Young Guardian Trilogy by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (the lemonade war series .TXT) 📖

That in itself was odd.
“For once, you are correct in assuming something is wrong.” Enchantra replied sadly. “I have to regret something you have and love is to be tested to its utter limits, but you cannot use it for a while.”
“What are you talking about?” Luna asked.
“Stop beating around the bush, sister.” Jezebel playfully scolded her. “Just tell them and let it be at that.”
“Aye.” Enchantra looked at us. She took one of Luna’s and one of my hands. “My dears, for a full year, your Magic will be tested. Unfortunately, the last test is to be Earthbound, unable to use any of your powers or abilities.”
“How long?” I asked.
My Mystic Magic was still growing, and still untamed. How was I supposed to learn all I could about it if I couldn’t even use it?
“For one full year of Outer Realm time.” Enchantra regretted. “In this time, you must learn to control every aspect of it, keeping it a secret from those which make you want to use it most.”
“Such as?”
“Any enemies you may have in your new lives together.” Challandra put in.
“The good news is, once that year is up, you will be stronger in your powers, and able to do anything your mind will let you.” O’Dell replied. “'It is part of both the Mystic and Wizard’s heritage the two of you possess.”
I was bummed, but determined. “I’ll try my best to please you, My Lord.”
Luna sounded the same. “We won’t disappoint you.”
Enchantra, Challandra, Jezebel, and O’Dell hugged us.
“When you awaken in the morning, you won’t be able to do anything you usually do.” O’Dell warned us.
“The main rule for you both Young Guardian and Grand Magus is this: You can’t always use your Magic on a whim. You must learn to control it, and your angers.” Enchantra replied.
She must be thinking of when I used the anger in me against Sabrina to defeat her in the Outer Realm. I looked sheepish and guilty.
“We bid you a fond adieu, and the best of luck in your journeys.” Challandra said aloud.

As we returned to our beds, I had one thought in my mind.
What were we about to get ourselves into?

The next night, I began my rounds of the Dream Realm alone. Lord Guardian was always there somewhere if I needed his help, but I rarely did. In fact, most of the time, Dreamers’ worlds were downright boring and uneventful.
Yeah, right. Whom was I kidding? There was always Orthos or Dominionites to bother Young Dreamers at night. It didn’t matter if he was Exiled to the Unknown with Sabrina and Damian or not. Remnants of the Old Dominion still stood tall, its old Dominionites not completely changed by Lord Maximaniac’s impact. This discouraged even the strongest of Crusaders.

