by Suzi Davis
Bridgette held out her trembling hands and smiled. “Me too.”
“That was amazing. The rush of power… I could get used to that!” Red grinned.
Nathaniel half turned in his seat, speaking to me over his shoulder.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that. The amount of magic you used… The things you could have done, if you had wanted…”
“But I didn’t. I just wanted to contact the spirits, to get their help in finding Sebastian and the others. I don’t think you could harness that much power unless your intentions were true. You have to want something with your whole unyielding heart and with only the purest of intentions.”
There was a pause in the conversation as everyone considered my words.
“Tell us about Sebastian,” Bridgette requested. She gave me a small, shy smile. “We all know you love him and you’re supposed to be marrying him soon but… well, if we’re going to all risk our necks to save him it would be nice to know a bit more about him.”
Several others nodded in agreement. I hesitated. It was hard to talk about him right now. It brought up so many memories, making my chest collapse. I was so afraid and worried for him…
“He’s strange,” David spoke up from the front. “Always has been. He’s a bit of a demented philosopher, takes some things with a grain of salt and looks far too deeply into others. But he can also be fun—Sebastian has always known how to have a good time. He can get broody though and boy, he has a frightening temper if you can push him that far. He’s not at all what you’d expect from a two thousand year old man. Sometimes I wonder if his mental maturity was frozen at eighteen along with the rest of his body.”
“What did ya say there?” Red called from the back. Bridgette openly gaped.
“Sebastian is around two thousand years old,” David repeated. “Isn’t that right, Grace?” All eyes turned to me.
“How old are you?” Ella asked curiously.
“Um, I’m nineteen. But I’ve known Sebastian since he was young, sort of.”
“I don’t understand,” Bridgette whined. I sighed. I hadn’t wanted to talk about this, to share this part of my life with them. But obviously I was going to have to. It was something they needed to hear, needed to understand and maybe it was something I needed to say.
“Ok, I might as well start at the beginning…”
And so I proceeded to tell them the whole story, starting with my life as the priestess Caoilinn, when I had first met Sebastian (or Seamus as he was called then) two thousand years in the past. I explained how Caoilinn had given Seamus his ability, how she was murdered and how Seamus/Sebastian, in his loneliness, later went on to create the Others. I continued with how he had eventually realized his mistake and left the Others, losing many of his memories and hibernating somewhere near the Arctic for several hundred years. Then I explained how we were reunited nearly two thousand years later in Victoria, how my powers were awakened and his memories returned, and we were forced to run from the Others together. I told them how the end of the Others came to be, how their magic had been permanently stripped from them and their memories erased. I did not mention the four of the Others who had the natural ability to access the Lost Magic or the ones whose memories I had restored. I didn’t consider Lily to be a threat and Jai, Nathaniel and David were all under my control… more or less. I explained how I thought I had destroyed the Lost Magic in the Necromanteion last summer but then it had been reawakened just in those with the natural ability (as opposed to most of the Others who had possessed the magic unnaturally). The rest they knew, more or less.
“You’ve been through a lot,” Sylvia commented from the front seat. She was gazing back at me with sympathetic eyes. There was an added element of respect to her tones, as if hearing my story had somehow elevated me.
Jai and Nathaniel were also turned around and looking at me differently, almost with admiration.
“I’ve never heard the whole story before,” Jai announced in his crisp, precise way. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes considering me. “That was fascinating. Thank you.”
“I’ve heard it all before, and I must say, it’s just as uninteresting hearing it from you as from Seamus,” David commented dryly. I ignored him.
“Well, that’s enough about me. Please, tell me about yourselves,” I encouraged and surprisingly, I really meant it. I felt lighter now that I had shared my tale, like I had gotten something off my chest. And now that I’d actually opened up to these people, I felt obligated to allow them to do the same in return. I wanted to get to know them, I realized. It had been so long since I’d had any friends, apart from Sebastian and perhaps Clarke.
“I’ll start,” Red loudly volunteered. “Well, I’m from Australia, in case you hadn’t noticed. I just turned forty this summer, I got a girlfriend back home but no kids. She understood that I had to go on this trip, I think, I hope!” He laughed. “Well, hopefully she’s waiting for me on the ranch when I get back home. That’s what I do by the way, I’m a ranch owner and operator, a regular ole outback cowboy…” And he continued to tell us all about his life back home and how he had ended up here, in Victoria, compelled almost against his will to search for a nameless young woman with an amber necklace from a recurring dream who he believed would guide him and instead, finding others like himself.
Everyone took turns sharing their stories. A few things surprised me, like that Sylvia, who wasn’t much older then me, had two kids, or that Ella (who looked like a punk-rocker) was a high school teacher from Florida who taught Spanish and French but also spoke three other languages. I was also surprised to hear that Bridgette had been in an advanced program and completed high school over a year ago. She was now working on the second year of a Psychology degree through an online university. It was just another reminder of how little I knew about her and how much she had changed. The look on Bridgette’s face when Nathaniel announced that he was nearly seven hundred years old was priceless, I actually had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. There were a few surprises for us all.
