Chapter 1
“Levi!” Kaye, my adopted sister, yells from the dining room.
I look up, “Yes?”
“How much of a mess did you make this time?”
“Well,” I look around, “that’s a very good question...”
I’m currently in the kitchen baking a cheesecake and I just put on the cherry glaze that I made for it in the fridge. Baking is one of my favorite things, especially because I’m able to sell my desserts down at the market and I make a pretty penny quite often.
Kaye scowls. She knows she’d have to clean up, but, for some reason, she never accepts it. Kaye takes a seat again to work on...well, knowing her, probably homework.
“No.” She says when I opened my mouth to ask for some help in cleaning.
I smirk. “You know, I’d just made this batch of cherry glaze. It would be a shame if it were to end up in the trash, don’t you think?”
Kaye looks at me, her wide eyes, obviously filling with fear that her favorite cherry glaze would be going down the trash.
I enter her mind, using my telepathy, to see what she would do. Her plan is to turn invisible and run for it. Then, she’ll get the cherry glaze and use her super speed to hide it somewhere. She isn’t sure exactly where.
Just as she turns invisible, I shift into a snake, one that can sense thermal energy. Kaye can’t hide from me.
It also helps that she hates snakes.
Looking at me, the fridge, and the house, she finally throws her hands up in the air and said, “Fine, Lee, you win.”
I transform back and fix my red hair, then made sure my cherry brooch is still attached to my sweater. The brooch is my magical staff in disguise, and even though it’s supposed to change into whatever form I take, I still like to check it’s there.
Kaye’s (somewhat) clever though. She uses her super speed to grab it, then runs.
“Leo!” I call my Jack Russel Terrier. Then, I transmit a message into his brain: Go find my glaze, please.
“Kaye! Lee!” Father yells, “Leave the cherry glaze alone. Lee, let Kaye finish her Theater homework and, for Pete’s sake, get started on your Telepathy Training Homework!”
There’s homework? Well, poop.
Kaye comes back down to put the cherry glaze away, but she uses her telekinesis to keep a safe distance and float it back into the fridge.
Kaye and I each have four powers. But people are supposed to only have one, so Father told us to train three at home and one at school so we could keep our powers off the radar. For Kaye, she has super speed, telekinesis, invisibility, and we can both telepathically communicate with animals. I have fire powers, shape-shifting, telepathy, and mind control. When we go to Chrysalism Academy, we’ll have to choose one to focus on.
Having four powers is abnormal, so Father wants us to keep it off the radar. We’ll train the other powers at home with separate online tutors.
Father sighs and glares at the mess surrounding us. Giggling nervously, I shoot Kaye a desperate look, but she’s slowly scooting away, grinning like an idiot. I toss her a murderous glance, then, thinking better of it, I use my secret weapon: Puppy Dog Eyes.
It works like a charm. Kaye is so sympathetic, she grumbles, then super speedy cleans the kitchen. Father beams in approval, and I smirk inwardly, knowing that my Puppy Dog Eyes will work on her every time.
It’s fantastic.
Father turns and goes upstairs and I feel something cold and sticky dripping in my hair.
My. Hair.
My beautiful, red hair. The hair that I had meticulously cared for.
Now, understand this: I’m not a girly girl. I’m a tomboy, but my hair is something I pride myself on. A lot. My mother used to braid my hair at night and say, “Imagine all of your worries are disappearing into this braid. Now go to sleep and don’t worry about anything.”
I miss that.
But right now, I’m not sad, I’m angry. I automatically turn into a tiger, unable to restrain myself and roar at Kaye.
She backs away, clearly recognizing she crossed a line.
I’m in a trance, focusing on Kaye, and my anger makes me think of her as prey, me destroying her. My animal form’s instincts almost take over.
Almost.
Kaye whimpers, “Levi...Lee, I’m sorry.”
I transform back, coming out of my trance. This is why our powers have limits. I have to be calm while shape-shifting or I lose control.
I glare at Kaye and run to my room, knowing I have to get away before I get mad again. I hop into the shower and let the hot water loosen my tense muscles, and relax.
I wash the glaze out of my hair and step out and get dressed.
Then, I walk downstairs where Kaye is anxiously pacing and flickering in and out of her invisibility. She’s anxious.
As soon as she sees me, she comes to me and says, “Lee, I’m so sorry. I tripped. Are you okay? Are you mad? Are you--”
I cut her off, “It’s okay. And I’m sorry for losing control.”
She smiles, “It’s alright. So we’re okay?”
I wink, “’Kay, Kaye.”
Kaye laughs and smacks my shoulder. Then, she and I both head to the dojo room, where she sits down and memorizes her script, and I work on my sparring skills with Bobby, the dummy. Leo sits down next to Calypso, Kaye’s Chow Chow puppy.
We both stay there for the rest of the day.
Of course, that’s until the Queen summons us.
