Book One of the KARDIA Trilogy; Queen of Hearts

CHAPTER SEVEN.

   My mind has been racing with particular thoughts in my mind. All I was just thinking was how to get to Dawn faster so that I could go on with my aiming and get to  know myself better.
    
      I had to find Keilo. This morning I woke up with a dutiful strength and a brilliant smile on my face that was governed by the thoughts of determination.  As the first time I had to find a portal maker, that's the same way I had to look for Keilo. Because I had memorized the identity spell, I chanted it.
    
      This place is full of surprises. When I was done I took my breakfast and headed to our table. I sat right next to Audrey and gave her my weird grin. She gazed at me curiously.
   "Are you okay?" She asked me.
"Yes Keilo. I am." I replied amiably as I said her witch name. She gazed at me dumbfounded.
   "Oh she did it again." Adrian said to me.
"You told her I was Keilo??" Audrey scolded Adrian.
   "No, I did some incantation to find you. You know I need help, don't you?" I said to her.
   "What for?"
"Making a portal." Lester said to her. I glared daggers at Lester only to met Audrey's intensity gaze.
   "Still going on with your idea of making a portal.?" She asked me sternly.
   "Yes. And I need your help. I don't know the flowers that have to be used for summoning a high rank witch."
   "Oh Ethela." She said as she held her face in her hands. She stood up and nodded for me to follow her. I stood up , steadily but happily following her behind.
    
      We left the school campus and headed to the forest. But this was a different one. We walked for miles and I thought we'd get lost but if Audrey knew where we were headed all I had to do was trust her.
  
      We arrived to a valley. The stream of water was vividly heard and seen and animals all around seemed to be at peace.
   "Wow. This..." I said to her. She gazed at me as she smiled. "Well this is half of what home is" she replied
   "Half?" I asked curiously.
"You think you'll stay here for the rest of your life my dear?" She chuckled lightly as she went on. "That's just a facility to help us grow our inner strength. And when you are ready, you are set to the journey to where you belong."
   "You've ever been there?"
"Well once. My Godmother took me there. It was lovely and beautiful. A peaceful place I assure you."
   "I don't even know where am gonna end up to." I said wistfully.
  "Oh come on. You'll know soon enough." She said as she stood in front of an acre full of colorful flowers.
   "What flowers are you looking for?" She asked me.
   "Adrian told me, since am summoning a high rank witch I need the blue blood flowers." I took out a crumpled piece of paper from my pocket and opened it.
    "There's snap dragon, marsh marigold and zinnia." I said as I read the piece of paper.
   "If it's a blue blood, the snap dragon would be red." She said as she held her breath and closed her eyes. She walked at a slow pace her hands on the flowers feeling them. After some minutes she handed me the red snap dragon.
   "Zinnia." She whispered to herself. She sighed as she gazed at me with a sad smile.
   "I trust you." I said to her.
"They are just hard to find. But..." she said as she close her eyes again. "I can do this."
  
     I stood behind her as I gazed at the beautiful panorama. The scenery was filled with life. I understood when she said her home was lovely. I could stay here and obviously no one could come and harm me. It was a beautiful place to abide in.
   "Here." Audrey's voice got me out of my stupor. I gazed at the Zinnia. Grey.
    "Marsh marigold are the easiest to find." She said as she walked ahead.
   "Why?" I asked incredulously.
"Their yellow is enticing." She said as she walked ahead and stood near some yellow colored flowers. She plucked one and gave it to me. I gazed at my flowers and grinned widely at Audrey.
   "Yeah, you are welcome." She said as we walked back to where we came from.
   We headed back to the campus. I got dressed and told Audrey that am heading to go and do the preparations.
  
     I walked towards the forest to that abandoned house got in and headed into the attic. I started looking for candles. I found them and made a big circle. After that I took my flowers and took some petals for grinding and others for burning. After burning each flower I kept it in perfect order, marsh marigold at the left, snap dragon at the middle and zinnia at the right. I cut my index finger and let the blood drip on the flowers. I sighed. All this preparations and no incantation.
     "Stand up." I heard a voice behind me. Fear enveloped me as i stood up gazing carefully at the hooded figure by the door.
    "Who are you?" I asked in a low frightened voice.
  He walked towards me as he took off his hoodie. Lester. My heart sighed in relief. Even when i knew i was so furious at him, i just couldn't give him a piece of my mind when am in need.
    "Am here to help you." He said as he took the bowl from the floor. He gave it to me.
   "Sprinkle it around the circle, incantating a spell i will tell you." I took the bowl fron his hands and started walking around the circle.
      "Through this act i receive,
         The truth with no deceive,
         I ask for the truth untold,
         To always shimmer as gold."
I went on and repeated what he said. He went on,
       "Open the lights to the darkness,
          Let me see the real kindness,
          Of the blue blood i seek,
           Whose enchanted name, Raneek."
"Get in the circle." He instructed me. I stood in the middle of the circle.
    "Drink it, sit close your eyes, feel the name giving you a sign."
   
