Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 18

Ophelia stood back, watching the flower on her windowsill bloom by itself. She opened up some windows to air out the smell of troll food. NotEnrique had been experimenting in her kitchen again.

"What do you think?" Barbara was asking her, also watching Laura breathe life back into the potted plants around the house.

"I'm not entirely sure what you want me to do," Ophelia admitted. "I'm not against it, but what can we do to help?"

"I don't know," Barbara said, lips pursed. "Maybe HexTech has ideas, but they seemed pretty certain something was coming to Arcadia. We need to be prepared."

"What exactly is coming?" She asked, peering into the living room at the other teenage girl who was occupying her son.

"I don't know," the doctor said again."But the girls thought it was important enough to warrant staying behind."

"And Douxie's ward over the town has a time limit," the shorter teenager said, turning to look at them. Her brown skirt twirled around her legs and feet as if blown by an invisible wind. Ophelia would never get used to looking at these half divine children. They all shared similar "uncanny valley" traits, as her daughter's boyfriend might have said. "It's just about drained, and he didn't have time to re-apply it before he left."

Ophelia sighed. "I understand. But if we're going to pull together, I'm going to need to understand exactly what is coming to Arcadia."

"Oi, Ma!" Her troll son called, interrupting as he climbed in through the open window. He was almost too big to fit now, but he managed to squeeze himself through it. "You know you've got 'em half-bloods in the livin' room?"

"Yes, I know." Ophelia said. "Have you not met them yet?"

"Not properly," he said. He gave Laura a once over and stuck his hand out at her. "Pleasure miss, my name's NotEnrique."

Laura almost laughed. "Really? You kept that?"

"It's a good proper name! My sis gave it to me!"

"Of course," she said, still smiling. "I'm sure Claire named you well."

"Where's the others?" He asked.

"Quest," Aanya said from the living room, following Enrique into the kitchen. "Prophecies and stuff. Hey, you know he's a wizard?"

The two adults blinked.

"I'm sorry?" Ophelia asked.

"Watch!" Enrique said with a big grin.

Aanya smiled, then held her hand out to him. A tiny flame danced in her palm. Enrique stuck his hand right in the fire. Ophelia nearly screamed, but the flames didn't hurt him. They crawled along his fingers nearly playfully, the fire turning a lovely little shade of olive green. The color of his troll twin's skin.

"Oh, wow." Barbara said, staring wide-eyed.

The fire turned from olive green, to a brighter, truer green. Aanya's eyes went wide and she yelped, jumping back from Enrique as the fire spun almost out of control.

It fizzled in seconds without something to fuel it. They all stared at the boy, eyes wide.

Enrique looked very proud of himself. "Cool, right?"

"Um," Ophelia didn't look so convinced.

"Cool!" Laura crowed. "He can make Greek fire!"

"Now that's some talent right there!" NotEnrique hooted proudly. "He's gonna be a right bad ass wizard like his big sister!"