Crow of Flame

Chapter 5

"You absolutely ungrateful piece of shit!" My father swung at me and I ducked, narrowly missing the blow as I ran away. "Get back here! She said you'd forget!" My mother stepped into his path, putting a hand on his chest.

"Honey calm down. We can summon Persephone and she will take care of this." She turned towards me and gave me a once over. "Sapphire, call her. Say the words we taught you, call her now."

I took a deep breath, "Persephone, I call you, I need your help. Persephone hear my pleas, please assist me." I tapped two fingers on my sternum three times and looked to the sky, "Persephone please, I need help."

A beam of white light came peaking from the clouds, and Persephone appeared in the center of it. Her blonde hair curled and falling around her shoulders. She was wearing a red dress that fit her perfectly in the bodice and flowed in gauzy chiffon to the ground. Her lips were painted the same color as her dress and her brown eyes were lined in gold and filled with love.

She smiled at me sincerely, "Hello little one. What trouble have you made?" Her voice sounded soft and playful, like honey. She ran a hand down my messy red hair and kneeled to meet my eyes. "Do you know why you're in trouble?" There was no anger or frustration in her voice, she sounded like she thought this was funny. I shook my head no. "Well then, we should see what the matter is."

She stood tall, taking my hand in hers, and she turned to face my parents. "What seems to be the matter here, Lizbeth? Sapphire seems to be in good health, no fires are burning, no one has died." My parents looked baffled, "Why has she summoned me?" She looked down at me with kind eyes, "not that I mind, little one, you may summon me whenever you would like."

My mother stepped forward, crossing her arms at her chest. "She was playing with fire again. We went camping and she walked into the fire and began to toss it in her hands like it was a ball. She's been trying to use lighters and touch candles since. Today she reached her hand into the burner on the stove. You said this wouldn't happen as long as she lives with us. Remove her powers or take her away."

I gasped at my mothers words, Persephone's head snapped between my mother and me. "I will not remove her powers, they are a part of her. Removing her powers would be like taking a part of her soul." Persephone looked down at me with love in her eyes. She didn't look at my mother when she spoke. "Have you been feeding her as I specified?" My mother nodded, "Is she learning musical instruments? Have you sent her to the therapist I specified?" My mother nodded again. "Good, has she been going to the dance classes I prescribed?"

"Yes, we've been doing everything by your specificities." My mother waved her hands in the air, and looked at me. "She is the problem, she can't control it, she—"

"She is a nine year old girl, she is learning to be a human before she learns to be a disciple." Persephone cut my mother off. "It is important for what she will have to accomplish." She knelt next to me again cradling my face in her soft hands. "What instruments do you play, little one?"

I twisted my face in thought, "I play piano, violin, cello, oboe, saxophone, flute, harp, guitar, and I'm learning the drums... I also take singing lessons too." I smiled at her with pure joy projecting from me. She made me feel safe, and she felt so familiar. "Have I ever met you before?" I poked her face.

Persephone gave the most graceful laugh I'd ever heard, "Yes, little one, we have met, but you don't remember that right now. You won't remember this for a long time, I'm going to put a block on you."

I scrunched up my face, "What's a block?"

Persephone tapped a finger on my nose causing me to giggle. "A block is going to dampen your powers until you need them again. It could be next year, or it could be when you're much older, but the block will remain until the fire calls again. It is going to erase me from your mind for right now, but you'll remember me once you meet him."