AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Five
“Are you sure?” Ellie knew she was whining and wasn’t the least bit embarrassed about it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go, that she didn’t need a break, to get away from everything, and think about something other than her birthday, her impending Awakening, the chance that she might lose her ever-loving mind, and… Ranger. It was just that she didn’t want to go by herself.
In the days before, she'd tried to think of any time in her life she'd been alone for longer than a couple of hours. Sure, she was by herself in her cabin. Nobody was around when she was taking care of the horses, feeding the chickens, or out in the pasture with the lambs, but that was different. She wasn't in another state. She wasn't seventeen-hundred miles from home. She could walk or run-more than likely walk, less than a mile, and be at the back door of the MacLeish homestead in less than fifteen minutes.
At first, going away by herselfsoundedexciting. Heck, she'd been bouncing on her toes when Angelica first called. All the trips into town and then into El Paso to get the right clothes, the right shoes, things that weren't jeans and a T-shirt and her favorite red cowboy boots, had been invigorating. Something she hadn't done since before losing her parents.
Then the forty-eight-hour clock started to tick, and Ellie went from excited, to nervous, to downright terrified. What if Aunt Gwen was wrong? What if she couldn’t handle her magic? What if the Awakening was too much and she lost her mind? Would someone be there to stop her from doing something horrible?
Spinning on her toes and dropping her suitcase for no less than the third time, Ellie shook her head and straightened her spine. “I’m not going. It’s not safe. Not for me. Not for all the guests at that resort, and not for all the people – paranormal or human – working there.”
Tilting her head to the side, a sweet, all-too-knowing smile curving her lips upward, Celia shook her head. "Nothing is going to happen. I've told you. Momma and daddy told you every damned day of your life.Heck…”Her hands flew into the air before dropping to her sides as she took a step forward. "Auntie Gwen just told you. She even let you see what everybody thought of you from the moment you poked your little head into this world."
Placing her hands on either side of Ellie’s face before giving her a big sisterly kiss on the forehead, Celia stepped back and reassured, “You are the Heart of MacLeish. You are the one who will lead us all.” Placing one hand over Ellie’s heart and the other over her own, she went on, her voice carrying the power of her magic and the true love of a big sister, “Ellie Gwendolyn MacLeish, you are so much more formidable than you know. Allyouhave to do is believe. Believe in yourself. Believe in your magic. Hell, believe in all of us, because, Baby Sister, we all believe in you.”
Fighting back the tears, a lump as big as all of Texas suddenly lodged in her throat, Ellie swallowed hard as she let Celia’s words and her strength truly soak in. Nodding slowly at first but with more confidence with every passing second, Ellie squeezed her sister’s hand. “If you truly have that much faith in me, then who the heck am I to deny it.”
“Yeah,” Celia cheered, giving Ellie a quick kiss on the cheek before turning her pregnant belly to the side and bringing her in for a big hug.
Finally letting go, Celia stepped back, her cheeks rosy and her eyes shining, “I am so damned proud of you, Ellie. So, so proud.” Sniffing back her happy tears, she added with a solemn whisper, “And I know momma, daddy, granny, and granddad are, too. There is not a doubt in my mind that every hour of every day, they are lookin’ down on you and smilin’ from ear-to-ear.”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” Ellie nervously chuckled, feeling her cheeks get hot.
“Well, I do,” Celia confirmed, grabbing Ellie’s hands and shaking them for emphasis. “Iknowit with everything that I am.” Letting go of one of her little sister’s hands, she patted her belly. “And this little guy or girl does, too.”
Her blush getting hotter, her embarrassment reaching epic proportions, Ellie took a deep breath and pretended to be irritated, mimicking her granddad’s low, gruff grumble, “Alright, Celia Marie, that’senough of that mushy stuff. Ain’t ya’ got some chores to do. At the very least, sit your heiney down and get those feet up. That baby needs some rest to grow.”
Laughing out loud, the melodious titter sounding more like their mother’s every day, Celia giggled, “Oh my Lordy, you sound just like him.”
“Yeah, I practice my impressions on the cows.” Pretending to hold a cigar and wiggle it in her mouth, she added in her best Groucho Marx impersonation, “Just try me. I got a million of ‘em.”
Untangling her fingers and placing her hand on her younger sister's shoulder, Celia gently turned Ellie towards the mirror and pointed. “It’s time for you to go. Ang will be wondering where you are, and that is one Witch you do not want to keep waiting.”
Feeling better, but with the butterflies in her stomach still dancing the Texas Two-step, Ellie asked one more time, "Are you sure you'll be okay?"
Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Celia groaned in mock frustration as she lovingly shoved her sister towards the mirror, "I will be fine. I'm sure Barbara MacAllen, Owen, and the boys will be here so much that I’ll have to shoo them away to get any rest. And Michael will be home soon.” Opening her eyes wide and jutting out her chin, she emphasized in much the same way their granny used to do when she was really trying to make a point, “Now, get, before I kick ya’ in the shins.”
Both sisters giggling like they did when they were little girls, it was Ellie who recovered first and just enough to tease, “I might sound like granddad, but you are grandma made over.”
“Tell me somethin’ I don’t know.” One more kiss on the cheek and Celia took a step back. “Call me lots. Take loads of pictures. And have some damned fun, will ya’?”
“I will,” Ellie laughed. “And you better call me if my niece or nephew makes an early appearance.”
“You know I will,” Celia assured, waving goodbye.
“Love you, Sis.” Ellie blew a kiss then turned towards the mirror.
“I love you, too, Little One. So very much.”
It was those words that Ellie never left home without saying and waiting to hear in return. Never went to feed the chickens, never walked out the door to get the mail. Just never. It was the way their parents had raised them. It was the MacLeisch house rule. Never leave the ones you love without making sure they know it. Even if you're in a bad mood or mad as a wet hen. You tell the important people in your world how very much they mean to you. Never, ever take the time you have with them for granted.
Holding up her hand, Ellie swirled all four of her fingers on her right hand counterclockwise, knowing with all certainty that her sister was doing the same thing right behind her. Until her Awakening, she had to have help raising enough power for things like opening a portal.
The light, airy feeling of their combined white magic filled the room. Her reflection started to blur then spin. The addition of every color in the rainbow was gorgeous and let her know they were getting close to ‘blast off’ as her dad had always called it.
A small light appeared at the center of the twirling kaleidoscope, growing with every turn. When it was the size of a softball, Ellie took one last look over her shoulder, mouthing, “I love you,” to her sister for a final time.
Eyes front, she took a deep breath and stepped into the portal. Exhaling as soon as she heard the whoosh of the magical door closing behind her, the youngest MacLeish Witch let the ebb and flow of the vortex carry her across time and space to the Pacific Coast.
