Fae Second Chance

Chapter 4 - Magic is Real

Chapter 4

I am magic, I am f*****g magic.  No way no how is this for real.  I am staring down at the printout the doctor handed me.  I asked him how he knew for sure.  He explained that there is some type of protein in the blood.  It’s a protein everyone has but the higher the count the more likely you are magic.  I remember feeling so lost, why hasn’t the government discovered this.  The doctor explained that they were looking for the big changes and missed this.  Apparently, the protein does not guarantee you are magic, there are some with very low counts that have significant powers and others with really high counts that are 100% pure human.  But for most of the world, the higher the count the more likely its true.

I am staring at my hand, hoping to see glittering lights or something.  Nothing is there.  I get up and look at the mirror at my face, still nothing I look completely human.  I pick up my phone and scroll to my mother phone number.  Should I call her?  Does she even know?  I haven’t spoken to her in over a year.  The last fight we had we so horrible would she even pick up the phone if I called.  I keep staring at the phone wishing it would make the decision for me.  Finally, I hit dial.

“Hello, Amelia, Is that you?”  My mom voice comes through the phone.

“Hi. Mom.  I just called to see how you are doing.”

“Oh dear, I am doing well.  I am so glad to hear from you.”  I hear her yell at my dad that I am on the phone.  “What are you up to, dear?” she asked.

“I am in Border City, right now.”

“Border City, what are doing there?  Did you leave John?”  I can hear the slightly hopeful tone in her voice.

“No, he got assigned here as his committee.   He is not here right now; the session has started.  I have a job, now.  So, I stayed behind to work.”

“Oh, Emmy, I am so glad you went back to work.”  Her voice is so happy. 

We talk about mandate items and never venture to the questions of my blood work or my relationship with John.  I say hi to my dad and then tell them I love them, and I will talk to them soon. 

My mom stops me from hanging up with a quick question, “How long is John out of town?” 

“Till the end of this month. Why?”  I ask her.

“No reason. Alright, love you dear.”

“Love you too, mom.” And then she is gone.

The next few days are a blur.  I take Jordan advice and stay home the next day with the excuse of food poisoning.  By the time I am back to work I am feeling a little more comfortable.  I spend the next couple of days refusing to ask anyone any questions.  The last thing I want to do is persuade them to do something they don’t want to do.  Jordan has told me she will help me learn how to control and block my gift.  I cannot wait. 

As five rolls around my phone rings, it’s my mom.  I answer it quickly afraid something has happened to them.

“Amelia, Hi it’s mom, dear.”

“Mom, Is everything alright?”

“Oh hush, of course, we just got in town and have checked into our hotel.”

“What hotel? Mom, where are you?”

“Border City of course, you know they have these travel packages for tourist to Border City.  It’s cheaper than it was to visit Las Vegas before the magic war.”

I hear my dad complaining that he hasn’t found one slot machine or dancing girl so there is no way this is like Las Vegas. She hushes my dad and continues, “We decided to stay in a hotel instead of with you, because you know, John, dear.” 

She then starts to rattle off what they have seen so far since arriving.  I am in complete shock.

Finally, I reply, “Want to have dinner? I can cook something.”

My mom exclaims that would be lovely.  I give them my home address and said I would expect them in a couple of hours.  As soon as I am off the phone with my mom, I call Jordan and let her know what happen.  She thinks there is a reason my parents popped in for a surprise visit and asks if I need some backup.  I agree and she said Peter and her would be there by 7.  I thank her and get off the phone.  I need to head to the store and prepare myself for a very interesting dinner. 

Around 6:30 there is a knock at my door.  I open it to find Jordan and Peter standing there.  Jordan strolls into my apartment handing me a bottle of wine.  “I figured you could use some help getting ready. “

Peter walks in behind her holding a 6 pack of beer. “For those of us who don’t like wine.”

I smile at him and thank him.  He waves off the comment and sets the 6-pack on the dining room table and grabs one of the beers. 

“Do you mind if I watch the game?  I am useless in the kitchen.”  Peter asks.  I tell him go ahead and walk into my kitchen.

Jordan is fluttering around looking at what I had completed. 

“So, what is on the menu?” she asks looking into the pot of boiling water.

“Chicken carbonara, garlic bread, and a salad.”

“What do you need me to do?” Jordan asks.

