Prologue
We stood before the tribunal pleading for mercy. We knew it would fall
on deaf ears but it was worth a shot. My father and I were facing
certain death, we each took huge risks in supporting my wife and mother
in their training but it was worth it.
My name is Izod Hammel. I am a grand wizard and president of the
Wizard's Council. My father is Ozmodias Hammel, a retired wizard who
himself was once president of the Wizard's Council.
We have spent the better part of four decades trying to change the old
ways to adapt to modern times. So far they have been successful but
there is always someone who fights back. That person was Lugar Lizaro,
my onetime friend who turned to the dark side of magic when he could no
longer master others on his own.
Lugar led a revolution to overthrow my changes. My allies slowly fell
one by one. Many were forced to resign in disgrace, others vanished
without a trace, and others were outright murdered. I was the last one
standing.
Lugar took no chances. He went after my wife and mother with virulent
rage. Two of the loveliest people ever to be born were snuffed out right
before our eyes, simply because they dared to try to learn magic and be
equals. Lugar had paid a lifetime's salary to every member of my
household to get them to reveal what we were teaching them, despite
centuries of loyalty to my family they all turned against us.
My father expected the worst and had a plan of action in place. As we
were standing before the council we were given time to prepare a
defense. This delay allowed us to slip our bonds and flee for our lives.
Lugar and the council didn't notice until it was too late. We were
already clear across the city and at the portal walking through before
their goons came for us.
There was a brilliant flash and we were gone. Before we could know what
happened we were standing in a strange place out in the middle of a
large field. The grass and trees were green, the sky was blue, and the
clouds white?
Where were we? How did we get here? And more importantly why did I look
like a young girl!
Chapter 1
I did the first thing that came to my mind, I inspected my body and
clothes. I had the body of a 12 year old on the cusp of womanhood,
dressed in a bright yellow sundress with long blonde hair pinned back
with a barrette. I was wearing a backpack filled with various books and
a small wallet.
It was warm out, the sun low in the eastern sky. It had to be dawn,
possibly summer or early autumn. I looked around and could barely make
out houses in the near distance. There was a road between the field and
the houses. I couldn't see much else, the woods were too dense on
either side.
I looked around for my father but only saw a woman. She was beautiful,
almost as beautiful as my wife. She had to be in her mid-30s, was well
built showing years of hard work.
I walked over to her. There was something familiar about her. She was
just starting to stir and gave me a loving smile as she saw me. She
immediately called out, "Izod we escaped!"
Dad? He had become female as well? What was going on here!
Dad...or rather this woman called my name again and said, "I know you are
scared and puzzled but I had no choice. It was either jump to these
bodies or die and I don't want you die."
There was a lot of sadness in her voice. She was my father, he had done
something that would be unforgivable in our culture yet he had saved
both our lives. I couldn't be mad at him, he did it out of love for me.
I walked over to dad and helped him up. He brushed off his dress and
hugged me. It felt strange to have another woman?s breasts brush up
against my small body but it felt right. My wife and I never made
contact, my mother never touched me. No contact of any kind was allowed
in our culture, everything was done by magic.
Dad explained to me what happened, "I set this shift up so that we could
escape to the one place in the multiverse that Lugar would never think
to look, the one place where females are only able to do magic. I chose
this life for us so we could escape and start anew, biding our time
until you could strengthen your skills enough to defeat him in battle.
Magic here is concentrated, mastering it here will mean your own powers
back home will be exponentially more powerful. I know you aren?t happy
at being so young but this is the only way for you to learn without
being noticed. Please give it a chance, I don?t want to lose you the way
I lost your wife and mother.?
I tried to be angry, I wanted to be upset. I couldn?t find the rage. He
had stolen from me my manhood and my life. Instead all I could do was
just embrace him and accept my fate.
He was now my mother and I was his daughter.
Chapter 2
We walked towards the town. It was larger than I expected, roughly about
20,000 people living in it. I saw a sign saying, "Town of Endicott,
incorporated 1693?. The place was called Endicott, by the cars it had to
be in Massachusetts. I found a map in a store and saw where we were, the
same place as the seat of our Wizard?s Council just called something
else. We didn?t actually travel anywhere, we just moved across barriers.
Mom and I found the house where our bodies lived. It was a little
rundown but it seemed large compared with the others on the block.
Inside there were multiple bedrooms, a dining room, a den, a basement,
and an attic. It was cute and comfortable. It was home for the time
being.
Even if I liked it I didn?t plan on living here forever. I wanted to
return home as soon as possible. This will have to do even if we had to
do everything ourselves without the aid of servants and magical items.
Mom and I sat down on the couch and had a serious discussion. She told
me all about female bodies here and what would happen to me shortly. She
explained she had to undergo the same experiences so I wasn?t the only
one experiencing the inconveniences.
One thing she had to point out was that soon I?d feel the irresistible
urge of males, that is if my mind acclimated fully to being female. If
not she would support me despite the social norms here looking down upon
same-gender relationships. I shuddered at the thought. I missed my wife
and could not picture any other person replacing her in my heart.
Mom explained that I would have to start school in three days. Children
were educated by a professional here, if it was found out that I wasn?t
attending both of us could be in trouble. I didn?t like the idea of
listening to someone drone on for hours a day but I didn?t want undue
attention brought upon us.
The biggest thing is that few if any knew about magic and of those even
fewer were able to properly use it. I had to limit my magical usage to
when nobody was around or during an extreme emergency. If someone found
out I?d have to use the, "forget-all? spell on them. Word getting out
that magic actually exists would cause mass panic and would result in
our deaths at the hands of angry and fearful crowds.
Mom let me soak up the information. It was a lot to take in, especially
regarding my body. It felt wrong and sickening but it was what females
had to endure here. I felt sorry for them, they deserve praise for
dealing with it.
I asked mom how she knew so much about this place. Mom got quiet and
mumbled, "Your mom loved it here.? I can see why, it was a place of
empowerment- literally. Mom was a great woman and she would have done
great things had she not been murdered by Lugar.
Mom turned on the television to allow me to get acclimated to the pop
culture of children "my age?. This wasn?t so bad, I found this
entertaining and time consuming. I didn?t think about my problems nor
feel the sadness that had been lingering, I just felt at ease with
myself.
Chapter 3
After several hours of watching television I started to consider my
plight. I was stuck in the body of a pubescent 12 year old girl in a
strange place with a mother who was once my father and with no way home
yet.
Nope. Nothing wrong with this situation. No reason to panic- NOT!
Mom sensed my anxiety and decided it was time to confess the truth. She
asked what I remembered about our travels in the past, back when he was
the President of the Wizard?s Council.
