Sprinkle of Magic

The sound of hushed voices drifted to Maerin's ears, causing the girl to stir slightly, her eyes opening slowly. She was scared for a second, forgetting where she was, until she saw the book on the coffee table. She must have fallen asleep on the couch after reading. Hearing the voices again, she pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch, wrapping it around her shoulders. She tip-toed to the doorway, hiding so she wouldn't be seen. "What you are doing here, Ward?" The familiarity in her grandfathers voice brought more confusion.

"I'm here for Mae." A sense of security flowed through her when she realized it was Ardan her grandfather was talking to. Of course, she thought of the words her grandfather had spoken. He hadn't said 'boy' or 'Ardan'. He'd called him 'Ward'. Did her grandfather know? She shook the thoughts from her head and made a mad dash back to the couch, jumping over the back of it only moment before she heard the footsteps approaching. She squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. When a gentle hand pushed her hair away from her face, she blinked her eyes open slowly, a sleepy smile forming when she saw Ardan grinning down at her. "Good morning." He said before he ruffled her hair. He moved to sit next to her, and she lifted up her feet before setting them down on his lap.

"You're here early." She commented, and he simply nodded while she shifted her position so she was laying on her back, the blanket still covering her. He went to say something, but stopped short when he saw the book sitting on the coffee table. His smile faded as he picked it up, running his fingers over the spine.

"I can't believe your Grandad kept this.." He seemed to be whispering to himself, so Maerin didn't comment. "Were you reading this last night?" Something in his tone caused Maerin to blush as she nodded. She felt like a kid getting caught reading a naughty magazine.

"They talk about you in there." She commented, to which Ardan grinned. "They talk about something else, too...Something that worries me." She sighed and leaned her head back against the arm of the couch as she looked over at him. "Some sort of strange rhyme that talks about you, and a Shadow." Understanding flickered in Ardan's eyes as he sat the book back on the table. He rested his hands on Maerin's feet, still looking at the cover of the book as he spoke.

"That would be the prophecy. Of course, they got it a bit wrong. They said I would 'wake up' when the tree needed me, but I've never really been 'asleep'. Just...Hiding." He smirked over at Maerin, who looked more confused than ever. "It's the 'Prophecy of Darkness'. There's a more detailed explanation in the book, but I'm guess you haven't gotten to that yet." Ardan chuckled while Maerin shook her head. "Basically, the prophecy tells of an evil Witch who will come forth and try to tamper with the tree. If she performs a certain spell with the blood of the Savior, she can manipulate the tree so she's the only one who can use Magick. All other magickal being will cease to exist, only she will remain. It also speaks of the Savior. Another who has magick, but dedicates their life to protecting the tree and magickal beings. These two forces are prophesised to clash, ultimately, in a battle to determine the fate of magick." Maerin's eyes widened as he finished the story.

"I've been seeing a Shadow since I was a young girl. It follows me, sometimes. Most of the time, it's just a big black blob, but sometimes it actually looks like a person surrounded by shadows, but I can never make out the features." Ardan looked a little disturbed by the information, but he didn't say anything about it. "Could this be the same Shadow? Could the events in the prophecy be starting now?"

"You already know the answer to that, Mae." Both heads snapped up at the new voice. Maerin was shocked to see her grandfather standing in the doorway, holding himself up with his cane. "Ward said you heard the tree screaming in pain. That should have been your clue."

"You've known this whole time?" After everything that had just been said, Maerin was upset. Her grandfather knew about her oddities, his nod proved that, but he never did anything to help her. "You could have helped me stop this nonsense, Granda. But instead, you let me suffer and move constantly." There was a bit of venom in her voice, but Ardan's hand on her arm calmed her right down.

"It wasn't my place to bring it up, Mae. You had to come to me in your own time, but since you've already met Ward, I figured the time was now." Maerin nodded slowly before pulling her arm away from the Tree guardian.

"You keep calling him that, he has a name." Both men chuckled at her words, and she raised her eyebrows at them.

"I told you, I have many names. I've had four since your grandfather was born. When he met me, I was Darrin. When his wife came into the picture, I was Alan. The name your mother knew me by was Aerthur." The last sentence snapped Maerin's head up, eyes wide. Her mother had never mentioned anything. "Now she was a handful. Never listened to me."

"She was-is- like me?" They both nodded, and Maerin's hands clenched into fists. Her mother had never acted like she was. She'd always said to keep it hidden, or try to ignore it and it would go away.

"Your mother was always ashamed of what she could do. Never accepted it. Before you were born, she wanted to just run away from her family, her legacy. After you were born, she did." Maerin had no idea what to think. She'd been lied to her entire life, led to believe that she was alone in the world, only to find out that her entire family and others around her, were the same. "Your mother is not you. You don't have to run. We can help you." Her grandfather's hand rested on her shoulder, and Maerin turned up to look at him, nodding in response.

"But not today. You've already been through enough. It's a lot to process." Her eyebrow raised as she turned back to Ardan.

