Chapter 16—In Plain View

"You're not a witch?" Jesse said, barely able to form words. Daniel and Aimée stood frozen, as if they had turned into statues.

"Welcome to the Villars olive grove, my young friends." Madame opened her arms to welcome them. Zana walked to stand beside her maman.

"My name is Clarisse Villars. And this is my daughter, Zana." She took Zana's hand. "I am a seventeenth generation descendant of the founders of this grove. We have lived here and worked the land for over four hundred years. Come, my new friends, let us sit before the fire and explain ourselves."

She and Zana approached the fire, now burning low. Madame drew a quick circle with her right hand and snapped her fingers. Several glistening benches appeared out of nowhere. Stunned, Jesse stepped a few paces back and stared wide-eyed at Madame. Her powers seemed limitless. His curiosity piqued, he approached the benches. They were made of the same silvery substance as the waterfall inside the stone house.

Madame and Zana walked to a bench near the cozy fire, and Madame motioned the foursome to sit on the two benches facing her. Aimée and Juliette sat on one, and Le Nez jumped in between them. He lavished kisses on the twins as if he hadn't seen them for years. Jesse and Daniel walked to the other bench and sat. No one said anything.

When everyone was comfortable, Madame spoke. "Now, tell me my friends, why did you remove five crystals from the mine?" Her penetrating eyes demanded an answer.

The foursome squirmed and looked at each other, not sure what to say or how much to reveal. Jesse called out silently to the crystal angel: What should we tell her? Long minutes passed under Madame's gaze. No answer came, and Jesse knew he must figure this out.

"We...we feel strongly," he began, grasping at words, "that the crystals belong to us. Yes, we did find them in the mine, but they are unique to each one of us alone. They belong to us now and we can't go on without them."

This was the least of what was true, but it was all true. Jesse felt protective of the crystal angel, not to mention the quest, and wasn't ready to reveal the entire truth. The quest was a secret. And he still felt uncertain about Madame and was uncomfortable under her strong gaze. She could transform into a witch and turn Zana into a vicious wolfhound. Who knew what they would do if his answers weren't those she wanted or expected.

Le Nez ran over to Madame and Zana, who picked him up and gave him a hug. On the other hand, Jesse thought, Le Nez was an excellent judge of character.

Madame smiled and nodded as if she had all the time in the world. "What possessed you children to look for these gems in the first place?"

Jesse looked at Aimée. She swallowed hard but decided to answer and took Juliette's hand. "We found our crystals first...with Le Nez." The little dog panted with satisfaction. Zana rubbed his head and he squeaked out a yap.

"And...Daniel, here," Aimée said, pointing to him, "is the grandson of the mine keeper, Monsieur Voyeux." Daniel nodded vehemently. His eyes were like saucers and although his mouth was open, he was unable to utter a single word. No one spoke for several minutes. Madame and Zana sat smiling, waiting expectantly for the rest of the story to unfold.

Jesse was inspired to take a different approach. He started asking the questions, and the words rolled out as fast as a rushing waterfall in the spring.

"Madame, we'd like to know more about you. You seem to have special powers. And Zana," he said, looking at the beaming red-haired girl who just minutes ago had been a wolfhound, "she has amazing powers too. And the waterfall—what is that? Can you see the future in it, or just the present? And how did you open the gate to the grove...and the bulkhead door?"

He knew he was talking too fast, but was unable to stop. Madam moved her mouth as if to answer, but Jesse rushed on. "Why did you turn into a witch and scare us on the way back from the mine? And what about the dream; did you put that root cellar in my head? I thought it might be the crystal angel." He stopped and put his hand to his mouth and felt his heart sink to his stomach. Daniel and the twins gasped. The secret had definitely been spilled now.

"So you know the crystal angel," Madame said, not as a question, but in a way that sounded like she already knew the answer.

"We...have met her," Jesse said tentatively, feeling distressed that he had gone too far. The angel hadn't given them permission to tell anyone.

