Page 62 of Charmed

“It’s true,” said the elf. “The gods are also the ones who made me a sage.”

“You’re a messenger of the gods?” Stone shook his head, still unable to believe it.

“Sometimes, they give my father gifts,” said Lira.

“They gave me that gazing ball, Persimmon.” Elric nodded to her pouch.

“Not much of a gift if they knew he couldn’t use it,” Stone snorted.

“Did you give the gazing orb to Mother?” asked Persimmon.

“I did,” the elf admitted. “I had hoped to win her over.”

“You sound as if you really cared for her.” This surprised Persimmon. I think Mother cared for you as well.”

“I doubt it,” snapped the elf.

“She never said she hated you or anything. She just called you greedy and selfish and said you can’t be trusted,” continued Persimmon.

“That’s nothing that the rest of us don’t already know,” mumbled Stone.

“She even told me once that she had wished you’d stayed with us and not left us.” Persimmon waited for her father’s reaction.

“Too late now, isn’t it?” Elric was a real grouch and it was so hard to read him.

“The gods often get angry or aggravated with my father,” explained Lira.

“Gee, I can’t imagine why,” said Stone flippantly.

“The gifts are not always what he hopes they will be,” Lira continued.

“They aggravate me just as much at times.” Elric hurried over to an iron stove and put a kettle of water on the grate and lit a fire underneath it. “I just needed to know the future, and the gods wouldn’t tell me. I persisted to know, and they gave me a scrying orb that only a magical witch woman could use. I didn’t appreciate that gesture at all.”

“Mother’s ghost just told me you wanted to be the chosen one,” Persimmon told Elric. “Why?”

“Why not?” he answered. “I’m a sage and people expect me to know things all the time. It is exhausting.”

“Father, is something going to happen to Persimmon now that all of this is out in the open?” asked Lira, reaching out and taking hold of Persimmon’s hand. “I just met my sister. I don’t want to lose her.”

“I don’t know,” said Elric, jumping in surprise when the kettle on the stove started to whistle. He sped around the room, placing a cup and saucer in front of each of them. Then he hurried over to the kettle and dropped some leaves inside and closed the lid. “If I had someone to scry for me, then I’d know these blasted things,” mumbled the elf.

“Locking me away for an entire lifetime isn’t going to change the future,” said Persimmon. “And it still doesn’t explain why you hate me so much.”

“I don’t hate you!” shouted the elf. “It’s just been hard for me because I’m not sure…I don’t know if…”

“If you’re my father,” Persimmon finished the sentence for him.

“Well, now you know.” Elric zipped over to the stove and returned and poured them all a cup of tea.

Persimmon felt more confused and also lonelier than ever now. She cradled her cup, feeling as if she didn’t really know either of her parents. “How would you use the stones if you had the power, Father?”

Elric let out a sigh. “Well, I’m not sure. First, I’d have to find out what each stone could do.”

“Interesting,” said Persimmon. Her gaze traveled over to Stone who now held two of the gems.

There came a knock at the door and the elf zipped over and held his hand on the door, speaking through it. “Who is it and what do you want?”

“Father, open the door and you’ll find out.” Lira got up and walked over to do it.