Chapter Three

"Time is neutral and does not change things. With courage and initiative, leaders change things."

~Jesse Jackson

 

Miu interrupted the birds mid-chirp by talking in her sleep. I enjoyed listening to her muttering in Japanese almost as much as the chirping. Stretching, I moaned. The skin on my back was healed but still tender. One of my favorite things about being the Jewel is healing while I sleep.

Grabbing some sweats, I stumbled into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Brushing out my hair, I braided my curls. I knew we would work out this morning, and my waist-length hair would get in the way. I avoided looking in the mirror, a challenge as it covered half of the wall. I hated mirrors. They always sent me into a spiral of questions, insecurity, and deep pondering about who and what I am.

Before Gavin came along, I would stare in the mirror, wondering which parent I looked like. I didn't grow up with pictures of my parents, so I didn't know if my hair came from my mom, or my dad's dad. Did an aunt or uncle also have big almond shaped eyes? Did any of my grandparents have dimples?

Now I knew that the shape of my mouth came from my mom and my eyes from my dad. My coloring, though, came from Shamash and Aya some four thousand years ago. My skin was a blend of Aya's rich middle-eastern copper and Shamash's milk white. His flame-red hair streaked the midnight black curls from Aya, and her peridot green eyes were flecked with metallic gold from his.

It disappointed me to find out that knowing where my features came from did nothing to help me figure out who I am.

A bang on the door made me jump. "Hurry up," Miu said, through a yawn. "Anali said we are going running in thirty minutes."

"All done." I opened the door and took a moment to make my bed and tuck my pajamas into my bag. Spending most of my childhood living in group homes had trained me to be very tidy, unlike Miu who blew the stereotype of the neat, proper Japanese girl into pieces.

In the courtyard, Anali stretched alongside Kayin and Sasha. A pitcher of orange juice and some glasses sat on a mosaic table.

"Good morning, little sister. How are you feeling?" Kayin rumbled. As he stretched, his forehead touched his shin while he placed his hands flat on the ground.

I smiled, pouring a glass of juice. Kayin and I both had a hard time accepting our fate as Children of Fire. We traveled around the world opening portals to Akasha to send the magical beings trapped on Earth back to their home. Granted, Kayin coped much better than I did, but still we had bonded initially over our confusion and fear.

Sasha and Miu knew they were Children of Fire from a young age and felt honored at having enough power to help send the magical creatures home. Most Children of Fire possessed very little of the Phoenix gifts and even fewer had any coloring marking them as Shamash and Aya's descendants.

"I'm good, all healed up." I chugged the juice and joined them in stretching. "So we're running today?"

Kayin chuckled. "Yes. And, yes, I know you hate running."

Scowling, I decided not to answer.

"Is important to keep in shape. We do not want injury," Sasha said.

I rolled my eyes. I knew that. We traveled with Cirque du Feu Magique, a small circus performing in parks, schools, town squares, and small theaters. I enjoyed being part of the circus. I wasn't very good yet, and I didn't perform with any of the big acts but I did enjoy the training and practice. Except running—I hated it. I don't know why, it just sucks. Thankfully, we only ran when there wasn't a good place to do yoga or strength conditioning.

Gavin stumbled out of his room in worn sweats, his hair a wild mess of red which fell past his shoulders. With his eyes barely open, he poured himself some juice and began to warm up.

Miu emerged from our room five minutes before we left. Her pink Hello Kitty jogging suit was too bright to look at directly.

"Good morning everyone. How's Taliesin this morning?" Miu asked.

Taliesin. I forgot about him. Guilt settled hard and cold in my belly. Sure he's a snot, but he saved my life last night, so shouldn't I have thought about him? What kind of a person am I?

"He's fine," Anali said. "He's still a unicorn, but he's good. We'll figure out how to help him today. Don’t worry." Anali patted my arm. I didn't bother to say anything; she knew what I felt. Her empathy wasn't as strong as mine, but I couldn't hide my feelings from her.

"Come on, we can talk about it while we run," Gavin said, leading us out to the dirt road.

Taking a deep breath I forced myself to run, well closer to jog, but still horrible. "Last night we talked about researching unicorns to see if we could find a way to help him," I said.

"Good plan," Gavin said. "Sasha, did you dream anything?"

Miu snorted. "We trust his dreams after what happened last night?"

Sasha ignored her, which would make things worse in the end. "No, I was too tired. Did anyone else have dream?"

Miu's pony tails shook as she said no. "I never remember my dreams clearly. That's your job."

Before Sasha answered I jumped in. "I don't remember anything. I know I spent time in Akasha because I woke healed. I'll go to bed early tonight and see if I can do better."

