“A necromancer?” Dumb surprise must have registered on my face.
“You know what a necromancer is, don’t you?”
“Well, no, I mean, yes, of course I’ve heard of them. I just don’t know what they do.”
Henry turned back toward the house, and eager to learn more, I fell into step beside him. “Are you pulling my leg? You’re a witch. You were born into a magical family. How do you not know any of this stuff?”
When he put it that way, I did feel a bit stupid. What would he think of us if I told him about Mom’s fear of higher magic? I didn’t want to chance it, so I kept silent.
As usual, we found Matt working in the yard. He nodded when he saw us approach and didn’t appear the least surprised to see us together. He jerked his head toward the house. “She’s in the kitchen.”
We found her sitting at the kitchen table with an assortment of crystals lying about before her. A pot of apples popped and bubbled on the stove, filling the room with the most delicious scent. Behind Sylvia on the counter, two sheets of pastry were aligning themselves inside a pie dish. After the edges self-crimped, they floated through the air and glided into the heated range. The oven door closed quietly on them both.
When Sylvia saw us, she grinned. “Ah, my valiant soldiers have returned from the brambles, bearing the fruit of the fairies. Pop the colander in the sink for a quick wash while the pie crusts prebake, would you?”
Henry did as instructed, and Sylvia pointed to a seat across from her, motioning for me to join her. “Would your mom appreciate some of those, do you think?”
“Maybe. We’ve collected quite a few already. Mom and I use them to make syrups and healing teas for Dad’s practice.” I didn’t mention that she usually kept a bowl in the living room as the berries were said to attract wealth and affluence. Not that we ever saw any of that.
“Well, maybe she would appreciate a pie. I will give her one when they’re done.”
“Thank you.” It wouldn’t last a day—the kids were big fans of pies.
Henry joined us at the table.
“Now look at these.” Sylvia opened her hands to draw my attention to the crystals on the table in front of her. “What do you think?”
I closed my eyes and focused on the crystals. As an earth witch, they all called to me on different levels, but I sensed nothing but harmony and good sensations. “You have a very nice collection.”
“I would like you to select one of them. Whichever calls to you the most.”
I opened my eyes in surprise and caught Henry studying me with some curiosity. I wondered if he was looking at me with more than just professional interest. His attention turned to the stones when he saw me watching him.
Sylvia was smiling. “Well, it is your birthday after all. Go on. Pick one.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. Go ahead. Choose one.”
I looked at the crystals. They were all so lovely. The range of colors was staggering, from soft grays, reds, aquas, and blacks. Some were shiny and smooth, others rough and porous. Initially my eye fell on a shiny black crystal. It was perfectly oval, and far prettier than any of the others. I reached to examine it, but before I touched it, I felt a strange burning in the palm of my hand, and I hesitated. I pulled back and looked at some of the others.
This time a second stone called to me. It was a rough, blue stone of many shades, and when I focused on it, I experienced a sense of inner peace and tranquility. It wasn’t half as pretty as the first one, yet somehow, I knew that was the one for me. I picked the small stone up and turned it over in my hand. “This is azurite, I believe.”
Sylvia nodded. She took it from me. “Are you sure this is the crystal you want?” She picked up the black one I’d considered first and held it in her other hand, offering them both to me at the same time. “Your first choice is the prettier, I think. This is obsidian. It’s very powerful.”
I examined it again. The crystal certainly was lovely, but I’d never experienced that burning sensation before, and I didn’t like it. The way Sylvia was looking at me made me wonder if she guessed as much. My mind was made up. “I think I like the blue one more.”
Sylvia smiled. “As you wish.” She returned the obsidian stone to its place on the table and closed her fingers around the azurite. She closed her eyes, and though she said nothing, her lips moved silently.
I felt concern and glanced at Henry, who smiled reassuringly, as if this were a perfectly normal thing. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen crystal magic performed before, but I hated not knowing what it all meant.
Sylvia opened her eyes and her fingers, and staring down, I saw she had set the crystal in a small silver ring, which she offered to me.
“Are you sure?” I hesitated to take it. Set like this, I sensed its value and wondered if it was right to accept it at all. “I can’t imagine what something like this must be worth. I can’t possibly accept it.”
“It isn’t a question of whether you can accept the ring. It’s whether the ring will accept you. Anyway, now it’s true value can only be revealed to you, and no one else.” Gently, Sylvia took my left hand and placed the ring on my middle finger. I was not surprised when it fit perfectly. Once again, a sense of inner peace overwhelmed me. “There. Very pretty.” Sylvia smiled, admiring her work.
“Thank you.” A question had been eating at me since the moment I’d got here, and I thought now might be as good a time as any to ask. I wasn’t quite sure how to phrase it, so I just blurted it out. “Henry seems to think I’m a necromancer. Is he right? And if he is, what exactly does that mean?”
I thought she might laugh at me, since I sounded ignorant even to my own ears. But instead of laughing as I thought she might, Sylvia pondered for a moment and then tried to explain it to me.
“Quite simply, necromancers are able to communicate with the dead. Once you have full command of your powers, you can summon them at will.”
My cheeks burned, not with embarrassment, but with mounting dread. This didn’t sound like a good thing to me. “Why would anyone want to do that? The dead are at peace. Why would anyone want to disturb them?”
“There are as many answers to that as there are questions in the universe. What you must understand is that necromancy is a rare and uncommon gift, not a curse. It opens the door to a wealth of knowledge unknown to most of the living. Because of that, many of our kind fear it, but it’s not the gift itself that’s evil, but the necromancer’s use of it. Remember that, Catherine, in the challenges to come.”
I didn’t like the sound of challenges. “What if I don’t want to be one? Can I choose to ignore it?”
