Birthright

Chapter Twenty

Jordan woke on the aquarium floor and blearily watched a blow fish swim beneath her. Knight slept beside her, head on his paws. His ears twitched when she stretched stiff muscles. She felt sticky and gross. Jordan headed down the short hallway into the bathing room, which was now lit by moonlight.

There was a cabinet filled with turquoise colored towels and soap. Jordan stripped and draped her clothes over a nearby bench. Cautiously, she approached the circular tub and walked down the steps into water that was almost too hot. Jordan sat awkwardly for a moment and swished her hands beneath the water, creating small waves. It felt almost sinful to bathe in a pool. 

She looked up at the skylight and watched snow drift down lazily. She grabbed the bar of soap and rubbed it over her body. This, at least, seemed normal. She lathered herself and rested with her back against the tub. The circle pendant floated on the water and glowed orange. Jordan cupped the pendant in her palm and frowned. She looked within herself and found her power. 

She thought of what Mr. Parker said about channeling her power. Picture the scene in your mind, pour your power into the vision and it will be… Jordan cupped soapy water in her palms and concentrated. She reached for a thread of power. It hummed to life within her. Water rose from her palms and contorted in midair. As Jordan’s mind mulled over the day, the water began to shape an image. Jordan stared as the water sculpted a miniature version of Mary Ann and reshaped into a magic carpet with streamers for a child. All of a sudden, the water turned into a doll-sized version of the man in the green trench coat. Her breath seized and the water splashed back into the pool. She took the necklace off and put it on a bench so she could wash her hair without it getting tangled in the chain. She washed quickly, walked into the bedroom and found Knight sitting in front of her closed door. 

“Good looking out.”

She opened the suitcase at the foot of her bed and pulled out a pair of sweat pants, shirt and fuzzy pink socks. She balanced carefully on the edge of the bed and braided her hair. Earlier in the day, the walls of ice were highlighted by the sun, infusing the room with light. Now that night had fallen, the walls glowed purple like an aquarium night-light. As she finished her hair, the doorknob jiggled. Knight prowled to the door and growled. The noise stopped immediately. 

“You alive in there?” Cibrian called. 

Jordan approached the door, nudged Knight out of the way and pulled it open. Cibrian and Levi stood on the other side. 

“What time is it?” Jordan asked.

“Almost nine. We slept the day away.” 

Cibrian backed away as Knight peered through Jordan’s legs at him.

“You hungry?” Levi asked.

They walked across the empty room to the main living area. There was no sign of the adults. Cibrian was the first to spot the gift bags on the ice coffee table. He looked into the bags and whooped. He pulled out a piece of shimmering silk and like a professional housekeeper, snapped it in one swift motion. Silver silk cascaded out in a perfect square big enough for all three teens to sit comfortably on. The silk pulled taut and looked as firm as iron. It floated in midair at a perfect height for someone to step on. 

“Come on, Jordan,” Cibrian said and jumped on.

Knight growled at the square, but Jordan was too eager to be cautious. She stepped onto the ultra thin square, which remained stiff and unyielding beneath their combined weight. The square quivered like a car revving its engine, anxious to get on the racetrack. 

Levi picked up a note beside the gift bags. “Everyone deserves to have a magic carpet. Have fun. Be safe. I almost picked out an animal print for Cibrian, but decided these three would be best. The carpet blends into any environment.”