by Kallysten
“I thought for sure he would see Joan.”
“It doesn’t mean that they’re not perfect for each other.”
Woods dropped his gaze to his linked hands in front of him. He frowned then shook his head. When he looked at her again, it was with a resigned expression that Daisy didn’t quite know how to interpret.
“Remember,” he said slowly, as though weighing each word, “the vision shows which big decision will transform his love life. Now suppose he already made that decision for his relationship with Joan. He would see the next big decision. It could have been another decision that concerned her. In this case, it wasn’t.”
A great lassitude washed over Daisy. She sat in the chair across from him but turned to look at the ocean. It seemed darker, colder than it had been moments earlier.
“Do you think he’s going to tell her?” she murmured.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Woods shrug. “Tell her what? That she will die? That he doesn’t know when or how, but that she’ll die before they can grow old together? What purpose would that serve? It would only upset her or scare her.”
He shifted on his seat. Daisy looked back at him, and again was surprised by the sadness she caught on his face.
“No, he won’t tell her,” Woods continued absently, his eyes drifting toward the cottage. “But he’ll treasure every moment with her that much more. Like tonight.”
He stood as he finished, holding out his hand to help her up. Daisy stood without his help and turned to see what he was looking at. Mike was opening the window and all her friends began to file out onto the balcony. Brad and Joan were last, his arm tight around her. Even as Daisy watched, he pressed a kiss to her temple.
Daisy tried to get a grip on her emotions. She couldn’t do anything about Joan. Even warning her would have been useless, as Daisy didn’t even know what she ought to warn Joan about. She would only frighten her and what was the point of that? Maybe Woods was right. Maybe all they could do was enjoy life and Joan’s presence amongst them to the fullest.
For the first time, Daisy was beginning to understand why Woods had a TV show. She had never watched it, and always wondered why people would want to hear about others’ futures. She realized now that this wasn’t what the show featured. Woods had been clear about his refusal to share other people’s visions with anyone. It had to be about the advice he gave, she imagined, thinking that it might be interesting to watch the show, if only once, to see what he offered.
She also couldn’t help wondering what sort of advice he might have offered her if he had known more about her life. It was probably a good thing the soiree was ending, because her willpower was beginning to crumble. If the evening had lasted much longer she might have asked him for a vision after all.
Ninth Vision of Destiny – Jack
The time had come. Midnight was only moments away.
The last one of Daisy’s friends to receive a vision of his future from Sam Woods had finished. Now all of them were crowding outside onto the balcony, ready to greet the New Year with champagne.
“The timing was perfect,” Joan commented as they spread out along the banister, from where they would have the best view of the soon to come fireworks. “The year ends with the last vision.”
Before Daisy could object that it had been luck—after all, one of her friends had never made it to the party, and another one had left early—Cathleen grinned at her and said, “Too bad Daisy didn’t get a turn.”
“But there’ll be plenty of time next year,” Joan added, and it almost sounded like they had rehearsed their lines when Cathleen spoke the next one.
“Are you too tired for one last reading, Sam?”
He shook his head and smiled, although he didn’t try to convince Daisy again. He had promised he wouldn’t. Unlike earlier, Mike didn’t join their pushing either, Daisy noticed. Instead he tried to put an end to it by resorting to his favorite pastime: teasing Brett.
“At least,” Mike said, a wide grin already pulling at his lips, “Daisy knows what she wants. She’s not going through with it just to make herself forget right afterwards before she can give us all the juicy details, unlike some other people who shall remain unnamed.”
A bubble of collective laughter erupted through the group, and even Brett joined in, good-natured as always. Daisy was happy to see that Brett was still smiling when he unwrapped the champagne cork and twisted it upward, holding the cork forcefully down until the excess gas had escaped and he could uncap the bottle without spilling a drop. Immediately, glasses were held out for him to fill. He was generous with most of them, but only poured a finger’s worth in Mike’s glass.
Mike immediately protested. “Hey! Is that how you treat your best friend?”
“No, that’s how I serve the guy who keeps making fun of me.”
Snorting, Mike opened the second champagne bottle and helped himself before filling the glass Brett now held out to him. Another round of general laughter rose toward the clear, cool sky.
Looking around at her friends’ glasses, Daisy saw that Rachel’s was filled with juice. She had had a small glass of wine earlier, but no more than that; she was responsible for driving three of the others home.
“All right,” Cathleen said, her wrist raised so she could look at her watch. “A few more seconds… Five, four, three, two, one—”
Before she could say one more word, a flower of light bloomed in the night sky over the ocean. They all cheered “Happy New Year!” as the distant but unmistakable sound of fireworks finally reached them. Their glasses clinking together accompanied another burst of color over the ocean, and they all took their first sips of the new year with fireworks illuminating the sky.
Daisy pulled back to the very end of the balcony so that her friends could come forward and have a better view. For a few seconds, she was taken back to her childhood and the many firework displays she had witnessed for the New Year and the Fourth of July. She had often sat on the tiled floor of the balcony, her legs dangling over the edge, peering at the sky through the railing, knowing without needing to look back that her family was all around her. She had always felt warm, loved. She felt the same now, with her second family by her side.
