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  I come from a mystical place. My life was in danger and I was forced to leave there. Once I told your father he struggled but loved me enough to try. When I told him that we must separate you and Blaze to protect you, his trust was truly tested. I could sense your power even then.

  We lived apart for some time but the strain of my story and our separation was too much to deal with. I wanted your father to have a normal life so I pushed him away so that he would no longer have to fight to convince himself of his love for me.

  After our official separation, I discovered that I was pregnant again. Sadie was born February 21, 1996.

  Sadie was sent to live with your Aunt Leah, your father’s sister. She, like your father, knows of my past but she somehow accepted the sacrifice more than your father could.

  A piece of my heart was lost when we split you up. I knew you all would be taken care of but it did not make it any easier, I assure you. We are not like other families. You are not like other siblings.

  It was and still is incredibly dangerous for you to know this information. Keeping you all separate was the only way to ensure that you were protected from the evil that threatened me and from a world that would not understand.

  My choices and actions may appear selfish and reckless but please believe me when I say I did it because I wanted all of you, I did it to protect you, but I did it especially because I loved you.

  Out of fear, I must be vague. Part of me hopes you never read this at all. But knowing Kate's powers of persuasion, you will. Your Aunt Leah can fill-in the blanks should you read this and want a better explanation than I can offer you. I imagine you would, her address is 147 Fourth Street, Atlanta, GA.

  I’m sorry. I love you.

  ****

  Chapter Three

  “We are going to Atlanta!” Kate screamed.

  Startled, I jumped to my feet but my quivering knees forced me to sit back down.

  “How did you…what is…” I struggled to form a sentence, any sentence.

  “You were reading out loud. Alex, you’ve got a brother and a sister!”

  “That story is absurd. Why do you believe it?”

  “Why do you not? It’s your mother! She’s not insane or a liar. Sounds to me like we need to get the rest of the story, don’t you think?”

  “Fine!”

  I offered no more rebuttals; instead I slipped on my shoes as Kate grabbed her keys and sunglasses. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, we sped down the driveway so fast the gravel pelted the underside of Kate’s Benz like a hailstorm.

  Kate and I spent the next four hours talking over one another, never acknowledging or answering the other’s questions followed by extended periods of eerie silence. As we turned in at the address scribbled on the journal page, I couldn’t decide if it was nerves or anger that had carried me thus far. Whatever it was it sure got us there fast.

  Hesitation was no longer a word in my vocabulary. I rushed to the front door of the house that I prayed held answers to some upsetting questions. Yet, my flip-flops were like concrete boots weighing my every step. My breathing accelerated to a dangerous level and a cloudy numbness overtook my brain.

  Within seconds of my knock, the door opened.

  I supposed I’d never taken the time to imagine what she must be like because the sight of her surprised me. Long-lost Aunt Leah looked nothing like most women her age. Her ivory blonde hair hung just above her shoulders and wispy bangs swooped across her forehead. Our eyes met, registering to my overwrought brain that we were the same height.

  The jeans and t-shirt she wore were nothing exceptional but she wore them well.

  “Alex, I wondered if you’d come,” she said, opening the door further.

  “This is Kate,” I said, gesturing behind me.

  Ready to get straight to the point, I walked inside without an invitation. We both knew the unreasonable conversation awaiting us so any further pleasantries seemed worthless and, quite frankly, fake.

  Her home emitted the same sense of comfort I appreciated in my own house. The décor was more contemporary than the country comfort I was accustomed to. If the mood to redecorate ever struck, I would lean towards her style.

  “So what’s the deal?” I asked, realizing now that it was, in fact, anger that was fueling me.

  “I had a feeling you would come sooner than later,” she said.

  “Is my sister here?” I asked in a high-pitched voice.

  Angry tones never seemed to work on me. For one, I did not find myself angry very often so on the off chance that that emotion bubbled up my body was not always prepared. I was predisposed to sounding humorous rather than irate.

  “I would have liked to explain everything to you and Sadie together but unfortunately she is out of town until tomorrow morning.”

  “Why all the secrets?” I asked as I picked up photographs of people I did not recognize from the coffee table.

  “You may want to take a seat,” she said. “This will sound bizarre.”

  Kate and I perched on the edge of the couch that sat opposite the chair Aunt Leah chose. Kate’s posture was rigid and her forehead was crinkled, as it had been for the past hour. My hands began to shake. My knees bobbed up and down.

  “I have a brother and a sister?” I asked.

  Aunt Leah nodded but it was clear that was not where she wanted to begin.

  “Do you believe in magic, Alex?”

  “It’s either that or Kate and I are hallucinating,” I said, showing her Mom’s journal. “The words appear when I open it.”

  “So you see, magic does exist,” she said. “Not so much here but there is at least one alternate realm where magic is the norm. Rachel...your mom, was born and raised in that realm until her life was threatened and her parents sent her here. That is no simple task, in fact, she said it was never done, but an exception was made.”

  “So you are telling me that my mother was basically an alien with magic powers?” I asked, wondering how far she intended to take the charade.