"Sorry," Kayin said. "I'm like Miu—I never remember my dreams."

"I think there is a ritual, or tea, or something we can do to increase our dreams." Gavin sped up a bit now that our muscles warmed up.

"My grandmother gave special tea to drink," Sasha began.

"Please, we don't want to use some old wives’ tale that won't work, we need something proven to help aid dreaming," Miu snapped.

Sasha's shaggy hair whipped around his face as he glared at Miu, his gray eyes icy. "You do not know what you talk about." Anger thickened his accent.

Anali looked back at me. "Deal with this," she said, as she and Gavin began to run faster.

I glared at them. They were the adults—why did I have to fix this? But I knew the answer. Miu and Sasha saw me as the leader, and they wanted me to pick whose rituals we would now use. They had started arguing once we left the Guardians, a Native American group of Children of Fire who led the ritual we used to open the portals to Akasha throughout America. Together, we sent many amazing beings home to Akasha: small fairies, masked dancers, monstrous flying snakes, animals dressed as humans, and even a few Sasquatch.

Miu's high voice cut through my happy memories. I guess I should do something. She began cussing at Sasha, thankfully she swore in Japanese. He wouldn't like what Miu said about his mother and a monkey.

Both Sasha and Miu learned different meditations and rituals to help them. Sasha's grandmother taught him rituals flavored with their Russian Jewish ancestry. Miu's family is Japanese Shinto, so all of her rituals entwine with those teachings. This had led to a lot of fighting over whose way was better.

Personally, I don’t care. The point of these rituals is to connect everyone in the group and have them focusing on the same thing at the same time. Both Miu and Sasha wanted me to care, and wanted me to pick which ritual I liked best. They both sounded interesting, and I'm sure both rituals would work.

At one point I told them that and even went so far as to suggest we tradeoff who leads the ritual. No one received that well, so now I stayed out of it. But as soon as Sasha began to understand Miu was cussing at him, he made a foul comment about Miu's grandfather and a pig in Yiddish. I decided I needed to do something. I had no idea what, but I would do something.

Kayin sighed. "One of them will get hurt soon."

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, watching as Sasha and Miu's body language became more aggressive.

Things do not get better with time, they get better with action. You must do something: write and burn an angry letter, forgive yourself and others, or set aside your ego and try to understand the other side of things. There are many actions you can take, but you will need to choose something. Sometimes a friend is trapped in anger, grief, fear, or sadness, and you might find yourself able to help by encouraging and supporting an action they can take. You don't have to do something huge and you don't have to fix everything at once. What one thing can you do today which will help make things better?

Okay, my mom's advice would work here, but what one thing could I do? Gag them both? Wipe their memories? Let them beat the crap out of each other and declare the winner right? Tempting, but I thought I'd have to do something else.

"Sasha, Miu, enough! The point of a ritual is to bind us together, and all of this arguing isn't helping." I glared, trying to make it look like I was angry and not that I stopped talking in order to catch my breath. I hate running.

"I have decided what we’re going to do. Both of you are going to write down the ritual you have learned. I want to know the space you need, the time, and any materials." I let that sink in while I took a breath. "Then I will decide in which situations which ritual would work better."

"What?" Miu said turning to glare at me. She almost fell tripping over a rock in the road.

Sasha growled.

"We aren't able to open the portal and help magical creatures if we can't combine our energy. And we won’t be able to connect if you two are so angry at each other," Kayin said, his breathing smooth and even.

"She is impossible ... " Sasha began.

"He's a jerk and ... " Miu snapped.

I stopped running, put my hands on my hips and panted for a moment. Kayin didn't say anything. Miu and Sasha stopped arguing, but they pierced my shields with sharp cold needles of anger.

"Stop it," I said before they said anything else. "Write your rituals out. Then I will decide where and when each ritual will work better." I gave my best 'unhappy mom' look. "This discussion is over, let's finish our run."

The silence that followed was refreshing.

* * *

My head ached from spending all day hunting books for answers. We found that a unicorn's parents would help them if they became stuck in a form, and that Taliesin at sixteen was too young to have changed forms. I snuggled into the bed and closed my eyes. Hopefully, someone would get an answer in their dream and we would help Taliesin tomorrow. I didn’t know how long he could hide in the woods surrounding the ranch. Sighing, I felt myself slip into sleep and Akasha.

The Phoenix fire my Grandfather created died away leaving my body healed and refreshed. "Thank you, Adadda." He liked it when I called him Grandfather in Babylonian, the language of his children.

"You are most welcome," Shamash answered, his flame-red hair fluttering around his face. "Come let's swing, and you can tell your Grandmother and me what happened yesterday. You fell asleep after I healed you last night."

