‘You don’t think it’s enough?’ he asked curiously.
‘I think it pays to be cautious,’ she frowned. ‘Beside my original wards didn’t include you or our children. While they’re still in my womb they’re safe but once they’re born they will need to be protected too. I’ve cast a new circle over the old, another layer of protection. This time is doesn’t just prevent anyone with the intent to harm me, it will stop anyone with the intention of ill will toward anyone under this roof. Not only will it protect you and our children, but any of our friends taking refuge here. It’s kind of like a magical safe house.’
‘I see.’
‘I also strengthened the wards with not only Hell fire and Spirit fire but I also used my Witch fire too. Hopefully the damn thing’s almost impenetrable now.’
‘Livy,’ he stopped and turned to face her, his eyes dark and serious. ‘It will be alright you know. I won’t let anything happen to you or our babies.’
‘Our timing really sucked didn’t it?’ she sighed. ‘Everything feels so out of control. I have no idea when or where Nathaniel is going to show up, or my mom, or possibly a dozen other supernatural creatures. In fact we don’t even know for sure how many of them were left behind, trapped in Mercy when we closed the gateway. Then on top of all that we’ve changed history and we don’t yet know how far reaching the consequences of that are.’
‘Stop panicking,’ he dropped his now empty cup down on the ground and stroked her arms comfortingly. ‘You’re going to drive yourself crazy. Yes, the babies were a surprise, but they’re a symbol of hope, a promise of our future together, of the life we will build. I know things seem bleak at the moment, but this isn’t just about you. We are all in this together, you, me, Mac, Tempy, Louisa, Tommy, Jake, Roni, your dad and Davis and Danae. You don’t have to do this alone, we’ve all got you, Livy. You will never be alone again and there is no way we will let anyone hurt you.’
‘You seem so sure,’ she leaned into him, resting her forehead against his as his arms slipped around her waist.
‘I am sure,’ he kissed her gently, brushing his lips against hers. ‘It all looks overwhelming because you’re trying to anticipate and deal with everything at once. You need to take a step back and take a deep breath. Let’s just deal with one problem at a time. We’ll take precautions, then if and when Nathaniel or your mom show up, we’ll deal. The same goes for any other creatures in Mercy, we’ve dealt with them before, we’ll do it again.’
‘When did you get so smart?’ her mouth curved softly.
‘When I jumped three hundred years into the future and realized the world is bigger than just Salem, Massachusetts.’
At the mention of Salem, her expression darkened once again.
‘Don’t do that,’ he lifted her chin lightly with his fingertips, forcing her to look into his eyes. ‘That fire was not your fault.’
‘You can’t say that.’
‘Yes I can,’ he replied stubbornly.
‘But all those people,’ she closed her eyes and let out a shuddering exhale.
‘It was tragic,’ he answered gently, ‘I won’t deny that, but that’s not on you. It’s on Nathaniel, it’s all on Nathaniel. He brought you to that house, he forced your hand. He tortured and almost killed you.’
‘It’s no excuse,’ she murmured painfully. ‘Do no harm, that’s our most core belief. Because of that fire over seven hundred people died.’
‘I know,’ he held her tightly, ‘but it wasn’t your fault and it kills me to see you blaming yourself like this. The candles toppled, the room caught alight, back then before the introduction of electricity, house fires were very commonplace.’
‘But I…’
‘But nothing Olivia,’ he cut her off bluntly, ‘there was nothing you could have done. By the time I reached you, you were barely conscious. There is no way you would have been able to get that fire under control, you didn’t have the strength or focus to use your power.’
‘I guess,’ she murmured reluctantly. ‘It doesn’t stop me feeling sick about the whole thing though.’
‘You wouldn’t be human if it didn’t affect you in some way,’ he stroked her face gently, ‘but you need to put it in its place. You can’t carry the weight of misplaced guilt around with you, it will consume you.’
‘You’re right,’ she sighed, shaking her head lightly, ‘I know you’re right. It does make me worry though, not just about the fire, but I wonder…’
‘What else we changed?’ he finished for her.
‘It’s scary how in my head you are,’ she frowned, ‘but yes. The first time around, I mean in our original time line, there was never any Great Fire of Salem. I am worried about what else is different and I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on anything else until I’ve looked.’
‘You want to go back to the museum?’ he guessed.
‘I think it’s the best place to start,’ her brow furrowed thoughtfully. ‘First Renata and then Roni have amassed a huge collection of historical documents pertaining to Mercy and Salem. I’ll check out the new research suites that I didn’t have time to see properly yesterday and then I can check some of the official records too.’
‘Okay then,’ Theo nodded in agreement. ‘Let’s get some breakfast and then we’ll head into town.’
‘No,’ she shook her head, ‘you don’t need to do that, I’ll be fine by myself. Besides I know you want to finish reading your mother’s journal.’
Theo frowned silently, knowing she was right. He was desperate to get some time to himself, not only to finish reading his mother’s journal but to also try some of the things in it that she suggested.
