The Truth

Chapter 1

-Cindy-

      There have been many things that have been said to change lives. Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream speech is a famous one. The words that changed my life weren't exactly like that. In fact, they were given to me in the waiting room in my dentist's office, and they weren't as meaningful as a famous speech.

     My mom's phone rang and she headed to the bathroom, which isn't like her. She loves gossip and she loves being the center of attention, so the fact that she needed privacy should have bothered me. But all I could think about was whether of not I had a cavity.

     She came back from the bathroom, her face white and her eyes darting around, like she was expecting to be caught off guard. I rolled my eyes, tired of the way she has to make a huge production out of everything. She sat down and looked me in the eyes, putting her hands on my shoulders. I looked apologetically to the people in the waiting room, who looked at her like she was insane.

     "Cindy, listen to me. We don't have much time. I'm sorry I couldn't help you further but you have to follow my exact directions." she whispered. I rolled my eyes again and removed her hands.

     "Not now, Mom." I told her. She shook her head.

     "I'm not fooling around, Cindy. There's something you need to know." she said and I could tell that  the nervousness in her voice wasn't fabricated. "I wish I could have had more time to explain everything to you but Blake is going to have to explain." she said. I stared at her incredulously.

     "Blake?" I asked. Blake is my boyfriend, but he's also a family friend. We've known him for years, ever since we moved to Florida. My mom had always hated him because of one time we snuck out and she caught us.

     "Yes. He's on his way to pick you up now. Don't question where he takes you, he knows where to go. I love you, baby." she kissed me. Out of her purse she pulled out a small, old-fashioned flip-phone that looked comedic next to my iPhone. "You have to use this if you need to call me, and my number is the only one you can use. Do not, under any circumstances, lose this phone. I'll need you to keep it with you everywhere in case I need to reach you. Leave your phone here with me." she said. I gasped as she took my phone. I felt so scared, and when Blake arrived to take me, I didn't know if I would ever see her again. 

     Now I'm in the car with Blake. We've been driving for at least two hours, and I haven't said a word. He's probably wondering why I'm not asking a million questions, but I can't get the image of my mom waving goodbye out of my head. I didn't even find out if I have a cavity.

     "Cindy, I know you don't want to talk, but I have to tell you what's going on." he says. I look at him, and my curiosity gets the best of me.

     "Alright, tell me. I'm so confused." I cross my arms and he puts his hand on my knee. His face is full of concern. He has gorgeous blue eyes like the sky, and his blonde hair is the exact shade as mine, but it's much softer. His baby-face is surprisingly attractive, and when he smiles he looks much older.

     "I don't really know where to start. I guess with your dad." He says. I gasp and turn my whole body towards him. My dad left us when we were little, and my mom never told me why. All I know is that he was magical, like my siblings and me, and I just found that out two years ago. It was big news for a fourteen year old. 'Oh yeah, by the way, you have magic powers and can pretty much do anything in the world if you practice enough.'

     "You know, of course, that he had magical abilities like us, but there are a lot of things your mom didn't tell you." he says. I snort, not surprised. "His family had a curse put on them so they may never have any female descendants. When this wizard cast the curse, there was a witch casting another spell from behind. Her name was Cindy, and she was always ridiculed by the more powerful wizards for being so weak and clumsy, but more importantly for being a woman. They believed women weren't fit to have power. It was almost like a real-life version of Cinderella." I laugh at his use of my favorite princess. "Anyway, the spell she cast was more powerful than the other one, and it was that there would be a female ancestor, and that she would be the most powerful witch to ever roam the earth. She cast this spell because she wanted to prove to the other wizards that women are just as powerful as men, and maybe even more powerful." I smile at this, liking the witch. "So you are the most powerful witch in history, but it comes at a cost. A wizard of more than five-hundred years named Zarathos has been given the title of "all-powerful" for a long time, and he was warned that there would be a girl to be born who could kill him." I stare at him, still not processing what he was saying. "We tried to keep him from finding out you were born, but somehow he did and he's been trying to find you. Now that you're of age, it'll be easier for him to find you since your powers will flow freely." he explains. Of all the questions bouncing around in my head, I find I'm only able to ask one.

     "What do you mean I'm of age? I'm sixteen." He looks at me like I've lost my mind.

     "Seriously? That's what you're worried about?" he says. I nod and he laughs. "Witches and wizards come of age at sixteen." he explains. I nod and look out the window, looking but not seeing.

     "How do you know all of this? How were you able to try and keep him from finding out? How did you know my dad?" 

     "Your dad's family and my family were very close friends for generations. My mom was devastated when your dad left you. They were extremely close." he shrugs and I notice we're in a different city.

     "Where are we going?" I ask. He smiles at me.

     "Washington DC."