   I sighed. I drank it, sat and closed my eyes and waited. I focused my intuition and i started hearing whispers. When i opened my eyes, there was no mirror but a path to walk through.
   "You dont have enough time. Be fast. Or else you can be locked in there forever." A voice said around me. I gazed around, but no one was around. Fear gnawed at me once again and i just wanted to leave when i decided i shoul just not give up half way here.
    "Raneek." I said as i walked following the path. Still silence answered me. I stood up and clenched my hands tightly to stop the trembling of my hands. I heard footsteps. I stood still.
     "Ethela," a voice said behind me.
I turned hurridly and gazed at the person who just called my name.  She was tall, with blue eyes and had blonde hair. She had a black dress on and a little tiara on her head.
    "Raneek?" I said gazing at her questionably.
"You look just like your mother." She repiled as she eyed me carefully.
   "Am glad I found you." I said to her.
"I know my dear. And I knew when the time is right you will summon me."
    "I need to know myself. Understand me." I said to her.
   "You are new. You still dont know your talent that you have do you?"
   "I dont know I don't  understand at all." I said woefully.
    "You are special. You are needed at Wazdra at any costs. You wont get this now, but someday you will."
    "I feel out of place godmother. Most of the times I feel myself fit in, then there's load of things I'd get ..lot to take in.."
   "You are powerful my dear. You have to fit in. You need to agree to the inner you and agree to the concept that you are  powerful.
   "I know but the black warriors.."
"Mmmmh, be careful." She said as she gazed at me solemnly.  "They are cunning and clever. They are always the ones causing mischief to any other group that turns to be a threat to them."
   "Well I understand where her cockiness comes from." I said flatly.
   "They can summon any warlock through any portal. You should break this when you are done."
     "Yes godmother." I replied faintly.
"So how do I get to know myself?"
    "Trust your intuition.Keep it strong always."
"Okay.."
    "Do not let pride ruin you." She said as she held my face with her hands. She gazed at me intently, her eyes not faltering.
     "I will not let pride overrule me."
"Please Ethela, I can not tell you more but to be careful. They will find you and they won't make life any easier for you."
      I gulped hard as I processed all this. Was I even ready?
   "The portal is about to close Ethela!" I heard a voice from behind . I knew it was Lester's voice.
   "Okay, so I have to listen to my intuition, be careful with the black warriors And be ready to know myself ." I said as I gazed at her.
  She smiled amiably. "I have faith in you, my dear. You are as fearless as your mother was."
She said as she held my hands tight.
   I smiled at her. "I wish I had an ample time with you godmother." I said to her.
   "Ethela hurry!"The voice said to me.
"Go! When it's time, we'll see each other frequently." She said as she nudged me to leave.
   I gazed at her for the last time as I closed my eyes and let my intuition lead me to my way out.
  I opened my eyes and met the eyes of my crew members gazing at me. I sighed as I watched Lester break the glass. The glass shards littered on the floor.
    "How did you all guys get here?" I asked incredulously.
  "We had to make sure you get what you want and if you are okay." Audrey said to me.
    "Who did you see? Did you speak to her?" Kayla asked me enthusiastically.
    "Well she's fine. ." I said as I gazed at Lester. He gazed at me for a while as he gazed away from me. The rest of the crew felt the tension.
   "Shall we?" Kian said to all of us.
"Yep. It's about time we leave." Lilian said as she walked towards the door. The rest of the crew followed and it was Lester and I left.
   I waited for him to gaze my way again so as I could talk to him and we could start a fresh conversation.
    "Thanks." I said to him as I walked away.
"Ethela wait." He said to me. I stood up by the door and turned to face him.
    "Yes, Lester?" I said to him.
"Am sorry." He sighed as he gazed at me. "I just feel that this isn't the right time for me to tell you what I saw and I hope you understand." He sighed as he ruffled his hair.
"Whatever I saw was confusing and I didn't want to make you get worried about it. I had to stay in the library so as I could find the answers."
       "It's okay Lester. But if there is something you want to tell me, you can. Before it's too late." I said to him. He nodded approvingly as we walked out towards the school campus.
   
    Finding sleep tonight was hard. The wind that I was used to hear it swishing..was not heard. A piercing silence was enveloping the night. I had to many things in my mind.
    
      The room temperature was less cold today. But deep down I couldn't sleep. I glanced at Audrey's side, she was sleeping soundly not even a snore to be heard. I decided to go to the library. I took my black coat and opened the door slowly not to disturb Audrey.
     
     I headed to the library. I walked in and stared at the books on the shelves . When I first came in I was enthusiastic to read and still I am. But with all those books I feel blank. I already feel mostly left out. The thoughts of going back home had me thinking hard how I could possibly go back and stay my normal life , where magic wasn't a normal thing.
   
    But I just couldn't. Even if I'd decide to leave, honestly I would not be able to be the Ethela I was before I came here.
   
     I realized am still raw behind the ears. I need to know and grasp every chance I get. I don't know how am going to do it, but if the black warriors are ahead of me then I need to know what I can definitely do.
 
   I gazed outside the window and tried to feel the wind. Still piercing silence.
  
   But if Dawn said I need to know myself better I should. What motivates me its the fact she said am powerful. What exactly could make me stop to be curious about myself?