Mongrel Chapter Two
Jul. 9th, 2013 08:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missmaryrLink: Chapter One http://missmaryr.livejournal.com/12831.html; Chapter Three http://missmaryr.livejournal.com/13637.html
Sometimes I thought about the encounter after the wedding, but nothing ever happened and eventually I relaxed. Summer slid into fall, the months going by placidly. Without Pops, my life became more predictable. I kept up with the store my father founded, a combination of bookstore and coffee shop. I volunteered with Meals on Wheels, the women’s shelter and a few other programs. I walked out to the lake. The days got shorter, and the weather colder. On a cold and rainy fall evening, I stared into the first fire of the season and sipped hot chocolate.
I lit the fire in the hope that it would cheer me up a little. Mellie called that day complaining about all the trouble it was finding a house and how I was lucky I was to have one. She and David were doing fine, and I hung up jealous.
Some time ago I came to the sad conclusion that like many other hybrids, I was sterile. I never met a man or woman I was remotely interested in bedding. I have a fair amount of friends and employees who I enjoy spending time with or working with, that I help out and that help me out if I need it. I had a hero-worship kind of crush on my band teacher for a while. Thank all the deities in the world he just ignored it, and I came to my senses in time. But that is not the same as lust. I considered discussing the matter with Pops if I ever saw him again, but I figured he would tell me that I never met the right kind of man because I needed to go home with him to find a decent husband. According to him, all my problems would be solved if I’d come home with him.
I heard a peevish banging on the back door. Well, speak of the devil, I thought, and yelled, “You can come in!” Instantly, he was there, drenched and complaining, before he snapped his fingers. Then he was dry. I hugged him and offered hot chocolate. “God, it’s good to see you!”
“I missed you too,” he admitted, in his wonderfully gruff voice, “and a warm drink would be welcome. He sat on the recliner and sighed as he accepted the mug. He was wearing his usual white three piece suit. He had the black hair, pale skin, and amber, slightly slanted eyes of my father, but Dad would not have been caught dead in a white three-piece suit. My father liked blue, and wore blue jeans as much as he could, something we shared. “I wanted to visit earlier, but several matters intervened and I could not leave. What has occurred in my absence?”
I told him about Mellie’s wedding and showed him the pictures on my laptop. He exclaimed over the ones of me in the bridesmaid dress, which made me laugh. “A lot of the guys at the wedding wanted to dance with me,” I said, “until I danced all over the best man’s feet. Then they settled for talking to me. “
“Have you spoken to any of them from that time?” he asked. He was trying for casual, and failing miserably. When I shook my head, he relaxed. Pops lived in fear that I’d marry someone he didn’t approve of. I wasn’t sure there was a living male who would qualify, human or otherwise.
“I’ve talked to Mellie a few times since then, and she’s happy so far. “ I couldn’t keep the wistfulness from my voice. “Looking for a house right now. So what’s going on that kept you from coming to see me?”
“We were required to monitor the students much more closely,” he said, and grimaced. “There’s always some gifted fool out there who thinks the restrictions don’t apply to them as long as they don’t get caught. “ In other words, I decided, they acted like typical teenagers. “The Red sensed one in this world, and could not find her. Now he’s determined to find her and any others who might be attempting the same little adventures.” He finished his hot chocolate and snapped his fingers, refilling his mug.
“Do the same for me?” I asked, and got a refill on my cup, too. What he provided had no nutrition value, including calories, but it had the taste of the drink. “What kind of rules are there on that kind of thing, Pops? “ I wondered what Dad risked for Momma and me. I glanced over at the fire and noticed it was about to go out.
I was comfortable and didn’t want to move, but I could see the wood and the fireplace just fine. I lifted a piece of kindling and laid it over the dying fire. When it caught, I added two pieces of small wood, setting them carefully, before putting a thick wedge of wood over all of them. I saw flames, and adjusted the top wood a little. Pops watched until I had it situated.
“Everyone except White Council members and the Red must file permission to leave, and designate where they are going or what they are doing. This is for their safety.” I nodded. “Most do cooperate with the rules. Your father did, until the last time.” He sipped his drink. “Students, however, are strictly forbidden to visit this world without a guide and go only to certain safe areas. Without good control of their power, how can they manage the dangers here?”
