Aug 23rd, 2019 - evening

"A Threadreader?" Heidi said, disbelief coloring her voice.

"I know it's hard to believe," Tianna began.

Heidi snorted. "No, what you said really makes sense. Like you understand what I've been dealing with better than even I have."

She shook her head. "No, what is unbelievable is that when faced with someone reading the- What did you call them? Threads of reality? When faced with someone reading those, you settled on calling them Threadreaders. That's lame."

She sighed. "Why not oracles? It's mostly the same thing, right?"

Tianna's eyebrows rose with every word. Then she broke into a grin. "Well, I certainly didn't name the gifts. I'd have definitely gone with a different label for my own."

"Oh? What are you?"

The redhead tilted her head. "I'm a Timesinker. I can time travel, with restrictions." She paused, considering. "Actually, Threadreaders and Timesinkers have often worked together. You can 'see' problems in the past, and I can get us there to fix it. You monitor to make sure it doesn't make things worse."

It was Heidi's turn to raise her eyebrows. "I think that might be a little above my pay-grade."

Tianna smiled and nodded. "For now."

"So you want me and Erik to come live with you and... who, exactly?"

Tianna nodded. "We are M.A.G.U.S. The Magecrafters Alliance Guild of the U.S. We are, all of us, Magecrafters, and we take care of each other, teach each other."

Heidi smirked. "Sounds a bit like a cult."

The woman shrugged. "Yeah, it kind of does, I suppose. But we remember the Burning Times, when those who were too different were murdered by those who were jealous or afraid of us. Safety in numbers, though you don't actually have to live with us once you come of age. Several of the young adults prefer to spend some years away from M.A.G.U.S."

"And the 'work'?"

Tianna smiled. "Well, we can't exactly go around telling people we have a gold Mattermaker, can we? We find things to keep us occupied and feeling useful."

Heidi gaped for a moment. "Mattermaker? Is that what it sounds like? You have someone who... makes gold?"

Tianna nodded. "We did deserve the reputation in the Middle Ages for being miracle workers and alchemists, you see."

Heid pressed her lips together, thinking it over. "What if Erik isn't a... a Magecrafter?"

"He is. We've been watching you for some time, and we are certain your brother is a Golemmer."

The girl shook her head. "Wait. What? You've been watching us? And what is a Golemmer?"

Tianna shook her head. "All of this is just a rabbit hole of information, and not exactly the kind of thing you want to talk about around those who already suspect you of some form of insanity." She stood abruptly. "We can leave now, pick up Erik, and settle you in tonight. Full tour and questions whenever you want after we get you safe."

"Safe?"

"Narida is Unseelie. Selfish, self-serving, power-hungry. She has her eye on you for a reason, and saying 'no' won't slow her down too much." Tianna hesitated. "Unless you are seriously considering her offer?"

"No!" Heidi burst out. She promptly flushed red. "I mean, she freaked me out. I didn't like her."

"Do you trust me?" Tianna asked, holding out her hand. "At least enough to find out more?"

Heidi thought about her choices, or rather, her distinct lack of choices. She eyed the woman in front of her, then slowly reached out to shake the woman's hand. Images flickered through her head for a moment. "I think I do."

Aug 24th, 2019 - late morning

Heidi opened her eyes, blinking slowly in the soft light filtering through the heavy, mint-green curtains. She pushed up on her elbows and looked around, reorienting herself.

After a moment, she pushed the swirl-patterned duvet back and slipped out of bed. There was a soft blue robe on a hook on the back of the door, and she slipped it on and went to find the bathroom.

On her way back, she paused outside her bedroom door and tried to remember where Erik had been put. A door halfway down the hall opened, and Tianna emerged, tying her own deep gold robe around her waist.

"Heidi! Did you sleep well? Are you hungry?"

"Where... I can't remember where Erik's room was," Heidi mumbled.