That was two decades ago- what could that vacation have to do with this
situation? I was only 12 then....oh no!
Mom looked at me and nodded. This wasn?t our first time here. In fact
this wasn?t the first time I was in this body! I was once a 12 year old
girl during our vacation!
Mom let this realization sink in. I started to cry, this was almost too
much to handle. She let me gather myself then confessed the truth,
"When you were younger your mother and I used to take you to this place
so you would enjoy your free time and enhance your power without Lugar
and his minions knowing. Your mother felt the best way to do so was as a
female, which as strange as it sounds was the reason why you became so
powerful.?
My mouth dropped open. I looked down at myself and saw something
familiar, I was starting to recall my memories of past trips. Mom held
me close and hugged me for a few minutes until I calmed down again.
I could only ask, "Why can?t I remember??
Mom shook her head and admitted the truth, "We felt that it was best
that you not remember what happened here, only that your strength had
increased due to practice. Time goes slow here so we were able to make
multiple trips over several years but it seemed like only a few hours
had passed. That?s why you appear so young, you are returning to how you
were when you were last here. Alas I could not come here as I appeared
so I had to use your mother?s body.?
I looked at mom closely. I knew she was telling me the truth but it was
hard to fathom. She started to say, "I am going to do a special spell to
unlock the memories of this body so you can go out in public and not
raise suspicions. You will be Isabel, my daughter. I will be Alexandra,
your mother. Izod and Ozmodiar are to be forgotten until the time is
right.?
He touched my forehead and I recalled everything. I remembered my best
friend Sela lived next door and her widower dad Paul was mom?s onetime
love interest. I remembered that I was a student in the 6th grade at
Endicott Middle School and Sela and I were members of the cheer team. I
remembered that mom worked as a clerk for a law firm and dad was a day
laborer. Mom raked a lot of money working hard so dad was the primary
caretaker.
I asked mom about "Dad? which was his onetime body. She shook her head
saying, "We have to tell Paul and anyone else that he decided to divorce
me and leave you and I alone permanently. Nobody will seem to notice,
due to it being ?recent? we will get some sympathy and support from
people but they will leave us alone for now.?
This was a lot to take in. I started to watch more television and calm
myself. I recalled my favorite television channels and shows. The
cartoons were funny, the tween comedies were adequate. I couldn?t figure
out why I liked them, it had to be the opening of my mind to the
forgotten memories. I didn?t care, I just liked spending my time doing
this.
Just after mom started dinner the doorbell rang. I looked through the
peephole and a short, skinny girl with long blonde hair and braces was
standing there. This must be Sela, my best friend. I felt that she was
coming over but didn?t fully understand why.
Sela gave me a big hug. I led her into the living room and sat down on
the couch with her. She tried her hardest to remain silent but after a
few minutes she finally said, "I?m so sorry about your dad. Your mother
didn?t deserve him walking out on you two.?
I started to tear up. She was striking a chord with me for some reason.
Even though it was a "lie? it was technically true since my dad was
gone, my "mom? replaced him. Sela just hugged me and held me until I
stopped crying.
I could only muster a "Thank you, you are a true friend.? She nodded and
held me until the sadness left.
After another couple of minute she whispered, "Dad isn?t happy, I think
he still loves your mom and doesn?t want to see her hurt.?
I don?t know why I did it but I replied, "I hope there is some spark
left between them.?
Sela looked at me with wide, hopeful eyes., "Do you know what that would
mean? We could be sisters!?
I somehow felt fine with that. Paul was a nice man and mom deserved
someone who loved her.
Then it hit me- I had let go of "Dad? easily! I stopped thinking of her
as, "Dad? almost immediately. She just didn?t seem like dad, even in my
mind she was mom and I was her daughter. Past or not, this was really
getting serious. It started to scare me.
Sela sensed something was going on and asked, "What is the matter, you
look spooked.?
I lied and said, "Just thinking about what could happen to dad.?
Sela wasn?t sympathetic but tried to be supportive for my sake. I was
glad she was a good person, I can see why I liked her as a friend.
Mom was watching me closely. She could tell I was taking in the
situation a little too quickly but let me realize what was happening on
my own. She knew it would take me time to let the memories and
sensations take hold but I was off to a good start.
Sela decided to ask me what I was wearing to school on Monday. I didn?t
realize it was coming up tomorrow until she mentioned it. I had to think
fast.
?I don?t know, I was thinking a simple skirt and blouse? I said.
Sela took me by my hand and headed towards my bedroom. She looked at my
wardrobe and picked out a red skirt and white blouse with leggings. I
had to admit she had an eye for fashion, they were cute.
She insisted I try them on right then and there. I didn?t know what to
do but went with my instincts and started to change. She didn?t bat an
eye, just looked over the sizing and suggested a silk camisole to wear
under my blouse to go with the outfit.
She picked out a similar outfit and started to undress. I was staring at
a girl who could have been my own daughter had I had children standing
before me in just a training bra and panties and I didn?t feel the least
bit odd- my acclimation had to have been at or near finished!
Sela asked to borrow the outfit she tried on. I am ashamed to admit that
it did look good on her. I agreed but said she had to have something I
could wear for the weekend.
Mom called us down for dinner. Sela and I ate fast and watched
television until it was time for her to go home. Mom hugged her
goodnight and asked her to keep an eye on me tomorrow in school. Sela
agreed but said I usually kept an eye on her.
With Sela gone mom asked how I was holding up. She knew I had endured a
lot today, she could see some faint trembling in my hands. She held me
tight and kissed my forehead as I tried to pull myself together to tell
her.
I let loose without thinking saying, "Sela is great and I like her as a
friend. It was weird seeing her change and feeling absolutely nothing,
just friendship that she radiated. She seems to think that we could be
sisters if you and her dad rekindled your flame, whatever that means.?
Mom looked at me funny. She quietly admitted, "Paul is a good man and I
do feel something for him. We will have to watch our urges but I know I
am not looking for a husband right now. I can?t say that I won?t develop
feelings for him in the future but you and Sela shouldn?t push us
together, let it happen on its own.?
I withdrew to my room for the night. I had a lot to think about and
needed to rest up for the impending sensory overload of school. Even
with Sela by side this would be a very taxing day and I needed all the
energy to not do something I would regret or couldn?t explain.
Chapter 4
Sela called me early to ensure I woke up on time. Apparently last year I
had a nasty habit of not doing so. Oh well, it was odd to be even going
to school let alone dealing with other kids.
I showered and changed into my school clothes then went downstairs to
eat. Mom was already awake and had breakfast made, giving me a kiss on
the forehead for not protesting all of this forced normalcy.
I ate in silence. I tried to concentrate on how to act and access the
memories of my past life as Isabel. Mom sensed what I was doing and told
me that it was time to unlock everything.
