Tianna Logan goes to Camp Weeping Willow

By Timothy Everhart

Forced to go to a summer camp and babysit her younger cousin instead of the wonderful vacation that she had planned at Disney World, Tianna Logan figures that she is about to have the worst, most boring summer that she has ever known.
Little did Tianna realize that she was instead headed for the greatest and most dangerous adventure of her life and that she would soon be facing Lord Alpha, the most powerful adversary that she has ever went up against.
Camp Weeping Willow has always been a safe haven for the children of American witches and wizards, a place for them to have fun, make new friends and get a boost in their education. But now, with campers disappearing at an alarming rate it’s beginning to look as if the camp may have to be shut down sending everyone that is left back home.
Can Tianna and her friends once again save the day or will Camp Weeping Willow be no more?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Timothy Everhart
• Release date: Oct 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311178305

Timothy Everhart

I was raised in a playful environment that fostered imagination and I had a very rich imaginary life. I created all of these fantasy worlds and spent hour after hour for days on end playing in them. My family didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up and there wasn’t so much stuff to buy then even for the ones that did, so my imagination was my main resource.Everything is so very commercialized today, most kids can’t seem to play without all of the high tech toys, video games and computers. I feel that this is the great tragedy of our time. The kids of today are robbed in a sense that they are not given that opportunity to develop their imaginations in the way we did. When I was young we had AM radios and black and white TV’s that got only three channels, none of which had anything on them for a kid to watch except of Saturday mornings. Therefore we had to create our own games, toys, even our own worlds to play in, our imagination was king.Once I discovered the world of books, that opened up new avenues for me. Books enabled me to use the author’s imagination to stimulate my own and therefore create even more fantasy worlds to explore and have my mental adventures in. By now it seems that I have always been around books. My parents believed in reading, mom had me reading when most of my friends were just learning their ABC’s. When I started formal school in the first grade she had me reading on a third grade level. By then I was thoroughly hooked and I can’t remember a time since then that I wasn’t in the middle of a book.From the time I turned eight I was already making up my own stories and putting them down on paper. I always knew that I wanted to be an author and I did manage to get a few short stories published while I was still young. But back in the sixties and early seventies it was impossible to get a novel published without an agent and nearly impossible to get an agent. Then, when I was sixteen I made one of the more stupid mistakes of my life, I quit school. It doesn’t matter that I went back in a few years and got my diploma and entered college, the damage had already been done. Because of that mistake no agent would even talk to me let alone read one of my manuscripts and after a few years I gave up trying to get published and settled on becoming a storyteller. However, no matter how slight was the chance of getting published, I never stopped writing.By the time my parents house burned in 1978, I had over thirty stories and a very good start on three novels; two science fictions and one fantasy. All of my work was stored in their home and just like everything else in the house when it caught fire, was lost. After that loss, I really did quit writing for a long time. Oh, I still made up the stories and spent many a hour spinning the tales to anyone who’d listen, I just didn’t write them down anymore.Finally, a man that I’d first met in 1976, convinced me to not only start writing again, but to start trying to get them published. Read about him HERE. My first published novel, “Tianna Logan and the Salem Academy for Witchcraft” is actually comprised of several of my tales that I’ve told for years about a school for Witchcraft and Wizardry in Salem Massachusetts. A very large number of the stories that I’ve ever written were about witches, wizards, sorcerers, alchemists, dragons, unicorns, basically all things magical with a little sci-fi thrown in from time to time. So it stands to reason that the first full length novel I would get published would be about the magical realm and the second one is well underway as I write this.

Book preview

Tianna Logan goes to Camp Weeping Willow

Books by Timothy Craig Everhart

Tianna Logan and the Salem Academy for Witchcraft

Tianna Logan goes to Camp Weeping Willow

A Welder’s Handbook to Robotic Programming

Books by Timothy Craig Everhart written

with his wife Dawn Michelle Everhart

Down Home Southern Cooking

Down Home Southern Cooking 2

Down Home Southern Cooking 3

Fun Foods

The Cook’s Companion

Books Coming Soon by Timothy Craig Everhart

Tianna Logan faces Armageddon

Lean Manufacturing for Everyone

Tianna Logan goes to Camp Weeping Willow

Published by Timothy Craig Everhart 2014

Cover Artwork by Nathan J Shinn

Cover Design by Laura Shinn Designs

Copyright © Timothy Craig Everhart, 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author/publisher.

