Once Upon a Steamy Night

"You can't do this! I can't go to a foster home!!"

Adam felt a pull and he sighed leaving his screaming daughter and heading outside. He created a channel where he could answer the call he had felt.

"I told you not to disturb me unless it's urgent, Jake!" He hissed.

"It's urgent, young master. She's in danger, the realm is weakening and she's the key to end this all."

Adam glared at the scrawny young boy as his face appeared in the channel he created, his forehead was creased in a frown and he ran his hand through his short brown hair. "I can take care of her!"

"Well, we need her in the realm immediately!"

He shuddered a bit and shielded his eyes from the blinding light that filled the channel and the demanding voice.

After living for thousands of centuries, he was still scared of his mother, Morgana, Queen of Tuatha Dé Danann.

He could see her silver eyes glowing in anger as she glared at him. Her long red hair was flowing down her back up to her waist.

She was dressed in a sparkly black dress and her long lashes fluttered as she regarded him with contempt.

It was no secret that his mom had never forgiven him for getting a human girl pregnant on the day of his coronation, but it had produced the girl written in the prophecy. "Mother, I'm doing my best," he said.

"How sure are you that she's your daughter?" His mother sneered, "she doesn't even have powers."

"She will explore her full potential at eighteen years," he snapped, "For now, I need to get her back to the realm because she's in danger here."

"And her mother?"

"I still can't locate her," he replied sadly.

He recognized the triumphant look in his mother's eyes and scoffed. She never liked Claire's mom, so she wasn't going to help him find her or sympathize with him. "How are the locals reacting to you?" She asked.

He smiled softly at her worried tone. Deep down, she loved him and was still his mother, he thought.

"I used a cloaking spell so they can't see me except her," he replied.

"So, you were cloaked when she saw you earlier today?"

"Yes."

"Maybe she does have potential," Morgana admitted grudgingly.

Adam smiled. "She does, mom."

"Adam! Adam!! Where did you run off to?"

Adam sighed as he stared at the channel. "I have to go."

"Wait...maybe they can help me fix this!"

He whirled around and saw Claire coming towards him, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at the channel.

"What are you doing here, Claire? Are you done packing?" He asked with a snicker.

Claire ignored him and focused on the channel. "Who is this woman?"

"I'm Morgana, your grandmother and now I can see the resemblance," his mom replied with a hint of pride in her voice. Adam chuckled but remained quiet.

"What resemblance?" Claire asked arching a brow at the beautiful goddess in the water-like mirror thingy she was looking at.

"If I was half as pretty as you, Morgana then all the guys in my school would go out with me."

For the first time in a while, his mother let her guard down and laughed genuinely.

"Silly girl. The bracelet is preventing your true form to manifest just yet," she explained.

Adam rolled his eyes as Claire continued staring at Morgana mesmerized.

"Where's the Captain and the people from Child Protection Services?" He asked abruptly.

Her eyes widened in fear as she remembered getting upset and yelling at them then everything turned white.

The whole town was white and frozen except for her and him.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Frozen? How is that possible?"

"You froze an entire town?"

Adam glanced back at the channel and sighed as his mother stared at Claire, now wasn't the time for her to delve into talks about the prophecy so he ended the channel. "You have to help me unfreeze them. I didn't do anything!" Claire whined.

Adam cocked a perfectly arched brow at her. "Who else froze an entire town if you didn't do it?"

"I dunno. Maybe you, 'cause ever since you got here strange things have been happening," Claire snapped.

"Claire, I can't help you."

Claire's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at him. He had come here because he knew something, and he was the one that people couldn't see except her so he's gotta be able to do something about this.

"Don't give me that look, Claire. You have to accept that you cursed them to be frozen and only you can reverse the spell."

Claire scrunched her brow in a frown as she tried to understand what he was talking about. If she didn't have three people frozen in her sitting room and the rest of the townspeople frozen in various places, she wouldn't have listened to a word of what he said.

"Defying me will only lead you into more trouble," he said.

Claire glared at him. "What? So, you're a mind reader now?"

He shrugged. "I read minds, Claire but I'm not reading yours. We're related so I can feel your aura and know what you're thinking."

Claire rolled her eyes. None of this made any sense and it scared her. Everything was happening so fast.

Two days ago, her greatest worry was going to school for a final year but now, she's thinking of how to clear her name, find her parents' murderer and unravel the mysteries surrounding Adam.

That seemed like a whole lot of things to do and the funny part was that she had only three months to do all these.

