Together, Ashton and I run over the information in the book, making sure that we don’t overlook anything. He leaves to gather the herbs and roots that we need for the drink while I prepare the living room. After clearing the space I find and light as many candles as I can, laying them out in the shape of a Pentacle, my nerves only thicken as the time passes. The idea of what will become of me overwhelms my mind, and I find myself sliding down the wall onto my butt, my head falling onto my crossed arms. I hold back the tears of fear that threaten to spill over. I want desperately for Cam to be here, to be in his arms and know that I can do this. But I know without a doubt that bringing him further into this could put him and the others at great danger. That’s something that I can’t risk. Not now. Not until I know how dangerous I am. My thoughts turn to my mother and father and how I just got them back into my life and now here I am running away in fear. Venturing off with Ashton, a black witch, the son of the head of the tribe of witches that threaten our earth's very existence, and somehow, I know that I can trust him. He hasn’t given me a reason not to. Besides siding with his mother in the beginning, but he’s made up for that, he still is. I can only hope that I’m not another flaw in his game.
The front door bounces open as he steps through carrying the items that we need, his eyes trail over the candles and with an approving nod of his head he drifts towards the table where he works on the tea and I remain in the deafening silence until I can no longer take it.
After what feels like hours later, Ashton speaks, “It’s finished.”
My hands tremble and I stuff them into my pocket, not willing to let him see my own weakness inside. I move to his side as we both kneel beside the Pentacle. He looks over at me with warm eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
I nod, not trusting my voice.
“You’ll need to drink this, it’s probably going to taste as good as it looks,“ he teases, trying to lighten the mood. “But first, you need to lay inside of the Pentacle. I don’t know how this is going to go down, so standing probably won't be a good option.”
After arguing with my teenage mind, I force myself inside the burning candles and lay flat on my back. “Now what?”
He hands me the cup. “Drink.”
The herb and root tea tasted as bad as it sounds, the liquid burning my throat as it goes down and I can’t help the coughing fit that takes over when it’s empty. “That is horrible!”
Ashton chuckles, “Told you.”
For a moment, I let myself be childish and stick my tongue out at him which only made him laugh more. I could almost feel the herbs and roots do their thing inside of me and I stare at the ceiling above. “How long does this stuff take?”
“Not long. Seeing as we don’t have many options to create a Shrine, we are going to have to make do with what we have. This means you are going to need to concentrate even more than usual.” He moves to grab the book, flipping through the pages he abruptly comes to a stop, eyes scanning over the pages. “Close your eyes.”
I look over at him wary, he notices my hesitation and continues, “If this is going to work, I need you to trust me.”
I close my eyes, trying to get the eerie feeling in my stomach to settle and focus on only his voice, images of Cam and my parents invading my thoughts. What would they think of me if they found out that I am becoming the very thing that we all hate and fear the most? Would they think differently of who I am? Would Cameron?
“Now, take a deep breath, let it out slowly and clear your mind of everything. You need to relax your body, imagine yourself detaching from yourself.” The tension slowly fades, traveling from my head to my toes and releasing, leaving me feeling relaxed and weirdly comfortable. “Picture your Ancestor. It’s all about smell, hearing and visualizing. Imagine your Ancestor beside you, standing above you, what does she or he look like?”
“I - I don’t know.”
“Think.” he demands.
I take a deep breath and try to visualize the Ancestor I saw during one of the incidents. “She’s - She’s tall, long hair, bright blue eyes. She’s smiling at me, but I can’t make out what she’s saying.”
“Good,” Aston says, closer this time. “Now hold onto that image, let it become a part of you. Breathe it in, taste it, feel it. Now focus on sound, clear everything else around you and focus on only her.”
I do exactly what he says, focusing on her lips, pinpointing her words and tuning out everything around me until there’s only my Ancestor and I. The words I can’t make out, a light whisper, my name, maybe? But I can hear the sound, like an angel and it sparks something inside of me, a igniting burn starts at the ends of my feet, slowly kissing its way up my body.
“Somethings happening,” I whisper.
“Don’t fight it, let it consume you.”
“Let her in, let her become a part of you, no restrictions.”
The higher the burn gets, the stronger it is. My body feels like it’s on fire and that fear comes crashing back down, breaking against my chest and I can’t breathe. I want to cry out, but my lips won't move. No matter how much I will do to them. Ashton’s voice gets smaller, further away and I can feel myself slipping away. I struggle to open my eyes but they won't obey.
A swirl of purple mist invades the darkness, trailing towards me at rapid speeds. My Ancestor stands there, a smile on her face, but that doesn’t help the fear that haunts me. I want it to end, but I am already too far in, there’s no stopping this now. I grit my teeth together, fighting against the pain.
Adylin, do you open yourself to me freely and with no restrictions? my Ancestor asked.
“Yes,” I don’t know how my lips formed the words. “I do.”
Do you welcome my presence inside of you, now and for eternity?
I have no control over myself and the words leave my mouth before I can process them. “I welcome you, my Ancestor into my mind, body and soul. Now and for Eternity. Freely and with no restrictions.” How did I know to say that? “I, Adylin, give myself to you and you to me. I call upon the black magic to open this void and allow you access to my world. I call you!”
