Zola led Annie to the kitchen table and sat. The fairy held her charge’s hand and swallowed. “While I am linked to the Pearce family and all of your descendants, I am particularly linked to you. This is my fairy protection amulet, imbued with my blood. It will protect you in the past because I am alive in the past.” She glanced at Annie.
“I figured you were alive in the ninth century, but you were there, weren’t you?”
She nodded. “I intended to give this to you before you left. When you arrive through the portal, call for me and show my younger self this necklace. I will know and I can help.” Behind her smile was a lot of worry, stress, and fear.
Annie placed the necklace around her neck and hid it under her shirt where it lay cold against her bare skin. She reached around Zola, her former nanny and now family friend, and let her arms envelope her. It almost seemed less daunting, knowing she had Zola waiting for her.
“You remember this, yes?” Annie asked.
“I do.” Zola kissed her on the cheek.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Annie touched her shirt and felt the design of the necklace through the fabric.
Zola stood and began to pace, very much unlike herself. She stopped in front of the window and faced Annie.
“There was something I was supposed to accomplish for you and I… I was unable to fulfill that request. I’m embarrassed and full of regret. Eleven hundred years and I could not find an answer.”
“What was the request?”
Zola shook her head. “I promised I would figure out how to remove the power from you without killing you. I don’t have that answer. I should have found it.”
“It’s just not possible then.” Annie let out the air in her lungs. “So I need to prepare for my trip and accept the power. Is there anything else you can tell me? I have no one else who knows.”
“You have yourself, my brilliant, beautiful woman. I am so proud of the woman you’ve become. You must trust yourself and Gibbs and Brite. The demons were wiped from earth because of what you did. You know how to kill them; you just need to tap into your knowledge. I will help you.”
“You really won’t tell me what to do.” Annie chuckled nervously.
“I… I can’t tell you the specifics. I will remind you that you know how to kill the demons. You know who is in the original coven. All that information in your folder will help you solve this. Use the resources you have. Trust your team and your magic. While they are forcing you to play their game, you can play it on your terms. Your way,” Zola reiterated.
“So I shouldn’t worry that the prophecy didn’t say anything about a team?”
Zola smiled. “That’s correct. I’m glad the Wizard Council put it to a vote though.”
“It was a very close vote. But I’m allowed to go back, with conditions of course,” Annie said.
“As it should have been. I just want you to remember. Do not trust the coven. They only care what you can do for them.”
“You know what’s coming,” Annie stated.
Zola nodded. “I’ve seen your life play itself out. I’ve seen you succeed. I’ve seen you fail. And yes, I know what’s coming. Please don’t trust the coven. Stick to your plan.”
Annie stood and glanced out the window. “I think they might be watching me.”
“You think the Fraternitatem is already here.”
“If I was going to kidnap or kill someone, I would want to know everything about that person. They knew how to get to Emily. Whatever they have planned for me, they will know everything about me. They’re waiting for the right time. Maybe they came when the demon was conjured because they knew it was time. I don’t know for sure.”
“I didn’t know about the Fraternitatem back then. I should have known. I should have been watching for changes, anomalies. I made so many mistakes.” Zola took a deep breath.
“You’ve been there. You know what happens. But when I go back, I can change things. You told me to do it my way. I can tell you what didn’t work. You can change your next eleven hundred years,” Annie said excitedly.
“Be careful what you share, even with me. I would hate for you to come back to a world you don’t know. Be choosy with who and what you reveal,” Zola warned.
Annie looked at her incredulously. “I shouldn’t tell you?”
“No.”
Only discuss what needs to be discussed as it pertains to the demons.
Annie digested Zola’s words and understood how they were connected to the restrictions placed on her by the Wizard Council.
“I feel a little comforted that you will be there with me.” Annie reached over and gave Zola a hug. She let her fairy squeeze her.
“I love you, my precious girl. Be safe and be smart.”
*
Kathy folded Annie’s T-shirts and placed them in her field pack, silently working.
“At least Robin will be here soon.” Annie tried to remain cheery as she mentioned Kathy’s only biological child. Though Robin and Annie were ten years apart, they had been close, raised like siblings or cousins. She was sorry she’d miss his visit.
It’s time travel. I can come back now if I wanted.
“Do you have enough food, water, clothes?” Ryan asked as he dropped more water bottles on her bed.
“I’m really only worried about water. I can hunt if I need food.” It wasn’t Annie’s favorite pastime, but she had learned how to survive during her training as a new wizard guard.
Kathy frowned as she loaded Annie’s field pack with more clothes. “Is it wise to wear your normal clothes while in the past? Shouldn’t you blend in?” she asked.
Annie glanced at Ryan.
“They know you’re coming. Though if you’re not with the coven or the Vikings, it could be a problem. Maybe one outfit for each of you would be appropriate,” Ryan suggested.
“So I have to wear a long, heavy dress to kill them? Where the hell am I going to find that now?” Annie asked. She glanced at her phone. Time was ticking away and she tossed it on the bed and lay down.
“Hey, there you are.” Kathy, Ryan, and Annie turned to the familiar voice of Robin Price.
