Autumn's Legacy

One Giving the place I’d called home for the last six years one last look, I climbed behind the driver seat of the rental truck. I pulled up Kelton and swung a right onto Commonwealth Avenue, well on the way to the next chapter of my life. One where J.T. waited for me at night—or at least on the days he wasn’t pulling double shifts. “I’m proud of you,” Dad said from the passenger seat. I glanced at him as I eased to a stop at a red light. I’d spent a good part of the last decade hating the man beside me. Mostly because of not understanding what he’d lost and sacrificed the night my mother died. Being forced to save the world and rejoin the magical community had changed my perspective and we were in a better place. One that involved him helping pack up boxes right beside me and moving them to the two-bedroom condo J.T. and I were now renting. I’d spent so much time at his place these last few months, it just made sense to share a lease. “It was time to move, anyway,” I said and pressed on the gas. He shook his head, a small smile flickering across his lips. “You know, I always liked J.T. I wasn’t always in on all the magic stuff when you were growing up, but I remember when you two first met.” His smile grew bigger. “You were maybe ten or eleven and you marched right up to him introducing yourself. Not as Ezri, but as the Savior. And he said, “I’m the Healer.” It was beautiful.” “I remember that too,” I said, smiling to myself. “Anyway,” he continued. “I’m glad you found your way back to each other. And I feel like I haven’t said it enough lately, but I’m so glad you’re back in my life, Ez.” “I am, too, Dad. And I’m sorry for shutting you out for so long. I was a stubborn kid who thought she knew what was best and what had actually happened when I had no clue. I didn’t listen when you tried to tell me ... I was wrong.” “I know your mother would be proud of the woman you’ve become, too,” he said, his expression going misty-eyed. I know she is. I hadn’t gotten up the nerve to tell him that six months ago, I’d communed with her spirit. Or at least a part of her magic she’d left behind for me. I also didn’t have the heart to tell him she was gone for good now, sacrificing herself a second time to save me and help stop the Order of Samael’s first major attack on my city. The rest of the trip to the new apartment was quiet, but comfortable. We’d settled farther from the city which meant a longer commute for the both of us. Although it also put us closer to Authority headquarters, a place I’d been spending more and more time at over the summer. It had taken a long time to convince people that they and their children were safe. The fact that only three months ago, a Whisperer named Lola Cox had easily snatched three girls in plain sight was not something that would fade quickly from the collective consciousness. Even though no other children had been taken the adults in the community weren’t convinced until I made my presence felt as often as I possibly could. I’d had a healthy hatred for the Order long before they decided abducting children was a good idea, but they’d turned into the Boogeyman for the magical community, looming around every corner. I’d chosen not to live in fear. I knew another fight was coming my way thanks to one of those little girls having a vision of the future. Her words haunted my dreams at night, not letting me forget that the world was once again asking more of me as its Savior. When Darkness reaches its height, and Death’s child reigns, the last of Harrow’s blood must flow forever more or the life blood of the world will be no more. Thankfully that time hadn’t come yet, and I could still prepare. I pulled into one of the two designated parking spaces for our unit and cut the engine. J.T. stood waiting by the front door of the building in a navy-blue t-shirt and dark black jeans. I honked the horn once and climbed out. He rushed forward, wrapping me into a tight hug and kissed my cheek. “I hid your Order conspiracy board so it doesn’t freak your dad out,” he whispered in my ear. “Thanks. And it’s not a conspiracy,” I laughed. “Mr. Trenton, good to see you,” J.T. said, directing his attention to my dad. “Been a long time, son. Now, I don’t have to remind you to take care of my daughter, do I?” “No, sir. Besides, Ezri’s pretty good at taking care of herself.” “I’ll just help with these last few boxes and let the two of you settle in,” he said and rounded the back of the truck. “Dad, aren’t you staying for lunch?” I called out just as my phone buzzed in my pocket with an incoming call from my cousin, Desmond. I was silently grateful he didn’t know my ringtone for him was “Call Me Maybe.” “I like take-out as much as the next person, but I’ve got plans,” Dad replied with a smirk. I let the implied jab at my cooking skills slide and answered the call. “Hey Des, please tell me the world isn’t ending.” “Not since last I checked. How’d the move go?” “Still in progress. Dad is helping,” I watched as Dad struggled with the hand cart, boxes tipping precariously to one side. “Well, he’s trying anyways.” “I heard that,” Dad said and disappeared inside with the cart. J.T. followed after him, leaving me alone. “So, what’s up?” I prompted, leaning against the hood of the truck. “Can’t a guy just check in on his cousin to make sure everything went okay with her first move in half a decade?” I could tell by the way his voice slowly inched up from a baritone to a tenor that he was stalling. “Not when it’s you. What’s going on?” “I saw the girls this morning. They’re doing better, but Neveah asked me if you’d figured out the prophecy’s meaning.” “I’m glad they’re healing. And no, no closer to figuring it out. I’ve poured over my mother’s books and even the Authority’s journals, but so far nothing jumps out at me. Maybe you can help me look through the records in the library after today’s meeting?” “Sure.” The long pause signaled that whatever else he had to tell me wasn’t something he really wanted to share. I was intimately familiar with those kinds of silences. They’d punctuated our first reunion in his office when I’d been forced to be cleared by him—the police department psychologist—to return to duty. “Look, I can tell something’s on your mind and I can also tell you don’t want to share it. So, I’ll just see you later, okay? I