The Familiar (17 page)

25

When we get back to the campsite, Louise and Samir are in the lagoon playing chicken. Louise sits on his shoulders unsteadily, wobbling from side to side as she attempts to topple another pair. She’s laughing hysterically, as Samir desperately tries to keep his balance. We approach, trying to look as normal as possible. I keep staring at Akiko’s perfectly healed ankle, amazed and shocked at what I’d done.

Though Akiko looks casual enough, I know by staring deep into her eyes that she’s shell-shocked. “Hey, guys… Looks like fun,” she says, her voice wavering slightly at the end.

Louise splashes some water our direction. “Come on in! The water is amazing.”

Samir suddenly loses his footing, and they both go tumbling underwater. A few seconds later, they surface, sputtering water as they laugh.

“Okay, we’ll go change into our suits,” I say, even though I’m lying. I signal Akiko with my eyes.

Akiko smiles awkwardly, shuffling her feet from side to side. “Uh, yeah, I’ll go change. Be back in a few.”

We manage to get away without rousing suspicion, and once we’re far enough, we split up without saying a word. It’s obvious that the incident has us both wanting to be alone. When I arrive at my pod, I close the door and sit down, taking deep uneven breaths. I’ve never had a panic attack, but I imagine it must feel something like this. I lie down and try to relax, closing my throbbing eyes and doing my best to tune out the thoughts in my head. I’m really tired, like the energy’s been drained out of my body. My limbs, especially my arms and hands feel limp, almost numb. I slowly drift, my body shutting down, all my senses fading until I pass out cold.

It doesn’t feel like I’ve been out for that long, when I feel Louise shaking me gently. “Hazel? Hazel? Wake-up! It’s almost time for dinner.”

My eyes flutter open, and sit up groggily. “Really? It’s nighttime already? I can’t believe I slept that long.”

“Geez, that hike must have been rough,” she says with a slightly raised eyebrow.

I nod, feeling kind of guilty about lying to her. “Yeah, I guess I must be more out of shape than I thought.”

I wipe the sleep from my eyes, and pull my hair up sloppily. When I stand, I feel my muscles spasm, and realize that I’m still not fully recuperated.

Outside there are several bonfires roaring throughout the site. The smell of hotdogs and beans makes my nostrils tingle and I follow the scent, hoping that a warm meal will bring back my strength.

As we approach the largest of the bonfires, Maya points out a platter on the buffet table. “There are some soy-dogs over there, and the beans are vegetarian,” she says, the flames crackling behind her.

I smile back appreciatively, feeling my stomach grumble. “Thanks, I’m starving.”

I serve myself three soy-dogs with buns, mustard and a heaping pile of beans, the sticky sweet sauce glistening on my plate. Akiko and Samir are sitting cozily on a log, their empty plates on the floor in front of their feet. The smell of hot cocoa lingers in the air, creating an odd but not totally unpleasant smell of chocolaty hot dogs.

Akiko looks up at me, as she cautiously sips her cocoa. “You okay, Hazel?”

“I’m fine… Just tired, that’s all.”

I stare at her ankle again in disbelief. Akiko catches me, grinning and wiggling her ankle in circles.

“You guys up for some S’mores after dinner?” asks Louise, before greedily biting into her ketchup covered hot dog.

Samir chuckles. “Seriously, do you really have to ask?”

As I sit with my friends by the blazing fire, enjoying my food, and trying my best to joke around, laughing and giggling with them, I can’t help but internalize everything. It’s a constant battle to push what happened to the back of my mind. I feel myself trapped in a cycle. I’m thinking too much. Thinking about my powers, and if they’re anything at all like Mom’s, who I should trust, what this all means for my training, and then I get overwhelmed and have to force it all out of my mind. I leave it alone and enjoy myself, then something reminds me and I run through all the questions again. I finally push my worries aside one last time and decide to enjoy the rest of the camping trip as much as possible.

After we’re done eating, we join the rest of the group around the largest bonfire. There are logs surrounding it, and a table filled with all the ingredients for S’mores. I grab a long stick, and poke several fat, fluffy marshmallows on the tip. I find an opening by fire and slowly roast my marshmallows over the coals.

