She handed me the letter. I read it, I was to appear before the county Elders for testing. There I would exhibit my skills, weather it be meditation and healing magic or mediumship. I had only hours of prep, I started to get nervous already. When the Elders call, you answer. The letter said optional but everyone knew it was mandatory.
"Alright, we leave today at 7. I'll drive in." I said and stood. I went over to my bookshelf. I hadn't seen my family in years. What would Jared, my brother, be like? My father? My mother I kept in touch with due to her job but I became super busy with the safe house. With this third job on it, I would be required to stay in my location unless I get permission otherwise. My brother graduated high school in a year, I would need permission to even see it if I had the time. "I have to tell my mother." I said.
"There's the bad news, we think she might be competing against you."
"What?" How was I supposed to compete against the woman who taught me everything I knew about regular magic. That tore one of my proficiencies off the list. My skills included tarot cards, energy work, spell casting, mediumship, guiding readings, and aura. I read the names on the list that were summoned, my mother's name was there. Next to each person's name there was what their known skill was, mine had nothing. "Cat, why does my name have nothing next to it?" I asked.
"What?" I showed her and she was shocked. "I swear I put your skills in. We went to school together and in the same classes despite me not being good at the ones you wanted to take but you had a knack for everything. I put in what you graduated with." She pulled my paperwork and showed me. My skills were there. I put the letter down and my skills paper next to it and compared. There was one for each skill, except one.
"Cat. I know what it is."
"What is it?"
"Look. Each skill I have is there but one. Mediumship. Visions, psychic work. What I did for my final test in school." She looked at me and I looked back.
"You don't mean.." I nodded.
"I am the wild card, and they already chose who it's gonna be. This test is a formality. They already know who is gonna win, and what I would have to choose. I will do mediumship. And get this job."
After the shocking realization that I had my talent planned for me, I went back to the library after helping Cat get settled. She was moving in because if (and when according to Cat) I got this job she would need to be there to help the paperwork, or if anyone else got it she would be close by. The rest of the day went well and without a hiccup, we closed and I led Lance to the door so he could leave and I could lock it.
"So, can we have dinner tomorrow?" He asked. Usually the two of us would get dinner every other night when we were at school before I left for the library.
"Do you care if my new roommate comes with or is there? Cat just moved in today because she needed a place to stay for sometime." He shook his head.
"Only if I bring some friends." He said. I rolled my eyes.
"Are we hosting game night? Is that what you are asking?" I asked as I reached the door.
"Maybe." He said stopping.
"I take that as a yes, bring what you want. When you get here tomorrow I'll go shopping. I don't have any snacks left and me and Cat have dinner tonight out so I am not buying anything tonight. Anyway, go I have to get ready." He rolled his eyes and said goodbye. I locked the door and ran up to my room. I had closed a half hour early so I could walk through closing and get him out. A young girl popped out from the books.
"Marissia!" I said. She was a young spirit who was trapped in this plane.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to say good luck." I rolled my eyes. She had become like a little sister to me as I lived here. She discovered I could see her when she kept moving my stuff and I looked her in the eyes and asked why she wanted my attention. She had introduced herself and kept watch over the library ever since. She sometimes puts books away at night or moves them around when I don't have the time to do so. Or if she feels like it. It keeps the books rotated and my job semi easier so I don't mind.
"Thank you, but you know Cat is here I can't be talking so freely. Unless you wish me to tell her." I said walking through one of the rows to the back entrance.
"Please do, it will make this a lot easier! Plus I can't still stay in the apartment right?" I nodded, she was about 14 when she died in 1950. So she was very kind.
"Yes, but I can't talk freely there. Too much energy right now. Let's go, I have to get ready." We went to the apartment and I changed into my summoning dress. It was a long skirted dress that showed which cycle of the triple goddess you were in. The triple goddess has the maiden, mother, and crone.
Currently, I was a maiden. Usually she is described as being a virgin and not married. The title was relaxed when we moved to the current system and approved by all Parthenons of Gods. Which made it much easier to hide my nature for me. My dress was golden and white. There was gold beading around the top and bodice of the dress. The skirt flared out straight but loose that one could dance during rituals freely. Each spin showed the golden tint on the inside of the skirt folds. I wore flats that could easily be taken off.
My hair was down. It was usually very curly but since growing it out, with it being so thick it's turned more wavy. It reached down to the end of my lumbar. Each woman was given a headpiece to show what they excelled in. My mother and I both had six. However, a few of mine were more complicated to show the level of mastery I had gotten. Her tarot one was much more complex than mine due to the fact she had just been doing it longer. Our energy ones matched. Her aura was more complex. My spell work was more complex due to having the safe house and so was my guided reading one. My most complex was my mediumship one. I sat in front of them all. Cat was behind me.
