Hehe, interesting sibling discussion about powers and abilities! Still, all three kids were taught by the same parents, yet different. Wonder what secrets might come out still.
Yeah, between them, they were raised in two different realities with one of them having memories of a third reality. There are many secrets to be revealed as they get to know each other better. Melinda is not around a lot for a while, because she is trying to figure out where she fits into the world and she does that by exploring the world. Other than Morality Bites 2, I think the episode she is in the most is the upcoming
Witch Eater (which I haven't written yet), which follows a super Wyatt and Chris centric episode (more Wyatt than Chris due to what's going on in it) called
A Brother's Bond (or is it
A Brothers' Bond, I haven't decided which makes more sense yet).
Right now though, we follow Seth to where my criminal in the making plots out a crime. If you can figure out what crime and what character I mean, I would love to hear how you think I did with making it subtle but there.
Chapter Seven – Warlocks, Witches, and Birthday Cake
There were family dinners and then there were Kessler / McInnis family dinners. Some families loved each other, some hated each other, but few wanted to literally kill each other the way Steve Kessler and his brother-in-law, Sean McInnis, did. For the sakes of their daughters, Devia and Brianna, they put up with each other.
Devia polished off the last of a piece of cake and looked up at her uncle. “Uncle Sean, do you have to go? I haven’t even opened your present yet.”
Sean squirmed uncomfortably under his brother-in-law’s scrutiny. If anyone had told him twenty-five years ago that he’d been sharing birthday cake with a warlock he wouldn’t have believed them. And then he’d met Angel and unknowingly set these events into motion.
Brianna looked at her cousin and saw the pleading look on the nearly eleven-year-old’s face. She knew Devia was already upset that Sean was going to be out of town in two weeks for Devia’s actual birthday. Much as Brianna knew her Uncle Steve tried to break Devia of it, Brianna knew that her dad was adored by his little niece. She looked up and said, “Dad, I think we should stay while Devia opens your gift to her.”
Sean looked at Steve, ignored the glare, and looked at Devia’s earnest eyes. He glanced back at Steve before he sighed. “Sure, Dev. We’ll stay for you to open your present.”
“Yeah!” Devia’s yell startled everyone at the table. “Thanks, Uncle Sean.”
Sean turned to his daughter. “Would you run and grab it from the other room, Brianna?”
Brianna cast a quick glance at her uncle before she stood and headed out of the room.
As his daughter left, Sean turned to look at his niece. “So what is your dad planning for your birthday, Sprite?”
Devia beamed. “Since you can’t come he’s taking me down to Disneyland for the weekend with some of my friends and he’s agreed to invite Brianna and her boyfriend as chaperones.”
Steve glared at the back of his daughter’s head.
Sean’s eye brow raised. “Brianna has a boyfriend? Why didn’t I know this?”
Devia’s eyes widened. “You didn’t know?” She studied his face for several seconds, making Sean a little more uncomfortable than he already was. She smiled a little and added. “Well, I suppose that makes sense, seeing as she doesn’t even admit to it.” She leaned in close and whispered, “but I know.”
He chuckled, the tension eased just a little. “Want to tell me the name of the guy going with you?”
She shrugged. “We haven’t exactly invited him yet.” She leaned in, again, and whispered, “He’s a demon and Daddy doesn’t much like him.”
That had to be one of the most ironic statements Sean had ever heard and Devia was dead serious. Her warlock father hated Brianna’s demonic friends almost as much as he hated Sean. It surprised Sean that Steve would be willing to invite one of them to spend the day with him, even if there were half a dozen little girls and Brianna with them. He had a pretty good idea which demon Devia was referring to and he wasn’t too thrilled about it either. He didn’t trust those demons. He’d never understood why she did.
He put up with them, but they scared him. Well, three of them did. That one boy was rather polite hard to dislike. The other two boys were hard, scary. And that girl . . . that other girl just plain crept him out with those sometime vacant eyes and her over seeing observations.
Sean looked over at Steve and asked. “When were you planning on asking Brianna and Max to go with you?”
“I was rather hoping Brianna would ask that boyfriend of her, so I didn’t have to,” Steve admitted grudgingly.
“And my daughter,” Sean persisted, eyes narrow, ignoring the comment about Max being Brianna’s boyfriend.
Steve scowled. “Tonight. I was going to ask her tonight before you left.” The look on his face made it quite clear that he was doing this for his daughter and no other reason.
“Ask me what, Uncle Steve?” Brianna asked as she reentered the room with a couple of wrapped packages with pretty bows. She put the gifts in front of Devia and returned to her seat. “Is something up, Uncle Steve?”
Steve glanced down at his daughter and sighed. “I’m taking Devia and some of her friends down to Disneyland for her birthday in two weeks and Devia,” he noticed the look his daughter was giving him and amended his statement, “we were wonder if you and your boyfriend would like to come with us and help out.”
