Disconnected

Chapter 12- picking the forbidden fruit

Logan opened his car door to step out, but I was frozen. The city was full of life. Skyscrapers on every corner and people dancing in the streets. Of course, as I expected there were officers patrolling the area constantly.
My eyes scanned our surroundings as my mind wondered about how much could happen here. Including the many things that may go wrong.
Logan walked around the car to my door side. Chivalrously he opened my car door to let me out. I never took my eyes off of the city filled with so much life. When I stepped out into the street I was amazed by the fast cars and fast moving people.
"Logan we're not in Kansas anymore" I joked stupidly. He looked back at me with one of those "you did not just.." faces.
He motioned for me to come over to his side of the car and started walking with a swiftness.
"So, this lady,"
"Madame Vudore."
"Yeah her, why's she located in such a high-profile place? I mean it's crazy around here someone's gotta notice a random little 'magic' shop in the middle of town."
"Question."
"Yeah?"
"If you were a police officer, would you search for criminals in the sketchy parts of town or the upper-scale city?"
"The sketchy place obviously. Why do y-... Ohhh"
"Yeah, hide in plain sight for that is where the most precious things hide"
"You're a poet now?" I made fun.
"Maybe." He laughed.
That's the first genuine laugh and smile I've seen on Logan since this mess started. His teeth were the most pristine color of white and I could see his adams apple move as he laughed smoothly. He was absolutely beautiful.
"Alright are you ready to walk in?"
"Sure, yeah, let's go."
When Logan pulled on the door to let me in I felt a chill run up my spine. The room was painted a darker shade of purple and the floor was a stained wood that appeared home made. In the center of the lobby room there was a front desk without someone to occupy it. When the door closed behind us a bell went off signaling the receptionist to come back out.
"Hi we're here to see Madame Vudore." Logan announced.
She must've been annoyed with our presence because she snapped back,
"do you have an appointment or not?"
"No, we don't I just uh..." she cut him off
"No appointment; no Madame." She said matter-of-factly. At this point I was a little ticked off. I'm sorry, I'm a hot head.
"Now you listen here. We came a long way to get here and we came to see this woman and if you don't give us an appointment so help me,"
I stopped. I felt a weird bubble in my throats that wouldn't let me continue.
"Madeline stop torturing these poor people I don't have anything on my plate let them in." A voice called from the back of the small shop.
Madeline; as I'd recently learned her name to be, rolled her eyes and stepped from behind the counter to lead us to the back room. The hallways seemed long and narrow and I moved slightly closer to Logan as I felt a bit uncomfortable. The room she let us in had a small opening but had a very high ceiling and was more spacious than the lobby. I glanced around, noticing small trinkets and bookshelves littering the walls. In the middle of the room stood a decently sized black table. And behind it a small feeble woman with long silver hair and a small round face. Her nose was perfectly pointed at the end and her thin pink lips stretched into a half smirk. I tried not to stare too much as she said "please sit down"
When I sat and got at eye level I noticed her eyes were a ghostly shade of white and were as round as the earth. She was blind.
"Logan. Nice to see you again." She spoke as she shuffled around the table to greet him with a hug.
"You've gotten so much taller!" She reached for his face, "and handsome. And it seems you've brought someone with you." She attempted to whisper but I heard her loud and clear. "Her thoughts are ridiculously loud."
She shuffled over to me, reaching out her hands. I stood, presuming she'd approached me in attempts to greet me. But instead she whispered, "Oh honey, stop with the formalities."
She reached out and grabbed my hands. I felt as the energy between us increased tremendously. A shared experience I could never attempt to explain. She removed her hands from mine within seconds. Startled, she rose her hand to her chest and stumbled a bit backward. Her pale eyes met mine, as if she could suddenly see. She cleared her throat.
"Give me one moment my loves, I'll return shortly with some tea."
