Chapter 10
A bitter meeting
January
"Stop biting your hands." Owen warned, tugging my hand out of my mouth. "It's unsanitary and harmful. I know you struggle with math, but you need to learn this."
His phone rang. He answered it and I rested my head on the table, nibbling my other hand. My father pulled it away from me. I whined, but he didn't care.
"Talia, your grandfather's in the hospital. You're going to Bar Harbor, Maine. I'll get your brother." Owen stepped out.
"What the fuck do you want me to do?" I asked the door. Go to the helicopter? That seems right, but I had no idea. I decided to go follow Owen. I sensed where he was and teleported to him. I miscalculated and landed on his back.
"Now is not the time for a ride, Talia." Owen bent and set my feet on the ground. "Come along."
I followed him and we got Alex. Then we had to pack a bag and were taken to the launch pad. Fox and David were waiting for us.
"Ah, good. Thank you, Owen." David said.
"Your welcome, sir." He answered.
"Say good bye to Owen, Talia. We'll be back in a few days." Fox told me.
I hugged him. He hugged back. "Bye."
"I'll see you soon, Sweetheart. Be good for Mister Xanatos and Fox." Owen brushed some hair behind my ear.
"Ok." I said.
"That's my good girl." He kissed my forehead.
We got in the helicopter and flew to Maine. Then we went to the hospital where David's dad was. I stayed near the back of the room. He wasn't awake yet. His skin was dull and he didn't look good.
"Talia, do you want to see Grandpa?" Alex asked.
They made room for me. It didn't change anything. He still looked sick. I smelt Alex's magic on him though. I looked at my brother and he just frowned. Fox took me and Alex out to the hall, leaving David alone.
We met some lady in the hall and she hugged Fox. "Hello, Fox. I'm sorry you had come under these circumstances."
"I know, but these things happen." Fox said.
"That's Grandma Kara." Alex told me.
"Alex, you've grown so big." She hugged him. Then she noticed me. She had gray hair and hazel eyes. "Who's this?"
"That's my little sister, Talia." Alex smiled.
"Hi." I said.
"I'm sorry you had to meet your grandfather like this." She hugged me and there was something odd about her scent. It was… It was…"Petros always wanted a granddaughter."
"I'm sure he did." Fox agreed.
David and the doctor walked out and he rejoined us. I yawned. "You tired from the trip here, kiddo?" Alex looked at me.
"Lil' bit." I rubbed my eyes.
"Owen booked us a room at the inn. We sh-" David started to say.
"You're staying at the house. And having dinner with the family." Grandma Kara interjected firmly.
And I guess you don't argue with Grandma Kara because Fox drove us to a large two story house instead of the inn. David wanted to be with his father a little longer. We were ushered inside and a man hugged Alex.
I slipped out of the hallway and into the living room. It was light blue and spacious. I went to the bookshelf near the fireplace, picking up a photo album. I flipped to a random page. An old yellowed newspaper from 1981 was tucked inside. I unfolded it.
The headline read 'Girl survives plane exploding during storm' I read it. Apparently, a small passenger plane was heading back for land when something went wrong and it exploded. Petros and his crew were also caught out in the storm and saw something fall from the sky. It wasn't until a dolphin risked coming near the ship they knew something was up. One of the crew saw that there was a girl on its back. They rescued her and took her to the hospital. She was expected to fully recover.
"There you are, Tai. What you looking at?" Alex asked. I handed it to him. He read it. "Grandpa told me about this once. Said it was miraculous that she hadn't died. Oh, Mom wanted me to show you your room." He said.
I put the newspaper back in the album and followed him. The room was clean. The bed was made. I put my bag in my room and opened it, pulling out my toy fox.
"Aw, you couldn't leave home without him." Alex cooed.
"Dad put him in my bag." I frowned.
Alex furrowed his eyebrows. "This is your first night without Owen and Puck tucking you in, isn't it?"
"I'm a big girl." I huffed.
"You don't look like it." He teased.
"You don't act like an adult." I shot back.
"I'm a young adult." He smiled.
"Nah, you're just overgrown teenager." I gave him a wiry grin.
"Says the princess with a toy fox." Alex huffed confidently.
"I'm not the one who has to fix the family name." I taunted.
"You have the same last name as me, kiddo." He reminded me.
"Stop picking on each other. We're here for your grandfather." Fox warned.
"Ok, Mom." Alex sighed.
"Ok, Fox." I sighed too.
"Talia, you can't call me Fox while we're with family." She told me.
"Mom." I said.
"Very good. Now, come downstairs. Your father's cousins want to meet you." Fox waited for us. We went downstairs and the man from earlier and a lady who looked like David smiled.
"You're David's new daughter?" The man asked.
"Yeah." I said.
"I'm Linda and this is my husband, Mike." Linda told me.
"Hi." I waved.
"So, why did my cousin adopt you?" The Xanatos woman asked.
"Uh…" I paused. We did not go over this.
"She wasn't awake we decided. She was really hurt when Goliath found her and brought her to us." Fox explained.
"Ah, the Batman approach." Mike nodded.
Alex frowned. I poked his cheek. It was barely squishy. He looked at me and smiled. He shoved me a little. I was scooted to the armrest. Fox shot us a look. Alex moved me back to where I was before and folded his hands in his lap.
The family talked about things I didn't know. I got bored and playing with my magic quietly. I wanted to see how far my magic could go. It didn't go far. It went to the beach and I touched the water with it. It was cold. Alex's eyebrow quirked up, but he didn't say anything.
The door opened and I looked. It was David and Grandma Kara. My stomach growled and Grandma Kara got me and Alex a snack before she and Lydia went to go cook. We ate and after a while, dinner was ready.
I didn't recognize anything. It was Greek, but that was all I knew. I didn't take a lot. Alex frowned. I guess he heard that I sometimes forgot to eat or overate when I was left to my own devices. I liked the Spanakopita, spinach pie and Tiropita, cheese pie. The Psarosoupa, fish soup, was ok. The Dolma, rice stuffed grape leaves, wasn't my favorite. I knew what Baklava was.
I was sent to bed around 9. I couldn't sleep. I was too awake. Alex was allowed to stay up with the adults. It wasn't fair. I was 17.
"Grandma send you to bed early?" Puck cooed.
"Dad?" I asked.
"In the flesh. Now, let's practice your transfiguration again. Like at Christmas, but with humans." He told me.
"Ok." I got out of bed.
"Alright, kiddo, making a persona takes a lot of thought. Like how they act and behave-" Puck started.
"Like making a character?" I asked.
"Yeah, like that." He nodded.
I thought and came up with up with something. Then I wasn't there anymore. It was like I was looking through a glass door.
"Not bad, not bad at all." Puck smiled. "You have Fox's chin though."
"I'm Rachel Winters." She said.
"What do you do, Rachel?" He asked.
"I like setting fires." She said.
Puck looked at her.
"Kidding! I write books." She smiled.
He huffed with a wiry grin. "Can you make your next persona taller?"
I opened the door and I was back in my body. "O-" I felt powerful magic coming from the window. What was it?
"Tai?" Puck asked as something flew through the window and landed at my feet. I bent to pick it up. "Talia, no! That's the Phoenix Gate and the last time it was used, Brookl-" Puck moved it with his magic, but my finger hooked the golden nub protruding from it. It disintegrated and a Phoenix appeared.
"Uh oh." I said as it ate me.
"Talia!" Puck yelled.
