Chapter 3
A Warm Welcome
I shook my head to clear the image and the sound. I could handle her, right? A mind speaker vs. a liquid controller. Not the best match in my opinion.
I felt something prickly comb through my hair and I jumped.
A sparkly eyed, strawberry-haired girl stood there. The grin on her face was fit to split all of London in two. I couldn’t help but grin back at her.
She reached her hand down to shake mine. “I’m Felicity.” She said.
I shook her hand, “I’m Valley.”
The sparkle in her eyes deepened, “Short for Valerie?”
My smile faded and I’m sure my eyes clouded. “No. I don’t ever want to be called Valerie again.”
Felicity frowned. The worst thing I’d seen all day. She looked horrible wearing a frown. I did my best to cheer up. “But I like Valley very much and I love your name! It’s so bright and cheery just like you!”
She brightened immediately. “Really?! I’ve always loved my name.” She stood for a moment as if lost in thought. After a few seconds she shook herself and took my elbow. “I’ve been instructed to help you and Khoria get settled.”
I smiled at her and willingly got up.
I was about to follow her and Khoria out of the room when I heard Lara clear her throat.
“Wait. Before you go,” She began, “Did either of you see the men that were chasing you?”
I shook my head and looked at Khoria. She shook her head as well.
“We’ve had problems with people chasing us as well.” She said.
A pretty girl with brown curly hair walked over to Lara and stood beside her.
Felicity leaned towards me, “That’s Winnie. She practically worships Lara. She does everything she says and she has a similar power.”
I nodded to tell her I’d heard.
Lara nodded to Winnie. The brunette climbed onto a chair squatting as if on the floor. She bent her head and covered it with her arms. Basically curled up in a ball she looked rather funny and I had to hold back a laugh. Then a bright flash engulfed her and when the light died away and my eyes adjusted to the darkness again, I saw only a pretty little songbird.
“A robin!” I exclaimed.
The bird chirped but instead of turning into a song it slowly formed into words until I could clearly understand it.
“Not a robin, my dear, a meadow lark.” The bird told me.
My eyes widened and I looked at Felicity.
“That’s Winnie’s power. She can turn into a meadow lark.”
I looked around to see Lara sitting down in the chair, not curled in a ball as Winnie had been but the same light engulfed her.
Disappearing once more this time the light revealed a magnificent hawk. The graceful animal spread it’s wings and shook them as if they were stiff.
Lara’s voice came clearly out of it’s beak, “We will search the area where you were chased. We will find the pursuers and we will identify them.”
The hawk nodded to Winnie, and they both took off into the wide space of the great hall.
Felicity then pointed to another girl, “That’s Carly. She’s the most experienced of us in using her powers. Watch”
I looked intently at the blonde-haired girl. She looked longingly up at the two fowls already circling beneath the high ceiling, and took off running. I expected the bright light but only a small flash that did barely anything to the darkness of the room and Carly was airborne. She took to the sky in the form of a goose. Her long graceful neck curved easily as she did a loop mid-air.
Lara, in her hawk form swooped towards and open window near the very top of the room and the other birds followed her.
I watched them until the last feather had disappeared into the night sky.
Felicity then gently tugged on my arm, “You’ll get used to them going off and disappearing like that.” She smiled her warming smile, “Come on, let’s get you guys settled in as part of the family.”
I smiled at her, and followed her through a doorway, and into a long hallway.
As we went down the hall, I thought, I’ve got a family!
