The Arcana Club

We could feel cold encroaching until our hair and clothes changed to the familiar flame. Air fanned the flames as plants formed gloves around our hands and boots around our feet, one side in spring flowers and the other in yellowed leaves.

“We are Summer, sister of flames, Autumn, sister of winds, and Spring, sister of the earth. We will save our sister.”

We ran away immediately, through the kitchen, into the backyard, and stopping once we hit the pool.

The pool had already gotten leaves on the top, dirt had made its way in, as well as a few rocks. It was perfect.

Once Winter made their way outside, we took a breath and jumped into the water.

A foolish trick, Winter said.

The moment we saw her above us, we tossed the sand in her face. She didn’t even stir as the surface of the pool became covered in ice.

There’s only so much air in there.

We clenched our fists, closed our eyes, and focused on the leaves. They grew stems, and the stems expanded into roots, breaking the ice.

We jumped out as Winter was still reeling, drying ourself off, and throwing a fireball. Winter was unable to block it, but stayed more intact than we wanted.

“Winter, we challenge you to a duel! All the Sisters, for Winter.”

Winter took another step back, assessing us. The deal was too good to pass up.

“What are you doing!?” Nerves yelled, first to come through the back door.

“I’m proud of you, Summer,” mom’s voice said, “We accept your challenge.”

“This is bad,” Cindy said.

We spun our hands around, forming a dust devil around us, Winter, and the obstacle course, taking care to leave our allies unable to see the fight.

Winter built a large glacier to push us out, but we broke it from the ground and melted the remaining pieces.

We grabbed her with vines and threw her into the bludgeons. Pulling air toward us to activate the lever.

Winter got hit as soon as they stood up. Then several other times as they stalked toward us.

The air got colder, and the dust devil moved slower.

“Enough!” Winter shouted.

Ice shot out, encapsulating the bludgeon obstacle as it was destroyed.

We tried to melt it, but the solid wood moved too fast, and pushed us out of the ring.

“Really bad,” Em said in a higher pitch than I’d ever heard before.

The dust devil went down, and the fire surrounding me receded as I became mortal yet again. The keychain was in my hand. Though they were no longer mine, I could feel the concern of the spirits within.

I tried to stand up, but only found myself wincing, apparently a large piece of wood hitting at high speed hurt a lot.

Winter strode confidently but casually toward me, making sure everyone saw that she won. Everyone watched in horror. River and I briefly made eye-contact as I shook my head at her.

“The sisters, child.”

I closed my hand over them on instinct. Winter grabbed my arm and pried my fingers off her prizes.

“Ow.”

Winter had the sisters in her hands, hopefully Plan B would pan out.

Winter started grabbing at something I couldn’t see. I could sort of hear Cas narrating for everyone else, but I was too focused on watching my mother.

I could see hints of fire moving up her arm as she tried to swat on things to either side of her. Once the fire settled on her chest, just over where a pendant would be, I turned to the onlookers.

“Ow!” I said louder, while still trying to sound genuine.

“Mom, why would you hurt Summer?” River yelled, running over to me.

“You are hurt,” River whispered as she grabbed me, “You should have said something earlier.”

“It had to be done,” Winter defended, still swatting at her invisible nuisances, “Do you think she was safe with these spirits?”

“I’m safer with those three than you are with one,” I insisted, “Do you even know what Winter wants?”

Winter froze, literally. Ice covered her from head to toe. River and I tried to come closer, but Cindy pulled us back and closer toward the group.

“This is going to end with something breaking,” she said, “Violently.”

“What’s going on?” Nerves asked.

“Maternal instincts versus sibling instincts,” River explained.

“And why aren’t you freaking out?” Cindy asked.

“I’m a very calm person.”

“I already explained it to her,” I said, “We may have planned this.”

Cindy’s eyes widened.

“Why would you trust her?” Cas asked.

“You could sound less disgusted,” River said.

“I didn’t think Summer liked you,” xe admitted.

River and I shrugged.

“I didn’t actually beat Spring,” I explained, “I talked her down until I had an opportunity.”

“That counts as beating her,” Emmy said.

“I probably wasn’t going to beat Winter with my current training either, but she was too stubborn to talk down.”

“So you have the other sisters argue with her—” Cindy deduced.

“So Summer could loosen the connection between her and the light brother.”

“Then I swooped in and yelled at her,” River said.

Cindy kept switching her gaze between us.

“That’s a terrible plan,” she said, “What on earth makes you think the sisters can talk Winter down?”

“Not Winter,” Nerves said, “Your mom.”