She asked me one final time if this was what I really wanted, I looked
her in the eyes and said, "I can?t deal with this anymore, I can?t deal
with having a past life I don?t know a thing about. The memories are
there but I need to know, even if it brings back painful memories I need
to know everything. It?s not right to Sela that her friend doesn?t
remember who she is or what they did.?
Mom told me to hold still while she chanted a spell. I felt a pressure
in my head then blacked out for a minute. Memories started to flood
back.
I felt myself smile. I could see Mom, dad, and myself sitting around the
table talking. I could see myself meeting Sela for the first time. I
could see mom and her mom talking while dad and her dad talked. I could
see my first kiss with a boy, taken on a dare from the other kids at a
party. I could even see my first period and mom?s happiness. It all
came back. I remembered everything.
Mom removed her hand and told me it was done. I looked up at her and
cried, hugging her close. She was going to have to endure a lot more
than I had to endure- she had the memories of two lives flooding her
mind.
Sela rang the doorbell and I let her in. She was wearing a matching
outfit which made us both giggle. She planned it perfectly, she knew how
I was about school and wanted as little fuss as possible. I loved her
for that, she thought more of me than I could of her. She was a true
friend.
Mom drove us to school. Sela kept talking the whole time to keep me from
thinking about anything else but school. She thought my distance
yesterday was that I was still reeling from, "Dad? leaving and didn?t
want me to dwell on it.
At school Sela and I sat down at a table outside to wait for the bell.
Other girls in our class came by and we exchanged stories about our
summer. They conveniently left me out of the talks, they didn?t want me
to feel bad about what happened with, "Dad?.
The girls left and two more sat down with us. They were quiet and
listened as Sela talked with me. They were polite to us, they weren?t
friends but they treated us nicely. They were new to the school, so in a
way I empathized with them.
They introduced themselves as Jennifer and Philippa, twins who were
newly arrived from the UK. Their dad got transferred to a US office and
their mom was a lawyer. They mentioned the law firm which coincidentally
was mom?s employer. We would be seeing a lot of each other, mom was
their mom?s new clerk.
We walked to our class only to be stopped by the school?s resident
bully. Zoe was relentless. She didn?t waste time in going after my dad?s
departure, ensuring that everyone knew how she felt about him. The other
girls tried to ignore her but she pressured them into laughing at me.
I just ignored her. Sela and the twins followed suit and walked inside.
I held back a few seconds and mumbled a quick spell which caused Zoe?s
skirt to blow up revealing her panties to all of the boys in school. She
screamed in embarrassment as all of the students laughed.
I just shook my head in disgust. Magic was forbidden and mom was going
to be angry. For the moment I didn?t care, I always hated bullies and
Zoe deserved what happened to her. It was worth the possible punishment
to get her off my back for a while.
Word spread quickly around the school. Sela and the twins were the last
ones to know and told me about it. I played dumb, saying, "I can?t say I
am sorry that happened to her but at least she gave the boys something
they will always remember.?
The four of us laughed as we sat down in class. The rest of the students
came in shortly thereafter with many still talking about Zoe?s
unfortunate situation. Zoe was the last to come in, having changed
quickly into jeans that didn?t match her blouse. She had a look of anger
and frustration on her face that belied her inner embarrassment.
Our new teacher came in last. She greeted us all and told us her name
was Ms. Kimball. She had us make nametags to place on our desks and told
us until the last day of school those would be our assigned seats and
unless something occurred to necessitate a change we would be staying
put.
The good news was the twins were in front of me and Sela was next to me
on my right side. The bad news about this was Zoe was sitting beside me
on my left. She scowled at me constantly throughout the day and mumbled
that she would get me back later.
Throughout the day Ms. Kimball sensed Zoe was up to no good. By recess
Zoe had all but told me she was going to make me pay for her humiliation
earlier. Even though, "I wasn?t responsible? she felt she needed to send
a message to the others.
Ms. Kimball heard her muttering that to me and simply said, "Time for
recess students. Zoe since you have just mentioned the need to teach a
lesson to everyone you get to stay inside and learn some more while the
others have fun. I hope this is educational to you as you had hoped it
will be.?
Her sarcasm wasn?t lost on the other kids. She was caught red handed by
Ms. Kimball and was going to pay the price for bullying in school. She
swore under her breath that she will make me pay when we were outside of
school.
I ignored her ranting. She couldn?t actually hurt me, I had ways of
stopping her and make her do worse things to herself without anyone
being the wiser. It was what she might do to the twins and Sela that was
my biggest concern.
Sela wasted no time in making sure I realized what happened. Zoe was
going to get me no matter what. The twins were inexperienced with
bullying here and needed Sela to explain what was going on. They cringed
at hearing what Zoe was planning but I took it in stride.
Back in class things went smoothly the rest of the day. Lunch was quiet
as Sela and the twins were fearful for me but I didn?t let on that I was
feeling any way other than optimistic. I was touched that they cared,
Sela was like a sister but this was something new for the twins. They
actually cared about someone who wasn't family and who was being a good
person towards them.
I tried to keep their minds occupied by offering to hang out with them
after school. Sela and I would help them get used to the US especially
New England. The twins were happy to have this tutoring, and were
hopeful that we would be close friends. I simply told them the truth-
they already were friends with us.
In class Ms. Kimball kept us working hard all day. Reviewing the
material we learned in fifth grade was tough and boring. She tried to
make it up to us by not giving any homework.
After school the four of us waited outside for our parents to pick us
up. Mom was working so Sela?s dad Paul was picking us up. The twins?
nanny was picking them up. We all exchanged cell phone numbers as we
left.
Chapter 5
Paul was happy to listen about our day at school. He didn?t like hearing
that we already had a bully problem and hoped that she wouldn?t cause us
any more trouble. The twins sounded interesting, hopefully they weren?t
being nice until better friends come along.
Paul was very loving towards us, I can see why mom liked him. He treated
me like another daughter, as if Sela and I were always sisters. Sela
smiled at how he treated me, I didn?t have to read her mind to know she
was thinking the same thing I was.
Paul asked us if we wanted to learn self-defense. I really didn?t need
it but mom would be angry with me if I used magic to help. Sela was
scared of Zoe so I went along with her answer of "Yes.?
He signed us both up for karate lessons from Sensei Renee. Sensei saw
that we were joining for the right reasons and we learned some basics
right away. I have to admit, it was fun. Sela was enjoying herself and
both of us were learning moves that enhanced our natural reflexes. Zoe
wouldn?t have a chance if she tried to hurt us!
