“Aunt...” I sensed she was growing off-topic. “My mom was never a shapeshifter, was she?”
Aunt Maria looked at me sideways and gave me a look of resign. “No, honey, she’s not. As you already read in the book, she was an oracle. And—as Celeste has already told you—oracles are not meant to have any children. As an oracle, you’re meant to dedicate your entire life to maintaining order. Every thousand years, there is a risk of collapse. And yet...”
I chewed on my bottom lip as I allowed her words to be processed and then quickly looked up at her. “But she met Dad and had me.”
Aunt Maria sipped her wine slowly, drawing her eyes closed. She walked around the desk and leaned against it, so she was right in front of me as I sat in the chair.
I FELT LIKE I COULDN’T breathe. I’d hardly had any sort of interaction with any supernaturals. The story felt made-up, a movie of heroes and villains. But this was literally the world from which I came.
“When your mother was around fifteen, she had a vision. Later on in her life, she had explained to me that she saw something. It was the clearest prophecy of her life,” She sucked in a breath. “I can hardly explain it. Coralia said she felt this overwhelming, powerful love and knew that one day soon, she would meet a human—a man with kind eyes, an eager laugh and a love of the water. A man who would make her question all that was meant to be supernatural, for the kind of love that can come from a human seems far more magical than anything else.”
I felt like I was in a trance as I watched her take another small sip from her glass as she started again.
“And against all the odds, Coralia knew during this prophecy that she would have a daughter. She knew that this daughter would be like her—an oracle. And she knew that her birth would create unrest throughout various races, especially the ones in my own tribe. She knew that your birth would mark a period of a great war between the orders of the supernaturals.” She said with assurance as she pushed off the desk and took a step closer. Then she knelt before me and held my free hand before continuing.
“She also knew—she knew that this child she was supposed to have, this beautiful baby girl, was sacred and important to the continuation of her kind and the world. If she wasn’t born, Coralia knew that everything good and pure and magical about the world would fade. She knew that all of it would be replaced with a world of savagery amongst all supernaturals races.”
I clenched my glass of wine so hard; I was sure I would break the glass. Nothing my aunt said made an ounce of sense to me. I shivered, willing myself to speak, but I felt dried out, lackluster, and strange.
Me? An oracle?
Like my mother before me?
“A period of great war...” I said in a stupor.
Aunt Maria stood again and cast her eyes at the glass in her hand. Her face was solemn. “It’s already begun, Ivy. It’s why I came here, to Hillside Falls five years ago. Your mother could sense the danger and that they had found all of you. She feared for her life, so she prepared me for what was to come and for what will come. Coralia couldn’t tell anyone about her vision, let alone any of the tribesmen, so she hid the prophecy within herself, ensuring that she didn’t tell her parents, nor any of the other shapeshifters. She knew that her knowledge of your existence would alter everything. And she knew in the end; she needed to have the freedom to make this prophecy happen. That is how important it is.”
Aunt Maria spread her fingers across the desk. She sucked in a much-needed breath and then let it out. “You have to understand, Ivy. This time was the hardest of her life. Hiding what she knew about the future from those she loved the most? She could never look at our mother and father in the eyes again. She could already see how they would feel about her after she left them. She knew that they would curse her very existence. Even our brother would follow suit. They wouldn’t speak of her in any manner of love again.”
She paused for a moment, so I quickly spoke up finally. “But why would her own family not love her anymore.”
“It’s just the way of our tribe. She was shunned for breaking sacred rules. And to Coralia Hillside Falls was the answer. She covered the town in a very strong spell—the very spell listed in the book you found. The spell is meant to hide us from both our tribe members and any other race for that matter.”
“Where did she get the book from?” I whispered.
Aunt Maria crept toward the cabinet and drew out the massive, leather-bound book. She looked down at it with glistening hazel eyes, like she was looking at an old friend.
“Honestly, honey, Coralia said this book called to her. She could never understand it, but it was hidden away in an alcove that only the oldest of tribesmen knew of. She was hiking between these ravines, snaking along the river. Before she knew it, she had fallen into the ancient alcove, where she found the book. As you’ve already read, the inside is addressed to only oracles. She knew, instinctively, that it was meant for her.”
“And they never found us here?” I asked, licking my lips. I mouth felt parched, so I took another sip. “Everything worked out just as she suspected?”
Aunt Maria laughed softly. Her hand looked so delicate, glowing in the moonlight. “They raided our house after she snuck away. They found the receipt of a bus ticket and were able to find her here. The spell was far too powerful, meaning that they didn’t know it was her and she didn’t know it was them. But she knew they were here, lurking amongst the people in the community. They always have been. They lay in wait to punish her for the misfortune she brought upon the tribe. When they find us, they won't finish what they started. They will not stop until we are found.”
Aunt Maria swept toward the door to the hallway. Her hand tightened over the golden doorknob. “There’s something else you should know.”
I felt already like she had already delivered too much information. I wanted to reject it. I wanted to shove her away and return to my normal teenager life I’d had before. Hell, I would have killed to go back to soccer practice and think all of this was a goddamn dream.
