Page 7 of Castian

She pulled a large bowl of apples and plums from the refrigerator before closing it. “I didn’t get into any fights this time around.”

Oye couldn’t help bragging, since knocking heads together was her favorite part of the job.

“I keep telling you to just come here and find an easy job,” Mama D chided her, as she waved the dough from Zach’s startled hands. The well prepped dough landed in her hands, she tore pieces off of it and dropped them into the boiling broth. “I know for a fact, that nice little human Ms. Cummings would hire you.”

Setting the heavy bowl down, Oye laughed. “Ms. Cummings wouldn’t know what to do with me and her place isn’t fast paced like I like it.” Ms. Cummings was a sharp tongued old lady who lived two blocks away in an apartment that was over top a speakeasy bar. It was a place most of the college kids went because of its comfortable environment, and Ms. Cummings had allowed them to set up their own music system there.

Grabbing the metal spout, Oye stretched it so that it hovered over the fruit in the bowl. “I would be bored; you both know I’m not the best person when I’m bored.”

“Pfft, you got that right,” Zach muttered, cleaning the flour off the island countertop.

Without looking, Oye turned the hose to her right where the water shot out freely, and was followed by the sound of Zach’s sputtering. Calmly, she returned the water to the bowl and began swirling the fruit inside. “I’m fine with how things are right now, I get paid well by my cousin and then I can come here and get detoxed by my family. That’s the most important thing to me right now.”

She turned the water off, and swiped a hand along the side of her thigh. Where there were fashionably cut holes in her pants, she felt the metal under her skin shift and spill into her hands forming into a carving blade. She moved to grab some dish soap and quickly washed the blade off, before she began slicing the fruit in a size that would be easier for the kids to consume.

“I guess I’ll tell Ms. Cummings you’re not interested in her son either,” Mama D said.

Oye, didn’t even pause in her cutting. “No, I’m not.” She shot Mama D an annoyed look. “Didn’t I say I wasn’t interested in getting married a few years ago?”

Mama D tossed the last piece of dough into the pot in initiation. Zach inched from between the two women, trying to avoid any magical spill out.

“I don’t understand why you won’t at least date around. Your cousin Sabina has already married and divorced in the time you’ve been playing around, and it would seem she means to do it all over again.”

Rolling her eyes, Oye prayed for more of the patience that she only ever showed with those at the orphanage. If it was anyone else, she’d have already lost her cool and been threatening to skin them. “Ms. Demeter, would you please worry less about my love life, and more about Zach’s?”

He frantically shook his head, only to still with his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights when Mama D gaze turned to him.

“At least I’ve dated someone, when’s the last time he’s gone on a date?” Oye finished with a huff.

“U-um, Mama D I don’t think I need any help,” Zach said cautiously, noticing the spark of interest in Mama D’s eyes. He flushed, squeezing his eyes shut he blurted out in a rush. “I’m dating a human girl named Ashley and she doesn’t know I’m part Titan.”

The kitchen became silent, after his excited exclamation even the water seemed to lose its sound. Both Mama D and Oye stared at him with surprise. A loud crashing sound cut through the shocked silence, startling them. Oye, who’d been cutting up the fruit with ease throughout the conversation, set her blade down. “I’ll go see what it is.”

OL’MEMORIES

OYE

Walking out of the kitchen, Oye’s lips curved into a smile when she heard something being thrown behind her, shortly followed by Zach’s cry of pain. Mama D had raised Zach since he was a baby. Finding out that the idiot had a girlfriend, and hadn’t told her would of course piss her off.

Exiting out into the back hallway, she dodged just in time to avoid getting hit by a flowerpot. Startled, she looked away from the broken flower pot on the floor to the little girl crying in the center of the living room. The furniture and other items were floating around her haphazardly. The little girl held the broken pieces of her doll in her hands. Her rosy hair turned a darker color, as her face grew red.

Straightening, Oye made her way over to her cautiously. “Rosetta,” she called softly, her voice bringing the little girl’s attention to her. The teal-colored eyes glowed as tears rolled down her chubby cheeks.

“Rosetta, what’s wrong?” she asked as she leaned down and picked the little girl up. The warmth of Rosetta’s body was an immediate balm to her soul. The little girl pressed her tear-streaked cheeks against hers, and wrapped her chubby arms around her neck.

“Shh, baby, what’s up?” she asked, rubbing a hand up and down her back.

The little tyke drew back her tears still falling as she tried to catch her breath. She glared at one of the kids who’d been hiding behind the larger furniture during her tantrum. A boy with titan red hair flushed and turned his head away. She pointed from her doll to the boy. “He broke it.”

Glaring at the older boy, she frowned. “Danaus.”

“I-I only wanted to see it for a minute,” he said, fidgeting as he brought his translucent hands together. His eyes changed from purple to brown as he lowered his head. “But she wouldn’t let it go. I wasn’t trying to break it,” he muttered.

Releasing a sigh, Oye gave a short nod. “All right, well let’s fix this first.” Setting Rosetta down, she took the head and bottom from the little girl who was still glaring at Danaus. “I have a hex to fix it, but it will take a minute.”

She walked over to a box of chalk the kids used for drawing on the driveway. She opened it, taking out a green one. Crossing the bare floor, she knelt and began drawing the magic circle. It was simple, and something even a dub witch could do. Though—when she did things like this it made her remember her mother. Her chest felt tight, as the children gathered around her watching as she drew the pentagram followed by old runic language and a large circle.

“Now Oye, pay attention this is what I call a household circle.” Her mother brushed a hand against her cheek, the light from the sun bouncing off her dark sparkling hair. They’d just finished a glitter war; her mother’s warm brown eyes and accented voice soothed her.

---