Danvers Massachusetts June 21

PROLOGUE

The old Victorian styled fireplace was constructed using large chunks of granite and smaller black river stones, which are very common in the New England states. Its insides had been charred black from the thousands of fires that had burned in it over the years and the flagstone hearth had been worn smooth during all of those long cold winters. There was a heavy iron hook where countless cast iron pots had hung that spoke of the utilitarian nature of this nineteenth century work of art but unlike many of its modern counterparts, no gas or paper logs had ever found its way into this grand old fireplace.

Alright, try it again, but this time I want you to just think the words, don’t actually say them out loud or even move your lips, say them with your mind only. Anne Meredith instructed her granddaughter.

The young girl standing before the old fireplace had long blond hair tied back with a short piece of red yarn. She had her hands braced on the massive oak mantelpiece and was glaring at the small pile of dried twigs and bark on the grate. Extermino! Tianna put as much force into the thought as she could, but just as before, nothing happened, the kindling still lay there as cold as ever.

You’re still trying to think at it, that won’t work. You have to really say it! Shout it out! Just not with your voice, not out loud, you have to do it only with your mind. Anne explained for what seemed like the hundredth time. I know she’s frustrated and I truly wish that I could let this go but she really needs this skill and I know that she’s ready for it, she thought with grim determination.

But why do I have to be able to do the spells silently anyway? Tianna retorted angrily. She wasn’t mad at her grandmother; she was just annoyed at herself because she couldn’t seem to cast a simple spell without actually giving voice to it.

In the magical realm or even when you’re alone over here in Nomagville, as some of you kids refer to our non-magical world, you wouldn’t need to. However, if you want to cast a spell in front of the Nomags, or when you’re using spells for defensive reasons, then you will need to cast them silently. In a fight, if you take the time to say the spell out loud, then you’re not only wasting those valuable seconds, you’re announcing what spell you’re casting, plus you are giving your enemy those same seconds to prepare. That’s why it’s absolutely necessary that you learn to cast a spell silently. Now, try it again, Shout it out, forcefully, but without using your vocal cords. Anne explained to her frustrated granddaughter. She really and truly hated being this way, but she knew that Tianna was ready for it and with Jared still out there, alive and probably planning his revenge, she knew that it was absolutely imperative that she masters this very essential skill.

EXTERMINO!!!!! Although Tianna’s lips didn’t move this time, she could still feel herself yelling the command. After so many failed attempts, both were startled when the kindling in the fireplace suddenly burst into flame.

Tianna clapped, Anne winked at her and grinned. See, I told you, I knew you could do it. Now, all you have to do is practice.

And it works the same for all types and kinds of spells? Tianna asked. Although she knew the answer she wanted to hear it again.

That’s correct. Anne reassured her. Once you get this down, you’ll never have to actually say a spell out loud again. How often do you actually hear me cast a spell?

Huh…, I guess…, well come to think of it, about the only times that I hear you is when you are teaching me one. Tianna realized.

That’s right, she replied with a firm nod. And I always speak them aloud when I’m learning a new one for myself, but once I’ve gotten it down, well…as they say…silence is golden. Anne elaborated with a grin.

Well then, get out of here and let me practice. Now that Tianna had finally done it, she wanted to prove to herself that her success wasn’t just a fluke.

"No, I want you to take a break for a while, you’ve been at it for two hours straight, you need to rest, besides, now that you’ve done it, it’ll come much easier from now on because you know that you can do it. Tianna thought that sometimes it did seem that her grandmother was reading her mind. Get your shoes on, let’s go for a walk, there’s something I’ve been meaning to show you, something about your mom, and about you too for that matter."

Tianna whirled around to face her grandmother’s widening grin with a matching one of her own

Anne could see by the piercing look in her granddaughter’s baby blue eyes that told her that she suddenly had the girl’s undivided attention. It’s something that I need to show you…something I feel that it’s time for you to know, past time really.

