Soothsayer: Magic Is All Around Us (Soothsayer Series Book 1) (28 page)

“I know, I know. It’s just, he seems like a nice guy and you should be excited about him. It may be complicated but good God, Violet, have you taken a good look at the man who happens to be completely engrossed with you?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. It was true, Robert really was an attractive man and that kiss proved I was more than just The Waker to him. In a perfect world, I should be able to enjoy being with him and get excited about where this might lead. But one simple fact remained: he was only in my life because someone wanted me dead.

“Why don’t we go grab the girls? We’re almost to the end of the trail and I’m itching to get to the top,” I suggested, changing the subject. I put my arm around Becky’s shoulder and pulled her back down the trail toward our companions.

I got up the next morning and put on a pot of coffee for everyone. I didn’t need caffeine to get me moving with the rest of the waking world, but the girls did. Over dinner last night, Becky said she wanted to head over to the waterfall and have a nice picnic lunch. As much as I loved the outdoors, I just wanted to relax and do nothing for one day. My life had been so chaotic lately that a day of lounging around seemed like heaven. I knew getting rid of the girls wouldn’t be easy but I formulated a plan while they slept.

In the back of my mind, I knew I should probably stay with them and not make myself vulnerable. But Annabel would stay with me and Robert was close by, if anything happened. I thought about calling Robert and having him join us, since the girls would be nowhere in sight, but I had to admit it was nice not having him around watching my every move.

Once everyone was awake and getting ready, I told them I wasn’t going to join them today because I wanted to get lost in the woods and take pictures. Annabel dutifully volunteered to assist me against the other girls protest. I was ninety-eight percent sure this would get them to leave me alone. No one ever liked coming with me to take pictures. I tended to be very focused when I was trying to get the perfect shot and spent a lot of time in one place, sometimes just making small adjustments. It wasn’t much fun for anyone tagging along.

“You sure you guys don’t want to come with us?” Becky asked again as they got ready to leave. She wasn’t too keen on leaving us behind, but the thought of spending the day with me in the woods taking pictures of things she wouldn’t find interesting in a million years kept her from offering to stay with us.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” I replied. “There are a few shots that didn’t come out the way I wanted them to last year so I’m going to try and get the pictures right this time around.”

Becky laughed. “Alright, we’ll only be a couple hours though so don’t disappear into the woods for too long,” she said, anxious to get out of the house.

“We won’t. Besides, I don’t think the weather is going to hold out much longer,” Annabel noted.

Looking out the window I grimaced at the dark clouds descending on the cabin.

“Christy, come on already!” Becky yelled.

“Coming, coming, geez,” Christy said, shuffling to the front door while juggling her jacket, a Power Bar and a cup of coffee.

“Have fun,” I said and waved to them from the porch.

“You too,” Becky called over her shoulder.

With the girls out of sight, I went into the bedroom and pulled Robert’s family journal out from my bag. I made myself comfortable on the couch with a small blanket and sifted through the pages.

“What’s that?” Annabel asked grabbing her own blanket and curling up on the leather chair adjacent to me.

“Family journal that, Robert gave to me.” I said flipping the pages back and forth.

“Any juicy family gossip?” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed, “So far, nothing too scandalous.”

“So you and Robert, huh?”

I groaned. “I’m sorry about yesterday. That was humiliating.”

“Naw, don’t worry about it.” She waved off my apology. “It was nice, pretending to be normal for a change. We get so caught up with Magic sometimes that we forget the little things.”

“I’ve noticed. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster,” I said biting the inside of my cheek.

“With Robert or with Magic?” Cocking her head to the side, she watched me with an amused expression.

“Both.” I laughed a tucked my hair behind my ear.

“They can both be a handful at first. But you were made for this.” For the first time, Annabel looked at me with the same sort of reverence that Robert did.

“Right, because I’m The Waker.” I shifted on the couch to avoid her gaze.

“No.” She shook her head and sat up adjusting the blanket on her lap. “Because you’re you. Robert can be a stick in the mud sometimes, but you bring him to life. And Magic, sure it’s a lot to take in,” she shrugged, “but you didn’t run for the hills when you found out it was real.” She paused letting her words sink in. “You were meant for this life.”

I looked at the journal in my hands and let my fingers graze the front cover. Maybe she was right. Destiny aside, I did choose to stay. “I guess, I’ve never been one to run from a challenge.” I shrugged and a small smile played on my lips.

  It was so nice talking to somehow I didn’t have to lie to. Magic had changed my life so much already and it was hard having only Robert to talk to. Relaxing into the couch, the tension I always held now, melted away.

“So how old were you when you found out about Magic?” I asked.

“I was four when I realized I was different. But my ability-“

“The vanishing thing?” I interrupted her.

“Orbing,” she corrected me. “I didn’t find out about that until I was about twelve. Sometimes it takes longer for an ability to manifest itself,” she said casually as if we were talking about shoe size.

Annabel’s phone rang in her lap, before I could ask her anything else.

“It’s Jake.” She smiled from ear to ear, “I’ll be right back.” She hopped off the couch and bounced into one of the bedrooms.

I smiled to myself. Annabel was intoxicating and you couldn’t help but feel lighter when she was around.

Turning
my attention back to the journal in my lap, I flipped to one of William’s entries. I felt like I knew him somehow. Every time I read the words he’d written it felt like I was visiting an old friend. Robert reminded me a little of William. They used some of the same phrases and both held a secret passion.

I skipped forward a few pages and came across a whole section of writing that looked like spells. The words weren’t in any language I recognized, but they still drew me in. Under each spell, I found a description detailing their different uses. I idly wondered if the spell Robert put on me was in this journal, but I didn’t see anything that looked familiar.