Looking down from the sky, Daisy observed her friends. How much would their lives change after what they had seen tonight? Brad’s arm was tight around Joan’s waist; was he clinging to her more than he usually did? Mike and Cathleen were both smiling, the same quiet but hopeful light reflected on their faces. Brett still looked confused, although calmer. Rachel’s hand was on her own neck, rubbing lightly as though she were cold; she seemed thoughtful. Daisy didn’t want to think about what they had seen. She didn’t need to know more than she already did; all she hoped was that they would all find happiness in their own way—even Brad.
The fireworks lasted for a few more minutes. After the last echoes of distant thunder had rolled away over the ocean, Daisy’s friends all looked at each other and a quieter wave of, “Happy New Year” rolled through the group.
They all filed back inside the house, and Brett, who was holding the second champagne bottle, offered small refills to whoever wanted one.
“Just checked on the cab,” Mike said as he flipped his phone shut. “Ten to fifteen minutes.”
“Enough time for you all to help me finish this food,” Daisy said, tongue in cheek. “I don’t want to take it home tomorrow.”
A few chuckles accompanied her declaration, but Woods was the only one who picked up a couple of hors d’oeuvre when she passed the tray around. She flashed him a smile and he returned it in kind.
“Is your show coming back on the air soon?” Cathleen asked him after a second.
He finished his bite of food before he answered. “In March, yes. We’ll start filming the rest of the season next week.”
“Have you been renewed for next season yet?” she
asked, almost eager.
Daisy threw her a surprised glance. She had known that Alicia was a fan of the show, but she hadn’t realized that Cathleen was as well. Cathleen noticed her glance and gave a small, almost embarrassed grin.
“Actually,” Woods said slowly, “I’m still trying to decide whether I want to go on for another year.”
“How come?” Mike asked. “You’ve got a great slot on one of the prime networks, sounds like too good a gig to give up.”
Woods shrugged. “I know. All my crew tells me I’d be silly to stop now. I just… I don’t know. I’ve been doing this for three years, and I guess I’m ready to move on to something else.”
After talking to him all evening, Daisy wondered if his reasons went deeper than a simple need for change. It couldn’t be all that easy to counsel people about their relationship problems when he was still seeking a relationship of his own.
“Well, I for one would be sorry if your show ended,” Cathleen said. “I enjoy it a lot, and I think you give very good advice.”
Woods smiled at her, reawakening that odd, unexplainable jealousy Daisy had felt earlier.
“That’s very kind,” he said. “Thank you.”
“What about readings?” Joan asked. “I mean, like you did for us tonight. Will you be doing any more of those?”
There was something in Woods’ nod, in his voice when he said, “In the foreseeable future, yes,” that gave away how tired he was of it all. He wouldn’t stop, though. He couldn’t stop, and Daisy thought she understood why. He was looking for the woman he would love, and he didn’t know any other way to find her than to keep hoping the next vision might include him as a main character. Daisy couldn’t help but feel sad for him. He had to be incredibly lonely.
A small knock on the door drew Daisy away. She thought it might be the cab driver for Brett and Mike, but instead she found Jack on the threshold. She gave him a somewhat puzzled smile and looked behind him for Lydia. When she didn’t see anyone else there, she felt the warmth in her smile fade.
“Hey guys, look who’s back,” she called out behind her as she invited him inside.
A few cries of, “Jack! Welcome back!” sounded before Rachel asked in a small voice, “Is Lydia here too?”
When he approached the group Jack’s face gave away nothing; nor did his voice, calm and cool. But this same calm was enough of a clue, and when he said, “No, Lydia’s home,” they all understood it meant nothing good.
A silence passed over all of them, and a forced smile rose to Jack’s lips.
“Everything’s fine,” he assured them. His voice remained cool; too cool. “We just left before I could get my reading so I thought I’d come back. It’s not too late, is it?” He finished with a questioning look at Woods.
At once, Daisy knew something was off. It was in Jack’s forced smile, the way his fists were balled up in his pants pockets, the fact that, hours earlier, he had been uncertain about knowing his future in advance, and now he had come back, alone, almost an hour’s drive from his and Lydia’s apartment, to ask for a vision.
Woods also seemed to realize that Jack might not have been totally honest, and he sounded somewhat hesitant when he said, “Well, I’m rather tired…”
“Come on,” Jack said, and his smile was a little too sharp. “You were supposed to do ten and you did what? Nine?”
“Eight,” Woods answered, his shoulders twitching into a shrug. “But…”
He glanced around and Daisy did the same. She could easily see the expectation on her friends’ faces. Everyone who had pulled away from their vision happy plainly believed and hoped that a vision would help Jack. Only Brad’s expression was troubled as he looked at Joan. His arm was back around her, holding her close as though he could protect her from whatever he had seen.
Woods sighed. “Oh, all right then,” he muttered. “If that’s what you want.”
Judging from how tightly Jack pressed his lips together, he might not have been so sure about that himself.
The tension was thick enough by now that the rest of Daisy’s friends couldn’t miss it, and after an awkward little pause Cathleen cleared her throat and said, “Daisy? It’s getting late. We’re gonna go now.”
