Chapter 2
Melinda sat on the rocks overlooking the beach. She welcomed the cool ocean breeze as it blew her chestnut hair away from her face. When she closed her eyes she could taste the salt upon her lips, smell the sea air encompass her being, hear the waves break endlessly against the shore, and feel the sand between her toes. This place had always been where she went to settle her nerves and get her head on straight.
She replayed the outburst with her mother over and over again in her mind. She didn't mean to be so hateful, and she certainly didn't want to seem so bitter about her brother. She knew that if Chris hadn't gone back in time that she very well never would have been born. Then again, she thought bitterly, that may not have been such a bad thing.
Melinda had always felt out of place within her circle of cousins and her brothers. Her brothers were half whitelighter, and she of course was only half human. Growing up that never made sense to her since they all had the same father. But, thanks to Chris, Leo became human before she had the chance to be conceived. Her Aunt Phoebe married a Cupid, so her cousins Pricilla, Patience and Patty orbed in that annoying way with a heart to lead the way. Aunt Paige, who was of course half whitelighter passed on the ability to Henry, Porche and Pepper, and of course Henry never forgot to remind her that she was the only one that couldn't. All eight of them felt the need to protect her from the bad guys. They all worried that she would get hurt or, which she thought was more likely, would get in the way. Melinda sighed and watched the sand fall through her fingers, lost in thought.
'It's all thier fault.' The wind seemed to whisper in her ear. She looked around to see if someone else had snuck up on her. She was alone, save for the few seagulls scattered just out of reach of the waves.
'You need to make it right, make them pay' the wind whispered again. This time, Melinda spun around to see where the voice had come from. She wondered if maybe she was just thinking very loudly.
'It was their selfishness, not yours that brought you here.'
"Who's there?" Melinda cried out into the horizon. She stood up and looked around frantically in vain trying to find the source of the voice.
"Show yourself," she warned, her eyes narrowing. Just then, she saw a pink heart followed by the sparkle of orbs. Her cousin, Pricilla, materialized beside her.
"Are you okay?" Pricilla asked, her hazel eyes filled with concern.
"Why are you whispering crap like that into my ear?" Melinda asked.
"What?" Pricilla asked.
"You weren't…. nevermind… it's not important." Melinda answered trying to dismiss the whole thing. The last thing she needed was her cousin thinking that she was going insane.
"Melly, are you sure you're okay? There's nobody here but us, and I just got here. Who was talking to you?"
"Nobody," Melinda answered. "I must have dozed off and I was having a weird dream."
"Okay," Pricilla answered, still unsure. "Wyatt and Chris are back. Everything seems to still be in order."
"Did they send you looking for me?" Melinda asked. She was trying hard not to be cross because she truly loved her cousins, and after her explosion at Porche and Pepper she wanted to be on her best behavior.
"Ummm… no," Pricilla replied. "We were supposed to go to the movies and you never showed to pick me up."
Melinda slapped herself in the forehead and tried to manage a smile. She had completely forgotten. She always complained about how she didn't like being treated like a child, but at moments like this she couldn't blame them.
"I'm sorry, Sweetie. I completely forgot," Melinda said glancing down at her watch. "Now there's no way we can make it on time."
"Yes we can," Priscilla grinned. She took a hold of Melinda's hand and with a shimmer of pink and silver, they were off.