We left for home and let mom know what we had done. She looked concerned
but Paul reassured her that we were doing it for the right reasons. Sela
smiled and got mom to agree to let us continue, she didn?t want to do it
unless I joined her and I didn?t want her to try to help me and get hurt
in case Zoe went after me for appearing "Weaker.?
Sela and I ate dinner mostly in silence while mom and Paul chatted away.
She was giggling and laughing at practically everything he said while he
listened to her stories about work. Sela and I stole knowing glances,
those two were enjoying each other?s company a little too much to be
friends, they had the hots for one another.
We left the table as soon as we were finished eating. In my room Sela
let out a big squeal of joy, her dad and my mom were in love and could
barely hide it. I tried to play coy but he had the hots for her, he was
trying hard not to show it but it was blatantly obvious. I?d have to
talk with mom afterwards but they were getting very cozy and it
concerned me.
Paul and Sela left after another hour. I asked mom about her
relationship with Paul to which she blushed and said, "he?s just a
friend.?
I rolled my eyes at that. She tried to come up with a valid excuse but I
cut her off saying, "You like him. He likes you. you two are more than
friends and if you keep this up you two are going to end up in love and
make our situation more complicated.?
She tried to act like it was no big deal but I stopped her again. I told
her, "Sela is practically planning your wedding. I love you and don?t
want you to get hurt when the truth comes out. You need to be careful.?
Mom shook her head in disbelief and asked, "When did I become the child
in our family??
I smiled and said softly, "When you started to act like a little school
girl with her first crush.?
Mom just laughed and added, "be careful, it?s only a matter of time
before you act that way.?
I let that one go then told her about the self-defense lessons. She was
concerned about them but I told her, "Sela needs them, I don?t want her
getting hurt because of me. I know I can handle myself but she won?t
stop herself from helping me. You told me to not use magic unless I had
to, so this is the best way of protection without magic.?
Mom reluctantly agreed. I told her about Zoe and what I did to which I
was scolded. She was at least happy that I was able to do it without
notice but advised me not to do it again unless I absolutely had to.
I told her about the twins. She grew silent then asked that we stay
clear of them. When I asked why she told me, "Their mother isn?t the
nicest person and she was a bad influence on the girls. Their father is
a saint but he can?t see how terrible she is with people.?
I was conflicted. Jennifer and Phillipa were nice girls who were trying
to be good, if what mom said is true they are great actresses because
they were the most timid people I had ever seen. They were quiet and
only talked with each other, Sela, and I. Tomorrow I?d invite them over
to work on their acclimation to the US.
Mom wasn?t happy with the idea but I told her that it was the only way
I?d blend in. The four of us hanging together was better than Sela and I
all alone. We were less of a target as a foursome than as a duo which
means there was less reason to use magic for protection.
In the morning Sela again chose my outfit. I told her my plan and she
was more than happy to help out. She even suggested we go to her house
to do it since they would feel more comfortable there than in their
mom?s clerk?s house.
Paul was fine with us coming over but he asked we didn?t make a mess.
Sela just laughed it off. I promised we?d clean up and put everything
away which Sela grumbled about.
At school the twins were fine with the plan. They were just as timid as
yesterday and even more afraid of Zoe than they were the day before.
Sela told them about our taking karate lessons for self-defense which
they thought was a wise idea and would ask their parents.
Zoe saw the four of us sitting together talking and tried to grab Sela.
Sela ducked out of the way and turned Zoe around and knocked her down.
The twins were shocked but Sela said, "It?s nothing, that was the first
thing we were taught yesterday.?
Zoe walked away with her pride wounded and muttering she would get her
back. As we were walking to class I had to uses the bathroom and didn?t
hear Zoe follow in behind me. She tried to swing at me but I said a
quick spell which froze her in place. Out of the corner of my eye I saw
Sela standing there in shock with her mouth open. Oh crap, she saw!
Chapter 6
Sela saw what I had done. I had to think fast. I cast the same
immobilizer spell to hold her but it didn?t work! I tried a forget spell
and that too didn?t work!
Sela looked at me funny. She tried to form word but was struggling. I
turned away from her and let Zoe move then cast a forget spell with the
instructions, "You will forget that you were going to harm me and Sela.
You will remain here for several minutes after we leave and you will
tell the teacher that you had an accident in your pants. You will go
home in shame.?
Sela finally realized what was happening and asked me point blank, "Are
you some sort of witch? How are you able to do those spells??
I couldn?t lie to her. As much as I wanted to I couldn?t lie to the only
person I cared about as much as my father. Having her know the truth was
worth the risk. She was already immune to my magic, I couldn?t protect
myself against her even if I wanted to so it was worth the effort to see
if she was truly my friend or if she would chase me away in fear.
I leaned forward and held her hand to my head then cast a, "See what I
saw? spell. Her face clinched in agony as she saw the horrors that Lugar
laid upon us. She was crying as she saw my mother and wife perish for
being themselves. She nodded in understanding as she saw we couldn?t go
back to our home yet.
Sela broke the connection. She looked up at me and simply asked, "Is
this all true??
I nodded. I could only mutter, "Everything is exactly as I saw it
through my own eyes.?
She hugged me and kissed my cheek. She swore she would hold our secret
for as long as she lived. I could only hug her deeply then say, "We need
to get back to class? to which she agreed.
Ms. Kimball asked us what took so long, Sela whispered something in her
ear then nodded adding, "You are young so it?s understandable.? I didn?t
press Sela as to what she meant, I knew she must have been talking about
periods because that would be the only thing that would make sense for
us taking so long.
In class Zoe?s absence was noticed by all and rumors started flying
fast. Sela and I didn?t pay them much heed, we didn?t want to be part of
it. The twins picked up on our reluctance and asked us why we didn?t
enjoy the Zoe rumor mongering, Sela quickly pointed out that we would be
no better than her and it wasn?t worth the fight if she found out we
participated in it.
After school we rushed home. The twins would have to wait another day to
get our lessons but they learned a quick one in the form of how cruel
kids can be about other kids. We told them we would work with them
tomorrow after our karate lessons and if they really wanted they could
do some homework on pop culture by watching tween TV shows on Disney and
Nickelodeon.
In my room Sela was quiet. I told her that mom would want to speak with
her so she and I just did our homework then watched as I practiced some
basic spells. She watched in awe as I made clothes change color, stand
upright on their own, change from cotton to synthetic fibers, and grow
and shrink.
After several spells Sela joked that she could probably do just as well
with the basics. I told her that magic was different than she might
think but as I said that she moved her hands and *poof* a bouquet of
roses appeared in front of me.
I didn?t do that, that was Sela! She could perform magic without even
realizing it- she had the power in her! No wonder my spells wouldn?t
work on her, she was one of the gifted in this realm!
