The guests began to arrive and with Ruby ruling it, it felt more like a royal matchmaking party, as they stood outside by the gate of our house greeting them. The warm morning sun shined down upon her and she had to squint my eyes a little because of the brightness of it.

  Robert stood next to her, “Do you think we should tease them a bit. Pretend we’re in love,” He whispered.

  The idea of it just doesn’t feel right with him. Awkward unnatural. If she does that they might head into a direction which will ruin the bond they already have. Not mention that it is too in the upon. She needed more time to think about this. It sounded too overbearing, “Shame, give them a break. It’s one of the last sunny days they’ll get. Don’t want to load them with too much,”

  “They’ll survive,”

  “I don’t want to. Maybe later. Too many people. Too public,” She glanced around at all the people.

  “If this is what you want, then I’ll give you the space you need,”

  So they carried on greeting the guests. So many people arrived that she never met before, and she already know she won’t be able to remember all their names.

  At around lunchtime on the lush green grass of their garden everyone sat around a table. One half was in the sun, the other semi shaded by the leaves of a large tree. A white lace patterned table cloth embroidered of small delicate colourful flowers covered it, and was set with the fanciest plates and cutlery.

  They ate the wide array of food while everyone talked, with the birds whistling, and chirping in the background. She sat between Corban and Robert. Maxwell was there too. He kept his distance, ready to serve everyone when needed. He stood by the trunk of the tree.

  Soon the conversation changed into the servants most of them had, and how incredibly unintelligent, lazy, ineffective, and useless they were. She didn’t like it one bit. She glanced to Maxwell. She could see it bothered him. He looked down to the ground and seemed sad.

  “I hate what they’re talking about,” she whispered under my breath as she fiddled with one of the embroidered flowers.

  “I know that it is rude to talk about servants like that, but there’s not much you can do about it,” Her brother whispered back, as if he honestly believes to be the voice of reason.

  “Is it because of Maxwell?” Robert asked.

  “Yes,” She angrily glanced around the table, “And I want to stop it,” The people now blatantly made fun and laughed about their servants.

  “I don’t think they’ll take you serious,” Her brother than again tried to sound logical which only annoyed her further.

  “Don’t worry. It will change soon,” Robert stated.

  “But doing nothing is just as bad as being part of it,” She responded with disgust.

  “So what you’re planning to do?” Robert then asked.

  “Gabrielle, please don’t. You know Aunty Ruby...,” Corban’s words became background noises.

  She’s going to try to break-up this party. She didn’t enjoy it to start off with. Since she sat on the half in the sun, she gazed up at the bright blue sky. There was only one small fluffy cloud. It’s almost as if she zoned out. Lost track of her surroundings. She focused only on this cloud. Pictured it transforming. Expanding, darkening, getting heavier. And so it happened. This cloud slowly filled up the entire sky. For some strange reason this didn’t freak her out. It was almost mesmerizing. It gave her a sense of empowerment. Achievement.

  After a couple of minutes the sky was completely covered in heavy dark grey clouds. Almost as dark as nighttime. She didn’t stop there. Next she let rain come out. It began to pour heavily down. Then lightning flashed and thunder erupted through the sky.

  Suddenly she noticed she was soaking wet, shivering cold as her teeth almost clattered. She was pulled along by two people. She realised it was father and Robert. Corban rushing ahead. He quickly opened the front door, they guided her inside. Next Ruby rushed to her with a big warm blanket and a soft towel. She desperately grabbed to the blanket, and covered herself in it. And twisted the towel around her braid, while she was lead to the living room.

  “Gabrielle! What’s the matter with you? Why did you stare at the rain like this? It’s been twice today! Are you sick? If not now, you’ll be so tomorrow!” Ruby reprimanded as she walked next to her.

  She tried her best to pretend to be confused and absent minded, “I don’t know,” before she leapt down on the nearest sofa.

  “You better warm yourself up. I need to sort out the guests. The party will have to carry on indoors,” And Ruby hurriedly left.

  She squeezed the blanket tighter around herself, loosened her braid and tightened the towel around it. Slowly the shivering diminished. The produced by the blanket was a welcome to her.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Gabs, why didn’t you go inside like everyone else? You just froze. Utterly froze as you stared at the sky. You should have seen yourself,” Robert sounded surprised, almost astounded.

  “Gabrielle, are you okay,” She can’t believe her brother. Now he actually tried to sound as if he cared. She knew it was an act. What she felt when he was away was much worse than now.

  She angrily looked over to him, “And what is it got to do with you,”

  “Gabrielle please, when will you stop being like this?” He even looked sad.

  “When you begin to tell me what happened during your journalism program?”

  He sighed deeply, “Gabs, I already told you what we did,” He vaguely responded, “I should help Ruby to bring everything inside,” Then he left too.

  “See what I’m talking about,” Now that Robert is around he will see what she’s talking about. Witness how much he’s avoiding it.

  “It’s uncalled for. He’s was only worried about you,” Robert stated.

