The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven (95 page)

             
“Is that anyway to greet your mother?” my mom said, standing up. “Ella, what happened to your eye?” she gasped, noticing the bruise right away.

             
“Small accident in training. No big deal,” I said, brushing it off. I looked at both my parents. “Is everything okay?” I asked worried.

             
              “Of course, why would you think something was wrong?”

             
“Because you’re here,” I said. “Why are you here?” I asked suspiciously.

             
“Can’t we come visit our daughter without there being a reason for alarm?” my dad said, kissing me on the cheek.

             
“With you, no,” I said, eyeing him.

             
He gave me his,
‘I’m not in the mood for your smartass mouth’
look and turned back to Mr. Callahan. “I appreciate you filling us in. We will be spending a few hours here before we retire to our hotel.”

             
“We do have some extra rooms available in the guest housing if you would like to stay here. The nearest hotel is an hour and a half away,” Aidan said, making me wish I had something to throw at him.

             
“I guess that would be better than traveling back and forth,” my mom said.

             
“Alright then. We’ll stay here. Thank you Aidan. Your kindness is greatly appreciated.”

             
“I can have Gabe show you to one of the empty rooms. It’s not the Ritz, but at least it’s close,” Aidan smiled.

             
“I’m sure it will be fine,” my mom said, flashing her million dollar smile.

             
Aidan picked up the phone to call Gabe and I turned on my parents. “Okay, for real, why are you here? And don’t say it’s because you just wanted to see me, because if that were true Dean would be here too.”

             
“We will discuss the why at another time and as for Dean, he will be meeting us later,” my dad said.

             
“Does Dean know you guys are here?” They didn’t have to say anything. I already knew the answer. “What the hell?”

             
“Watch your mouth,” my father warned. I stifled an eye roll.

             
“Gabe will be down in a moment,” Aidan said, hanging up the phone. I wish I hadn’t had Ms. Kraft renew that spell to block thoughts again. That way I could figure out what was really going on. We had tried to see if I could handle it when it faded the first time, but by my second class I wanted to rip my hair out. So I had asked her to redo the spell. This was one power that was going to take me a while to adjust to.

Chapter twenty-two

After Gabe showed my parents to their room, my mom asked me to introduce her to my teachers while Gabe and my dad talked. I convinced her to let me take her on a tour of the school instead. After the tour I showed her my room. She looked around at everything, judging. I knew she wouldn’t out right admit it but I knew she was analyzing the way I had things set up. She was always very particular about where things should go, which is why I made sure to make everything a little more chaotic. “So, what’s your roommate like?” she asked. I knew she was trying hard not to move things around.

             
“Hmm…my roommate…yeah…she’s kind of this evil bitch that for some reason has her mind set on destroying me,” I smiled. My mom looked at me like I was exaggerating. That was until I let her know it wasn’t a joke.

             
“Did you say something to the headmaster? He seems like a reasonable man. I don’t see how this problem couldn’t be dealt with rationally.”

             
I could not tell my mom that Aidan was part of her evil plan. “It’s not that big of a deal. She moved out of my room about a month ago and since then things have been fine,” I said, hoping she couldn’t tell I was lying.

             
She sat down on the bed next to me. “Ella, I know you’re hiding something. You can tell me. Whatever it is? I know you think because I’m your mother there are some things you may feel uncomfortable telling me, but I don’t want you to feel like that.”

             
“I know,” I sighed.

             
“Have I ever done anything that would make you think you couldn’t tell me something? Regardless of what it was?”

             
I looked at my mom. She was right. She never judged me for all the mistakes I made or for anything I did. She always just listened and gave me the best advice a mom could give. I didn’t know if it was because I was holding everything in for so long or I was actually happy to have my mom to talk to, but the second I opened my mouth everything came flying out.