Sela was shaking, she had no idea how to react. First I could perform
spells on others now she could do it herself. I tried to tell her she
was special but she was shaking uncontrollably. I could only hug her to
calm her down, which she did then proceeded to cry on my shoulder.
Mom saw what happened and without saying anything took her hand and sat
her at the kitchen table. She asked her if what she had witnessed had
happened before, Sela nodded and told us that she once made her ice
cream jump from the ground back up onto her cone after if fell on the
ground. Mom nodded and told her quietly, "You are a witch like us, you
have special abilities that only a few in the entire world possess. Your
powers are strong and with training you can be a powerful witch like us.
If you want to learn we can teach you but the longer you refuse to
accept your gift the harder it will be to control it.?
Sela nodded and told her quietly, "I want to learn. I want to be like
Isabel and you. I want you to be my sister and mother.?
She spurted out that last part without thinking. Mom gave me an odd look
but I knew exactly what she meant- she wanted her dad and mom to marry.
Mom was happy to teach her and told her, "Saturday and Sunday I?ll teach
you. You have obligations to the twins to keep as do you have to Sensei
Rene. I?ll tell your dad that you want to spend the weekend.?
She thanked mom and the two walked to her house while I got dinner
started. Mom came back a few minutes later and asked what really went
on. I told her about Zoe and Sela seeing me then about her accidentally
seeing me and the spells not working on her. Mom shook her head sainyg,
"I told you to be careful, but the good from that error is you have
awakened her to what she really is. Now what was that about being your
sister and my daughter??
I blushed then blurted out, "She wants you and her dad to get together.
She likes you a lot and she likes me as a sister, she wants the four of
us to become a family.?
Mom blushed at this. She clearly felt something for Paul and wouldn?t
admit it but thankfully he was a good man and she could do a lot worse.
I like him, he?s good to us and cares about us. Sela may be a little
na?ve but she is at least perceptive enough to see he is a good match
for mom and her dad. If we are lucky they might admit there is some
attraction but knowing mom it might take a while and some prodding.
Chapter 7
Sela and I went off to school without saying a word. She was embarrassed
at what she said to mom, I know she was still in shock when she said it
but it was the truth. I agreed with her, mom and her dad are a good
couple and she would be a great sister to me.
When we were alone I told her exactly what I thought. She hugged me and
shed a few tears adding, "Thank you for understanding? before we broke
the embrace. I added, "Paul would make a great father and perfect
husband for mom? which got her smiling brightly. We were in agreement
but we would take it slowly for their sake.
The twins gave their report to us. They weren?t impressed with the TV
shows and scoffed at the trends shown. We agreed with them, both of us
not really big TV watchers instead preferring to read or watch movies
instead. The twins were eager to learn more but we were tapped out of
ideas, which seemed to make them a little standoffish and distant.
I recalled mom?s warning about them. I didn?t like what I was seeing,
this might be the start of the inevitable split. We showed kindness and
they might have taken advantage of it. I was hoping they would come
around to the idea that you need to be an individual but it looks like
they wanted to go with the trends and be part of the crowd rather than
be their own person.
Sela was unaware of their attitude and let them have a few suggestions
as to what to read and do. She mentioned magazines. I know the magazines
weren?t exactly helpful but they would get an idea as to what others
were doing on. Sela read them all the time and often laughed at the
idiocy of them, I think she was really interested in the boys in them
than the articles and tips they gave.
After a quiet day in school thanks to Zoe getting suspended again(OK
that was my fault but it was in self defense!) we attended our weekly
karate class with Sensei Rene. Lugar was defenseless in this realm but
he was still a man and able to hurt us physically so we needed to defend
ourselves. Sela was happy to be able to join me in using magic against
him, especially now that she was intent on getting our parents together.
The twins made some snide remarks about the karate classes being
unladylike. Sela pointed out that if they were attacked ladylike
behavior goes out the window and survival was more important than looks.
They had no reply to that, how can you say how you look is more
important than staying alike or getting away from someone who wants to
hurt you?
I was beginning to see that they were becoming as superficial as their
mother. I asked about their dad and they weren?t entirely happy. Their
dad was a good person but he was being driven away by their mom. She was
obsessed with looks and money while he wanted to do the right thing and
help clients. They weren?t getting along and she was being accused of
crafting the girls in her image instead of letting them be themselves.
They were becoming like her, they didn?t notice the selfishness and
vanity but it was there. I asked who they would rather take after to
which they started to cry and waver. The answer was obvious but they
couldn?t give it without admitting that what they were being told was
wrong. Sela hugged them and told them bluntly, "looks and money only get
you so far, a good reputation and actions get you a lot farther.?
The twins asked, "Do you see us acting like her??
Sela wavered but I calmly admitted, "Sometimes it shows but a lot of the
time you are sweet and kind. You are only 12, you have years ahead of
you to find out what you are. It?s wrong to force you to be anything now
especially as you are in a new country getting used to new customs and
traditions.?
The twins looked down in shame. I felt bad for admitting it but then
told them more truth, "Your mom has a nasty reputation that precedes
her, I don?t want that to happen with you two. You are more than her
influence, you are a couple of kind, caring, inquisitive girls who
without any influence can become two of the best friends anyone could
ever want.?
That set them off. They cried hard into our shoulders, thanking us for
telling them the truth. The admitted they didn?t like what she was
trying to do and hoped that we would see beyond their mom?s attempts to
steer them towards "better? kids and remain friends. I wasn?t sure that
was possible but I hoped it was.
After the twins left Sela was silent. It took a lot of prodding before
she admitted, "If they split up I hope she doesn?t make a play for dad.
She gets what she wants and if she wants him she will take it out on
your mom. I don?t want to lose either of you, she is the perfect mom and
you are the perfect sister.?
She started crying heavily. Like yesterday mom came in just at the end
and missed the context of the conversation. When she finally calmed down
we ate dinner and did our homework with Sela going to bed early. It was
a Friday and we were training the next day so she was spending the
weekend with us.
Mom finally got the chance to ask what this was all about and shook her
head in shame. Sela was right, the twins? mom would get rid of mom and
go after her dad quickly as he was the most eligible man in town. Our
friendship would be ruined in the process as would the twins? reputation
but she didn?t care she only wanted what she wanted and didn?t care who
was impacted as a consequence.
Mom was pleased that the twins weren?t like their mom. She hadn?t fully
met them yet but there was no lingering dark energy which would mean
they lied to us, in fact there was an abundance of good energy showing
they were good people at heart. They needed us to help them along and
keep them grounded and stave off their mom?s influence. If she was right
their mom would make a mistake and lose the girls? hearts and minds for
good in the near future.
