CHAPTER 5

Who was it? What was it? I was one of whom? These questions choked my mind. I was pacing my attic room going insane assuming the most threatening and absurd responses to them, worst yet I had somehow seen my death which meant those dreams might be as real as they felt. I needed answers like I needed oxygen to breath, but where was I going to start, I had zero clue of what the man was talking about.

'The necklace,' the thought pounded on my front doors, I could start there. I concocted a mental agenda amongst my other busy thoughts as I rode to the shop like it was the end of the world. 'Closed', I had never been more disappointed and angrier at the same time. I did not accept this and went banging on the door and all the windows of the shop. No response for half an hour sent me back home, where I sulkily sat on the front porch hoping a dove would swoop by and drop me a letter explaining everything. In times like this I missed her so much, she would know what to do even if it didn't make logical sense, tears pooled in my eyes and my breaths came with much difficulty.

"Are you okay?" I knew that voice too well and quickly wiped my eyes with the edge of my sweater. He walked up to the chair next to me and sat in silence. I couldn't even tell him how much I despised him because in that moment his presence felt comforting amongst all this madness. I didn't even know him but the emptiness in me craved a friend more than I knew. "Aila, I-," "I know you're sorry, this has nothing to do with you," he looked at me with those apologetic eyes once more, but they felt more sincere this time. "What's wrong? You can talk to me, I offered my help with things you need but I'm also your friend or frenemy, whichever you please," he said, causing us both to laugh. I stared out blankly as the chilly breeze blew through the front porch making the chimes whistle and the potted plants to sway.

"You wouldn't understand or more so believe me if I told you," he looked down at the wooden floors and slowly looked at me with an expression I felt he expected me to know but I was lost as a coin in the sofa. "I'm assuming she told you then," his words revived those overworked thoughts and I hoisted myself up and questioned, "Told me what?", the effect my words had was obvious by his guilty appearance and his quiet which made me all the madder. "Tell me what Emerson!" "I thought Rosalinda told you about the necklace and assumed that's what you meant I wouldn't understand."

Well, boy did his response make me want to rip his ears off, "get your ass inside," I spat at him in all my fury. There she was folding clothes as innocently as she possibly could when she saw me charging towards her. "Start talking now, both of you," I yelled at them with folded arms waiting to hear what unreal explanation I was about to get. And as calmly as ever she said, "I heard your conversation so I'm going to cut to the chase, Aila, you are not human, you belong to a world whose magic controls the balance of nature and survival of humanity." "WHAT!!! The hell are you talking about- not human-magic-other world, what does that even mean?" "Right darling, you should have a seat," she said with the most emotion I had ever heard her speak with.

"There is a place called Ciana, it's beyond the mortal plane and can only be accessed by persons who are of it. Ciana has heirs to the six most crucial elements to ensure mortal life continues, you my dear are an heir of the sun." This shocked me in a way I failed to process just yet, but what I was hearing somehow made me feel complete and the absence of my protest urged her to proceed. "Heirs continue through bloodline and they have unique powers which nourish their element, each heir has a keeper, whose responsibility is to guide and assist them using their extensive knowledge."

The bizarre information I was just told, like it was a normal Sunday morning conversation confused me more than a Math test without numbers. I took a large sip of water Emerson had brought me as I sat on the couch taking it all in. "And him, how does he know," "I'm your keeper," he said with a huge grin across his face which I immediately mocked, causing him to stop. 'My keeper' the words added to the stress pile I was dealing with. I angrily eyed them both. "Mhm, so please explain the necklace of it all," I sarcastically smiled and stated.

"The test for a worthy heir is taken on how quickly they come into contact with that necklace, your time so far my dear has been the fastest in the history of the sun." "So, Emerson, that day in the shop you knew I had it?" "No I did not Aila, each heir finds it in a different way," I started pacing again with all that I had to internalize, "Oh lovely, so you guys have a nice variety in this business." They both eyed each other helplessly about what to say, "And let me guess, the tarot reader is one of your buddies," "What tarot reader?" Both Rosalinda and Emerson said with shock and fear written all over their smug British faces.