Else, she was doomed forever!

"You need to remain positive and focus Claire," he said softly.

Claire took a deep breath as she stared at him. Just maybe he was right, and she was responsible for freezing up everyone in...

"Claire!"

A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts as she stared at the front door.

"Who is that, Claire? He's not frozen."

"Maybe I didn't do this and someone else did," she said.

"Then you would have been frozen too," he replied.

Claire shook her head. "This is impossible. What do I tell Scot?"

"Scot? He's the only person who isn't frozen in this town and this can only mean that your powers worked according to your emotions."

Claire eyed him warily. "What do you mean?"

"It's crystal clear, Claire. You hate everyone because of what happened to you and your adopted parents except Scot."

"They are my real parents!"

She didn't mean to yell at Adam like that and neither did she know that the strong burst of energy she felt inside her would zap Adam and destroy his cloaking spell.

Just like before the town became frozen land, she had felt the same burst of energy when she extended her hands towards Adam in anger.

Adam felt an invincible force toss him across the garden as he felt his cloaking spell wear off. He sighed, she was using her powers in anger and it was ruining things.

"Claire?"

Claire stood with her back to Scot as she imagined what he must be thinking. He had come upon her with an unknown man on the ground in her garden, the entire town is frozen except her, the man, and Scot. Even for a teenage police officer, that would surely arouse suspicions and she could tell from the way Adam glared at her.

"Claire? Are you alright?"

She could feel him coming towards her and she knew she had to do something.

Face him!

She cocked a brow at Adam. Funny now, she was hearing his voice in her head.

That's because I'm in your head. Now turn around and do exactly as I say and don't screw this up!

Shuddering slightly, she whirled around and faced Scot who regarded her with keen eyes.

"Are you alright, Claire?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Scot gave her a shocked expression. "Well, you're not frozen."

Claire chuckled. "Frozen? How could I be?"

"Because the entire town is frozen," he replied.

"Well, why aren't you frozen?" Claire asked, eying him suspiciously. She needed to turn the situation around.

"My question also looks like I'm not the only one and there's also the man on the ground behind you," Scot pointed out.

Claire's eyes widened. "You can see him?"

Of course, Claire thanks to you my cloaking spell wore off!

"I mean, of course, you can see him!" She snapped.

"Who is he?" Scot asked.

Your dad?

Not helping, Adam!

Wow, you're getting the hang of this. Now you can communicate telepathically and soon you will join me back in the realm.

A cat-like smirk formed on Claire's face as she ended her conversation with Adam. If he wanted her to join him back to the realm then he was going to do her a lot of favors.

"He's my uncle," she replied.

"I am?" Adam asked sheepishly.

"Uncle?" Scot asked, surprised, "I thought it was just you and your parents?"

"Yes, I'm Claire's uncle, Adam. Nice to meet you, I'm her father's brother," Adam said immediately.

"But your eyes..."

Adam interrupted him sharply. "Contacts, Scot."

"How did you know my name?" Scot asked, still suspicious.

"Claire has been talking about you since I arrived," Adam said, smirking.

"Why is your hair so long?" Scot asked again.

"He's a musician, Scot. He's been away since he was fourteen before my parents moved here and he hasn't returned since then!" Claire lied smoothly. Musician, eh?

Don't talk to me, Adam!

"So, he's the black sheep of the family?" Scot asked, chuckling.

"The fact I haven't been home doesn't mean I'm the black sheep, Claire," Adam defended.

"Well, I only recognize you from your photos. I'm almost eighteen and I haven't met you personally. What does that make you?"

"Guys, I don't think this is the time for arguing," Scot said, helping Adam stand.

Adam accepted his help and stood up getting a vision the moment he touched him.

"What's more important than beating my uncle up with a baseball bat?" Claire asked.

"First, you would end up in jail but that is if any of the townspeople break through the ice," Scot replied.

"You're serious about people being frozen?" Claire asked.

"Yes and I can prove it to you because the Captain and two other people are frozen in your living room."

Oh no! What do we do, Adam?

Unfreeze everyone before he gets to the sitting room?

That's not an option, Adam. I don't even know how I did it.

You have no choice, Claire. Just concentrate.

Claire took a deep breath and nodded at Scot. "Let's go."

She took a deep breath and felt a warmth within her. She had no clue on what to do except she didn't want Scot to see the whole place still frozen.

Adam trailed behind them as Scot opened the door.

Claire took a deep breath and gasped at what she saw in her living room.