Coven Of Destiny

Chapter Three

Stella stopped in her tracks. "Did you just say 'Princess?' Why would you call me that?"

Gavin stopped as well, his hand still tingling a bit in hers. "Ah, well, we should probably go inside and sit down in private to talk, eh? Such information probably shouldn't be discussed in the wide-open air," he answered, with that damned adorable smirk still on his face.

Stella obliged, and they kept walking toward the diner. She looked back briefly, noting that although they were a few paces behind her, she could still see the looks on her friends' faces, which were quite amusing. Mack looked furtive, but curious, while Al...well, Al's eyes were on the backside of a certain attractive Scotsman. Stella giggled a bit as she looked back around, Gavin unknowingly walking directly in Al's line of vision.

They finally reached the diner, decided on a table with a booth, and sat down, Stella sitting next to Al and directly across from Gavin. The waitress came over, and the group each ordered drinks.

"You were saying, Highlander? You claimed to have information on Stella's mom. So, spill, what do you know?" Al demanded almost as soon as the waitress left to get their order.

Stella grimaced at Al until she looked over at Gavin and saw that he was smirking again.

"Well, aren't you feisty. Your name again, doll?" he questioned.

"Alicia. Friends call me 'Al,'" she responded.

"Well, Al-"

"I believe I said 'friends,'" retorted Al.

Gavin's smirk turned into a full-fledged grin, and now that it appeared, Stella's heart drummed against her chest like a fully-loaded marching band. She was surprised that no one near her heard it when the sound of it in her ears was so loud. Just then, the waitress came over with their drinks, and Stella couldn't have been happier for the distraction.

"Well, Alicia," Gavin enunciated in his thick accent with an air of humor, taking a sip of his coffee, "I know that Stella has been experiencing a few slight anomalies in the way her body has been reacting to certain situations. Am I right, Stella?" Gavin looked at her with a curious but somehow knowing gleam in his eyes, his right eyebrow arched.

"Y-yes, actually," Stella stammered. "I've been healing quickly, like ridiculously quick. What exactly are you saying here? Is there something wrong with me?" she frantically questioned.

"No, no darling, not at all. It's quite a wonderful thing. What I'm about to tell you could quite possibly change your life. Hopefully for the better," he added with a darker tone in his voice.

"So come out with it, then," piped up Mack. "Who is she?"

Gavin looked into Stella's eyes, directing his words to her. "Your given name at birth was Stella Amara Lillian Scarlotte, Princess- and rightfully, Queen- of Renescut the Zodiac Realm."

Stella let his words sink in for a moment. "I'm sorry. You must be mistaken. Or crazy. Or possibly both. 'Queen?' 'Princess?' 'Realm?' What are you talking about?"

Gavin's grin was back. "I'm not mistaken. The woman who gave birth to you is named Gillian Scarlotte, the abhorrent current Queen of Renescut. I was once in her court, as one of her most trusted battle advisors. Then she realized that my doubts were beginning to surface based on her abilities to rule fairly over our subjects and the Zodiac Elders. You are a Virgo, correct?" he asked.

Stella stared at him with huge eyes and in complete silence. Could this be true? How could it be, this was insane! But then again, her healing powers...could it be...?

"Yes, I am. I don't understand. What does this mean, like I have...magic powers? That I can...magically heal myself?"

"You can what? When did this happen?!" yelled Mack and Al at almost the same time. They attracted a couple of stares from the other customers.

"Uh, my twentieth birthday. Right after my party, I cut my finger. It was gone an hour later," replied Stella. Her friends sat there, each with a dumbfounded look on their faces.

"And it's not only healing yourself. Once you've properly trained, you should be able to heal others, as well. It's called Regeneration. Your siblings should all be immensely powerful, as well. If you allow me to help, I could also train you to be a proper Virgo Elder. I'm sure you would already make a most fantastic Queen," he said with a flash of a smile that made her blush.

"What would being a proper Virgo Elder entail?" she asked.

"For instance, I could teach you Purification, removing any negativity within a certain range, explained Gavin. "You could learn Earth Manipulation, creating and shaping the earth into rocks or mountains, and using the minerals to your favor. If you would let me teach you, that is," he added hopefully.

Stella wasn't entirely sure about Gavin, but something in her subconscious told her that he was the only one who could help her know her abilities and control and refine them. She was feeling more frustrated that this stranger knew more about her life than she did, angry that no one had mentioned that her birth mother was some sort of magical entity. She was told that the woman was simply a junkie whore who couldn't raise her kid. No matter how bad a person Gillian was, it still didn't excuse having to go through life, not knowing what she was.

"Okay, I've decided that I believe you. I need to know who I am. I need to find my siblings. If meeting the woman who gave me up is the only way to accomplish this, then so be it. Where do we go from here?" Stella asked Gavin, who's face lit up at the news.

"Brilliant! Well, shall we meet at Southill Pub tomorrow at three P.M.? It is the current house of the Mirror of Realms, our way into Renescut," Gavin explained to the group of friends, who all nodded their agreement. "Perfect! Now I'll play us a song on that jukebox before we leave. Anyone opposed to classic rock?" he suggested with a wink aimed at Stella and yet another half-smile engineered to stop hearts. He stood up and walked over to the jukebox, in search of the perfect song.

"So, you think this is real? This whole magic thing? Sounds a bit farfetched, doesn't it?" questioned Mack once Gavin was out of earshot.

"Almost certain of it. Gavin knows more about Gillian than I do, even that she had other children, something I didn't even know until reading that letter. He also knew about my abilities, something I never told anyone else," replied Stella.

"Not even your best friends. Why would you keep that to yourself for so long?" Al mumbled with a pout. "That kind of stuff can be useful."

"It's also just a little bit freaky. I spent my whole life trying to be normal. Why would I possibly cop to having magic powers and make myself seem that much crazier?" muttered Stella.

Just then, she heard the first bars of Journey's "Faithfully" and saw Gavin walk over with a peaceful look on his face, his hand outstretching toward her when he got up to the table. "Care to dance, Princess?" he asked hopefully.

"We're in a diner."

"I'm aware," he replied, his hand still stretched. "Live a little, Dove."

Stella exhaled self-consciously, then took his hand. He pulled her up, and she noticed Mack's wide eyes and Al's smirk as she looked back, before she felt herself being spun around and a firm hand lightly grip the small of her back. She found herself looking into the most beautiful brown eyes she had ever witnessed on a man and slowly swaying to the beat of the music at Gavin's lead.

"What's with the nicknames? 'Dove?" Stella asked him gently.

"Because I see peace in you," he said simply.

She thought on that for a bit, not entirely sure about his meaning behind that. Stella knew that from the moment she entered their little makeshift diner dance floor, with the whole place looking on as if in a trance until the song finished, that her life was about to change rapidly in more ways than one. Gavin's charm and evident knowledge of whatever was going on in her life were what caused her to believe him. After he had explained things, there wasn't much room left for doubt. She felt a strange sense of freedom now and was determined to use this as fuel to accomplish her goals. Nothing would stop her now. She was in charge of her destiny.