Finally it was David’s turn. We all watched the back of his head expectantly as he continued to drive us through the winding roads that twisted up and over the mountains as we crossed the island, heading north and west. Unsurprisingly, he was not very forthcoming.
“Sebastian and I were once good friends. He gave me my powers. He betrayed me and when I tried to hold him accountable for his mistakes, Grace took my powers, erased my memory and tried to destroy the Lost Magic entirely. With our memories erased, Grace, Sebastian and myself became friends once more and were living together, here in Victoria. Grace returned my memories to me yesterday after Sebastian went missing but first she used magic to make me blindly commit to helping her. And so here we are.”
“So are you friend or foe then, mate?” Red demanded, speaking the question that I was sure many others were wondering.
“I am an unwilling accomplice, for the time being,” David replied, coldly. “Now if you’ve all quite finished with the group bonding, I’m going to put some music on.”
And with that he cranked up the radio.
We stopped for gas and lunch in Port Alberni, a small, sprawling town in the center of the island. Everyone had split up for lunch, Bridgette skipping along after Jai and Nathaniel in the direction of a small Italian restaurant across the street. I remained close to the van, choosing to purchase my lunch from the gas station store and eat in the parking lot. To my surprise, David opted to join me. He sat in the driver’s seat, chewing his sandwich and sipping from a cup of coffee. I sat in the passenger’s seat, picking at a muffin and playing with my cell phone distractedly. I dialed Sebastian’s number over and over.
“Why do you keep trying?” David suddenly asked, his voice unexpectedly soft. He nodded to the phone in my hands. “He’s not going to answer. The number has been disconnected and even if it hadn’t, the people he’s with aren’t likely to let him take calls.”
“I know. I guess I just keep wishing that if I want it enough…”
“It won’t work.”
“What do you know?” I snapped. I dropped the phone back into my bag. We ate the rest of our lunch in silence.
By the time everyone had returned to the van, over forty-five minutes had passed. I felt like I could feel Sebastian slipping further away from me with every passing moment and it was driving me crazy. I couldn’t sit still, I was overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. I desperately needed a distraction and chose to ride the rest of the trip up front with David.
“No music,” I commanded as David fired up the engine. He glared at me as I hit the power button on the van’s stereo, abruptly cutting off the tunes. I turned to face the other six people sitting behind me. “It’s lesson time. If we’re going to rescue Sebastian, I need you to be able to focus your ability and use the Lost Magic; even a little bit will go a long way. So let’s start with something simple. I’ll talk you all through it. Ready?”
“Yes,” Bridgette chirped. Her eyes were wide with both excitement and awe. The others all nodded in turn.
“Alright, let’s begin. The simplest desires can be the most difficult to fulfill as they are often the most whimsical. It will be much easier for you to use the Lost Magic if you are motivated by fear for your life, intense pain, hatred or any other passionate emotion. The challenge we face is that the best motivators are also the most dangerous. Allow me to demonstrate. Everyone start talking and don’t stop, even if I tell you to. Go ahead,” I encouraged when they all stared back at me in silence.
My companions slowly began chattering, babbling randomly to one another and laughing nervously. All except for David who remained stubbornly mute. I fixed him with a hard stare.
“You too, David.”
“I’m not going to—”
“Stop,” I cut in. My voice sliced through the air, the magic behind my words abruptly cutting off all conversation. The others all stared back at me in wonder, several mouths hanging open. David glared at the road ahead.
“How did you—?” Bridgette began.
“It was like you halted the words as they were on my lips,” Sylvia wondered aloud.
“But how did you make us all stop when none of us wanted to?” Nathaniel quietly questioned. “I thought you couldn’t manipulate another’s will?”
“I can, if I truly want to, if I honestly believe that it is necessary. It still doesn’t make it right, or easy to do.”
“That was necessary?” David asked sarcastically.
“The lesson is necessary. That’s how it works but we’re going to have to start with a much easier motivator for all of you: pain. Now partner up. David, I’ll work with you while you’re driving. One partner is going to pinch the other—hard. Keep pinching until your partner uses the magic to make you let go. We’ll switch every five minutes.”
“Sounds like fun,” Red chuckled from the back.
“Actually, it should be incredibly irritating, frustrating and borderline painful. Nothing less than that will motivate you enough to control the Lost Magic, at least not yet. Let’s begin.”
By the time we reached the west coast of the island it was nearly three o’clock in the afternoon. We had spent the rest of the trip practicing with varying degrees of success. Unsurprisingly, Jai and Nathaniel showed the most progress, managing to stop the other about half the time. Sylvia and Ella were both coming along nicely, occasionally finding success. Red was struggling and Bridgette wasn’t able to make what she wanted to happen once, even when Ella and Nathaniel tried pinching her at the same time. Her pale skin was marred with bruises and red patches up and down both arms.
I had a new task for the group as we approached the end of Highway 4. We needed to make a decision, left to Ucluelet or right to Tofino? The road was about to split.
“Focus your desire,” I encouraged the group. “We need to know which way to go to find Sebastian. I need all the help I can get.”
