Chapter 6

    - And? What are we going to do about it? – Michael paced their mother’s room, where they had gathered to search for clues.

    - There’s nothing here! – Said Jess. – We’ve searched everything few times and nothing.

    Lack of answers was frustrating, but this place was soothing. Isabo’s bedroom hasn’t changed since five years – it looked exactly the same as on the day of her death. Opposite the door there was a large window with a low, wide sill full of pillows – their mother loved to sit there with some good book and a cup of hot chocolate. On the left of the entrance there was a large bed with a soft mattress, covered with a sapphire bedspread and piles of blue pillows. These colors perfectly matched the walls painted in soft heather tone. For this fluffy plum carpets and antique cherry wood furniture – cavernous wardrobe with mirror, chest of drawers, dressing table, bedside tables and coffee table. Next to it there were comfortable armchairs upholstered in sapphire velvet. The room still smelled of her and it was full of her personal bits and bobs. They didn’t want to change anything.

    After Isabo’s death, they used to come here every day for few months. They lay down on the large bed and watched stars through big skylight, just as they used to do when she was with them. They could talk about everything and stay awake long into the night, recollecting, making plans for the future, telling stories. Maybe it sounds trivial, but they were really happy.

    - We won’t come up with anything while sitting here guessing! – She said finally. – I think I know who may enlighten us. – She sent a sly smile to her brothers.

    - Let’s go! – Mark immediately caught what she meant, and the rest agreed without protests.

    While leaving she glanced at her mother’s bedroom. Next to the bed there was door to the bathroom, which was joined with her bedroom. They often run into each other there or quarreled, which one was taking shower first. She would give a lot to have these moments again.

    She left closing the door behind her, and together with them she shut scents, pictures and voices. She decisively went after brothers.

***

    They arrived at a charming white house with a porch. On both sides of a paved path, leading from the wicket to the house, fabulously colorful garden stretched out. Intoxicating aroma of flowers floated around – roses, violets, marigolds. Among so many scents, Jay recognized wonderful fragrance of hibiscus – Isabo’s favorite flower. They went up the stairs, knocked and, without waiting for the answer, opened the screen door protecting against intrusive insects. The house was extremely quiet, which worried them a bit. They went through the hall, peeking in the leaving room and small cozy library on their way, and Mark together with Daniel went upstairs to check the rest of the rooms.

    - Empty. – Said Mark, when together with the youngest brother he was going down the stairs, covered with fluffy carpets.

    They went into the kitchen. It was also quiet here, but the door leading to the terrace was open, so they headed in that direction. Terrace was spacious, surrounded by boxes and pots of colorful flowers in full bloom. Directly opposite there were stone steps leading to the garden filled with herbs and vegetables, from which you could enter a small orchard. Most of trees were covered with ripening fruits – peaches, cherries and apples, others drowned in buds foretelling abundant year.

    When five years ago she came back to Purple Creek, she decided to reside in a small house on the outskirts of the town. She bought a collapsing hovel, and she invested her money, time and heart to renovate it. Though, the house of her childhood was big enough to accommodate all of them, without any risk that they would enter each others’ way, she cared for peace and quiet. Besides, the lovely house, painted in pastel-blue color, suited more to the image of the witch, which accompanied all women in their family from long time ago. What’s more, she thought, that Sean and Maria will cope with raising her grandchildren. She only wanted to be near, in case they needed her.

    She stood among the herbs, which released their aromas with every of her move. They were reached by delicate scent of pepper mint, thyme, rosemary. She was wearing white linen trousers, sleeveless sunny tunic and light flaps on her feet. She turned towards the house, smiled warmly and the glow lit her pale blue eyes. No one would dare to say, that their grandma was approaching sixty.

    - My dear children! – She greeted them with voice trembling of emotions.

    - Hello grandma! – They said in unison as polite grandchildren do.

    She went to the terrace and hugged each of them in turn.

    - It’s been long since you’ve been here. I’m glad that you finally found time to visit old woman. – She said with fake rebuke.

