18th June
After Lexi's rites, she indeed has a lock on her powers. I was curious to know what else my mother was right about.
I used the family scrying mirror.
I wish I hadn't.
I saw my daughter in a beautiful cream dress-stained RED.
I could not stop looking, searching. Surely, one cycle has a happy ending.
No. Every lifetime she has had. Every time she has met HIM. She dies soon after.
I saw my own Lexi – this lifetime – all grown up, die whilst casting a spell. I do not know which spell. Perhaps I need to speak to Nixon. Keeping a lock on Lexi would be a good idea.
It would keep her safe.
It would keep her alive.
And that damned necklace, it's in every lifetime – I must destroy it. I know Mother has hidden it somewhere; how she got her hands on it is beyond me.
Perhaps I should try to find a fellow witch... one more skilled in curses or fates. I will ask questions.
- Nick
___________
"Vitamortum!"
My skin burned and prickled by my fire magic. My breath squeezed from my lungs. Nixon's lock penetrated my entire being. It was searing my insides, crushing, tearing, torturing.
I screamed as I awoke; my heart pounded, and my skin was covered in a cold sweat.
I was back in my room. Not the Abbey.
I took a shaky breath, combed my plastered hair from my face, and buried my head into my hands. Stabbing pain in my stomach and neck resurfaced; the scar and bite marks slowly faded, but the pain reminded me of that night.
Memories of the spell haunted my dreams for the last few months. I knew my death had also plagued Leo's dreams. Anna and Edward also appeared, but nothing new could be told.
Tap, tap, tap.
Snapping my head to the window, I had a fireball ready.
'Woah, it's just me.'
'Jeez.'
I curled my hand, put out the ball and slowly got up. I took deep breaths to calm down and opened the window to let the black cat in.
I rubbed the tears and sleep away from my eyes as he got comfortable on the bed. I heard muffled patting as Leo gestured the space next to him. I gladly obliged, clinging to his comforting hold.
I didn't have to say a thing. He knew what the dream was.
"I don't know why we try to sleep separately," Leo murmured into my hair.
I laughed lightly, "I don't know either."
Nearly every night this week, we have ended up seeking each other's comfort from the dreams and memories that haunt us. We could feel each other's distress. Leo admitted he was still on edge from this 'trapped in a cycle of death' business. We were no closer to finding answers than we were a few months ago. It had been ages since we had a nice dream.
I was lulled into sleep by his rhythmic slow breaths.
Then, the shrill of my alarm broke the bubble.
School had started back up for a new academic year, groan. At least it was Friday...?
Leo chuckled this time, "Come on. We best get up," he coaxed.
I clung tighter, "A few more minutes," I mumbled into his chest.
___________
Saturday evening. The weekend was crisp; fresh rain had fallen. The smell of earth and wet wood filled the air. Leo and I trekked through the woods with Alex and Freya. Today, we will attempt to Scry for more information.
Leo wanted to wait until I was fully recovered before trying to investigate. 'Just in case' in his words, and I understood why.
We wanted someone to be around while we scried. Plus, it would be an excellent lesson to teach the young ones – how not to scry safely.
We reached a circular clearing and settled down, placing a wood pile in the centre. Random bluebells were flowering out of the ground around us. Chanting to protect us, we made a circle.
"So, why fire?" Freya asked.
"It may seem obvious, but we all draw our magic from fire. It might be easier to see something," Leo replied.
I nodded in agreement.
"Although fire is the trickiest, it may be our best chance at past life regression," I informed.
Reaching out a hand, I grasped the younger hands on either side of me; Leo sat opposite in our square and, before grabbing Freya's hand, pointed to me.
"Your hair," he reminded.
Ahh yes... Hair and fire don't mix well. I threw it up in a low bun before returning to our locked hands.
"Do you want to do the honours, Freya?" I asked.
She nodded in excitement and concentrated with a hand near the pile. An unexpected lilac sparked up and shot into the middle; the colour reminded me of lavender. I couldn't help but smile at her.
'Adorable.'
"So... What do we do?" Alex asked.
"You meditate," I replied.
Alex groaned, "I hate meditating."
"You just hate it because you can't sit still for 5 minutes," I inform.
Freya giggled.
"Stare into the flame, watch it dance and meditate; it can show you want you need to know. If you get good enough, it will show you what you want." I add, "At least try. Together, we should get something," I encouraged.