  “I care about him too. That’s why I want to know more. Irrelevant of how boring it sounds, it will pique my interest because I’m he’s sister,”

  Before she could’ve said anything more, a tall woman regally strode into the living room, and approached them. She looked somewhat like the princess or queen heroin from the classical childhood fantasy stories with her fair pale skin, smooth long blond hair, the perfect shaped nose and lips without being too full. She had pale ice blue eyes below her long pitch black eye lashes, with a rather long face. She wore a glittering light blue dress and aquamarine shoes that had a small, but sharp hill.

  Today was the first time she seen her, and she was one of the people whose name she was unable to remember, “Gabrielle Florence, my name is Valeria Liston. I doubt you remembered it as you got introduced to so many other people,” She spoke in a smooth, gentle, but calm manner with a slight highness in her voice, “Would it be okay if I have a moment with you. Preferably alone,”

  “Yes, off-course,” She unwrapped the blanket, quickly hung the towel over the backrest, and left with Valeria. She led me to the foyer.

  “All the guests are now in the dining room with your stepmother Ruby, so we shouldn’t be disturbed here,” Valeria got directly to the point, “Gabrielle, I very well know you caused the storm. You wanted to break-up the conversation, since you didn’t like it that they talked about servants,”

  With the exception of Robert, she didn’t feel anyhow comfortable to tell others about her powers, especially a complete stranger, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. How can I possibly cause a thunderstorm?” She tried her very best to feign innocence. She hoped Valeria would buy the act.

  “Gabrielle, there’s no point in lying. We both know it was you. Your gaze was fixed upon one small delicate fluffy cloud as it changed into a thunderstorm. It was abnormal. This might not be the wisest decision considering we’ll soon experience severely cold snowy weather for an indefinite period. However, you can be honest with me, as I’m a Sorcerer too. I know many people won’t understand it. So I am going to ask you again, did you cause the storm? I want to hear it from you. This way it will help you to become more accustomed to accept it,”

  For some reason it felt very hard to disobey her and she hated it, “Okay, fine I did cause the storm. I only did it to break up the conversation about servants. I didn’t like where it was going,” She’s not going to apologise if that’s what Valeria expects.

  “I can sense you are an incredible wilful person with the right gaol in mind, irrelevant of what other think or do, and that is a very good trait to have. And I aught to give you credit for your bravery too. In any way, you must probably very confused about your powers, and everything regarding it,”

  “Yes, I am,”

  “I am in charge of a place called the Centre. Many other Sorcerers are there too. There they are trained how to control, use, and improve their powers. You might find it to be helpful,”

  “I don’t think it is very wise use my powers too much, since I can’t control them properly,” she might’ve admitted to Valeria about the thunderstorm she caused but that will be my limit. There is now way she will tell her about the dream she had.

  “Once you leave you will have a much clearer perception of life too,”

  A thought suddenly flashed through her mind. Maybe that why Corban left. He too was a Sorcerer and only used the journalism as a cover-up excuse. He believed we will look down upon him, “My brother, Corban Florence was he there too? He left a year ago and only came back a few weeks ago. He claims he was on a journalism program, but I don’t believe him,”

  “At the moment I am unable to reveal this to you. There are many other Sorcerers at the Centre. So what do you think? Will you go? It’s best not to tell too many people about it, unless you have their complete trust. Not everyone is accustomed to the idea of Sorcery,”

  She was tempted to go, only if it might shed some light on where Corban went, but she need to tread carefully. She need more time to sort it out, think about it. Prepare, “So where’s the Centre?”

  “It is in fact very close to here, in Ibis avenue,” Valeria answered, “I believe your stay will be much shorter than some other Sorcerers,”

  “Why’s that?”

  “I can see the dedication and a strength of character in you.I sense you will use these traits in your favour to control your powers,” Valeria explained, “You may go now,” They left the foyer, “I’ll join the rest of the guest for a short while before taking my leave. I can’t stay too long,” Valeria said before they separated.

  Robert still waited for her in the living room, where she left him, sitting next to her discarded blanket and towel.

  “Gabs, you seem as if there is again something on your mind,” He stated as she sat down, “What did Valeria want?”

  She don’t want anyone that passed by to overhearing their conversation, “I’ll tell you later. Too many people,”

  The reason for this is because there are Spies everywhere who works for the Authorities. Some of these Spies looks and acts exactly like ordinary civilians. If specific information is leaked, the Spies will report it to the Authorities. Even though there might be no Spies around, it will still be risky. Ordinary people can do this too. If the information is correct, they will get some kind of reward depending on the value of it. As for you, you will get locked-up with an awaiting punishment. The severity of it will depends on what you did or said, “Maybe we should join the party again,”

  “Are you sure you feeling up to it,” Robert said.

  “I need the distraction,”

  “What if the conversation changes again to servants?”

  “Then we will leave,”

  “As I know your stepmother, she’ll give you a piece of her mind if you do,”

  “With everything on my mind now she’s the least of my concerns,” They got up, and made their way to the dining room. Upon entering Valeria smiled at her, she returned it. They found two empty seats next to each other, and sat down.