Dream Seeker (The Dream Catcher Series Book 3)

by Michelle Areaux

  18

  “Are you ready?” Ashton asks, as I stare blankly into the darkness.

  In my mind, I have convinced myself that if I look hard enough, my family will reappear. I know it is crazy and probably a trick of my mind, but I am at my breaking point.

  I have learned so much over the last year and with each day that passes, I feel like I take another step into discovering something else new about me.

  When this is all over, I just want a break. Time to heal my body, mind, and soul.

  However, right now, I must face the Black Witches. Ashton has a plan and, right now, he is my only hope.

  I have to place my trust in him, regardless of how much it terrifies me to do so.

  Turning to face Ashton, I see the worry etched in his features.

  “I’m ready,” I sigh, tucking a lost strand of hair behind my ear.

  A light gust of wind whirls around me and I can’t help but feel like it is nature speaking to me. If I had learned one thing about being a Dream Seeker, it’s that the world around me fuels me. Magic is derived from the Earth, so it would only make sense that the Earth and the surrounding nature would provide me with what I would need.

  “Look, Adylin. I know this is difficult. But, you said you trusted me, so now is the time to prove it,” Ashton began.

  I simply nodded, knowing that I needed to allow him this moment to speak. As difficult as this was for me, it was equally as troubling for Ashton. He was about to destroy his own mother while I fought to save me. The irony of the situation hit me like a freight train.

  Exhaling a deep breath, Ashton continues. “I think we have to trick the witches. They are going to come here already knowing that you hold the upper hand. They despise the fact that you are the most powerful and, in return, can control and stop them. They will want blood, but what I want you to do is this: offer them a truce. Explain to them that you will follow them into battle. Tell them you hold the power they want, so you want to be in charge. It will be unnerving to my mom, but she will go along with it because she will still hold a power. Plus, if I know her, she will think she can overthrow you at some point,” he finishes.

  His plan seems genius and I love the idea, only I see one issue.

  “What about you? What will you do?” I ask.

  An evil grin spreads over Ashton’s face, and I already know his plan will be diabolical.

  “When they left, I was on the ground, practically dead. I want you to recreate the bubble in which you were trapped. You will disguise us as still under their power. It will be the only way that they will believe that you want a truce. You have to have a need for them, or it will all be for nothing. After they get you out of the bubble again, I will sneak off and save your family. You need to call your ancestors as soon as you are freed. They will help you defeat the witches for good,” Ashton finishes.

  I have to give it to him, his plan is very specific; and I truly believe it will work.

  “Alright, we need to move fast,” I say.

  We moved back to the spot in the woods where the Black Witches had left us. Using my powers, I draw upon my magic to build the bubble that had been used to trap me before. Ashton moves to the ground and begins to pretend as though he were dead.

  Once we are in place, I begin my spell by casting a calling out to the dark witches. The dark magic inside of me boils to the surface as I call out to them.

  I watch, anxiously awaiting their arrival as I continue to pull the magic from me and into the universe.

  After what feels like forever, I see the Black Witches returning through the clearing of the trees.

  I never move my eyes away from them. Sucking in a deep breath, I pull my confidence and know that this is my moment to shine.

  As they approach, I see a wicked smile appear on the face of Ashton’s mom, Laura. I don’t even want to call her by name, she doesn’t deserve that form of respect.

  “So, I see you aren’t as powerful as you assumed you were,” she mocks me, seeing me still trapped.

  I almost chuckle, but think better of it. Instead, I force tears to my eyes.

  “I need your help. I thought I could escape, but something is wrong. And... Ashton is dead,” I cry out.

  The witches glance over at his lifeless body and not an ounce of remorse or sadness passes their features. Rage bubbles inside of me. How can they be so cruel? He was their family!

  “So, you want me to let you free, no chance Dream Seeker,” Ashton’s mom sneers at me.