___________
We sat, each staring into the dancing flame. I breathed deep, slow breaths and gently allowed my eyes to focus on the flame. Slowly, the trees blurred away, and the flame grew as it licked the wood, spluttering, hissing and twisting around.
Amongst the fire crackling, I could hear whispers and murmurs. Very similar to the necklace.
Alex piped up quietly, "Do you hear whispering?"
"Hmm," I agreed, relaxing into the sitting position a little more, "Stay with it, don't force... pick one and see if you can follow it."
I could see the shadows dancing around in the flames. There were too many voices to single out. A loud crackle flipped my attention; it sounded like neighing. A large flame emerged from the wood. It looked like a horse kicking wildly.
"Anna!"
The manly shout echoed. Inside, the flames played the familiar scene like a projected screen. I could see Edward; he picked up Anna and carried her away. I had not seen this before.
'What did happen to Edward after Anna died?'
As if the flames listened to me, it shows the headstone reading 'Anna', the necklace, with missing pearls, rested against the stone, and Edward turned away after laying down white flowers.
"What?" I heard Freya whisper.
The scene jumped inside the beautiful Victorian house. The house was torn apart. Glass smashed, books flying, paintings ruined. Edward sat in the middle of the chaos with a bottle in hand, taking generous swigs from the open top.
His waistcoat was abandoned, and his other hand held a lit cigarette as he stared into a roaring fire in the hearth, taking long puffs before flicking the butt into the flames. It has been a while since Anna's death. I could tell from his newly formed beard and greasy hair.
"You..." A voice started whispering, "You must..."
"Edward! You must marry! We need an heir!" The voice echoed around.
A conversation erupted from behind Edward as he lit another cigarette.
"Mother. You will never get an heir. My only one is gone."
"Nonsense! You will marry one of Charlotte's daughters, as originally planned. She is still free and willing."
"Fine."
It quickly cut off, and the fire died down. I blinked slowly, coming back to my surroundings. First, my eyes connected to Leo's; I knew he had a dream the night before the Abbey. He did not mention this conversation.
Still, we need to get the answers we were seeking. It only loosely tied up a loose end.
Taking a deep breath, I looked at Alex. As expected, he looked confused—the same with Freya.
"It was worth a try. We shall have to try another method," Leo said.
"Hm," I agreed, "At least we know what happened to Edward afterwards... Sort of."
Freya interjected, "Why don't you two try it together? Us two could be influencing what you are seeing."
"That's true," murmured Leo.
"Well, we will have to do it another time," I said, getting up and brushing the dirt away.
"Why? It's not predicted to rain again." Leo looked at me confused.
"Well, the weatherman lies," I said as a rumble above us, "Can't you smell it?"
A wet smell, stronger than before, and the energy felt higher in the air, almost static. A storm was brewing. I stretched out.
"Don't know about you. But I love thunderstorms."
Alex stated, "I'm heading back." and got up quickly, walking briskly away.
"I think I will join Alex." Freya looked shocked and trailed after Alex.
Leo dusted off his hands and put the fire out. The rumble cracked louder, and the hairs on my skin stood. I took a deep breath, and the forest went silent as the wind picked up. I took the tie out of my hair and allowed my senses to widen. The birds hid in the trees; the trees stopped talking.
"Have you ever been outside when there's a thunderstorm?" I asked.
"Can't say I have."
I turned to look at Leo. He rested against a nearby tree. His eyes pierced mine; the electric blue almost glowed as the sky darkened.
"I don't know why, but I felt more content when it's raining and more alive when it's thundering."
He began to smile.
"What?" I defended.
He shook his head, "Nothing."
My eyes narrowed, and he added, "I haven't seen you this calm for a while. I am still learning your little quirks. You're adorable."
I blushed and started walking away as he chuckled. I heard his footsteps follow behind me, and his long strides quickly caught up. I reached out and held his hand as we strolled through.
It wasn't long before the rain fell. The rhythmic drops hitting leaves, trees, and the ground comforted my soul. I paused and tipped my face to the sky, letting the small splatters hit my face.
We were quickly soaked, but I didn't mind.
The sky flashed, and thunder crackled. The electricity in the air could be felt for miles. It danced across my skin as we aimlessly walked. Leo pulled me to him as the wind picked up and held me in the rain.
