Jewel: The Beginning

PROLOGUE And this is why I avoid magic. I look around to see if there’s anyone else around. Of course there isn’t. I thought they said they were going to be here today, though. I look at him as I start backing away as he’s transforming. I feel for anything in my hoodie that might be useful. I find something. I give a quick sigh as relief floods me. I look around to see what I can put between us. That’s when I hear the howl as I look back and stare into his amber eyes. CHAPTER ONE: The Gift and Legend Jewel POV It’s October 29th, two days before my tenth birthday. My parents, Briana and William Rowena, are leaving to go on a business trip to London tomorrow morning and won’t be getting back until next week. Because of this, we’re having my birthday dinner tonight, and I’ll be spending the week with my mom’s brother, Glenn Casey, and his family. We had my favorites for Halloween; oven baked bat wings (chicken wings with black colored barbeque sauce), alien-green empanadas, and pumpkin shaped and flavored cake. I am totally about Halloween. If there were to be any holiday to have a birthday on, this is it. I love to get to dress up all fun (I’ve always have been a witch), have fun pretending being something I’m not, get all the candy I want, and getting all the presents too! Finishing my last bite of cake, I say, “thank you, mom, dinner is very yummy!” “Oh, you’re very welcome, darling,” Briana replied. She then asked, “Will, can you get the ‘you know what’ from ‘you know where?’ Thank you!” Any child celebrating a special day involving presents knows what that means. Extra bright-eyed and alert now, mom and I walk into our living room and sit on one of the couches. Taking the spot closest to the fireplace, which is the only source of light in the area, we waited for my dad. Mom handed me Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to read while waiting. Harry Potter is our family’s favorite books. Sometimes, I wish I were like Hermione and found out that I had magical powers, and my parents were muggles and would be shocked and proud of me. I feel smart like she is, too, so naturally she’s my favorite character. I managed to read the part when Hermione finished reading the Tale of the Three Brothers when dad walked back in. Out in left palm, he held a little box, the size of his palm, with orange and black striped wrapping paper, with a green bow—my three favorite colors; while holding a genuine smile on his face. Curious what could hold such a smile on his face, only ever seeing that in pictures of my parents' wedding and the day I was born, and marked my page, and ran to my dad. He grabbed me and threw me on his back in one swift movement, and we darted to the couch my mom was on. He put released me right next to my mom and sat on the other side of me. Once dad sat down, I opened the box. Inside the box was another box, a pink one with a baby with a bow and arrow, with a cloth covering where it should cover on the bottom half; it was Cupid. I took the box Cupid box out of the birthday one. “Um….why is Cupid on this box?” Dad replied, “We’ll explain in a minute, honey. Just open it and see what’s inside of it.” Curious even more now with the odd box was about, I take another assessment it. It looks like a little box where jewelry is held. Excited now, I open the box. There’s a ring inside of it. I grab the ring to take a closer look. It’s a white gold band with a black stone. On the ring, there’s this weird carving on it. The carving is of two arrow crossing, with both arrows going through a heart. The heart is gold with the two arrows being silver. I look at my mom, then switch to my dad, very confused. My mom relieves the awkward silence by answering my silent confusion, “When we were at the store, we saw it and fell instantly in love with it. We thought it would be a perfect way of showing you that we, the arrows, love you, the heart. We wanted you to have this so you could always remember that we love you.” “Mom,” I replied, “you both know that I love you already! But what’s up with the little Cupid on the box?” Dad replied, “The lady at the counter told us 'that legend has it', there are only two rings like that. Not just that they LOOK alike, but they are the same, just that the female’s box is pink and the male’s one blue. But when the boy and the girl that wears the two rings meet each other while wearing the rings, they are meant to be together. And when they first meet, it’d be like little Cupid had struck the two with his little arrows and that they would fall in love. However, the love is not just a crush, but true love. “In all honesty, we don’t care much for that part; after all, you’re only ten years old. But we thought we’d tell you because we think that it definitely could happen. And we would love to see that lucky boy who has it. She said she had someone who bought it, but never showed their face, spoke, or anything. So it’s a mystery whose boy has it. So Jewelie, what do you think?” “Honestly daddy, I agree with you two. I don’t care much about the love thing right now. Blech. But, I guess it could happen. What’s life without a little magic?” We all laughed for a minute. Then they looked at each other, but I didn’t care enough. “Well girlie, let’s pack you up for Glenn’s tomorrow, and let’s crash. We got to get you over there by 9 am. They invited us all for breakfast before your dad and I fly out,” Mom breathed after we finished laughing.