My words bounce off the inside of my head and my eyes shoot open, Ashton is standing six feet away his eyes wide with astonishment and cheeks flushed, a swirling mist is wrapping around my body and I feel myself lift from the ground, no longer touching the cold floor and my heart races inside of my chest. “What’s happening?” I yell.
My hands shoot outward and I am whisked to my feet, gliding above the ground the mist takes me over completely and I am lost to it. “Make it stop!”
“Don’t break it!” Ashton demands, “You have to welcome it in.”
“I - I can’t” I cry.
He steps forward. “You have to, there’s no going back.”
I know he’s right, but my resistance is too strong. The fear is overpowering me, I can’t think straight. Without thinking he rushes forward, his hand gripping mine and in a black of darkness his back arches and his eyes roll back in his head, a scream breaking from my lips. I can feel his energy rushing from his body into my own, his own dark magic swirling through my veins, awakening the part in me that I never thought possible.
A blast throws me back against the wall, breaking the burial of the Pentacle and Ashton falls to the floor, lifeless. My head pounds, and vision blurs, hair blowing around my face as the candle burns out and everything comes to a standstill.
The silence settles back over me and I am left with nothing but a feeling that I can decipher. I rush to his side, weak and sore, rolling him over, his eyes are closed and breathing shallow.
“Ashton?”
He groans, his eyes fluttering open and he looks back at me. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “You touched me and there was this surge of energy and a blast before everything went dark.”
I help him to sit up, his skin sweaty and hot. “Are you alright?”
He nods. “I think so, you?”
“I think.”
He glances over his shoulder at me and his eyes widen. “Adylin.”
“What?”
“Your eyes.”
My hands shake as they reach up to touch my cheeks. “What about them?”
“They’re black.”
Black? What the heck is he talking about? I jump to my feet and rush down the hall towards the bathroom, breaking through the door I stand in front of the mirror and the reflection of the person staring back at me is something I don’t recognize. My skin is pale and my eyes, my eyes are an onyx black and I begin to panic. This wasn’t supposed to happen, this goes beyond everything that I agreed to. My fingers dig at my cheeks and I pull my hair, freaking out.
Ashton comes around the corner, keeping his distance. “What is this?” I beg.
He speaks slowly, “Your...your black magic is sweeping through.”
“No, no, no.”
He grips my shoulders, leaning down so he’s at eye level. “Breathe. Can you feel your Ancestor?”
“I don’t freaking know! I have black eyes, Ashton. This was not part of the plan!”
“They will fade, it’s part of awakening that part of yourself. It’s normal. The sooner you relax, the faster they will fade.”
“How can I relax? What have I done?”
He speaks, “You did nothing wrong, you welcomed the black magic into your soul. You did everything right. This isn’t a bad thing. Now we can stop the others, we can protect those we care about most.” he brushes a finger under my eyes, capturing a tear I hadn’t noticed I had let slip. “Think about Cam, your parents, your aunt.”
I listen, picturing them inside of my mind, Cam’s smile, warming my heart. The sound of my parents' voices and the joy of having them back and my aunt, I think of all that she’s done for me the last few years. I welcome that peaceful feeling.
The horror feeling settles, slowly coming to a small smoldering fire inside of me and the familiar feeling of comfort falls over me.
I open my eyes. “What about -?”
He points toward the mirror. “Look.”
And I do exactly that. The black is no longer there and my eyes are back to their normal color, but the same eerie unnatural feeling rests inside of my stomach. “Everythings going to be okay,” he reassures me.
I stare at myself in the mirror and for the first time during all of this, I break down. The tears stream freely down my cold cheeks and I let myself crumble to the floor. Ashton pulls me into his arms and whispers in my ear that I can do this and I want to believe that. I want to. No, I need to. This is who I am supposed to be. I can’t run from who I am anymore.
I am consumed by energy and that power is coursing through my veins. It’s time we take those witches down and save the world from their vengeance. But at the end of the day… will I need to protect them from myself?
12
Ashton and I make the long walk back to our cabin in silence. All that can be heard are the croaks of frogs as they dance along the banks of the swamps. The heavy southern heat almost suffocates me.
Neither of us speak and I am thankful for the comfortable silence.
What happened back in the woods was intense and beyond anything I ever thought I would experience. To think I willingly allowed black magic to consume me was still unnerving to me.
I knew I was doing the right thing; that somehow, this would all help me save our world from the Dark Magic Witches, but it still felt like I was being the sacrificial lamb for the cause...
Maybe I was.
Could that be my true purpose in this world?
When we reached the cabin, I had been so lost in thought, I hadn’t realized we were back yet. Thankfully, all of the lights were still off and the house was dead silent. I was worried that maybe Cam had woke up, but his bedroom light was off and I could hear his snores from his cracked window.
We both snuck back inside and as soon as my head hit my pillow, I passed out in a world of darkness.
****
I sat on the bed, the silver moonlight beckoning me to wake. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I watched as the bright stars outside seemed to wink at me.
