Chapter 44

Two days after the fight with Ricardo, we held the funeral for Wayne Bernard Connors. Lisa’s parents showed up, as did a number of people from town who knew dad. Preacher William Littlewood presided. We even bought dad a coffin even though there was nothing but ashes to bury. Mom insisted. After the funeral, Mom, Alyssa, and I met with Mr. Van Dusen for the reading of the will. Dad left mom everything from the safe deposit box, which included the deed to the house and the small bit of land it sat on. Mr. Van Dusen also gave mom the paperwork on the new account he set up with the money from the box. I found out later that she knew of a company who had been looking to purchase the land behind the house, but only if Mom and Dad sold the house and that land too. They were willing to pay almost a quarter of a million just for our little piece of land. It was more than enough for her to have a new house built somewhere else. She chose to buy a piece of land near the Hartwells and started looking at floor plans.

Alyssa decided to stay with Mom for a little while longer. She wanted to help with the new house. I offered to break the bond, so she would be free to live her life without thinking she had to find me in Texas, but she turned down the offer by dragging me up to the playroom above the garage and using me as a ‘saddle with a special attachment.’ Our post-coital chat lead me to suspect she had something in mind for Faith when she arrived in Texas – If I hadn’t already confessed to telling Faith what we had done. Oh, sibling rivalry!

Mom finally told me that she burned the collar, as the letter from the safe deposit box had instructed. She noticed a change almost immediately. All the urges she felt when she wore the collar hit her immediately, but her normal “mom” side helped to keep her in check. Of course, when she was in the mood and with someone agreeable, she let “Kelly” take over. She was upset however, that Hayden believed some form of control was needed so she would raise me right. In fact, she believed that I might have been better prepared for my life as a Magus had she been allowed to speak as both sides on all subjects rather than being forced to only act as the prim and proper mother. I assured her that I felt my upbringing had prepared me for what was necessary, regardless of whether I was a Magus or not. She didn’t try to have sex with me again, though she did admit she would have difficulty finding someone as fun in bed as I was.

Olive had also attended Dad’s funeral. She wore one of her stuffy, oversized, shapeless dresses for the services, but quickly went home and changed into something colorful and form fitting before coming to the house to visit. She maintained her cool continence around everyone, but any moment we had alone, she acted more along the lines of a horny college student. I told her about the bond I had forged between us, what it meant, how it affected her, and that I could remove it at any time. I also informed her that I would be going back to Texas between Christmas and New Year’s Day. She wanted some time to decide on whether she would go with me or break the bond and stay. She didn’t think on it for long. We found a quiet moment and made out like teens in the garage before Chloe found us to ask me something. After I answered her query, Olive told me of her decision: she wanted to go. She couldn’t stand the idea of trying to find someone else who made her feel so good. No, she didn’t agree that premarital sex was good for the soul, but she had to admit that my argument about knowing what your sex life would be like before you got married held a lot of merit, and she wanted to explore it -- thoroughly.

Lisa was ready to move to Texas the same day I fought Ricardo. She went home to pack and tell her parents, but they wanted to discuss it first. She called me, to let me know her parents were giving her problems but that she would be back soon. Unfortunately, at the time, I was in too much pain to be any help. Lisa returned that day with her bags. Her mom and dad followed her over. Mom was kind enough to take everyone else out to dinner while the Hartwells and I talked about Lisa’s future. First, I had to convince Lisa that she needed to convince her parents that this would be a good thing for her. After all, she didn’t want to become estranged from them. She never believed that would happen, but she did agree that she had made the announcement rather abruptly. Once she agreed to that, I helped her folks understand my plans for Lisa. She was going to go to college. Period. I would pay for it. She would also fly home during various holidays to visit. She pouted about that, but agreed. I had to explain also that I had come into a lot of money and could more than afford to pay for school for both of us as well as pay living. I realized as I talked, that Lisa’s future meant as much to me as her presence. True, I worried about my other girls’ love lives and their futures, but it was different with Lisa. It was more intense, and that alone made me wonder just what kind of bond I had forged between us. Mrs. Hartwell asked about them flying out to visit. I was a bit apprehensive, because of my lifestyle in Texas, but I agreed. I only hoped everyone would help should such an event happen.

I saw Sheriff Conroy again before Christmas. He assured me that Ricardo had been processed, and would be facing real-world criminal charges before the end of the year. No, they hadn’t arranged for him to try to kill someone else, but with some forged paperwork and photos, they had everything they needed to make a convincing case. I was worried about Conroy asking about my mark, but it never came up. Either he already had the answers to his questions, or he wanted to wait for a better time to ask, like when I needed his help. My real concern was that if Ricardo believed those stories about my mark so deeply, then someone else had to as well. Ricardo wasn’t stupid either. He would have told someone that he found me, the destroyer of Magic, and that he was going to take care of the threat. It would only be a matter of time before someone, or several someones, showed up, intent on my demise. The sooner I learned more about this myth or legend, the better.