“So he’s hunting these students to punish them?” I asked. Pops gave me a startled look.
“Punishment? Oh, that’s not why he’s looking! The student impressed him with her ability to hide from him. We need to find the brighter children early and train them. There are so few of us who can understand administration. “He gave me the puppy dog eyes again. “That why I keep trying to get you to come home with me. You have run a business for years by being a good manager of people. We need you.” That was my Pops, never giving up, always with a new reason why I should ‘come home’ to a place I’d never been.
I looked at my mug and swirled the hot chocolate a little. “I don’t know how I could survive there,” I admitted for the first time, and glanced up at him. “I mean, Dad had a hard time because his power was limited. I don’t have any at all. “
“What about what you just did?” he asked, gesturing at the merrily burning wood.
“It’s not like your power,” I argued. “It’s rare in humans, but it’s still a human ability, like Mom’s curse.”
“Her telepathy was a curse because your mother was not as strong as you are,” Pops said. “Nor was Gregory.” We got quiet, neither of us wanting to start the familiar argument. He added, “It has been some time since I had a good meal.”
“Is that a hint?” I asked, but I smiled when I said it. “Come on into the kitchen, then. “I pulled out some of my homemade chicken soup from the freezer, and set a bowl of it in front of him, still frozen. “You never saw Mom and Dad together,” I said.
He snapped his fingers and the soup was liquid and steamed slightly. He started eating. “Very good,” he sighed after half the bowl was gone. I got him some oyster crackers to put in the broth. “I did not have the opportunity.”
I was censoring my response so we wouldn’t start arguing when I heard footsteps. “Hold on,” I told him. I did a quick check through the house, but saw nothing.
“What are you looking for?” Pops called.
“I thought I heard something,” I said when I got back to the kitchen. Then I saw the visitor. Unfortunately, I knew him.
“You did,” Randall Red said. He was still wearing the neon red jumpsuit. I started to bolt back into the living room and came up against some kind of invisible barrier. Pops stumbled to his feet with a look of shock on his face. “I was searching for Winston, “he said, looking at Pops “and I find my little student here as well.” The arrogant jerk leaned against my counter as if he owned the place. That started my temper simmering, and I welcomed the anger. It chased away the fear. “An explanation would be welcome.”
“I’m not a student, and this is my home,” I said. “Do you always barge into private homes without asking?” For wizards such behavior is extremely rude. “And don’t you guys ever change your clothes?” I realized I sounded like my maternal grandmother. The thought gave me some courage. Granma could face a mob down without raising her voice to a shout.
Pops cast me an agonized look. He looked like he was in the middle of a nightmare. Randall said, “Pops?” in an incredulous voice. “And if you aren’t a student, what kind of wizard are you?”
“I’m not a wizard of any kind,” I asserted, and crossed my arms
.
“Yes you are,” he said, frowning. He stood upright, his hands on his hips, and met me glare for glare.
“Please!” Pops said, holding up his hands, palms out. “Sir, Nadine is not a student.” I gave Randall a triumphant smile. “Nadine, this is Randall, the Red.” They looked at me in some kind of expectation.
“So?” I asked, rolling my hand in a ‘go ahead’ gesture. They looked at each other and back at me, lost. Somehow I was supposed to know what that meant. Through osmosis or something, I guess. “Red what?” I qualified, looking from one to the other.
“Did Gregory tell you nothing?” Pops asked in a strained voice. I haven’t seen him so embarrassed since he popped in my bedroom and found me dressing. That’s why he knocks before he comes in. I gave him permission to enter whenever he wanted long ago.
“He said he couldn’t,” I told him, exasperated, “because I’m not a wizard! And you haven’t told me squat, either!”
“You are one of our kind,” Randall said firmly. “I know power when I feel it, and I felt power around you.” He looked at Pops, whose face lit up in what I realized was relief. “I want an explanation!”
Pissed-off wizards are hazardous to your health, not to mention your property, and Randall was pretty upset. “Hold on and let’s discuss this like civilized human be-“I paused and revised that to, “civilized people. Pops, tea?” He nodded. I started putting water into the coffee maker I use to brew my own tea.
