The darkness of the morning sky is just giving way to the sun trying to break it up. I don't want to get out of bed this early. Wow, I really need to get back into my running route. Opening the dresser drawers, a T-shirt of Danny's speaks to me, and I pair it with some running shorts before going downstairs.

After having a hearty breakfast with bacon and eggs, pancakes, and hash browns, we join the Elders in the living room.

Once everyone settles down, Grandma begins.

"Some of you may know pieces of what we're going to talk about, but please sit quietly and listen to it all together. I'm not sure who knows what, and it will be easier just to start from the beginning." Grandma starts.

Grandma and Estel are the ones speaking the most and tells us a brief history of witches and witchcraft, about the Last Persecution, and how the Avic Islands were created.

We take a small break before Grandma continues.

"The Chaban Crystal is a special stone found in the Ukraine by Oleksander Chaban, a third great-grandfather of Dominic." Everyone turns to look at Dominic, but this doesn't seem to affect him. "This crystal is one of several crystals that are direct links to the D.E. This is important to remember because the Ancient Ones are usually the gatekeepers for the access to the Dexameni Energeias. If a person can get access to one of the crystals, they have a direct link to being able to use the energy in the D.E."

Grandma takes a sip of water before continuing. "Because of this, the Elders determined that the Chaban Crystal needed protection. They decided to have a competition, called The Trials, to find the best suited people to protect the crystal. Five witches made it through The Trials. They were the great-great-grandparents of the previous Protectors - your parents," she says, as she points to me, Mick, Tanner, Ande and Carleigh. " The powers of the Protectors were passed down from generation to generation. A big thing to remember is someone chooses to be a Protector. One thing that happened during the rise of the last rebellion was the unexpected deaths within Protector families. Luckily, the Elders saw a pattern and protected the rest of the families and children before all potential Protectors were wiped out. Some branches of Protector families left the island all together." She sighs with a faraway look in her eyes. "This is one of the reasons why there are fewer and fewer people who can choose to be a Protector."

"You're saying us five are the only people who can be Protectors?" Carleigh questions.

"Well, there are two left on the Avic Islands," she turns and looks pointedly at me, "your cousins Tally. Ashlyn and Tyler Greely are the children of your mother's twin brother, Theon. Theon flat refused to be a Protector, and he refuses to allow his children to become Protectors."

"But didn't you say it was our choice to be a Protector?" I ask.

"The Avic Islands are similar to the United States in that we have the same age where we consider a child to be an adult, capable of making their own choice in the eyes of the law. Eighteen is the magic number and neither of your cousins are eighteen yet. Ashlyn is close to being able to choose, but she's been raised to be fearful of the responsibility of being a Protector."

"If we are the last who could become Protectors, what happens if one of us decided not to be a Protector?" Ande asks.

"The best plan the Elders can come up with is to have a new competition. The only problem would be it being sabotaged by anyone belonging to the rebellion. It's an option we'd like not to explore," EJ responds.

"Can you explain some more about the use of powers and abilities with regard to the different types of magic?" I ask.

Grandma goes into a long speech about what powers and special abilities each type of witch has. After a while, she says something specifically to Mick, Tanner and I.

"For simplicity's sake, let's classify Spellcasters, Healers, and Seers as witches. Being a witch and an Elementalist doesn't necessarily make you special. As the generations have progressed, more and more children are born with the ability of a witch and an Elementalist.

Gilberto and Elena Leonetti are the oldest Elders, both in their 90s. They have 29 grandchildren, almost all of them have both magic abilities. Those 29 grandchildren gave them 106 great-grandchildren — so far — all of them with both types of magic. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Hunter's voice carries over everyone. "Why are they so special then?"

"Because they were born with both types of magic within the Protector bloodlines. And it isn't always something so special. Having both, as a Protector, is a blessing and a curse."

"Well, I think that is enough about the history of the Avic Islands. How about we break for lunch?" Mia pipes in, and I sigh. Food, finally.

After lunch, we all clear up the kitchen and dining room and help rearrange the furniture. All of the witches are going to get their grimoires this afternoon, so we all need space to sit. For the time being we have gathered into groups based on the collection of cousins we have here. Ande and Hunter join us at the dining room table and Jonah, Dominic and Carleigh sit at the kitchen island. Some are sitting quietly, and some are thumbing through the book in front of them.

In front of me is a beautiful book covered in purples with a white bird on the cover. Slowly I open it to see only blank pages. Before I can ask the question, a voice breaks the silence.