What is it? Tianna asked with obvious interest. Once discovering, after their untimely death last year, just how little she actually knew about either of her mysterious parents Tianna was always eager for a chance to learn something new and potentially exciting about them.

No. Anne shook her head as she held up her hand to forestall any other arguments. "This is something that I need to show you, come on, get ready and let’s go." Her grandmother replied as she got up and headed toward the kitchen. Tianna was well familiar with that unwavering tone and knew that there wasn’t any possibility of getting anything out of her grandmother until she was good and ready to divulge it.

Anne led her granddaughter out the back door and down the grassy hill to the little stream that ran across the back of her property. The pair walked beside the gurgling brook all the way to the tree line and then utilizing a game trail they continued following it as it twisted and turned through the thickening forest.

Tianna had tried a couple more times to get her grandmother to at least drop a hint about what she was going to show her, but to no avail. Finally resigning herself to the fact that her grandmother wasn’t going to give up anything she decided to change the subject over to what was really bothering her. Why is it that all of my classmates from school are getting real summer vacations but you’re putting me through some sort of intense summer school? She asked in obvious exasperation.

There are actually several different reasons for putting you through this additional education Tianna and all of them are actually very good ones, but they all boil down to the same thing really, Jared Lucretius survived. she paused to gather her thoughts before continuing. Natashe Henze, Emerald Birch and I, had a long talk about you two days before school let out.

Now wait just a minute, so you’re telling me that the Head-Mistress of the academy, my dorm mother, and of course my dear grandmother, all got together and decided that I didn’t need a summer vacation. by her tone, Anne could tell that Tianna was very agitated.

When the decision was made, it truly was with your best interest at heart, but somehow, when you say it like that, I’ll admit that it doesn’t sound quite as good as when we originally discussed it. Anne acknowledged with an apologetic look on her face. Listen Tianna, when Jared killed your parents, he didn’t know of your existence, of that I’m quite sure. I’m also just as sure, that after that mess at the school last year he now does know, through his son, Leander Hyssop. I’ll also venture to say, that the fact that he was defeated at the school by the same method that your mother fought him with, the very same method that he himself was using in both instances, was not lost on him either. She stopped abruptly and faced Tianna before continuing. It was because of this fact that the three of us decided that certain parts of your education needed to be focused on and accelerated.

The parts I may need in a fight? The way Tianna said it made her query sound more like a statement than a question.

Defensive magic, such as being able to cast your spells silently, may one day serve to keep you alive. Anne told her, reminding Tianna of today’s successful lesson.

So what you’re saying is that when Jared comes back, he’s going to be gunning for me. Tianna surmised.

I noticed that you said ‘when’, not ‘if’, he comes back. Anne observed with a questioning expression on her face.

Do you have any doubts? Tianna asked with a matching expression.

No. that single syllable, spoken in a perfectly flat tone, carried a finality that could not be questioned. After answering Tianna’s simple question Anne turned and started off along the trail once more which left the younger girl hurrying to keep up.

Neither do I. Tianna replied with the same conviction and gave a single nod of her head before taking off down the trail after her grandmother. As she closed the distance between them she told her grandmother about another concern. That’s actually been on my mind ever since I realized that he survived. There is also his son to consider as well, I’m sure that he knows or at least assumes that I was instrumental in the questioning that led to him fleeing the school last year.

I hadn’t considered him Anne reluctantly admitted.

"Taking into consideration the way that the different magical abilities seem to run in families and the fact that his father will quite probably finish training him personally now that he can’t return to the school, I will likely have to deal with him one day as well. Tianna told her grandmother. I may even have to face the two of them working together as a team." Tianna revealed one of the things that she had been worried about ever since the battle at the academy last year.

You could very well be right about that. Anne agreed sounding even more concerned than she had a few minutes earlier. I haven’t even considered that possibility.

As they talked, the two had come to a large clearing. Anne came to a stop at the edge of a flat, level spot that was covered with a beautiful bluish-green grass that was short and evenly trimmed. It had a manicured appearance that made it look as though it had recently been mowed. The near perfect looking lawn, stretched from the stream’s edge up to a small hillock, which had a sloped rock face that was nearly covered with dark green vines. There was a small hole right at ground level about three feet in diameter.