"Good evening, Amagal," I said as Aya transformed from a purple, blue, and green phoenix into a beautiful Babylonian woman.

Her face lit up as she smiled at me. "Hello Sapphire, come sit, and tell us everything."

We sat on the moss-covered wood bench that the fairies made into a swing and I told them about Lichuen and his family and their children. Looking out over the meadow as we swung, I wondered if I would ever get used to the beauty of Akasha, with its turquoise sky, vibrant grass, delicate flowers, and magical creatures. A group of satyrs lounged in the meadow while a flock of nightingales flew overhead singing their magical song.

"Then Lichuen showed us a beautiful feather from Quetzalcoatl," I told them.

Shamash placed his milk-pale hand on top of mine. "Did he say anything else about him?"

"Yes, Lichuen gave us a bracelet from Quetzalcoatl, and said that we would need the bracelet to get into where he is sleeping."

"So they think he still lives?"

"Yes," I turned and looked into hopeful gold eyes. "Is he really your brother?"

"Yes. It's been more than two thousand years since I have spoken with him." Shamash sighed. "At first I thought my brother was angry because I kept telling him what to do. Once the doorways between Akasha and Earth closed, I tried to find him. I flew all over Akasha checking the oceans, mountains, deserts, every cave, jungle, forest, and the crystal labyrinth."

"We will help you in any way we can," Aya said.

"Well, Lichuen’s wife told me Quetzalcoatl tried to find a doorway to Xilbalba, something went wrong, and now he's sleeping in a hidden city."

"If my brother tried to force one of the dying portals open it could have exploded and rendered him unconscious, but why didn't he wake up?"

I didn't know if my Adadda knew about his nieces and nephews, or the human sacrifices. I fiddled with my mother's ring.

"Sapphire, do you know something?" Aya asked, her voice soft and soothing.

I kept my eyes down, unwilling to look at my many times great grandparents.

Thin fingers carded through my hair. "Sapphire, dear, it's okay, we won't become angry with you. None of this is your fault."

I didn't look up, as I began to talk. "Did you know Quetzalcoatl had children with some of the Aztec and Toltec women?”

Shamash sighed. "I suspected he did, but I never met any of them."

"Well once when Quetzalcoatl left there was a drought, and the people decided that their normal prayers weren't enough to get his attention. They made him into a god." I cleared my throat, wishing I didn't have to go on. "So they gathered and began to pray, celebrate, and sacrifice hundreds of people including a great granddaughter of Quetzalcoatl. Lichuen said the temple steps ran with blood."

"Poor Quetzalcoatl," Aya whispered.

Shamash's voice sounded rough. "I warned him, I knew if his actions hurt others, it would break his heart. I know he made mistakes, but it was him enjoying life and being playful. Quetzalcoatl didn't see how his actions would affect humans."

"Our Sapphire will find him," Aya said, patting my hand.

Shamash looked out over the meadow. "I have a few ideas of where he could have gone. I'll let Sasha know when I find something. He's getting much better remembering his dreams."

"Does Taliesin dream here?" I blurted out.

"No. We don't block him, but he has never come here in a dream. Why?" Shamash answered.

"He turned into a unicorn to protect me from a werewolf, and now he can't turn back."

"Is that where your injuries came from?" Aya asked.

I nodded and told them the rest of the story.

"I can give you enough energy to help Taliesin turn back. You will need to keep a connection open between us, and Taliesin will need to focus on what it feels like to be human," Shamash said.

"I think I can do that. Maybe."

"We can work on it together," Aya said. "And if it doesn't work the first time, we'll try again."

I nodded. "Okay, what do I need to do?"

"Stay open to me," Shamash said. "I want you to wake up keeping me firmly in your mind. Find a place where you can do what you need to do on Earth but you can still feel me."

Um, was that supposed to make sense? "Okay."

Shamash closed his eyes and dropped into meditation, I could see the power he pulled into himself; his skin glowed with it.

Aya began to run her fingers through my hair. "Imagine where you are sleeping and allow yourself to go back into your body."

I followed Aya's instructions and found myself waking, yet still feeling her fingers in my hair and the pleasant hum of magic. I opened my eyes into thin slits and closed them as I felt Akasha slipping away. After a few deep breaths, I tried again. I managed to keep my eyes open. Step by step, I walked out of the room towards Taliesin.

