Chapter 14: Snowfall
For the first quarter of school, I did as Salem did. I sat and watched. I didn't get involved in either side. I let Charlie handle things that needed to be taken care of and I stayed quiet. I didn't speak unless spoken to and stayed under the Bloor's radar. I felt bad that I wasn't there to help Billy Raven get away from the de Grey family or talk Olivia through her newfound endowment but things worked out without my interference. I needed time to catch up and recover, so Charlie didn't mind leaving me out of everything. He also didn't need me after discovering that he, too, was a magician. He had stolen a wand from a sorcerer in a painting whenever I had been comatose. Manfred had tried to destroy it, but it just changed its shape and now I had the comfort of knowing that Claerwen the moth was always nearby to protect him.
Now, Billy was asleep on the top bunk of the new bunk beds in our bedroom and things were peaceful. Charlie had just celebrated his birthday, the only thing missing was my father. I can't just sit by and watch things happen anymore, Salem. I thought as I watched the snow fall through the bedroom window. I want to help Charlie and his friends. I want to find my father.
I think it's time for you to help out again too. I think you've gotten stronger. His voice filled my thoughts and I couldn't help but to smile. I closed my eyes and was ready to drift off to sleep when the sound of meowing woke me up. I sat up in bed and looked around. The meowing was definitely coming from in front of the house.
"Do you hear it too?" Charlie asked me. His voice made me jump. I thought he was asleep. The two of us got out of bed and went over to the window. When we looked down, the Flame cats were looking back up at us. "Go down and let them in. I'll wake up Billy."
I pulled on my robe and quickly descended the stairs to let the Flames in. When I opened the door, I got a good look at the snow. Something was off about it. It didn't seem natural at all. I stepped outside and looked around. Something evil was happening and I could feel it. I can feel dark magic. Is something happening?
Yes, but I can't stop it. Something is blocking me.
I didn't know what he meant by something "blocking" him. I decided that I had stood in the cold long enough and went back into the house where Charlie and Billy had laid out leftover turkey and warm milk. I could hear Billy communicating with the Flames and Charlie was looking very distressed. Just when I was about to ask him what was wrong, Uncle Paton appeared at the top of the stairs so I dove for the light switch and Charlie lit a few candles.
"What's going on down here?" Uncle Paton asked as he dug in the fridge for something to eat.
"The Flames came to warn me." Charlie answered as I was about to pass Uncle Paton a plate. "About mom."
I froze and almost dropped the plate, but Uncle Paton caught it. "Excuse me?" He said. "Did you say your mother?" Uncle Paton frowned. They continued to speak but my brain went empty. All I could think about was my mother. Would she end up like my father? Would I end up losing my parents again? I stared out the window above the kitchen sink. Was this going to be Bloor related? Why would they want anything to do with my mother? She was unendowed, she kept her head low and didn't interfere with anything. The only time she ever stood up to the Bloor family is when Salem and I ran away.
We have nothing to do with this. I swear. Salem's calm voice filled my head. This is something beyond my grandfather's power. Their minds are clear. They don't even know what's going on. I can't do anything if I don't know where it's coming from.
"That doesn't make me feel any better, Salem." I murmured out loud.
"What is the meaning of this?" Grandma Bone's loud voice shouted, startling all of us. I turned around and found her standing in the doorway looking as unpleasant as ever.
"Hi, Grandma." Charlie said cheerfully. I looked around, expecting her to yell about the Flames being in the house because of how much she hated animals, but they were gone.
"Don't be insolent." She barked. "Why aren't any of you in bed?"
"We were hungry." I said as I reached over Uncle Paton's shoulder and picked up a piece of cheese from the platter her had brought out. "I don't see why you're yelling. It's not a school night."
"Hold your tongue, you little brat." She growled at me. She looked back at Charlie. "I heard cats."
"They were outside, Grandma." He said quickly.
She padded over to the window and looked outside suspiciously but the Flames must have been long gone. "What is up with this snow? It isn't normal." She said. She had noticed it too. Something was definitely off about this snow. I wasn't being crazy.
"It's cold, white and wet. I don't know what else you could want." Uncle Paton said sarcastically.
This caused Grandma Bone to spin around quickly. She hadn't noticed that Paton was there. "You!" She hissed. "Why didn't you send these children back to bed?"
"I'm not a child." I mumbled, but I was drowned out by Uncle Paton trying to defend us. I didn't care to pay attention to the conversation anymore. Grandma Bone may have had Charlie fearful, but I wasn't afraid of her. She wasn't my mother and I wouldn't allow her to try and control me like she did everyone else.
When she left, Charlie and Billy eventually went upstairs but I decided to sit at the table with Uncle Paton and pick at the cheese platter too. "You weren't listening to our conversation about the shadow, were you?" Uncle Paton asked me.
"What shadow?" I looked up from the piece of cheese I was slowly breaking apart.
Uncle Paton chuckled. "You're always lost in your head, just like your father." He smiled fondly. "Billy said that the Flames warned him of a shadow. A shadow named Hark. They didn't elaborate but do you have any idea what that means?"
"I have no idea. Salem doesn't know what's going on either. He said something is blocking his powers. He's having a hard time reading the thoughts of whatever evil is happening and he doesn't know where it's coming from." I frowned. "If this thing is powerful enough to keep its thoughts hidden from Salem, then what is it powerful enough to do to mom? I'm scared, Uncle Paton." I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm just now seeing what it's like to have a real and loving family. I don't want anything to happen."
"Don't cry, dear girl." Uncle Paton put his hand over mine. I could see the concern and love in his brown eyes. "Have faith in Charlie and all of your friends. They are powerful and they're all like family to you as well. They won't let anything happen. And especially have faith in yourself. You're more powerful than you realize."
