“So, where we meeting the others, Raph?” Lyra held on tight to the older boy’s hand.
Raphael smiled, squeezing her hand. “A garden that we all like to gather where no one can find us...well, except the parents...obviously.”
Lyra grinned. “Sounds amazing.” She started bouncing on the balls of her feet then paused again. “What’re we going to do when we get there?”
Raphael chuckled. “We’re going to have fun...and just get to be ourselves.”
Lyra tilted her head, sensing a small bit of resentment in his tone. But, she didn’t press, just swung his hand and smiled up at him. “Can’t wait.”
Raphael laughed softly as they came to a long stretch of stone covered in vines. “Have you read The Secret Garden?”
Lyra shook her head. “Does it have dragons in it?”
Raphael chuckled as he lead her to a gate that was hidden under a swathe of ferns. He pushed it aside and nudged the gate open, it squeaking on its hinges.
“No, but it does have the sound of joy and happiness.”
Lyra glanced up at him. “And that makes you happy?”
The older boy smiled as he stepped into the garden but before he could answer the two of them were swamped by the other kids.
“Lyra! Lyra! Where’s Laimon!”
Lyra had to hold up her hands and her daemon, Laimon, sprang from her shoulder and into one of the trees, hiding from them.
Raphael pushed them away, laughing. The only one who wasn’t crowding them was Hope who stood back from the group. Lyra saw this and made a beeline for the older girl.
Hope crouched down to her level and smiled softly. “Hey, Lyra...” Hope’s dark eyes were almost the same colour as Lyra’s and the way her hair fell was similar. Yet, she had the characteristic Bouvier smile.
Lyra reached out to touch her face. “Hi...you’re Mum’s eldest?”
Hope nodded, smiling more. “Yes. And Raph, and I, get to babysit this motley crew.”
Daniel called out, “I resent that, Hope! I’m not a baby!”
Raphael walked passed his brother and pushed him lightly. “You’re one of the youngest.”
“Yeah? Well, you’re really fifteen...”
Raphael scoffed, “That’s not an insult since you’re actually twelve.”
Nashita and Avery, EP’s two other children shook their heads. “That doesn’t even matter. What matters is that we can do this.” Avery sprang up and turned invisible.
Lyra giggled, clapping her hands. Laimon climbed down to sit on her head, watching intently. Raphael smiled and sat on the grass making a picnic mat with assorted foods and drink appear.
“Wow,” Laimon squeaked. “Look at all that food.”
Hope came to sit next to Lyra. “Gotta have a banquet to feed this lot. Jimmy and Mickey can put away about half of it themselves.” She pointed to a stocky and a very tall lanky pair who were across the other side of the garden wrestling with each other. “Jimmy’s dad isn’t around much these days, but he sticks by us. Mickey’s dad is an angel...like Auntie Nissa and his half-sister is usually with him.”
Lyra nodded. “Serena, right? She’s Auntie Nissa’s daughter.”
Hope smiled. “Yes.” She nodded toward a younger girl who was sitting with dark glasses on. “That’s Althea, Thea...she’s Jimmy’s older sister.”
Lyra tilted her head then lowered her voice. “Is she...blind?”
Thea glanced over toward Lyra and smiled. “I can still see....but, not with my eyes.” She held up a hand and placed it over her heart. “It’s my one power.”
Lyra nodded then looked over toward Nashita who was glancing around for her brother. “EP’s other kids?”
Hope nodded. “Yes. They’re a good pair.”
Raphael cleared his throat at that moment and said, “She knows everyone now...let’s do something fun.”
Lyra grinned. “Like what?”
Hope leaned back on her hands a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Let’s see who can impress Raphael the most.”
“Or make him laugh,” Daniel added.
Lyra grinned. “With our powers?”
“Any which way you want, this garden is protected from prying eyes, so we’re free to be completely ourselves,” Hope said in explanation.
Lyra looked over to Avery. “He can turn invisible.”
Raphael chuckles. “That’s easy. You could probably do that too, since Mom can.”
Lyra tilted her head. “How?”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Not sure Uncle Lee would like us teaching her how to do that.”
Raphael scoffed, “She’d figure it out on her own anyway.”
Lyra shook her head. “I’d rather know how to age up deliberately...”
Hope frowned. “Your dad definitely won’t like that. And you promised Mom you wouldn’t.”
Lyra sighed, shaking her head. “There has to be a way I can do it here, just temporarily.”
Avery flopped down next to her and Laimon crept over to examine him. “Just shape shift.”
“That’s not real, though,” Nashita pointed out. “And there is a way to age up temporarily. I mean, ageing up is an external thing anyway.... Raph and Hope are still technically fifteen and sixteen respectively.”
“No need to remind us....”
“Just telling it like it is, bro.”
Raphael shook his head then looked at Laimon. “We haven’t seen what you can do.”
Laimon laughed in a squeak and quick as a flash shifted from the ermine to an arctic fox. He dashed across the grass then took a running leap, shifting into a moth as he hit the air flying over the kids and landing in Lyra’s hair.
Hope laughed in delight and Raphael shook his head, smiling.
Avery tilted his head. “What I don’t get is the whole thing about him being your soul.”
Lyra shrugged. “I can’t really explain it myself...the scholars at Oxford studied stuff like that.”
Avery blinked. “In the other Oxford? That’s cool.”
Raphael scowled. “She was born in this world.”
His younger brother looked at him and said, “Yes, but she is the incarnation of Lee’s Lyra from his world. And she remembers everything from that time.”
Lyra nodded and smiled disarmingly at the older boy. “That’s why I have a daemon.”
Raphael nodded then a thought came to him. “Why does Mom have a daemon?”
Lyra stood up and dusted off her shorts. “I don’t know. You’d have to ask her.”
She tilted her head then closed her eyes, concentrating. Her aura began to shimmer. The kids leaned forward to watch as she started to age up, her hair growing longer, her features altering, but only a little.
The light decreased and she did a small spin. “What do you think?”
Raphael chuckled. “Very good.”
“You look like Laura from Logan.”
Lyra blinked. “What’s that, Avery?”
“Oh, a film...one that I haven’t watched because it’s rated R for adult.”
Lyra scrunched her nose. “Adult doesn’t start with R.”
Raphael laughed and said. “R means restricted. Not for children.”
“Oh. Right.” Lyra sat down again. “I like being a kid.” She held up her arms. “And now I feel I can keep up with you lot here.”
Hope smiled, hugging her gently. “You’d be able to do that at any age, little love. You’re one of us, after all.” The older girl watched as joy shone from Lyra’s eyes. “You belong here. And, we’re glad Mom had you.”
Raphael blinked and looked away, hiding the fact that he was getting emotional. Lyra noticed though and got up to go to him.
He looked down at her, smiling softly. “I’m okay, Lyra...just...after everything she’s been through, Mom deserves the joy you’ve brought into her life. You and your dad.”
Lyra hugged him around the waist; he squeezed her back gently. The other kids settled on the rug and got stuck into the food. Lyra grinned and joined them, Raphael and Hope on either side of her.
The hours passed pleasantly and the sounds of their laughter and joy filled the garden as they enjoyed each other’s company. And Lyra revelled in it...
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