             
“Okay, so, Mackenzie, my roommate, put a lust spell on me and Mr. Callahan resulting in us not being able to keep our hands off each other and the only way the spell would break was if we slept together. But the spell backfired because apparently my powers are ridiculously strong and I’m hard to bewitch. Then she knocked me out, tied me to a chair, and demanded I make my friend, Sienna, join her coven or she would tell the whole school about me and Mr. Callahan. I refused and she was going to leave me there until I managed to keep the door closed and knock her unconscious making her friends untie me so I could heal her. I still have nightmares, but new ones all the time. I have developed several more powers since I’ve been here which one resulted in me glowing and I think I’m falling in love with a boy.” I stopped there, shocked at my own admission. That last confession came out of nowhere, making me just as surprised as she was.

             
“Anything else?” she asked nervously. I shook my head no. Her face was expressionless and I started to get nervous. She stood up and started to pace the room. Her mouth would open and then close. She seemed to be at a loss for words. “This Mackenzie girl, she was your roommate?” I nodded. “Where is she now?” I shrugged. She stopped and her face turned bright red. I’ve never seen my mom this upset. “We’re going to find this…this…bitch. Nobody hurts my little baby and gets away with it.”

             
“Whoa…down girl,” I said, stopping her before she charged out of the room. “Mackenzie will be dealt with, but on my terms. This is my problem and I can deal with it.” She hesitated. “Mom, really. No sense in you getting involved. I’m an adult now and can handle my own problems.”

             
She sunk down on the bed, giving in. I saw a sense of calm come over her as I sat down next to her. She smiled and gently caressed my cheek. “When did you get so grown up?”

             
“Mom…” I said rolling my eyes.

             
“Okay, how about we talk about these other things that are bothering you? But first, this guy you’re falling in love with. It isn’t Mr. Callahan, is it? And when you say you had to have sex with him to break the spell…” she swallowed. “But it didn’t work?” She scrunched her face afraid of my answer.

             
“No, it’s not Mr. Callahan. Mr. Callahan…” I paused. “Why yes we did…mess around, the spell was broken before anything went too far.”

             
She let out a sigh of relief. “How was the spell broken then? Most spells must follow through unless the witch herself who casts it breaks it.”

             
“Somehow I managed to see through it. I knew something was off because I only felt so strongly pulled to him when we were around each other. I ran into Mackenzie and she confessed about the spell to gloat and I made her break it.”

             
“And she just let it go? Just like that?” my mom asked, not convinced it was that easy.

             
“Well, no. Aidan, I mean Mr. Callahan, heard us fighting and when he discovered what was going on he made her break it,” I lied. No need for her to worry or get more upset.

             
“Okay, so let’s go back to the whole part about her kidnapping you,” she said, her temper rising again.

             
“Mom, I thought you were going to let that go?” I sighed, not wanting to rehash that memory.

             
“You’re right. You’re right,” she let out a breath. “Okay, so let’s talk about these new powers and you said you glowed?”

             
I told her all about the new powers we learned I had developed and I even took my hair down to show her my new blue streak. I told her how we weren’t sure about the glowing thing yet, but we were working on it. She smiled proudly at me and untangled my hair, pulling it forward. “I don’t know why you don’t wear your hair down. You should be proud of your blue streaks. It shows just how special you are and that you are destined for greatness.”

             
“Thanks mom. Even though I think you’re just saying that because you’re my mom.”

             
She hit me playfully on the arm and I laughed, laying my head on her shoulder. “You want to tell me about these nightmares you are having?”

             
I lifted my head and picked at my thumbs. She placed her hand over mine and I could feel her calming me.

             
I told her everything.

             
All the nightmares I had, including the latest one that had me running out of class. I even told her about how I’ve been seeing and hearing Kyle and Josie. I then told her about my classes and the extra training sessions I was taking with Gabe and how Ms. Kraft was going to spend some extra time with me to help me out.

             
“It sounds like you have some really good teachers here.”

             
“I do,” I smiled.

             
“So, you want to tell me more about this boy?” she smiled. “I saw some flyers about a dance next weekend. Did he ask you? Are you going?”

             
“He didn’t so much ask me…so I don’t really know. “ She looked at me confused and I explained to her what happened.

             
“Do you think he just said that to make her jealous?” I nodded. “Regardless, any boy would be lucky to take you.”