"Let's start again," Madame said gently, "only this time with the premise that I do know your crystal angel." She gave Jesse a warm smile. "Now, will you tell us the rest?"

"How can we be sure you do know her?" Jesse asked. He did not want to continue his story.

Madame was having a bit of fun. Of course they knew each other. Madame was one of the famous dames blanches of medieval folklore—women who had mystical powers. She had authority over any enchanted crystals in her region and knew of their unique powers. Madame could be a great ally to the children in completing the quest. But they had to discover that for themselves.

Jesse felt his heart warm up and heard a dim voice. Tell her, it said. Whether this came from the angel or intuition, he was satisfied and told Madame the entire story: the crater in Happy Valley, the appearance of the crystal angel, the magic bonfire, how he and his two best friends agreed to pursue the quest for the crystals, and how the trips to France and New Zealand had aligned at the perfect time.

"You said these crystals must be united on the full moon this month?" Zana asked in her soft voice. She wanted to help.

"Yes, at peak full moon. I've calculated the dates and times in all three locations. It's less than a week away."

Zana was quiet and looked at her mother. Their eyes filled with tears.

Madame spoke. "We think your cause is exceptional. It's time for humanity to change and stop judging others who are different. Many in my family have suffered for centuries because of our uncommon powers—powers that most humans don't understand or interpret correctly." Her shoulders dropped, and she looked toward the village. "As a result we have remained secluded in this grove, afraid to mingle in a society that fears us, one in which that fear can turn to hatred and malice."

Her teary eyes looked up at the sky, and when the sun slipped out from behind a cloud, her face brightened. Le Nez hopped from Zana's lap to Madame's and nuzzled her hand. She smiled and rubbed his head. Lifting her shoulders, she looked at Jesse with the full intensity of those dark eyes.

"We have always been willing to use our powers to help others and to live in a community as equals—or at least as partners," she said. "The crystal chain as you describe it would indeed be a miracle for Earth and its people. We'll do anything we can to help you display the crystal chain in the atmosphere, n'est-ce pas, ma petite?" She smiled at Zana.

"Oui, Maman," Zana said in a shy voice, her eyes on Jesse and her cheeks turning pink. Zana longed to become friends with these kids. She had been lonely for friends all her life.

"Bon," Madame said, clapping her hands. "It's settled. We shall work together for the success of your quest. If you wish, we can help you the night of the full moon as well." Then she stared into the glowing coals. Finally she added, "I shall now tell you that the crystals are practically within your reach as we sit here before the fire."

The children exchanged looks of surprise. Where could they be? Had she said practically within reach? Jesse's eyes traveled like a movable magnifying glass taking in his surroundings. Were they buried, or somehow integrated within the silver benches? Or were they inside the fire pit? If so, it would have to cool off before they could search there.

Then, on a hunch, he left the bench and began examining the rock wall that surrounded the pit. The rocks were warm but not hot. He stooped over and walked around the wall, staring at every stone, touching some of them. Then he waved his arm and said, "What are you waiting for? Come on. Touch any rock you feel drawn to; maybe yours will light up if it's close."

Everyone but Madame got up off the benches. Zana couldn't resist joining the fun and began peering intently at the rocks in the wall. She wanted to help her new friends. Le Nez put his nose to the rock wall, sniffing his way around. Overjoyed, Madame sat back to watch the children work together.

Juliette was the first to discover her crystal. "Zut alors, here's mine!" she said, just as it burst vibrant yellow, bright as the sun. The look on her face shifted from one of concern to an easy smile. Zana ran over and gave her a friendly hug of congratulations. They kissed right and left cheeks in the French way to bond their friendship.

Before long all five crystals had been found and returned to their rightful owners, including two fiery red ones for Daniel. He jabbered away in French and without a bit of stuttering. Zana hugged him and they blushed.

"I remember you from a long time ago," she said, looking at him with admiration. Now it was Daniel's turn, and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His face turned as crimson as his crystals, and Zana giggled.