And just like that, my butt was back in the chair and I tried to ignore the obvious elephant in the room. I bit my nails a bit and thought about my mom. She's told me countless times that it was such a dreadful habit and that is better quit before I had no more nails left to bite. I half-smiled. I took all of her worrying, all her advice, for granted.
"I've got jasmine tea!" She called as she returned from the back entrance. Hobbling toward the table, struggling a bit to hold the tea tray. Tea tray? There's probably a better name for that but unfortunately I don't know what it is. You can thank the public school system for that.
She placed a small tea cup in front of Logan and I, continuing to shuffle around slowly. She eventually got to the other side of the table, reached for her own tea cup, and took a slow sip. I couldn't help but wonder when all the theatrics would end and we'd discuss what we had came here for. But, I was somewhat enjoying the suspense. I could tell Madame Victor was enjoying it as well.
"Now, Rhiannon, is it?"
For a moment I began to ask, "how did she know-" and then I remembered, that unfailing violation of privacy.
"Yes Madame?"
"Oh let's definitely not do that, call me by my first name, Alexandra."
"Oh, okay I guess."
"Great, now that we're acquainted, I must address the happenings of a few moments ago."
I opened my mouth to speak but she instead spoke for me.
"I know, you're glad i brought it up because you thought you may have imagined things. But no my dear you did not."
"What was that?" I inquired.
"I've only felt that kind of energy a few times in my life and I hope that you won't be startled by what I'm going to say."
Oh gosh, more theatrics.
"Logan have you explained much to her?" She turned to him, although not directly looking at him.
"I've explained what I could. But we both know it's a lot to take in; I can't explain everything."
"Still such an intelligent boy, after all of it." She smiled and then turned her attention back to me.
"You are powerful. Are you aware of that?"
I giggled a bit, I wasn't exactly sure she was even talking to me.
"Powerful? I think you have the wrong Rhiannon." I laughed again.
She, clearly unamused, responded, "No, I'm never wrong about anything. Especially not regarding something of this manner."
"What do you mean," I mocked her extravagantly proper tone, "'something of this manner.'" Giggling once more.
"I'm sure you have your hands full with this one." She motioned to Logan. He sipped his tea and smiled.
She got up once again and moved toward the tallest book shelf lodged in the back corner of the room. She felt the bridges of the books slowly until she stopped on the third shelf from the bottom. She slid the book out from its place and returned to the table. Alexandra opened the book, turned a few pages and began whispering something to herself as if she was actually reading.
"Yes ma'am, this is you Rhiannon, without a doubt." She slid the book over to Logan and he curiously picked it up. With his brow furrowed he glared back at Madame Vudore.
"This can't be her. You realize she's not even a pure bred? It's impossible."
She shook her head and responded, "We both know, I am never wrong my love."
He glanced at me, and i confused as ever stared right back. He silently slid the book over to me and i began to read.
The Harvester
This power is the absorption of all other powers. Those who surround the harvesters can grant power to the harvesters without knowledge of doing so. Harvesters can be very powerful, especially when they are emotionally driven, or in distress. It's critical that Harvesters are careful of who they accompany.
"This last part," I began, "what does it mean to be careful of who I accompany?"
"Never mind that," Logan exclaimed, "Madame i apologize if this seems disrespectful but I don't believe this is possible!"
"Trust me it is my dear." She sipped her tea once more.
"But all the harvesters are dead. And even if she was one, why does she have the same mark as me? Harvesters were always capable of normal lives, they were never marked like the rest of us."
"Now that, is a mystery to me as well. There are things about her I don't quite understand but this. This i know is factual."
"Are we just going to keep talking about me as if I'm not in the room?" I was a bit frustrated.
"Honey have you been around anyone besides Logan recently?" She seemed concerned.
"No not really. I'm not exactly slowed to go anywhere at the moment." I peered at him in the corner of my eye.
"Well that's odd because I could have sworn I felt-No i know I felt that."
"Felt what?" Logan interjected.
"Well, darling I felt quite a lot of dark magic."