"You don't have to wear it now, it will be too obvious." She said, she knew I was nervous and so was she, I couldn't let her energy impact me. Since being a medium was what I excelled at, I knew how to keep the energy flow controlled and safe so I just had to remind myself not to over do it.
"I know, I am killing time but I need to not. Bring me the case in my closet." Cat wore a similar dress to mine but hers was a short skirt and not as complex beading. She was in a meeting dress. She also wore heels and had her hair, which was very similar to mine, in a bun with a gold comb in the right side of her head. If you looked at us you would assume that we were sisters, but we looked different enough that we weren't. Not to mention I am dying my hair soon so we wouldn't hold that much longer. I am glad this was happening before I was going to do it. She brought me a black bag that held a space for the headpiece. I placed it in front of me and took the headpiece off the wall and carefully put it into the case. I closed it and secured it.
`"Let us go."
`I pulled a shawl out of the closet and Cat did the same out of her room. We both placed a light coat on and went to my car. The parking for the apartment was near the back so we wouldn't be seen. She buckled and so did I, and we drove off. I stayed on the backroads to the meeting place. We didn't want to be caught in this attire not to mention they would doll me up when we arrived. Part of custom. Before we hit the meeting place we drove by Lance's house, there was a girl who looked like she was lost in the front. "We can't stop, Roslyn we will be late." I nodded. Something about her made me do a mental note to see if I could find her later. We drove up to the entry which was guarded.
"Hello, ladies. Authorized?" The guard asked as Cat went to pull both our cards.
"Ned, can't you just let us in on good behavior? Or on the terms that I know your boss?" I asked jokingly as I handed the cards. Ned was a guy we went to school with that was friends with my ex boyfriend, Jake who was now the head of security for our county. He laughed quietly and scanned us.
"Didn't take you for using the 'I slept with your boss' card, Roslyn. But either way you are good to go. Good luck tonight, also Jake will be in there. It's important enough he will be." Ned said.
"Thanks, but I don't need a heads up. He broke up with me because he left for training and I was in school. Am I a bit salty that he is engaged to a girl? Yes, but I know I did it better." I said taking the cards back and handing them to Cat who rolled her eyes.
"Only you. Well, I hope you bring me good news. Off you go." He said and we drove off. I parked and grabbed the case from the back. Cat insisted on staying with me until she couldn't anymore.
We left for the room I was assigned as well the attendants. The girls who were at least junior in high school who seemed to be shaking, flew in and got me ready. Between Cat telling them what to do better and how to frame my eyes, I allowed myself to settle. When they were finished they asked if I needed help with the head piece, I recognized one of the girls as my friend's cousin, Francesca, so I chose her to stay and help and dismissed the other girls.
"Thank you for choosing me, Miss." she said sweetly as the last girl left. "And thank you for getting rid of them." She said, dropping the act. She went to the door and opened it. There stood Caitlin and Jessy. They were Cat and my other best friends.
"You guys came?" I said as I got up and hugged me, which Francesca cringed at. "Not too tight, we don't want the sweet attendant to have a heart attack."
"I worked hard on your makeup and hair, don't fuck it up." I laughed and went to the case. My hair was now in a half do, braided with some of my hair still down. I am sure I am the youngest yet somehow the Elders put the most authority on me. Is it because I am a medium? Either way, I am scared. My friends came over to the box. Only Cat had seen the headpiece. I opened it and Cat moved to help me. It was a jeweled piece that was linked with gold chains. There was a crescent moon that hung upside down to signify mediumship. The moon was silver contrasting with the gold, and there was silvery blue jewels on it as well. I placed it on and Cat clasped it in the back. The moon hung on my forehead, the jewels framed my head and the braids.
Francesca moved to help adjust the braids if needed. She really didn't need to.
"I have never seen just a head piece, only on Elders and really advanced mediums in work. Never in teachers or someone as young as you." She said. Jessy just stared.
"Like fuck, I knew that you had a gift for that shit and that you were good at it I just didn't know how good." Jessy added while admiring the headpieces. "I assist in the Elders rooms and this is a piece that belongs there. How many small jewels are there?" She asked. Asking how many jewels that were in a piece was like asking rank.
"Almost 100. The Elder that just died had it made and gave it to me when I got the library and cleared it because the old owner had no idea how to." I said. Kinda true, the only reason why it's so much is because my family has a long history of mediums but skipped my two aunts and my mother completely. I have 8 cousins, my brother and I are the youngest. I am the only one to have the mediumship gift. Maybe that's why it's so complex. I am an anomaly in my family but more powerful. "I knew that this was the knee to choose but I can say that my mother doesn't even have this gift."
"But she has six proficiencies, like you." Caitlin said as I closed the case.