"But you said you were coming over to help me." He chuckled and nodded.

"I will, but not in the way you want, today. We're going into town, so go get ready. Wear something warm." The girl took a hesitant glance to her grandfather, who nodded. She took that as an 'ok', so she stood, making her way up the stairs and to her room without another word to the males.

After locking her door, she ran a hand through her hair with a frustrated sigh. Her grandfather knew, and could help her out, now, but what about the Prophecy? Something about it wasn't sitting well with her. Her grandfather had basically confirmed that her Shadow, was the Shadow from the prophecy, and if that was the case, the Tree was in danger. She'd heard it screaming, knew it was already beginning, but she didn't know what she had to do with anything. She gave a frustrated sigh as she yanked open her dresser drawers and shrugged out of her pajamas. She squeezed into a pair of baggy cargo pants, and pulled a tight fitting red t-shirt over her head. She slid a belt through the loops in the pants before sliding her feet into her Doc Martens.

Once they were laced up, she ran a brush through her hair a few times before fixing it into two separate braids. To complete the look, she grabbed one of her old snapbacks from her wardrobe, fitting it over her head backwards. For once, she went makeup free, and she didn't seem to mind. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she figured she could travel back to the '90's and fit in perfectly. The thought made her chuckle as she grabbed her wallet and phone, sticking them into separate pockets as she walked back down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, her grandfather was waiting for her. "I was waiting until you were ready to give you this, but now is better than never." He held out his wrinkled, shaking hand, and opened his fingers. Laying on his palm was the most beautiful medallion Maerin had ever seen in her life. A soft bronze color with a matching chain, the pendant was of her family crest, a dragon wrapped around the trunk of a weeping willow. It took Maerin a moment, but she realized the willow was actually the Tree, which made her smile as she took it. "Wear it with pride, love." Maerin nodded and slipped it over her head before pulling her grandfather into a tight hug. "Be careful while you're out, and listen to Ward. You have my number if you need anything." With a kiss to her grandfather's cheek, Maerin nodded before heading outside.

Ardan was leaning against his truck, a lazy grin on his face when he saw Maerin approach. "You look like you should be walking down the street in California in the '90's." Maerin couldn't help but laugh, since those had been her exact same thoughts. She simply rolled her eyes with a grin and climbed into his truck.

"So, Great Ward of the Tree, where are you taking me for our grand adventure?" He glared playfully at her words before grinning.

"That, Maerin Curruthers, is a surprise." His grin pulled a bit higher, showing off his dimples as he turned up the music and pulling out of the driveway.

Maerin was more than a little surprised when he pulled up in front of a run down building in the center of the town. An 'open' signed flashed in the window, but it looked utterly abandoned. She didn't question Ardan as she followed him into the little shop, though. A bell above the door chimed, and a young girl who sat by the desk looked up and grinned. "Ah! Well if it isn't little Ward. Been a while." Maerin turned to look at Ardan, who was rolling his eyes.

"Don't mind Celia." He whispered before he slapped a grin on his face. "I'm not little." His tone was serious, even with the grin on his face. The girl just shrugged him off, before finally noticing Maerin behind the guardian. "Don't you mind who this is, we're busy." His voice was clipped, which caused Celia to raise her eyebrow. Ardan gave no explanation as he grabbed Maerin's hand, dragging her into a section filled with books. "Watch your back with that one, Mae. She's no good." He whispered loud enough for Maerin to hear, but not the other girl. The look in his eyes was enough for Maerin to nod, scooting closer to the blonde. He put a hand on her lower back and turned her to the books. As she scanned the titles, she grew a bit scared. Books on spells, potions, histories, anything that she would ever need to know was there, but it scared her. It just proved that all of this was real, and there was no turning back. "If you want to control your abilities, you have to learn of your heritage. Close your eyes and concentrate. The right book will show itself to you." Maerin was confused at first, but she realized it was a test. She gave a tense nod before she closed her eyes.

"Show me the book. Pick the right book. What book do I need?" She kept repeating the words in her head, until she felt Ardan's hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and the room instantly started to spin. The guardian caught her as she stumbled, though, and pointed to the bookshelves. She looked where he was pointing, and was surprised to see a book that was slightly pulled out of the shelf. Had that been like that before? No, she remembered all of the books being in perfect order. A small smile crossed her lips as she pulled the book from its spot, reading over the cover. "Prevention and Protection?" She read the name out loud, a hint of confusion in her voice as she looked to her mentor.

"A book of protection spells." He clarified, and Maerin could only nod. She was about to ask another question when the bell above the shops door chimed again.

"About time you got here. I have shopping to do, you locked up the house, right?" Celine's voice drifted to where Maerin was, but the voice that responded had her frozen in place.

"Yes, Cece. Everything's locked up tight, don't worry." She peeked around the corner of the shelf, making sure her ears weren't playing tricks on her. They weren't. Niall was now sitting on the stool behind the counter, while Celine packed up. When the girl turned around, she spotted Maerin, and smiled.

