Reaper

Chapter 8

The next morning, I walked to the Ravencroft clearing with Thomas. I knew that it was silly, but I felt nervous to be asking Aiden to help me with abilities.

Thomas must have seen that I was nervous, because as we neared the clearing, he said, "I'm sure that everything will go fine."

"Are you sure?" I asked quietly.

He nodded. "I'm sure." His hand reached out and linked with mine, lacing our fingers together reassuringly. "You'll be able to do this."

I can't help the small smile that appears on my face. "I hope you're right."

"Of course I'm right."

Once we reached the clearing, I saw Aiden talking with a short, older woman. The woman was talking somewhat rapidly, waving her hands about, but Aiden seemed to be listening intently, despite the risk of getting smacked on accident. I heard Thomas laugh quietly next to me.

"Beth always talks with her hands. You've just got to be careful not to get hit." We walked over to them and Beth was the first to notice us.

"Ah, you must be Morgana!" she said happily. "I haven't seen you since you were a baby!" She reached out and hugged me tightly. "Oh, how you've grown into such a beautiful young lady." I had no response to what she was saying, so I just hugged her. She pulled back after a minute and smiled at me. I could see tears starting to gather in the corners of her eyes. "I'm so glad that you're back, dear. This family has missed you terribly."

"Beth," Thomas spoke up right then, something that I was very grateful for. "Morgana has some . . . special abilities and we were wondering if you and Aiden could help her."

"Will could help you if you asked him." Aiden said, looking confused.

"I'm not saying that Will wouldn't be able to help, but I just thought that you and Beth would be more suited to help Morgana." Thomas replied.

"What are your abilities, dear?" Beth asked, looking at me.

"I can sense auras." I said quietly.

"That could mean one of two things. You know that, Thomas." I heard Aiden say quietly.

"She doesn't have the aura of a sunbeam, Aiden." Thomas murmured.

"And how would you know?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Thomas turn to Aiden. "Because I do."

"Boys, stop arguing. This is no time for that. You can have your petty squabbles another day."

"They're not petty, Grandmother." Aiden protested. He quickly stepped back when Beth released me and stepped towards him.

"It wouldn't matter if they were to be of national importance, Aiden Jackson." He froze at the fact that Beth was using his middle name. "We are discussing your sister so whatever it is that you are talking to Thomas about can wait."

"We were talking about her!" Aiden said.

"They were talking about me, Be-Grandmother." I quickly reminded myself that Beth was my grandmother so I should call her exactly that.

"You heard us?" Thomas said, slightly astounded.

"Yes, I heard you."

"If you were talking about your sister, what were you saying?" Beth demanded.

"Thomas said that she can sense auras and we know that could mean two things: that Morgana is either a reaper or a sunbeam. For some reason, Thomas thinks that he knows that she's a reaper because she has the aura of one." Aiden said.