Winter's Fall

by Alessandra Jay

  “Lucas, this is how it has to be right now. You should have seen how bad it was yesterday when they got ambushed. She needs to start training now or she’ll never be ready. I promise we will have time for each other, but there is a bigger picture you can’t foresee that needs my attention.”

  She says this so sternly that Luke sits down without another word. I'm certain he hates me right now because I even hate myself for coming in between their much-needed reunion, although I am the reason she is back in the first place. But the selfish part of me is dying to control my new gift. She’s right, I miss Evan’s touch so much.

  “Okay, where do you want to go? We’re not safe on this side of town. There are training rooms in the Village -” Before I could finish my thoughts, Evan cuts me off.

  “She can’t come into the Village until we get the okay from the Elders.” In complete shock, I spin around to face him.

  “What do you mean she can’t come into the Village? I am an Elder.” I can feel the rage beginning to stir inside of me. But as I take a deep breath, Charlie answers instead.

  “Chill, girl. He’s right. I literally can’t set a foot inside of any Village unless the entire Caster’s Council agrees to let me in. I'm full angel. That goes for any other species, also. The Villages are strictly Casters only. That’s one of the many things I learned in Paradise.” Throwing herself back onto the couch, she speaks like it’s such a normal occurrence.

  “I’ll call Ava and we’ll get right on that. So for now, where are we going to train that’s safe for all of us?” I ask, trying to think of places where we can go. Clapping his hands, Derek stands up with an obvious plan in mind.

  “Your dad’s gym. It’s glamored, protected, and secure. It’s perfect” He sits back down cockily and crosses his arms, knowing full well that his plan is the best we’ve got.

  “Yes! Genius! There are rooms in the basement that we can stay in until the training is complete. My dad is going to flip.” I stand to make the call, but Charlie stops me.

  “Last time I saw your dad, he was chasing me and trying to capture me. Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Now that she’s an angel I know the level of strength she possesses, but she still looks fearful of my father.

  “That was before he knew it was you. All we knew was that I had a vision of an angel trailing us. Once he knows it’s you, he’ll be much calmer about me out here.”

  I try to reassure her and give a simple nod of my head. Running to my room, I reach for my cell phone and open it to several missed calls and messages. As I listen to a voicemail from Ava, I hear that she is sending Hunter and the Light Coven to check on us because they were alerted of the demon activity from yesterday.

  Without listening to the rest of the messages, I realize I don’t have much time. Calling my dad, he doesn't answer and so it’s my turn to leave a voicemail. It’s a very loaded message; “Hey, dad. We have good news! We found the angel who was following us. We’re going to your gym. Meet us there to get caught up. Love you.”

  I know he’s going to be upset that I wasn't more specific, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him that my deceased best friend was the angel that was tracking us. Only she isn't a Fallen - she’s my guardian. Knowing Hunter and the Light Coven are going to be here any minute, I run out to the living room to relay the message. Of course, the moment I walk into the room, the front door slams open.

  Hunter and the Light Coven rush in, ready to fight. I guess they assumed I was fighting or had been captured by the Dark Coven. When they see the group just hanging out, they simply freeze.

  “Charlie?” Hunter says, confused and alarmed. And she hasn't even seen her wings yet. Clearing her throat, Charlie nods her head.

  “I’ve learned so much about you in Paradise. It is such a pleasure to meet you.” Charlie takes Hunter’s hand and shakes it gently, clearly gushing.

  “Paradise?” Hunter asks, still in the dark. Quite dramatically, Charlie brings her into the light.

  With one stretch, Charlie expands her wings. As they gleam their presence, Luke and the rest of the group stare at her in awe. Chloe, who looks like she just had a revelation, nods her head in understanding.

  “So THAT’S why I couldn't feel you up there anymore.”

  Shaking my head, I can't believe I didn't have that same thought. When Chloe tried to use her medium gift to feel for Charlie, she couldn't, because she was here, waiting to help us.

