Before the Full Moon
“Good morning, Halthena. Everything all right? You look like you've caught a bit of blue funk. Should I be concerned?” Mrs. Wolfaery asked Halthena.
“Yes, Mrs. Wolfaery, I'm okay. Just a bad dream about a bad memory,” Halthena responded wearily.
“You know, sometimes dreams can help us. Even if they are about the past, they can help us understand the future. Would you like me to help you?” Mrs. Wolfaery asked, concerned for Halthena.
“No thanks, not today. We have to find Tim and Tom. Beth is going to call them as soon as she gets up. If she doesn't get up soon, I'm going to have to go get her because I can't wait all day,” Halthena said, growing impatient with Beth.
“She is awake. She should be ready in a few minutes. She has a very distinct morning routine, and there is no deterring her. She even has it slightly adjusted for living on the rough side,” Mrs. Wolfaery politely informed Halthena.
“I understand. She will be doing this while we are hunting Arson?” Halthena asked, nervously twirling her hair.
“Yes. It is something she can control in a world she cannot—a world that will never understand what they put her through inadvertently,” Mrs. Wolfaery explained.
“Good morning, Mom. Halthena. Is Jer awake?” Beth asked as she danced and twirled into the dining area of the whitest-white kitchen.
“Not yet,” Halthena replied grudgingly.
Great. And this will be my mate, Halthena thought.
“You know, Jer is more powerful and can protect himself better than you think he can,” Mrs. Wolfaery responded to Halthena's thought. She could feel the tension coming off Halthena in a shivering-your-timbers kind of way.
“Wait! I did not say that out loud, Mrs. Wolfaery,” Halthena exclaimed, feeling somewhat violated.
“You will need to learn to guard your mind in a house of mixed mystics that can read minds, see the future, and move large objects,” Mrs. Wolfaery said, lightly scolding Halthena.
“How come I have not come across mixed mystics like you that have so many talents before?” Halthena inquired.
“We are a rare breed. Our family spent many generations making agreements with other mixed mystics. Those agreements were often bound with a marriage to their kind, which resulted in a mutt of sorts. The wedding is blessed with magic from faeries and witches alike. We were able to create something just as powerful, if not more powerful, because a family sticks together.
“In a way, we are the M.M.s—the Mixed Mystics' plan to help fight the evil that a weird supernatural sometimes chooses to become.
“You are the plan of the human world. Scientists and weird supernatural leaders got together and agreed. The world was searched for mixed mystics willing to sacrifice their livelihood for the good of the world. They gave the genes needed to create you.
“There were many times they failed, but in the end, they created you. Your training was left to the humans, and the mixed mystic leaders did not know that our family, witches, and faeries had created a plan of our own. That is why you were not trained to protect yourself from us,” Mrs. Wolfaery explained.
Beth left a message, beginning to worry about Tim and Tom just a little.
“Hey, Tim and Tom, this is Bethanie. Can you please call me as soon as possible? I've changed my mind. We could really use your help. Now, what do we do? They really wanted to help. I wonder why they didn't answer their phone.” Beth stroked her chin, stumped.
“They might have class. We should at least wait until after lunch,” Mrs. Wolfaery suggested.
“Thanks, Mom. What should we do while we wait?” Beth asked, feeling a little lost.
“Beth, would you like to do some training with me?” Halthena said, giving her a nudge toward a good idea.
“That sounds like a great idea, Halthena.” Beth agreed. Training would do everyone a bit of good.
“Beth, can you teach me how to block others from reading my mind?” Halthena implored.
“Yes, but it won't be easy, and it takes patience and time,” Beth cautioned Halthena. “The proficiency is called observatio aliquis ex capite tuo—or keeping someone out of your head.”
“First, you'll want to be able to recognize when someone is in your mind. Please think of something you want me to know,” Beth said, hoping Halthena would get it on the first try.
“Okay, Beth. Go ahead. Leap into my mind,” Halthena said, none too excited to have the seer seeing her thoughts.