"Oh. You guys are still here? I thought you snuck out the back." Something about Celine's laugh made her want to run and hide, but she stood up straight and stepped out from behind the shelf, the book clutched tight to her chest. Ardan followed close behind, acting more like her guardian, than the Tree's.

"Mae?" Niall's voice was filled of confusion, and Maerin was sure hers would be the same.

"You know her?" Celine pointed the question towards the male, who nodded. "Oh. Well isn't this fun. Anyways, gotta run. I'll see you at home." She ruffled Niall's hair, and gave Maerin and Ardan waves before she exited the shop.

"You're the last person I expected in here." Maerin raised her eyebrow at Niall's statement, and she couldn't help but scoff.

"I could say the same. I take it you know Celine?" An unknown emotion flashed through her at something Celine had said earlier, 'see you at home', what did that even mean?

"She's my cousin, the one I moved in with." An odd sense of relief filled Maerin as she nodded, approaching the counter. She figured it was about time for them to leave. There was obviously a reason this book chose her, and she wanted to figure out what it was. She set the book on the counter, and Niall didn't even blink as he rang up the purchase. "Are you alright? I mean..Your head. Is your head alright?" He stumbled over his words, and Maerin had to bite back her smile as she nodded. It was still painful, but it wasn't as bad as it had been. "Well..Erm..That's good. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Maerin gave another nod as she took the book, clutching it to her chest once more before pushing her way out of the shop, Ardan hot on her heels.

"I don't think you should be around him." Ardan finally spoke up once they got in the truck, and Maerin raised her eyebrow at him. She hated when people told her not to do something, it only made her want to disobey them. "If he's related to Celine, then he's trouble." Maerin had no idea what this girl had done to Ardan in the past, but it obviously wasn't very pleasant by the way he spoke of her.

"He's sweet." She was surprised to find herself defending him. "And really, even if I wanted to, which I don't, I would be hanging around him, not his apparently evil cousin." She smirked as Ardan's lips pulled into a tight straight line. She really didn't want to argue with him over the boy who'd been up her arse since the first day of school. All she wanted to do was go home and figure out the book.

"How did it go?" Maerin was surprised to find her grandfather waiting for them in the kitchen, tea already made, a pizza on the table. Maerin knew Ailbe had Sunday's off, so she should probably expect take out more often. She slid the book in front of him as she took her seat at the table, pouring herself a cup of tea. "And this one picked you?" Maerin nodded, noting how her grandfather's eyes furrowed and his lips pursed slightly. "That means we have a need for it. I haven't felt a disturbance in the wards, but that doesn't mean something isn't wrong. I'll check them tomorrow after you leave for school, and when you get home, we can look this over." Maerin nodded once more, since her mouth was full of pizza.

"She met Celine, today." Ardan spoke up from behind her. Her grandfather's eyes filled with shock as he looked up.

"Of course she did..." He mumbled before he sighed in annoyance. "Would you sit down, Ward? You're making me nervous." Ardan obliged, grabbing himself a slice of pizza. "Keep your distance, Mae. Never go to that shop without myself or Ardan, it's not safe." By now, Maerin was sick of being told what to do without any explanation.

"Why? Why is she so bad? What did she do?" The men glanced at each other before her grandfather sighed, setting his tea cup down.

"She threatened to expose magick. All of us, every creature in the world. It's against the Laws of the High Council to even think about that, so naturally, she wasn't very popular for a while." Maerin didn't see why that was so bad. "The Lord and Lady of the Council, they're basically the one's everyone answers to, they didn't agree with her. They wanted her banished. She'd been so close to exposing our world, they'd suggested using a forbidden spell of our people. Memory removal. Celine killed them." A shocked gasp escaped Maerin's lips, and she lifted her hands to cover her mouth. "Mae. They were her parents." Maerin shook her head. She didn't want to hear the story. "Their murderer was never determined, but all signs pointed to Celine. Your father did everything he could to prove it, but there was nothing he could do." At mention of her father, Maerin's head snapped up, eyes wide. She saw Ardan giving the old man a warning look, and her grandfather cleared his throat. "That's enough horror talk for one night, dear. Just, please, be careful around her." Maerin nodded her head, secretly hoping that Niall was nothing like his apparently crazy cousin.

The three of them ate in silence, and by the time the whole pizza was gone, it was already six. She hadn't notice how fast the time was going by. Ardan excused himself and left for home, and her grandfather retired early, leaving Maerin to her thoughts. After ten minutes of staring at the table, she finally stood and cleared it, doing up the dishes before she stepped into the den. The book on the Tree was where she left it, so she picked it up and took it upstairs with her. She changed into her pajamas before crawling into bed with the book.

Once again, she read and re-read the prophecy multiple times before reading on a little bit. She read the Legend of the Shadow, and found the similarities between the Shadow of Legend, and the Shadow that had been following her. It was no coincidence. They were one in the same. Only one question remained in Maerin's mind as she fell asleep.

What was her role in all of this?