Chapter 40: Hey Big Sister

           Naida listened to the faint rattling coming from the lamp and stared blindly at the closed tent flap.  She had no idea if her try at breaking the spell on the boy was working or not and she sat and wondered at how her life had changed.

            … I had lessons in the biggest library I’ve ever seen, found a sphinx’s reading spectacles, had a gigantic half woman half snake declare herself my Godmother.  I’m sitting with princess hair braids and a magical brass lamp that happens to be snoring, in a tiny tent in the middle of the biggest mass of white sand that I’ve ever seen with an enspelled little boy on my lap, wondering if I’ve managed to dent a really big spell put on him.

            Last year at this time I was just worried about mean girls and being different.

            I don’t want to tell Sybaris but I’m actually happier when Asteri is off looking for my ushera because I don’t know that I’ll attract a spirit creature worthy of my mother and my father and my people.  I mean… look at what Asteri can do, even as a youngster putting himself back together.  And Sybaris.  I don’t know what she sees in me that made her risk coming with me.

            I’ve shaken the lamp and called her name, tapped on it, heck I even picked up a rock and made it ring like a bell but she won’t wake up.

            And I can’t make her come out… I mean if I rapped on the thing three times and called her name she’d be forced out and the Twins would make her go back to that island and leave me.

            For a creature that I’ve known for less than a year, the thought of losing her as a friend scares me.  I mean, I don’t even know if my mother will like me.  I’ve grown up away from her. Will I like HER?  I don’t know.  I might not.  Zeno was the closest thing I had to a blood mother, and I haven’t even finished grieving for her yet.

            Am I good enough? Am I strong enough? Am I smart enough?  All these people keep telling me that I am, but I was the dirt girl for so long it’s like I can’t hear that.

            As she sat in the freezing dark slow tears began to roll down her cheeks and she scrubbed them away angrily.

            “Hey, big sister… you’re jerking me around down here.  Could I have some more water?” The voice from her lap was lisping and croaking at the same time and she froze, looking down at the little boy’s open eyes.