noun ~ an act of asking for information

NOVA

The days since we discovered I can, as Charlie says, teleport, I have tried to do it again. When nothing but a nosebleed happened, Phoenix's jaw clenched shut and it never happened again. It scared him; I scared him. I understood why; it was scary stuff. Imagine falling into a dreamworld and waking up somewhere new?

Still, we were no further with the help we wanted to seek.

Charlie was adamant about straying far from witches, and Phoenix was still uncertain about Theia. I, however, was not sure if I wanted to disturb Gaia. She rather enjoyed her peace, or rather her sadness, and if I ever thought about disturbing her, it came with great guilt.

So tell me, why was I hiking toward her house right now?

Why was I putting both of us through this?

Why was I dragging a grumbling Sean behind me?

Phoenix believed us to be doing 'light' training, which we were. In a way... Hiking was training, so it still counted, as much as Sean grumbled otherwise.

"I thought you enjoyed going for long hikes."

"I enjoy going for long runs. There is a difference."

"Then why don't we run?" I wondered, confused.

"You are clumsy."

I gasped. "How rude Seanie Bear!"

He grumbled again at the nickname, but my lips curled into a grin of satisfaction. With a sharp 'race ya' sent his way, I bolted through the wilderness. My heart thumped loudly in my ears as the hike turned up the pace, glee escaping past my lips as Sean caught up beside me. He was still grimacing, but when I turned to shoot him a grin, his lips quirked. Despite his obvious enjoyment, he still rolled his eyes.

We made it to Gaia's house not ten minutes later, and I scooted to a stop at the premises. She had a barrier around her home, one to deter unwanted guests. Lucky for me, I was not one of those today. Glancing at Sean, it pleased me to see he wasn't one either.

"It's too hot for this shit." Sean grunted.

I laughed, agreeing. June was always warm here, I noticed, and the heat only grew worse as the weeks went by. For now, I could handle it, but I knew in a few weeks I would be complaining. I wish I had a werewolf's DNA sometimes; at least I can adapt to climates better.

"I wonder where she is..." I mumbled, looking around.

The front door was open, as were the windows, and there was a soft sound of music drifting from the cottage. Gaia has been busy in the garden; the front lawn was full of way too many flowers. They towered over the footpath, and I winced every time I stepped on one to get to the front door.

"Gaia?" I called, peeking my head inside the threshold.

There wasn't a sound from inside, but I immediately picked up on a curse from the back garden. I glanced at Sean, recognising that he heard it too. With a quick jerk of my head, I led him through the living quarters to the back door. There were fresh sugared biscuits on the counter to and I had to refrain from taking one.

"Ga-ia!" I sang.

"What do you want?" She huffed.

Spinning around, I spotted her kneeling beside a flower bed. She was pulling weeds, a pile of them on a small cloth. She also had a cushion beneath her knees, and her gardening gloves matched the flowery print of it.

Cute.

I grinned. "Nice to see you too!"

She scowled. "You sound like your brother."

I laughed. "Is that bad?"

"He is an annoying little smart shit." She nodded. "How is he?"

"He's fine." I shrugged. "Last I heard, he was in a southern city heading east."

Her head snapped toward me, eyebrows raising. "East?"

"Yep." I smiled. "That's the one."

She let out a breath, falling back onto her butt. Her hands landed on her lap as she gazed out of the trees in deep thought. I wondered what she was thinking about, her eyes wide, but her lips parted with a slight grimace.

"Is going east so bad?" I wondered.

"Clover is east."

"I know of Clover."

"You know of how heartbroken he was when Clover kicked him out?" She glanced at me.

"Clover... kicked him out?"

She nodded, pursing her lips. "They lived together for nearly a year. I think he loved them."

"Pollux said nothing to me about love. I knew he stayed there a while, though." I muttered. "Why did they kick him out?"

Her jaw tightened, and she looked out at the trees again. "I'm not sure it's my place to say, dear."

I frowned, understanding her want to keep it quiet. It was Pollux's past, Pollux's heartbreak. I didn't realise Clover meant that much to him; I thought they were just special in a puppy love kind of way.

Shakily rising to her feet, Gaia sighed. "It surprises me he wants to go back."

"How so?" I asked.

"I've never seen him so upset." She sighed. "Arleybay was once a place of fond memories, and then Clover ripped them apart."

I cocked my head. "If Clover kicked him out, surely it was also Pollux's fault?"

Her frown deepened at my logic.

"Look, Pollux is no saint. Whatever happened between them must've come from both sides. Why else would Clover kick-

"Pollux did nothing wrong!" She snapped. "He was just... himself."

It was my turn to frown when Gaia looked away, and I glanced at Sean. He shrugged at me, before staring back at the elder witch on her the ground.

"Okay..." I muttered.

Gaia exhaled loudly, her shoulders slumping. "Sorry."

I shrugged, despite not knowing if she saw it. Shaking her head, she tore off her gloves and gave me her full attention.

"What do you want?"

My nose crinkled. "How charming."

"Nova Hope Titan, don't get sassy on me now, girl." She warned.

I grinned, unable to hide the warmth that holding Phoenix's surname gave me. I wouldn't let them know it; they would tease me as much as they tease Phoenix about it.

"I'm not!" I laughed. "I just needed to talk to you."

"Is it about the borders?"

"You know of it?" Sean finally spoke.

