Zanna hugged Zhia, still staring at the item in her hand, her little sister's question rang in her head, What's it for? She thought for a moment of everything she learned in school about magical gifts. They had learned about powerful scepters passed down through generations, a crown stashed in a once lost kingdom's treasury, a flower hidden in the forest that held the power of all life. Little gems with a pinkish center were not ones she had ever learned about, so she answered truthfully.
"I don't know, Zhia. I've never seen it before."
"We should ask Daddy, He'll know; he knows everything." Zhia pulled on her sister's hand and took a step forward.
Zanna nodded, her dad might not know everything necessarily but she had a feeling he'd know about her magical gift and the surprise visitor. She listened for noises from their father's room and heard nothing. She pulled gently on her sister's hand. "I'll ask in the morning. Go back to sleep, little flower."
Zhia giggled at her sister's affectionate nickname and crawled up onto the bed, snuggling under the covers. She peeked up at her beloved sister and grinned sleepily.
"Well of course, this is my bed," Zanna chuckled and moved the blanket back so she could lay down next to Zhia, who moved closer to curl up against her side. Zanna rubbed her back and hummed quietly until Zhia's breathing evened out. She laid her cheek against Zhia's forehead and closed her eyes.
The sun shone through Zanna's lace curtains, falling across her face and waking her up what felt like minutes after she fell asleep. She opened her eyes and glanced over at her sister, curled up closer to the wall. She lifted the blanket and slipped her feet out from under it. She put on her fluffy pink slippers and stood. She adjusted the blanket on Zhia and padded out of the room.
The scent of coffee wafted to her, beckoning her down the stairs. She could hear sounds of dishes clanging against each other, meaning her father was making breakfast. She grinned to herself as she moved down the stairs.
Her father made the best waffles, piled high with fresh fruits from the garden the family kept in the field behind the house. It'd be perfect for right before she left; a lovely breakfast with her family. Unless this talk with her dad about the night before went badly, then it would be a very interesting morning.
"Papa?" She stepped into the kitchen, quietly approaching her father.
He looked up from the strawberries he was cutting and smiled, "Morning, dear. The kettle is on for tea." He dumped several handfuls of strawberries into a pot.
Zanna picked up a teabag from the pink ceramic container next to the stove and put it at the bottom of her favorite mug. She carefully picked up the kettle and poured a mug full of water over the bag, leaving it to steep for a moment. "Papa, I need to talk to you."
Her father looked up at her again, his hands wrist-deep in a bowl of water over and blueberries, "Yes?" He strained the plump fruit as he continued to talk, "It's not about school, is it? I thought you were excited about school. You've been doing great."
"Oh Papa, it's not about school. Thank you, though," Zanna smiled. She removed the teabag, dropped a sugar cube into her cup and stirred it with a little rose engraved spoon. She picked up the mug and sat down at the table overlooking their expansive backyard.
"Then what do you have to talk about? Is Zhia having dreams?"
"No, Papa. It's about me... Something i saw last night. Well, Zhia saw it too." She gripped her cup tightly.
"Were there thieves on the property? Who did you see?" He cried, going to the window to look out at their gardens.
"Papa," Zanna looked at him, shaking her head when he turned towards her. She watched him move back to his cutting board. "Something was in my room. It was a shadow of sorts, in the shape of a dragon, I think. It talked to me, said I was a Keeper."
Her father stopped what he was doing, staring at the fruit in front of him. "The Dragon... he visited you?"
"I… I think so," Zanna took a sip of her tea, and then stared into the cup. "Papa, what's a Keeper?"
He put down his knife and moved to sit across from her, breakfast forgotten for now. A frown drew his dark eyebrows together as he thought. He took a deep breath before speaking, "Zanna, I think it's time we talked about your mother…"
The lights turned on with a click and Meridah rushed towards Anila, whose eyes were trained on the red gem. The older woman wrapped an arm around her then bent to pick up the gem. "Oh, honey."
"Grandmother, what was that? Who was that?" Anila began to tremble.
"I'm not sure, dear. But here, take this. It could mean something, or everything." Meridah helped Anila sit back down then pushed the gem into her hands.
Anila stared at it for a few moments; it had stopped glowing and the pulsing had faded to the barest rhythm, in time with her heartbeat. It was simply a red gem with a much paler center. She let it drop to the ground. "I want nothing to do with it. It is not logical- a gem forming from nothing while a shadow speaks to me. It is not of any use to me."
Meridah picked up the gem once more, looking into her granddaughter's eyes. "I'll tuck it away for you, Anila. Maybe one day you'll find what use it has for you and want it back." She tapped Anila's knee, "Now get up to bed. You need your sleep, you leave for school tomorrow."
"I must finish my book; it shall give me assistance in my studies." Anila reached for the thick book where it had fallen at her feet when she first stood.
Meridah stopped her, speaking softly, "You must sleep. The book will still be here tomorrow, do not wear yourself out over it."
Anila looked up at her grandmother, calmed by the gentle and loving look in her eyes. "I don't want anything to hurt you too. I need to read that book to keep you safe."
"Nothing can hurt me." There was strength in Meridah's voice and steel in her bright green eyes as she pulled Anila out of the chair and nudged her towards the staircase. "Now up to bed."
Anila obeyed silently, leaving Meridah to ponder the origin and reason for the small gem.
Upstairs, Anila switched her cargo shorts and loose fitting t-shirt for sweatpants and a tank top before slipping into bed and burrowing under her quilt. A breeze blew through her room, leaving goose bumps along her exposed arms and causing her grey curtains to flutter delicately.
