Page 11 of Charmed

“I’m sorry if I said something wrong.” Persimmon felt genuinely bad.

“Oh, don’t worry, you didn’t,” answered Medea. “Darium will get over it. Eventually.”

“Mother, I want to go home,” whined little Lily.

“I agree. Take my hand, Lily,” said Rhys. “Lucio and I will go home with you.”

“Nay, wait. I’ll come, too. See you on the morrow, Persimmon.” Medea grabbed Lily’s other hand, connecting her whole family in one line. Then, in a flash, they all just disappeared.

“Oh!” exclaimed Persimmon, not used to seeing this. “How do they do that?”

“You’ll get used to their transporting ability in time,” Lira told her. “The rest of us walk or take horses to get where we want to go. However, they don’t need to do so. It’s very convenient and quick to just dissipate and reappear somewhere else.”

“Then, not everyone on Mura can do that?”

“Nay, of course not. Only the witches,” said Zann. “By witches, I mean Medea and her daughter, Lily.”

“But I saw Rhys and Lucio disappear, too. Are they also witches?” asked Persimmon.

“No, they are mortals,” explained Lira. “But Medea and Lily can take others with them when they transport. “Sister, would you like me to show you to your room now? It is getting late.”

“Yes, please,” said Persimmon.

“Where are your bags? Your things?”

“I don’t have any,” she told her, not wanting to explain why.”

“All right then.” Lira turned to lead the way.

Persimmon felt as if she were being watched from behind. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw her father in the shadows. Then in a blur of color, he was gone, not unlike the transporting that Medea and her daughter could do.

“Everyone comes and goes so quickly here on Mura,” commented Persimmon as they headed to the castle.

“There is a lot happening here. You won’t be able to learn about everyone and everything in one night,” Lira told her. “We are glad you decided to live here now, because there are a lot of people to meet and a lot to experience.”

“I’m sure there is.” Persimmon looked down at her pouch, still feeling like a failure and now a liar, too. “I can’t wait for someone to explain more to me about these portals,” she said, not wanting to think about the gazing orb and what had happened.

She saw their daughter cringe when she said it.

“It’s best not to mention them around the children or my husband and his brothers,” whispered Lira. “Excuse us now.” Lira, took the baby from Zann, letting Valindra pull her away as they headed into the castle.

After they left, Zann spoke to her. “She’s right, you know.”

“What do you mean?” asked Persimmon.

“Don’t even mention portals again,” Zann warned her, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Why is everyone acting so odd about this?”

“It’s been over a year now since any portals opened on Mura, and we want to keep it that way. Every time one opens, it means trouble for all involved. Not only trouble, but people end up dying.”

“Oh, nay! They do? So it’s happened a lot then?”

“Not a lot, but too much. And it is better that it doesn’t happen again.”

“Do you think that was a portal I saw in my gazing orb?” she asked Zann.

“Nay!” Zann didn’t seem to want to even entertain the idea that it possibly could have been.

“My mother always told me that the gazing crystal is never wrong.” Since this was the first time she actually saw anything inside the orb, Persimmon felt excited and wanted to see more than just a flash. Still, she didn’t feel as if she could talk to anyone about it. Especially since she wasn’t convinced that it hadn’t just been her imagination and that she hadn’t scried at all.

“It’s never wrong, you say?” Zann raised a brow. “If that is so, then throw the damned orb into the Lake of Souls so you don’t ever see such things again. And whatever you do, be sure not to even mention what you saw again. Never, and I repeat never, mention the word portal again.”