Christmas felt different this year in the house than any previous time. I suppose it was due to all of the changes in my life. I didn’t feel lonely or secluded. It really felt like a time to celebrate, and I had a HUGE family with whom to celebrate. Chloe, Michael, and Greta all represented the Magi in my life, while Lisa, Olive, and Alyssa represented a small part of my Fonti. Ordering gifts online was a nightmare so late in the year, however, Greta knew a few spells that helped with that. The difficulty I had was a little different. I honestly felt that I owed each of my Fonti and Stirpi something for Christmas – and Michael seemed like the easiest one to buy for! It took some time and thought, but I found something for each girl, even Lisa, who believed the key I gave her would suffice as her Christmas present. I knew better though. I couldn’t tell how many years I watched kids at school exchange gifts and I never got one. I wanted to give her something and in the end, I gave her a gold bracelet. Buying the same thing for all the girls seemed crass, but that’s what I ended up doing, only I made sure each one was decorated with different little trinkets. For Mom, I got a new locket, with pictures of Alyssa, Faith, and me. I joked with Alyssa, threatening to buy her a collar like mom used to have. Then I noticed how excited she got when I mentioned it. So, I contacted Peter Mathis at The Leather Box, back in Texas. He was all-too happy to make a custom collar for my sweet, sweet sister. He believed it to be a gag gift, brother to sister, and I let him. The only downside was that it wouldn’t be ready in time for Christmas. I offered to pay double his fee if he could make it a priority. His response was, “Oh, hun, for that kind of money, I’ll hand deliver it myself!” Then I gave him the address for shipping, and he assured me it would be there on time. Christmas morning was just as fun as all those movies suggest. We tore open presents and had a late breakfast. Then I got on Alyssa’s laptop and contacted Jordan. We video-chatted on Skype, where she told me about the welcome home party they were all planning, both my House Members and my Fonti. I told her about the events of the last week, with Chloe and Greta happily correcting any omissions I might have made. I knew it would be difficult to chat with each girl, so Jordan recorded a general video of me saying hello and expressing how much I missed them – which I really did! My day may have started off happier than most, but making that video brought me back down again. I needed to get home, back to Texas. I needed to see my girls, and to learn what all had happened while I was gone. Of course, my responsibilities would take up a lot of my time when I returned. I simply had to take solace in the knowledge that I would be there again soon.

Lisa continues to carry the key. She and I agreed that she shouldn’t wear it, just in case the key affected those around her as it had for me. I didn’t believe it would, since she wasn’t a Magus, but it was better to be safe. I plan to build a hidden vault, similar to the one in Virginia, to keep the key in. As for the Locket, I keep it on my person at all times. I don’t wear it, because, frankly, I don’t need help finding sex. Also because I’m afraid to. The defenses on the locket made Mom forget she was wearing it – for years. I didn’t want to forget like that only to have someone snatch it off my neck and have to chase them down for it all over again. And, no, it would not be stored in the same vault with the key. I would find a simple place to hide it. More than likely, I would open a small safe deposit box account under a false name and keep it there. What name and where would be anyone’s guess yet.

I wasn’t sure what to do about the mirror in the storage unit in Emporia at first. I finally decided to have it moved to Texas, where I would put it in my new house, or apartment. If the move or the distance disrupted the magic that connected it to the vault in Virginia, so much the better, but if the connection remained, then it would be safer closer to me. I called a professional moving company and explained what I wanted. I also called Ms. Kulick to make sure I had a place to put it when it arrived. She had me give her the number for the moving company, and she took over from there. I warned her though; no one else was to know about the mirror. If anyone asked, it was an heirloom from my dead father – which wasn’t far from the truth.

As for the Manor itself, I told Chloe, Michael, and Greta all about it, but left out all the details about the family duty and the vault. When I suggested we either move it out to Texas somewhere or use it as a vacation home of sorts, all three of them wanted to go up to see it first. I agreed, and we decided to drive up after Christmas, but before we drove back to Texas. Lisa found out and wanted to go, as did Olive. Mom and Alyssa also found out and wanted to see how my biological mother lived before she died. So, in the end, after Christmas, all of us loaded up in our various cars and trucks, and made a funny little convoy as we drove to the Manor. Even though I had already spent almost an entire day in the Manor, I still found it opulent and too big for a single family to live in. For a House Lord, however, it would be nearly perfect. There was enough room for any number of people to visit, eat, and be entertained while waiting to speak with the House Lord. Chloe, Michael, and Greta studied the defensive spells on the Manor and agreed that if we didn’t move it to Texas, then we should definitely send someone out to help empower the spells. It was designed for that. I finally decided to tell them about the mirrors, and showed them that we could move through the house instantly. I left out the part about the vault, and never mentioned it, so I had no fear that someone would accidentally end up in there. I also told them about the mirror that had been hidden in the storage unit my Dad had rented and that it was currently being transferred to Texas. They weren’t sure if the doorway spell would be maintained on the Manor. The sheer distance could break it. If, however, the spell worked, both ways, then it would certainly make things easier for any of us to visit the Manor at any time.