    Despite she was fifty-nine, she still looked youthful, more like a forty, and not one sportsman would envy her energy, agility and health. She was quite tall and slim. On her smooth, swarthy face there was no wrinkles. Her eyes were clear and full of light. And knowledge.

    - How are you grandma? – Jay, out of concern, led her to the wicker coach covered with white pillows. – Sit down, we’ll prepare lemonade and cookies. – She said before Isabela managed to protest.

    They prepared everything in the blink of an eye and settled on the terrace at the back of the house.

    - You shouldn’t leave the door open, everyone can come in! – Carter chided her.

    - And who would like to break in into the old woman’s house? – She tried to joke, but she knew that she won’t smooth her grandchildren down so easily. – I would deal with every delinquent, who would dare to cross the threshold of my house uninvited, and you perfectly know it. Besides, you didn’t come to talk about anti-theft devices and other nonsense. – She looked at them attentively. – Or maybe I’m wrong?

    It seemed that Isabela scanned them through. Or maybe she knew that they’ll come from the very beginning? Well, she finally thought of herself as a witch. And who would know more about witchcraft and magical runes, than witch of the Callahan family?

    - Guess there’s no point to deny. – Jay came closer, sat on the boards of terrace back to grandma and brushed aside her dark blonde hair.

    - Oh, dear! – She sighed at the sight of granddaughter’s mark. – Although, my daughter put your hunter instinct to sleep, I expected this day to come. – Her voice was calm, but apart pride, they could also hear a hint of fear in it. – Tell me how it happened, Jaysabel. I have the impression, that your experiences were the most intense.

    Again, Jay was coming back to the memories of her seventeenth birthday night and the rough down. She related everything with details – keeping for herself most shocking or intimate moments, such as incident with Bryan. She knew that Isabela is trying to identify some specific element in her story, which could shed light on situation they’ve found themselves in. But Jay had a feeling, that what happened between her and her best friend’s brother had nothing to do with it. Besides, Jay tried very hard, so as even the smallest part of her memories or thought about Bryan wouldn’t slip to her brothers’ minds. So far it worked.

    - Not without a reason, your mother chose morning. – She said after she listened to her granddaughter’s story, filled in by her brothers at moments. – Each of you was born at down. Even the youngest twins hurried to this world, to be on time for the first rays of the Sun. The beginning of new day is a symbol of new life and hope. – Isabela calmly passed her observations. – It seems that the time has come for you to perceive your gift.

    - What gift? – Carter didn’t try to hide sarcasm in his voice. – There’s possibility, that mum bewitched that place, so as in the right time or under particular circumstances, it worked in this way. Maybe it was only the fact that we were there all together. The effect is that we have identical tattoos now and fucking problem to keep our thoughts under control. Nothing more! – He ended up angrily.

    - You see only black and white, but you ignore all the grays, not to mention colors. – She was mischievous and it didn’t bode well. – Each one of you has a gift, hidden deep inside your hearts, souls and minds, just as in a chest with a triple lock. The mark, you were given, is a key. Now the locks are open, and it only depends on you if you’ll release this gift. – She sighed and added more calmly. – You already have foretaste of your own power.

    - What do you mean, grandma? – Michael was analyzing everything what Isabela said, and he wanted to know more.

    - Yet Jay clearly described what happened when all hell broke loose. – Knowing her grandson and his absorbent mind, she decided to expand her thought. – You lost sight of each other and you couldn’t hear one another. Yet you could feel each other – your thoughts, emotions, feelings. Energy. It’s the gift. Gift you can develop, but decision belongs to you.

    - Sean told us the same. – Daniel mentioned immediately.

    - I always considered him to be incredibly smart and intelligent shape-shifter. – She smiled gently. She met Sean when her daughter was still alive, and she had to admit, that Isabo had chosen a good partner to fight against the evil.

    - What do you mean saying that it depends on us? – Christian, intrigued by grandma’s words, leaned forward.