“Child, no,” Pops said with a pained look on his face. I sighed and put the carafe full of water beside him instead before I used my power to bring the pottery teapot down from the top of the shelf. I bought it at a craft fair from a potter who makes his wares by hand. A hundred-some bucks just for a pretty blue and white teapot, but Pops loved it. “It’s handmade,” he told Randall.
Randall looked impressed. “Very well,” he said, and sat down. I opened the cabinet without touching it and washed the small handless cups that went with the teapot by hand. The brand of loose tea Pops liked, the small cups without handles that matched the pot, and the rest of Pops’ tea making materials floated to the table. I wanted Randall to see just how minor my abilities were.
When Pops makes tea, it’s a ceremony. I have to admit that both Randall and I were mesmerized by the precise, orchestrated process. All of us were more relaxed by the time Pops gave us our cups. “Now,” he said, when we had finished our first cups and he poured the second, “we can begin. Randall, please meet Nadine, my son Gregory’s child by a human woman with unusual gifts.” Randall froze with his cup halfway to his mouth. He put it down with great deliberation. “Nadine, please meet Randall, the Red, who is the leader of wizard society.”
I looked at Pops and then Randall, before I took a deliberate sip of my tea, wishing it was something intoxicating. I had just been formally introduced to the most powerful wizard in existence. While I knew very little about wizard society, Dad did tell me stories that gave hints about his world. I knew that the most powerful wizard was the leader, because power and intelligence usually went together. Dad was a major exception to that rule, part of why he was so miserable in his old world and so willing to stay with Momma in hers.
My first thought was that I really needed to be more careful who I played practical jokes on. Then Randall looked at me with a smug expression on his face, and that set my back up. He might be a big whoop with the wizards, and he might be Pops’ boss, but he had no jurisdiction over me. I was human. “Pleased to meet you,” I said politely.
His face went to a neutral expression. “Interesting,” he said. “How did this happen?”
How I kept my face straight I’ll never know. “In the normal way, I expect,” I said. “You know, when a man and a woman love each other, they-“
“Granddaughter,” Pops said, and I heard the warning note in his voice. He gave me the same look Dad used to give me, when we both knew I was misbehaving. I huffed a little. Randall sipped his tea, but I think he was trying to hide a smile.
“All right then,” I said, “Dad was as clueless as you two are. He didn’t know he could get Momma pregnant either, but he knew I was his even before I was born.” They nodded, as if this was normal for wizards. “Besides, he and Momma fit. Like a key and a lock. Like pieces of a puzzle. Mom was a nervous wreck from the telepathy, and Dad was never sure of himself around people, but together, they could deal with anything. He muted her curse, and she gave him confidence. They were like yin and yang are supposed to be, perfectly balanced.” Even my maternal grandfather admitted that Momma made the right choice in her husband, eventually. I think I was ten at the time.
“So,” Randall said slowly. “Gregory was not dead, as we all believed, but in hiding with his human wife and their child.” He looked at me thoughtfully.
Pops said,” I did not discover this until five years ago. You know how long I searched for Gregory, before I told you he had died.” Randall nodded. “I finally felt a whisper of his power when I could act on it, and found him here. I intended to bring him back with me. He would not come, and we argued. Suddenly, he ran from the room, calling his wife’s name.” He took a deep breath. I was listening as hard as Randall was; Pops never told me any of this. “There was an explosion. I found myself back at my rooms. I knew that he was truly gone, and I told you.”
He bowed his head. I got up to fetch the dishtowel to me so I could wipe my eyes, remembering that day only too clearly. Randall’s face was serious, with all the fear and anger gone. They looked over at me. Randall propped his head on his hand, elbow on the table. “This is a difficult situation.”
“No, it is not,” I declared. “I’m already home. I’ve gone none of the power you guys have. End of story.” I stood up. “It was nice meeting you, Randall.” I stared at the Red, waiting. He did not move.
Pops sighed. “It’s not that simple, child,” he said sadly.
“It is from where I stand,” I told them. Then I ruined my hard stance by sniffing. “Dad told me,” I went on, gripping the back of the chair until my fingers hurt, “that if I had the power, he would have taken me to his home to learn how to use it when I was old enough.”
