Divining Destiny

Chapter 20

The two weeks flew by for everyone, Tia took the potion before bed each night and, though some mornings Tia woke with the feeling that she had been dreaming, she couldn't remember anything. She felt relaxed and eager to go, full of energy. Susan could barely keep up with her, but Tia always told her it was because they were a day closer to Auntie Faye coming to visit, and performing in the Easter play at Church. As luck would have it the woman directing the play had told everyone to relax the Saturday evening, so Tia was free to attend Jaina's Circle. She felt nervous but excited, it was a move in the right direction. Jaina was encouraging, school was keeping her busy, and she tried not to act differently with her mum, but she had a new respect for the woman. Susan noticed something was different, but she was very happy with Tia's school reports, and the parent teacher interview brought nothing but pride to Susan. She planned a special dinner outing for the Friday night Faye was with them.
The Friday before Mabon finally arrived, and Tia could barely contain her excitement. She managed to stay focused at school, and at lunch she ate with gusto. Kyah watched her with an amused look on her face.
"What's the hurry? Meeting a boy?" She asked, and Tia looked at her.
"What? Oh, no. Definitely not. My Aunt Faye is coming to stay for the weekend, and I'm so excited. She lives so far away." Tia said.
"I went back to that magic shop yesterday after school." Tamara said, and Tia inhaled water as she turned to face Tamara, trying not to cough and splutter.
"Oh? Did you get anything?" Tia asked, trying to stop coughing.
"Yeah, a few books, a couple stones. Wanna see?" Tamara asked, pulling out a couple of gemstones from her bag. Kyah and Laura ooh'd over them, touching them, but Tia just nodded.
"You don't want to touch them? They're so smooth." Tamara said.
"No. I've been reading books, and it says that you shouldn't touch someone else's stones if they haven't been cleansed first." Tia said. Her three friends looked at her.
"How do you cleanse them? Is there a special way?" Tamara asked. Tia paused, wondering if she should tell them, but felt it wouldn't hurt, and it might protect them.
"In a bowl of salt, completely covered, in the sun is better but not vital, for twenty four hours. The salt and sun remove the negative energies from the stones, and you never know how many people have touched the stones and put their feelings all over it, or what that shop owner has done to it." Tia said, a bit too vehemently. Her friends looked at her.
"You don't like her? Or that shop? You've acted strange ever since we found it." Kyah said. Tia bit her lip.
"It's just a feeling I have, it sends a chill through me." Tia said. Her friends looked confused.
"It feels fine to me. You must be mistaken." Tamara said. Tia shrugged. Her friends were wonderful, but not one of them had a sensitive bone in their body.

Faye arrived in the Rossdale shopping district a little after one in the afternoon, but she didn't need to be at Tia and Susan's place until later, so she thought she would wander around town first. Parking her car outside the shopping complex, Faye went inside, hoping to find Living Energies, but instead she found herself outside Apothika, and she felt a shiver go through her. There was darkness here. Not much, but enough. Steeling herself, Faye walked into the shop. The red-hared woman behind the counter saw her and opened her mouth to welcome her when something cold trickled down her spine.
"Merry meet." Ngaire said in a guarded tone.
"Merry meet." Faye replied, eyes glancing around.
"Can I help you with anything?" Ngaire asked. Faye shook her head.
"No, thank you. Just looking for candles for Mabon." Faye said.
"Are you celebrating Mabon locally?" Ngaire asked. Faye paused a moment, and then nodded.
"I am, tomorrow night." Faye replied. Ngaire watched her.
"With that other witch, and the child. Her first circle?" Ngaire half-asked, half-stated. Faye turned dark eyes to focus completely on Ngaire.
"Ye. You're very astute." Faye said, not cruelly,but observantly. Ngaire felt a flush of pride, but she pushed it aside. She could bask in that glow later, if she allowed herself to.
"I do my best, and I wish I could do more for that child. She's..." Ngaire started, but stopped. "You know her, I can feel her all around you." Ngaire finished.
"Yes. I am her aunt." Faye said, and pulled herself straighter, looking at the girl in front of her. Ngaire felt a prickle of power, but pushed that aside as well.
"Then she is protected. That's good." Ngaire said. Faye frowned.
"She has always been protected, since the day she was born. You have felt it, and you will feel it again, but not from Tia. You are to leave the child alone. The Goddess has plans, and you best trust in her. She knows what she's doing. Whomever helps the child is not your concern. It isn't you. Be happy that she's safe from evil. For now." Faye said, not meanly, but certainly severely. Ngaire stiffened, anger flowing through her at being spoken to in such a manner in her own shop.
"I am happy. Very. I think you should leave though. I don't like being treated that way in my own shop." Ngaire said. Faye had the urge to scold the girl like the child she was acting like, but she took a deep breath and calmed herself.
"I shall leave, but I want to warn you, an alliance you hope to make will not end in your favour. That is a dark path, and you can be hurt. Unlike the child, we're all expendable." Faye said. Ngaire looked at her, surprise and fear causing her to falter.
"I...I don't know what you mean." Ngaire said. Faye smiled, a little sadly.
"Of course. Merry meet, and merry part." Faye said, then left the shop. Ngaire stayed silent, though the routine response burned on her tongue to be uttered, she bit them back, watching the older woman leave. More customers came in then, and Ngaire tried to push the encounter from her mind.