  “In a way,” she said. “Once she crossed over into this world, her powers were revoked to keep her hidden. She lost them and all contact with her world.”

  Kate had not said a word or moved an inch since we sat down. My urge to lose consciousness was overshadowed by my dumbfounded reaction. It was like my brain had forgotten the ingredients needed for a good, dramatic swoon.

  I could not move, although I was not sure where I was trying to go. No expression or action seemed adequate. Even if I had known what my next step should be, I would have been unable to follow through.

  “Let’s pretend for a second that you aren’t crazy and I believe this,” I said as I began to wave the journal in her face. “If her powers are gone how did she manage to hoodoo this journal?”

  Kate broke her trance long enough to halt my hysteria. She clutched my arm to stop me from wielding the book, and then returned her to catatonic state.

  “The powers unique to her were taken but magic is something the people of Haliwick, that’s the name of the realm, are born with and to remove all traces would mean destroying the entire person.”

  Aunt Leah was right when she said her story was absurd. Believing it would help explain the magic journal but it would not do much to confirm my sanity, or hers. I checked the expression on her face and caught an uncompromising look of truth in her blue eyes.

  “Why were we separated?” I asked.

  “Although your mom lost her magic and the chance of one child inheriting abilities is slim, multiples have a greater chance and are often incredibly powerful as a group. She knew of your powers, she could sense them. Separating you was the only way to ensure they would remain hidden.”

  “So you’re saying we have magic powers? Are you crazy?”

  “You have magic within you but whether it reveals itself is unknown. At least to me.”

  “This is a lot to process,” I said. “But I can’t imagine breaking up our family was the best option.”


  I managed to stand and pace, my vision became tunneled to my path. I could not imagine that any of Aunt Leah’s answers would suffice. The anger I experienced upon arrival turned into betrayal and the betrayal hurt worst of all.

  Granted, I would have had a difficult time believing the story even if Mom told it but the fact remained that she didn’t. Her secret, fact or fiction, tore my family apart and we had to wait all this time to know the truth. I had never been so disappointed in my mother.

  “It was to protect you,” Leah said as she grasped my shoulders to stop my pacing. “There are people out there who would harm you for your abilities.”

  “I can assure you I possess no magical powers,” I said, yanking my body from her grasp. “So there’s no need to worry about evildoers attacking me in the night!”

  “From what I understand the potential powers are dormant because you were all separated since birth and whoever was after your mother was so powerful your mom had to leave her world altogether, I wouldn’t be so dismissive.”

  “Am I asleep?” I asked, looking back to Kate. “This has to be a dream. Magic powers? Other worlds? Children who never knew their family because of it? Sounds like a movie plot to me, lady.”

  Kate let out a chuckle signaling that despite her glazed expression she was present and thinking the exact same thing.

  “Why do you believe all of this?” I asked. “My father could barely believe her, why do you?”

  “I suppose it is like believing in God,” she answered. “You cannot see him but you choose to believe or not to believe. Your father tried with all he had to believe her but the strain of their separation and his no-nonsense attitude made it difficult.”

  Faith was something I had been lacking as of late. Belief in a higher power was a bit easier to adhere to than magic. However, denying it meant never finding the part of me I had lost so for the sake of clarity and completeness, I chose the open-minded path.

  “But you gave up your life for this,” I said. “I mean, you raised a child and carried this secret around all these years.”

  “I don’t see it that way,” she responded. “I made a choice long ago and I have not regretted it for a second. I could not imagine my life without Sadie.”

  “Do you know where Blaze is?”

  “He, like your father, is an active duty Marine,” Leah said. “Last I heard he was serving overseas.”

  "Speaking of dear old dad, where is he?"

  "That's an excellent question."

  "You don't know?"

  "I haven't spoken to him in over a year. Our conversations became few and far between because of his service and our secret."

  Aunt Leah's head dipped down. Her shaky hand reached to meet her forehead but she dropped it into her lap, interlocking her fingers together. Our family secret had destroyed us all in one way or another. Aunt Leah could act positive all she wanted but there was pure sorrow in the tears that rimmed her eyes and sisterly concern in her trembling hands.

  "So he just likes to abandon everyone, huh?" I asked, angry again.

  I was finally uncovering the truth. The truth that I had convinced myself I never wanted to find. The truth was that my father, as a United States Marine, fought for our country but never found the time or energy to fight for me. Talk about a hero.

  "Elliott has never been very good at processing his feelings."

  "And? Neither am I but I don't run..."

  I stopped, realizing that that was not true. I did run. I had been running for the past few months—running by standing still.

  "But you fight when it counts, Alex," Kate said, finally joining the conversation.

  "The guilt nearly destroyed him," Leah said. "He had to miss yours and Sadie's lives. He had to separate from you kids and the only woman he ever loved and not for a reason that was even remotely logical."

  "Why didn't he just take them?" Kate asked.

  "He would have never done that to your mother. He checked in on you kids weekly. He watched you grow from a distance and through pictures that we all exchanged on a regular basis."