Tianna nodded, continuing past Heidi. "Right here. Just on the other side of your room." She gestured to the door. "Would you like to see if he is ready to go to breakfast as well?"

Heidi nodded and stuck her head into the room. The bed was mussed, and a collection of robots were already lined up along the foot of the bed. However, there was no Erik.

"Where-?"

Tianna shrugged. "One of the boys might have fetched him if they heard him moving around. Let's check the kitchen."

"Boys?" Heidi pulled the long robe tighter around her body. Despite its full coverage, she felt exposed. "Shouldn't I dress first?"

"If you wish," Tianna said, waving her hand. "I prefer coffee before I have to put on the daily armor." She leaned in conspiratorily. "Once I'm dressed, everyone decides I'm ready to take care of business, so I tend to lounge as long as I can."

Heidi stiffled a laugh and glanced at her room for a moment before lifting her chin and following Tianna down the stairs. The woman spoke, telling Heidi about the spaces they were moving through.

"This house is a manor that was built by M.A.G.U.S. in the early 20s, in the style of the Bulkeley House outside of London, England. We made some minor adjustments, mostly involving widening the hallways, leaving off dividers, and updating the basic infrastructure." She said, stretching out her arms to either side.

"We added electricity when it was built, and we update everything every two or three decades. We used wood instead of brick and adapted the roof to be suited more for East Coast weather. However, the basic layout is more or less the same, not that that helps you find your way. So you know, there are three staircases - one at each end and this one in the middle."

They stepped into a large room that held a huge, wall-mounted TV, a sectional sofa, and a billiards table.

"This is the den, and the kitchen is there. You can go through the kitchen or here to get to the pretentiously-named Breakfast Room."

Tianna grinned. "It's really just a smaller, more casual dining space. Grab a plate and lets see what they left us."

Heidi blinked. "We... don't have to cook it ourselves?"

The redhead shook her head. "Why bother when there are Mattermakers, Golemmers, and Alchemists about?" She lifted lids off of metal dishes and plucked out sausages, scrambled eggs, and fresh-cut fruit. She turned to pop a slice of dark grainy bread into the toaster.

Heidi hestated only a moment before she began filling her own plate. The Snyders had kept them all fed well, but there was definitely portion control, and the options alone were enough to make her mouth water. She set her plate on the table and looked around for drinks. There were a few glasses next to pitchers sitting in a cold water bath, and mugs near a trio of commercial-sized hot drink dispensers.

She returned with coffee and apple juice as Tianna was settling herself down. She crammed a forkful of eggs into her mouth and waited until Tianna had buttered her toast and taken a bite before she spoke.
"Okay, we are here. Now talk."

Tianna smiled. "Alright. Shall I begin at the beginning?" She waited for Heidi's nod to continue. "Once upon a time, there were fairies. Not like the modern cartoon stuff, either. These were Grimm's brothers kind of fae. Primal, inhuman, with their own agendas."

Heidi nodded, digging into her fruit. "So, not really concerned with us one way or the other."

Tianna nodded. "Some, however, became fascinated by humans as they developed their cultures, bringing respect and fear of the fae into traditions. Fae began meddling in human affairs more and more. And many... dallied with mortals."

The girl sat back. "I've read some of the older fairy tales. That wasn't unusual."

"Well, that's a matter of perspective. The point is, the children were too human for the fae to handle. Emotional, short-lived, often with delayed powers. Usually, they were left with their human mothers, dumped on their human fathers, or abandoned where the fae believed they would be found and cared for."

"And that's where we come from?"

Tianna nodded. "We are descendents of those children. The blood is much thinner now. What was once a heritage of varied and powerful magics is now reduced to a single gift. It has been centuries since one with more than one gift has been found."

Heidi frowned. "Are you saying one or both of my parents had... one of these gifts? And you keep saying we need to stay together for safety. Were-" She swallowed as the thought bloomed in her mind. "Were my parents killed?"