“If you can put together the salad, I will finish the pasta.”

She nods, “But, a glass of wine first.”

I agree and go to pull down the wine glasses as she opens the wine.

We finish dinner about 5 till 7.  A few minutes later there is a knock on my door.  I open it to see my parents standing there looking happy.  I welcome them in and introduce them to Jordan and Peter.  My mother looks Jordan up and down and my dad eyes the beer in Peter’s hand.

My dad is the first to speak, “Got another one of those?”

I start chuckling under my breath.  “Yes dad, Peter brought a 6 pack.”

Peter walks over the dining room table and grab 2 of the beers handing one to my father.

My mom, still looking at Jordan, ask, “Are you a dark fae, dear?”

“Mom,” I shouted.  I am looking very apological to Jordan.  She is just grinning and nodding back at my mother.

“Yes I am.”

My mother waves her hand at me, like she didn’t say anything rude or embarrassing.  “I have never met one of those.”

Jordan is trying her best not to bust out laughing. “Well, that make sense since we do not tend to live on the human side of the wall.”

“Of course, of course.  You are very beautiful for a fae.”

“Mom,” I shout.

“Thank You,” Jordan graciously accepts the somewhat compliment.

“Well, let’s get dinner on the table.”  my mom clasps her hands and announces.

I am grateful for the reprieve and usher everyone to the table.  We all sit down to dinner.  Dad ask Peter about the game as both men try to lean around us to watch the television.  My mom is asking Jordan about her job and her children.  I am grateful she is staying away from the topic of Jordan being dark fae.  The meal is social and actually really nice.  Normal even.  Finally, dad stands and ask if Peter want to join him to see the end of the game.  The men escape and we ladies settle into chat.

I look at my mom and begin the awkward conversation I know was coming. “So, why are you here mom?”

She grins and looks towards Jordan, “I am guessing with your guest here, you already have an idea on why I came.”

“Are we magic?” I lean towards my mom and whisper.

My mom folds her napkin and lays it on the table.

“My side of the family has always had gifts.”

“Gifts?” I ask.

“Yes, not like the magic you see today, but before the magic woke up some of the family could see the future, tell what people were thinking or feeling, things like that.  My sister was like that.  She could tell what was going to happen before it did.  She said it was more like a feeling.”

I am staring at my mother in disbelief.  I cannot believe she never told me any of this.  I barely remember my aunt.  I know she was married with kids.

“Well, she called me a few days before the magic woke up and told me we had to get out of there and hide.  I knew about her gift, so we went to her house to figure out what exactly she saw, but my sister and her family were already gone.  I never did find out what happened to them.”  My mother muses looking a little sad for a moment.  “I had always hoped they went into hiding and not picked up by the government.  Anyway, we went home and packed and took off for our cabin.  You remember it up in the mountain in Tennessee?”

I nod at her.  It was a sweet little two-bedroom cabin we stayed at during the war and would go to during vacation after everything settle down.  I remember right before the magic wars we were going to the cabin, we got into a car wreck, I was injured in the crash, and I had to go to the hospital.  My mom was so upset and blaming herself that she distracted my dad.  As soon as we could we checked out and left for the cabin.  The next day the magic ‘awakened’ and the world changed.

 My mom begins again, “I never had any gifts, but when the magic came, I was afraid they would come for us.  We did not change and still had no magic, but it was such a horrible time.  People turning in their neighbors and beating up random people in the street if they did not look remotely human.  Families were pulled apart because some changed and other didn’t.  We stayed isolated in the cabin for at least a year.  When we finally decided we were safe we headed home.”

We sit quietly at the table, the only sound it the whistle blowing and ball bouncing from the game on the television.  I am shaking my head.  My family had gifts.  Why did she never tell me? 

“Mom, I think I have magic.  I can persuade people to do things.” I lean towards her looking her in the eyes.

“Really dear, I don’t remember that being anyone in the family particular gift.  Are you sure?”  She looks up to the ceiling taping her chin with her finger.

“Ms. Black, your daughter is a light fae and I am guessing so are you.”

