Lucile scowled as she gazed at her surroundings, “Cozy,” she noted sarcastically.
“Yeah, I know, but it’s all we’ve got for now,” defended Max.
Said surroundings consisted of a large trailer with two bunk beds on one side and a large bed on the other side, with a small kitchen and dining room in the middle, along with a closed off bathroom next to the bunkbeds.
“Where are you going to sleep?” asked Deion, ever the sweetheart.
Max smiled down at the boy and said, “Watch,” to which the boy cocked his head curiously.
Max walked over the dining table and loosened the pole under the center of table and gently lowered the of the table to where it was the same height as the seats on either side. Then he reached up into the cabinet over the sink and pulled out a mattress and laid it out on top of the table.
“Viola!” he exclaimed.
“Cool!” Deion climbed on top of the makeshift bed and started jumping up and down.
While Alex tried to convince Deion to get off of the bed, Ethan turned to his mother and grinned, “So, what was that you said about training?”
Kaitlyn and Ethan stood facing each other, about ten feet apart. They were outside the trailer, encircled by forest and fresh mountain air. It had taken them nearly ten long, arduous hours to drive to this secluded clearing in the northern region of California, but Alex thought it was worth it. This sky was a clear bright blue, and the trees were full and beautiful. She was seated on a big brown log with Deion and Max watching Lucile and Akihiko teach their pupils about magic.
“Alright,” began Lucile, “time for you to learn how to access your magic. This is one of the most important lessons a gifted individual can be taught, so no interup-“
“I have a question,” said Ethan, raising his hand to gain Lucile’s attention.
“You’re not a damn preschooler,” Lucile griped, “Put your hand down.”
Ethan slowly let his hand fall to his side, still unsure if he was permitted to voice his query.
“Well?” Lucile prodded, effectively crushing Ethan’s doubts, “Spit it out!”
“No offense or anything,” he said, indicating Deion and Kaitlyn, “But what are they doing here? I thought you said they couldn’t come.”
“I said they couldn’t come with us to fight off Killian,” she corrected, “Not that they couldn’t come to the safe house. They need a place to stay. A place Kilian can’t get to them.”
“Plus,” added Max, “Kaitlyn needs to learn how to use her magic just as much as you do.”
“You must be incredibly careful though,” noted Lucile, “Magic is as dangerous as it is helpful. You need to learn how to handle it with care.”
Kaitlyn and Ethan nodded vigorously, eager to learn about this new, exiting aspect of their lives.
“First,” pronounced Akihiko, “We will perform a ritual called Synkentróno Mageía. It will send you into a catatonic state where you will be transported into your own subconscious. There, you can search for the source of your magic, your Pigí Mageías and activate it.” he hesitated, noting the alarm in the two students’ eyes.
“Don’t worry,” Lucile rolled her eyes, having noticed the same thing, “Its completely harmless. Mostly.”
Akihiko quickly cut in, “Actually,” he said with seriousness, “If you’re not careful, you can get trapped in the fantasies your subconscious will conjure. It’s kind of like your own brain is working against itself in order to get your consciousness to stay. Just... be cautious.”
YOU ARE READING
The Wedding Reception
RandomWhen Ethan's and Alex's wedding reception is interrupted by a mysterious black car pulling up to the lot, they'd expected the FBI to tell them they were being hired as spies to infiltrate a drug cartel or something like that. What they hadn't expect...
