they had guests often, usually extended family, and despite Eleanor’s abrasive first impression, they took great strides to make sure a newcomer like Dakota felt welcome. Before they sat down for the meal, he had a standing invitation to stay as long as he needed. Moreover, the family immediately included him in conversation and offered far more food than he could ever hope to consume in one attempt. Pheasant and ham, fresh baked biscuits, roasted potatoes, home-grown green beans, and steamed carrots. He found himself turning more of it down than accepting, though he tried to be as polite as possible.

Terrell was a regular here. Though no one provided an explanation, it seemed he stopped living with his own parents around age sixteen—shortly after a car accident, which caused his injuries. He’d spent his final two years of high school here on the ranch, helping out with chores where and when he could. After that, he called the college home.

Through the steady dinner conversation, Dakota slowly picked up on the names and life summaries of all the first cousins, ten in total. Their lives, their relationships, etc.

Things seemed more complicated for Terrell and his immediate family. Two brothers and a little sister who was ten years his junior. He hadn’t seen any of them in more than four years now. Dakota suspected that Terrell got kicked out or ran away, but then his extended family—from his father’s side—had accepted him with open arms. Since the three siblings were now completely separated from this group, their talismans were being kept here, locked in a safe.

Quickly, the conversation changed to Eleanor’s progress on the talismans. Dakota tried to absorb and memorize as much of it as possible, but by the end, he felt overwhelmed.

What he did learn: The necklaces, which each had names, needed to be worn to work, and wearers seemed immune to their stones’ effects. Though everyone treated the items with care, the material proved extra-durable and never broke when dropped.

Emily’s milky white crystal talisman caused moderate snowfall. She was positively tickled by it, as this power meant she could go skiing more often, and there might always be snow for Christmas. The other twin’s necklace shut down all electricity in a radius anywhere from a few yards to about a mile. Traffic lights, houses, clocks, cellphones, cars. It didn’t matter if it ran on a battery, the local power grid, solar, or anything else. If it had electricity, it stopped working.

The other cousins sent or dropped off their talismans for inspection, happy to let Eleanor determine their use.

One caused layers of ice to form on any surface. Others “called” animals from the surrounding area to a given location. Once they were there, the creatures became enraged unless set free. When tested, cows and horses rammed their fences and stables, to the point of injuring themselves, in order to assemble near Eleanor. Wildlife found their way to her, as well. Raccoons, squirrels, and even a pregnant doe arrived and began foaming at the mouth. But when she released them? They acted as though nothing had happened and simply dispersed. Another talisman did the same thing, only for birds.

Terrell hypothesized that there might be similar talismans for reptiles, fish, and insects. He said he kept a list of possible stones in an attempt to understand how many existed.

Their food turned cold by the time they got around to talking about Terrell’s more mysterious piece of magical jewelry. Unlike the others, it only lit up in a marble pattern, as the rest of it looked opaque, and though they knew its name—”A’kash”—it really didn’t seem to do anything. Eleanor tried directing it at various kinds of materials. Outside and inside. In place of a person, she used one of their oldest—and most ornery—goats as a potential target. But nothing happened.

The twins thought it might be defensive, and Terrell liked the idea, but nobody lined up to be a guinea pig. “So, I was thinking I’d test the other three next,” Eleanor said with a measure of exhaustion in her voice. She leaned back in her chair, and the wood creaked. “Kenna’s is a lot like yours, you know. So don’t get your hopes up.”

Kenna? The sister?

“I figured you’d wanna be there,” she added.

“Umm, sure,” Terrell replied in a distracted tone. Dakota saw him rubbing at his knee. “Should be interesting.”

Eleanor rose to her feet and began collecting plates. They clicked together as she stacked them. Lorna and the twins followed suit, and Dakota pitched in where he was needed. By the time they showed him to his room for the night, Terrell had disappeared.