The next morning Sela?s energy was growing and mom felt that she could
be ready for more complex spells by that evening. We did a lot of
transfiguration spells to temper her eagerness especially ones that
turned simple items into more expensive items.
Sela learned fast and mom was proud of her, I hadn?t see her smile so
brightly in a long time. I was having trouble lowering my level to match
Sela?s so she wasn?t self-conscious but mom would have none of it- it
was doing more harm to me than good. Sela bluntly told me to do my best
as it was important for my own self defense! Mom nearly fell over
laughing and hugged Sela for her honesty, Sela didn?t know how to react
until I smiled back nodding in approval.
We worked hard for several hours and after dinner mom started us on some
more complex spells such as personal protection and invisibility spells.
We were in the middle of casting body change spells when Paul entered
the house without us hearing him. The color in mom?s face drained as we
looked up to see Paul staring at us with his mouth wide open and trying
to find the right words.
Sela undid her spell and hugged him begging him to not do anything until
he heard the explanation. Mom tried to find the right words as well,
only I could say anything. I went over to Paul and asked him one
question: "Do you love us??
Paul sat down on the couch and had his head in his hands. Mom and Sela
were afraid to say or do anything. Paul looked at mom and Sela and
asked, "I do love you three and I only want to know what is going on.?
Mom tried to speak but couldn?t get words out. Sela was scared to say
anything. I told the truth, "We are wizards from another realm who are
in hiding from an evil overlord who is trying to kill us. Sela is a
witch who inherited her power from her mother. We are practicing to
protect each other from the man who tried to kill us. Sela is learning
to protect this realm from those who want to harm it.?
Paul shook his head in frustration. This was a lot to take in and he was
struggling to make sense of it. I looked at mom who agreed with me, I
put my hand on his head and shared the whole story letting him see for
himself what was going on.
Paul grew pale and silent. He looked at mom and I in disbelief. Sela
could only mutter a quiet, "It?s true daddy, all of it is true.? Paul
started to shed tears, adding, "Your mom was special and things happened
that were odd but I still loved her. I don?t know how I feel about you
Alexandra but I know you are a good person and regardless of who you
really are I care about you. Sela loves you like a mother and Isabel
like a sister so I can?t abandon you. Whoever is coming for you will
have to get through me first, I won?t let him hurt you!?
Mom hugged him deeply and kissed him on the lips. Sela and I gasped in
shock, we didn?t expect her to react that way but her feelings finally
won out. Paul cared enough about us to try to protect us and mom can?t
deny her feelings anymore. Sela was getting what she wanted, she was
getting herself a mom and sister!
Chapter 8
Paul didn?t say a word after the kiss, he just kissed her back and
smiled. Sela was bursting at the seams, I had to drag her away so they
could talk privately. As much as I loved her she was pushing things a
little too hard and needed to let them flow naturally.
After an hour mom and Paul came in hand in hand. Sela and I didn?t need
to know any details, the subtle gesture spoke volumes. Paul did finally
manage to say that we were in this together and despite where we were
from originally that isn?t who we are now. The two wanted to take things
slow but they already knew where we stood with their relationship.
Sela finally asked the big question, "When are you two going out? Maybe
we could give you two some alone time.?
Mom and Paul looked at one another and had to think. Sela picked up her
phone and called the twins to ask them if they were willing to host us
for a night. Paul was reluctant, especially knowing their mother wasn?t
exactly the best person. Mom gave him a suspicious look, I knew she was
thinking that their mother would exhibit wrath upon Sela and I if she
found out Paul was with her.
The twins were more than pleased to have a sleepover. Sela didn?t need
to explain why, they wanted to do one anyway and it was the perfect
chance to get to know them without any time limits. Mom and I held off
training for a few days because of this date but promised that it was
only delayed, we were still going to do regular training the following
weekend.
Paul was silent. His daughter caught him by surprise with her forceful
nature and it was as if she was a whole new person. I whispered a
simple, "She wants you to be happy and cares about us more than you
realize.? Mom nodded in agreement, Sela was starting to become a more
headstrong, assertive young lady and it was all thanks to us.
At school on Monday Zoe was back at it but thankfully her spell induced
instructions held firm. She left us alone and tried to pick on someone
else for a change. I felt guilty but it was for her own good, eventually
she would hurt herself trying to hurt me and going after someone else
would allow her to at least have some chance of not getting hurt. Plus
the other kids weren?t going to let her push them around, the whole
reason why she went after us was because she could push us around.
It didn?t take long before Zoe pushed the wrong person and again got in
trouble, but before she could get hurt she stopped and moved on. She
looked miserable, something was going on with her that made us think
that maybe she wasn?t entirely acting on her own. Like the twins, she
might have some bad influences at work.
In class Zoe was quiet and the kids left her alone. I felt sorry for
her, bullies get their just desserts all the time but this was
different. During lunch I did a simple mind reading spell and saw the
awful truth- her mother, like the twins? mom, was a total waste of human
flesh. She hate anyone who was better looking than her and Zoe being
tall, skinny, and good looking had gotten a lot of verbal abuse from
her.
It explained why she was so mean to kids, she was being hurt for being
better than her mother. Zoe was a smart and beautiful girl who had to
hide the real Zoe because she feared what her mother would do to her.
Sela attuned to my spell and shed a tear, Zoe needed help and the only
ones who could help her were us.
The problem was how do we help without it being obvious? We needed to
discuss this at home with mom and Paul. If we got authorities involved
it might cause her more trouble and send her over the edge, if we waited
too long she might end up getting expelled. It was a tough situation.
Back at home mom and Paul were in agreement that we had to do something.
Sela thought that maybe trying to steer her towards friendship. She
wasn?t able to harm us, if we could get her to open up to us she might
allow us to get close and make changes from within. That sounded most
plausible, and if trouble brewed we could use our magic to wipe minds
and protect ourselves.
Tuesday we put our plan into action. Zoe was again looking miserable,
kids were ignoring her rather than fearing her now. We sat down beside
her and asked her bluntly, "Are you alright? You look miserable.?
Zoe got up and left, but we followed behind. She went right for the
bathrooms, the best place for us as it was the only place we could talk
in peace. She went into a stall and we could hear soft crying. Sela
asked again if she was alright, to which we got a "go away?. I wouldn?t
let I stand, I pressed on asking, "You haven?t been the same since you
tried to beat us up, what?s going on and how can we help.?
Zoe opened the door and looked at us with fear. She mumbled quietly,
"mom didn?t like that you were able to beat me twice. She says I?m not
good enough to be her daughter and I?m a disgrace to her. I don?t want
to be the bully anymore, I hate doing it.?
She was in full blown bawl now. Sela tried to comfort her only to have
me join in. Zoe stopped after a minute and looked at us with concern.