             
“Okay, now I know you’re just saying that because you’re my mom.”

             
She laughed and hugged me tight. “Oh Ella, when are you going to learn how beautiful and unique you are?”

             
“I love you mom.”

             
“I love you too honey. How about we go find your brother?”

             
I knew Dean was most likely hiding in his room. I took my mom downstairs to surprise him. We knocked, but he didn’t answer. She was going to announce herself, but I told her not to. Better to surprise him and boy, did we ever. I opened the door and found him entertaining one of his many ‘ladies’. “Christ Ella! Knock much?” he yelled.

             
“We did, but you didn’t answer,” I said, trying to keep the smile off of my face.

             
“I didn’t answer for a reason. As you can see I’m busy. Now leave!”

             
My mom took her cue and walked in clearing her throat. The look on Dean’s face was priceless. I wish I had a camera. “Hello Dean,” she said.

             
“Hi mom,” he managed to choke out. The girl on his bed quickly made her exit. I only noticed who it was when she passed me.

             
“Madison?” I glared at him.

             
“What? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” he smiled.

             
“That’s not exactly what you were doing,” I sneered.

             
“We were studying.”

             
“Let me guess, anatomy?”

             
“Enough you two,” my mom said, looking back and forth between the both of us. “Dean, I have been standing here for five minutes,” she scolded.

             
“Sorry mom,” he said, getting up and giving her a hug and kiss.

             
“I trust you two are getting along?” she asked.

             
“We were until he starting sleeping with the enemy!”

             
“I wasn’t –” 

             
My mom stopped him. “I know I’ve asked you kids to be open and honest with me and to feel comfortable to tell me whatever, but can we please keep it PG?” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Ella, what is so funny?” she asked.

             
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “Let’s go find dad.”

Dean and I spent the next two hours in our parent’s room catching up on things. My mom told me to leave out all the stuff about Mackenzie and the nightmares. She said some things are better left unsaid. Basically let’s just not tell your father. I did tell him about all my new powers and he wanted me to test every single one out on him. I explained to him I was still learning how to control them and figure out how to use them. He let me off the hook for tonight, but told me after talking with Gabe he was so proud of how well I was doing and wanted to see me in action. He said he set something up for tomorrow.

             
We still hadn’t discussed why they were here in the first place, but it was late and I was getting tired. I said goodnight and headed back to my room to change into my pajamas. As soon as I turned off the lights and got under the covers there was a knock on my door. I grumbled and got out of bed to answer it. It was Cameron. She threw her arms around me. “Oh thank god, I thought they found out it was you and sent you away,” she said, holding me so tight I couldn’t breathe.

             
“Okay Cameron, you can let go now,” I said, gasping.

             
“Oh, sorry,” she said, walking past me, and plopping down on the bed. “Were you sleeping?”

             
“Not yet,” I sighed, so desperate to be sleeping. I sat next to her on the bed. “What’s up?”

             
She gave me the once over. “That’s what you sleep in?”

             
I stood up, annoyed. “Seriously? What the hell is wrong with flannel pajamas?”

             
“Nothing, if we were living in the 1950’s,” she quipped.

             
I rolled my eyes. “Sorry I don’t look like I stepped out of a Victoria Secret catalog and just so you know these are very comfortable.”

             
“Alright, chillax,” she said, putting her hands up in surrender. “What happened? Why’d they call you into the office?”

             
“My parents are here. They came for a
‘visit’
,” I said, using air quotes.

             
She nodded, understanding. “Well, get changed because we’re all meeting in the social room to come up with a plan to take down Mackenzie. But first, you and I are going to have a little chat,” she said, pulling me back down on the bed. I rolled my eyes. I was so not in the mood for this. “I know for a fact there’s something going on between you and Roman and before you try to deny it, he already told me.”

             
“What exactly did he tell you?” I asked, having a feeling she was lying and using this as a trick to get me to confess.

             
“You know exactly what he told me,” she said, challenging me.

             
I looked her square in the eye and said, “Nothing,” I smiled. “He told you nothing.”