Seeing the spells made me want to explore my magic. I really couldn’t do anything except bring up a shield and have visions, neither of which I had very much control over. I wished I knew how to do more so I could practice and get stronger. I thought about asking Annabel to teach me some Magic, but the girls would be back soon enough and I didn’t want to risk getting caught. I decided I would ask Robert to teach me everything he knew after this trip ended. I had accepted the Magical world. Now it was time to start being a part of it.

Anabel was still locked up in one of the bedrooms and I needing a break from reading so I made my way to the kitchen. My stomach growled
as I looked through the contents of the refrigerator but nothing looked appetizing. The lodge food court was only a five, ten minute walk from the cabin but I wasn’t sure I wanted to venture outside. The clouds had wiped away any trace of blue sky while I’d read the journal and I doubted the weather would hold out much longer. I stood in front of the kitchen sink, looking out the window at the clouds and weighing my options. After a moment’s pause, I decided a little rain never hurt anyone.

“Annabel,” I yelled as I walked back into the living room.

“Yeah, everything okay?” I almost crashed into her as she orbed in front of me.

“Everything’s fine. Want to grab some lunch with me?” I asked throwing on a sweater.

“Sure thing, boss.”

A chill in the air gave off a heavy smell of rain as we walked toward the lodge. I took a deep breath and enjoyed the clean mountain breeze. I’d always loved the atmosphere just before a big storm: the thick, humid wind, the electricity coursing through you and warning you to take cover. With each step the fresh air cleansed me from the inside out. I finally began to relax and gave over to the Magic building and growing stronger inside me. I let it fill every nook and cranny and acquainted myself with the physical presence of my Magic. I felt strong and more secure than I had in a long time. I may not have known how to use my Magic, but it was a comfort knowing it would always be with me.

The smell of baked goods and meat being cooked on a grill assaulted my senses as we walked inside the food court. The aroma floating through the food court was intoxicating and the sweet smell reminded me of my aunt's cooking. My stomach growled and my mouth salivated, pushing all thoughts of Magic from my brain.

“Everything sounds good,” Annabel said looking up at menus hanging from the ceiling.

I nodded my head
in agreement and said, “I’ll have the chili,” to the cashier.

“Would you like that in a sourdough bread bowl?” the cashier asked.

“Umm, yeah that sounds good. Can I also get a large drink?”

“One chili bread bowl and a large drink, is that all?”

I eyed the dessert menu but decided against it. “That’s it.” If I was still hungry after the chili I promised myself I would order dessert.

Annabel put in her order while I filled my cup with Coke.

Before we could find a place to sit, the kitchen called out our order, I picked up my chili bowl and Annabel grabbed her burger and garlic fires.

“I’m going to have to steal some of those fries from you,” I said as we made our way to an empty table near the windows.

She laughed, “You’re going to have to fight me for them.”

Sitting down, I immediately dug my spoon into the bread bowl with ravenous enthusiasm. Steam rose from my spoon and my stomach grumbled in anticipation. I took a small bite and the chili melted in my mouth. It tasted spicy, which I liked, but there was also a sweetness to it that made it one of the best chili’s I’d ever tasted. I tore off a piece of the bowl and dipped it in the chili to take another bite. I was in food heaven.

As we ate, a
few raindrops appeared on the window and we quickly finished our meal in an attempt to make it back before the rain started coming down in sheets.

The thickness of the air had been cut in half as the clouds opened up. We walked quickly but were no match for Mother Nature. Within minutes the dark, angry clouds unleashed a torrential downpour.

“Shit, I left my wallet back at food court,” Annabel yelled over the din.

“Go grab it real quick and Ill meet you back at the house.”

She nodded and doubled back.

Making a run for it I tried to avoid the small puddles already forming along the path. I could see the cabin off in the distance and pushed my legs a little harder. I was already completely soaked through and the cold started seeping into my bones.              

I unlocked the door and rushed inside, shaking off the rain. Throwing the keys down on the coffee table I moved toward the bedroom to change my clothes when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I took a step back toward the living room, searching for anything that might be out of place. My shoes squeaked on the wooden floor as I made my way through the cabin.

The menacing clouds hovering outside gave everything a dark hue as the rain thundered against the roof. My heart pounded in my chest and my breath grew slightly ragged.

Moving to the wall adjacent to the couch I pressed my back against it, feeling the cool wood through my soaked shirt. I peered around the couch but saw nothing. I took a deep breath to steady myself and then swiftly walked into the living room, flipping on the light switch as I passed it.

Nothing. Everything looked just as I’d left it. I let out a sigh of relief as I took in the empty living room. The doorbell rang and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
That couldn’t be Annabel already, could it?

“Ian?” My eyes almost popped out of my head. “What are you doing here?” I asked as I swung open the door.

“I saw you leaving the food court. I called your name but you didn’t hear me.”

“Oh, well come in, come in,” I said, ushering him inside. “Let me get you a towel.”

I quickly shed my wet sweater, grabbed a towel for Ian and headed back to the living room.

“So what are you doing in Yosemite?” I asked, handing him the towel.

“We’re shooting a few scenes for a movie. The storm got everyone the day off. How about you, what’re you doing up here?”

“Oh, I come up every year with a few girlfriends.”

“And where are your friends?” Ian asked, stepping toward me and looking around.

A small warning bell went off in the back of my head. “They went to the waterfall this morning, but they should be on their way back now,” I explained, taking a step back and looking out the window.

I had no reason to be afraid of Ian, but something about him felt off. We stood there in the living room not saying anything. My skin crawled as I felt him looking at me.

“Would you like some tea?” I asked, trying to break the tension.

“No,” he said with a stern voice as his eyes studied me.

“Coffee?” My voice cracked. Something was wrong. My every instinct told me to run. I hoped Robert was already on his way. All I had to do was stall Ian for a few more minutes.