章節 2: Chapter 2
His parents had passed away when he was only ten years old. Fortunately, Grandma Rose, his maternal grandmother, had been willing to take him in. Otherwise he would have ended up in the foster care system.
“How rude!”
“Grams!” he yelled out happily before pulling the petite old lady into his arms and twirling her around like a sack of flour.
Their combined laughter filled up the silence in the house for the next few moments. Grandma Rose and he were very close. There were no other relatives. They could only depend on each other. He was terrified of losing the only family member he had left and he was certain that she knew it, too, judging by the intense conversations she initiated once in a while.
“Why are you home, Dylan? Did anything happen?”
He embraced his grandmother tightly and breathed in the familiar scent of rosemary and sandalwood. He remained in that position for a while longer before responding to her question.
“Yes, Grandma. Can we sit down and talk?”
The old woman eyed him seriously for several seconds before nodding her head.
“Let me make us some chamomile tea. Can you grab the biscuits, please? They are in the pantry.”
“Vanilla and orange biscuits?”
“Yes. They are your favorites, aren’t they?”
He chuckled along with his grandmother before rummaging through the pantry for the biscuits. He made a mental note to learn how to bake those biscuits. After all, Grandma Rose was getting on in years and she might not live for much longer. The thought made his heart clench painfully and he inhaled deeply a few times to calm down. Once they were seated in the dining area, he looked at his sole relative solemnly.
“Grams, something weird happened earlier. I…I don’t know how to explain it to you.”
“Go on, Dylan. I’m listening.”
“I was talking to Scott via Skype as usual when a figure appeared behind him. I thought that it was either Chris or Alicia, but Scott was insistent that there was nobody else in the room.”
He half-expected the old lady to chide him for letting his imagination run wild. Instead, she had nodded at him before gripping both of his hands tightly.
“Dylan, listen to me.”
He noted at the grimness on her face and his heart thumped harder and faster. That sounded ominous.
“What is it? You’re scaring me.”
“Your parents…didn’t die in a car accident.”
“Huh? What…what are you trying to say? How did they die, then?”
He waited impatiently for her to breathe in deeply and gather her thoughts.
“Do you believe in the supernatural?”
“What? Grams…” He stopped and touched her forehead to make sure that she was not feverish, but she swatted his hand away and stared at him with a serious expression on her face.
“Your mother was a fire witch. Your parents died in a magical battle during one of their assignments. As witches, we are supposed to keep the balance in the supernatural world.”
His eyes widened in disbelief before he cracked and laughed hysterically.
“Grams, I think living alone is a bad idea. Maybe I should consider one of those old folks’ homes for you to stay in while I’m away at college. You have gone senile or insane. Maybe both. Maybe I should—”
“Dylan!”
His grandmother’s stern tone halted his rambling.
“Yes?” he answered hesitantly.
“I know that it’s hard to believe, but let me explain everything to you. Eat a biscuit. Or two.”
He obliged by cramming two biscuits in his mouth and chewing noisily. He missed his grandmother’s food, especially these biscuits. He washed them down with several gulps of chamomile tea.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“There have always been supernatural beings living in every country all over the world. They—”
“You mean like vampires, werewolves, fairies…?”
“Yes, Dylan. Now let me finish,” she admonished him with a mixture of exasperation and fondness.
He winced apologetically and gestured for her to continue with her explanation.
“Sorry, Grams.”
“Anyway, they…the supernaturals, I mean, generally keep to themselves. The Thorntons, that’s my maiden last name, come from a very ancient and magical bloodline.”
“So, you’re what? A witch?”
“Yes.”
“A fire witch like Mom?”
The old woman shook her head.
“Every Thornton manifests their magic differently.”
He digested the information and gazed into her eyes for a few heartbeats before questioning her further.
“Alright. So, what exactly are you?”
“My power lies in herbs and potions. I can make plants grow even in the winter.”
“Oh! Now I understand why our garden has never died even in the coldest weather.”
“Yes, exactly.”
He nodded and stuffed another biscuit in his mouth. He almost choked on it when he thought of something.
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