Page 51 of Autumn Secrets

“Mum, you’re scaring me,” I said nervously and tucked my hair behind my ear.

She shook her head and closed the distance between us, grabbing my hand.

“I’m sorry, Aurora. It’s just, I can see it. Something has happened.”

“What are you talking about? Nothing has happened. I’m fine.”

“Yes, something has definitely happened. You’ve connected to your light.”

Alarm bells were ringing everywhere, and I pulled my hand away as my heart started to beat rapidly. It was the same thing the old woman had told me at the markets.

“Not you too,” I whispered, feeling like a mutant, the way people were treating me lately.

“What do you mean? Who else told you this, Aurora?” She looked at me terrified; I was really starting to freak out.

“You need to tell me,” she demanded with an emotion I seldom saw from her. It was pure fear in her voice.

“Mum, you’re scaring me. It was just this old woman at the market. She said something about the equinox and light bearers… I don’t know, I didn’t understand any of it. But don’t worry, she was harmless and then I actually met her granddaughter and great granddaughter. I even got their number—”

“Aurora. You need to tell me exactly what happened this weekend,” Mum interrupted me.

“I told you.”

“No, something else must have happened. Anything out of the ordinary?”

Mum took hold of my hand again and steered us towards the couch. I hesitated. Waking up a sleeping plant, which I also happen to suddenly know by name, I guess would qualify as out of the ordinary? But it was so surreal. I wasn’t sure what had happened, or if it had ever actually happened at all.

“Aurora. You can tell me anything, and I meananything. Nothing will sound crazy to me; do you understand what I’m saying?”

I swallowed and met her eyes. I thought of Lucinda and her daughter Phoebe, and what the old lady had said to me at the markets. Not to mention, remembering my grandmother having the same gift, unless it was some crazy dream. Maybe Mum had some secrets of her own that she wanted to share? I took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. There was only one way to find out.

“You will think I’ve gone crazy when you hear this, and maybe I have—”

Mum shook her head. “No, Aurora. Nothing will sound crazy, trust me. Please, tell me everything.”

I told her about the morning in the forest and how I had awakened the Calypso orchid with my bare hands, and somehow knowing its name. Then I told her about the market and the old woman who had been so excited to see me, then I told her about Lucinda and Phoebe at the café we had visited.

“What’s your verdict? Am I losing it, or what?” I tried with a fake laugh, but mostly, I just felt embarrassed. It sounded so ridiculous saying it out loud. I mean, I was talking about bringing things to life, after all. Like I was some kind of supernatural freak. I chewed frantically on my lip, while I waited for her to deliver a final verdict.

“Aurora, I’m sorry, I…” Mum sighed and looked away, like she needed a minute to collect herself. “I should have told you earlier. I just… I wanted to shield you as long as possible from all of this. It was never my intention to put you in danger.”

I felt the room spin. This wasn’t what I expected her to say at all, but in another way, I wasn’t that surprised either. Lucinda and Phoebe had kind of confirmed things for me. I took a deep breath.

“Mum, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about who you are.Whatyou are.”

And there was that word again,what. I was really starting to hate that word.

“Okay, keep going…”

“There is so much you don’t know about the world around you, and that is partly my fault. I knew that one day I’d need to have this conversation with you, but I just kept putting it off. You see, there was a reason we moved back here. You’re turning eighteen soon, and things are about to change. I wanted to stop it. Or at least, delay it.”

“Hold on, Mum, you’re losing me. Can you explain everything from the beginning?”

Mum squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She nodded. “Yes, I need to call Mr and Mrs Peters.”

“Okay. But what do they have to do with all this?”