Gryphon's Glenn

Chapter Twenty-Five

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

When the doorbell rang, Brenda Wilson wasn't sure who might be arriving in the middle of the night. She was surprised to see a young woman holding an infant as she gazed through the peephole, but she opened the door anyway and stepped aside to let them in.

She recognized the woman after a moment. "Mari..." She said. "You were in my dream. You're from Gryphon's Glenn."

"Actually, I'm not, but I'm helping them out," Mari replied. "Do you remember what we talked about?"

"You told me a young mother was in trouble, and asked if I'd be willing to help if she chose to hide her baby." She paused. "I take it she did?"

"Yes... Mama Wilson, meet Selene. I know it's not going to be easy for you to take care of a magical baby, but I can send people to help."

Brenda took the infant into her arms. The little girl's eyes shined like the moon, and she felt a great sense of peace as she looked into them. "This little one holds the secrets of the universe in her eyes," she said. "Don't worry, Mari. I know how to handle a baby. I'll figure out how to deal with the magic."

Selene cooed in Brenda's arms, and she knew immediately that she'd do everything in her power to protect that little girl. She might not know much about magic, but she could tell there was something special about Selene, just like she'd known Chris was meant for great things.

"When people discover she exists, Selene will have a target on her head," Mari said. "She'll need a fierce mama bear to protect her. From what I've heard, you're fierce enough to lecture Girard on his bad behavior."

"I'll do a lot more than lecture to protect a baby," Brenda promised.

"In an emergency, squeeze this talisman." Mari handed her a necklace. A black stone set in gold hung from a chain. She then placed a necklace around Selene's neck. "Yours will alert me to any threats and will help protect you," Mari explained. "Selene's is an opal. It's her middle name, and it is a powerful stone. It connects to every element, and helps with invisibility and hiding things... Hopefully, it hides people, too. Don't take it off of her. It should help protect her."

Brenda nodded. "What sort of magic should I expect her to have?" She asked.

"Well, her mother is an extremely powerful sorceress. Her father also has strong sorcery, but a lot of it is stolen from other people. Her half-sister's blood contains magic. If it hits the ground, the elements manifest. I'm trying to teach her how to control that, because right now, she causes natural disasters."

"Oh my... You do know that children get hurt running around, right? Skinned knees, nosebleeds, you name it... She's an infant now, but I don't know how long I'll have her, and that starts as soon as babies can crawl. How do I help her if she has a similar power?"

"I'm hoping she doesn't, but if we find out she does, I'll come train her. I could bind her, but I don't want to do that to the kid. That's why Chris and the others are struggling to learn to control their powers now."

"When should I expect the magic to kick in?"

"Full-blown power usually hits with puberty, but a lot of magical kids and even babies have some kind of power before that. She comes from two very powerful lines. There's a good chance Selene already has magic."

"Alright... I suppose I'll find out as time goes on. Now, may I ask who her parents are?"

Mari nodded. "You should know what you're getting into... Selene is Girard's daughter. He doesn't know."

Brenda's eyes went wide with surprise. "You brought a Royal magical baby to me? Why not hide her with Nat's adopted family?"

"He'd look there. Selene can't take the Throne anyway. She was born out of wedlock. Her mother is Helena."