“Oh, sweetie, you’re home!” Kathy flew up and hugged her son. It had been many months.
“Hi, Mom.” He pulled away and turned to Annie. “And you. I heard you’re leaving. What’s that about?”
“Since you’ve heard, you really already know,” Annie said. Robin nodded. “So, why did you come home? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
He told them briefly of coming across an ancient grimoire that he was depositing in Artifact Hall at Wizard Hall. It reminded Annie of the Fraternitatem grimoire she had in her field pack.
“Sounds like you’ve been busy,” Annie said.
“Not as busy as you. What’s really going on?”
Annie gave him the short version. He stood in her room with his jaw tensing like Cham’s had.
“Do you need anything from me?” Robin asked.
Annie shook her head. “And you’re staying for how long?” she asked.
“Well, I’ve actually made some decisions. I think I’ll be staying around for a bit. Got myself a real job with Wizard Hall.” He smiled.
They all sat, stunned expressions on their faces. He was thirty-four years old, unmarried, and had never lived a conventional life. He was an adventurer, traveling the world looking for ancient artifacts for any wizard hall that requested his services.
“Really?” Kathy jumped up and hugged her son again, kissing his cheeks.
“Mom. Stop.” He jokingly pushed her away. “Anyway, I’ll be here when you get back.”
“So, you’ll be here tomorrow?” Annie joked. Ryan and Robin laughed.
“That’s not funny,” Kathy said. “How can you joke? And you.” She pointed to Ryan, raising her voice. “She’s your goddaughter! Jason’s daughter! You’re just standing there laughing!”
Robin and Annie stared at them.
“I’m not okay,” Ryan
said. “I’m an emotional mess inside.” He looked at Annie, the girl he helped raised, the woman he was proud of. “I trust Annie and her abilities.”
“I know everyone’s on edge. But you two need to stop,” Annie said. “You’re bickering. It’s not helpful. And I need to know you’re okay before I go.”
Kathy put an arm around Annie. “While I’m glad Robin’s home, this isn’t okay. This will never be okay. But Ryan and I are fine.” She kissed Annie’s cheek.
“Actually, Mom, Ryan, I need to borrow Annie for a bit. You mind?” Robin asked. They nodded, confused. Robin walked Annie back downstairs and to her back yard.
“This is ominous,” she said.
“Sorry. I wanted to tell you I decided to take the job because of Mom. And a little because of you and Sami. Honestly, it’s probably time to start acting like an adult,” Robin said.
“Okay. That’s not why you brought me out here,” Annie surmised.
Robin chuckled. “You’re right. I probably could have talked to you upstairs, but Mom is really upset. I’m not crazy about you going to the past either. But I agree with Ryan—you’re smart. Scary smart. You’ll come back.”
“Still not what you want to say to me though.” Annie winked.
“No, it’s not. I also heard the reason you can’t kill Sturtagaard is because he was needed for this?”
“You did hear a lot,” Annie said.
“It’s all over Wizard Hall. What’s he going to say to keep himself alive when this is over?” Robin asked.
“How did you guess that?”
“I’ve met the vampire on my travels. He manipulates the situation to suit himself. His time is coming to end. He’ll pull something.”
“He already did. He claims to know where the new Black Market is,” Annie told him.
Robin nodded in understanding. “I figured that’s what he’d use.” Robin pulled a small notebook from his pocket and handed it to her. “There are coordinates in there for markets that have popped up. I know they’re not the main market. I have contacts all over the world, and we’ve been searching for it. I think I know where it is.”
Annie glanced at him. “Really? No joke?”
“No joke. I know you. You won’t relinquish your life that easily. You’ll find a way to get back. When you get back, I’ll take you to the market. Don’t keep that ass alive on account of the market.”
Annie smiled. “Thanks. I was considering listening to him. Knowing this changes my mind.”
*
It was a goodbye nearly impossible for Annie. She kissed Dave’s cheeks and offered Janie a hug. She didn’t want to pull away.
“I’ll be back in a few days, most likely,” Annie said. She pushed them out the door because it was late, nearly midnight, and she had an early morning. She turned and walked back to her kitchen. Samantha looked at her.
“I was going to stay the night,” Samantha said.
“No. You need to go. But I need to show you something first. Upstairs.”
“You’re making me angrier with you,” Samantha said when she sat on Annie’s bed.
Annie shrugged. “I’m sorry, but this has to be done.”
She lay the fireproof metal box on her bed. “I keep it in the closet. Your blood will open it,” Annie said as she poked her finger in the blood lock. The lid sprung open. “The mortgage is in here. All of my bank accounts. My will and insurance policy. I might be engaged, but nothing’s been changed yet. You still own half the house, and the rest of it goes to you.”
“You’re coming home,” Samantha said.
“And I might not. You need to think ahead, just in case.” Annie could feel the tension.
“I can’t. You’re all I have left.”
Annie handed her a USB drive. “If I don’t make it back, that’s for you too.”
Samantha shook her head. “Keep it with everything else.”
Annie shrugged and dropped it in the metal box, slamming the lid shut. The sisters remained in the uncomfortable silence as Annie returned the locked box to her closet. There was only so much they could say to each other.
