Rose gestures for the crowd to take their seats. “I hope you all get a chance to meet Katrina today. Until then, sit back, take in the story, and then we’ll leave time for discussion.”
My eyes latch on to two familiar faces in the seats, and it’s like someone has just kicked me in the gut and stolen all the air from my body. My Enchanting was a chaotic day, but I remember the faces from the crowd well.
My mouth falls open, and Charlotte turns toward me in response. “Kat, what is it?” Her eyes flicker from me to the crowd then back to my stunned face.
I stare at her, wondering how long she’s known. “Alec’s parents are here,” I whisper as the blood slowly drains from my face. “They’re Enchanters too?”
Charlotte hears me and relaxes visibly. “We just found out. I didn’t even think to warn you.” She’s whispering, but I know now is not the right time to discuss this. “They’re Solstice descendants, like us. They were hesitant to come forward to Rose since they’ve never lived in a community like this, but they finally did after what happened at their party.”
My heart thrums in my chest as I search the crowd again. “Where’s Alec then? Shouldn’t he be here?”
Charlotte shakes her head. “No, Kat. He’s not one of us.”
I remember what Trisha said about his birthday being tomorrow. “So, he’ll start coming after he turns eighteen?”
Charlotte frowns and shakes her head again. “No. I’m afraid he won’t.”
“What? How is that possible? He’s their son.”
“Of course he is, but Alec was adopted by the Stones when he was a baby. His bloodline isn’t what theirs is. And if he didn’t tell you that news himself, then I expect you to remain quiet about it until he does.”
We face forward again, my stomach completely in knots. I’m not the only one keeping secrets from Alec, but I don’t have time to dwell on it now. I release a deep breath and tune in to what Rose is saying.
“It’s a trying time in Solstice history,” Rose begins. “A time that reminds me all too well of how it was almost two decades ago. For those of you who aren’t aware, I’ll tell you the story now. More information that we all have will only make us stronger. This, I’ve learned from our newest Enchanter, my granddaughter.”
My entire body sinks with a hint of embarrassment at being called out. My cheeks grow warm, but something else bubbles inside me too—delight. Maybe Rose does listen to me.
“Nineteen years ago, our community was bustling, healthy, and flourishing among the Normals, much like it is today. It was the first time in history that the Solstice community could successfully report inhabiting land in a community with greater Normal ratios than Enchanters and Followers combined. Over time, our numbers may have changed, but we’ve succeeded in keeping our secret from the outside world.”
Rose looks around the room, and while no one else in the audience will notice, I’m well aware of the slow breath she’s taking in, like she’s preparing for something big. “My late husband, George, was working for the energy plant when he started to get reports of toxins from unidentifiable pollutant coming from the bay. The energy plant was blamed for the pollution, but we knew better. After some investigation, it was discovered that someone was purposefully dumping dark magic into our water. Sea inhabitants were dying rapidly, but that’s not all. Mysterious deaths began to occur within our community. Tragic, awful deaths of Elders. Then there was vandalism and arson. The Equinox had invaded our land and left their mark after nearly every destruction.”
The room goes dark, and there’s a flicker of bright white light in the back of the room. The light thins out in my direction, and I turn to see where it leads. I hadn’t noticed the large projection screen before, but now I see the image illuminating the screen. It’s just a white background with a black infinity symbol, except when I focus in on the details of the infinity, I see a much more disturbing picture.
The air around me runs cold, and the whispering begins. I grip the fabric of my dress, unable to pull my eyes away from the image. The texture of the infinity is formed by gold-rimmed scales of a snake. On one end of the infinity is a head with beady, evil eyes. The snake’s mouth is wide open as it swallows its own tail. I look away, but it’s too late—the image is already seared into my mind.
“The symbol of the serpent represents the dual meaning of good and evil. Every god and goddess is given great power with good intention. Human nature, however, strikes us all. Even as deities, we carry jealousy, anger, and hate. We are far from perfect, but it’s up to us how we choose to express those emotions and how we choose to use the magic that’s been graciously passed down to us.”
Rose frowns. “After Erebus killed the original primordial Equinox gods and instilled fear in their descendants, most chose to lean toward the poison from the serpent. So, while their nature is pure and kind and good, fear and loyalty to their new leader got the better of them, leading them to commit evil acts. You see, just as our ancestors passed down their powers of Enchantment to us, the Equinox did the same. However, Astina saw the evil Erebus was inflicting and stripped the Equinox of their magic.”
Rose backs away from the podium for a second, like it’s all too much for her. She looks around the room as whispered chatter turns to loud conversation. She gives them a moment, but when she steps back to the podium, all conversation stops.
“Nineteen years ago, we were blinded by those we loved and trusted, because it’s not our natural instinct to be suspicious or expect danger. As it turns out, Astina stripping the Equinox of their magic backfired in some ways. The Equinox are able to walk among us like Normals. They blend in well with Solstice communities. And then they attack, killing off members of our Enchanted community like animals in the wild, all in an attempt to thin out our population—all for power and revenge.”
“What happened nineteen years ago?” The question booms from someone in the audience.
Rose squeezes her eyes shut before continuing. “Back then, we held elaborate events on the island, events that would draw in large numbers. At that point, Erebus was a story from our past. We were not expecting him to hit us where it really hurt, but war broke out on the evening of the Grand Ball. We were like soldiers, fighting to protect our entire community of Enchanters, Followers, and Normals. There were more of them than we realized. We defeated them, but it was too close, and we lost too many.”
As I listen to her words, my heart beats too fast, effected by too much oxygen racing around my body. There is so much to be terrified of in this moment, yet my grandparents have always looked out for this town. They didn’t give up on the Solstice community when it was threatened. They kept fighting. Now it’s almost as if history is repeating itself.
I grip Charlotte’s hand. She seems to understand, because she squeezes mine firmly.
“After that horrific event, George was adamant that there was a way to utilize Solstice regenerating energy to protect our sacred communities. In his first attempt, he worked with fellow Enchanters to produce a protection for the island from invasion. When that worked, he began to protect individual homes. So, while our Equinox enemies may walk among us, Erebus’s magic is banned from many of the Apollo Beach common areas. While it was a groundbreaking development of the times, we are still working on expanding that protection to the rest of Apollo Beach. We will not let that destruction occur again.”