Being a seer herself and knowing she wasn’t going to survive to teach Theo to refine his gift of foresight, she had left the journal specifically for him. He was torn between spending the time getting to know his mother’s most intimate thoughts and memories, and his intense desire to protect Olivia and their children. After all, Nathaniel could already be back in Mercy. There was no way he was going to let Olivia go driving off on her own.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ he told her quietly, ‘we need to take precautions, remember? You shouldn’t be left on your own right now.’
‘Precautions I understand, your need to keep me safe I understand,’ she sighed, ‘but Theo, you can’t keep me wrapped up in cotton wool. You’ll suffocate me. I love you and I want to spend time with you, but we can’t be in each other’s pockets twenty four seven, it just won’t work. We both need our own space, our own breathing room.’
‘How about a compromise then?’
‘Such as?’ she asked curiously.
‘I know you’ll be safe at the museum. Not only is it a public place, but you’ll have Roni with you and Tommy, Jake and Mac are close by. But given how far out of town we are, I don’t want you driving on your own. How about if I drive you into town and drop you off at the museum. I’ll come back here and spend some time with the journal and then you can call me when you’re done and I’ll come and pick you up.’
‘Okay, that’s fair,’ she nodded.
Scooping his cup off the ground, he linked his fingers with Olivia’s and they set off back toward to house. They were half way back when Beau suddenly began to bark, as he stared up at the sky. Olivia followed his line of vision and stopped, her brow creasing thoughtfully.
‘What is it?’ Theo asked.
‘That bird,’ she murmured, glancing up at the huge dark shape circling above them. ‘I’m sure that’s the same one I saw yesterday above the museum.’
‘How sure?’ Theo frowned. ‘Maybe it’s a coincidence.’
‘I don’t think so,’ she shook her head. ‘I’ve never see anything like it before. I’m not sure that its indigenous to the East Coast, or even the country. I wonder what kind of bird it is. It’s wingspan is huge.’
Theo’s eyes narrowed as he studied the bird above them.
‘You know wh
at,’ Theo frowned, ‘I have seen that type of bird before.’
‘Really?’
‘I can’t be a hundred percent sure, after all it was dark and chaotic, and the sky was filled with smoke.’
‘What are you saying?’
‘I’m almost certain I saw one just like it in Salem.’
‘Salem?’ she looked at him sharply.
‘Yes,’ he nodded, ‘the night of the fire. It was in the sky circling above Nathaniel’s house.’
‘It could just be a coincidence,’ she replied, ‘but I think you’re right, it pays to be cautious right now. We can’t take anything for granted. While I’m at the museum, I’ll see if I can research what type of bird it is.’
Theo nodded in approval and taking her hand firmly he called for Beau and headed briskly back toward the house.
The bird circled high in the sky, its sharp eyes watching the two humans hurry back to the house with their small animal. The warm updrafts of air rose from the surface of the lake, rippling along its feathers as it coasted on the air current.
Circling downwards it banked sharply, heading for the canopy of trees. Sliding elegantly between the branches, its huge wingspan and feathered body began to ripple and shimmer. By the time it was close to the ground it was no longer a huge bird, but held the form of a woman. With her arms spread like wings she dropped effortlessly for the last couple of feet to the soft ground, her feet sinking into the cushioned mossy ground. Dropping her hands to her sides she wandered through the woods to the edge of the tree line, where from her concealed vantage point she could watch them enter the house.
Her startlingly blue eyes were fixed on the charming little stick style house they had disappeared into. The odd, tiny, deep blue sphere shaped amulet she wore clasped at her throat on a delicate silver chain, throbbed like a miniature heartbeat. She tore her gaze from the house scanning her surroundings, staring at something that was not visible to the naked eye. Well, not to the human eye at least, though she could see it perfectly.
A circle of power.
The girl had vastly increased the protective wards around the property and surrounding land, and the very air crackled with energy. She could smell it on the close summer air. Magic, the whole place reeked of it, but not just any magic. No, this was the most ancient kind. The girl did not even realize yet the sheer force of the magic she could conjure.
She stepped forward, until she was standing right before the shield that only she could see. Skimming her fingers along the surface she watched it ripple with a myriad of colors. It truly was incredible magic the child could conjure. Nothing would be able to cross the line with any kind of bad intentions. She was a clever one, she thought to her herself.
Satisfied that Olivia would be safe for now, Tituba tossed her long, raven colored curls over her shoulder, and with one final look at the house she bent her knees and launched herself back into the air, shimmering into her feathers and with a cry of exhilaration, she caught an updraft of air and let it carry her high into the cloudless blue sky.
4.
‘The Magnificent Frigate bird, an amazingly agile bird with an epic wingspan of over seven feet, no other bird stays out to sea as long as this creature of the tropics. Though they have been known to stray as far as Europe, the countries they mainly inhabit are of the tropical Atlantic region, with their breeding grounds known to be Florida and along the Pacific coast of the Americas from Mexico to Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands.’
Olivia frowned and then looked at the picture again. That was definitely the bird she’d seen twice now, but what the hell was a ‘Magnificent Frigate bird’ doing this far North? It didn’t make any sense. It was a Tropical bird, more likely to be spotted off the coast of Barbados, than Massachusetts.