Brianna looked at him questioningly. “My boyfriend?” She turned and looked at her cousin. “Dev? What stories have you been telling? I told you that neither Toby not Max was boyfriend. Didn’t you believe me?”
Devia smiled and shrugged. “I believed what I saw in his eyes when he looks at you.”
Brianna starred at her. “Since when have you spent and time with . . . which guy are you accusing of being my boyfriend anyway?”
“Maximilian Keegan is being invited to come with us,” Steve informed her before Devia could speak. “I don’t know, nor care if he is your boyfriend. I just know that my daughter wants the both of you to join her and that one of her friends called him . . . hot. Apparently this is important to preteen girls.”
Brianna chuckled at that. “Max certainly isn’t my boyfriend, but I’ll tell him you asked. I’m pretty sure he’ll say no.”
“Brianna?” Devia looked at her with a slightly pouty lip. “Please get him to come. For me.”
Brianna smiled. “Dev, you know I adore you, but Max isn’t really much of a people person and he’s not really talking to me right now, so when I say I’ll tell him, I’ll be telling him via Toby or CT. It’s not because of you that he’ll say ‘No’, Dev. It’s me, maybe you’re dad. He likes you.”
Devia looked at her and considered this. Then, she held out her hand. “Phone?”
“What?”
“Your cell phone, please.”
Brianna starred at her for several seconds and sighed. She pulled her purse out from under the table and pulled out her cell phone. She handed it to Devia.
Devia grabbed the phone off the wall and then flipped Brianna’s cell open and in a sweet voice requested, “Number Max.” As the phone recited the number she punched it into her home phone. The she handed back the cell as she held the other one to her ear. She waited as the phone rang. When it was answered a smile slid onto her face. “Hello, my dear sir. Is there a reason Max chose not to answer his phone?”
Brianna’s eyebrows slid up as she watched her cousin.
“Well, that’s very interesting, Mr. Edmunds, but I truly wish to speak to your friend,” Devia told the person on the other end. “Well, tell them to stop sparring.”
Brianna only partially managed to contain her bark of laughter. That meant CT was in a bad mood and Max has managed to provoke him and make it worse. Not a smart idea, but CT would never kill his friends. Temporarily main them, maybe, but not kill them.
“Thank you.” Devia paused only a moment as she listened to something on the other end. “Hello, Max. It’s Devia, the prettiest little blonde this side of the equator.” She laughed at something Max said and added, “Yes, I’m well aware that it’s because I’m blonde and not . . . well, my family is listening, so I imagine you don’t want me finishing that statement.”
Brianna couldn’t imagine what Max might have said, but clearly her cousin was giving the appearance of charming him. It wouldn’t be enough to get him to agree to come with them, though.
“Look my birthday is in two weeks, well not quite two weeks, but really soon.” Devia looked at the phone in surprise. “You knew that? Well, how about that. Well, I’m going to be eleven and Daddy agreed to take me and some friends to Disneyland. It’s going to be so much fun, but we need extra adults. I asked Daddy to invite you and Brianna . . . hey, knock that off. You listen to everything I say, got it?” She waited and then smiled. “Well, of course. Now where was I?”
Brianna chuckled. As predicted Max had clearly said “no”. How Devia planned to change that she didn’t know.
“Here’s the deal. Sandy and Maya were talking and Maya said how . . . cute you were. She’s thirteen, so she knows about these things.”
How a thirteen-year-old was suppose to know about
these things was beyond Brianna, but she could tell she wasn’t the only one watching Devia’s conversation. All other conversation had ceased. Not that her dad and uncle ever talked much, but both watched Devia with guarded eyes.
“I know that,” Devia informed the uninterested Max on the other line. “The thing is I’m the only one at this table who seems to know that.” She rolled her eyes at Brianna. “There is more you should know before you turn this down.” She wrinkled her nose. “Come now. Don’t be rude. Esther is coming and she really could use a cute face to distract her. She’s so sad of late, what with the loss of her Daddy about three months ago. I look out for my friends, you know.”
Brianna didn’t have a clue who any of these girls were, but she got the idea from the expression on Devia’s face that whomever Esther was, that name had gotten through to Max. Brianna felt like swearing. She did not feel like ruining Devia’s birthday, but clearly a missing person’s report was in the near future. It looked like she was going to be talking to Max today after all.
“Thank you much,” Devia told Max sweetly. “I’ll call you with the details later. Right now Uncle Sean wants to get going, so I have a present to open.” She grinned. “Bye.” And then she hung up. She looked at the three other people at the table and smiled. “Max has agreed to come.”
Sean shook his head, amused. Whatever Devia has said to convince him, she had railroad the young man.