  “No,” I begin, shaking my head. “I have a deal to propose. If you set me free, I will join your coven. I have nothing left and alone, I have no idea how to use my powers. But, if I join you, we can utilize one another’s powers,” I say.

  I hold my breath as I wait, watching them contemplate my proposition.

  “And, why would we do this?” one of the witches speaks up.

  I realize, I have them right where I want them. “Well, if you leave me here to die, you are still just dark magic witches. How will you find another Dream Seeker to use to control the world? If you bring me into your coven, my magic will be at your disposal, and I will be free and alive,” I offer.

  “What about the boy,” the witch says, barely giving Ashton a second look.

  “He’s dead. Ashton is of no use to me now,” I say.

  Even though I am pretending, it still pains me to say such vile words aloud. Sure, Ashton could be a pain, but to wish death upon someone, or not feel sadness at the loss of their life, was awful.

  “Alright, but if we agree to this, you will listen and follow our orders. We will not be under your reign,” Ashton’s mom says.

  She is so controlling and arrogant, it makes me sick. Status and power mean more to her than her own child.

  “Agreed,” I say.

  The witches begin chanting a spell and I feel the bubble around me begin to shake. I step back, and move toward the center. I can feel myself shaking as I wait for the curse to be lifted.

  Just then, the bubble shatters and I am free once again.

  Taking a step out of the circle where I was standing, I move in front of the witches.

  “Thank you. Game on.”

  19

  The witches look amongst themselves. Ashton's mother actually looks worried, and I can't help the satisfied look from painting across my face.

  My arms rise above me and words echo from my parted lips. "I call thee to set my powers free. Bring forth the power invested in me!"

  I chant the words, each one increasing in volume.

  "Stop that," Ashton's mother demands.

  "I call thee to release my ancestors from their realm, a mirage of chelm!"

  The ignorant Witch steps back, a scowl across her face.

  The air shifts around us.

  "I call thee to answer my prayer, help me fight fair to fair!"

  The sky crackles with lightning, erupting in a road of thunder. The fog thickens, circling around my feet like a blanket. I don't know how I do it, but the words rush out of me. It's like someone else is speaking through me, entirely.

  My hair whips around me, as the energy unlike any before surges through me, I peer over my shoulder. "Ashton, now!"

  He jumps to his feet bolting away.

  I focus on the Black Witches, trusting he will save my family from their ruthless hands. A drum beats against my head, a silent hum, the fog covers the trees, shadows emerging.

  The words flow faster now.

  Laura snarls at her son, "Traitor!"

  The witches stand frozen, stunned and conflicted.

  If there's one thing that can take down the darkness within them, it's the light that my Ancestors process.

  Light beats Dark, every time.

  There, a figure steps out from the fog, a woman. She's followed by three others and they slide over the ground with ease. My heart races, cheeks flushed, hands trembling with what? Fear? Anticipation?

  They fall to a stop beside me, the woman looks down at me wi
th a smile and my insides ignite. My ancestors have answered my call and now, the real fun begins.

  Ashton's mother steps back, her hands sprawled out in front of her like a scared child, waiting for it’s predator to attack.

  “You will pay for this!” Ashtons mother growls.

  “No, you will. All of you,” I say, with a wicked grin.

  My ancestors hand wraps around my shoulder and her energy swirls with my own. In a swipe of a hand, the energy bursts from within me. “You mess with my family, you mess with me!"

  The glow erupts from the palm of my hand, blasting the witches with the vitality of my spell, sending their bodies spiraling in all directions. I sprint for cover, my ancestors following suit. Once the witches recover, there's no going back.

  My back is firm against the tree trunk, chest heaving as I fight for a steady breath. Everything seems to go in slow motion. The witches blast spells, their power full of fire.

  My own ferocity is steaming inside of me.

  I've never wanted anything more than I do at this very moment. The lives of millions are on the line, one slip up, one mistake will jeopardize everything we've worked so hard for.

  I, Adylin Sparks, am no longer a freak.