On that particular night, Sibylline came to my Dream Realm. Her black gown matched her hair, and it was hard to distinguish between her hair and her gown. Each had glowing stars on them. She held a wand in her hand, which glowed at one end and had different stones in it.
I walked up to her and bowed. “Mistress Sibylline! What pleasure do I owe your presence?”
Sibylline laughed. “Oh, Young Guardian, do not speak so formally! I have come to bring you word of a quest.”
“What sort of quest, Mistress?” I asked her, rising.
She and I were face to face. Sibylline handed the small wand to me. I saw the glowing crystal on one end with another crystal at the other end. I looked at it closely. “What is this for?”
“For you, as an Earthbound Mystic.” Sibylline said. “It will help you in the journey to come. For now, go to the Realms of the Goddesses.”
“How can I go there without Magic?” I asked her.
She smiled. “Since when have you used Magic to come here?” Sibylline smiled.
“Isn’t that how I get to the Dream Realm? With my Magic?”
She shook her head. “A Mystic like you only has to think about the Dream Realm to come to it.” Sibylline explained.
She looked over my shoulder. When I glanced to see what caught her eye, I could faintly see a large figure of a man. The man came closer to us and I could see the furry face, cat ears and tail. He looked exactly like a male version of Katherine and Kitten’s Claw Hawk!
Could this be the mysterious Braken Hawk Enchantra told us about?
“Come, my Love. Let us visit the girls.” The man said, walking up to her and kissing her.
Sibylline turned to me. “I can read into your thoughts, Young Guardian. Yes, this is Braken Hawk, Lord King of the entire Realm of the Epsilon.”
I bowed. “Pleasure to meet you, my Lord.”
“Pleasure is mine.” Braken smiled at me. “I have been waiting to meet you since you were announced.”
“Announced?” I asked, tightening my grip on the wand.
“By announced, we mean when you had the Enchanted Child.” Sibylline said. “That is when O’Dell officially began to call you by your title, correct?”
I nodded.
“We need to go, my Sweet.” Braken told her.
“Fine.” Sibylline whispered. “Until we meet again. Goddess Bless, Young Guardian.”
“Goddess Bless, Mistress.” I returned.
I saw them disappear, returning to my rounds of the Dream Realm with a new tool.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw the wand clutched in my hand. It wasn’t glowing now, and I was able to see what it was made of. I only got a glimpse of it before it disappeared. “What the?” I whispered to myself.
I heard giggling, sitting up to see both Bradley Allen and Kelly standing next to my bed. Derrick was over them sporting a huge smile.
“What are you grinning about?” I asked him, hugging the kids.
Derrick sat next to me on the bed. “Oh, nothing really.” He said, kissing my lips. “I love you.”
I heard the children chorus, “Ew! Gross!”
Derrick and I parted, with myself grabbing Kelly and tickling her and Derrick grabbing Bradley in a playful headlock before rubbing his hair.
“Stop that!” Bradley laughed, batting at Derrick’s hands.
Kelly and I looked at each other and laughed with them. She sat herself on my lap before hugging me.
“Morning Momma!” Kelly kissed my cheek.
I looked to Bradley once we settled down. “Where’s your father?”
Bradley shrugged his shoulders. “He was gone when I went to get breakfast.”
“What about Aimee?”
“She’s with Julie and Shannon, learning her Magic, Momma.” Kelly supplied.
“So they left us with you two trouble-makers, huh?” I teased, tapping both their noses.
“Yep!” Bradley cried. “Can we go explore, Uncle Derrick?”
“I don’t see why not.” Derrick said. “If it’s alright with you, Love.”
He looked at me and I looked at the three of them. Kelly and Bradley gave me puppy-dog eyes and pouted lips. “I don’t know...” My voice trailed.
“Please?” The kids chorused.
“We’ll be good.” Kelly hugged me. “Promise!”
“Yeah. We won’t get into any trouble.” Bradley promised. He hugged me, too. “Can we, please Aunt Ariana?”
“Sometimes I think trouble is your middle name, Bradley Allen.” I teased him, nodding. “Go ahead, but don’t go too far.”
The kids jumped off the bed. “Thank you, Momma!” Kelly cried. She turned to her step-adopted brother. “Race ya to the Dunes!”
At that, Bradley opened the door and raced out of the room, with my daughter behind him. Derrick closed the door before heading back to me.
He was laughing. “Those are some kids you got there, my Ariana Moon.”
I gasped at the name, my thoughts immediately returning to the image of Mrs. Gertrude’s horrible face. “Derrick, honey, please don’t.” I whispered, turning my face away from his.
He sat down and hugged me. “I’m sorry, Love. I forgot.” He kissed me again. “Forgive me?”
I hugged him back, looking at his dark, chocolate brown eyes. They were too hard to resist, so I kissed his nose. “I forgive you.”
“Good, now get dressed.” Derrick playfully commanded. “I want to treat you to brunch in the café.”
I stood and tried changing my clothes using Magic, but it didn’t work. He laughed and I frowned.
“Forgot you were Earthbound, didn’t you?” He wrapped his arms around me and teased my lips.
I smiled again. “I guess so.” I told him, tearing myself from his arms. I went to the closet and sifted through it for a decent dress to wear. “I don’t think I’m going to survive being Earthbound for a full year.”
“Sure you will.” Derrick said. “You’ve been without powers before, right?”
“That was different.” I told him from the closet. “I didn’t know how to control it back then. Now that I do, I want to use it.” Once choosing my outfit, I dressed quickly.
When I came out, he spotted me, whistling.
He took my hand and I twirled around.
“Well, what do you think?” I asked him with a grin. “Not bad for an Earthbound, is it?”
He pulled me to him, kissing my lips again. “Deliciously irresistible.” He whispered in my ear, making me blush.
With that, we headed to the café for brunch.
In the middle of the meal, I had to race to the bathroom before I threw up. After washing my hands, I went back to the table.
“Are you okay, Love?” Derrick asked, worried.
I waved a hand at him before sitting down. “Sure. It must have been something I ate.”
“You’ve hardly touched your meal.” He replied.
I shrugged.
For the rest of the night, I felt sick. I didn’t dare go to the clinic, even though I knew Dana was the best doctor on campus. Since I wasn’t allowed to use Magic, I healed myself with little home-made remedies I knew from my childhood. First, I tried wishing my tiredness away, only to end up falling asleep during the day. The kids were worried for me, even Aimee and Aaron were. Everyone was worried about me.
When I told Shane one morning, he told me Luna was sick, too.
“Twin illnesses.” I joked with a slight groan.
“She’s been to the clinic twice, but both Lady Doc and Love Joy say there’s nothing wrong with her.” Shane told me. “What have they said about you?”
I shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I hadn’t gone to the clinic lately.”
That’s when Shane stopped in his tracks. “What does Derrick think about that?”
“I keep telling him I’m fine, which he brushes off.” I told him. “Besides, he’s too busy with his Senior Detective training to pay any attention to me anyway.”
Shane didn’t say anything but. “If you want my advice, go see Dana. I have to run. See ya around.”
I waved to him once I got to Fourth Floor.
I was tired, but found myself hanging over the railing of the balcony. I breathed in the fresh California air and glanced around. Down below was the ocean, so clean and perfect. The wind was making the water move into little waves across the sand. To the right, I saw the house atop the hill in the distance. It was known as the County, which I knew from experience was the place my Grandfather Theodore Ryan bought for Gramma Dixilynne when they married.
I closed my eyes to picture them together in that house, but couldn’t see a thing.
“I hate being Earthbound.” I grumbled to myself, sitting on one of the chairs.
I guess being Earthbound without powers meant my clairvoyance, too. For a full year, in order to have more control over the Mystic Magic, I would be a normal young woman.
I sighed, closing my eyes.
I must have falling