  “Okay, now that you're all caught up on Charlie being here, we should go. Charlie, we’ll take the portal over there. You can fly, I guess? Once we’re there, we can call Ava to let her know what is happening. Because there is more, a lot more.”

  Knowing we will have to sit through the story of Theo again when we get to my dad’s gym, my shoulders sag, anticipating that I will have to see a piece of Evan’s heart break all over again. Determined to learn how to control my angel gift, I urge everyone out of the townhouse. The sooner we get this story over with, the sooner I can control this gift, and the sooner I can touch my Anima Partem again.

  “Let’s go. We all have work to do.”

  Leading the way out, we begin our path to the portal that takes us closest to my dad and uncle’s gym. You can tell how much everyone is deep in their thoughts because no one even forms a single sentence. Just the thought of an angel being on our side is enough to keep us focused.

  The fact that she’s one of my best friends makes this so much more bizarre, yet so much more special and comfortable. I'm going to do my best to learn as much as I can from her and not go directly into panic mode. I’ll try to think through the circumstances in front of me before I react.

  Chapter 18

  Decisions, Decisions

  “This is WILD!” Nova’s voice shouts out from the speaker phone.

  “What do her wings look like?” Questions fly out of her mouth until Ava shushes her.

  “Nova.” And then silence. Nothing but the subtle crackling sound in the void that comes from us communicating through different realms.

  Charlie has just repeated her messages again and now everyone looks on edge. I'm positive that if we were all in Eden right now, we would see that the other Elders look just the same. Even my dad is dismayed.

  He was waiting for us inside the gym when we arrived, along with Demi. Charlie landed behind us, before we could all enter. Since then, my sister and father have gotten shades paler. It was me who had to lead everyone down to the safe house in the basement. It really is something astonishing to witness the exact reason holding you back from success.

  If everyone would stop being so stricken with shock about the unknown, we could get through the grueling part of most of our missions. The information, the facts are very important - and so is planning - but sometimes we will have to improvise and be confident in our team and our abilities to do that. However, in this case, one of those facts has to do with me getting involved with another soul mate, a soul mate I don’t want or need. On top of all the chaos, not only am I part of a caster prophecy, I’m being told I’m also part of another prophecy from an angelic realm.

  Shaking my head hard, I try to push those thoughts aside so I can focus on what is in front of me. Which is a group of equally confused and powerful casters unsure of anything at this point. Finally, after crackling sounds through the phone for a few moments, Ava’s voice disrupts the overwhelming silence that’s taken over the room.

  “Okay. That is a lot to take in. But we can do this. We have Scar, the Light Coven, and a group of Angels. Light will win this conflict we’re facing. Light will conquer the darkness.” With that, my dad stands with his chest puffed out.

  “That’s right. We must win, and we will be victorious.” He looks confident. And that pushes me to feel that way, too. Charlie nods her head and looks a lot less anxious now, as she no longer needs to lurk in the shadows and everyone is getting used to her divinity.

  “Yes! This is what I like to hear. I have been well-informed of the Caster’s Council and
I am honored to be fighting alongside the Elders and the Light Coven.

  And speaking of the Light Coven, you are part of a very elite and legendary group that is being acknowledged in Paradise. You all have proven you can effectively fight against the forces of darkness and it will be an honor for the forces of the divine to fight alongside you.” Showing a congratulatory smile to my coven, she slowly approaches Mack, who has been the most silent.

  “Yes, Mack, even you are a special force in this war against the dark. You're the first mortal to ever absorb a dark caster’s gift successfully without succumbing to the darkness. And you haven't even begun to explore how your body is growing, changing, and what it’s able to do now.” Rubbing her back, she moves back by the phone.

  “With that being said, I am positive we will be the victors of this war.” With shouts of agreement and a whole new positive and enthusiastic vibe from both the caster realm and the mortal realm, we move on with the agenda.