  I am the most powerful being and this is what I've been destined for. I won't let these witches take from the world, what was once taken from me-- Peace of mind.

  I dart from behind the tree just as a blast knocks into it, turning it into a pile of burnt Amber.

  My ancestors battle, their words bouncing off the trees. The witches come back stronger. Ashton's mother advances, her eyes pinned on me. A shudder passes over me, but I hold my ground. The woods are a complete shamble, ruined by dark magic. A ball of energy wraps around her hand, her lips moving to a silent chant.

  Breath. Just breathe Adylin. You can do this!

  My feet take me forward, shoulders squared, eyes locked on the bitter witch. The bark breaks beneath my shoes, the air shifting around me, wrapping me in its embrace.

  "Earth, water, and air. I commend you under my warth. Break the realms, corrupt the balance, and wake the darkness! You're mine to demand, now kill this foolish girl!" Ashton's mother spits, swinging her arms around her, the ball of energy knocks into me, my back hits the hard ground, air whooshed from my lungs, my body on fire. I grip at my throat, begging for release, but no air breaks through; my vision blurs, heart quickening.

  The woods ground rumbles, and vines hold my legs captive. I struggle, but it proves worthless.

  One of my ancestors is thrown to the ground, her eyes blank of life, body limp and that shatters me, I can't feel her energy drain to nothing and a whimper falls from my lips.

  I can't breathe. My mouth is not catching up with my mind. The air pushes into me, dissolving my last resistance. I lie there, surrounded by pure evil. A war raging around me and all I can do is watch as the dark spots in my vision threaten to take me under.

  A voice breaks from the edge of the woods, a soothing angelic noise, kissing my heart and awakening my soul. My eyes dart in that direction-- there Cameron and my family stand, Ashton at their side. A feeling of relief, happiness and hope consumes me and somehow, despite the darkness fighting against me, wanting to draw me further away. I breathe in, air catching at my throat. But as my body turns to fire, a heat radiating off my skin, the air knocks through the barrier and drowns me in fresh air. I gasp for it, breathing it in as the dark spots behind to fade. My body igniting into a thousand flames, the vines free my legs, slithering back where they belong.

  I pull myself from the fog covered ground, fists clenched at my side. Power surging from my pores and I know, without having to look, my eyes are an onyx black.

  Ashton's mother's back is to me, she's saying something to one of the other witches, whose devilish gleam is directed to my Ancestors, who, unlike the witches, never let their stances sway.

  One look from my ancestors, a sparkle in her eye, a small curve of her lips, the slight nod of her head, encourages me to finish this once and for all.

  "You know what they say about Black Witches?" I call out.

  She turns with a twist, her eyes widening.

  "They're only as strong as their weakest link."

  I bolt forward, pace increasing, hands whipping forward and back with each step. The power growing stronger and stronger inside of me. My lips curve with their own wicked gleam and a shriek of war escapes my parted lips, echoing across the woods as I slide smoothly over the branches and leaves, dodging the spells the clan taunts me with.

  Inches away from Ashton's mother's spell, I can feel her wicked spell moving towards me. I drop like a time bomb about ready to go off. My legs and back tumbling forward, just as Ashton's mother leaps toward me, gracefully breaking the surface beneath her. My hand darts upward. "I commend thee, by the power invested in me. I commend thee to the fate of my ancestors, bring these witches to their knees, for now and ever more!"

  The blast hits her below the chest bone, her body spiraling sideways and smacking into a nearby bush, her grunt coming out broken. I slide to a stop, twisting around, my feet unsteady beneath me. A cry from the dark witches, Ashton's mother appears, her skin white as a ghost, dark veins travel from her fingertips upwards, swallowing her body whole. A bellow of fear erupts from her chest.

  The unison of the other witches cries match her own as they, too, conquer her fate, as will they.

  Footsteps bounce behind me and within minutes Ashton is at my side. "You did it!"

