The Grimm Sister

Prologue

Berlin, Germany 1803

"Carleigh! Wo ist das Mädchen, Carleigh, come in here!" Mama yelled from the house. I was outside in the garden, chasing a small, flying ball of light. "Come back here! Wilhelm, you made the fairy too fast!" I huffed at my brother. Wilhelm, who was seventeen at the time, just laughed to himself. "Come on, Carleigh, just run faster I'm giving you a workout! Work off those chocolates, sister!" He had his journal in his lap and was writing as I ran.
"I'll give you some help though," he added and then quickly jotted something down. After he lifted his quill from the paper, I felt a surge of energy though my body. Then I shot up into the sky, above the trees of the garden but not up too high.
"I'm flying!" I yelled looking down at Wilhelm, who laughed at his magic at work.
"Now you can catch the fairy, go Carleigh!" Wilhelm yelled but before I could shoot down to the ground, Mama opened the door.
"Carleigh, I've been calling you for hours-" she looked up in horror at me levitating above the foliage. "Wilhelm Carl Grimm, put down your sister sofort!"
"Fine," he huffed, he jotted a sentence in his notebook and then I slowly landed on the ground. "Mama, we were just having some fun."
"I don't care if you were having fun, do you know what would happen if the neighbors found out what our family can do? Do not let your young recklessness get our family in danger, Wilhelm, especially Carleigh, she might be the only girl with magic we have, we cannot lose someone as valuable as a female Autor."
The little fairy flew through the garden  and around Mama. Mama huffed and then rolled her eyes. "Hör auf damit," she yelled and then the light glowed bright and then fizzed out. "Carleigh, you are coming with me. Wilhelm, go to the farm and help your brothers and leave your book here with me."
Wilhelm huffed and then handed Mama his book.
"Mama, it wasn't his fault, he was just trying to play with me," I said trying to defend my brother, but Mama just gave me a warm smile and then patted my head.
"You are too kind, schatzi, Wilhelm, the barn," she instructed.
"I appreciate you trying to help me, Carleigh, I will remember this," he said giving a grin and then running down the hill through the gate to go to the farm.
I was happy that my brothers liked me, my parents liked me too. I was respectful and I always did what I was told. I took care of Axel, the family dog, and I always made sure my room was tidy. When I was little, my sister Charlotte was close to her Age of Ability but then she committed a crime against the Order of the Autor that can never be forgiven. Her abilities were then taken away from her and she was taken away. That moment seemed to have scarred me, I feel like if I do anything wrong or hurt anyone my powers will be taken away and I will never be able to join my siblings in the Days Beyond, which is all I want and more.
I was following Mama inside and she opened the door to the cellar. "You have a visitor, Carleigh," she said with a grin going cheek to cheek and obvious pride.
I nodded and then began to walk down to the cellar. It was dark and I couldn't see but somehow I felt like I could. Every step created a picture of the cellar. I became excited and ready for what awaited me. Jacob told me the cellar, how it was a wine cellar just for the normal mortals that would come through and ask the purpose of the room. But really it is a room of passing.
It was here Jacob, Ludwig and Wilhelm were all gifted with their powers on their sixteenth birthday, which it was mine today. Most houses in Germany would have a party and dump flower on their child and laugh and that would be the story and the memory. But here we have a tradition and then the party begins. On sixteen, the abilities are more celebrated than the age.
I walked down and then all the candles that were attached to the wall around the cellar lit up all at once and there were three people in hoods in the center. They were all different body types and took the breath out of my lungs. At the same time they all pulled off their hoods.
On the left was a tall, lean woman with dark brown skin and a yellow scarf around her head. "Hallo," she said with a warm smile, she spoke in an African accent. "I am Zoya."
The next person was a Chinese man with old eyes but a young, strong, handsome face. He had sleek black hair in a small ponytail in the back. "Nǐ hǎo," he said in a deep, serious voice, "I am Chang."
The last person was a Native American woman, which probably made me the most excited. America seemed like a distant dream, like a world of fairy tales which seems ironic looking at my life. But America is where I hope my abilities will soon take me.
Her hair was long and black with a braid over her shoulder and white face paint down her nose. She was tall and graceful and had a soft smile. "Siyo," she said. "I am Ayita."
"Hallo," I said, trying to look unshaken by how starstrucked I felt. "I am Carleigh."
"We know your name, Carleigh Grimm," Zoya said. "And we have been keeping a close eye on you ever since you were born."
"And we know that you must live after the disgrace of your sister, Charlotte Gimm," Chang said bitterly as if saying my sister's name but a bad taste to his mouth. "It has been knows of Autor such as yourself that the females usually gain immense power. After all they are the ones who produce more of their kind."
"But luckily your birth has also created new hope for not only your family, but the magic world," Ayita said. "And your entire life you have tried to be your best and rise above the darkness of your sister, to say you deserve this-" she said holding out a small wooden box with Carleigh engraved beautifully on the top. I couldn't help but give a small gasp at the box that held my future in it.
"I'm sure with the help of your siblings, you know about the Age Blessing," Ayita asked. "If you don't we'll be happy to explain what it is."
"I know full and well about the Age Blessing," I said happily. "It's been what I've been excited for since the day I was born, ma'am."
"Then please explain to us so that we can be sure," Chang said, crossing his arms.
"The Age Blessing is a gift that every branch of magic receives, Voodoo, Witch, and even Autor. You become immortal and can control the age you appear."
"I wouldn't say immortal," Zoya said, "You can be killed by fire and a blessed bullet, never forget we have enemies on the outside world. But you cannot die a natural death. You're parents and brothers all have this ability and now..." Ayita handed the box to Chang who got down on a knee and held the box out to me. "...you have it too."
I took a breath. I laid my hand down on the box and a golden light filled in my name on the box. Once it got to the h there was a quiet click! And the lid popped up a little, releasing a faint glow. Ayita, Zoya and Chang all began to chant in a language I did not recognize. I then looked at the box and grabbed the edges in each hand and then pulled up the lid. When I did this, the light erupted from the box and surrounded me in a trail. As the light moved around me the chants got louder and the fire from the torches began to rise to the ceiling and turn blue.
I looked at the magnificent light that looked like the aurora borealis with all the elegant colors and shades of blues, pinks, and white. When I looked closely it looked like a swarm of glowing butterflies, flapping around me like a tornado.
Hold out your hands, they whispered to me in many different voices but also one voice. I did as they said with my palms up. As soon as I did this the butterflies went into two groups and then made a straight line down into my palms. As my palms absorbed them my veins began to glow in the same magnificent colors and then they made one final flash. Once they faded they torches went out and Ayita, Zoya and Chang stopped chanting.
"Light," I said, once I finished the word all the torches lit up again in little flames. I had powers. I had my abilities. I was now an Autor. I looked back into a box and found a small, leather bound journal and a long elegant peacock feather that I knew was my quill. I reached in and pulled them out. When holding the book, I felt complete. I felt like I had more power. Like I could tear down a mountain and tame a hurricane. This is what it felt like to be an Autor.
I looked down at my book in my hands and gave a small grin. With the movement of a pen I can create an entire world.
"Now Carleigh," Chang said, now getting serious. "You must be careful when you use these powers. Your brothers and you can create damsels, heroes, but you can also create villains. Always be aware of the dangers of your powers. With light comes with darkness as well."
I looked down at the book that gives me my powers and all of a sudden I see all my futures at once. And all the ways this can kill me.