I could see him, in my mind’s eye, see his broken body, as he gripped my hands and used the last dregs of his strength and power to stay alive long enough to warn me. He wasn’t strong enough to heal himself, and even if he was, I knew he didn’t want to live without Momma. I already knew she was dead when I tried to call her in my mind and hit a blank.
“Right before he died he said not to go with his father.” I wiped my eyes again and blew my nose. “I might be a wizard-human mongrel, but without the power, I don’t belong in your world.”
Randall looked uneasy, and I figured I made my point. “I will need to speak to you further, but at a later time.” He stood. “Thank you for the tea,” he added, and was gone. I started to clean up the tea things, and suddenly they were off the table. I looked and saw that the teapot was back on its shelf.
Pops stood. “You’ll be back?” I asked, suddenly worried. He might be a pain in the butt, but he was the only relative I had left. Surely Randall wouldn’t forbid him to visit his grandchild?
“Yes,” he said quickly. “It will be easier, now that the Red knows.’ He hesitated. “Ah, you will be polite, at least, when he comes back? “ My heart sank at the “when”. Why were these blasted wizards so hard-headed?
“If he is, I will be,” I promised. He nodded and was gone. In the living room, the fire was down to dully glowing embers. I went upstairs and took a long, soothing bubble bath with music and scented candles. I needed it.
Randall paced the room. This one altered itself to the needs of the meeting, so now it was narrow, giving him room. When Winston arrived, the room became smaller and a sturdy table with two comfortable chairs appeared, just the right size for the two wizards. Satisfied, Randall waved Winston to the other chair. This level held privacy for the Whites, the council members, as the upper level did for Randall. With a wave, Randall ensured that only the gravest emergency would interrupt them. “When you told me of Gregory’s death, you said nothing of a child,” Randall said, an unspoken reprimand clear in his disappointed tone.
Winston’s shoulders slumped. “When I spoke to you I did not know. I did not find out until I went to bring Gregory’s body here, to give his energy to the Palace, and found her mourning.” He pushed his loss aside to lift his shoulders and his gaze. “Allow me to show you a picture my granddaughter treasures, and you will understand part of my hesitation.” He snapped his fingers, and a picture appeared on the table, showing a man with his arms around a woman, both looking into the camera with amused expressions.
Randall drew in a sharp breath. “Gregory was a Grey. But in this he wears blue. “Wizard coverings told their status and level of power. Anything they wore changed color to show that status. “What does the change mean? There is only one legend of a Blue I know of, and you know it can’t refer to Gregory or Nadine.”
“There is more,” Winston said, “Nadine always wears blue. Her close human friends, who know nothing of her power, tease her that if she cannot wear blue on the outside, she will wear blue underwear. My Red, I could not force Gregory back, and I cannot bring her. I have searched for information but find only hints. Were there more, I would have brought this to your attention and explained about Nadine. “ Pain flickered over his face, and he looked away. “She is all I have. I could not endure putting her at risk by asking for help if we could not protect her. It was better to say nothing.”
Randall studied the picture as Winston spoke. “She resembles her mother in many ways,” he reflected, taking in the brown hair and the shape of the human woman’s face. He noted to himself that the combination of Gregory’s amber slanted eyes and the woman’s facial shape made Nadine’s looks remarkable.
“Denise heard other human’s thoughts. Nadine calls that ability her mother’s curse. Only with Gregory did she bring that ability under complete control. “Again Winston jumped up and walked away from the table. Randall did not move. Then the White came back and created another picture. This one hovered, a ghostly image of a younger Nadine, her face tight with emotion. “Do not dismiss Nadine’s ability as trivial. When we first met, she held me with her power and I could not move except to speak.”
Winston was Randall’s second in command. Admitting that a child overcame him-yes, Randall saw how much it cost Winston to admit that weakness to his leader. “Meaning that you could not use your power,” Randall said slowly.
Winston nodded, still looking at the picture. “She is all I have left,” he repeated without looking at Randall.
“I need to understand how this is even possible,” Randall said. “I know how weak Gregory’s power was, and how his wits kept him alive. I supported his appointment to the library because he suited the job. But how could he bond with a human and sire a child on one? How did he hide himself and such a powerful child with you searching for him? I must get more information. ”
“I believe Nadine will tell you what she knows if you ask politely,” Winston said, a plea in his voice.