She showed weakness and we didn?t take advantage, didn?t tease her,
didn?t retaliate for past abuse. We showed kindness and empathy,
something she hadn?t had shown to her before.
Sela finally told her the truth, "We know you aren?t the kind of girl
who hurts people. You are better than your mother and she can?t hurt you
anymore. You are a beautiful young woman who will have boys drooling
over you, you will have more friends than you could dream of, and more
importantly you are smarter than most of the kids in our class! Don?t
let your mom?s insecurities hurt you, take a stand!?
Zoe perked up. Sela had said what Zoe needed to hear and shown that she
was sincere in her words. We walked outside together which got stares
and whispers from the other kids but we didn?t care, we had done
something important and helped someone who needed help. Through the day
Zoe tried to ignore the whispers but eventually it got to her and she
had to go to the nurse to go home early with a stomach issue.
On Wednesday we saw the results of what we had said to Zoe- a black eye
and bruises. Her mom didn?t like her ignoring her taunting and took out
her frustrations on her. Ms. Kimball and the principal noticed both and
pulled Zoe aside to talk. Sela used a, "listen in? spell to overhear the
conversation which made us cringe in horror. Zoe was excused from school
and sent off to speak with social services and the police while her
mother was arrested.
The rumor mill at school wasn?t kind to Zoe but once the truth came out
the kid stopped. Abuse like that even against the school bully was
against the code of the playground, the kids all knew that it could
happen to any of them and it was not something to use against anyone.
The kids understood what the bathroom meeting was all about now and held
us in high esteem for doing something right. Zoe would be given a free
pass and allowed to restart her social life once she settled into her
new home, it was her one shot at starting anew and would be under
scrutiny by all.
After school we were driven home by Paul to see mom waiting for us. She
asked about our day and we told her what happened to Zoe. We were upset
that she was hurt because of us and wanted to do something to help her
She had news that would shock us but we prepared for the worst. When she
opened the front door there sitting on the couch was Zoe!
Once the shock was over mom explained that she was asked by the
principal to foster Zoe while things settled regarding her mother. She
had nowhere else to go and there weren?t any foster homes for her nearby
so she would have to be pulled from school. It was felt that since Sela
and I were the ones to take notice and try to help her we might be the
only people who would keep her from breaking down mentally.
Sela ran over to her and gave her a deep hug. Zoe winced at the display
but didn?t pull away. Mom and I watched as Sela gave her some healing
energy without even thinking to which Paul tried not to notice. Zoe felt
a lot better but was too scared to say or do anything yet. Sela took her
up to her new room and helped her get settled while mom and I talked.
When they were out of earshot mom explained that Zoe was likely to be
with us for a long time. Her mother did a number on her confidence and
she needed a stable home with people who cared about her. Paul added
that social services were aware of their relationship and wished us the
best, with her social worker hoping that marriage was ahead. Mom blushed
at the thought but the idea didn?t register with me, I knew it was
inevitable.
I asked about our training now that we had Zoe to deal with. Mom would
do it discretely but if she found out we would have to let her in on the
secret. Paul added that our sleepover would have to be moved to here and
that their date would be cancelled. It wasn?t necessary, they spent the
day together already and Zoe needed all of us.
The three of us had a quiet dinner as Paul and Sela let us have some
alone time. Zoe was scared of us and feared that this was all going to
collapse on her with her mother coming through the door screaming at her
to come home. Mom reassured her but it didn?t seem to take.
Before we went to bed I told her what happened in school which made her
cry. She honestly didn?t want to do any of what her mother made her do
and wanted to start over but the kids would find a way of getting
revenge. Playground code or not they would get revenge on her. I shut
her up fast with one sentence:, "Sela and I have your back. They mess
with you they mess with us. You are my sister now and we protect
family.?
Chapter 9
In the morning we got dressed and showered as fast as possible, hoping
to get to school early. Mom tried to calm us down but it didn?t work.
Zoe was anxious and wanted to be in class before the others, I didn?t
want to leave her alone so I had to go along with her.
Sela came over and talked briefly as she ate her breakfast but Zoe was
mostly silent. We tried to cheer her up but it had little effect on her.
When she left to use the bathroom Sela quietly asked how we were going
to train with her at home, I had no clue how to answer that only hoping
that we could do it without her even noticing we were missing or weird
things were happening.
At school we were the first to arrive and quickly went to our classroom.
Ms. Kimball was already there and noted that Zoe was staying with mom
and I. She didn?t make any further comments, just asked that we get her
up to speed so she doesn?t fall behind. Zoe was fine with that and was
actually pretty smart and understood the work better than Sela to the
point that she was tutoring Sela instead of Sela tutoring her!
Ms. Kimball took notice of this and smiled. She asked Zoe why she kept
this under wraps then recoiled as she heard the truth. Zoe was smart,
possibly the smartest in the class yet her mother insisted that she was
always too stupid to do things right. Ms. Kimball reassured her and gave
her the chance to redo her work for an improved grade, the one she
should have earned the first time.
Zoe reluctantly agreed and was given several hours? worth of schoolwork
to do over the weekend with Paul being asked to supervise her. She
winked at Sela who realized she had just set Paul up for a little
impromptu father/daughter time, I just giggled at it then whispered to
Zoe, "She set Paul up to spend time with you and get to know you?. Zoe
blushed and thanked her for what she was doing, not elaborating on
either.
Just before the bell rang Zoe started to get anxious the point of
wanting to flee. Sela and I had to subtly direct some calming energy
into her which relaxed her and allowed us to focus on work instead of
just her. Zoe whispered quietly, "Whatever you are doing, thank you?
which caught both of us by surprise, she seemed to indicate the motion
of our fingers which both of us quickly stopped doing but was clearly
noticed by Zoe who tried to hide her stare.
Zoe?s reappearance didn?t go unnoticed or unchallenged by our
classmates. At least two made snide comments about the, "foster kid?
while others joked about it being better yesterday without her. Ms.
Kimball dropped a book loudly on her desk then proceeded to single out
and warn each of the jokers to the amusement of the class then further
went on to ask how many had endured physical or mental abuse. When none
dared raise their hands she added, "If you have never had to endure it
then you have no right to joke about it. Those of us who have don?t find
it the lease bit funny.?
Sela and I kept close to Zoe during lunch and recess. The twins held
back from us, they were uncomfortable around us now that Zoe was with us
and didn?t try to say anything to us when either of us were alone. We
could tell who was responsible and didn?t like it, hopefully they
realize their mother is wrong to fill them with such vile filth about
someone else.
Back at home Zoe finally asked us what we were really doing. We tried to
hem and haw but she refused to accept any answers other than the truth.
