The Dreamfarer

6

"I need to find my dad."

Mae said it even as she launched herself to her feet and ran towards the door. Caleb caught her just before she grabbed the doorknob, and she was surprised by how fast he reacted.

"Are you crazy? Did you forget everything he just said to you? You can't just go to him again!"

Mae spun around to face Caleb. She met his chocolate eyes with a smile - her eyes were blue, like Viv's, like her mother's, but she had no idea if they would stay that way. Looking into Caleb's eyes impressed upon her, in that moment, just how normal he was. So many people had brown eyes; it was a common color, at least from what she had seen. 

Maybe now that she had magic she would be able to alter her appearance. She imagined herself with flaming red hair and bright yellow eyes. With royal blue skin and nails as black as midnight. With teeth dyed purple and a tongue that shone the richest of greens. The thoughts were enough to amuse her, but she could not deny that the concept itself interested her. She might be able to choose what she saw in the mirror each day.

She might be able to see someone other than Vivienne.

"He's my dad, Caleb," she said quietly, a warning in her tone.

Caleb snorted and shook his head. "I know that, Mae, but he's not acting like your dad. He sounded almost... I don't know... evil. And with the things that your mom was yelling before... I just think you should stay away from him, at least until he's back to normal."

Mae looked down at her feet in contemplation. Now that she had a relative idea of what was happening with her, did she really have a reason to continue keeping it a secret from Caleb? She didn't want to hide things from him; she never had. Besides, having someone to talk to about her powers and the craziness her life had suddenly become would be a relief.

She knew she couldn't mention her magic and possible warlock ancestry to just anyone; if a rumor of either of those things got spread around Swynborough, she would be taken away for questioning and possibly locked away somewhere that she couldn't do anyone harm. She wasn't sure what the consequences of having magic were in her hometown; if someone had been caught with it sometime in her eighteen years of living, it had remained a confidential matter. 

However, she knew that she could trust Caleb. He wouldn't turn her in, and she doubted that he would fear her. She wanted his support and his friendship, and in order to get those things, she had to be open with her best friend.

"Actually, Caleb, I don't think he was ever normal," she began, keeping her tone as calm as possible so that he had no reason to think she was trying to kid him. She locked their gazes once more as she continued, "I think my dad is a warlock."

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It did not take as long as Mae expected to tell Caleb everything. She started with the first dream, and it was easy to go into perfect detail, having just relived it while she was unconscious. She explained the way Vivienne had spoken to her after her nightmare - the nightmare they had shared. She told him all about what she had just experienced, after fainting in that very room. She shared with him her experience with Kroma on the wall, and the things the warlock had said to her.

Caleb simply let her talk, listening as only a true friend would as she threw her secrets to the wind and hoped that he would be the one to catch them in the updraft.

When she was done, he was silent for a full minute, staring into her face with unfathomable eyes.

"You aren't pulling my leg?" he eventually asked her. "I want to take this seriously if you're telling the truth, Mae, but I would be hurt if you're lying to me again..."