“You are picturing puppies. Interesting. I thought it would be something else. Did you feel like you were not alone in your head?” Beth asked, chuckling inside.
“So that was the slight fogginess I felt earlier,” Halthena said, an aha spark appearing in her face and eyes.
“Yes. Second, there are different ways you can use to shield your mind. One, you can create a still surface, kind of like the still water of a river. Underneath it, you hide the thoughts you don't want anyone to know. Let's try this method,” Beth explained.
“I'm ready. Try to read my mind,” Halthena said, taking a deep breath.
“I'm seeing your fear. You are afraid you won't be able to catch Arson in time. Try again. Imagine a mesh or a distortion over the thoughts you don't want me to see or hear,” Beth suggested.
“Beth, is this really going to help?” Halthena asked, worrying Beth would see too much.
“Yes, Halthena. Our family learned at a very young age how to block people out. We all have psychic abilities, and it was very easy to accidentally read each other's minds. It will also help to keep Arson out,” Beth answered patiently.
“Okay, I'm seeing distortions.” Halthena gently clasped her hands with a smile on her face, satisfied that she had learned to keep Beth out of her mind.
“Good. I see them too. Could you teach me some defense moves?” Beth asked.
“Of course. Now we can really get some exercise. We are going to learn a dance fight. Since you love to dance, it should be easy to adapt to the moves. We are going to move slowly.
“First, we will learn the Ginga. We will squat and begin to move back and forth. Now we will kick our feet back to create a triangle, alternating which foot kicks back with the foot that steps to the side,” Halthena explained.
“Like this? Sidestep, sidestep, kick back, sidestep, sidestep, kick back?” Beth asked.
“Yes, you've got it. I knew you would be a natural.
“Next, we will do a forward push kick. You will take your stronger leg and kick it out, keeping your foot in the same position as if you were standing. You keep your leg level with your hips and push it out as if to push someone away,” Halthena demonstrated while talking Beth through the steps.
“This is fun,” Beth said, grinning.
“Remember to stay focused on your opponent. They will be looking for that one second that you are distracted to take you down,” Halthena said, wondering if distraction wouldn't be a problem for someone who could read minds and see the future.
“We should train daily so that when we meet Arson, we can be ready,” Beth suggested hopefully.
“I agree,” Halthena said, eager to have someone to help keep her reflexes strong.
“Hey, is your phone ringing?” Halthena asked Beth.
Beth's phone rang.
“Hello. Is this Tina's sister?” said a dark, sinister voice laced with greed and malicious intent.
It was Arson.
Beth's mouth dropped open in surprise. Her heart skipped a beat and began to race. Her mind repeated over and over:
What are we going to do?
“Where is she? What have you done to her? So help me, if you hurt one hair on my little sister's head—wait! How do you have Tim and Tom's phone?”
Beth was now overly concerned for the welfare of her sister and her new friends.
A vicious, vile laugh echoed across the phone waves. It didn't just chill her bones. It shook every sense in her body, wracking her core with the evil coming from this man. She could almost smell the stench of his rancid, rotten breath through the phone.
Cruel sarcasm laced his voice as he answered.
“I don't have their phone. This one is mine. If you wish to find them, you will do exactly as I say. You, your family, and Halthena will meet me in the cave near your mansion before the next full moon. You will alert no one else. You will bring your family crest jewelry.”
The phone clattered to the floor.
A blank stare came across Bethanie's face. Her knees gave out, and she slipped to the floor beside her phone.
This time, her vision was more vivid than ever before.
The strong, sour smell of garlic—fear—filled the air and burned their noses. All they could do was hold her still as her body twitched uncontrollably while she witnessed the terrible events to come if they could not stop him.
The fear smell grew steadily stronger before the vision released her mind and body.
After what seemed like hours, Bethanie's body stilled and her breathing relaxed. Yet she did not wake.
The smell of fear was replaced with the sweet smell of sunflowers—comfort.
Halthena became restless as Jer and their Mom held Beth.
“How long will this go on? We cannot wait forever. Arson does not wait to complete the cultus ritual,” Halthena said impatiently.
