by Sky Winters
Savannah had just put on her shirt when a flash of light coursed through her field of vision, and she knew a vision was imminent.
“Savannah?” Xander’s voice sounded worried.
Savannah ripped her hearing aid off quickly, and closed her eyes. “Something is coming,” she said, concentrating on the wave that was about to hit.
Savannah gasped when the vision finally came over her, the clearest one she'd ever had. She froze into place, willing herself to ignore everything else and pay attention. She was only mildly aware that Xander was standing next to her, but the moment the next flash of light came, she forgot where she was and whom she was with.
She saw herself standing in the clearing close to the lake, but the lake was cast in bright sunshine. Savannah could tell the sun she was seeing in her vision was a few days older than the one that had just set. Then she saw Marissa. Her face was contorted in a scowl, and her eyes were ablaze with fury. She was running towards Savannah, a stick in her hand raised in attack.
Savannah watched in shock as Marissa ran toward her, double-time, and plunged a fiery blue dagger straight into Savannah’s heart.
“Savannah?”
Savannah shook herself out of the last remnants of her vision. Even though she was currently herself gazing into Xander’s sad, grey eyes, she could still see Marissa’s fierce beauty as she ran ahead.
“What did you see?” Xander said.
Savannah read the words on his lips. Even though she couldn’t hear him, she could sense the concern that was virtually dripping from his aura.
“I saw what I always suspected would happen,” Savannah said at last.
“What did you see?” Xander said. Savannah slipped her hearing aid back in.
“I saw my future,” Savannah said, “clear as day.”
Xander fell silent and waited for her to continue.
“I saw my death,” Savannah went on slowly. She glanced at Xander’s eyes, willing him to believe her, fearing that he wouldn’t. “I saw Marissa plunging a knife into my heart.”
Chapter Eight
“What?” Xander said blinking at her in shock.
“Marissa,” Savannah said, her voice colored with anger and bitterness. “I saw her run toward me with a dagger in hand…she plunged it into my heart!”
Xander stood before her as though he were carved in stone. His eyes turbulent and filled with disbelief. “Say something.” Savannah begged. “Say something.”
Xander looked her head on, and Savannah knew he was choosing his words carefully. The magic that had engulfed them only moments before seemed to have abandoned them, and Savannah could feel only fear and unease and anger.
“Savannah--”
“I saw it!”
“I know you did,” Xander said calmly as he took a step forward. “I know you think you saw it–"
“Think?” Savannah repeated as she cringed away from Xander. “Think?”
“You’re pregnant, and sometimes, that can influence your visions,” Xander said trying to calm her.
“Don’t do that,” Savannah said angrily. “Don’t treat me as though I was some jealous idiot who can’t control my raging hormones. This has nothing to do with my pregnancy. It’s what I saw and it's what's going to happen soon.”
“Marissa would never hurt you,” Xander said adamantly.
Savannah turned and started walking away from him.
“Savannah,” Xander cried as he ran after her. “Wait! Please stop and talk to me.”
“You don’t believe me?” Savannah demanded and she turned around to face him again. “And yet you trust her?”
“I’ve known her my whole life--”
“And you’ve known me for a fraction of a second in comparison,” Savannah interrupted him. “I know that as well as you do, but it doesn't change what I saw.”
“What if what you saw was a mistake?” Xander demanded.
“A mistake?” Savannah asked incredulously. “How can you think that?”
“Because you yourself have told me that your visions are rare, and when they do come to you they aren’t clear. What if you simply saw what you wanted to see as opposed to what actually is?”
Savannah stopped short and stared at Xander. “Which is it?” She asked in a thick voice. “You don’t believe me, or you don’t trust me.” For a split second Savannah found herself thinking of Abel and the fact that he would have believed her vision without second thought.
Xander sighed in frustration. “I do believe you and I do trust you--I just think that, in this instance, I have more information than you do.”
“And what information do I have?” Savannah demanded.
“I think you're scared and that fear's clouding your judgement,” Xander said, trying to reach for Savannah’s hand.
Savannah shook him off and started to walk away from him. Xander followed close behind, imploring her to stay and talk to him. “Savannah please,” he said, “I’m on your side.”
“Really?” Savannah said, coming to another stop. “Are you really on my side? Because it doesn’t feel that way to me. In fact, it feels like you’re on Marissa’s side.”
“You don’t understand,” Xander said desperately. “I know Marissa.”
“Maybe you’re the one who’s blind,” Savannah said hotly as she continued on the winding path down the hill. It was harder to move in the darkness and walking downhill was always more treacherous than walking uphill. Savannah slipped a few times. The last time Xander grabbed her just in time.
“Slow down Savannah,” Xander cautioned. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“I’m fine,” Savannah snapped, pulling from herself from his grip and resuming her pace.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, Savannah stood beside Xander’s bike and fixed him with a cold stare.“Just take me home,” she said.
“Savannah--”
“Please,” Savannah begged tiredly. “I don’t want to talk anymore. I just want to get home.”
Xander stared at her a moment longer and then shook his head in defeat. “All right, I’ll take you home,” he said.