“I love you. Not just because you’re my sister but because you’re also my friend. I need you to be safe,” Samantha choked.
Annie sat on the bed beside her. “I need you to trust me. Please just trust me.” She could barely whisper and slipped her arms around her sister. “I love you. Take care of him.”
Samantha nodded quickly and picked up Annie’s left hand. “He did good with the ring. It’s beautiful.”
Annie smiled and kissed her cheek. No matter what she told Samantha, Annie worried it would be the last time she would see her sister.
Chapter 18
The portal burst out between the talismans and whirled like a tornado in front of Annie. Lightning flashed quickly, nearly grazing her. Beyond the whirlpool of air, she could see all the people she loved the most. They looked at her, worried for her.
She stood on a narrow pathway, damp cool air surrounding her, as the sun hid behind a thick layer of clouds. She clenched her muscles as wind whipped across her; it wasn’t from the portal, but from the storm that was closing in on her.
Annie reached out to touch the swirling air, out to Cham who stood on the other side. While he was only inches from her, they were really 1,100 years apart, so far away that she couldn’t reach him, touch him. She couldn’t feel his warmth or smell his spicy cologne. A pained whimper crossed her lips.
“Cham,” she murmured.
“Annie!” he shouted.
A strong force pulled on her, yanking her farther from him. Annie felt as though she was falling, falling from the sky, slipping away from him.
“Cham!” she screamed as she began to flail. Her arms flapped wildly, her body twisted and turned as the wind picked up and blew against her. “Cham!” she screamed again, but her voice was gone. She panicked. She tried to scream again, but nothing came out.
Annie whipped her hands out around her to cast a spell. Nothing shot from her palms. She couldn’t access her magic. She was alone, as she fell from the sky, without her powers, without her voice.
So close to the ground, she kicked out, trying to make contact with the colors surrounding her. Again, she reached out for something to cling to, but there was nothing above, below or around her.
She looked down. The ground was almost there…
Annie woke, her breathing haggard, her palms and brows drenched with sweat. She looked around her bedroom. Dark shadows covered the floor, her walls, her bed.
Cham lay beside her, his breathing even and steady, though his fists were balled tightly and his jaw was tense. She pulled the covers to her chin as she lay on his chest. She rose up and down as he breathed. She touched his chest, his hair; her hand settled on his stomach, where she could feel it rise and fall. Annie took a deep breath, memorizing his scent, the cologne he used, the shampoo in his hair.
“Baby. What time is it?” he murmured.
“It’s still really early. Go back to sleep,” she said.
He quickly woke. “I’m awake now. I don’t think I can go back to sleep,” he said. He wrapped his arms around her.
“Sorry. I… I had a dream. Woke me up,” Annie said.
“At this point, I don’t want to miss a moment,” he said as he stared at the light across the ceiling. “I haven’t slept much anyway.”
“I don’t want to go,” she said.
Cham kissed the top of her head. “I don’t want you to go either. You should get some sleep. You might not get much once you get there.”
They lay there in the darkness, Annie thought of nothing else except the moment she would step through the portal. “I can’t.”
“You’re shaking,” he said. He summoned the blanket at the end of the bed and wrapped it around her.
“Fear, not cold,” she said. She buried her head in his chest. She couldn’t hide her lip that quivered or her eyes that watered.
“Remember senior year, that w
eird obstacle course? You and I, seventeen years old, and they set up the Wizard Guard training course so we could do first-year wizard guard training.”
Annie looked at him. “What about it?” She rested her chin on his chest and memorized the shape of his chin, of his nose, his forehead, committing him to memory.
“We worked as a team when we went in and everything was going well until… there was that fog that covered us, and somehow we managed to get separated.”
She smiled to herself in the darkness. “I was scared. One minute you were there, and the next, I was in a different part of the course. I couldn’t see anything, and that vampire came out of nowhere. It was intense,” Annie said.
“I was scared, too. But the thing is, I trusted you. I knew how smart you were. I knew you’d find me again and we’d finish what we set out to do. I never doubted you, even when I had that prickly little demon waddling around my feet.”
Annie and Cham had both been good students, and both had intended on becoming wizard guards since early in high school. As they trained for that goal, they grew closer, relying on each other with school and personal problems. They were so proficient as Wizard Guard students; they were able to enter the Wizard Guard training program their second semester senior year. The final test sealed their friendship for life.
“I’ve always known you had my back. I never questioned it.” Annie rolled onto her back. Her engagement ring caught the light from the moon. “I’m glad you and Ryan have so much faith in me, because right now I’m worried—not so much about the demons, but about the portal, getting there and back.”
“It’s a good plan. We have good people here who are working through the night to get you safely there and back. Your job is to get rest so you can do your job.”
Annie sighed and knew he was right. They had the best people working in the Wizard Guard. “I love you,” she said.
“I love you,” Cham whispered. Annie held his hand tightly and hoped morning wouldn’t come too soon.
*
Somewhere between three and four in the morning, Annie fell into a fitful sleep. Remnants of her dream still haunted her. When her alarm blared at six in the morning, calling her back to the present, she groaned.
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