“I’ll be polite if she is,” Randall qualified reluctantly, and wondered both by he wanted to see her again, and why he did not want Winston to see that.
Sometimes I thought about the encounter after the wedding, but nothing ever happened and eventually I relaxed. Summer slid into fall, the months going by placidly. Without Pops, my life became more predictable. I kept up with the store my father founded, a combination of bookstore and coffee shop. I volunteered with Meals on Wheels, the women’s shelter and a few other programs. I walked out to the lake. The days got shorter, and the weather colder. On a cold and rainy fall evening, I stared into the first fire of the season and sipped hot chocolate.
I lit the fire in the hope that it would cheer me up a little. Mellie called that day complaining about all the trouble it was finding a house and how I was lucky I was to have one. She and David were doing fine, and I hung up jealous.
Some time ago I came to the sad conclusion that like many other hybrids, I was sterile. I never met a man or woman I was remotely interested in bedding. I have a fair amount of friends and employees who I enjoy spending time with or working with, that I help out and that help me out if I need it. I had a hero-worship kind of crush on my band teacher for a while. Thank all the deities in the world he just ignored it, and I came to my senses in time. But that is not the same as lust. I considered discussing the matter with Pops if I ever saw him again, but I figured he would tell me that I never met the right kind of man because I needed to go home with him to find a decent husband. According to him, all my problems would be solved if I’d come home with him.
I heard a peevish banging on the back door. Well, speak of the devil, I thought, and yelled, “You can come in!” Instantly, he was there, drenched and complaining, before he snapped his fingers. Then he was dry. I hugged him and offered hot chocolate. “God, it’s good to see you!”
“I missed you too,” he admitted, in his wonderfully gruff voice, “and a warm drink would be welcome. He sat on the recliner and sighed as he accepted the mug. He was wearing his usual white three piece suit. He had the black hair, pale skin, and amber, slightly slanted eyes of my father, but Dad would not have been caught dead in a white three-piece suit. My father liked blue, and wore blue jeans as much as he could, something we shared. “I wanted to visit earlier, but several matters intervened and I could not leave. What has occurred in my absence?”
I told him about Mellie’s wedding and showed him the pictures on my laptop. He exclaimed over the ones of me in the bridesmaid dress, which made me laugh. “A lot of the guys at the wedding wanted to dance with me,” I said, “until I danced all over the best man’s feet. Then they settled for talking to me. “
“Have you spoken to any of them from that time?” he asked. He was trying for casual, and failing miserably. When I shook my head, he relaxed. Pops lived in fear that I’d marry someone he didn’t approve of. I wasn’t sure there was a living male who would qualify, human or otherwise.
“I’ve talked to Mellie a few times since then, and she’s happy so far. “ I couldn’t keep the wistfulness from my voice. “Looking for a house right now. So what’s going on that kept you from coming to see me?”
“We were required to monitor the students much more closely,” he said, and grimaced. “There’s always some gifted fool out there who thinks the restrictions don’t apply to them as long as they don’t get caught. “ In other words, I decided, they acted like typical teenagers. “The Red sensed one in this world, and could not find her. Now he’s determined to find her and any others who might be attempting the same little adventures.” He finished his hot chocolate and snapped his fingers, refilling his mug.
“Do the same for me?” I asked, and got a refill on my cup, too. What he provided had no nutrition value, including calories, but it had the taste of the drink. “What kind of rules are there on that kind of thing, Pops? “ I wondered what Dad risked for Momma and me. I glanced over at the fire and noticed it was about to go out.
I was comfortable and didn’t want to move, but I could see the wood and the fireplace just fine. I lifted a piece of kindling and laid it over the dying fire. When it caught, I added two pieces of small wood, setting them carefully, before putting a thick wedge of wood over all of them. I saw flames, and adjusted the top wood a little. Pops watched until I had it situated.
“Everyone except White Council members and the Red must file permission to leave, and designate where they are going or what they are doing. This is for their safety.” I nodded. “Most do cooperate with the rules. Your father did, until the last time.” He sipped his drink. “Students, however, are strictly forbidden to visit this world without a guide and go only to certain safe areas. Without good control of their power, how can they manage the dangers here?”
“So he’s hunting these students to punish them?” I asked. Pops gave me a startled look.