She glanced at Rachel, Joan and Brad as she finished, and they nodded at once.
“And we’ll wait for the cab outside,” Mike piped up. “It shouldn’t be long now.”
A cold shiver ran down Daisy’s spine but she shook it off and smiled all around as hugs, handshakes and goodbyes were exchanged.
“Goodnight, guys,” she said. “Thanks for coming.”
A chorus of thanks answered her, first to her for holding the party, then to Woods for offering them all visions.
Woods waved his hand as though it had been nothing.
“You’re welcome. And good luck. All of you.”
As soon as they had left, it suddenly became clear that what Jack wanted most was not actually a vision of his own. His expression was stern, almost pained when he said to Woods, “I want to know what you showed Lydia.”
Woods observed Jack for a few seconds, his face closed and unreadable. “She didn’t tell you, did she? So why should I?”
Jack’s pain turned to pure grief for a second. He was usually very good at hiding what he felt, and to see his emotions so clearly, raw and unedited, caused Daisy to hug herself. She wished she could have done something, anything, to comfort him but there was only one thing he wanted now and she couldn’t give it to him.
“If you won’t tell me,” Jack asked, almost begged Woods, “then show me.”
Grimacing, Woods shook his head. “That’s not how it works. It was her moment. Her life changing choice. It’s not yours. Even if I wanted to show it to you I wouldn’t be able to.”
“So it doesn’t concern me.” Now Jack’s voice was glittering with cutting shards of ice, so cold that Daisy shivered. “Since you’ve already told me that, just—”
“You already thought as much,” Woods cut in. He was as tall as Jack, but raised his chin half an inch, and crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s why you came back, isn’t it?”
Daisy was growing more and more uncomfortable with the conversation which increasingly sounded like an argument. Yet she wasn’t sure how to intervene. What could she say to calm down Jack? Could she invoke Lydia’s name maybe, and how it was up to her to share or not what she had seen? Or maybe she could point out how late it was, suggest that he sleep on it? Or maybe…
Maybe she wouldn’t need to say anything. Jack had taken two deep, slow breaths, and while his body was still as rigid, his voice wasn’t quite as cold when he asked, “Show me my future, then.”
A glance at Woods was all Daisy needed to know what he thought of that idea. His face was lined with wariness, the congenial smile he had displayed all evening now little more than a memory.
His reluctance surely had to be about more than his fatigue. It couldn’t possibly be pleasant to be thrown into life after life, with little background information and no way to act on what was happening. Watching a movie, Woods had called it; but someone watching a movie could stand up and walk away at any time if they didn’t enjoy it, and for that matter they could choose the kind of movie they wanted to see. And of course few people watched up to ten movies one after the other with little to no pause between them.
“Jack.”
He blinked and looked at her when Daisy said his name.
“You’re upset and it’s been a long night for everyone. Maybe you could make an appointment with—”
“No.” His gaze returned to Woods. “I want to see. Now. Show me. Please.”
The ‘please’ was clearly an afterthought, and Daisy didn’t like how on edge Jack sounded. She had never seen him lose his temper but the possibility had always seemed to hang on the air like dark clouds whenever his mood tu
rned sour. Just the same, she didn’t want Woods to feel forced to do this if he didn’t care to.
She looked at Woods, trying to figure out how to express this without seeming condescending, but Woods caught her eyes and smiled.
“It’s okay,” he said. Turning back to Jack, he considered him for a few seconds, then added warily, “Remember, I’m just the messenger. I don’t choose the message.”
Jack’s nod was sharp and impatient. “I get it. Let’s do this already.”
Rather than returning to the balcony, Woods drew two chairs closer together. Jack watched him, his fists still closed tight; he looked like someone preparing himself for a physical blow. Daisy crossed her arms and observed, nibbling on her bottom lip. The two men stilled and exchanged an uncomfortable look before leaning toward each other. The kiss was as brief as it was awkward. Daisy’s insides twisted again. Whatever it was Jack was about to see, she hoped it would bring him peace. Somehow she doubted it would.
* * * *
A deep, dreamless sleep slowly relinquished its hold on Jack, like the ropes keeping a boat attached to the pier giving way one by one. He was awake for a few moments before he opened his eyes, his head roiling with vague memories of a fight he had lost…or had he?
It was hard to think, hard to piece it all together. His mind felt sluggish, as though he weren’t fully awake yet. He opened his eyes and sat up on the bed.
Bed? How had he ended up in bed? He looked around and tried to figure out where he was. The room was dark, lit only by a couple of candles set on a low table a few feet from the bed, but he could see well enough. Heavy velvet drapes, in a purple so dark it seemed black, covered the walls from floor to ceiling all around the room. The same fabric hung from the canopy of the bed and was tied to the four posts with tasseled cords. Where was he?
If he had been hurt, he should be in a hospital. He didn’t remember being hurt. He didn’t feel hurt either. And anyway, there was no ‘hurt’ when dealing with a vampire; either you won or you died. He must have won his fight, then. Surely if he had lost, Angela would have killed him. Despite her name, there was nothing angelic about her; she was a killer, like her Sire had been and…