  “Alright, Ava, you're in charge. I'm here to help Scarlet prepare and provide you guys with the knowledge you need that will benefit our side and help in the fight to defeat the dark.” Charlie finishes and walks over to sit next to Luke, who still looks like he’s on cloud nine.

  “Thank you, Charlie. That was inspiring. For now, we must communicate this way. If I leave Eden, the magic in the wards Scarlet placed will weaken and the members of the Dark Coven that are being held captive here will be able to escape.

  Until then, I will do all I can from Eden. Always know I’ll be here if you are in need of my council. You already have two of my Elders with you, but if you need the assistance of another, please let me know at once. Nova sounds like she’s eager and ready to join you. I know you need the permission from the Caster’s Council to enter a Village and we give you that. Only, I request that we try and avoid that for now. With Mackenzie entering, I think Salem Village could use the time out of the spotlight.” Giggles sound around the room and I can just picture Nova’s look of shock.

  “What is crucial is getting Scarlet up to speed on her angel abilities. Charlie, you two work on that first. Once she feels confident enough to move on, we can then begin to train as one. Rick, in the meantime you can assemble the demon hunters and prepare them for what is to come.

  Especially if it is anything close to what Scarlet and Evan had to battle yesterday. As a matter of fact, I'm just going to apologize to Derek and Lucas because I know there’s nowhere else you would rather be than by your loves’ sides at this time, but we need you with Rick. Lucas, you and Derek accompany Mr. Winter. The three of you are in charge of preparing our casters for the war that’s on the horizon.”

  The mood in the room is thick with tension. I can feel every single person here is on edge. Especially now, after hearing the orders we have to adhere to.

  Poor Luke just got his girlfriend back and he has to go on a mission with my Dad. I can only imagine the turmoil spinning inside of him. He wants to spend some time alone with Charlie, but he also has a sense of duty to the Sisters.

  “Scarlet, while you're training and Charlie is coaching you, your coven will be your protectors. Evan, it looks like you lucked out because if you were not part of the Light Coven, you would be with your cousins assisting Mr. Winter. You may stay with Scarlet. That being said, we also need Hunter to stay there as well.

  I encourage and believe it would be wise for all of you to continue to train with each other. Whenever there is an opportunity for Scarlet to be free of her angel trainings, you must train together to improve your strategies to fight as a team. The remaining Sisters and I will prepare the accommodations for the angels that will be joining our fight soon.

  Demi, you return home to your little ones and await our call in case we need your help tracking your sister again… Hopefully we will not need to use you for this purpose. Charlie, when you have a moment, I would like to speak with you longer about the information you obtained about us while in Paradise. Maybe there is something we can learn that will aid us in this war.

  And lastly, Mackenzie, I need you to continue your training at the Village with Lizzie. I want you as far away from the danger as possible. Learn your craft; then we can talk about you joining your friends in the fight against the dark. If anyone disagrees or has any contribution to add to these arrangements, please speak now.”

  No one replies with any disagreements or suggestions. So after a moment of silence, she takes it as acceptance of her plan.

  “Very well. Tomorrow morning we will begin. Take the rest of the day to be with each other and celebrate the fact that Charlie has returned to us. Rick, before you begin, if you could please return to Eden, as I would like to discuss Dimitri’s progress.”

  “Be there in ten.” Dad says, with a heated look of fervor, as we hear the line go dead.

  I have come to realize that look only appears when he is preparing for battle. He had the same look the night he went with the guys to the park. I get a twinge of sadness for him, knowing how much it must be killing him not having his brother by his side for such a legendary fight. As I look at him with such scrutiny, I also realize I didn't know this side of him until recently.

  A part of me misses the soft demeanor I knew as a kid and teenager, when my powers were locked away from me. But I understand why it has to be this way now. All he wants is for everyone to be safe. As we all should be. I have had enough of this chaos and I have only just become who I really am in the caster world. Demi comes to stand next to me and leans in to whisper something only I can hear.