“Punishment? Oh, that’s not why he’s looking! The student impressed him with her ability to hide from him. We need to find the brighter children early and train them. There are so few of us who can understand administration. “He gave me the puppy dog eyes again. “That why I keep trying to get you to come home with me. You have run a business for years by being a good manager of people. We need you.” That was my Pops, never giving up, always with a new reason why I should ‘come home’ to a place I’d never been.
I looked at my mug and swirled the hot chocolate a little. “I don’t know how I could survive there,” I admitted for the first time, and glanced up at him. “I mean, Dad had a hard time because his power was limited. I don’t have any at all. “
“What about what you just did?” he asked, gesturing at the merrily burning wood.
“It’s not like your power,” I argued. “It’s rare in humans, but it’s still a human ability, like Mom’s curse.”
“Her telepathy was a curse because your mother was not as strong as you are,” Pops said. “Nor was Gregory.” We got quiet, neither of us wanting to start the familiar argument. He added, “It has been some time since I had a good meal.”
“Is that a hint?” I asked, but I smiled when I said it. “Come on into the kitchen, then. “I pulled out some of my homemade chicken soup from the freezer, and set a bowl of it in front of him, still frozen. “You never saw Mom and Dad together,” I said.
He snapped his fingers and the soup was liquid and steamed slightly. He started eating. “Very good,” he sighed after half the bowl was gone. I got him some oyster crackers to put in the broth. “I did not have the opportunity.”
I was censoring my response so we wouldn’t start arguing when I heard footsteps. “Hold on,” I told him. I did a quick check through the house, but saw nothing.
“What are you looking for?” Pops called.
“I thought I heard something,” I said when I got back to the kitchen. Then I saw the visitor. Unfortunately, I knew him.
“You did,” Randall Red said. He was still wearing the neon red jumpsuit. I started to bolt back into the living room and came up against some kind of invisible barrier. Pops stumbled to his feet with a look of shock on his face. “I was searching for Winston, “he said, looking at Pops “and I find my little student here as well.” The arrogant jerk leaned against my counter as if he owned the place. That started my temper simmering, and I welcomed the anger. It chased away the fear. “An explanation would be welcome.”
“I’m not a student, and this is my home,” I said. “Do you always barge into private homes without asking?” For wizards such behavior is extremely rude. “And don’t you guys ever change your clothes?” I realized I sounded like my maternal grandmother. The thought gave me some courage. Granma could face a mob down without raising her voice to a shout.
Pops cast me an agonized look. He looked like he was in the middle of a nightmare. Randall said, “Pops?” in an incredulous voice. “And if you aren’t a student, what kind of wizard are you?”
“I’m not a wizard of any kind,” I asserted, and crossed my arms
.
“Yes you are,” he said, frowning. He stood upright, his hands on his hips, and met me glare for glare.
“Please!” Pops said, holding up his hands, palms out. “Sir, Nadine is not a student.” I gave Randall a triumphant smile. “Nadine, this is Randall, the Red.” They looked at me in some kind of expectation.
“So?” I asked, rolling my hand in a ‘go ahead’ gesture. They looked at each other and back at me, lost. Somehow I was supposed to know what that meant. Through osmosis or something, I guess. “Red what?” I qualified, looking from one to the other.
“Did Gregory tell you nothing?” Pops asked in a strained voice. I haven’t seen him so embarrassed since he popped in my bedroom and found me dressing. That’s why he knocks before he comes in. I gave him permission to enter whenever he wanted long ago.
“He said he couldn’t,” I told him, exasperated, “because I’m not a wizard! And you haven’t told me squat, either!”
“You are one of our kind,” Randall said firmly. “I know power when I feel it, and I felt power around you.” He looked at Pops, whose face lit up in what I realized was relief. “I want an explanation!”
Pissed-off wizards are hazardous to your health, not to mention your property, and Randall was pretty upset. “Hold on and let’s discuss this like civilized human be-“I paused and revised that to, “civilized people. Pops, tea?” He nodded. I started putting water into the coffee maker I use to brew my own tea.
“Child, no,” Pops said with a pained look on his face. I sighed and put the carafe full of water beside him instead before I used my power to bring the pottery teapot down from the top of the shelf. I bought it at a craft fair from a potter who makes his wares by hand. A hundred-some bucks just for a pretty blue and white teapot, but Pops loved it. “It’s handmade,” he told Randall.