A distant howl caught our attention.
"Seems we are not the only ones who enjoy storms," Leo remarked.
I tugged his hand, "Come on, you will not want to miss this."
___________
We followed the howls. I knew these woods. They would be in the 'wolf pit' as they called it. The rain often fell, and thunder was near. They would gather, play, party, and fight. The Alpha would often gather, bringing their new pups and introducing them. Here was the epicentre into the werewolf kingdom.
I slowed as we came across the Great Oak. The branches bent into an archway.
"A Fae portal," I pointed out, "See the ring of mushrooms too...?"
"They were here recently..."
"This is their sacred tree, one of many. If you ever needed to get in touch with a Fae. Make a deal, get information; this is the place to come."
"That means leylines cross here," Leo concluded.
"Correct, here werewolves can transform into their wolf easily. A witch can amplify her power. It's a prime spot for many things." I continued.
Leylines were everywhere in the world, crossing and meeting in various parts. If they cross, they amplify the magical power of beings—even humans. Anyone can tap into these lines for a little Oomph. We evaded the tree and archway.
The forest took a sudden dip, and a sizeable crater-like dish came into our view and in the centre was a dog pile.
Young wolves and pups play fight inside a ring while parents and other members mingled and looked on.
"Hey, look," I pointed to two familiar faces, "It's Tiffany and her brother."
"And there is Jack." Leo hinted further towards a small cabin.
Jack leaned against the tiny house, looking over the pups.
"Jack used to be Beta. Did you know?" I told him.
"Beta? He exudes alpha energy. I wonder what the alpha is like..."
"Big time," I agreed, "I know Jack's son is Beta to the new alpha. But I have never met them."
"Do you think we would be allowed near...?"
"Without an invitation? You must be joking."
Leo shrugged, "I only ask as there are Fae's over there."
My head whipped to the place he gestured to.
I took a moment, "Is that Fred?"
Indeed, the two Fae greeted us in Whitby with a letter from Leo's mother.
"That's too creepy. Small world." Leo sighed.
"Very small... I wonder what they are doing there." My words trailed off as Jack approached them both with drinks.
"Actually... I think Jack is trying to get information. Devan passed on the vampire info, right?" my attention returned to Leo.
Leo nodded, "They will be able to sniff out our scent, even with a veil."
"Nothing we can do about that... We will find out eventually," I smiled, noting the rain had stopped, "I know something else we can do... We are on a leyline, and you must teach me something."
He smirked, touched my leg, and wiggled his eyebrows.
I laughed, "Not that! I want to Morph!"
___________
We sat cross-legged, still on the edge of the crater. My eyes closed, but I couldn't concentrate; Leo's hand had not moved from my knee; it was moving in small circles.
"Concentrate."
"Easier said than done," I replied, peaking at him.
He tapped my nose, forcing me to close them again.
"What's going on here?"
My heart jumped at the gruff voice cutting through our meditation. We both looked left to the large oak that sat meters away. Jack stood with crossed arms; Fred and John looked curious at the two young adults before them.
"Ah, Jack! Hello," I said politely, my hand shook from adrenaline.
"What are you doing here?" he asked again.
Leo pipped up, "We don't mean to intrude on your safe space. We were exploring."
Jack looked suspicious at us both.
"Hey, I remember you!" Fred explained, "Edward, right?"
Leo neither confirmed nor denied the answer, "We met at Whitby. You gave me a letter."
"Yes, that's right," John said, "Did you get in touch with M?"
"No," Leo replied.
"Shame. She will be able to help your predicament."
My eyes narrowed, "What do you know of it?"
"Fae know more about lost souls than you assume, Rose." The smile made me uneasy.
"Rose?" I inquired.
They laughed high and bell-like and turned away from us to the archway under the old oak. John, with a sinister smile, whistled a tune. It sounded more like a canary bird than a tune. Before he finished, they disappeared behind a mist as their image warbled.
___________
The three of us were quiet; I looked at Leo with pinched eyebrows.
Jack cautiously moved and sat before us, "Tell me everything that happened at Whitby."
"Didn't Devan give you the details?"
"He did, and I got more information from those two. But I want to hear from you. From what the Fae told me... You should be dead right now."
My face fell, and I looked away, "It's a hard memory to tell."
"But one that must be told. Take your time."