The weather had turned stormy and wild the further west we had traveled. Sheets of rain, interrupted by blasts of wind were now driving down upon us. The wipers on the van were turned up as high as they could go. We were almost at the stop sign where the highway ended and met the main road that ran between Ucluelet and Tofino when I noticed there was a person standing in the middle of the road, waving to the traffic. I hoped that this was the sign we needed and we would receive the direction that we had asked for. Hopefully our small group had enough control over the Lost Magic to at least manage that. I opened my window as we approached, shrinking away from the blasts of icy rain.
“I’m with the volunteer fire department,” the man announced as we pulled up beside him. “We’ve had a bad accident just a few kilometers down the road. You’ll have to head into Ucluelet for now—the road to Tofino is going to be closed for a few hours.”
“Ok, that’s where we were headed anyway. Thank you,” I answered brusquely, already starting to close my window. Now that we knew exactly which direction to go, I was eager to get there.
“Wait!” Bridgette called from behind me. I left the window half open. The man peered into the van towards her, squinting through the rain. “I hope everyone’s ok? We didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”
The man looked at her strangely. I winced.
“Actually, it’s a miracle no one was hurt. A logging truck, two cars and a van are all piled up, blocking the road. The drivers should all be fine though,” he reassured her.
“I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you!” Bridgette called back. The man smiled in response and we pulled away, making a left turn towards Ucluelet.
“Did we cause that accident to happen?” Ella asked quietly. An uncomfortable silence filled the van. The wipers swished noisily across the windshield.
“I don’t know. It might have happened anyway, it might not have,” I admitted.
No one spoke. David smirked.
“Or it might be Jeremy and the ones who’ve taken Sebastian using the Lost Magic to try to slow us down. They could have more control than us,” Bridgette pointed out.
My heart sank, I hadn’t considered that.
“Either way, we’ll find out soon enough. Let’s try and find the harbor. How far are we from Ucluelet anyway?” I asked, trying to distract the others and myself.
It took another half hour to reach Ucluelet. The small harbor wasn’t difficult to find, nor was the information we were looking for; the Sea Spite had in fact been rented out to a group early that morning. We were on the right trail after all but now I was worried that it was too easy, that we might be following a false trail or walking straight into a trap as the spirit in my dream had warned. We were even able to find out where Jeremy and his ‘friends’ had gone: to a small island just off the coast, known for its wilderness camping. Unfortunately, no matter how badly we all wanted to set off that afternoon, no one would rent us a craft in the middle of a storm. The sky was black and rumbled with distant thunder, the wind whipped and tossed the waves that crested to white caps and crashed down upon the shore. The icy, winter rain poured endlessly from the sky. Perhaps I was the only one who truly wanted to set out but either way, it was obvious we would have to postpone our journey until dawn when the ocean was more calm.
“Where are we going to stay tonight?” Bridgette asked. “Please tell me we don’t have to all sleep in the van!”
“There were a few hotels just down the road,” Jai suggested. “It shouldn’t be too expensive; it is the off-season and if we’re going to be camping on that island for the next few nights, it might be nice to start out with a good night’s sleep.”
“Oh! How about the Rock Water Spa?” Bridgette’s eyes lit up, her face hopeful.
“I can’t afford to stay at a spa,” Sylvia frowned.
“It’s fine, I’ve got the bill. Let’s just go,” I sighed. I was drenched and frozen from walking around the harbor in the rain. I felt defeated and my exhaustion was finally catching up to me. I was de
ad on my feet. “Let’s just go,” I repeated tiredly. Bridgette clapped her hands together excitedly.
The Rock Water Spa turned out to be a ridiculously grandiose resort. It curved around a rocky peak that jutted out into the ocean. The oceanside face of the five story building was covered in large glass windows, ideal for storm-watching. The rooms were bright and modern with all the amenities, full room service, large flatscreen TV’s and personal bars in each suite. We paired up, two to a room and I ended up with Bridgette. While several of the others headed into town with David to get the necessary gear and supplies for our journey, Bridgette remained with me at the resort. I had hoped to fall asleep but as soon as we were alone, Bridgette began chatting.
“I can’t believe you know magic! Why didn’t you ever tell me? Oh my God, Grace, I have so many questions. This is so unbelievable! Will I really be able to make whatever I want happen? Oh, I wish I could now. It’s not fair that everyone else is more powerful than me. Will I always be the weakest? Do you think if I practice, my powers might grow? You’ll help me won’t you, Grace? Can we practice some more now?”
“No, Bridgette,” I groaned. I flopped down onto the soft, cream sheets spread out neatly on my large bed. “Not now. It’s been a really long day and night and week… I just need to rest.”
“Oh right, sorry. I forgot.” She giggled, shrugging apologetically. I closed my eyes but I could feel her still watching me.
“Grace… can I ask you something?”
“Why not?” I mumbled, eyes still closed.
“Why did you ask me to be your Maid of Honor?”
“I didn’t. It was my mother,” I blurted out without thinking. I was too tired to properly censor my thoughts.
“Oh. I see,” Bridgette answered stiffly.
I sighed and opened my eyes. She was staring out the large window that stretched from ceiling to floor, watching the wild storm churning the ocean and the flashes of lightning flickering across the dark sky. Bridgette turned to me with accusing eyes.