“Your mother’s spell is slowly dissipating,” she continued. “As you grow into your powers, it will become easier for the bounty hunters to find us even though the spell is still cast. I also can’t communicate to the others like I had been able to before and now I longer feel the future in the same way.”
I tilted my head at her words and then asked, “Is that what happened when I found you outside in the backyard the other night?”
Aunt Maria nodded, yes. “And I have noticed small things that may be happening to you. You look at people and you can see things. Can’t you? You can anticipate the future...”
I shrugged. “How is anyone supposed to know what they see is correct? Perhaps it’s all made-up. Maybe it’s just my active imagination.”
Aunt Maria sighed. “It’s not, Ivy. I’m telling you. The sooner you acknowledge that this is your fate, the easier thing will be. I’m sorry for hiding all of this from you for so long. I’m sorry for making you think you were normal. It’s just—I didn’t imagine that my sister’s demise would happen along with your rise to power.”
A strange, black feeling overtook my stomach and heart. I felt like I was swimming in a storm cloud. With a volatile, angry feel to my voice, I whispered, “One of these people killed Mom and Dad. Didn’t they! It wasn’t an accident, was it?”
Her eyes flickered to the ground at her mistake. I knew, without any doubt, that I was correct. I could see it etched on her face.
“Did you know all along what happened to them?” I demanded, feeling the anger simmer within me. “Did you know that if we stayed that someone or something...”
Aunt Maria shook her head slowly and her shoulders cranked forward. When she finally looked at me, her eyes were blurred with tears. I watched as they rolled onto her cheeks and knew then that she had no control over any of this. It wasn’t her fault. “It couldn’t be helped, Ivy. Your mother made me vow. They were sacrificed so you could live and fulfill your mother�
��s prophecy. I will eventually have the same fate, unfortunately.”
I felt the lump in my throat and the room started spinning. I let out a gasp and my hand flew to my chest. It felt like my heart would break through my chest at any moment. I could feel my aunt’s hands on my shoulders, trying to ease me into a chair. I sat down and finally took several deeps. I still couldn’t process all this newfound information and I wanted to get as far away as possible, to not believe any of it was true.
And yet, what she was telling me was the truth. I felt in every fiber of my being. Finally, the truth shimmered out in front of us, like a strange blanket in the wind.
At the core of it was the fact that my existence was going to ultimately kill the only other person that truly loves me, my aunt.
The only family I had left.
I looked up at my aunt, who was standing in front of me. She looked worn, exhausted and terrified now. I hated seeing her like this. I finally grabbed her hand and felt the tears fall onto my cheeks. “I can’t lose you too, Aunt Maria. I just can’t. You have to tell me. Show me what to do.”
She kneeled down and kissed the top of my hand. “Everything will happen as it was destined to, Ivy. I don’t have control over that.”
I wrapped my arms around her neck as tightly as I could. The realization of everything that had been explained to me in the last hour or so was too overwhelming. Knowing that my parents were a sacrifice, so I would live was too much for me to process. I felt the overwhelming sobs take control of me as she pulled me to the floor and cried in her arms. I couldn’t control myself. My heart was aching.
Chapter Five
Half an hour had passed by the time we both went upstairs. I slipped into bed with still so many questions. Aunt Maria rapped on the door before entering and popped her head in. “You going to be okay?”
I nodded and then padded the comforter for her to come and join me.
“Is this why I’ll be going to Origins Academy?” I asked, picking at the thread in the comforter.
“Ivy, I...” Aunt Maria tried. I’d never seen her at such a loss for words. “I really didn’t mean for it all to become so complicated. The short answer is yes. I need to make sure you’ll be safe. If you remain in Hillside Falls with me here, the shapeshifters and bounty hunters that want us dead will track us down. They probably don’t even care for me anymore. Any punishment would kill me instantly. They know I’ll waste away, without their help. They probably sense it coming, like you sense the wind and the rain. But you? You’ll come into your powers soon. You feel it, don’t you?”
The nightmares. The dreams.
I had thought they were just a strange background of my mind. But I now recognized them as so much more than that; prophecies, comprehension of the upcoming world. Without strength to say anything else to her, I laid my head back down on the pillow. It was already past three in the morning and we were both exhausted. Aunt Maria stood and I grabbed her arm, stopping her. She turned to look at me and I whispered, “Thank you for everything you have done for me. I love you.”
She bent down and kissed my forehead. “I love you too, Ivy. More than you’ll ever know.” A moment later, she retreated from the room and shut my door.
I laid there for a moment and thought all my life; I had lived a lie. I had thought I was just an ordinary girl who liked to run around and play soccer and laugh.
Now, I knew the truth.
The entire race of supernaturals and humans alike relied on my existence. Because I had been born, a state of events had been altered, none of which I fully understood yet.
And yeah, sure, I was thrilled that this probably meant I could go to the Origins Supernatural Academy, but I already had this weird sense that I was even stranger than most of the supernaturals there.