“It’s like the show,” Van said, “If your mom renounces her, the light brother won’t know where she ended up.”

“Because she’ll be in Talisman’s hands until someone aligning with your mom’s parameters becomes available,” Cindy said, “And Talisman lets her go.”

“But that means you lose your talismans,” Emmy noted.

I shrugged.

“I wouldn’t be much of a superhero if I didn’t do what I could to save them.”

“We probably could have figured out a better way to go about it,” Cas said, “If we had time.”

Before I could argue, the ice shattered. River grabbed me, taking any shards that would hit me in her back.

“Cold!” she squeaked.

I couldn’t see what everyone was watching until River turned us around, still holding me close.

Mom was standing, untransformed.

“Winter, Summer, Spring, Autumn,” she said, “I renounce you. Be free.”

The talismans disappeared from her hands and mom relaxed with a sigh.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.

“Are we going to explain any of this to dad when he gets back home?” River asked.

“No,” I answered.

“This is for all your lies,” Minerva said after Nerves rolled well enough to kill Dread Queen Winter, then Nerves nodded toward me.

“And for my family,” Blaze said.

“For the Forest!” Emmy’s character, Wolf-girl, yelled.

“For the People!” Van’s character, Leore, yelled.

“And just cause you suck,” Cindy’s character, Morta, ended.

“I want to hit you too,” Cas added in Tonne’s voice, making us all laugh.

“And with that,” Jonah said, “Dread Queen Winter dies in a dungeon, deep where none of her subjects will ever see. What do you all do with the body?”

“I was taught that death is the most valuable part of life,” Minerva said, “Because our deaths feed the world. Winter taught me that, so let her death feed the world.”

“I’m gonna cut off her head so we have proof she’s dead,” Blaze decided.

“I’ll help,” Tonne said.

“Should I be worried?” Mom asked as she sat in the kitchen with Ms. Aisha.

“As long as you don’t destroy my backyard again, you should be fine.”

I laughed a little.

“I think we return to the aftermath of your success, next week,” Jonah said, “Call your parents and tell them we ended early.”

“We’ll head out after everyone else leaves,” mom told me.

Everyone else went to call their parents, leaving Cindy, Cas, and I at the table.

“So,” Cindy said, “How have you been?”

I knew we would talk about not having a talisman anymore at some point.

“I still want to help you guys.”

“That wasn’t—” Cindy sighed, “We absolutely want you around. I just wanted to know if you were okay. If the Sisters are free, there’s a decent chance they’ll be a problem again.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s not—” she took another deep breath, “Your plan was incredibly stupid, but it worked because you understood your mother, and your sacrifice, though also stupid, is admirable.”

“But it was a sacrifice,” Cas said.

“Exactly,” Cindy said, “How does it feel to be alone?”

I burst into tears.

Cindy swore under her breath.

“I worded that badly,” she apologized.

I couldn’t get full words out, let alone a sentence, but I made it clear that being alone didn’t feel great. I missed the voices in my head. Cas and Cindy offered me hugs, which I gladly accepted.

“Why are you crying?” Emmy asked.

“She feels lonely,” Cas answered.

“Oh,” Emmy offered me some back rubs.

I pushed everyone off and did my best to regain composure, weakly thanking everyone.

Nerves, who’d just been sitting there awkwardly, cleared her throat.

“We should hang out more, one on one. I’ve missed you.”

I threw my arms around her neck, incredibly grateful.

“Mom’s picking Nerves and I up,” Van said, walking in on an awkward table, “She’s pretty close, so we should make sure we’re ready.”

I pulled myself off of Nerves.

“Good talk,” I said.

“Who wants to play cards in the meantime,” Jonah offered. I raised my hand.

I dreamed of the sisters at tea. This time I was sitting with them, in my pajamas, which felt a bit awkward.

“Usually when renounced or lost,” Winter said, “We aren’t allowed to return.”

“I got it,” I said, “I’m just Summer again. Thanks for saying goodbye.”

“But we were told to be free,” Spring said.

“So there’s a bit more leeway,” Autumn added.

“What?”

“You can’t be Summer again,” Summer said, “But that doesn’t mean you can’t wield another talisman.”

“There are many mystics who wield more than one in their lifetime,” Autumn explained, “People change who their souls can bond with.”

“Or sometimes more than one is compatible,” Spring said.

I just looked at all of them. What was I supposed to say?

“Summer Kayla Chastfield,” Winter asked, “I need to have my sisters around to help reform me, but would you be my wielder?”