"What should we put in these books?" Tanner asks. Maybe we are alike.

Grandma chuckles. "That book is referred to as a grimoire. Each grimoire is specific to the witch who owns it. There is a vast array of knowledge that can be put in it. Anyone can read someone else's grimoire and use the information within, but these specific grimoires are for each of you to start recording information you think will be useful."

"Where's my book?" Jonah asks, a smile plastered on his face.

"Go ahead, get one if you want, but I doubt it will be useful for what you have to do."

My mind whirls as I rest my chin on my hand. "Are there not techniques that Elementalists could learn by studying others? Isn't this information useful for that aspect of magic as well? Shouldn't we record anything that might help us improve?"

"Miriam, Tally has a point." EJ interrupts. "Yes, it is a good idea to record things you think will help you. Think of it as your personalized guidebook. Put anything in it you feel will help you improve or that you might forget. I have a journal I keep my thoughts in and, on multiple occasions, I've put in ideas or concepts I've wanted to remember later about elemental magic. I'm pretty sure my wife, who is a Spellcaster, has notes in her grimoire about my elemental magic and the abilities I've discovered."

"I have a dream journal," I blurt out, and everyone turns and looks at me.

"Do you want to talk about why you have it?" EJ asks.

I look down at the blank book in front of me like it is going to give me the answers I seek.

Not really, but I've got to learn to trust this group if we are going to make it as a team. I pause, my throat constricting. I take a deep breath. "I've always had dreams, and sometimes they can be quite bizarre. Because of this, I started recording my dreams. I have dreams with things such as airplanes, owls, snakes, and the moon. Lately, I've had recurring dreams with acorns, bridges, butterflies and what seems to be the same white bird."

Someone snickers behind me, and I shrink down into my seat.

Tanner glares at them. "I'd like to know what's so funny about what she said?" he asks, and his question is only met with silence.

Grandma has her hands on her hips. "Ya pup. Cad atá chomh greannmhar?"

"Ah, Miriam, English." Estel chimes in.

"Sorry, you know what happens when I get aggravated. I have the same question. Would you like to share your thoughts, Hunter?"

What is his problem?

"No."

"Really? I'm sure we'd all like to know what your thoughts are." Grandma states, but, once again, silence blankets the room. "Well, what I will say is that it is great that Tally was paying enough attention to the kinds of dreams she was having to think to record them. Her dreams may not have much significance, but I highly doubt that. Many witches have abilities other people would dismiss or not try to understand. Some witches can see things having to with the past or the future, it is something you should pay attention to."

EJ jumps in. "However, Jonah, I don't personally want to know what you dream about."

Giggling comes from the front of the room, and a beautiful sight greets me when I turn — Carleigh's face is bright, as she looks at Jonah's pouting face adoringly.

We take a break, and when we return Grandma proceeds to explain what witches tend to keep in grimoires. She talks about recording the medicinal and metaphysical properties of plants, herbs and trees, and healing properties and meanings of crystals. Mia talks about adding recipes for those who will use magical elements in cooking and baking. Estel continues by explaining about rituals, colors and their definitions. EJ steps in and tells us we might even want to include ideas like a map of the area we live in with locations that appear to have interesting energy, a guide to knots for knot magic, and our personal associations with colors, animals, and plants.

I shake my head to try and clear the fog caused by all of this information.

Grandma breaks the stupor most of us have fallen into. "I know this is overwhelming, but we wanted to give you examples of what you can write down. Once the training in witchcraft begins, you can write down as much or as little as you'd like. It is all up to you what goes into that blank book in front of you."

It doesn't much matter to me what I can include in my grimoire. I have a problem even starting to write in a new book. What if I mess it up?

"Is my birth mother's grimoire still in existence?" Carleigh asks.

"Yes, it is. All of our ancestor's grimoires are contained in the historical library in Akiva, if the family chooses to keep it there. The historical library has a vault room impenetrable to everything including magic. That room has become an invaluable source of knowledge. Like it's been said, you can read anybody's grimoire, if they allow you to. These grimoires contain generations of spells, recipes, history, and just about anything else you can imagine."

My heart lightens at knowing I can read and have my hands on something my birth mother had written in and used on a daily basis.

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[A/N]: Translations per Google Translate unless otherwise specified.

13. Pup - Bit more than a brat, bit less than a prick.  Skating on a very fine line, and would definitely lamp a box at some guy in a club for the craic like. (https://lovindublin.com/feature/best-iris-curse-words)

Cad atá chomh greannmhar? (Irish) -  What's so amusing?