This is beautiful! Tianna sighed breathlessly.

You like it? This was your mother’s playhouse. Anne told her. Actually, this is the front yard. She was pointing at the small hole in the cliff face. The actual playhouse is inside that cave there. You’ll have to get down and crawl through, the entrance is small, but there is plenty of room once you get inside.

As Tianna got on her hands and knees and crawled through the mouth of the cave she was thinking, I sure am glad that I’ve got a pair of old jeans on today. As soon as Tianna was on her feet again Anne ported in, suddenly appearing on the other side of the room, startling Tianna momentarily.

Oh!!! I guess I should have expected that. Tianna said with a smile.

A few years ago…well, maybe more than a few, Anne admitted. I’d have probably got down and crawled in here with you, but now…well…let’s just say that I try to keep these old knees off of the ground as much as I can. Anne slowly turned completely around once, giving the place a careful once-over, making sure that all was still as it should be. After satisfying herself that it was, she asked. Well, what do you think?

Oh this is exquisite, it’s just beautiful, everything looks so real, and just how old was mom when you created this playhouse for her? Tianna asked as she started going around examining everything she found.

Oh, you seem to misunderstand girl, your mother built this all on her own. I didn’t even help her at all, in fact, I didn’t even know about this place for several months after she had started putting it together. Your mother found this cave and started turning it into her private playhouse when she was around eight years old, she got it to this point by the by the age of twelve or thirteen and then never changed it much after that. Lydia played here until she was a little older than you are now, fifteen or so, and then as far as I know, she never came back after turning sixteen. I’m quite sure that since your mom abandoned it, I’m the only one that has been in here or for that matter even knows of its existence, until now that is.

This really is amazing. Tianna said as she turned the taps on at the sink, watching the water run out just like it was piped in. It’s even got hot water! she exclaimed as she held her hand under the stream of steaming water. She walked over and twisted one of the knobs on the stove and watched the burner fire up.

Everything works, just as if it were real. Anne told her as she walked over to the window. Pointing to the scene visible in the window, she bragged. This is the real-time view from her bedroom window in my house, if you’d go to that room and look out of that window right now; this is exactly what you’d be seeing.

But now that she’s dead, how…I thought…

Anne was shaking her head before Tianna could even finish her question. I have no idea girl; I’ve been trying to figure that one out ever since your mother died. Anne admitted with a puzzled expression on her face. Lydia had a way with magic that few witches can match, I can’t even come close. The way you are progressing I think that there’s a good chance that you just may be able to match her powers one day. Her grandmother told her.

Tianna noticed just how neat and clean everything was. There must be some kind of hex on the cave’s entrance.

"I did do that for her, Anne confessed. only witches can come through the entrance, regular humans and animals that start to enter, suddenly find that they not only have no real desire to come in here, and that it would be the worst thing they could possibly do, they also begin to feel a sense of impending doom. What's more, if they do manage to ignore all of those warning signals and come through anyway, they’ll find that instead of crawling inside that they have actually crawled outside."

Tianna quickly put her hand over her mouth to silence the giggle that was about to burst out as she thought what it would be like to fight that terrible hex and force yourself to crawl through, only to find that you’ve just arrived back outside where you started from. After getting herself back under control again, she walked over to the fireplace, it appeared to be made out of real stone; the thing looked just as real as everything else in this playhouse. What about the fire place, does it work too?

Well…your mother made that work too, she would just look over at it, and a fire would suddenly begin to burn, no wood, no smoke, just the flames and of course the heat and light. The only reason that the stove has control knobs on it is that mine does. If I had a gas fireplace, then this would probably have a knob like the stove does, but mine only burns wood, so… She left the rest unvoiced knowing that Tianna knew, at least basically, how Lidia had started the fires. Slowly, as she was talking, Anne had moved over to stand next to her granddaughter in front of the small, realistic looking fireplace.

I know that everyone talks about how mom could control fire…. Tianna’s voice stumbled and faltered, unable to complete the thought.

Control… Anne’s exhale after that word had nothing to do with breathing. that is so meager a word, when using it to describe your mother’s mastery over fire. Even as a small child, her control was nearly complete, it simply did her bidding. But there was a good reason for that Tianna…your mother…Lydia…she was an Elemental.