Devia looked at the presents in front of her as she pulled one of them closer. It was wrapped in shiny pink paper. She picked up the table knife by her plate and slid it under the tape. She did this with each piece of tape and pulled the paper off of her gift.
Brianna glanced at her dad. “You’d think she’d read the card first.”
Sean smiled and shook his head. “She’ll read it later. You know that.”
Not really true. She’d never seen her cousin actually open a card, but she figured that Devia probably opened them later. It was likely the better option since she didn’t think Uncle Steve would like some of things Sean put in them.
Devia slid the knife under a piece of tape holding the cardboard box closed and pulled it open. She pulled out a small jewelry box and her eyes widened. She slowly opened the lid and starred down at the delicate silver necklace there. On the end was an infinity sign. She carefully pulled it out and put it around her neck, ever so gentle as she hooked the clasp.
She didn’t see the seething look on her dad’s face, nor would she have understood it if she did. Steve shot daggers from his eyes at his brother-in-law.
Brianna massaged her temples with her fingers trying to block out the feelings all around her. It was something of a major headache to be at some of these family meals.
Devia looked up and smiled at Sean. “Thanks, Uncle Sean.” She pushed aside the cardboard box and the jewelry box and pulled up the larger gift, this one wrapped in brightly colored paper. She began the same process with the table knife, careful with the paper. She got it all uncovered and revealed a white box from one of the major department stores. She pushed away the paper and pulled up the lid. Inside she found an equally colorful gown with a pair of lacy socks. She grinned and looked over at Brianna. “Thanks, Brianna. I know Uncle Sean didn’t pick out such a pretty dress.”
Brianna laughed with a glance at her dad. “Yeah, Dad’s kind of hopeless when it comes to fashion or even matching clothes.”
Sean gave his daughter a look.
She just laughed at him. “You know it’s true, Dad.”
“I’m not going to answer that charge,” Sean announced which sent both girls into peals of laughter. “Brianna and I really do need to go now.”
“Ah, Uncle Sean,” Devia protested, instantly sobering up.
“Sorry, Dev.”
She sighed. “I’ll see you out then.”
“Steve?”
Steve nodded slightly, not looking one bit happy.
A little bit later Brianna gave Devia a hug as Sean waited in the car for his daughter. “Be careful, Sweetie.”
Devia nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
“And the kitten?”
Devia nodded quickly. “I’ll be careful. I don’t want to hurt her.”
Brianna pressed a kiss onto Devia’s forehead and ran off to the car.
Devia watched as Brianna climbed into the car and they drove off. She sighed as she fingered her new necklace. She liked spending time with Brianna and Uncle Sean, but she didn’t understand why Uncle Sean was always so eager to leave. She saw someone shimmer in nearby and start walking down the sidewalk. Not sure was going on she slipped behind a tree. Her eyes widened as a young man with dirty blond hair walked by and flicked out his tongue. In the dim light of dusk she almost missed the fact that it was long, thin, and forked, but she didn’t. Stepping out from behind her tree she asked, “Who are you?”
Seth turned around to look at the small person belonging to the voice.
“I don’t know you,” Devia added. “Are you one of Brianna’s friends?” There was just something about him that made her think it might be possible.
Seth frowned, not sure what she was talking about.
Devia sighed. “You have no idea who Brianna’s is, do you?”
He shook his head. “’Fraid not.”
“I saw you shimmer,” she added.
“I see,” he asked, question in his voice.
“Brianna’s friends can shimmer,” she informed him. Well, two of them could.
“Really.” Though he seemed to be trying to hide it, there was clear interest in his voice. He was curious as to whom this Brianna was and why this girl was so intent on connecting him to her.
“Her boyfriend is a prince,” Devia continued, ignoring the voice in her head that insisted Brianna denied such a relationship even as recent as the dinner table.
“Prince of what?”
“Snake Lord.” She watched him carefully for a reaction. She wasn’t disappointed.
Seth took a step back at the words. He’d heard of the Snake Lord. Despite a lack of magical powers over the last couple of decades, he had still managed to gain many followers over that time and was not someone to cross lightly.
Devia laughed in delight. She’d been right. “Looks to me, you are just the sort of person Brianna would hang out with.”
Seth looked down into her eyes. “And what sort of person is that?”
“The sort who’s got demonic powers, but doesn’t like demons.” And then she walked away toward her house, leaving Seth confused and more than a little curious about this strange little girl.
In this episode I have fun with the reactions of characters to Seth, but not nearly as much fun as I have with Seth's reaction to Devia. She's just not what he expected when he spotted her.
As you can see Seth has some idea that there is something here, but he really doesn't know what that is or even if it is this house that is the issue (although connections to the Snake Lord freak him out).
Has Brianna's dad been in an episode before? I don't think he has. I've written him into a couple episodes since this, so it's hard to remember when he's shown up. How do you like the relationship between the two brothers-in-law?