  Aunt Leah seemed to have found happiness in her family and helping to protect them, even if it meant never seeing them again. That was the path she chose. My father, on the other hand, was not as content with that choice. According to Aunt Leah, he buried himself in his work. Blaze was an adult and building his own military career, leaving my dad free to self-destruct—he accepted any and all assignments and volunteered for dangerous missions.

  “What am I supposed to do with this information?” Kate asked.

  “You? It’s my wacky family!”

  “My God, you have a family,” she muttered as she stood up.

  I was somehow thankful, at least, that the information was revealed when it was. The old Alex would have dwelled and pondered until she fell over and died of an aneurysm. The new me had nothing much left to lose. Trust and comfort and something to believe in were about all I could wish for…even if that something was downright ridiculous.

  “Yeah, that’s the weird part,” I said. “I guess we’re done here.”

  “I’m so glad you girls came by,” Leah said. “I know it’s a lot but you aren’t alone in this. I’m always here.”

  “I appreciate it,” I said. “How do you think Sadie will take this information?”

  “Knowing Sadie, she’ll be excited about it.”

  “Let me get Kate home before she strokes out. Thanks again for everything. I’m sorry I called you crazy.”

  “I thought the same thing when I first heard it,” Leah said, handing me a slip of paper. “Here’s my number if you need me. You girls be safe.”

  “Kate! I expected more from you,” I said as soon as the door closed behind us. “You’re the one who’s supposed to be cool with stuff like this, not freeze up.”

  “I panicked, okay? It’s not every day you hear that your best friend has magic powers.”

  “I don’t have magic powers.”

  “Are you going to try to meet them?” Kate asked. “Your siblings?”

  “Sure, I guess,” I said. “She wasn’t sure where Blaze was so I guess he’s just a wait and see.”

  “You’re handling this much better than I am,” Kate remarked. “Part of me agrees with your dream scenario. Maybe we are still at your house, asleep and dreaming.”

  We both knew that was not true. My life was forever altered and I had inadvertently included Kate in the hijinks. Logical thinking did not apply and thinking illogically was not a talent that I possessed.

  “What about the danger?” Kate asked after a long lull. “Your parents and Leah all went through a lot of trouble to keep you guys apart, there must be a real threat involved somehow.”

  “I can’t worry about that now,” I said. “Once the information is out there, we can all decide how we want to proceed. I can’t ignore the fact that I have a brother and sister.”

  “Alex Ryan, dare I say I’ve rubbed off on you? I say go for it! You need a little excitement in your life.”

  I pondered Kate’s observation until the gravel of my driveway crunched beneath the car’s tires. At times like this I appreciated the familiar aspects of life like the smell of coffee brewing in the morning or knowing every bump or dip in the road on the way to my house. I would take comfortable over exciting any day, but something was telling me that I was in for a hell of a summer vacation.

  ****

  Chapter Four

  Too bad I am allergic to cats. Aren’t all magical beings supposed to have cat sidekicks?

  I wouldn’t have a black one; that would be too stereotypical.

  Instead, I would have had a snow-white furball named George. After all, I was not the bad guy; there was no need for ominous. Surely no one could have ever found our duo threatening; George and I would have lived peacefully in our house in Knox.

  Grumbling at my useless musings, I rolled over to check the clock once again. 5:18 a.m. glowed bright red like some evil reminder that I had been
awake all night.

  I was not the least bit surprised considering the ridiculous information that we had uncovered yesterday. It was impossible to relax, much less sleep with my mind abuzz with inane ramblings and unanswered questions.

  Where was Blaze? What was Sadie like? Should I pursue them? Did they want to know me? Were they happy with their lives or were they searching for new ones? If I did meet them, how would they react? How would I? My father...

  With the help of insomnia and a heavy heart I had decided around 3:30 a.m. that regardless of how my life had played out in the beginning, the fact remained that I had family.

  I assumed that having Kate along for the ride would be more helpful than utilizing my typical method of processing matters on my own, which involved over-thinking the issue until it became another issue entirely, sometimes more than one.

  But, alas, Kate was just as blown away as I was. She tried to reassure me but had to leave before I was convinced. She had to visit her parents before flying back to Stanford tomorrow for an internship she said was “a big deal.” She promised to visit again before the fall semester started but not without several hundred-telephone calls to make sure she stayed in the loop. I promised to make her next trip much less interesting. She didn’t care for that idea.

  Poor girl expected to fix my broken pieces but instead left with a few of her own. Her last words to me were, “Shit happens I guess.” Not her most eloquent conclusion, but profound just the same.

  My startling family history was hard to process, but at least it distracted me from my grief about my mom. Through bloodshot eyes I surrendered to the anxiety that had kept me awake and fumbled my way downstairs to begin my day.

  I made a beeline to the coffee pot, desperate for a jolt.

  No wonder I can’t sleep. I’m a caffeine addict.

  Now was not the time for an intervention. Besides, there were far worse things to be addicted to. I stared into the glass as the source of my dependence streamed down, filling the pot with its dark caffeine-infused goodness. The machine rumbled and whistled and its aroma filled the kitchen. Lost in a trance, my thoughts wandered off in the direction of the supernatural.