    - As I already said, your gift is like a mysterious treasure hidden in a box. The lock has been opened. Now you have to decide if the lid is to remind closed. Maybe you’ll want just to shirk this door a bit, or open them wide. Or even to pull your gift into the light and show it to whole world? – ‘Nothing gives food for thoughts as metaphors,’ she added in mind. – You can approach it scientifically, spiritually or emotionally. Or in every possible way. It’s your decision.

    - And consequences? – Jay asked. – I bet there are some. As, for example, the fact, that we hear each other’s thoughts and we cannot really control it.

    - Your energy has been released suddenly and unexpectedly. Your instincts sharpened in the blink of an eye and now they’re a little bit out of control.  – She explained. - But it’s only a matter of practice and appropriate concentration, and you’ll be able to supervise the flow of thoughts or to cut yourself off completely. – She waved her hand dismissively, knowing her granddaughter wanted to ask another question. – If you’ll decide to evolve your talent, you can gain a lot. So far you’re able to feel each other, your moods and energies. This as well gives you possibility to feel supernatural beings. While developing the gift you’ll be able to distinguish vampire’s power from shape-shifter’s beast or witch’s energy, to point them out in a crowd gathered on a square, with one hundred percent certainty. You’ll be able to hide your own power and thoughts before them. But you may evoke other abilities – physical, like speed, visual acuity and strength, and psychological, just as self-healing capacity.

    - Consequences, grandma! – Jay grew impatient.

    Isabela’s eyes darkened. They could see a lot of knowledge there and burden, she carried with it.

    - Accepting and building up the gift means knowledge, which we not always would like to have. This, in turn, entails responsibility and often suffering, whether physical or psychical. – She paused. For a moment she was wondering how much she should tell them, but she decided that her grandchildren deserve the truth. – Your mother decided to accept and develop her gift. It was the reason your father left her. This gift very often brings loneliness with it. – Tears sparkled in her eyes.

    - Grandma! – Jess hugged Isabela. – We have each other.

    She squeezed her grandson’s hand gratefully and took a deep breath to stop emotion, which seized her at the mention of her only daughter. She remembered that day so clearly. Isabo came to her and said, that she had told John the truth. With voice clipped from weeping, she told her mother that her confession hadn’t been well received. John Tyler couldn’t accept the new face of the woman he loved. And he left.

    Her thoughts came back to her grandchildren. She loved them very much. She used to repeat, that though they cannot count on father’s support and understanding, they’ll always have each other. And so it is. Since early age they have always been there for one another.   

    - I always enjoyed this thought. Isabo was alone, yet she didn’t resign. – She thought about her son with some regret, but quickly shook off. – She devoted herself entirely to her vocation. Martin rejected it completely. I developed my gift only to some degree. But I resigned from it for your granddad, although he accepted me just as I was and he didn’t force me to anything. I never regret that decision. Your mother neither. However, her life ended rapidly and she didn’t manage to fully develop her talents. – She looked at them seriously and added quietly. – She didn’t want to be only the hunter. After she parted from her Johnny, she decided to become an assassin.

    - What does it mean? – They enquire one after another.

    - Some other time. – She brushed them off. – I was convinced that Isabo put your powers to sleep forever. It turns out, that she only waited for the right moment, to open for you the door to another world. – She said to herself and sighed, feeling the burden of responsibility. – If you would like to build up your gift, we’ll meet very often. Because I’m going to help. – She added firmly.

    ‘It’ll be repayment of debt for the fact that I gave in,’ she thought to herself. ‘But the time to tell them about The Council and The Coalition hasn’t come yet.’ She was thinking. ‘It’s about time to renew old acquaintances.’

    - And now, let’s prepare some dinner. – She stood up with a smile on her face and went to the kitchen.

***

    When, in the falling night, she was standing on the porch waving to her grandchildren, the fear lurked in her heart. She already knew that four of them had made up their minds, and the last three was leaning toward the same path.

    ‘Watch over them, Isabo,’ she asked silently knowing, that her daughter will hear her.