Randall looked impressed. “Very well,” he said, and sat down. I opened the cabinet without touching it and washed the small handless cups that went with the teapot by hand. The brand of loose tea Pops liked, the small cups without handles that matched the pot, and the rest of Pops’ tea making materials floated to the table. I wanted Randall to see just how minor my abilities were.
When Pops makes tea, it’s a ceremony. I have to admit that both Randall and I were mesmerized by the precise, orchestrated process. All of us were more relaxed by the time Pops gave us our cups. “Now,” he said, when we had finished our first cups and he poured the second, “we can begin. Randall, please meet Nadine, my son Gregory’s child by a human woman with unusual gifts.” Randall froze with his cup halfway to his mouth. He put it down with great deliberation. “Nadine, please meet Randall, the Red, who is the leader of wizard society.”
I looked at Pops and then Randall, before I took a deliberate sip of my tea, wishing it was something intoxicating. I had just been formally introduced to the most powerful wizard in existence. While I knew very little about wizard society, Dad did tell me stories that gave hints about his world. I knew that the most powerful wizard was the leader, because power and intelligence usually went together. Dad was a major exception to that rule, part of why he was so miserable in his old world and so willing to stay with Momma in hers.
My first thought was that I really needed to be more careful who I played practical jokes on. Then Randall looked at me with a smug expression on his face, and that set my back up. He might be a big whoop with the wizards, and he might be Pops’ boss, but he had no jurisdiction over me. I was human. “Pleased to meet you,” I said politely.
His face went to a neutral expression. “Interesting,” he said. “How did this happen?”
How I kept my face straight I’ll never know. “In the normal way, I expect,” I said. “You know, when a man and a woman love each other, they-“
“Granddaughter,” Pops said, and I heard the warning note in his voice. He gave me the same look Dad used to give me, when we both knew I was misbehaving. I huffed a little. Randall sipped his tea, but I think he was trying to hide a smile.
“All right then,” I said, “Dad was as clueless as you two are. He didn’t know he could get Momma pregnant either, but he knew I was his even before I was born.” They nodded, as if this was normal for wizards. “Besides, he and Momma fit. Like a key and a lock. Like pieces of a puzzle. Mom was a nervous wreck from the telepathy, and Dad was never sure of himself around people, but together, they could deal with anything. He muted her curse, and she gave him confidence. They were like yin and yang are supposed to be, perfectly balanced.” Even my maternal grandfather admitted that Momma made the right choice in her husband, eventually. I think I was ten at the time.
“So,” Randall said slowly. “Gregory was not dead, as we all believed, but in hiding with his human wife and their child.” He looked at me thoughtfully.
Pops said,” I did not discover this until five years ago. You know how long I searched for Gregory, before I told you he had died.” Randall nodded. “I finally felt a whisper of his power when I could act on it, and found him here. I intended to bring him back with me. He would not come, and we argued. Suddenly, he ran from the room, calling his wife’s name.” He took a deep breath. I was listening as hard as Randall was; Pops never told me any of this. “There was an explosion. I found myself back at my rooms. I knew that he was truly gone, and I told you.”
He bowed his head. I got up to fetch the dishtowel to me so I could wipe my eyes, remembering that day only too clearly. Randall’s face was serious, with all the fear and anger gone. They looked over at me. Randall propped his head on his hand, elbow on the table. “This is a difficult situation.”
“No, it is not,” I declared. “I’m already home. I’ve gone none of the power you guys have. End of story.” I stood up. “It was nice meeting you, Randall.” I stared at the Red, waiting. He did not move.
Pops sighed. “It’s not that simple, child,” he said sadly.
“It is from where I stand,” I told them. Then I ruined my hard stance by sniffing. “Dad told me,” I went on, gripping the back of the chair until my fingers hurt, “that if I had the power, he would have taken me to his home to learn how to use it when I was old enough.”
I could see him, in my mind’s eye, see his broken body, as he gripped my hands and used the last dregs of his strength and power to stay alive long enough to warn me. He wasn’t strong enough to heal himself, and even if he was, I knew he didn’t want to live without Momma. I already knew she was dead when I tried to call her in my mind and hit a blank.