  “I miss the old happy dad, too. You don't have to be a mind reader to see what you're thinking right now.” Knowing I’m not the only one to realize this, I playfully shove my elbow into hers, forgetting about my angel gift. I feel a spark and, as fast as I can, I return her gift before anything happens.

  “Soon, Scar. Everything will be back to normal soon. I can feel it.”

  She rubs the small of my back, where my shirt covers my skin, then walks over to the safe room exit door to wait for our father. The rest of the group begins talking amongst themselves, when dad comes over to Evan and I to say goodbye. Taking Evan by the shoulders, he looks at him with a serious expression.

  “Listen to me, Evan. Do not let this deter you. You are part of this family. Just because there is a new player in the game does not change anything. Stay courageous and protect our girl.”

  Bringing him in for a heartfelt hug, I can tell how much his words mean to Evan. If I'm not mistaken, I could swear I see Evan’s eyes glistening with moisture. Now moving on to me, dad sadly makes sure not to touch my skin. Waving his hand, gloves appear on my hands. As he softly takes them in his large burly ones, I can already feel my tears burning at my eyelids.

  “My Scarlet. I am so sorry you have to be the one to balance these worlds on your shoulders. I'm even more sorry there is nothing I can do to take this away. All I can do is help you win this fight.

  We all will. Just promise me you'll stay focused. Remember your roots and trust yourself. I just want you to know I am very proud of the woman you've become.

  This will soon be a moment of the past, a memory. Look to the future. With you as our heroine, I see only brightness. We will see each other soon. By then I know you'll have lots to show me.”

  He brings the top of my hand to his lips and kisses it, softly placing it into Evan’s hand. As my eyes meet Evan’s, I can’t stop the tears from coming out.

  “They're right. Everything is going to be okay, love.” Evan’s soothing voice sounds in my head and it instantly blankets my body with security.

  I squeeze his hand with my gloved one and he squeezes back. We watch my dad and sister leave, then we join our boisterous group of fighters. Luke and Charlie have apparently gone to one of the bedrooms to be alone, and I'm sure there are just as many tears there. My heart warms, knowing how Luke must be feeling to have his girl back. Mack skips over with the happiest look on her face.

  “Boy, am I relieved I can go
back to the Village. I sure am gonna miss y’all, but I know how safe you are now. ‘Specially with Charlie bein’ back as your personal guardian angel. I don't think I’ll ever get used to sayin’ that.” She giggles and stands to look around the safe house.

  “Would it be selfish of me to say that I can only imagine what kinda dessert you could be bakin’ up right now? Considerin’ all this new news and all.” And that is all she has to say. I race to the kitchen as fast as I can and almost squeal when I see how stocked the cabinets are.

  “Mack, you genius! That is exactly what I'm going to do.” Now in a completely different mood, I stretch my back, take off my gloves, and prepare myself for baking calmness.

  What doesn't surprise me is how quickly Hunter decides to join us in the kitchen. I have to say, she is by far my biggest baking devotee. The girls follow to hang out in the kitchen and the guys stay in the living room to discuss their best battle plans. I try to tune them out, which comes pretty easily with all the girls in the kitchen.

  “Sure wish Charlie was out here. I have a million questions about Paradise.” Chloe says, and I completely get it. Her being a medium brings her closer to that world than anyone else, besides me. But I doubt Charlie is going to want to answer everyone’s questions, because even I have hundreds of them.

  Being that I'm starting to bake, I try to push all of the stressful thoughts out of my head. Dimitri kept everything in here stocked so I can pretty much make anything. Proud of my uncle, I decide to bake one of his all-time favorites. Red velvet cookies.

  As I get everything prepared, I can’t help but wonder what Ava wants to talk to dad about. If it’s about Dimitri, I know it’s important. I hope they keep me as updated as they promised. I miss my uncle.

  “It really is fascinating watching you bake, Chica. You get so lost in your own head that you don't realize how fast you get everything prepared.” Victoria says, but Hunter cuts her off.