The familiar smile left Sylvia’s lips. “All gifts, left untouched, shrivel and die inside their owner. They’re a part of who you are. It’s never wise to deny them. When they die, a small part of you will die with them.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, either.
Sylvia’s kindly smile returned. “Don’t worry about it for now. It’s a lot to take in, I know, but in the coming weeks, you will learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible. Believe me, it’s not all bad! Henry will be there to support you, as will I, don’t forget that. But today is not the day to worry about it. It’s your birthday! You have come of age, have you not? We should be celebrating that now, and nothing else.”
Henry had been studying me all this time. He looked relieved, now that Sylvia had explained things to me, and his expression was friendly enough. I was a little sorry I’d been annoyed with him earlier. He was here to help me after all. His gaze wandered to my throat. “That’s a pretty necklace.”
My reached up to touch it. “Yes. My parents gave it to me this morning.”
“It’s very unusual,” Henry said. “Is it magical?”
“They didn’t say.”
Sylvia began putting the unwanted crystals away into a small wooden box, and as she did so, the range door opened, and two perfectly cooked pie shells floated up to the counter to cool down. The last stone she put away was the obsidian. Part of me wondered what would have happened if I’d chosen that one. It appeared I was not to find out.
Sylvia took the box to the sink and placed it on the sill before washing her hands. “Catherine’s parents are strict earth witches. They’re not likely to offer her anything to encourage this side of her, now, are they?”
Henry’s brow furrowed. “Is that so? It seems a waste of talent to me.”
“Does it?” I almost snapped at him. My annoyance with Henry returned, and for some reason, I wanted to defend my parents. “They’re entitled to what they believe, the same as the next person, don’t you think? Earth magic is a gentle art, and the price of magic no more than a few herbs and flowers. Higher magic demands a much higher price. Mom has always made it clear she doesn’t want us dabbling in things we don’t understand, in case what we have to pay is more than we can afford. Is there anything wrong with that? I’m sure all she wants to do is protect us. Well, me.”
Henry shook his head. “I suppose not. But that’s not what you think, is it? Otherwise, why would you want to go to New York? If you believe what your mom believes, then you’d be better off staying here, wouldn’t you?”
Since I’d never been to New York, I really had no idea how to answer him. One thing was for certain. I really did want to go. “I guess there’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”
Sylvia ran the tap over the blackberries and pulled any stems left on them. Once they were cleaned, she added the berries to the cooked apples and blended the two fruits together. She then filled the cooked pie cases with the filling. Once done, strips of pastry rose in the air and intertwined to form a lattice pattern over the top of both pies. Sylvia removed an egg wash from the fridge, coating both finished pies before putting them back in the oven for their final bake.
“There. All done.” She rinsed her hands in the sink and dried them on a tea towel. When she sat down with us again, her attention returned to the ring. “In time, the azurite stone will help you channel your power over the spirit world. It’s not especially powerful, but it will enhance your connection with the dead and will help you comprehend the needs of the unliving mind. In time, you will understand it better, but for now, you know all you need to today.”
I ran my fingers over the ring, which still felt unfamiliar on my skin. I hoped I hadn’t said anything to offend her and make her change her mind about New York. Before I could ask, we heard a door open somewhere in the house, and then Matt walked into the kitchen.
“So how’s the birthday girl? Did Sylvia give you your present?”
I grinned and held my hand aloft so Matt could examine the ring. He took my fingers in his own. “Very nice.” The newlyweds exchanged a meaningful look, which I pretended not to notice.
When he let go, I pushed my chair away from the table and stood up. “Anyway, I guess I’d best be off. I promised Dad I’d be back by noon. He’s taking me out for a surprise birthday party.” I rolled my eyes, hoping to come off as a sophisticated adult, yet I’d never sounded so childish.
Henry also stood up. “Would you like me to walk you home?”
I laughed and glanced over my shoulder as if the house were there, right behind me. “It’s okay. I think I can manage it. I have a compass.”
Henry lowered his head, and I wondered if I’d said the wrong thing. But then I noticed his shoulders were shaking a little. Was he laughing at me, or did I amuse him? It was hard to say.
Sylvia came up from the table and gave me a warm hug. “It was lovely seeing you. Tell your mom I’ll bring over a pie later, will you? And we can fix a date for your internship after your party. I’m sure now we have your parents’ consent you’ll be eager to set a date.”
I smiled at Sylvia, then Matt, and nodded. “Yes. Yes, I am. And thank you for the ring. Both of you.” I held out my hand to Henry. “It was nice meeting you, Henry. I hope we’ll see each other again very soon.” He accepted mine and shook it heartily.
“I don’t doubt it. Happy birthday, Catherine.” His final expression was more amusement than offense. I supposed that was something. I didn’t want to start my relationship with my mentor on the wrong foot. It also occurred to me that I liked how he said my name. In fact, there was a lot I liked about him. But right now, I was feeling a different kind of pull on me. It was my birthday after all, and I needed to get home. It seemed the compass at my neck was working perfectly fine after all.
I waved good-bye to my new friends, turned, and headed back to our little cottage. My mind raced with thoughts of rings, necklaces, and necromancy, but for now, I had to put all these things aside. Now was the time for birthday cake, banners, and balloons. It wasn’t going to be easy, that much I knew.
It had turned colder outside. I hunched my neck into my shoulders, and pulling my poncho close, I lowered my head and headed home. As I passed old Catherine’s grave, I felt the familiar calling. This time, however, I understood what it meant and felt good knowing that nothing would ever happen unless I wanted it to, which right now, I did not. I gave the spot little more than a sideways glance and hastened my steps to get to my party.