Like, finally.

Thanks, Sean.

Took your time, buddy.

Gaia looked at him. "I have sensed the magic."

"And you thought to tell us nothing?" He growled.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "What Sean means is, why not speak to us about it?"

"It was not conniving magic, so I left it be."

"It made me teleport into another dimension." I deadpanned.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Another dimension?"

"Well... Yes, maybe, I am not sure. It was somewhere that was not on earth."

"Is that so?"

"Very so." I nodded, crossing my arms.

"Were their witnesses to this?"

"Charlie and Phoenix." I nodded. "Sean is aware, too."

"I see."

"Glad you can see, but can we have the reason to why you kept it secret?" Sean huffed.

Gaia frowned at him. "I did not sense a threat."

"We need to know whose magic it is."

"Why?"

"Because... we... the magic hides a wolf." I sighed. "And I know the wolf."

"You do?" She wondered. "Who is it?"

"A wolf that was involved with Donovan. He was one of the few who were not unkind to me." I explained. "His name is Kasper. I have had visions of him since, but Donovan suspected something. I don't know how, I still don't understand it all completely..."

Gaia winced at the sound of her son, but cleared her throat to hide it. "When you teleported, where did you go? What did you touch to trigger it?"

"Just the tree." I shrugged. "And I went back to Donovan's meeting room, where he first humiliated me in front of them all."

"All?"

"Most were not there, only three were left behind."

"And the wolf was one of these?"

"Yes." I nodded. "He told Donovan he had to treat me better, and it sounded like he was warning him he would still take my side as a wolf."

Gaia frowned, but a soft hum rose in her throat. "And that's it?"

"Of that. Yes."

"What else?"

"What more is there?" Sean grunted.

"More information is always favourable." Gaia quirked an eyebrow. "Where was Phoenix?"

"Panicking." I shrugged. "I disappeared."

"True, true." She laughed softly.

"When he went to search for me... he... Theia visited him."

"In his mind?"

"In person."

"Oh."

"Yeah." I muttered. "They had a conversation."

"About you?"

"Yes."

"What about you?"

"Geez, let her just explain." Sean huffed.

"Sean, do you need to go back to bed?" I taunted his brash attitude.

He grimaced at me, but stuck his tongue out for extra effect. Damn, Charlie really was rubbing off on all of us. His personality seemed infectious.

"Theia told him where I was so he wouldn't go on a rampage looking for me."

"That was kind of her." Gaia chirped. "She's not so bad considering... everything."

"Exactly what I have been trying to say." I gave Sean a look. "Phoenix does not trust her."

"I do not blame him. Us witches do not reveal the truth."

"So, why should we trust you? After your mother and both you children-

"Sean!" I scolded. "Don't."

Gaia was glaring at him, her arms crossed. "What? What about it? You can raise your children however you desire, try to manipulate them in any way possible, but in the end, they will always choose their own paths. You can force them to walk down one, force their shoulders to bend to your way, but they will always end up wandering when you are not looking."

Sean was tense, but his jaw flexed as he chewed down his words. I sighed, stepping in to disrupt the tension.

"Look, at the end of it all, my powers are changing and I cannot get them back." I muttered. "There is a witch aiding a wolf by teasing our border, and only I know the scent. Why is he working with a witch and who is the witch? Why did Theia, of all people, know about the words Phoenix was told as a teenager after his parents died?"

"What words?"

"A witch gave him a ring and told him it would protect him as long as he had hope." I explained. "Theia said the same thing to him."

"Very specific words." Her eyes seemed to brighten. "Sure you've never heard them before, either?"

I grimaced, wondering what she was talking about. "About having hope?"

"Yes."

"Like Nova Hope?"

"No, think more, dear. Perhaps you just need to do some light reading." Gaia suggested, before bustling around us to go inside.

I stood, confused and dumbfounded as she moved on from her little tiff with Sean so easily.

What did she even mean? The words were not that specific... And she didn't mean they related to me, so what else did she mean? Light reading?

My eyebrows furrowed, a light headache erupting across my temple. I huffed, rubbing at the ache before turning to Sean.

"I think I want to go back now."

He frowned. "We came all this way. Are you sure?"

"Gaia will not give us anything but dead ends. She's big on fate."

"Yet she is the one who cursed you."

"Yet she worked in your kitchen for years." I quirked an eyebrow.

He scowled. "Under cover and only to monitor you and Phoenix."

"Did she harm anyone during that time?"

"Who knows? Her mother was a bitch, her daughter was a-

"Don't go there." I growled a warning. "Sometimes we lose our path and chose the closest one, hoping to get back on track."

Sean nodded, mutely. I sighed, turning back to face in front of me. My eyes fell to the spot Gaia was gardening, and to my surprise, I found myself intrigued by an odd pattern. Because there in the mud and leaves was a... kind of outline. I cocked my head, stepping closer to get a better look. Cel bristled beneath my skin, the odd pictures capturing her attention.

Gaia had someone, without us realising, had arranged the dark green leaves into that of what appeared to be a book. And written in the mud were the simple words;

Apertum.

'Open.' Cel breathed. 'I've heard that before.'

Me too. I mumbled.

It only meant one thing.

Gaia was quiet because she does not like to intervene with fate, but it doesn't mean that things cannot be hinted at. Green leaves, books, Latin words.

It only meant one thing.

My light reading was going to turn intense.