The ride back to the house was filled with a dark silence and Savannah felt every beautiful moment she'd experienced in the last few hours melt away. She felt as though she were alone again, which only served to strengthen her resolve. She was right to have taken matters into her own hands. She was right to have sought help.
When Xander stopped the bike in front of her house, Savannah got down without saying a word, and started toward the house.
“Savannah,” Xander called out before she reached the door, “please.”
Savannah turned around to face him. “Give me some time,” she said. “I need a break.”
Xander looked at her forlornly for a long moment, and then he nodded once. “If that’s what you need.”
Savannah turned her back on him and walked into the house. She closed the door on Xander, and for some unfathomable reason, Savannah found herself thinking about Abel as she climbed the stairs to her room.
Chapter Nine
Savannah woke early the next day, after a night of shapeless dreams and hidden monsters. She felt the dark circles under her eyes before she saw them, and longed for the soft, cushy pillows of her bed, wishing that she could have just a few more hours of dreamless sleep.
She put on her oldest and most favorite pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and her most comfortable hoodie, grabbed her backpack, and headed down the stairs.
“Savannah?” her mother called from the kitchen.
“Hi, Mom,” Savannah said as she stuck her head in the door. “I’m going out for a bit.”
“It’s early,” her mother pointed out.
“It’s not too early for hiking,” Savannah said with a small smile.
“Wow! You're really into this hiking thing, aren’t you?” her mother said.
“I know--it’s surprising to me, too,” Savannah replied.
“Maybe I’ll join you one d
ay and see what all the fuss is about,” her mother said.
“That would be nice.” Savannah nodded and attempted to leave the kitchen.
“Hey,” her mother called, “what about breakfast?”
Savannah stuck her head back in. “What are we having?”
“Waffles.”
Savannah went to the table and took a waffle from the plate. She crunched into it and gave her mother a smile. “That should do it,” she said, and then she waved goodbye as she left the kitchen.
She drove the car to the foot of Grey Mountain and stared up at the steep hill. It looked familiar to her now, despite the fact that she'd only made one journey there before. All of the smells that had been foreign to her the day before were starting to make sense now. She began to climb, glad that her pregnancy still allowed her to be active and limber.
She was half way to the cabin when she heard a voice behind her. “Hello Savannah,” it said.
Savannah rushed around and found herself face to face with Abel. His brown-gold eyes were on her and his expression was unreadable.
“Abel,” Savannah gasped, feeling a shiver jerk through her body. She was uncertain why Abel’s presence affected her so much. Maybe it was because it made her feel as though she had no control. “I didn’t sense you there.”
He smiled a slow smile, which opened up his face and accentuatd his good looks. “That's the point of being protected--no one is supposed to sense me.”
“Whom exactly are you protecting yourself against?” Savannah asked as she fell into step beside Abel.
“The wolves, of course,” Abel replied. “If they could sense us then it would be easier to track us down in order to destroy us.”
Savannah felt discomfort flood through her. “I don’t think Xander would want to harm anyone…not even someone he considered his enemy.”
“Then you don’t know your future husband very well,” Abel said without humor. “The wolves hate us, and if we were to set one foot on their territory, they would rip us to shreds.”
“Does that mean there are lands within Grey Mountain that you can’t enter?” Savannah asked.
“The town is neutral ground,” Abel replied, “but the mountains have been cordoned off. The witches get the tiniest portion of it, while the wolves get the lion’s share.”
Savannah hesitated a moment. “Are there many other witches in Grey Mountain?”
Abel glanced at her with his burning gold eyes. “My grandmother and I are the last ones,” he said. Savannah detected an edge of sadness in his tone.
She reached out and placed her hand on Abel’s arm drawing him to a stop. He looked at her in surprise, and she read the question in his eyes. “Abel,” Savannah started, removing her hand from his arm rather quickly, “I can speak to Xander. I can make sure you and your grandmother need never fear the wolves.”
Abel looked at her and smiled. “That’s kind of you.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Savannah said adamantly. “You didn’t have to agree to help me. In fact, you have absolutely no reason to.”
“The reason I had was in your eyes,” Abel said softly. “I saw the fear there. I saw the worry. How could I turn you away when you were desperate? When desperate people do desperate things, chaos is sure to ensue.”
Savannah nodded. They kept walking toward the cabin. She was more grateful than she could say to have Abel by her side, giving her the hope she needed.
“You have something to tell me?” Abel said.
Savannah glanced up at him in shock. “How did you know?"
“I sense these things,” Abel said with a small smile. “And I am a witch, and there's magic all around us.”
“Have you been to the clearing?” Savannah asked abruptly, remembering the magic she'd thought she'd felt yesterday, when she and Xander had been in the lake.
“We can't go there,” Abel said. Savannah detected an edge to his voice. “That's the wolves' territory.”
“I'll take you there, one day,” Savannah said. “When all this is over and things are peaceful again.”
Abel laughed, but it was without humor. “You are very naïve.”
“I’m not. I just choose to believe in the best possible outcome.”
