Stormwood: The Descendant (book 1)

Chapter 5- The Intruders (part 1)

Namrata knocks on Penelope Burn's door urgently. She knows she should've come earlier, but fear kept her away; you don't keep secrets from the descendant of an octami.

The door swings open to reveal a surprised Penelope.

"Sorry to interrupt," Namrata apologizes, spotting Lauren Bellandi in the kitchen with one of Calia's blankets in hand, "but I need to tell you something, Mrs. Burn."

Penelope glances back at Laura, who smiles back awkwardly. "It's alright, honey, but is there any way it could wait?" she answers. "I understand it must be hard with Calia gone but—"

"I know what happened to her," Namrata interrupts.

Penelope nods and opens the door wider. "Come in." 

Namrata enters and continues over to the kitchen counter beside Laura. "I assume you're trying to find her," she says, glancing at the blanket. Laura Bellandi is a well-known mind magician like Namrata's dad. No doubt Mrs. Bellandi was about to mark Calia's blanket with a spell.

"Well, we already know her general location as I'm sure you do. We're looking for the specifics." Penelope closes the curtains before approaching them. "Do take a seat," she adds, situating herself on a stool. 

Namrata complies. "I have a confession to make." She takes a deep breath. "I've been keeping a secret from you, a big one."

"Please, we could use any information you have to give," Laura urges, and Penelope agrees.

"Calia... she visited me earlier this summer, and we had a fight," Calia begins, scratching her neck and turning to Penelope. "You must have noticed we haven't been as close. Anyway, she was acting strange, going on about the woods and about dreams or something. Said she wanted to go. I was going to tell you, but she promised to stay if I didn't. I didn't realize she'd do it. I'm sorry." Her voice breaks, and she looks down, holding back tears. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of it.

Penelope closes her eyes. "I forgive you, Namrata. I understand you did it in her best interests, but thank you for coming today."

"Yes, thank you," Laura says. "This changes things, doesn't it?"

"I suppose so," Penelope replies. "For one, she probably left on her own accord, though Iason certainly had something to do with the dreams. That man!" She shakes her head in anger.

"She won't come quietly. That might be an issue."

"Are you planning on going to Stormwood?" Namrata shifts in her seat, remembering the blanket once more.  "Oh, I see, you want to use the sense peak spell, right?"

The sense peak spell allows a mind magician to see what someone's experiences using one of their most loved possessions. It's equally creepy and fascinating. 

"That's right," Laura confirms.

"But how will we convince her to come with us?" Namrata wonders. 

"We?" Penelope questions. "No offense, Namrata, but unless Calia's somewhere on a lake, you'll be little to no help. And even then, you have very little water magic practice."

"Sure but she's more likely to listen to me than you." Namrata knows it isn't necessarily true, and Penelope raises her eyebrows as if thinking the same thing.

"Alright," she says probably out of pity, "but what will I tell your mom?"

Namrata grins answering, "Whatever she wants to hear."

"She going to kill us, Penelope," Laura laughs.

"Only if she finds out." Penelope joins in, and once their laughter dies down says, "We probably should start the sense peak."

"Yes," Laura agrees, setting the blanket on the table. It was one of Calia's only gifts from her father. She'd brought it to every sleepover, slept with it beside her head every night. Despite the hard feelings between Calia and Iason Storm, she clearly treasured the present.

Laura begins by spreading the cloth across the countertop and placing her palm in the center. As she closes her eyes in concentration, a symbol of an eye glows red ontop her hand, the mark of mind magic. Her eyes move as if in the REM stage of sleep, but she's very much awake.

"Can you hear me, Laur?" Penelope asks.

"Yes." Laura's lips barely move, and her voice comes out muffled and distracted.

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the wood but can't see my own feet. There's a tingly feeling; it's shadow magic. I'm invisible. I'm not alone, but I can't tell how many others there are. A few from the sound of it." She pauses before each sentence. "I could be anywhere in Stormwood... Wait, I seem something in the distance. It's not completely clear: she must be thinking about something else. It's grey... Oh, I think it's the Eastern River Bridge. Yes, that's it, but she still has a ways to go before reaching it."

Penelope sets her hand on Laura's to bring her back. "Perfect, Laur. That's all we need."

Slowly, Laura opens her eyes again, blinking multiple times to clear her vision. 

"I know, you're a bit dazed, Laur, but we need to get going quickly before Calia goes too far." Penelope stands.

"But how will we ever make it in time?" Namrata asks. "And it's almost impossible to enter Stormwood undetected."

"I know a shortcut," Penelope says. "The tunnels."