“Right before he died he said not to go with his father.” I wiped my eyes again and blew my nose. “I might be a wizard-human mongrel, but without the power, I don’t belong in your world.”
Randall looked uneasy, and I figured I made my point. “I will need to speak to you further, but at a later time.” He stood. “Thank you for the tea,” he added, and was gone. I started to clean up the tea things, and suddenly they were off the table. I looked and saw that the teapot was back on its shelf.
Pops stood. “You’ll be back?” I asked, suddenly worried. He might be a pain in the butt, but he was the only relative I had left. Surely Randall wouldn’t forbid him to visit his grandchild?
“Yes,” he said quickly. “It will be easier, now that the Red knows.’ He hesitated. “Ah, you will be polite, at least, when he comes back? “ My heart sank at the “when”. Why were these blasted wizards so hard-headed?
“If he is, I will be,” I promised. He nodded and was gone. In the living room, the fire was down to dully glowing embers. I went upstairs and took a long, soothing bubble bath with music and scented candles. I needed it.
Randall paced the room. This one altered itself to the needs of the meeting, so now it was narrow, giving him room. When Winston arrived, the room became smaller and a sturdy table with two comfortable chairs appeared, just the right size for the two wizards. Satisfied, Randall waved Winston to the other chair. This level held privacy for the Whites, the council members, as the upper level did for Randall. With a wave, Randall ensured that only the gravest emergency would interrupt them. “When you told me of Gregory’s death, you said nothing of a child,” Randall said, an unspoken reprimand clear in his disappointed tone.
Winston’s shoulders slumped. “When I spoke to you I did not know. I did not find out until I went to bring Gregory’s body here, to give his energy to the Palace, and found her mourning.” He pushed his loss aside to lift his shoulders and his gaze. “Allow me to show you a picture my granddaughter treasures, and you will understand part of my hesitation.” He snapped his fingers, and a picture appeared on the table, showing a man with his arms around a woman, both looking into the camera with amused expressions.
Randall drew in a sharp breath. “Gregory was a Grey. But in this he wears blue. “Wizard coverings told their status and level of power. Anything they wore changed color to show that status. “What does the change mean? There is only one legend of a Blue I know of, and you know it can’t refer to Gregory or Nadine.”
“There is more,” Winston said, “Nadine always wears blue. Her close human friends, who know nothing of her power, tease her that if she cannot wear blue on the outside, she will wear blue underwear. My Red, I could not force Gregory back, and I cannot bring her. I have searched for information but find only hints. Were there more, I would have brought this to your attention and explained about Nadine. “ Pain flickered over his face, and he looked away. “She is all I have. I could not endure putting her at risk by asking for help if we could not protect her. It was better to say nothing.”
Randall studied the picture as Winston spoke. “She resembles her mother in many ways,” he reflected, taking in the brown hair and the shape of the human woman’s face. He noted to himself that the combination of Gregory’s amber slanted eyes and the woman’s facial shape made Nadine’s looks remarkable.
“Denise heard other human’s thoughts. Nadine calls that ability her mother’s curse. Only with Gregory did she bring that ability under complete control. “Again Winston jumped up and walked away from the table. Randall did not move. Then the White came back and created another picture. This one hovered, a ghostly image of a younger Nadine, her face tight with emotion. “Do not dismiss Nadine’s ability as trivial. When we first met, she held me with her power and I could not move except to speak.”
Winston was Randall’s second in command. Admitting that a child overcame him-yes, Randall saw how much it cost Winston to admit that weakness to his leader. “Meaning that you could not use your power,” Randall said slowly.
Winston nodded, still looking at the picture. “She is all I have left,” he repeated without looking at Randall.
“I need to understand how this is even possible,” Randall said. “I know how weak Gregory’s power was, and how his wits kept him alive. I supported his appointment to the library because he suited the job. But how could he bond with a human and sire a child on one? How did he hide himself and such a powerful child with you searching for him? I must get more information. ”
“I believe Nadine will tell you what she knows if you ask politely,” Winston said, a plea in his voice.
“I’ll be polite if she is,” Randall qualified reluctantly, and wondered both by he wanted to see her again, and why he did not want Winston to see that.