“That's a nice way of saying you're naïve,” Abel said as they approached the cabin. “Now, tell me what you came here to say.”
“I had a vision yesterday,” Savannah admitted. “It was the clearest vision I've ever had.”
“Which leads you to believe what, exactly?”
“I’m not sure,” Savannah said. “I think it means the threat is real and imminent.”
Abel nodded and then opened the door of the cabin to let Savannah pass through. The moment she entered she was hit with several different scents, each of them were pleasant in their own way, but Savannah’s senses spun with the onslaught of olfactory signals she was receiving.
“Hello, Savannah,” Elena said from her chair by the covered window. “You have come to see us again.”
“Yes,” Savannah replied as she moved closer. “I know what’s going to happen, but I’m not sure when it’s going to happen.”
“Is that so?” Elena said. Her filmy, silver eyes turned to her grandson. “Sit down, both of you, and we shall talk.”
Savannah and Abel sat down in front of her and beside one another, and Savannah told them about the vision she'd had just after swimming in the lake.
“You are sure it is this girl?” Elena asked. “Her name is…Marissa?”
“It is,” Savannah nodded. “I'm a hundred percent sure she was the one who tried to kill me, or at least, she's the one who will try to kill me.”
“Did you tell your mate what you saw?” Elena asked pointedly.
“Yes,” Savannah said trying to keep the hurt from her voice. “He didn’t believe me.”
Elena’s eyebrows rose. “He didn’t believe you?”
“Or maybe he did and he just thought I was mistaken,” Savannah said trying to justify Xander’s reaction. “He’s blinded by…oyalty.”
Elena nodded and stretched out her hands, palms up, towards Savannah. “Place your hands over mine,” she instructed. “Close your eyes and think of the vision again.”
“I can’t bring it back,” Savannah said. “I can’t control my visions.”
“You don’t have to,” Elena said easily. “You just need to give me a helping hand so I can bring back the vision.”
“Can you really do that?” Savannah asked in amazement.
“I am a witch,” was all Elena said.
Savannah extended her hands and placed them over Elena’s palms, wishing for a short, irrational moment that they were Abel’s, instead. The older woman’s hands were soft as silk, though Savannah could feel the clawing of age wrapped around them. She closed her eyes and thought about that moment in the clearing, when the vision had taken over, and the world had faded away around her.
Suddenly, Savannah felt a grasping pull from deep inside her. She was vaguely aware of Elena’s presence on the periphery and then a flash of light overcame her as the vision came forward. This time Savannah realized she was not watching the future alone. Elena was standing next to her, watching silently as well. Both watched intently as Marissa ran toward future Savannah, her arm raised in the air just before she plunged the knife into future Savannah’s chest.
When the vision faded into blackness and Savannah blinked her eyes open she knew that Elena had all the information she needed.
“That vision was very clear,” Elena said softly.
“Do you think it will happen?” Savannah asked.
“The future is unpredictable and ever-changing,” Elena replied. “What you see today could change tomorrow, based on the choices and actions of yourself and others. You cannot hope to predict or alter the future because you might end up bringing about the very future you fear.”
“So you’re saying there is nothing I can do about it?” Savannah asked.
“I di
d not say that,” Elena said. “What this vision has told you is that Marissa is a threat to you and to the pack that you have aligned yourself with. She wishes to destroy you so that she and her mate can take over. Your vision has given you a clear warning, and now you have the means to protect yourself against it.”
“How can I protect myself?” Savannah asked.
“You can’t,” Elena turned to Abel, “but we can.”
Chapter Ten
.
“Will you help me?” Savannah asked
“I gave you my word, and I will stick to it,” Elena replied. “Abel wants to help you and I have decided to support him in this choice, but you must follow our instructions to the letter.”
“I will.” Savannah nodded. “Of course, I will. What could you tell from the vision?”
Elena’s silver eyes seemed to cloud over with a layer of film. When they focused again, they were gazing straight at Savannah. “The future event you saw will take place three days from now, in the clearing that is forbidden to us, which means we cannot be there to help you physically.”
Savannah felt her body tense, but then Abel’s hand fell on her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “We can help you in other ways.”
“How?”
“By doing what witches do best.”
Savannah raised her eyebrows and thought about all the things that witches could do. “By casting spells?”
“Precisely.” Abel nodded. “We cast spells and make potions. Those are the gifts granted to us, and we shall use them today to protect you.”
Abel turned to his grandmother, who turned to look at a table of strange objects and even stranger ingredients. “We will brew together a potion that you must drink in seven sips. It is a protection potion.”
“Will it protect my child?” Savannah asked. “Will it prevent Marissa from hurting me?”
“It will do both,” Elena said as she rose from her seat and walked to the long, narrow table at the center of the cabin.
Savannah eyes zigzagged across the table as she tried to distinguish between all of the ingredients was seeing. There were jars filled with small moving beetles, jars of liquids in a range of colors, a rope that seemed to glow gold, and daggers with adorned hilts. There were also books in strange handwriting, and boxes filled with the entrails of dead animals.