Mom was a what? Tianna asked with a blank look on her face.

Judging by your reaction, I’d say that you haven’t studied about Elementals in school yet. her grandmother guessed.

So far as she knew, Tianna had never even heard the term ’Elemental’ before now. No, I really don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Tianna confessed as she shook her head. "Has it got something to do with the elements like hydrogen, oxygen and such? She ventured a wild guess.

Anne got that faraway look on her face that Tianna sometimes saw when her grandmother sank deep into thought. It only lasted a few seconds, and when she returned to normal, there was a resigned look about her grandmother that always happened after she had made a very important decision. Tianna, you can still fit on this furniture, have a seat, I’m afraid it’s time for another step in your education.

Tianna sat down on the small, child sized, sofa. Anne took out her wand and silently gave it a flick, with just the slightest popping sound, an adult sized rocker simply appeared beside the fireplace. Anne sat down, and once again got that faraway look, but only for a moment this time before shifting the rocking chair so that she could face her granddaughter.

As Anne began, Tianna realized from the tone that this was going to be yet another of her summertime lessons. Long, long ago, way before the discovery of the elements of that periodical table that science depends on so heavily in this modern day and age, the Earth was thought to be comprised of four elements; Earth, Water, Wind, Fire. We now know that these were misnamed, that they were actually referring the four states of matter; Solid, Liquid, Gas, and Energy.

All witches and wizards are Elementals, at least to a certain degree, that’s because that we manipulate the free form energy, and we can also change it from one form to another, but most of us are extremely limited in what we can do. Anne saw that she now had the young girl’s undivided attention.

You’re talking about levitation and transmutation. Tianna reasoned.

Anne confirmed her granddaughter’s guess with a nod. "The ones that are referred to as ‘Elementals’, have a much more complete mastery over at least one of the forms of matter. A very few have actually found that they have this mastery over more than one of the forms, those few are referred to as ‘Super Elementals’.

Do some actually have this mastery over all of the elements? Tianna asked with an inquisitive expression on her face.

That is a very astute question, yes; there are in fact a special few that have mastered control over all of the four elements. They are called Spirit elementals and considered to be the fifth and topmost point of the Elemental star. Anne explained.

Elemental star, what’s that?

Anne pointed down at the floor, to the drawing there. Before you ask, I have absolutely no idea how your mother put that there. It’s not etched in, it’s almost like she painted it on the stone but whatever it is, it is not paint, it doesn’t fade and it won’t come off.

The design was that of a large pentagram with all five of the points connected by a series of straight lines which formed a five pointed star inside of it. The interconnecting lines also formed another smaller pentagram in the middle of the star which housed yet another star and another pentagram, each pair getting smaller and smaller.

Tianna noticed the smaller pentagrams and stars and knelt down for a closer look. There are more of them inside. She commented.

That’s right; they get smaller and smaller, seemingly without end. I even conjured up a powerful magnifying glass one day and no matter how far down I looked the pattern continued to repeat, getting smaller and smaller. She told her. I really don’t know if there’s any significance to that or not. I went so far as to describe this to some of the teachers at the academy and they had never heard of this type of infinity symbol but with the pentagram being one of the most used symbols in witchcraft I can’t help but to believe that your mother had a good reason for using it.

There were also five symbols, one just outside of each point of the outer pentagram representing each of the elements. The symbol that stood for spirit was beside the top most point, and then came the symbols for earth, water, fire and air in a clockwise direction, one to each point, around the pentagram. Anne pointed at the symbols surrounding the pentagram. Those symbols is what makes this an Elemental star, it’s the smaller pentagram/star combinations that aren’t usually there.

Did mom ever use this for something? Did you ever ask her why she put it here? Tianna inquired with raised eyebrows.

I don’t know and I never thought to ask her. Anne answered the questions in order. I actually never noticed the infinity part until sometime after she and your father were married and I did mean to ask her about that part but when I was around her it just never seemed to come up. She explained.

I really do wish that you would have asked her, I’m getting this strange feeling that this may be important. Tianna said wistfully.

So do I. Her grandmother replied in the same tone. If I could just go back… she added with a shrug.

