"Phoebe, Hartoum is the place where all the families that were exiled by the founding council run to. They created their own founding lane and society, but they cannot be compared to us for they were, are and will always be evil." Grandma Mayfair ntioned.
She was afraid that if she did not, Phoebe would be on the next flight to Hartoum with Maureen and who knew what trouble her daughter would get her granddaughter into?
"Your grandmother is right, despite its grand and beautiful appearance, Hartoum is a city that succumbed to decay and corruption on the inside. Sotis I think the army should just invade and flatten it." Edward spoke his mind calmly.
"With or without the civilians?" Andre asked as his stretched his hand out for a slice of garlic bread. Collin tapped his arm and asked for a slice as well.
"With." Grandma Mayfair answered without hesitation.
She was so nonchalant about it, not even bothered by her family mbers that were looking at her as she sliced into her dium rare steak with a sharp knife, dipped it in gravy and brought it to her mouth with a fork. The dark brown gravy might as well have been red blood to Collin.
"Do you see this dad? She is spending way too much ti with Luna Elithera which is screwing...."
"Don't say screwing at the table." Jennie jumped in.
"I have not spent anyti with Luna, a couple of hours to talk about a few important things but that's it." Grandma Mayfair defended her relationship with Luna.
She deliberately looked at Luke as did the others when Luna's na was ntioned.
"It's nice to see you boys starting to settle down." Aunt Maureen said.
Jennie's right hand that was bringing a piece of at to her mouth paused. She raised her head and looked at her sister-in-law.
"Luke has not settled down, he is having a fling, right Luke?"
"Wrong." Luke answered calmly.
Jennie whimpered as if she was a puppy in distress, she looked at Edward and he shrugged. If his mother was not intervening, neither would he, at the end of the day Luke was an adult, they could not control him.
"Maybe we should just eat and talk later." Aunt Maureen suggested.
So the dinner proceeded but it was not quiet, aunt Maureen had a lot more stories about Hartoum to tell and all of them were ghost or supernatural related.
*******************
Just like she did sotis, Phoebe waited until everyone had gone to bed before sneaking into the hidden basent. She had gone there a few tis with her grandmother to clean the place, and always acted as though she was not curious about the magical artifacts.
This ti she went on her own, it was better that way not just because she was looking into the circumstances surrounding her grandfather's death and didn't want to arouse any suspicion from her grandmother and father. but also because each ti grandma Mayfair went there she recalled heartbreaking mories of her husband and beca emotional.
When she was emotional, their ti in the basent was cut short and Phoebe did not want this to happen.
"Oh, soone is in there already." Connie pointed at the slightly open door.
"Your grandmother must be in there already." The Saxon spirit told her as it floated in.
Phoebe let out a short sigh. "Damn it! Phoebe cursed under her breath, it would be another wasted night and chance after all." She walked in casually ready to greet her grandmother but paused when she saw her aunt Maureen instead.
She was standing near her grandfather's reading desk staring at the small box in her hands intently.
"Auntie?" Phoebe startled her causing the globe to fall. Aunt Maureen quickly picked up what Phoebe identified the small box that looked sowhat familiar.
"What are....." Phoebe's words trailed off, She was beginning to ask what she was doing there but she suddenly rembered that Aunt Maureen had the right to be there after all Cillian Mayfair was her father. "I thought you would be in bed by now." she changed the direction of her words.
"Pheebs! you startled , I didn't expect to see anyone down here, especially not you." Aunt Maureen picked up the small box and quickly shoved it back inside the drawer which made Phoebe all the more curious about it but she held back so as not to give herself away.
A half hearted laugh ca from Phoebe. "I couldn't sleep so I ca here to do so cleaning and maybe learn more about grandpa." Phoebe scratched her eyebrow.
The Saxon spirit scanned the place, it cocked its head and laid out it's hands as if to feel the energy of the place. "Sothing has changed, it's almost like as though soone has tampered with the magic that was used to bind these items."
Aunt Maureen cleared her throat. "I miss papa so much so I ca to visit the place he loved the most. I wish that I could just see his face one more ti." She wiped a single tear.
Phoebe took a few steps and moved closer to her. "Auntie could you tell more about him? A therapist I know said talking about your dead loved ones can help you deal with grief and keep their mories alive." Phoebe
took the gamble betting that if anyone in the family would tell her anything it would be her aunt who talked a lot.
It worked because aunt Maureen sunk into a chair behind the desk and opened her mouth.
"He was a well respected man who loved us so much, he loved fishing so much. He was always out on Citrus lake with uncle Rufus..."
Aunt Maureen spoke for a full hour and a half but nothing she said was anything the Phoebe wanted to hear.
A loud yawn eventually ca out of Phoebe's mouth, it was intentional as she was bored and tired.
"Sorry aunt, I am a little exhausted. I am so glad to hear all about grandpa's fishing and life but could you skip to the part about how he died? I heard it was an accident and asked what kind of accident it was but it's a sour topic that no one wants to talk about."
Aunt Maureen arched an eyebrow and then broke eye contact. "It was an accident, he had traveled for business and he had a car accident and died."
"That's it?" Phoebe unintentionally voiced her disappointnt.
But her words got her aunt curious. "Why do you say it like that Phoebe?" Her tone was stern, a curious gaze focused on her Phoebe whose face face showed he disappointnt clearly.
"Well nothing, I just hoped that perhaps you would tell more details about how he died then maybe I would summon his ghost from the other side. It would be nice to see him." Phoebe avoided making eye contact as much as possible.
Eyes wide open that the whites showed, Aunt Maureen's jaw almost dropped to the floor. "Wait a minute you can do that? Can a low level shaman do that?"
Phoebe chuckled inwardly, [Low level! Ouch that actually hurt my feelings.]
Connie sneered. "Who is she calling low level?"
Aunt Maureen shook her head regretfully. "I am sorry, that ca out wrong. What i an is that I did not know you could do that. I thought that you only do simple spells and make so common talismans but I guess I misunderstood."
She was also very srized that she could see Phoebe's thoughts, a thing that she had noticed through dinner. This niece of hers was more interesting that she had heard.
"Well I can if I know the actual way he died." Phoebe lied shaless, she wanted to cajole her into telling her what she knew.
"Perhaps she doesn't know much either, i am more interested in how the magic in this place shifted." The spirit continued to move around.
"Not tonight." Phoebe told the spirit inwardly. "We cannot find out anything with my aunt here."
"Pheebs i wish I knew more my dear, let's just retire for bed." Aunt Maureen urged her and led the way out.
Nodding her head, Phoebe followed her but her eyes glanced back once at the drawer.
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