Chapter 71

July 25, 2002

Coralis and Sebastian rang Lizzy's doorbell. Coralis didn't want Sebastian to come, fearing they wouldn't be able to shop in peace, but he insisted. She also thought that it wouldn't help the rumour about her and Sebastian being together, but she knew that neither Stephanie nor Frank cared about it.

An excited Audrey answered the door, and Sebastian activated a mute-ball when the door closed behind them.

"I don't typically fly when I go to the local elemental shopping mall: the area is too crowded with humans, which makes it hard to find a landing spot. I thought about using a portal, but considering it's your first time going there, and you haven't fully come into your power yet, I arranged for a safe transport to get us there, he should be here in a minute."

"Safe transport? What do you mean by it?" said Lizzy.

"The CMMA has a float of drivers for when they need to go to densely populated human areas. Let's say that we're well connected and that the CMMA felt like they had to apologize for missing the irregularities regarding Audrey's admission," said Sebastian.

"I would have called for a taxi, but I was in a meeting in Winnipeg when I received the letter from the school. One of the elders had heard about the situation because the Department of Family Affairs was still looking into her father, so he offered. I wasn't going to turn it down."

"They still haven't found anything about my ex?"

"He covered his track well. They think his family is involved with unregistered coven witches," said Coralis.

"That doesn't sound good," said Lizzy.

"It doesn't, but it just adds weight to CMMA's belief that Audrey shouldn't be with her father, that she is better off with you, with Blue as guardian, where she can properly learn our ways. In a way, it's good for you," said Sebastian.

"In 4 weeks, I'll pick up Audrey and take her to where the school wants the students to gather. However, because from an outsider's standpoint, you are a single mother sending your daughter to a boarding school, where she got a scholarship, it's better if there is somewhat of a paper trail of her itinerary. I suggest taking a plane from Dorval to Thunder Bay, and from there, I can fly her to their meeting place and you can tell people you had a friend picking her up at the airport, or something like that."

"Whatever you think it's best. How much do you think the flight will cost?"

"I have no idea, but don't worry about it, I'll cover it. I truly do not care about cost. If you agree to this game plan, just let me know if you want to come all the way to Thunder Bay, or just come with us to the airport."

"I do need a vacation. Let me see if I can take a few days off at work, and I'll let you know," said Lizzy as Coralis' pager went off.

"Our ride is here. Ready for the paparazzi experience?"

"Paparazzi experience?" said Audrey, looking at her with a hand on the door handle.

"The Northerners just won their third Silver Cup, remember? Today, you got me and Sebastian taking you shopping, bet we'll be stopped a few times."

"Either one of us alone with you might not have raised too much attention. Some people looking our way and wondering, sure, but the both of us together? There is no way we can be anonymous shoppers," said Sebastian, as they walked out of the apartment.

"Well, I was warned that I was going to make people jealous at school!" said Audrey running to the car parked in front of her apartment.

"Thank you for doing this for us. Anything you need, let me know, I'll do anything I can for you and Sebastian," said Lizzy, leaning on the doorway, as she watched her daughter shoving herself onto the backseat, Sebastian right behind her.

"That's no problem. I'll try to watch closely the situation with her father until she starts school, but to be honest… I do not have the greatest feelings about her school. I need to leave the past behind, but if anything funny happens while she's there… I'm going to push for her to transfer to a different one."

Coralis walked around the car, so that Audrey would sit between her and Sebastian, and climbed in.

"I was hoping I'd see you again," said Petaan.

"Oh hey Petaan! I didn't know you'd be the one picking us up. Did the CMMA give you the destination?"

"Yes Ma'am! Same place I took you and your cousin 12 years ago."

Coralis' face turned sombre.

"Yes, same place."

Sebastian looked at her. He had known her for many years, but he didn't know much about her past before The Northerners, besides rumours. He remembered her correcting Frank when he asked about a cousin, the day they found out about Audrey. He wanted to ask, but he figured that wasn't the time and place for that.

"Wait, is it Saint-Hubert Plaza?" said Audrey.

"Yes, we're basically going to a shopping center located underground, next to the metro line," said Coralis.

"The metro line passes next to it without realizing it. When you get in there, look at the ceiling and tell us if you feel like being underground," said Sebastian.

Petaan pulled at the same spot he did 12 years ago when he dropped off Coralis and Nadilla for their first steps into the elemental world.

"You remember the drill?"

"Yes, I do," said Coralis, looking at the door.

She opened the door and climbed out of the car, followed by Audrey. Sebastian got out from the other side.

"Thank you, Petaan," she said, "How do I let you know that it's time to pick us up?"

"Call High Mage Finnas an hour before you're done."

"You got High Mage Finnas signed up for a pick-up order, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he wants to get you to work at the CMMA," said Sebastian while Coralis explained to Audrey what to do by the door.

"We both know he does, but it's not about what I want."

As expected, they got stopped by fans a couple of times when shopping around with Audrey, and it took them 2 hours before they could walk out of the flying stick shop.

"Thankfully, your mother didn't give us a time by which we had to get you home," said Coralis.

"Sebastian was right, I still can't believe that we're in the city underground," said Audrey while looking at the seemingly endless-looking ceiling.

"There are a lot of things you still have to learn about this city," said Coralis as they entered the wand shop.

She let Sebastian and Audrey talk to the salesman while she called High Mage Finnas. When she walked back to them, Audrey was still looking at the wands.

"I'm not sure which one I want. He said I should choose between either this one or the one over there."

"Which one has the highest energy capacity?"

"They both have the same capacity, and both are compatible with her type of energy, so it's about which one Ms. Hudson likes best. Sebastian Larameer said you'd be the one to cover the cost?"

"Yes, I'm her elemental guardian."

"In that case, we can also make a custom one for Ms. Hudson, free of charge," said the salesman.

"Why would you do that?" said Coralis.

"My wife comes from an old elf family, and she got into Lord Meozo's radar. She wanted nothing to do with him, but he kept hunting her. One day, he told her that if she hadn't changed his mind when he'd get back in town in a week, he'd swallow her power, and if she's not in town when he gets back, he'd take mine too."

He paused his story, as his eyes got wet.

"Does she still have her powers?"

"Yes. Because you destroyed him before he came back."