Yeah…I know…

But to get back to what I was saying, most Elementals, like your mother, find out what they are at an early age however some of them don’t discover it until they are in their late teens or even twenties. Occasionally, there are a very few, who do not find out that they are an Elemental, until they are well into their adult years. My sister, your great-aunt Matilda didn’t find out until she was forty-two. Anne told her.

What kind of an Elemental was she? Tianna asked, always curious to find out anything about her family after being kept in the dark for so long.

Tilly was an air Elemental.

What exactly does an air Elemental do? Tianna was still unclear about what the different Elementals have control over.

Most commonly they exert control over the weather; cause wind to blow or change directions, bring on storms, change the temperature and such. In actuality they can control just about anything that is in a gaseous state. She explained to her curious granddaughter and then decided to go ahead and describe what the other Elementals can control. Water Elementals have control over any liquids but most of them only use it to control water; freeze or boil it, mold and shape it into any shape, they can cause waves or whirlpools, color it, they pretty much have complete control over water or anything else that is in the liquid state. Earth Elementals have control over solids which usually means the earth or ground. They can cause quakes, open up caves and tunnels, raise hills or level them, open up ditches, cause a volcano or stop one from erupting. Earth Elementals can be pretty spectacular but the most common use of their powers that I’ve seen is a kind of sculpting. They actually mold the stone into the shape they want instead of chiseling parts of it away.

What about spirit Elementals; do they control ghosts or something? Tianna ventured a guess.

Anne smiled. No dear, that is just a nick name given to them, they don’t have control of a single element, the spirit Elementals simply have that total control over all four of the Elements. They are very rare.

I guess that brings us to mom’s type of Elemental. Tianna deduced.

That’s right. Lydia was called a Firestarter, that is usually how an Energy Elemental starts out, but in fact, most of them can control all of the different forms of energy, not just fire. Jared is the same sort of Elemental, that energy trick he pulled off to kill your parents, the same thing that your mother used to try and fight him off, can only be done by energy Elementals.

Anne fell silent at that point, giving Tianna the time to absorb that last statement and realize the implications of the information hidden within it.

But… but…I used the same…Tianna stammered.

That’s right, you did. She replied with a single nod. Anne gave a simple confirmation, but offered nothing else.

Then you’re trying to tell me, that I’m an… Before Tianna could finish her grandmother completed the sentence for her.

"Yes…you are an Energy Elemental. Anne confirmed, and then added. Another in a long line of Elementals like your mother, my mother as well as several others, scattered back down along our family tree."

What did your mother have control over?

Water…she used to scare me to death with it sometimes. Her grandmother admitted with a shiver.

"How or why?’ Tianna wondered why her great grandmother would do such a thing to her daughter.

I had this little sail boat that I used to take out on the lake from time to time and occasionally she would use her ability to move the water in such a way that I was speeding across the water as if I were in a motor boat or keep me from moving at all no matter how hard the wind might be blowing.

Tianna clasped her hand over her mouth to hide the giggle that was about to pop out as she thought about how it would look to see her young grandmother out there with no control over her boat. Oh my...

Her grandmother saw what Tianna was doing and smiled herself. Go ahead and laugh, I can now but it was more than a little scary back then. She admitted.

But you’re not one at all then, not even a little? Tianna asked sounding a little confused, it seemed like so many others in the family were.

No, it skipped me altogether…and I won’t lie to you, I’m not exactly unhappy about it either, not at all. Anne confessed.

But why…if I’m, as you say, one of these Energy Elementals…why didn’t I…why didn’t I develop my mother’s Firestarter type abilities? Tianna wasn’t sure if she wanted this new development to be true, or not.

I’m quite sure that in fact you do have all of her abilities, or at least you will have, eventually. Anne assured her granddaughter. It can manifest itself, in many different ways, and all different ages. Your mother was a natural, be thankful that you aren’t, most of those don’t survive long enough to gain control. Also, there are many times that their parents don’t survive it either. We were really lucky with Lydia, even the control came naturally, and that is extremely rare. The Elementals like your mother or yourself are really the lucky ones, it’s the unintentional slip ups that so many times will result in either their own death or the deaths of the people that are the closest to them, and neither of you ever had any. she explained.