I was a fucking oracle, which meant—
I would learn things. I would learn to see the future and god knows what else.
This made me both dangerous and terrifying, probably for most people.
It wasn’t like I was going to “fit in” at this school. I knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I started to feel weird like someone was watching me. I sat at the edge of my bed and gazed out at the woods outside our house. A silver fox snaked through the trees and paused, pointing his nose toward my window. It seemed like he saw me, although that was probably stupid to think. I pressed the tips of my fingers against the glass. I wished I could be some sort of animal, some sort of easy being that wanted nothing, needed nothing but food and drink and time outdoors.
Then, just as I grew more and more accustomed to the sight of the fox outside my room, I watched as the fox began to transform, to shapeshift. Slowly, the fox cranked up into human form; his little rat-like shoulders were shucking out to become a man’s, his long nose shoving back into a skin-covered, human face. Within seconds, the shapeshifter had sprung into a forty-something human male, with long red hair wafting down his back.
I had never seen anyone shapeshift before.
I flew back on my bed and my heart hammered in my chest. All the things Aunt Maria had just told me about the shapeshifters from her tribe being after us rang through my head. Chances were, whoever the fox-man was, he was hunting for us. I wondered how powerful the spell was, if they had fully realized that my aunt and I were living here—or if they just had a hunch.
I could feel it, though. If I really thought about it, I could feel how different the air was over my bed, in the kitchen, even outside our house. I suppose “before” the spell had waned, I had felt immense comfort in my house. Coming home had felt like a blanket being thrown over you when you were on the verge of sleep.
Now, the air felt empty. I felt frightened in a way I didn’t recognize.
I felt my body shiver not from the cold but the fear that seized my body as curled up within my bed and pulled the comforter close to my chin. Exhaustion took over and I closed my eyes as I welcomed the much-needed sleep.
Chapter Six
It was early August when Aunt Maria took me in to see the headmaster of Origins Supernatural Academy.
It had been a tense few weeks. We had spoken in more detail about my mother and Aunt Maria tried to answer any questions I had when she could. There were so many that she couldn’t, though and I just had to be patient and wait to see what was to come. This certainly wasn’t my strong suit considering I was a hormonal sixteen-year-old. But for the amount of absurd and crazy information that was dumped on my lap, I think I was dealing with it pretty damn good.
As the day passed, I would normally just grab something to snack on before heading off to Celeste’s house, where I had updated her on everything I had learned. We had also tried to put our heads together to figure out the missing pieces, but again, it was no use.
One thing Celeste had mentioned to me was—that my powers had obviously not fully come yet. Sure, I had the occasional vision, which sometimes really freaked her out (like when I tore the milkshake out of her hand before she drank it, telling her it was past its eat-by date). But largely, I felt my powers like this kind of flickering, very weak electric shots in my skull. I couldn’t control them, the way I knew you were meant to. I knew I would learn more at the academy, though. But already, I would be so behind, since I should have attended all of last year, and also, most supernaturals experiment with their powers throughout their late-childhood and early teens.
I brought this up to Aunt Maria on the drive over to Origins Supernatural Academy.
“When am I supposed to really feel it or know?” I asked.
I watched Aunt Maria’s hands grip the steering wheel harder as we made our way up the road. She flashed me a sad smile and said, “Honey, I really don’t have answers for you. When it’s time, you’ll know. But for now, that is all I can tell you. I’m sorry, sweety.”
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” she said as she continued to stare out at the road in front of her.
“There’s more?” I hoped it wa
sn’t too surprising. I already had enough on my plate to deal with.
Celeste had grown up learning about her magical future and had talked about it almost non-stop since she was a kid. I remembered her old stories about her great-great-grandmother, actually managing to untie herself at the stake and cast the burning fire across the fields, burning several pilgrims to death along with it.
The story had seemed so fascinating—another world that I hadn’t been allowed to understand.
But this was my world now.
“I’m afraid so,” Aunt Maria frowned as she stole a quick glance at me from the driver’s seat. She pulled the car to the side of the road and hovered near the gas station. Cars whizzed past us, some of them honking their horns.
“What is it, Aunt Maria,” I murmured, starting to feel a bit frightened by the way she was pausing.
“You probably have noticed a mark forming on your stomach. Haven’t you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
I instinctively looked down at my stomach even though I had clothes on then looked back at her. I had freckles, little moles, little birthmarks, just like everyone else and I hadn’t noticed anything else that was odd or out of the norm.
Mom drew out her right wrist. On it was a circle—something I’d previously thought was just an old tattoo from wilder days. Of course, the circle was a bit faded, now—almost greyish blue. She drew a finger across it.
I shook my head. “No. Why? What is going to happen?”
“When you turn 17, the mark will unveil itself. But with that mark, the supernaturals of the world will sense who you are as well, once and for all. Everything will come full circle.”
“So... you’re saying that when I turn 17...”
“Everything will change for good,” Aunt Maria affirmed. “Your powers will come into themselves gradually, so you’re not overwhelmed, but you still will be.”
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