only had one rare gift. Of course, she must have known about the time traveling, but none of that mattered now.
“Your mommy and aunt Lynn love you. Having more gifts won’t make them go away,” I reassured myself, but I didn’t look convinced, so I changed the subject. It was better I not tell anyone about reading auras anyway. “What do you mean that Professor Michaels’ color is wrong?” I asked her, “I didn’t see anything wrong with his color.”
“You can see them, too?” she asked me, scooting a little bit closer, my small green eyes getting a little bit wider.
“Yes,” I schooled myself. This must be where I learned what they were called. “The colors are called auras, but very few witches can see them.”
“I wish I wasn’t a witch,” she said. I sighed. Keeping a three-year-old on topic proved to be difficult.
“I know, I wish the same thing,” I told her, “But sometimes you just have to deal with the hand you are dealt.” She looked at me quizzically, and I realized a card analogy probably didn’t make sense to a small child. “It means sometimes we can’t change things. We just have to keep moving forward.” She frowned at me and tightened her arms around her knees.
“So,” I started again, “What is wrong with Professor Michaels’ aura?”
“It looks normal most of the time, but it isn’t real,” she was whispering again.
“Not real?” I had never seen an aura that wasn’t real. This made less sense than time travel. “I really don’t see how someone can have an aura that isn’t real. I’ve never seen an aura like that, and I have been able to see them for a long time.” There. The matter was settled. Cameron was the bad guy, and Professor Michaels worked with my mother to protect Unknowns by taking their abilities. Okay, that didn’t make much sense either.
“Why don’t you think his aura is real?” I asked.
Little Jade frowned at me again. She looked like she wasn’t sure if I could be trusted. I rested my head on my knees and tried to look as trustworthy as possible. I closed my eyes, trying one last time to will this world away and return to Zach’s party. I could almost hear the thump of the music in the next room. Jade startled me back into my new reality when she began to talk again. She had come out from under the desk and knelt right next to me, whispering in my ear.
“I’ve seen his real color. It comes through from behind the fake one every once in a while, when he doesn ’t think anyone is around. It’s dark. Very dark. Darker than Cameron’s. Dark like the night with no moon and no stars and no lights,” she stayed hovering near my ear. Then she scooted across the room and sat in the armchair with the history book on her lap. I sat still. Her words sent a chill through my whole body. I remembered seeing that aura, that deep, depths of a coalmine black she described. I remembered seeing it on this night and never again. She was right. It wasn’t just Cameron who was a Shadow Ruler; it was his father, too.
I looked up. Jade was flipping through the pages of the book, no doubt examining the illustrations and charts. I didn’t learn to read until I started school. She came to the loose page, the contract, and held it up.
“What’s this?” she asked with genuine innocence.
With a deep breath, I stood up. I would have to help Cameron, but I had to do it my way. I couldn’t have Jade set the whole place on fire. I scanned the room. Books lined the walls like hundreds of sentinels guarding a fortress. Then there was the fireplace. She could burn the books there and not set the whole place up in flames.
“That,” I told her as I walked over to the chair and propped myself up on the arm next to her, “is something Cameron wants you to take care of.”
“Oh,” she exclaimed with that same awe in her voice. “What does he want me to do
“Your mommy and aunt Lynn love you. Having more gifts won’t make them go away,” I reassured myself, but I didn’t look convinced, so I changed the subject. It was better I not tell anyone about reading auras anyway. “What do you mean that Professor Michaels’ color is wrong?” I asked her, “I didn’t see anything wrong with his color.”
“You can see them, too?” she asked me, scooting a little bit closer, my small green eyes getting a little bit wider.
“Yes,” I schooled myself. This must be where I learned what they were called. “The colors are called auras, but very few witches can see them.”
“I wish I wasn’t a witch,” she said. I sighed. Keeping a three-year-old on topic proved to be difficult.
“I know, I wish the same thing,” I told her, “But sometimes you just have to deal with the hand you are dealt.” She looked at me quizzically, and I realized a card analogy probably didn’t make sense to a small child. “It means sometimes we can’t change things. We just have to keep moving forward.” She frowned at me and tightened her arms around her knees.
“So,” I started again, “What is wrong with Professor Michaels’ aura?”
“It looks normal most of the time, but it isn’t real,” she was whispering again.
“Not real?” I had never seen an aura that wasn’t real. This made less sense than time travel. “I really don’t see how someone can have an aura that isn’t real. I’ve never seen an aura like that, and I have been able to see them for a long time.” There. The matter was settled. Cameron was the bad guy, and Professor Michaels worked with my mother to protect Unknowns by taking their abilities. Okay, that didn’t make much sense either.
“Why don’t you think his aura is real?” I asked.
Little Jade frowned at me again. She looked like she wasn’t sure if I could be trusted. I rested my head on my knees and tried to look as trustworthy as possible. I closed my eyes, trying one last time to will this world away and return to Zach’s party. I could almost hear the thump of the music in the next room. Jade startled me back into my new reality when she began to talk again. She had come out from under the desk and knelt right next to me, whispering in my ear.
“I’ve seen his real color. It comes through from behind the fake one every once in a while, when he doesn ’t think anyone is around. It’s dark. Very dark. Darker than Cameron’s. Dark like the night with no moon and no stars and no lights,” she stayed hovering near my ear. Then she scooted across the room and sat in the armchair with the history book on her lap. I sat still. Her words sent a chill through my whole body. I remembered seeing that aura, that deep, depths of a coalmine black she described. I remembered seeing it on this night and never again. She was right. It wasn’t just Cameron who was a Shadow Ruler; it was his father, too.
I looked up. Jade was flipping through the pages of the book, no doubt examining the illustrations and charts. I didn’t learn to read until I started school. She came to the loose page, the contract, and held it up.
“What’s this?” she asked with genuine innocence.
With a deep breath, I stood up. I would have to help Cameron, but I had to do it my way. I couldn’t have Jade set the whole place on fire. I scanned the room. Books lined the walls like hundreds of sentinels guarding a fortress. Then there was the fireplace. She could burn the books there and not set the whole place up in flames.
“That,” I told her as I walked over to the chair and propped myself up on the arm next to her, “is something Cameron wants you to take care of.”
“Oh,” she exclaimed with that same awe in her voice. “What does he want me to do
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