So what you’re saying is that I should be able to create a fire in that fireplace, just like my mom used to. Tianna remarked as she walked back over to stand in front of the miniature copy of her grandmother’s stone fireplace again.

Maybe not this minute or even next week, I don’t know when it will happen, but I’m certain that one day you’ll be able to do it just like your mother. It will likely involve a lot of practice and effort but yes, absolutely, and without using a spell. Seeing Tianna’s puzzled expression, she explained. That’s the real difference between conventional witchcraft and an Elemental’s magic; they use only their will, no spell casting. So with a little work, and a lot of practice, I think you’ll eventually amaze yourself. Anne said with a firm nod.

While her grandmother was talking, Tianna began concentrating on the fireplace, trying to get even a small flame to appear, she was straining hard, but all of her effort produced nothing, not even a flicker. I don’t know…

I will be able to help you, even though I don’t have the abilities myself, I do know a lot about how it works. Anne promised.

How…because of mom being one?

Anne nodded. Yes…Lidia and the others in our family as well. I’ve actually had quite a bit of experience living and working with Elementals.

Giving up and turning toward her grandmother once more Tianna shrugged. "I will probably need a little help, maybe more than just a little."

Knowing that Tianna had just attempted to create a fire in the little fireplace like her mother used to do, she tried to reassure her granddaughter. An energy Elemental usually has to work their way up to actually creating fires, especially fuel less fires, but the one thing it does take is absolute and unwavering confidence, you’ve got to know that it’s going to happen, no doubts. Anne explained.

Of course, that’s essential in any magic, even the spells that work without that belief, work better with it. Tianna realized as she said it, that she was quoting something Ms. Hobbs had told them in her class last year at the academy.

Actually Tianna, that holds true even for the non-magical humans, the Nomags as you call them. That complete confidence, a total belief in ones own self and abilities, allows for achievements a hundred-fold greater than what can be accomplished without it. Anne explained, sounding more like a teacher than a grandmother.

You ought to be a teacher. Tianna teased.

I was a teacher, and your mother was more of a handful than any one teacher should have had to deal with. She smiled and shook her head. Don’t take that the wrong way, Lydia was a good student, a quick learner, she wouldn’t give up until she got something right either. On the other hand, she was extremely strong willed, there were many times when she would be determined to learn or do something that I didn’t feel she was ready for, and sometimes…well, occasionally there were arguments.

Mom said that the two of you used to butt heads once in a while. Tianna offered with a lop-sided grin.

Anne chuckled softly, remembering some of those confrontations. Butting heads…that somehow sounds so much gentler than many of the instances that I seem to be remembering and a lot less harsh as well, some of them were pretty rough.

Mom also said that there were times that it was more like an irresistible force, meeting an immovable object. Tianna added to her earlier quote.

Now that sounds more like our conflicts, if I were to try and describe those disagreements, I would’ve probably called it, ’Locking Horns’. Anne chuckled again, but with a sad expression. You know, I even miss those times.

Sometimes it sort of sounds like you and Mom didn’t like each other that much. Tianna commented.

I will admit that it may have appeared that way to others, but we really did love each other, it’s just that we occasionally had a hard time showing it. she paused for a moment, trying to figure a way to describe the relationship she’d had with her daughter. We were too much alike, but at the same time, far too different.

Tianna slid forward on the little sofa until she was perched on the edge. Ok, so while we’re on the subject of family, I’ve got another question.

Spit it out girl, who knows, maybe I’ll have an answer for you. Anne said as she leaned forward in the rocker.

Okay…Why is it, that you and Mom hardly ever mentioned your side of the family while Dad was always talking about his? Tianna found that she was relieved to have finally asked the question that had bugged her for so long.

I knew that question was going to pop up sometime. Did Lydia tell you anything about our own family history? Anne answered Tianna’s question with one of her own.

No…mom really didn’t tell me anything at all and every time that I would try to ask about her family she’d just avoid the question by giving me one of her non-answer responses. Tianna barked in irritation.

"What exactly do you mean when you say a non-answer response?" Her grandmother looked confused.

"Well…when I’d ask why we never see any of her family she’d just say that none of them live around here or that we have a really small family or we’re