  I watch in awe at what I have done. My mind is unsure whether I should be proud or angry. "I did it," I say, barely a whisper.

  "Ouch!" Ashton curses.

  My eyes follow his, there, his hands are wrapped in dark veins, much like her mother's. "What's happening?"

  "Ashton, I see you have outsmarted us. But, there is one ripple in your plan. As a child, I bound you to me. Now, as Adylin has cast a spell to destroy us, you will also be destroyed," she shouts.

  Ashton's eyes go wide and my heart sinks to my stomach. He falls to his knees, and I, next to him, shed a tear that escapes down my cheek. "No!"

  "You have to do something," I beg my ancestors.

  She only watches, lips pressed together. "The spell has been cast, there is nothing that can be done." Those words shatter me. My ancestors become a blur of mist, whisked away into the night, leaving me as I hold Ashton in my grip and his body is drained of life. I don't hear the others come up, but Cameron's arms wrap around me as I cry.

  Cry for the loss of a friend.

  I want to turn back time, rewind, and take the spell back. But it's done. The fate is no longer in my hands and as the light runs dry from Ashton's once beautiful eyes, everything I believed in comes crumbling down with it.

  20

  It’s dark.

  The world around me has gone black and turned to a silent blanket of nothingness.

  Tears stream down my face as I struggle to understand the death that just took place.

  Ashton’s face is glued to the forefront of my mind, his voice echoing through my mind as the sobs erupt from my core.

  I have no idea how long I have been standing out here in the woods-- the very place where I watched Ashton die.

  After the dark witches left, my family tried to console me. They tried to pry me away from the very spot where I still find myself standing.

  My mother’s pleas still haunt me as she begged me to follow them back to the cabin. My dad tried to carry me against my will, but I put up too big of a fight and my power was just too strong for him to win that battle.

  Eventually, they left for the cabin with Cameron remaining in their place.

  My Cameron.

  It didn’t matter how many times I asked him to leave or how loud I yelled and screamed, he refused to budge from where he stood just a few feet away from me.

  His eyes were glued on me, watching me with a compassionate protectiveness.

  I knew his love for me would never allow him to leave
me, no matter the circumstances. I didn’t deserve him, but I was beyond grateful to have him in my life.

  “Adylin, I’m not leaving you,” Cameron’s voice wraps around me, as he repeats the phrase I have heard for hours.

  I don’t know what is compelling me to remain out here in the woods, but something deep in my heart and soul is telling me it’s not time to leave just yet.

  Part of me expects to see Ashton walking through the clearing with a wide grin on his face. I want him to tell me he was just pulling a joke on me like we had planned for the witches, but it never happens.

  “I can’t leave,” I barely whisper, as I lock eyes with Cameron.

  He simply nods, knowing that when the time is right, I will move.

  An owl flies above me, its wings glowing against the silver light cast down from the full moon.

  I just don’t understand it. How can the world be so calm and peaceful after such a terrible event has occurred?

  You have the power inside of you, Adylin.

  I hear the voice and at first, I think I am dreaming.

  Shaking my head, I close my eyes and try to rid myself of the thoughts and dreams that are trying to haunt me.

  Death is only permanent when you allow it to be.

  The voice rings out again, and this time, I know it’s not just me who is hearing the words.

  Cameron’s face is shocked, his eyes wide as his mouth falls open. I know he has heard what I did.

  My ancestors are talking to me, but now, they are allowing Cameron to hear the words as well.

  Do they think I am too distraught to hear their advice without help? Even so, I know that in my state, I could use help.

  “Do you hear that?” I ask Cameron.

  “Yes, is that your ancestors?” he asks, already knowing the answer to his own question.

  “I think so,” I say, a slight tinge of hope filling me.

  Standing straighter, I remind myself that I am a Dream Seeker. I have to listen to their words and find a way to understand what they are telling me to do.

  “Tell me again, ancestors, I need your help now more than ever,” I cry out into the night.