FOUR

“Lily my dear, you have to be careful next time, so you do not hurt yourself just like you have now”, Edgar admonished lovingly. 

 

 

The little girl nodded, her dark locks bouncing up and down, little hands rose up to wipe at her tear stricken face. 

 

 

Lily’s mother pulled her close into a hug, “It is going to be okay my child I promise. Uncle Edgar will make you feel better very soon”, she crouched before her, holding her hands and peering with was unmistakably love in her eyes, “And of course your mother will always be here and would never leave your side” Lily smiled sweetly and although it was obvious she was in pain, she limped towards her mother covering up the space between them and hugged her. 

 

 

Cleopatra sat on a stone watching from afar. Her blue eyes was clouded in emotions as she watched the pair. Her long raven black hair cascaded down her back past her slim waist. She was petite, her eyes were as blue as the skies on a bright summer morning. Her lips were the reddest pair of strawberries. 

 

 

She had on a white and sky blue checkered gown, her long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She watched as Lily and her mother conversed, it brought back bittersweet memories of her and her mother, they had been an inseparable pair when she was alive. Her heart ached for her mother more than it had ever done in time past… 

 

 

“Cleo my child”, Edgar called out to her and he gestured for her to come over, “Come help me with a few things” 

 

She walked up to him and smiled reassuringly at Lily, “Do not worry child, grandfather Edgar would see to it that you feel better soon” 

 

 

Lily only smiled, it was a warm smile. 

 

 

“Pa?” 

 

 

“Oh yes Cleopatra, help me light the fire wood”, he instructed, “Pour two cups of water and put these leaves in it, just let it boil I will check it myself. 

 

 

She put the last piece of wood in the pile, she picked up a fire stones and proceeded to strike at it. 

 

 

A naughty smile played out on her face, her memory recollected the fire incident from when she was just five, “Just a little concentration Cleo, calm your nerves, let it all come back to you”, she whispered to herself, she struck the stones together and fire enveloped the wood immediately. It was a huge fire, she was left dumbfounded. She stared at her hands wondering what had happened. She knew it happened once but she had never thought herself capable of doing it all over again. 

 

 

“Cleo!”, Edgar shouted from behind her. 

 

 

She spun around startled, “Grand father, it is you” 

 

 

Edgar stared at her and looked at the fire in what was complete amazement. 

 

 

“That is a huge fire you have started Cleo”, he said dryly. “Yes…yes grandfather, I struck the stones…emm…a little too hard”, she said unconvincingly. 

 

 

“You will need a fuel to create that much flame Cleopatra” 

 

 

“Yes”, she nodded vigorously, “Yes I poured fuel over the woods”. 

 

 

“Cleopatra”, he called out to her. 

 

 

“Grandfather that is all that happened, I promise you” 

 

 

Edgar sniffed the air, “I might be old my child but I can still sniff out scents. There is not even the faintest trace of fuel around…” Cleo folded her arms, determined to stand on her ground, “You can not be so sure pa maybe this one time your sense of smell has failed…” 

 

 

“Cleopatra!” 

 

 

“Grandfather”, she called out pleadingly, “I do not know how any of this has happened, I merely thought about it, I…I entertained the thought but then…then there was some huge fire and you came and I was terrified”, she said in a rush. 

 

 

He opened his arms wide and she ran into his comforting embrace, “Cleopatra…” 

 

 

“What is happening to me pa?”, she didn’t know she was trembling, till he embraced her, tears escaped her eyes, “What is wrong with me?”, She asked in a frantic manner. 

 

“Nothing Cleopatra, I have always known you were special. I watched you grow into a very amazing woman. I always knew there was a part of you that was hidden still waiting to come out…” 

 

 

Cleo pulled away from his arms and looked at him, “What are you saying father?, I can’t possibly have magic, could I?. How is that possible?” 

 

 

“I agree that none of this makes any sense my child, not to you and not to me even but somehow we would make sense of it”, Edgar replied in an assuring tone. 

 

 

“Magic is rare father, a gift possessed by only a chosen few”, she whispered, “My parents were humans, I am human…at least I think I am”, she added after a while, “My father was a fisherman and my mother was a house wife, she stayed at home taking care of us. There was nothing magical about our lives pa. I have lived a very normal life all these years…” 

 

 

Edgar pondered on her words, “The gift of magic is usually handed down to generations, that is the only way the gift can be transferred and if your parents were truly humans like you claim…then we might just be dealing with more than we can handle” 

 

 

“I do not know any spells pa, I have not learnt them like you have”, she said in a panicky tone, “I did not murmur any spells, I did not move my hands. How would I have set the wood ablaze…” 

 

 

“There is only one place where magic was observed to have been wrought from through out history, in the mind”, he said, “It is an ancient magic practice, particular amongst only a few witches and wizards. It has long been extinct…” 

 

 

“No”, Cleo shook her head in denial, “None of this makes any sense, how is it possible?, What do I do now?, How do I hide this side of me?” 

 

 

“Too many questions Cleo, I can not keep track, we will talk about this some other time I promise you” 

 

 

“Grandfather, please don’t brush it off”, she begged, “I need all these answers now. 

 

 

“I have to be alive to be able to answer your never ending questions my child”, he replied. 

 

 

“You would not die grandfather”, she rebuked and took his palm in hers, “You are not dying anytime soon. You will be alive long enough to watch me grow older” 

 

 

Edgar smiled, “My spirit agrees but my mortal body is in disagreement. Let me rest my old weak bones my child. There is a lot you need to know about your new found powers. I will help you every step of the way”