Uncle Paton's words were comforting. He managed to put me at just enough ease that I was able to go to bed for the night. I thanked him, cleaned up the kitchen and went right up to bed.
The next morning, I awoke to the sound of someone screaming. I immediately thought the worst. What if something happened to mom? I reached beside my bed and grabbed my softball bat. I had decided to keep it there just in case the Bloors ever tried to come back for me again. When I looked around I noticed Benjamin Brown was back from Hong Kong after a 7 month expedition and standing in the middle of our bedroom, Charlie was sitting straight up in bed with a pale and frightened face, and Billy had sat up too fast and smacked his head off of the ceiling.
"Jesus Christ, why are you all screaming?" A familiar voice asked. I looked behind Ben and found Salem standing in the doorway looking annoyed.
"I just got bit by a moth!" Ben looked up on top of the dresser where Claerwen had perched herself.
"Oh." Salem rolled his eyes. "They're okay, Maisie. Benjamin just tried to kill Claerwen." He called down the stairs. No doubt that Maisie was standing at the bottom, wondering why everyone was making such a ruckus so early in the morning.
"Claerwen?" Ben gave us all a strange look. Charlie began to explain the events that had transpired since Benjamin had been gone and I put down my bat.
"Cute pajamas." Salem snorted at me. I looked down at my Hello Kitty thermal pants and blushed. I stomped passed him and went into the bathroom down the hall. When I caught a glimpse of myself when I sat down on the toilet to pee, I felt even more embarrassed. My hair was a mess. I had fallen asleep with it up in a bun of some sort and now everything looked like a giant knot on the top of my head. I had dried drool on the side of my face.
I finished using the toilet and found myself trying to find the fastest way to make myself look more presentable for Salem. I cleaned my face, brushed my teeth and managed to get a brush through my hair even if it did make my eyes sting with tears. When I came back out, everyone was already downstairs at the breakfast table. Everyone gobbled down food but Ben. I figured he was missing his dog. He had left Runner Bean with Charlie seven months ago when he had gone to Hong Kong. Because of Grandma and the fact that he had to spend all of his weeks at Bloor's like the rest of us, Charlie left Runner Bean with Mr. Onimous at the Pet's Café.
"Oh, you're not mad at me for showing up and surprising you, are you?" Salem asked me as I shoved a piece of toast in my mouth. One of the things I liked about Salem is that when he was here with me, he always asked me how I was feeling rather than intruding into my thoughts on his own.
I chewed and swallowed. "Not at all. I'm surprised, but I'm mostly just hungry."
"You can't get between Infinity and food." Billy said thoughtfully.
"After we're done eating, we're all going to Pet's Café to go get Ben's dog. Do you two want to come with us?" Charlie asked Salem and I.
I looked at Salem, waiting for him to answer for us. He nodded and continued to eat. "I never get tired of your cooking, Maisie. Thank you for always feeding me." He said as he took everyone's plates to the sink and washed them quickly before Maisie could stop him.
"You're always welcome in my house, young man." Maisie said kindly. "Though I am upset that you didn't come see us at all over break."
"I wanted to, but I spent the break in France with my mother's sister." He explained. I hadn't known. He never told me. "I actually brought you all back gifts." He reached down and produced a backpack from under the table. "Maisie, I brought you and Mrs. Bone back a few bottles of wine. Charlie and Billy, I brought you chocolate. Paton's gift, I'll give him later. I didn't get it from France. And for Infinity," He paused and pulled out a large, black Givenchy bag. I almost couldn't breathe. I knew that those handbags were incredibly expensive. There was no way that I could accept such a gift.
"Salem, you didn't." I caught my breath but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the bag. I had been browsing a magazine and the bag had caught my eye one day when Salem and I were in the prefect's lounge. I had a present for Salem too, but it wasn't a Givenchy bag.
"Look in the bag." He smiled even wider.
I silently unzipped the bag and found a familiar blue Tiffany box. I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face. Why was he doing all of this? I didn't need expensive things. I was happy with what I had. I pulled out the box and opened it, revealing a beautiful pearl bracelet. "What are you doing?" I asked, unable to look at him.
"It's an infinity clasp. It's perfect for you." He took it out of the box and put it around my wrist gently. "You never want or ask for anything. You deserve to be spoiled once and awhile, especially after what you have been through because of my family in this past year." He gently held my hands and looked into my eyes. "In two weeks, it will be a year since we met, you know."
"I got you a present too." I said shyly. I then noticed that Charlie had already gone upstairs to go get it. "I didn't do it alone. I had a lot of help from Fidelio's older brother Felix whenever he worked at the academy last semester." I stood up and took the vintage leather guitar case from Charlie and handed it to Salem who had not been expecting a present. It was a black Gibson Acoustic L5. "Felix helped me restore it. I mean, it's not a Tiffany bracelet or a Givenchy bag… We just found it at a flea market. It needed a lot of TLC but Felix insisted it was a great idea."
"This is actually really expensive guitar. It's a shame that anyone let it get in such bad condition to begin with. Whoever sold it to you didn't know what they had." Salem looked up at me with a grin that almost split his face in two. "I really like the case, too." He put his free arm around my shoulder and pulled me close into a hug. He pressed his lips against my temple and I felt my face turn bright red, but I didn't object. "Now, I know Benjamin doesn't care about our Christmas Present Exchange so why don't you go get dressed so we can go get his dog?"
"THANK YOU!" Ben cried out, grateful to Salem. The only thing that boy seemed to care about in this moment was his dog.
"Alright. I'll keep this up in my room until we get back so it doesn't get ruined in the car because it's cold. A walk in the cold air will do us all some good." I took Salem's guitar and my bag and headed upstairs, a smile still on my face while I admired the bracelet around my wrist.