Despite the fact that it was summer, it was still the wrong type of heat for that specific bird. Not only that, what was it doing specifically in Mercy? Mercy wasn’t even on the coast; they were too far inland to attract such a bird and for her to personally see it twice in two separate locations? No, it couldn’t be a coincidence. Although she didn’t understand it yet, it was certainly suspicious.
Frustrated and at a dead end when it came to the weird looking sea bird, Olivia put her iPad down and reached for a book instead. She’d piled up several small mountains of them around her at the large shiny new table. The whole room smelled like fresh paint and new carpets. It was the smaller of the two new research suites situated at the museum and Olivia had to admit Roni had done a great job. The room was small but comfortable, with everything an academic would need to pass the time with work or research.
The first book she opened was a rather general one on major events in world history and as she idly flicked through the pages she noted that all the major events remained, so far, unchanged.
The sailing of the Mayflower, the settling of the colonists, George Washington, the declaration of Independence, the civil war, the Louisiana purchase. It was all there and Olivia found herself subconsciously breathing a sigh of relief. Next were several books on more localized history, and although she found one or two small discrepancies there was nothing as major as the death of seven hundred people and for that Olivia was profoundly grateful.
She was so immersed in her task she almost missed the shadow which fell over the book she was studying so intently. Her spine stiffened, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickling with awareness. She was surrounded with a scent she knew all too well. She wasn’t even surprised when she slowly looked up and found herself staring into a pair of startling violet colored eyes.
‘Hello Olivia,’ Isabel’s mouth curved slowly.
‘Mom,’ she replied stiffly, her fingers twitching on the open page as if she wanted to ball them into fists.
She felt the heat of her power flickering just beneath the surface of her skin. It would be so easy to let it loose, to unleash all of her pent up fear and frustration and lash out at her mother, who was the cause of so much of her pain and anger.
But she knew she couldn’t, not here, not now. So, taking a calming breath that she did not feel, she ruthlessly shoved her magic back down and locked it up tight. Having a throw down in the middle of a public place, surrounded by innocent people, was not the way to deal with her mother.
Isabel’s eyes narrowed momentarily, almost as if she could sense her daughter’s internal battle. She settled more comfortably into her seat, crossing her legs casually and tapping her manicured fingernails against the table.
Olivia took a moment to compose herself and Isabel seemed to content to give her that, waiting for her to speak. Olivia’s gaze slid over her mother’s trim form and beautiful face. The last time they had seen each other it was in front of the burning barn at the Beckett farm, three hundred years into the past. Back then her mother had been dressed, much as she had, in a severe and unflattering Puritan gown of the time. Now she was wearing a tailored pant suit of deep sapphire and tall, elegant, slightly impractical heels.
Her hair was similar to her own, long, dark and wavy, falling over one shoulder in sculpted waves. Her face no longer bore the spidery burn pattern, but was now unmarred and smooth. But it was her eyes which haunted Olivia. No longer the same warm amber of hers, they were a vivid amethyst. It was just another stark reminder that she was no longer the mother Olivia remembered from her childhood. Theo was right, she didn’t know her at all.
‘How was Antarctica?’ Olivia asked coolly.
‘Cold,’ Isabel shrugged.
‘What are you doing here mom?’ she asked bluntly.
Isabel smiled slowly.
‘I believe congratulations are in order,’ Isabel ignored her question. ‘I knew you and Theo would find your way to the altar eventually, but I had no idea you would have such a star studded guest list.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she replied warily.
‘Oh come now Olivia,’ she raised one slender brow, ‘how many girls ca
n say they had half the Gods and Goddesses of the Underworld at their wedding?’
‘Hades is rather fond of me,’ she shrugged casually. ‘What’s a girl to do?’
‘Indeed,’ Isabel murmured as she studied her daughter carefully, almost as if she was seeing her in a new light.
‘Wait a minute,’ Olivia frowned, ‘how did you know who was at my wedding?’
Once again Isabel ignored the question, the same small self-indulgent smile tugging at her lips.
‘You looked beautiful by the way.’
‘You were there?’ Olivia stiffened. ‘You were watching us?’
‘My invitation must have been lost in the mail,’ she tilted her head a fraction as she watched Olivia’s reaction. ‘You didn’t really think I would miss my only daughter’s wedding, did you?’
Olivia’s mouth tightened into a thin line and her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
‘How long have you been back?’
‘A day or so after you I imagine,’ she shrugged elegantly.
‘And you’ve been watching me all this time?’ she accused.
‘I’ve checked in on you from time to time…you and my grandchildren.’
Olivia’s lips tightened once again, not quite trusting what would come out of her mouth, now that it was clear her mother not only knew about her pregnancy but the fact that she was carrying twins.
‘Really Olivia,’ she replied, ‘don’t look so surprised. A healing of that intensity can be incredibly intimate. I’m sure Louisa could tell you that. I knew the minute I touched you, back in the woods in Salem.’
Olivia watched silently as her mother’s eyes became distant, both of them remembering the moment she spoke of.
‘You were dying,’ she spoke quietly. It was as if the whole room had faded away until there was nothing but the two of them, so much unsaid between them, hanging in the air like the oppressive weight of an oncoming storm.
The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum Page 160