need to go make sure Dad and J.T. don’t decide to organize.” “See you later.” Desmond ended the call, leaving me to traipse up to the second floor with a pit in my stomach. The last time he’d withheld crucial information from me, he’d kept a videotape from my mother hidden away for a decade. Effectively letting me stew in my teenage angst when it all could have been avoided. It may be hypocritical, but I hated not knowing what was going on with Desmond. He’d put so much pressure on himself to work with Gabby Freeman, Carly Ramirez, and Nevaeh DeWitt, helping them conquer the trauma they’d endured at the hands of the Order. He swore he wasn’t putting too much stress on himself, but I didn’t believe him. I’d seen the price he paid for using his magic to dig into their memories. So many sleepless nights and how pale it had made him. I worried if he went too far, that he might break. Magic has a way of backfiring on the user when it’s overused. Just ask Lola Cox or Kayla. Their magic had literally turned them invisible, making them Whisperers. “Oh, I’ll take care of those,” J.T.’s voice carried from inside the apartment. “I can handle hanging up some clothes …” Dad’s voice trailed off and I swallowed the lump in my throat as I walked into the bedroom. Shit. Dad found what J.T. had dubbed my conspiracy board. “You weren’t supposed to see that.” I rushed forward, pulling the closet door closed. “And what is it exactly?” My default was to keep him in the dark about magic. However, he’d known the truth about our family’s secret long before I came along. He deserved to know exactly what I’d faced and what Mom had been sacrificed for. I opened the door again, pulled the poster board out, and laid it on the bed we’d already set up. “This has everything on it that I know about the Order. From when the Authority first recorded their existence to every time that I’ve crossed paths with them and all the players that I’m aware of.” The image of Jamison Taggart sent chills down my spine. “The more I know about their operation, the better prepared I’ll be to face this new prophecy.” Neveah’s words echoed in my mind again: ‘When Darkness reaches its height, and Death’s child reigns, the last of Harrow’s blood must flow forever more or the life blood of the world will be no more.’ “How can I help?” Dad crossed his arms over his chest—it must be an inherited trait, because I could swear it was me—and jutted his chin out defiantly. “I appreciate the offer, Dad. I really do, but it’s a magical problem,” I set the board back in the closet and scooped up clothes hangers, setting them inside so they obscured the board. “I know you want to do things on your own, sweetheart, but I’m here for you. I want to help. If it means protecting my daughter, I’ll do whatever it takes.” “It can’t hurt to get fresh eyes on what you’ve already looked at. Maybe a non-magical perspective will catch something we missed?” J.T. said, fixing me with a look that clearly said, ‘let him in.’ “Yeah, okay. I guess that can’t hurt. But I’ll have to dig them out of boxes.” I knew exactly what boxes contained my mother’s pilfered magical texts. Yet, I wanted to keep my dad out of the magical shitstorm that was surely on its way for as long as I could. “How about this? I’ll swing by in the morning, after you’ve had a chance to unpack a little. I’ll see what I can find then,” Dad offered. “Sure. That works.” I wrapped him in a hug, and he kissed the top of my head, like he’d done a million times since I was a kid. “I love you.” “I love you, too, Ez.” I didn’t wait for J.T. to turn off the car before I jumped out of the passenger seat and raced inside, up the staircase to the meeting room. Instinct told me Desmond would be waiting for me. I found him standing by the far windows, staring out at the scenery beyond. Avery, his girlfriend and my favorite tech whiz, stood beside him. She turned first and gave me a smile. “Hey, Ezri,” she said. “Hi.” I focused in on Desmond. “What couldn’t you tell me over the phone?” Avery nudged Desmond in the side, and he gave an audible exhale before he turned around, a broad grin on his face. “Don’t be mad,” he began, closing the distance between us. “But we didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it.” “A huge deal of what?” I demanded, my gaze shifting between the two of them. Desmond reached out and took Avery’s hand. My eyes followed the gesture, noticing a slim silver band on my cousin’s ring finger. “Shut up.” “Surprise!” Avery beamed, holding out her left hand to show off a matching band. “We went down to City Hall this morning.” “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting married, you jerk?” I pulled him into a bear hug. “Like I said, we didn’t want to make it a huge deal,” he repeated. I turned to eye Avery. “You didn’t want the whole church and reception?” “Nah. Religion’s not really my thing. Besides we’ll have a party later to celebrate.” She leaned in. “I told him we should have you and J.T. as witnesses, but he insisted we keep it quiet.” “What are we keeping quiet?” J.T. appeared in the doorway behind us. “Desmond got married without me,” I answered before Desmond could speak. “You know she’s going to hold that against you for the rest of your life,” J.T. laughed, but offered his hand to Desmond. “Worth it,” he replied. I stepped to the side and Avery followed me. “He was really worried that you were going to be mad,” she whispered. “I’ve never seen him as happy as when he’s with you. I’m thrilled.” Avery twisted the band on her finger. “Is there another reason you didn’t want a big wedding?” I gestured toward her stomach. “Oh, no. Maybe one day, but no, not now.” I mimed wiping sweat off my brow and she laughed. “I mean, it’s awesome either way obviously.” “It feels good to be part of the family,” Avery said just as the doors to the meeting room opened. Belladonna Montes appeared; the color drained from her usually dark complexion. I hadn’t seen much of her since her son, Adrian, died three months ago in an explosion. The same incident had claimed three law enforcement officers too. Part of me still felt responsible for not bringing her son home alive. “You need to come quickly,” she said, her eyes wide as she addressed me. “Something’s happened. Yvette Covington’s lost her magic.” So much for the world not ending.