When we’re done stuffing ourselves with the gooey confections, chins and fingers sticky, we huddle around the fire, and warm our hands with mugs of hot cocoa. Even though it’s still summer, there is a slight chill in the air, the kind that catches you by surprise, leaving goose flesh all over your bare skin. As I finish off my cocoa, I shiver, then yawn, feeling exhausted again, and ready to curl up in my cozy pod.

“I think I’m going to hit the sack.”

Samir looks disappointed. “Already? I thought we would stay up all night scaring each other with creepy stories.”

“Don’t worry big bro, I’ll stay up with you as long as you get me another hot cocoa… with marshmallows please,” says Akiko.

“I think I’ll join you,” says Louise to me, standing while stifling a yawn.

We walk back to our pod, which is glowing like a firefly in the night sky. When we get inside, the LED lights illuminate the room, making it bright enough to navigate the pod. I change into leggings and a sweatshirt, then crawl into the soft sleeping compartment. Louise does the same, and pulls the blanket up to her chin. We lie there silently for a few minutes, enjoying the stillness.

I stare at the ceiling of our pod, and notice a shiny silver button almost directly above my head. “I wonder what this is for?”

Louise looks up. “I’ve got one too.”

We stretch our arms out, simultaneously reaching for the buttons. When we press down, there’s soft
whir
as we wait for something to happen. Suddenly, the white ceiling starts turning translucent, and within a few seconds, it’s as clear as glass, revealing the night sky and the millions of twinkling stars above us.

Louise looks up in awe. “Wow. Is this not the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?”

I’m feeling wide-awake now, as the stars shine down on us.

“Louise, I don’t want to, I don’t know, bring up bad memories or anything like that, but I’d really like to know more about how your parents died…”

Louise pauses, and takes a deep breath. “Sure, don’t worry, I understand… Well, it all pretty much started with my grandfather Lyle. He was chosen by your grandmother Celestina to be her familiar. Eventually, she grew into a powerful witch, and the Council took notice. They recruited her to join them and she accepted. After ten years, my grandfather chose to stay on with her, even though his obligation was fulfilled.”

“You mean we only have to be someone’s familiar for ten years?” I interrupt.

Louise turns to look at me. “Yes, I mean we’re not slaves or anything. When we finish our contract, it’s our choice to stay or go. Some choose to start a career, some get married and have children, but others such as my grandfather, stay on for the rest of their lives… Either way, a familiar will always be connected to their witch or wizard for life.”

“Huh. That’s interesting. I had no idea. So, okay, your grandfather was able to have a family even though he continued on as my grandmother’s familiar?”

“Well yeah. Anyone that stays on is encouraged to start a family. Continuing the bloodlines is important to ensure that the shape-shifter populations don’t dwindle or die out completely. My grandmother and my parents lived with Celestina. And I think because of that my parents, in a way, felt like Celestina was a second mom to them,” she explains. I feel envious hearing her story, knowing that I will never get a chance to know my grandmother.

She continues, “So after your mom disappeared, Celestina became really distraught, and she started getting weaker, losing more and more of her powers every day. Oh and I should mention that by then, both of my parents had already moved on, becoming familiars for other witches. But they decided to take a leave of absence when Celestina got sick. Around the same time, my grandfather also became rather frail.”

“So what happened next?” I ask, wrapped up in the story.

“One night, Celestina asked my parents to accompany her on her nightly walk through the gardens. An hour or so went by and when they didn’t return, my grandfather got worried and went out to look for them. By the time he found them in the rose garden, they were already dead. My parents’ bodies were covering Celestina, so the theory is that someone tried to attack her, and they jumped in front to protect her. It’s possible she died from a heart attack, or from shock, but no one really knows. To this day, I can’t stand the smell of roses,” she says sadly.

I’m stunned, as I make an effort to absorb everything she’s told me. “So what happened to your grandfather?”

“He and my grandmother, Abigail, both died within a year of the incident,” she explains.

I stare at Louise, amazed by her composure.

“I’m sorry about everything that happened, Louise.”