My mother leans back in her chair and waves her hand in the air, “Poppycock, we do not look like a fae. I cannot do anything.  What I heard about the fae is they can move things and turn people to zombies”

Jordan smiles at my mom, “Light fae do not necessarily have the ears.  They look completely human other than that.  And fae magic is more internal.  We can control things associated with people.”  Jordan taps her fingers on the table.  “We all have one significant gift like I can see a person creative potential, your daughter can persuade people.  But we can learn spells and such to do other things.  But our real power is over people.  That is why the government fears us so much.”

My mom studies Jordan.  She is neither scared nor angry.  I realize that my mom always suspected something was different about us.  She always tried to keep us separated from people. She was always protecting me.  She did not let up until I was in college when the world was back to normal, more or less.  I wonder how much about my life was a lie.

“Mom, can I really not have children, or did you tell me that so I would never get tested?” I am tearing up now.  My mom reaches over and grabs my hand.

“Oh my god, yes, that is true.  We were in the car, and I was talking to your dad, actually arguing, and then that deer jump out and he crashed into the tree.  You had this stick in your stomach.  You were so little.  We were terrified.  We rushed you to the hospital and they operated for such a long time.”  She is shaking her head.  “They saved your life, but the doctor said there was too much damage to your internal organs that it would a miracle if you ever had a child when you were older.  Your father and I did not care.  You were safe.”

Jordan is watching the exchange with tears in her eyes. She interrupts us, “So you never suspected you may have magic?”

“Oh, course I suspected with my family and all.  I was always worried someone would remember my mom or sister and turn us in.  But my Amelia here never showed any signs and was normal, so nothing ever got said.  I figured it skipped a generation or something.  When it was time for her to get the governmental birth control, I handed over her file from the accident and they marked her as sterile and she did not have to get the injection or ever need to be tested or anything.  I was so relieved. So, I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and forget about it.”

I wipe the tears from my eyes, “I was really upset I couldn’t have children.  I remember crying when I told John about it.  I figured he would dump me and move on to the next girl.  But he told me he loved me and that he was happy to not have to share me with any kids.  I figured he was fine with it because he wanted to go into politics and if he got tested and found out he had a high DNA count it would have put a stop to his ambition.  I always thought we would adopt a child, but it was never the right time”

Jordan harrumphs, “I bet he got tested in secret and found out his DNA count was high.  He was looking for a wife that would not require him to get tested for the record.”

I shake my head; I cannot imagine John would be smart enough to come up with that on his own.  His family may have thought of it, but not him.  But his brother is married and has kids, so I am confused by the whole situation.

My mom squeezes my hand and turns to Jordan, “So what does all this mean for my baby?”

Jordan suddenly straightens, slightly wiggling in her seat and then she becomes all manager mode, “Well she needs to learn to control her gift, so she is not unintentional influencing people.  Then I would suggest she tell her husband, but he is not a big fan of magic people, so I will understand if she wants to keep it secret for right now.”

My mom looks back at me, “What do you want to do?”

I take a deep breath, “I think I want to keep it secret for right now.  I do want to learn to control it, but I do not know how John will react and I want to wait to tell him.”

Jordan nodded.  She then decides it will be best if she trains me to start and we figure out a day and time we can meet.  Jordan then turns to my mother after everything is settle, “Do you want me to inquire about your sister?”  She asks.

My mom gets really excited, “Could you find her?”

“If she is on the magic side of the wall, I can probably locate her.  But if she was taken by the government or hiding on the human side, I won’t be able to find out anything about her.  And if she is hiding, I do not want to expose her.”

My mom nods, “That is fine, anything you could do I would be appreciated.”

Jordan smiles and asks for my aunt’s details jotting them down in a small notebook in her purse.

After everyone leaves, I am in my kitchen cleaning up.  I cannot believe what I just learned.  I had always though the stories of witches were a myth, but we found out that dragons and fairies are real so why not witches.  The best we could come up with is the fae keep some of their powers when the magic went dark.  They were the first witches.  As the blood got diluted it faded out or the person was left with only a gift or two.   It would be later explained as intuition and ignored.

My cell phone starts ringing, I pick it up and see its John.  I am not really in the mood to talk to him but if I ignore it, he will keep calling till I answer.  I answer the phone.  He tells me about his day and what went wrong.  He gives me the details about his upcoming project and when he is expected to fly back to Border City.  He tells me his misses me and loves me and then hangs up.  As I set the phone down, I realize he never asked about me or my day.  It was all about him.