“Adyiln, are you there?” a voice called out to me.
“Yes,” I answered, standing and moving toward the window.
Outside, I spotted a woman with long hair and bright blue eyes. Her enchanting smile was familiar; and as I moved closer to the window, I realized it was my ancestor who had come to me earlier when me and Ashton had been in the woods. I lift my hand and waved, but she just stares back at me.
“Why are you out there?” I asked, lifting my window and allowing the night air to enter.
“If you don’t act fast, the world will become consumed by evil,” she warns.
“What?” I ask.
“Here, I will show you,” she says, waving her hands in the air.
Suddenly, an image appears in the blackness of the night. I see fire burning everywhere. Homes are destroyed, people are screaming and crying. The world is in complete chaos, like Armageddon has just struck. My stomach drops and my heart breaks for the cries of the people I see. Standing in the middle of Bourbon Street are three witches-- and they are all Dark Magic Witches.
My ancestor doesn’t have to say another word, I already know they are the reason for the destruction I see.
Tears stream down my face as I watch the horror take place.
“How? Why?” I ask, my words stumbling out of my mouth.
“You hold the power. Allow the magic to consume you, or the wrath of black magic will end the world as we know it,” she says, before disappearing before my very eyes.
The evil images are washed away, too and now I am left standing by the window, needing more.
“Wait, don’t go,” I cry out, but it’s too late.
Suddenly, my eyes shoot open and I’m lying in bed, sweat coating my body. Taking in a deep breath, I realize it had all been a dream. Once again, my Dream Catcher and Dream Wanderer skills had consumed me, and I had seen both a dream and a warning of what was to come.
My bedroom bursts open and my parents come rushing in.
Oh great, I must have screamed in my dream. Now I have alerted the whole place to my vision.
“What’s wrong?” my mom asks, rushing to my bed.
“Are you hurt?” my dad asks, standing at the end of my bed and looking around the room.
“Is Adylin ok?” Cam asks, rushing in behind them.
Shaking my head, I sit up. “No, I’m fine. Just another perk of being the new Dream Seeker. My powers all seem to be ganging up on me,” I sighed.
“What did you see this time?” mom asked.
Ashton walked in then and leaned against the door frame. I wasn’t sure what all I should say, but I also knew I had to tell my parents as much of the truth as possible. I had lost them once before, I would never take them for granted.
Cam is at my side, holding my hand and giving me the encouragement I needed to share.
“Truthfully, one of my ancestors warned me that if I don’t find a way to stop the Dark Magic Witches soon, the world will be destroyed,” I said.
Wow, even saying it out loud made me sound crazy.
“Oh Adylin, how can we help?” dad asked. Concern was growing in his eyes and I knew how much this hurt them, too.
“I don’t know yet. Ashton is helping me tap into my black magic because… well, you know,” I said.
We all knew Ashton had grown up with black magic so he would be the best source for help. Regardless if we liked the idea or not.
Everyone nodded and then Ashton cleared his throat.
“If we are going to do this, we need to work now,” he said.
Then, he walked away. I knew that was my cue to get up and ready to go with him.
Smelling how foul I stunk, I decided a shower was in store first.
****
An hour later, I was freshly showered and full from a pancake breakfast.
Ashton was waiting for me in the yard behind the cabin.
“Alright, are you ready to work?” he asks, clapping his hands.
“Yes, but I have to tell you about my vision,” I stated, moving closer to him.
As I filled him in on what I had seen in my vision, his eyes grew wide.
“Wow, that was intense,” he breathes. “However, this is good that you are able to communicate with your ancestors in your visions and dreams. She’s working with you. Now, we have to find a way for you to harness your black magic while still being in tune with it. Once you hear her communicating with you outside of your dreams, then you will know the magic spell is complete. As the most powerful witch, you will be able to stop any spell or havoc the Black Witches try to create,” Ashton informs me.
“So, I will be a witch, too?” I asked.
“Technically, no. You are a Dream Seeker. Your power derives from the magic inside of you, not spells cast using outside forces. You are more powerful than a witch,” he finished.
A smile spread across my face. “That makes this all better!” I cheer.
Rolling his eyes, Ashton just huffs.
“Are you ready to learn or not?” he asks, clearly annoyed by my excitement.
Just as I opened my mouth to answer, Cam opened the back door.
“Adylin, Officer Chris just called on your phone. I hope you don’t mind that I answered it,” he said,
“No, that’s fine,” I replied. I had totally forgotten about my phone inside.
“He said that he was going to come back down again with your Aunt Evelyn,” he states.
Now, this was some fantastic news. I had grown to think of Officer Chris almost like family and I thought I saw a spark between him and my aunt.
“Ok great, we can have a party. But first, we need to save the world,” Ashton stated.
Oh right. I almost forgot.
13
After I have fallen on my back more times than I can count, trying to master the idea of black magic, I am just about ready to give up. But by the look that Ashton gives me, I know that there is no way he’s about to let that happen any time soon. I can’t say that I don’t agree with him. But a girls gotta rest.
Dream Seeker (The Dream Catcher Series Book 3) Page 6