Beth's eyes opened.
There was a look of determination on her face that her family had never seen before.
“He has them. All of them. Tina, Tim, and Tom. We need to go quickly. He will not wait. He also wants our family crest jewelry,” Beth said skittishly.
“Why does he want the crest jewelry?” Mrs. Wolfaery asked.
“There must be something in the jewelry he needs to use to complete the ritual,” Halthena said.
“What did we do to him? Not only does he take our family member, now he wants one of the family crest jewels. Since when have we had more than one?” Beth asked.
“There is a jewel for everyone, plus some extras for if there are more in the family than when the faeries first made the deal with us. We don't know what to do with them. They are kept in the house vault,” Mrs. Wolfaery explained.
“Great. Now we will probably never know what they do. Can we please go now? We have no time to waste. We have to be there before the next full moon,” Beth said.
“Beth, do you even know what just happened? You were out on the floor and shaking uncontrollably for twenty minutes. You cannot come with me. What if that happens while we are in the middle of dealing with Arson?” Halthena asked, worried for her newfound friend.
“You can't leave me behind. He requested everyone, or he will hurt Tina, Tim, and Tom,” Beth said, almost hysterically.
“Bethanie, honey, he is going to do that anyway,” Mrs. Wolfaery said, trying to soothe her daughter.
“I know, Mom. We have to try and stop him anyway,” Beth responded, almost in tears.
“Arson is slick. My gut tells me that this cave near your house is not the final place of the ritual. This is a trick. We will still have to go and fight the part of the pack he leaves behind.
“Trust me when I say this: he will not leave all three of them alone together until he is ready to do the ritual,” Halthena said, trying to be helpful.
“Halthena, what do we do? You know him the best. How do we find where he plans to carry out his dastardly plan?” Beth asked Halthena, with a feeling of unease inside.
“We will have to do what he says until we can gain the upper hand. Are you ready to fight? Jer, those hidden talents of yours would be really helpful to know,” Halthena said, hoping for some insight.
“I'm sorry, Halthena. I really can't tell you. It's part of the rules of the treaty with the faeries,” Jer responded dutifully, wishing he could break the rules just this once.
“Then are you and your Mom prepared to fight?” Halthena asked hopefully.
“I really wish your father were here,” Mrs. Wolfaery said with a worried look on her face.
“Mom, Dad is not like us. How can he help?” Jer said as he and Beth looked at her quizzically.
“There is something I need to tell you before we leave. Rob is not your real Dad.
“Your real Dad is in prison. A prison that he escaped. Oddly enough, his body is still in prison. He has created his own world in his mind, where he uses abilities much like Tina's to bring people to him,” Mrs. Wolfaery explained, wishing she could have kept this secret hidden from her ever-growing babes.
“Is there a way for us to bring him here? I dreamt of him before we left for school,” Beth asked wonderingly.
“No, Beth. I'm afraid only Tina can help us. Don't worry, Beth. Just always remember: love will find a way,” Mrs. Wolfaery said, trying to inspire faith in the hearts of her children and Halthena that they would come out victorious because the power of love is infinite.
“How does love help us bring Dad home? He has been gone for as long as we can remember. How does love solve our problems? Someone stole our family member. Love will not bring them back. Love is an emotion, not an action. We need to do something active. If we hugged Arson, he would probably just sacrifice us faster,” Jer said.
“That is not the kind of love I mean, Jer. Think outside of the box. Better yet, think outside of this world. Feel the love in the world surrounding you. The energy that comes from it. Appreciate what the Creator has created for us to enjoy and use. That is where we will find success,” Mrs. Wolfaery said.
“I'm not sure exactly what you mean. You speak so passionately about it. I'm willing to give it a chance. Where there is a will, there is a way. We just have to find it,” Halthena said.
“I think I understand now. All of our power doesn't just come from proper breeding. It comes from the earth, water, air, and fire. It also comes from the being who created all things. Without his help, we cannot succeed. To receive his help, we must first appreciate what He has already given us,” Beth said.
