ed the curtains that hung on the walls. A small fridge was plugged in the corner of the room, probably lined with soda just waiting for her to consume once we were gone and she could do what she wanted here in peace.
Bella’s room was quaint, with a smaller bed and a row of books, and pink tones in every detail.
They created my room as well with a regular bed and a regular window overlooking the small garden in the back. My body was at peace in the room. Though I wouldn’t be living in it just yet, I liked it. It felt like home.
When they were finally done, and Courtney had added more items to her fridge, I gathered both my sisters in for a huge hug.
“Well done,” I said, my voice filled with compassion and sincerity. “You guys did an amazing job with this. Mother would be proud.” They both nuzzled their heads against my chest, appreciating the praise more than I’d realized they would. I sighed. “Make sure to remember not to trust anyone. Not even someone who says they know me. If I do send someone, I’ll give them my locket as a sign, okay?”
They nodded and hugged me tighter.
When I stepped back, my heart hammered in my chest and my hands shook with nerves.
“It’s time for me to go,” I said. My voice quivered and I had to look at the trees surrounding us so I wouldn’t cry.
“You don’t want to stay, even one night?” Bella asked, biting her lip. She looked up at me with big eyes. It was difficult for me to say no. I wasn’t sure how Mother had done it with ease.
Courtney grinned. “I could build you a fridge for your room.”
Unshed tears tingled in my eyes, but I blinked them back. “I’d love to... but the sooner I work out a way to make all of these pieces fit together, the sooner we can get on with our lives,” I said through a sigh. I breathed in deeply, trying to slow my erratic heart. “I love you, you know that, right? Both of you.”
I gripped their hands, sharing a final look. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay and build a home with the two people who knew me the best.
But I couldn’t.
I needed to go to the magic realm. I needed to figure out who our father was and why he’d left, and maybe strengthen my magic.
I gave my sisters one last look, one last watery smile, and squeezed their shoulders. If I didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t leave at all. Then I headed out the door and, with a single word, transported myself into the nearest town.
Chapter 3.
Cars whipped past me at sixty miles an hour, and I stumbled back on the sidewalk.
“For witch’s sake...”
I put my hand over my heart, feeling it hammering beneath my hand. Damn, it had been too long since I’d come into town. I’d forgotten how fast paced and noisy everything was! With the human’s machines and cars and high-rise buildings, with their pollution and their huge population.
I realized I probably should have been practicing my transportation method more. My stomach was a little queasy and my head felt light. I threw out my arms to catch my balance and nearly hit a pedestrian.
“Watch it!” he called, barrelling past me.
I opened my mouth to apologize but he had already disappeared.
Yes, practice was definitely a requirement if I was going to teleport myself farther distances than just around the house.
With Mother so sick, I’d been looking after my sisters and running the house and assisting our servants. Another oldest child responsibility, but one I actually enjoyed, one I was good at. I hadn’t had a moment to spare to think about the rest of the world. We rarely immersed ourselves in it. There was no reason to, not when we could snap our fingers and get whatever we needed.
And yet, I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes. A couple of people pushed into me, muttering about me being a tourist. I didn’t particularly care. Let them think what they wanted.
My body tingled. I was finally... free. Free to do as I pleased. Free to look for my aunt.
“Where did she live again?” I tapped my chin with my finger and strolled with the crowd surrounding me. “I don’t remember.”
I searched my memory for an address, an image of a house. Anything that would remind me of where I needed to go to find Aunt Alison.
The sun warmed my face, and I sucked in a breath. My nostrils flared. I wasn’t used to the clouded air. I was used to fresh, crisp air. Clean. This was not that. And yet, I had never been happier.
I should have asked Courtney for the address. She seemed to have a better memory than me. She remembered things I had forgotten. Things that should have been forgotten.