The tiles outside my door felt cold against my bare feet. I shivered. Closing my eyes I focused on Aya's fingers in my hair. Once I strengthened the connection, I began to walk. I shuffled half way into the court yard when my bare toe banged into a chair, and I lost Akasha. Grabbing my toe I cussed softly, not wanting to wake anyone up. I looked back to my room, I knew once I fell back to sleep I would go right back to Akasha and we'd start it again. But I hadn't even gotten half way to the trees. This might work better if I slept next to Taliesin.

I went into the bedroom and grabbed a pillow and blankets. I tried to not make a sound but doors creaked, pebbles crunched, and several twigs snapped under my feet. They sounded so loud in the night. I found Taliesin sleeping under a bush in a grove of trees. I spread one of the blankets next to him.

What are you doing? Taliesin asked telepathically.

"Shamash says he can help change you back, but I have to remain connected to Akasha and I can't walk from my room to you and stay connected to him without hurting myself. So I thought I would sleep here." I placed my pillow far enough down on the blanket so it wouldn't get in the grass and dirt, and laid down.

Oh. Well, thank you. Taliesin watched me for a moment. I mean it. You can't enjoy sleeping out here. Thank you.

"You did save my life, it's only right that I help you." I laid down, closed my eyes, and tried to ignore the rocks poking through the blanket.

"You're so smart," Shamash said, as I appeared back in Akasha.

I blushed and shrugged. "Can we try again? I don't know how long I'll be able to sleep."

"Of course dear, come here." Aya patted her lap.

I laid my head down sighing as my Amagal began to run her fingers through my hair. Shamash settled back into his meditation while Aya once again talked me through waking up without losing them.

I didn't bother to open my eyes this time as I heard Taliesin breathing. I reached him and placed my hands on his back. He snorted awake. "Think about how it feels to be human, imagine it in your mind," I said.

Moonlight cool energy flowed through me and into Taliesin. In the past, any energy spike felt fiery hot, but unicorn energy felt very different. Under my fingers Taliesin's muscles twitched, but nothing else happened. I waited as patiently as I could, allowing the energy to build and grow. I began to worry nothing would happen when his muscles began to slide and shift under my hands. It felt so gross. It took all my willpower to keep my hands on him. Stomach-churning pops and cracks echoed as his bones changed back into his human form. The soft hair disappeared and damp skin replaced it.

Aya's fingers left my hair, and she pressed a soft kiss to my forehead as the energy stopped. Opening my eyes, I smiled. Taliesin had shifted back and . . . "Oh my god, you're naked!" I put one hand over my eyes and reached out for my blanket with the other flinging it in his direction. "Please cover up!"

"You're so overreacting," Taliesin said. I heard the fabric rustle. "Okay, there, I'm covered up."

I turned and peeked through my fingers. "Thank goodness, can we go to bed now?"

Taliesin raised an eyebrow as he grinned at me.

"Eeewwww, that is so gross. I didn't mean together." I might not help him next time if he was going to be rude.

"I forget how young you are," he said, standing up and keeping careful hold of the blanket.

"Fifteen isn't that young. Not wanting to see you, or any other boy naked, doesn't mean I'm young, just wise." I gathered up my stuff and turned. The eastern sky turned pink as the sun began to rise.

"Good morning," Señora Villescas greeted us in English. Turning, her eyes widened, and she began to shout at us in Spanish—very fast, angry Spanish.

"What is she saying?" Taliesin asked, clutching the blanket around him.

"I have no idea, she's not magical." Señora Villescas stormed towards us, grabbed our upper arms and began dragging us back to the ranch. "What? Where are we going?"

"To your uncle," she said. She banged on the door, tapping her foot until it opened.

Gavin yawned as he opened the door. "Yes?"

"I found these two coming out of the woods looking like this." Señora Villescas pursed her lips and shoved me and Taliesin at Gavin. "You need to leave this morning. I won't have a werewolf staying here, even if the moon isn't full tonight."

"Yes, of course. You two get in here," Gavin said, and shut the door. "How did you turn back?"

"Sapphire helped," Taliesin said, with a shrug.

"Gavin, get Taliesin something to wear, then you can tell us what happened." Anali slipped on her saffron yellow robe and sat on the edge of the bed. She patted the bed next to her. Sighing, I sat down and began to explain what happened last night.

"What a great idea. I'm glad you figured out what to do," Gavin said. "I wasn't looking forward to sneaking a unicorn into Buenos Aires."

"Dear," said Anali, "none of those ideas would have worked."

Gavin placed a hand against his heart his pale green eyes wide in fake shock. "What? Some were pure genius."

"Anyway, can I please go to bed?" I stood up and moved towards the door.

"Yes, of course. I'm sure we can all use some more sleep. But we'll have to pack and leave after breakfast which is in two hours," Gavin said.

I nodded and shuffled to my room. Two hours was better than nothing.