She was blunt. "I saw you moving your fingers and say something nobody
else heard, you did it yesterday as well. Within seconds it was like I
felt a weight off my chest and I know that is impossible. What did you
really do to me??
Sela and I tried to come up with an answer. Mom chose that moment to
come in and try to save us. Zoe looked at her and was on the verge of
tears, she was looking for a reason but we weren?t telling her and it
was taking a toll on her. Mom finally couldn?t handle the tears and told
us to tell her the truth.
We sat Zoe down on the couch and politely asked her to never repeat what
we were about to tell her. Sela blurted out, "We can do magic, all three
of us.? I added, "We were doing a healing spell to make you calm down so
you didn?t go overboard, we didn?t want you to hurt yourself.?
Zoe started to realize what was going on. She then popped her head up
and asked, "You were the one who caused my skirt to blow up and you
stopped me in the bathroom from hurting you.? I nodded, then asked her,
"how could you remember the bathroom, I wiped your memory with a spell.?
Zoe looked up at mom who nodded. Zoe admitted quietly, "Yesterday when I
came in with your mom. As soon as I put away my cloths something flashed
in front of my eyes and I could remember what happened. Your mom didn?t
say anything but she seemed to realize what happened.?
We all turned to mom who dipped her head and quietly admitted, "It stops
working on loved ones. When she came into my care and by extension
Paul?s care and we showed that we were willing to help her by taking her
into our home the spell broke. They won?t work on loved ones, be they
old, new, blood, or adopted.?
The three of us looked up at Paul and mom. Mom had a ring on her finger
which none of us had noticed. Sela and I looked at each other and shared
a "No way!? which Zoe took to mean what she thought it meant. Zoe was
the first to ask, "When did you make it official?? Mom blushed and
proudly said, "This morning after you went to school. We had some
paperwork to file and it was as good of a time as any to do it.?
Zoe softly asked, "Did you rush because of me?? Mom proudly smiled and
said, "partially, you got us thinking and there was no reason to wait.
The girls are already close enough so there is no reason to delay the
inevitable. We are going to have a simple ceremony after school on
Friday that way all three of you can go.?
Mom sat down and got down to business. She asked Zoe, "Ms. Kimball asked
if you could redo your work, so you are going to do that with Paul on
Saturday. The girls have training that day so it works out for you
three. After that we will gather together at Paul?s house to decide what
to do about living arrangements, but I feel we might just move in with
him as his house is bigger. Is that alright with you three?? We all
nodded in agreement.
We went right into our homework after all that news. Zoe breezed through
hers fast and helped Sela with hers much to Sela?s annoyance. Dinner was
a simple meal that mom threw together in a few minutes but was tasty.
After that it was watching TV until 8 then off to bed. We had a taxing
day and all of us were tired.
Zoe didn?t need any healing energy after this morning so she slept
soundly while I had to ponder a few things. My magic didn?t work on Sela
because she was magical, yet it doesn?t work on Zoe because she is now
family. Does that mean that Zoe could be magical too? She hasn?t shown
any tendencies, maybe we should test her.
Downstairs I could hear mom and Paul talking. Paul was happy that the
news went well and Zoe is adjusting. He hoped that she was able to stay
around for a long time, he was fond of having another daughter to spoil.
Mom suggested they look into adoption if her mother is found guilty and
all rights are removed from her permanently. I texted Sela this news,
she immediately texted back, "They better adopt her!? which got me
smiling and finally falling asleep.
By Friday the others had adjusted to Sela and I being Zoe?s sisters in
all but name. There were few who would taunt her lest they get either
Sela or myself to shoot back a quick putdown. Zoe started to ease up as
her bruising faded and Ms. Kimball made it clear that she wasn?t just
some dumb bully but a smart girl who was one of the brightest in the
class.
Ms. Kimball seemed to know what was going on that afternoon and
congratulated Sela and I on becoming sisters. Zoe remained silent but I
whispered a quick, "Give it time and they might make it three sisters
instead of two.? Zoe didn?t seem to know what I meant but Sela added,
"They just have to wait for the paperwork to come through.?
At the courthouse on Friday mom and Paul went before a judge and were
wed. Paul and mom signed the paperwork to have Sela adopted by mom and
myself adopted by Paul. He was now no longer Paul but now my dad just as
mom was now Sela?s mom.
Zoe remained silent, the judge quietly asked what was going on with her
which mom and dad quietly told him out of earshot of anyone else. He
pulled out some paperwork for them to sign then asked Zoe to come
forward. Zoe walked up to the bench and was asked, "Do wish you be
adopted by these two people?? Zoe looked over at mom and dad and nodded.
The judge smiled then stated, "given the circumstances and the fact that
social services were adamant that you be placed with them I don?t see
the need to delay the inevitable especially not when you are going to
suffer in the interim.?
He signed the paperwork and offered his congratulations. Zoe asked what
just happened to which mom smiled and said, "You are now our daughter.
The judge didn?t feel it was wise to wait the required three months when
your mental health is at risk. You beat the system, you are our
daughter.? Zoe looked at mom and cried. Dad leaned in and hugged her
while Sela and I stayed back.
On the drive home Zoe hugged me and kissed my cheek thanking me for
intervening. Sela got the same which caused her to cringe and laugh. Dad
tried hard not to laugh at the three of us but it was too sweet and
funny. Mom tried hard to get us to focus on tomorrow but it failed so we
just turned it into an impromptu slumber party in my room.
Saturday morning mom got us up early. Zoe went to dad?s house with all
of her books and tests while Sela came over dressed for exercise. Sela
grumbled about needing to wear those loose, ugly clothes but mom
insisted. I was already dressed but I knew how to dress for such days
having endured countless days in our old home universe.
After an hour we heard a crash and bang from dad?s house. Mom and I
rushed over and saw Zoe with an orb of light hovering over her hands.
She was scared and didn?t know what happened, only that she created it
when she stretch and complained about it being dark in the room. Dad ran
in and saw the light and turned to mom and asked her bluntly, "Are you
absolutely sure she can?t do magic??
Chapter 10
Mom got Zoe to calm down which caused the orb to dissipate. We looked at
one another in disbelief with Sela asking the obvious, "Do you have to
be born to magic to have magical abilities??
Mom wanted to faint at the realization. She quietly uttered, "Power of
three? over and over again. Dad sat her down while Sela and Zoe ran to
get her some tea to calm her nerves. I waited until they returned and
asked her softly, "What is the power of three??
Mom had tears in her eyes as she blurted out, "You three were chosen to
be the defenders of this realm. Only sisters are chosen and only if
there are three of the same age and of the same birthday.?
Zoe tried hard to think what she meant. Sela again took the initiative
and asked, "What is