24 Where is my sister?

Mira focused on her hands before her and repeated the words her sister had said a moment ago. Try as she might she could not get a rose to appear. Her eyebrows scrunched as she repeated the words and tried to visualize a beautiful white flower but to no avail. The little boy watching burst out laughing against the tree he was sitting under. This snapped Mira out of her concentration.

"Eli!" Tisaine snapped at the boy.

"You look, like, like you hafta poop!" The boy laughed out. Tisaine glared at him while Mira smiled. She thought of how silly she must look. She would have laughed too but she really wanted to learn how to perform magic. The boy was still laughing when Tisaine started to mumble something under her breathe. The boys eyes popped open and he jumped up and started to run toward the house.

"I'll, I'll tell on you!" The boy yelled as he ran away.

Mira looked at her sister confused.

"He was being a brat one day so I turned him into a puppy, now mom won't ask me to watch him and if I mumble something under my breathe he runs away." Tisaine answered her sisters unspoken question and both girls began to giggle. The girls spent the day outside practicing Mira's magic not making much headway. Mira's biggest accomplishment was getting the robes she borrowed from her mom to swirl a little as she concentrated on her hands.

The sisters entered the house early evening because of the delicious smells escaping outside. Mira had been eating with all of her family members for the last three days. Everyday after dinner they would sit in chairs around the fire place. For the most part everything was kept light hearted. The conversation would usually consist of laughing at stories of Mira's siblings shenanigans while growing up. Tonight as everyone gathered around the fire the air itself felt tense. There were questions on both sides. Most likely with painful answers. Everyone sat for a few moments in silence until Tisaine began.

"So Mira we had some things we wanted to share with you, and of course everyone has questions." Mira just waited sitting tensely for the unknown." The oldest brother Ren junior handed her a bound book. She opened it and up and was extremely surprised to see a drawing of herself at probably 7 years old. It wasn't the most advanced drawing in the world however she could tell it was herself especially because of her detailed eyes. She had so many questions but she couldn't help but continue looking through the book. Most of the pictures were of her some were of Cynthia looking menacing. Most of the drawings reminded Mira of visions in her dreams she had when she was younger. As the drawings continued they progressively had more detail, the artists got better. The expressions of the subjects more intense. The pages of the album looked like they were thumbed through many times. The last drawing was of herself cradling someone or something in darkness. She remembered this dream. It was a couple days ago and it felt so real, different then her regular visions. Mira looked up from the book. Her family surrounding her waited as if they would spook her by talking. Tisaine was the first to clear her throat in order to begin the explanation.

"Our brother Ren was about 5 when began to see you. He would ask our parents why we had not met our sister. He would ask were you were. Mom and Dad weren't sure what he was talking about because it hurt to talk about you since you were dead." Tisaine waited for a beat to read if Mira had questions or input then decided to continue. "They would ask him what he was talking about and would tell him I was right here or there and he would shake his head no and say no my other sister. He is of course a Warlock so they figured he was having visions of the past. With heavy hearts they informed the child of your abduction and how you were no longer with us and how they knew that to be the truth without physical proof because you could not be sensed." Mira's eyes welled up listening to the story of them telling her younger brother their deepest pain. "He would cry to them telling them that you were scared and sad and that we needed to find you." Tisaine's eyes were wet as she continued. Mira realized that it must have been so hard to know what everyone was thinking. To hear a persons deepest inner sadness. To have to feel a parents reawakened sense of loss for their child. Her dad interjected at this point giving Tisaine a chance to recoup from the emotions.

"We were not kind to your brother." Her mother besides him shook her head, a look of guilt on her face. "Since your power could not be felt we were sure you were not with us in this world, we forbid Ren to speak of his older sister." Ren pushed on with the story although his eyes began to swirl with silver betraying his sadness. "He stopped speaking about you, so we tried to move on again. However, one day your mother came across Ren's sketchbook. She came to me and she showed me our daughter." Mira's father stopped for a second in order to reign his emotions in. "Growing up, and being tortured by a vampiress." Mira's heart pinged at the mention of her not mother. For the last few days she had been trying to bury that evil women in her mind. She knew Cynthia hated her but this, this was far worse then any torture the women had ever bestowed on her. The air in the room felt as if it were swirling and the pages drawings danced backward and forward with the energy in the room. Her mother sitting next to her squeezed her hand and the tumultuous air in the room seemed to dissipate. "From that day forward we looked for you, we searched hi and low. We snuck into Dradien's castle many times searching for you. Less then a month ago we thought we felt you. As we neared Dradien we began to hear gossip of a witch in the castle. The nearer we came to the castle the stronger you felt." The father put his head down. "We are sorry we could not come for you weeks ago. It takes a lot of magic to hide our presence in order to near the castle." Mira stood up and wrapped her arms around her father telling him thank you and that she was fine and here and everything is ok. It took everything in him not to break down. When emotions were lower Tisaine decided to ask questions that had been on her families mind.

"Who is that women that haunts you sister?" Mira's eyes clouded with silver.

"She claimed to be my mother." Her Parents in took a deep breath while Tisaine continued.

"What does the king want from you?" This was a good question that Mira didn't know how to answer. Her mind swirled with feelings the same as the room had swirled with air earlier. She remembered the kings distrust, his evil smile, the power that emanated through him. The kiss they shared came to mind helping give rise to Mira's insecurities. She was used to rejection why was she so hurt, all she wanted was to stay far away from the king. She wasn't even sure where their kiss even came from especially when he seethed with hate and she was afraid of him. "Mira." Tisaine called gently as if to call Mira back to the present. "It is ok sis we have time, that is enough for today." Mira flushed remembering Tisaine could read her thoughts. Tisaine squeezed her hand as if to tell her it is our secret sister.