“I was just a baby, Hazel. I mean of course it’s sad, and I wish I had gotten to know my parents, but I did have a happy childhood. I understand that they died for a reason, and I choose to celebrate that they died heroically, rather than dwelling on the sadness of it all,” says Louise, giving me a reassuring smile. Her smile doesn’t show me happiness, but something else. Contentment. Her eyes look peaceful and soft, like she’s had time to recover from the unimaginable loss.

“I think you probably take after your parents more than you’ll ever know,” I say, yawning sleepily.

“Thanks, Hazel. Well, we really better go to sleep now, I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be a full day…Goodnight.” she says, curling up under her blankets.

I stay awake for a while longer, mesmerized by the stars and wondering if this is the life I’m really meant to be living. As I begin losing consciousness, I hear Mom calling my name softly.

“Hazel… Hazel… Can you hear me?” I open my eyes, and I’m standing in a bright white room. I see her almost floating in the midst of it, looking so lifelike that I’m having doubts as to whether it’s a dream or reality.

I walk towards her, and she smiles radiantly. Her long hair is draped over a simple white cotton dress.

“Mom? Is that really you?”

“Yes, it’s me. You’re dreaming, Hazel, but it really is me,” she replies.

I feel deeply confused, but decide to just go with it. “What are you doing here? And how are you in my dream?”

She holds my hand. “Come. Let’s go for a walk.”

We take a few steps in silence, until I hear the sound of waves, and suddenly we’re walking down my favorite beach in Safe Harbor. She sees the joyful look on my face and smiles. “I figured you were a bit homesick.”

It all feels so real, even the sensation of the sand on my bare feet.

“Seriously, Mom… How are you doing this?”

“Dream manipulation. It’s usually a difficult power to master, and to be honest, this is one of the few times I’ve been successful. It probably has something to do with you being my daughter,” she explains.

I stare at the waves as they wash up on the beach. “Okay, I guess that kind of makes sense. But why
are
you here? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond happy to see you, but I have a feeling this isn’t just dropping in to say hello.”

“Well, I felt that you needed me. It must be a mother’s intuition,” she explains, holding my hand like she did when I was a little girl.

I stop walking, and study the scenery, realizing that it’s devoid of any fishing boats, or seagulls. In fact we are the lone inhabitants of this dreamscape.

“Your instincts were right,” I say softly, scared of the words that will be coming out of my mouth next.

“Some things have been happening, things I think are just beyond my own control, Mom… To be honest, I don’t really know what to do.”

She pulls me close, and embraces me. I feel safe, like nothing can hurt me. I pull away not because I want to, but because I feel like I have to look her in the eye when I tell her.

“Mom, I think… I might also be… a witch.”

She stares at me without saying a word. She seems beyond shocked, and it takes a long minute before she responds.

“What do you mean?”

I breathe deeply, trying to remain calm.

“Remember when you healed the cuts and bruises on my legs? Well… I did the same thing today. Akiko’s ankle was completely mangled. She fell in between some rocks and it was just so bad, Mom. The bone was literally sticking out of her flesh.”

“How did you know what to do? I mean, the power to heal requires some training and experience,” she says, shaking her head in disbelief.

I feel anxious, and my head starts to throb.

“I don’t know, Mom. I just put my hands over her wounds, hoping to do something to help ease her pain, and just like that, her ankle was healed. It was like the injury was never even there…”

She’s silent, and I can almost hear her thinking.

“Okay, so are there any other signs? Has anything else out of the ordinary happened?”

“Yes. I was able to access someone’s memory during a training exercise. I really don’t know how it happened,” I admit.

“Hazel, if all of this is true, that means you’re a hybrid, a true hybrid, a descendant of a witch and familiar who inherits both powers equally. I’ve never really thought it was truly possible,” she says skeptically.

“The things you’re describing are things most young witches aren’t even capable of pulling off.
I’ve
never even successfully entered someone’s memories.”

“What do you mean? You were able to share your memories with me. Isn’t that the same?” I ask, trying to make sense of it all.

She shakes her head. “No, it’s not the same thing. Gifting your own memories to someone else is easy. Most young witches, even while still in training can do this. What requires true skill is entering someone else’s memories without their permission.”